Rock Star Death Notices - March 2014

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1978 Devo Archives, Bob Casale

1978 Devo Archives, Bob Casale

Jeff Leonard (Jeffrey G. Leonard Sr.) - Died 1-31-2014 (Doo Wop) Born1944 in Mount Carmel, PA, U.S. - Singer - Was a member of The Elads who became Little Joey & The Flips (They did, “Bongo Stomp” and “Fool, Fool, Fool”).

Anna Gordy Gaye (Anna Ruby Gordy) - Died 1-31-2014 in Los Angeles, California, U.S. (Soul) Born 1-28-1922 in Milledgeville, Georgia, U.S. - (Co-wrote The Originals’, “Baby, I’m For Real” and Stevie Wonder’s, “What Christmas Means To Me”) - Co-founder of Anna Records - Sister of Motown founder, Berry Gordy - She had been married to singer, Marvin Gaye.

Gwen Avery - Died 1-31-2014 in Santa Rosa - Complications from gallbladder surgery (Blues - Gospel) She was 71 years old - Born in Verona, PA, U.S. - Singer - (She did, “Sugar Mama”) - Worked with Full Moon.

Murry (Kasmuri) - Died 2-1-2014 in Jatisampurna, Bekasi, West Java (Rock - Pop) Born 6-19-1949 in Jember, East Java - Drummer - Was a member of Koes Plus.

Miguel Silva (aka M.I.G.) - Died 2-1-2014 - From injuries sustained in a fight with a member of his band (Hip Hop) He was 31 years old - Was a member of Hooligan Boyz (They did, “We Are Now” and “So Hard”).

Bunny Rugs (William Clarke) - Died 2-2-2014 in Orlando, Florida, U.S. - Cancer (Reggae) Born 2-6-1948 in Mandeville, Jamaica - Singer -  (He did, “Land We Love”) - Was a member of Charlie Hackett And The Souvenirs, Inner Circle, Hugh Hendricks And The Buccaneers, The Bluegrass Experience, The Wild Bunch and Third World and was half of the duo, Bunny & Ricky (They did, “Freedom Fighter” and “Bushweed Corntrash”) - Worked with Lee “Scratch” Perry, Papa San, Shabba Ranks and Gregory Isaacs.

Sean Kilbane - Died 2-2-2014 - Fell down a flight of stairs (Rock) He was 43 years old - Worked with Tadpole Jr. (They did, “Little One” and “Face”).

Bob McQuillen (aka Mac and Mr. Mac) - Died 2-4-2014 in Manchester - Stroke (Hillbilly) He was 90 years old - Played piano and accordian - Wrote over 1,000 songs including, “Scotty O’Neil” - Worked with Ralph Page.

Shirley Temple (Shirley Temple Black) - Died 2-10-2014 in Woodside, California, U.S. - Natural causes - Born 4-23-1928 in Santa Monica, California, U.S. - Actress, singer and dancer - (She did, “On The Good Ship Lollipop” and “Animal Crackers In My Soup”).

Wayne Gardner (Joel Wayne Gardner) - Died 2-10-2014 in Sacramento, CA, U.S. - Shot himself (Prog Rock - Metal) Born 6-23-1961 - Bassist, guitarist and singer - Was a member of Magellan (They did, “Breaking These Circles” and “No Time For Words”)

Alice Babs (Hildur Alice Nilson) - Died 2-11-2014 - Complications from Alzheimer’s disease (Jazz) Born 1-26-1924 in Vastervik, Sweden - Singer - (She did, “After You’ve Gone” and “Lady Be Good”) - Was a member of Swe-Danes - Worked with Duke Ellington.

Sean Potts - Died 2-11-2014 (Folk) Born 1930 in The Liberties, Dublin, Ireland - Played tin whistle, the bodhran and bones - Was a member of Ceoltoiri Chualann and The Chieftains.

Sid Caesar (Isaac Sidney Caesar) - Died 2-12-2014 in Beverly Hills, CA, U.S. - Illness - Born 9-8-1922 in Yonkers, NY, U.S. - Played saxophone and clarinet and was a comedian -  Worked with Mike Cifichello’s Swingtime Six, Charlie Spivak, Claude Thornhill, Art Mooney, Benny Goodman and Shep Fields - One of the first stars created by television with his TV program, Your Show Of Shows - Television Academy Hall Of Fame Inductee.

Santiago Feliu (Santiago Vicente Feliu Sierra) - Died 2-12-2014 in Cuba - Heart attack (Nueva Trova) Born 3-29-1962 in Havana, Cuba - Singer - (He wrote, “For Barbara” and “Without Julieta”).

Marvin Spencer (Marvin E. Spencer Sr.) - Died 2-12-2014 in Waterloo, Iowa (Rock - Soul) Born 5-2-1938 in Marshalltown - Singer - Was a member of The Cavaliers (They did, “Wait For Me I’m Coming”) - Father of singer, Tracie Spencer - Iowa Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee.

J. Jaye Steele (Jeff Myers) - Died 2-12-2014 in Florida, U.S. - Lung cancer (Rock) Singer - Was a member of Push - Worked with Head East, Quiet Riot, Poison and Wintercat.

King Kester Emeneya (Jean Emeneya Mubiala Kwamambu) - Died 2-13-2014 in Paris, France (Congolese) Born 11-23-1956 in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo - Singer - Led Victoria Eleyson - Worked with Viva La Musica.

Gerd Krawinkel (aka Kralle) - Died 2-16-2014 (New Wave - Rock - Folk) Born 4-21-1947 - Guitarist - Was a member of The Vampyr, MacBeats, Just Us, Cravinkel, The Emsland Hillbillies, George Meyer & Company and Trio (They did, “Da Da Da I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha Aha” and “Anna”) - Worked with Marius Muller-Westernhagen, Nena and Wilfried Szyslo - Husband of television producer, Monika Kolling.

Raymond Louis Kennedy - Died 2-16-2014 (Pop - Rock - Jazz - Country - R&B) Born 11-26-1946 in Philadelphia, PA, U.S. - Singer, saxophonist and producer - (He co-wrote The Beach Boys’, “Sail On, Sailor” and The Babys’, “Everytime I Think Of You”) - He was half of the duo, Jon And Ray - Was a member of Group Therapy - Worked with Kenny Gamble (“Number 5 Gemini”), Dizzy Gillespie, J. J. Johnson, Brenda Lee, Buddy Rich, Dave Mason, The Gene Krupa Jazz Group and Gerry Mulligan.

Bob Casale - Died 2-17-2014 in New York, U.S. - Heart failure (New Wave) Born 7-14-1952 in Kent, Ohio, U.S. - Guitarist, keyboardist, singer and sound engineer - Was a member of Devo (They did, “Whip It” and a version of, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”) - Worked for Mutato Muzika - Was an engineer for Andy Summers - Brother of bassist and synthesizer player, Gerald Casale.

Frankie Kao (Kao Ling-feng) (aka The Frog Prince) - Died 2-17-2014 in Xindian District, New Taipei City, Taiwan - Born 2-28-1950 in Kaoshiung, Republic of China, Taiwan - Singer - (He did, “Flaming Phoenix”).

Wayne Smith - Died 2-17-2014 - Heart attack (Reggae - Dancehall) - Musician - (He did, “Under Mi Sleng Teng”).

Bernd Noske - Died 2-18-2014 (Prog Rock) Born 8-17-1946 - Drummer and singer - Was a member of Birth Control.

Brian Harrison (aka Brain) (Brian S. Harrison) - Died 2-18-2014 in Donelson (Country) Born 1959 - Played bass, guitar, flute, piano and drums and was a recording engineer and producer - Was a member of The Guinea Horn Quintet and The Hubcap Thieves - Owned The Rendering Plant Studio.

Maria Franziska von Trapp (Maria Agatha Franziska Gobertina von Trapp) - Died 2-18-2014 in Stowe, Vermont, U.S. - Born 9-28-1914 in Zell am See, Salzburg, Austria-Hungary - Singer - Was a member of The Trapp Family Singers who inspired the play and film, The Sound Of Music.

Simon Diaz (aka Uncle Simon) (Simon Narciso Diaz Marquez) - Died 2-19-2014 in Caracas, Venezuela - After battling Alzheimer’s disease (Folk) Born 8-8-1928 in Barbacoas, Aragua, Venezuela - Singer - (He did, “Caballo Viejo”).

Duffy Power (Raymond Leslie Howard) - Died 2-19-2014 (Rock - Blues) Born 9-9-1941 in Fulham, London, England - Singer - (He did a version of, “I Saw Her Standing There”) - Led Duffy And The Dreamers - Worked with Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Graham Bond, Dana Gillespie, John McLaughlin and Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated.

Tex Montana (Larae Dirickson) - Died 2-19-2014 - Complications of cancer (Rock - Cowpunk) She was 49 years old - Singer and guitarist - (She did, “Wrecking Ball” and Devil Doll”) - Led Tex Montana’s Fireball Four.

Martin Neish (aka Protag)- Died 2-?-2014 - Cancer (Punk) He was 54 years old - Born in in Scotland - Bassist - Worked with Blyth Power, Instant Automatons (They did, “Ballad Of The New Things”), Zounds and Alternative TV.

Sakis Boulas (Athanasios Boulas) - Died 2-21-2014 in Athens, Greece - Cancer - Born 3-11-1954 in Kilkis, Greece - Singer, comedian and actor - Worked with Yannis Zouganelis, Dimitris Starovas, Thanos Mikroutiskos, Vasilis Papakonstantinou, Nikolas Asimos, Lavrentis Machairitsas, Mimis Plessas and Dionisis Savopoulos.

Francesco Di Giacomo - Died 2-21-2014 in Siniscola, Italy - Car accident (Prog) Born 8-22-1947 in Zagarolo, Italy - Singer - Was a member of Banco del Mutuo Soccorso.

Franny Beecher (Francis Beecher) (aka Frank Beecher and Fran Beecher) - Died 2-24-2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - Natural causes (Rock - Jazz - Country) Born 9-29-1921 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, U.S. - Guitarist - (He wrote, “Goofin’ Around” and “Shaky”) - Worked with Bill Haley & His Comets, The Kingsmen, The Merri-Men, Buddy Greco And The Sharps and Benny Goodman - Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee.

Philip Smart (aka Prince Philip) - Died 2-25-2014 in Port Washington, New York, U.S. - Pancreatic cancer - Born 4-9-1960 Kingston, Jamaica - Producer - Worked with Augustus Pablo, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Monyaka, Horace Andy,  Audrey Hall and Johnny Osbourne.

Frankie Sardo (Frank Avianca) - Died 2-26-2014 - Cancer (Rock) Born 1939 - Singer - (He did, “Fake Out” and “Class Room”) - Was half of the duo, Frankie And Johnny Sardo (They did, “Together Tonight”).