Rock Star Death Notices - September 2007

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Earl Turbinton

Earl Turbinton

EARL TURBINTON (Earl Joseph Turbinton) “The African Cowboy” - Died Aug. 3 in Baton Rouge, LA, of Lung Cancer (Jazz). Born Sept. 23, 1941, in New Orleans, the saxophonist worked with his brother, Wilson “Willie Tee” Turbinton and with Herbie Hancock, The Neville Brothers, Snooks Eaglin, Cannonball Adderley, The Wild Magnolias, B.B. King, Allen Toussaint, Joe Zawinul, Buster Williams and Champion Jack Dupree. As a band leader, he recorded for Rounder and Progressive Records.

LEE HAZLEWOOD (Barton Lee Hazlewood) - Died Aug. 4 in Henderson, NV, of renal cancer (Country). Born July 9, 1929 in Mannford, OK, the singer, songwriter and producer’s songs have been recorded by Sanford Clark (“The Fool”), Nancy Sinatra (“These Boots are Made for Walking”), Duane Eddy, Dean Martin (“Houston”), Lydia Lunch, Einsturzende Neubauten, Primal Scream, Boyd Rice, Nick Cave, Harry Nilsson, Anita Lane, The Astronauts and Megadeth. Formed LHI, which signed The International Submarine Band. As a solo artist, he had hits with “Trouble is a Lonesome Town” and “Six Feet of Chain.”

ROBERT A. HALTER (Aaron Ockman) - Died Aug. 7 in Des Plaines, IL, from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease. Born in 1912 in Philadelphia, he led The Accordioneers, and was owner of The Music Center.

BEV SMITH - Died Aug. 9, at the age of 50 (Rock, Blues, Reggae). The drummer worked with The Honeydrippers, Eric Clapton, Shark Attack, Jimmy Page, Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack and Champion Jack Dupree.

STEVE WILKINSON - (aka Sgt. Sword) Died in early August (Metal). Was a member of Thor.

MERV GRIFFIN (Mervyn Edward Griffin Jr.) - Died Aug. 12, in Los Angeles, of prostate cancer (Big Band). Born July 6,1925, in San Mateo, CA, the singer, pianist, entertainer and TV talk show host and show biz mogul created, produced and wrote music for TV’s “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune.” He recorded the songs “I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts” and “Never Been Kissed,” and also worked with Freddy Martin.

JAH JERRY (Jerome Hines) - Died Aug. 13, in Kingston, Jamaica (Ska). Born November 8, 1921, the guitarist and songwriter was a member of The Skatalites, and worked with Millie Small, Prince Buster, Derrick Morgan (“They Got To Go” and “Shake A Leg”), Desmond Dekker, The Drumbago All Stars, Toots And The Maytals and Bob Marley And The Wailers,

PHIL RIZZUTO (Philip Francis Rizzuto) (Fiero Francis Rizzuto) (aka The Scooter) - Died Aug. 14, in West Orange, NJ. Born Sept. 25, 1917, in Brooklyn, NY, he was a Major League Baseball player and radio and TV sports announcer. He can be heard on Meat Loaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” for which he received a gold record. He was a Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.

MAX ROACH (Maxwell Lenard Roach) - Died Aug. 16, in New York, of Alzheimer’s Disease (Jazz). Born Jan. 10, 1924 in New Land, NC, the drummer led The Max Roach Double Quartet and the Max Roach - Clifford Brown Quintet, and worked with Cecil Taylor, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Anthony Braxton, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Stanley Turrentine, George Coleman, Donald Byrd, Oscar Brown Jr., Kenny Dorham and Booker Little. He co-founded Debut Records.

PAUL WHITE - Died Aug. 16, at 61. Born in Grappenhall, was a member of The Black Cats, who performed at The Cavern Club alongside The Beatles and The Animals.

ERROLL PATTON - Died Aug. 20, at 52, in Wichita, KS, while jogging. The drummer worked with The Chance Band, The Killer Bs, Sinergy and Zyba.

WAYNE CHAPMAN - Died Aug. 22, in Toronto, of heart failure after falling off a roof while being attacked by hornets. He was 52. The guitarist worked with Stompin’ Tom Connors.

MISS PEARL O. DIS (Shalonda P. Simpson) - Died Aug. 23, after being shot during a robbery (Rock). Born in 1982, the bassist was a member of The Cheetah Whores.

AARON RUSSO - Died Aug. 24, in Los Angeles, of bladder cancer. Born Feb. 14,1943 in Brooklyn, NY, he managed Bette Midler and The Manhattan Transfer. He was a rock promoter for Janis Joplin, The Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead, and owned the nightclub Kinetic Playground. He produced the films “The Rose” and “Trading Places.”

MATTHEW CORMIER - Died Aug. 26, when a metal house frame he was working on fell on him (Zydeco). He was 22, a bassist, and worked with Travis Matte and the Zydeco Kingpins.

JOHN HEALY (John P. Healy Jr.) - Died Aug. 26, in Cameron Park, of complications from a head injury after a fall in his home. Born Oct. 12, 1951 in Brooklyn, NY, he played cello and founded The San Jose Children’s Musical Theater.

JOSE TRUJILLO JR. - Died Aug. 27 after a skateboard accident. He was 13, and the bassist of Los Trujillo.

TOM PHALEN (Thomas Peter Phalen) - Died Aug. 27, in Kent, WA, of heart failure.  Born Oct. 10, 1948 in Los Angeles, he was a music critic, guitarist and songwriter, and worked with Wallflower and Slo And Easy. He was a music critic for The Seattle Times and wrote for Rolling Stone magazine.

HILLY KRISTAL - Died Aug. 28, in Manhattan, of complications from lung cancer. Born in 1932 in Manhattan, the singer, songwriter and violinist sang at The Radio City Music Hall, and was founder of the club CBGBs, which hosted The Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, Patti Smith, The Dead Boys, Suicide, Wayne County, The Dictators, Television, Mink Deville and Sonic Youth. He had also managed the jazz club The Village Vanguard.

SHERIFF TEX DAVIS (William Douchette) - Died Aug. 29, at the age of 93. The songwriter, manager and promoter co-wrote Gene Vincent’s, “Be-Bop-A-Lula” and worked at Monument Records promoting Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson and Jeannie Seely.

ARIEL BOGOSLAVSKY (Arkady Efimovich Bogoslavsky) - Died Aug. 29. Born Nov. 20,1955 in Kishinev (today Chisinau), Moldova, Soviet Union, the pianist did “Vodka Boogie,” and played classical renditions of rock songs by artists such as Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Coolio and Led Zeppelin.

MIKE HAASCH - Died Sept. 1, of a heart attack. The bassist worked with Bluehand, The Brandon James Band, Mark Pannier And The B.B’s, Deirdre Fellner, Peter Noone and County Trunk A.

CARTER ALBRECHT - (Jeffrey Carter Albrecht) Died Sept. 3, near White Rock Lake, after being shot by a neighbor who thought he was a burglar (Rock). He was 34, a guitarist and keyboardist, and worked with Sorta and Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.

JANIS MARTIN (aka the Female Elvis) - Died Sept. 3, in Durham, NC, of cancer ( Rockabilly, Country). Born March 27, 1940, in Sutherlin, VA, the singer and guitarist did “Will You Willyum” and “Drugstore Rock And Roll,” led The Marteens and The Variations, and was inducted into The Rockabilly Hall of Fame.