In Memoriam 2020: The Great Gig in the Sky

 

2020 was a particularly unique year with a global pandemic in full force. Certainly that affected all of our lives in many ways. This year as live music has been so hard to find especially, I offer my annual memoriam for musicians we have lost.  

Neil Peart of Rush died age 67. A Canadian musician, songwriter, and author, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame in 1983, making him the youngest person ever so honored.

  Solo on David Letterman

Viola Smith age 107. A swing-era musician who was promoted in the 1930s as the “fastest girl drummer in the world” and who championed greater inclusion of women in the almost completely male preserve of big bands.

The Snake Charmer

Kenny Rogers of Kenny Rogers and The First Edition died age 81. An American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, and topped the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone. He sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his lifetime, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His fame and career spanned multiple genres: jazz, folk, pop, rock, and country. He remade his career, and was one of the most successful cross-over artists of all time

 Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town

John Prine died age 73. An American country folk singer-songwriter. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death, and was known for an often humorous style of original music that has elements of protest and social commentary.

 Sam Stone

Little Richard age 87. Richard Wayne Penniman was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Nicknamed "The Innovator, The Originator, and The Architect of Rock and Roll", Richard's most celebrated work dates from the mid-1950s, when his charismatic showmanship and dynamic music, characterized by frenetic piano playing, pounding back beat and raspy shouted vocals, laid the foundation for rock and roll. Richard's innovative emotive vocalizations and uptempo rhythmic music also played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk. He influenced numerous singers and musicians across musical genres from rock to hip hop; his music helped shape rhythm and blues for generations.

 Long Tall Sally

Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk age 73. A German musician best known as one of the founding members and leaders of the electronic band Kraftwerk. Originally, Schneider's main instrument was the flute, which he would treat using electronic effects,[8] including tape echo, ring modulation, pitch-to-voltage converters, fuzz and wah-wah, allowing him to use his flute as a bass instrument. He also played violin (similarly treated), electric guitar (including slide guitar), and made use of synthesizers (both as a melodic instrument and as a sound processor). Later, he also created his own electronic flute instrument.

 Autobahn

Jorge Santana of Malo age 68. The band's debut album, called "Malo" was released in 1972 and included the song "Suavecito". The song, which had a smooth, melodic sound, made it to No.18 on the Billboard singles chart, and became a popular song for fans of Latin rock. After a long split, Santana toured with his brother, Carlos. The album Sacred Fire: Live in South America was recorded in Mexico City on this tour, featuring Jorge Santana, who played a personalized orange Paul Reed Smith guitar. In 1994 he recorded an album with his brother and Carlos Santana's nephew, Carlos Hernandez, called Santana Brothers.

 Suavecito

Charlie Daniels age 83. an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his contributions to Southern rock, country, and bluegrass music. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". Much of his output, including all but one of his eight Billboard Hot 100 charting singles, was credited to the Charlie Daniels Band.

Daniels was active as a singer and musician from the 1950s until his death. He was inducted into the Cheyenne Frontier Days Hall of Fame in 2002, the Grand Ole Opry in 2008, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016

 Long Haired Country Boy

Peter Green of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Fleetwood Mac age 73. An English blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. As the founder of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Green's songs, such as "Albatross", "Black Magic Woman", "Oh Well", "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" and "Man of the World", appeared on singles charts, and several have been adapted by a variety of musicians.

Green was a major figure in the "second great epoch" of the British blues movement. Eric Clapton praised his guitar playing, and B.B. King commented, "He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats." Green was interested in expressing emotion in his songs, rather than showing off how fast he could play. His trademark sound included string bending, vibrato, and economy of style.

 Albatross

Trini Lopez age 83. An American singer, guitarist, and actor. His first album included a cover version of "If I Had a Hammer", which earned a Golden Disc for him. His other hits included "Lemon Tree", "I'm Comin' Home, Cindy" and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl". He designed two guitars for the Gibson Guitar Corporation, which are now collectors’ items.

 Lemon Tree - medley

Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen age 65. Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Edward Lodewijk van Halen. In 1962, the Van Halen family moved from the Netherlands to the United States, settling in Pasadena, California. Van Halen was never taught to read music; instead, he would watch recitals of Bach or Mozart and improvise. From 1964 through 1967, he won first place in the annual piano competition held at Long Beach City College. His parents wanted the boys to be classical pianists, but Van Halen gravitated towards rock music. Consequently, when Alex began playing the guitar, Eddie bought a drum kit for himself; however, after he heard Alex's performance of the Surfaris' drum solo in the song "Wipe Out", he gave Alex the drums and began learning how to play the electric guitar. According to him, as a teen, he would often practice while walking around at home with his guitar strapped on or sitting in his room for hours with the door locked. Van Halen and his brother Alex formed their first band with three other boys, calling themselves The Broken Combs, performing at lunchtime at Hamilton Elementary School in Pasadena, when he was in the fourth grade. He would later cite this performance as key to his desire to become a professional musician.

 Les Paul with Eddie VH tribute to Les Paul, and NOT EVH Eruption, with Jan Hammer

Spencer Davis, Mac Davis, Helen Reddy. Jerry Jeff Walker, Chad Stuart...

And many more from other genres and those that work behind the scenes. RIP at the Great Gig in the Sky