Terry Teene (Born Terence Knutson)
1942 – March 9, 2012
Terry Teene was an American singer, musician, and prolific songwriter who reportedly penned over 300 songs during his career. He personally claimed to have played on over 100 additional records and wrote songs under more than 70 different pen names. Noteworthy records of his include “Pussy Galore” (written for, but unused in the James Bond film Goldfinger), “Just Wait Til I Get You Home,” and his biggest hit, 1960′s “Curse Of The Hearse.” The latter went on to become a yearly staple on Dr. Demento’s annual Halloween radio programs. Over the years, Teene shared the stage with Alice Cooper, the Kinks, and Cheap Trick, to name a few. Away from music, Teene enjoyed a successful career as a clown – even writing books and teaching courses on the subject. He also appeared in such films as Man On The Moon and Raging Bull. On March 7, 2012, Terry Teene was seriously injured when he was hit by a tow truck while riding a bicycle. He succumbed to his injuries on March 9, 2012. He was 70.
Thanks to Paul Bearer for the assist.
Tonmi Lillman was a Finnish musician who is perhaps best remembered as the most recent drummer in the outrageous metal band, Lordi. Formed in 1996, Lordi gained a worldwide fan base thanks in part to their elaborate monster costumes and live shows that drew influence from the likes of KISS and Alice Cooper. Lillman joined the band in 2010 under the character name, Otus, and stayed with them until his passing. He unfortunately never had the chance to play on one of their albums. Other bands he played with include To/Die/For, Sinergy, and Kylähullut. Lillman was an in-demand studio player as well, performing on countless hard rock albums throughout his career. He was also a talented graphic artist who worked on package design and/or videos for Mind Of Doll, Vanguard, Sinergy, and many more. Tonmi Lillman was 38 when he passed away on February 14, 2012. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Jani Lane is perhaps best remembered as the front man and main lyricist for the wildly successful late ’80s / early ’90s hair metal band, Warrant who went on to sell over four million albums. Lane was just barely out of diapers when he first learned to play the drums in Akron, Ohio, and by the time he was 11, he was performing at local clubs. After graduating from high school, he joined his first proper band, Cyren, and by the mid ’80s, he was in the thick of L.A.’s exploding pop-metal scene with his own band, Plain Jane. In 1986, Lane and band mate Steven Sweet joined forces with guitarist, Erik Turner in the latter’s up-and-coming glam metal band, Warrant. The group quickly built a following throughout West Hollywood’s storied Sunset Strip clubs thanks in part to Lane’s commanding stage presence and talent as a songwriter. It wasn’t long before they were signed to Columbia Records, who went on to release a string of hit albums that included the double-platinum sellers, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich and Cherry Pie. The colorful band fast became darlings of MTV with such videos “Down Boys” and “Cherry Pie,” and found themselves playing in front of countless screaming fans around the world. Following the release of Warrant’s third album, Dog Eat Dog, Lane decided to leave the group, but returned the following year and continued on until 2004, only to leave again and return for one last time in 2008. By the end of that year however, he was gone for good due to conflicts within the band. Throughout the 2000s, Lane lent his vocal talents to several other projects, released a solo album, and was part of the hard rock supergroup of sorts, Saints of the Underground, which included members of Ratt and Alice Cooper’s band. Lane also dabbled in acting, appearing such early ’90s films as Caged Fear and High Strung. In 2005, he competed in VH1′s reality fitness program, Celebrity Fit Club where he lost 23 pounds. On August 11, 2011, Jani Lane, age 47, was found dead in a Woodland Hills, California hotel room. The Los Angeles Coroner’s office ultimately ruled that he died of acute ethanol poisoning.
Jack Richardson was a respected Canadian record producer who was ultimately honored by having the Juno Awards’ Producer of the Year Award named after him. He was also an instructor at the most prestigious music schools in Canada. While working for an ad agency in 1968, Richardson created a bottle-cap reimbursement campaign for the Canadian Coca-Cola company. Those who purchased designated Cokes could collect the bottle caps and ultimately redeem them for a promotional album, A Wild Pair, which featured the Guess Who on one side and the Staccatos (later known as the Five Man Electrical Band) on the other. The campaign was so successful that the album reportedly would have achieved gold status had it been an “official” release. Richardson went on to produce several Guess Who albums and singles including their biggest hits, “These Eyes” and “American Woman.” He also produced Bob Seger’s landmark album, Night Moves, as well has hit albums by the likes of Alice Cooper, Poco, Badfinger, and the Irish Rovers. His son, Garth Richardson is an in-demand producer as well who has worked with Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and System Of A Down. Jack Richardson was 81 when he passed away on May 13, 2011.
Don Kirshner was a music publisher, producer, songwriter-manager, and television host who rightfully earned the nickname, The Man With The Golden Ear. His music career began during the ’50s when he and his partner, Al Nevins, launched Aldon Music, a publishing company that included such future superstar talent as Neil Diamond,