James Honeyman-Scott
November 4, 1956 – June 16, 1982
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James Honeyman-Scott is best remembered as the founding guitarist for the Pretenders. Thanks in part to his inventive guitar playing, the Pretenders were one of a handful of new wave acts that truly transcended the genre. In June of 1982, while on break from touring and house hunting in Austin, TX, Honeyman-Scott was called back to the UK for a band meeting with Chrissie Hynde and Martin Chambers. It was there that they agreed to fire band mate Pete Farndon due to his excessive drug use. Unfortunately it was James Honeyman-Scott that would succumb to his drug dependency. He died of heart failure related to his cocaine use just two days after Farndon was let go from the band. Farndon died during a heroin binge less than a year later.
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Garry Shider is best remembered as a founding guitarist for trailblazing funk collective, Parliament-Funkadelic. Formed by George Clinton in 1968, Parliament and its sister act, Funkadelic, quickly became one of the premier funk bands in the world. Performing since the age of ten, Shider spent his early years singing gospel with his brothers backing the likes of The Five Blind Boys and Shirley Caesar when they’d come through town. It was also around this time when Shider would drop by the local barbershop which happened to be owned by Clinton to play guitar and sing for the customers. By the time he was in his late teens, Shider had moved to Canada where he co-founded a funk group, United Soul. Clinton, who had also moved to Canada, got wind of the band and began mentoring them. He eventually formed Parliament and brought Shider into the fold. The group went on to record some of the most influential albums in popular music. Such LPs as Chocolate City and Mothership Connection gave us hits like “Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)” “Doctor Funkenstein” and “Mothership Connection (Star Child).” The bands’ legendary live show were cosmic marriages of space and funk with Shider often wearing nothing but a diaper on stage, leading to his nickname of “Diaper Man”. After Clinton dissolved Parliament and Funkadelic in the mid ’80s, Shider continued on in his P-Funk All Stars and of course, collaborated with countless other artists. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Parliament-Funkadelic. Gary Shider was 56 when he died of cancer on June 16, 2010.
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Kristen Pfaff was a late bloomer when it came to playing the bass. Although she studied piano and cello in college, it wasn’t until after she graduated that she taught herself how to play the bass. Pfaff soon co-founded Minneapolis local faves, Janitor Joe who would eventually sign to hip indie label Amphetamine Reptile Records. While on a west coast tour with Janitor Joe, Pfaff was approached by Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson to join their band, Hole. Pfaff reluctantly agreed and packed her bags and moved to Seattle, where she helped ignite the grunge movement. While in Seattle, Pfaff struggled with herion addiction just as the band was becoming popular outside the Northwest. And then in April of 1994, close friend Kurt Cobain was found dead of what was ruled a suicide and everything changed. Pfaff packed up and moved back to Minneapolis to rejoin Janitor Joe. Sadly, Kristen Pfaff was found dead of an apparent accidental heroin overdose.
John Christian Wolters
April 28, 1945 – June 16, 1997
John Christian Wolters at far right
John Christian Wolters was a drummer who was best known as the drummer for Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show from 1974 to 1984. They had a massive hit with “Cover Of The Rolling Stone” which did in fact, get them on the cover of Rolling Stone. John Christian Wolters died of liver cancer on June 16, 1997.
William “Chick” Webb
February 10, 1905* – June 16, 1939
Chick Webb was a dynamic jazz drummer and band leader who was one of the most influential players during New York City’s swing movement of the ’20s and ’30s. In 1935, Webb introduced the world to his orchestra’s new vocalist, Ella Fitzgerald. Webb had health problems most of his life and died prematurely at the presumed age of 34.
*There is debate about Chick Webb’s actually year of birth, various sources list different dates between 1902 and 1909.
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