Category: Notable Obituaries

RIP: Eric Carmen and Karl Wallinger

powerpopaholic

Eric Carmen

We lost another legend. Eric Carmen, the lead singer of The Raspberries, whose soulful voice and electrifying stage presence defined an era of 1970s rock and roll, passed away on March 12, 2024, at 75. Carmen’s voice soared above the driving rhythms and catchy tunes as the lead singer of The Raspberries. His raw emotion and undeniable charisma captivated audiences. He was one of the best rock singer-frontmen ever because of how he moved on stage and how his voice sounded.

With hits like “Go All the Way,” “I Wanna Be with You,” and “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record),” The Raspberries became one of the first bands to define what power-pop music sounds like. Beyond his work with The Raspberries, Carmen enjoyed a successful solo career, releasing a string of hit singles, including “All by Myself” and “Hungry Eyes.” He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

 

Karl Wallinger

Karl Wallinger, the visionary force behind the band World Party, died at 67. He also performed with The Waterboys and did a lot of soundtrack work. Wallinger has left a legacy of enduring songs with his unusual rock, pop, and folk blend. With hits like “Ship of Fools” and “Way Down Now,” Wallinger demonstrated his knack for crafting infectious melodies and insightful lyrics that resonated with audiences worldwide. My favorite album of his was Goodbye Jumbo.

Writer Bob Lefsetz wrote a fitting tribute for both artists here.

Denny Laine is in my ears and in my eyes

powerpopaholic

We lost quite a few music legends this year (Tina Turner, Jimmy Buffet, David Crosby, etc.), but what hits me the most out of these famous musicians is Denny Laine, who was in poor health with lung disease for quite some time. He was 79 and passed away earlier this month.

Laine was a hitmaker early in his career with the Moody Blues “Go Now” and even more impressive with Wings (he co-wrote “Mull of Kintyre” and “No Words” with Paul McCartney). But Laine never suffered from “fame” and was a regular at annual Beatlefests in years past that I attended. A very approachable chap and a dedicated musician, he left an indelible mark on the world of rock music.

The Popdudes have an EP of Laine’s songs that you should check out!

And, it helps when Paul gives up the spotlight once in a while.

Cool and Gone: Jeffrey Foskett

powerpopaholic

Jeffrey Foskett

Musician Jeffrey Foskett, who was a part of the Beach Boys’ touring ensembles for almost 40 years under Brian Wilson and Mike Love, passed away on Monday at the age of 67.

A fan who got to play with their heroes is unusual, but Jeffrey was one of those fans. I was familiar with him from his solo albums like “Sunnys Off” and “Cool and Gone (Gone, Gone)” from 1997; to me, he perfectly vocalized those Beach Boy harmonies better than anyone short of Brian Wilson himself. Shortly after these album releases, he became a member of Wilson’s solo band and remained there until 2014. He rejoined the group in 2015 and remained there until his cancer rendered him disabled in 2019.

Foskett, whom the other members of the Beach Boys dubbed the “vice principal of the Beach Boys,” was one of the unusual musicians who could win over fans of each of the factions that formed within the band during the years. As far as Jeffrey was concerned, his allegiance was with the music and the California sound. Listen to some of the brilliance below in his memory.

Remembering Ducky: One of the best power pop producers

powerpopaholic


Last month, Ducky Carlisle passed away. One of the most loved behind-the-scenes players in Boston’s music scene, Ducky Carlisle, was an engineer who won three Grammys, a popular producer, and a drummer who played for several decades. Eric Barao, often featured on our site, wrote a fitting obituary.
Living in Medford, Carlisle ran his basement studio, Ice Station Zebra, for many years. He worked with and was a client of many artists, including The Major Labels, Animal Talk, The Figgs, Modern Day Idols, B.B. King, Susan Tedeschi, Rooney, Parks, Mike Viola, Bleu, Waltham, Air Traffic Controller, The Flashcubes, Bang Camaro, The Sheila Divine, Andrea Gillis, and a host of others (too many to mention them all).

Bleu wrote a birthday song about him, and I think it says it all.


If you’d like to dive into Ducky’s life, here are a few worthy links:

Meet Ducky

Bleu Sessions with Ducky

 

The Legend of Dwight Twilley

powerpopaholic
Dwight Twilley, Photo by Phil Clarkin

On Wednesday, we lost Dwight Twilley, a legend in power pop. He was 72.

Born in Tulsa on June 6, 1951, Dwight Twilley was already interested in the arts before seeing the Beatles play “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964. That show, in particular, inspired him to start a middle school band called the Intruders. Dwight and friend Phil Seymour saw “A Hard Day’s Night” in 1967, and as soon as the movie was over, they went to Twilley’s place and started writing and recording songs together right away.

Twilley focused his career on creating songs with catchy melodies, lush harmonies, and jangly guitars—the prototypical elements of a successful power pop single. The debut single by the Dwight Twilley Band, which Twilley co-led with Phil Seymour, “I’m on Fire,” reached the Top 20 in 1975. Along the way, he developed a long friendship with Tom Petty, and they both played on each others records.

Despite having a second chart hit with 1984’s incessant “Girls,” Twilley ultimately spent the second half of his life in Tulsa, where he established a recording studio and a record company, releasing albums full of upbeat, catchy songs that were consistent with the creative standards he had established with Sincerely. I was honored to interview him when he was promoting the Green Blimp album in 2010. Dwight has been honored in the Power Pop Hall of Fame, and we wish him peace forevermore. You were always looking for the magic, but really, you gave the magic to us.