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Archive for the ‘Rock’ Category

Died On This Date (October 2, 2017) Tom Petty / American Rock Great

Posted by themusicsover on October 2, 2017

Tom Petty
October 20, 1950 – October 2, 2017

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Tom Petty, the iconic American singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer passed away peacefully following a massive heart attack he had suffered earlier in the day.  He was 66.  Born in Gainesville, Florida, Petty, like many kids his age, had his first rock and roll moment after witnessing Elvis Presley. But unlike other future rock stars, it wasn’t The King’s appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show that changed his life forever – it was a more personal encounter.  Turns out Petty’s uncle was working on the Presley film, Follow That Dream that was filming nearby, and he invited the 10-year-old down to the shoot. Petty was able to watch Presley up close and in person doing what he did best, albeit in an entirely different arena. He soon traded his slingshot to a buddy for some Elvis 45s, and he was on his way.  Petty’s first band of note – that would reform for kicks in 2007 – was Mudcrutch, which he put together in 1970. Six years later, they morphed into Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. During the next several years, they released a series of hit singles and albums that appealed equally to the fans of the current “heartland rock” movement led by Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen, and the punk and new wave movements which were grabbing hold on the east and west coasts, as well as in the UK.  Over the next four decades, Petty, both with the Heartbreakers and solo, sold upwards of 80 million albums, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.  Throughout his career, Petty collaborated with many of the biggest names in music, perhaps most famously, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and George Harrison as the Traveling Wilburys.  This “supergroup” recorded two well-received albums together, 1988’s Vol. 1 and 1990’s Vol. 3.  Others of note with whom Petty had memorable collaborations with were Stevie Nicks, Johnny Cash, Dwight Twilley, and Del Shannon, whose career he revived in 1982 with the album, Drop Down and Get Me.  In 2002, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while November, 2015 saw the much-lauded release of the best-seller, Petty: The Biography, by Warren Zanes.  Around that time he partnered with SiriusXM on Tom Petty Radio, a channel devoted entirely to his music and the music he loved. By all accounts, he was very hands-on with it, making sure the content would be loved by his fans. On Monday, September 25th, 2017, the band played their last of three spirited shows at the Hollywood Bowl in their adopted hometown of Los Angeles, to cap off the hugely successful 40th Anniversary Tour – their longest in 15 years. One week later, Top Petty was gone.

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Died On This Date (September 14, 2017) Grant Hart / Drummer For Husker Du

Posted by themusicsover on September 14, 2017

Grant Hart
March 18, 1961 – September 14, 2017

Photo Credit: 99thFloor via Wikimedia Commons

Grant Hart, drummer and co-songwriter for the influential alternative rock band, Husker Du lost his battle with liver cancer.  He was 56. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Hart was just 10 years old when his older brother was killed by a drunk driver.  Hart took over his brother’s record collection and drum set, and within a few years, he was playing in small local bands.  In 1979, while working at legendary St. Paul record store, Cheapo Records, Hart met customer, Bob Mould. They, along with drummer, Greg Norton, formed Husker Du shortly thereafter.  The band started out as hardcore punk but eventually crossed over to a a bit more mainstream sound with Hart being credited by some as bringing melody to punk rock. It was a time when the music scene in the Twin Cities was thriving with the likes of Prince, the Replacements, and Soul Asylum, to name a few. In all, Husker Du released six studio albums, two live albums, and a couple of EPs before calling it quits in 1987.  Hart went on to release a handful of solo albums and EPs before forming Nova Mob in 1989. After Nova Mob’s run, he returned to making solo records.

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Died On This Date (September 12, 2017) Jessi Zazu / Lead Singer Of Those Darlins

Posted by themusicsover on September 12, 2017

Jessi Zazu Wariner
1989 – September 12, 2017

Jessi Sazu, Center. Photo Credit: Guitarplaya1525 via Wikimedia Commons

Jessi Zazu, the lead singer of popular Nashville indie garage band, Those Darlins has lost her battle with cancer. She was 28. Formed in 2006 after Zazu, Nikki Kvarnes, and Kelley Anderson met at a Rock and Roll camp, the band released their self-titled debut to positive reviews and local fan acclaim.  This afforded them the opportunity to tour with the likes of the Black Keys, Dr. Dog and JEFF the Brotherhood which expanded their fan base even more. Those Darlins’ early sound leaned Americana and Traditional, but over the next few years, they took on a more garage rock vibe. The band’s line up changed as well – bassist Adrian Barrera replaced Anderson who left the band in 2012. Throughout their run, they released one EP, three albums and several singles.

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Died On This Date (September 3, 2017) Walter Becker / Steely Dan

Posted by themusicsover on September 3, 2017

Walter Becker
February 20, 1950 – September 3, 2017

By Arielinson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikipedia

Walter Becker was the co-founder, co-songwriter, guitarist, and bassist for the immensely successful rock band, Steely Dan. Formed with Donald Fagen in 1972, the band built a sizable cult following almost immediately for their unique blend of pop, rock, traditional jazz and R&B behind clever lyrics.  Joined in the studio by top-tier session players, Steely Dan went on to record some of the most popular songs and albums of the ’70s.  Over the course of their first eight years, they released a remarkable seven albums – only 1979 going without.  Even more astonishing, among those seven albums, one was Double Platinum in the US, five were Platinum, and the other went Gold. Those included Aja, Can’t Buy A Thrill, Pretzel Logic, and Katy Lied.  In all, Steely Dan has sold over 40 million album worldwide.  As a band, Steely Dan went on hiatus in 1981, but both musicians carried on with other work.  For Becker’s part, he moved with his family to a more quiet life in Hawaii where he farmed avocados while working as a producer.  A few of his more notable clients were Michael Franks, Rickie Lee Jones, and China Crisis who credited him as being an official member of the band.  He and Fagen regrouped as Steely Dan in 1993 and immediately went on a well-received tour, their first in almost two decades.  In 2000, they released Two Against Nature, their first album since 1980.  It earned them four Grammys including Album of the Year. The following year found them being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  During the latter years of Becker’s career – while still touring and recording with Steely Dan – he released a solo album, guested on other albums and did some song co-writes.  On September 3, 2017, Walter Becker passed away, and by all accounts, it was unexpected. Cause of death was not immediately released.  He was 67.

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Died On This Date (September 3, 2017) Dave Hlubek / Founder Of Molly Hatchet

Posted by themusicsover on September 3, 2017

Dave Hlubek
August 28, 1951 – September 3, 2017

Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF

Dave Hlubek was the founder and lead guitarist for the popular Jacksonville, Florida rock band, Molly Hatchet. Formed in 1971, the group helped pioneer what would quickly come to be known as southern rock, which included equal parts rock ‘n roll, country, and blues, with a lot of  southern culture, electric guitar and boogie thrown in for good measure.  The band’s inclusion in the sub-genre reportedly baffled Hlubek, as he considered them to be a heavy metal band who just happened to be from the south. Molly Hatchet hit the ground running with their self-titled debut in 1978. It quickly went platinum in the US, and was followed a year later with their most successful album to date, Flirtin’ With Disaster, which sold over 2 million copies in the US alone. In all, Hlubek’s Molly Hatchet albums sold upwards of 24 million copies world wide.  In 1987, Hlubek and the band parted ways, and he went on to live a quieter life in order to kick some potentially life-stealing bad habits.  After a time he did just that, and he went back to work as a session player while taking part in various southern rock super groups.  In 2005, with his life back in order, Hlubek re-joined Molly Hatchet with whom he went on to record, and when his then-deteriorating health permitted, perform live until the time of his passing. On September 3, 2017, Dave Hlubek suffered a fatal heart attack.  He was 66.

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