Died On This Date (April 20, 1991) Steve Marriott / Small Faces, Humble Pie
themusicsover Steve Marriott
January 30, 1947 – April 20, 1991
Steve Marriott is best known for his aggressive guitar playing in the Small Faces and later, Humble Pie. Growing up, his parents encouraged him to act in live theater, and at the age of 13 he auditioned for and was cast in the role of the Artful Dodger in the London cast of Oliver. Following his successful run, his parents enrolled him in a prestigious acting school which led to numerous parts in British films, TV and radio. But Marriott’s first love was always music, and in 1965, he was fronting the Small Faces with Kenney Jones, Ronnie Lane and Jimmy Winston (replaced by Ian McLagan). The Small Faces quickly became a hit in the UK, even being noted as a major influence in the formation of Led Zeppelin. By the late ’60s, when the band should have been basking in the success of a number one album, they were growing more and more unhappy with each other. Marriott was suggesting the band bring on a new singer by the name of Peter Frampton, but the others balked at the idea. Marriott soon left the band and joined up with Frampton in Humble Pie. As the ’70s dawned, they were touring the US to a growing legion of fans, and with the release of Performance: Rockin’ The Fillmore they were bona fied rock stars. By now, Marriott was suffering from substance abuse and reportedly showing signs of schizophrenia. The heavy drug use within the band no doubt contributed to its demise in 1975. In the late ‘7os, Marriott started making noise about his belief that former manager, Dee Anthony was secretly pocketing large amounts of Humble Pie money in order to promote Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive. It has been alleged that Marriott and his wife were called to New York’s Little Italy to discuss the matter. John Gotti and other members of the Gambino family were said to have been in the meeting. He was apparently told once and for all that he would be getting no money. Throughout the late ’70s and ’80s, Marriott continued to forge on despite financial and personal struggles, playing in no fewer than five bands. But nothing seemed to click. In the early morning of April 20, 1991, after a night of apparent indulging, Steve Marriott was found dead of smoke inhalation from a fire in his home that was presumed to have started by a lit cigarette in his bed.
What You Should Own
Tommy Bolin was an up-and-coming rock guitarist in his early 20s when he got the call to play in the post-Joe Walsh James Gang. Up until that point, he had be playing around with various musicians in the Denver area, most prominently, in a band called Zephyr. After two albums with the James Gang, Bang! and Miami, Bolin left to do session work. In 1975, Bolin recorded his first solo album which found him backed with by a stellar line up of musicians. That list included Phil Collins, Glenn Hughes, David Sanborn and Jan Hammer. It was around that time that he got the call to join yet another band, Deep Purple. The end of 1975 found the release of both Bolin’s first album, Teaser, and his Deep Purple album, Come Taste the Band. Bolin soon hit the road with Deep Purple, but reports began surfacing that his growing dependency on heroin was hindering his guitar playing. Following the Deep Purple tour, Bolin went to work on his second album, Private Eyes. What followed was a tour that found him opening for Peter Frampton and Jeff Beck. On December 3, 1976, Tommy Bolin performed one last show in front of Beck. The next morning, his lifeless body was found in his hotel room. Cause of death was presumed to be the result of heavy drug and alcohol usage causing his throat muscles to close up, thereby suffocating him. He was just 25.
