In Memoriam: 2018: The Great Gig in the Sky

As we approach the end of another year, and the credits begin to roll... I am compelled to acknowledge the passing of musical greats that we have lost this year.
Marty Balin (age 76): Founding member of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship. His contribution to "psychedelic rock" are great. The Surrealistic Pillow album is a classic.

3/5 Of A Mile in 10 Seconds

Aretha Franklin (age 76): The Queen of Soul. Here's a quote: Franklin recorded 112 charted singles on Billboard, including 77 Hot 100 entries, 17 top-ten pop singles, 100 R&B entries, and 20 number-one R&B singles, becoming the most charted female artist in history.

Rock Steady 1972

Roy Clark (age 85): He was a master of guitar, banjo and fiddle and made it looks easy and had fun doing it. He could switch from classical guitar, to country, to latin, or bluegrass and pop effortlessly. He played with a wide variety of fellow musicians, and appeared on TV and on Las Vegas and Branson stages regularly. He was a giant entertainer.

Malaguena

Bob Dorough (age 94): Contributions to music can be found everywhere... He was perhaps best known as the composer and performer of songs from Schoolhouse Rock!, a series of TV cartoons that appeared on Saturday mornings in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

 3 Is A Magic Number (pilot episode)

Nokie Edwards (age 82): guitarist with The Ventures, a surf rock band. He was the bassist on the Hawaii Five-O Theme and Walk Don't Run. He later became the smooth effortless lead guitar player with The Ventures.

Guitar Rag

Hugh Masekela (age 78): jazz musician composer and singer, player of trumpet, flugelhorn and cornet. He played on several guest appearances such as with The Byrds, Paul Simon, Herb Albert, Dave Matthews.

Grazing In The Grass

Dennis Edwards (age 74): frontman for The Temptations. Though it was a rough road, of several iterations of the group, Edwards was mainly with them from 1967-84. The choreographed style of the group is unmistakable.

I Can't Get Next To You

Joe Osborn (age 81): studio bassist best known for work in "the wrecking crew". His playing can be heard on records by such well-known groups as The Mamas & the Papas, The Association, The Grass Roots and The 5th Dimension. Osborn can be heard on Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water" and "Ventura Highway" by the group America.

2 Minute History

There were many more losses from lead singer with The Cranberries, Dolores O’Riordan to guitarist Ed King with Lynyrd Skynyrd and all the men and women behind the scenes that make it possible for the stars to shine!