Guitar legend Les Paul passed away today (August 13, 2009) due to complications from pneumonia. He was 94-years-old. Paul was nothing less than a musical wizard and one of the most beloved figures among musicians the world over. He made innovations with both the electric guitar and studio recording devices that have made him crucial to every genre of music and every musician under the sun.
Category: Notable Obituaries
The Seeds "Pushin’ Too Hard"
The Seeds were a band that exemplified “Garage Rock” of the nuggets era. Lead singer and bass guitarist Sky Saxon was heavily influenced by Mick Jagger, and the group promoted the fact that blues great Muddy Waters once called them “America’s own Rolling Stones.” The big hit from 1966 was “Pushin’ Too Hard.” Saxon passed away Thursday, June 25 – he was 63 years old. This news tends to be overlooked with all the Michael Jackson hype going on now.
Wave Goodbye to the King of Pop
I’m pretty sure his album sales total for “Thriller” will never be topped by anyone… ever. And his influence and style is imitated everywhere. Move over Elvis, make some room in Rock and Roll heaven for Michael. This is a pretty decent tribute video for y’all.
R.I.P. Jeff Winfield of The Left Banke
Here is a vid (with SIMS) of my favorite Left Banke song “She May Call You Up Tonight” in honor of Jeff.
Left Banke guitarist Jeff Winfield died of pneumonia on June 11th. Winfield joined the group soon after its formation and after some adjustments in the lineup. He was brought on board to take over when guitarist George Cameron switched instruments and became the band’s drummer. While Winfield was only with The Left Banke for a short time in the mid-’60s, he played on the group’s biggest hits — “Walk Away Renee” and “Pretty Ballerina.”
Goodbye, Jay Bennett.
Former member of Wilco, Jay Bennett died yesterday, and we don’t yet know what the cause of death was (autopsy is pending). He was only 45 and representatives for Wilco could not be reached for comment yet. He was a main part of Wilco’s best albums, “Being There” and “Summerteeth.” I think, without him the band would have never earned such a cult following, by injecting strong pop craft into Jeff Tweedy’s Tupelo style. In May 2009, Bennett sued Tweedy for breach of contract stemming from his work for Wilco. The suit came less than two weeks after Bennett publicly revealed that he needed hip replacement surgery which he could not afford due to lack of health insurance. You will be missed, Jay.