Hilde Heltberg September 30, 1959 – September 4, 2011
Hilde Heltberg was a popular singer-songwriter from Oslo, Norway. She launched her career during the late ’70s, finding inspiration from the likes of Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton. By the early ’80s, Heltberg had played in such local groups as Uncle John’s Band and X-tra. She released her first solo album in 1982, and went on to release a total of 12. She competed in the esteemed Eurovision Song Contest on four separate occasions. Hilde Heltberg was 51 when she died of cancer on September 4, 2011.
McKinley “Bug” Williams was a singer and percussionist who, along with Frankie Beverly, formed the influential R&B band Maze in 1976. Born in Philadelphia, it was Williams who stayed at Beverly’s side through several versions of the band. Formed out of the ashes of the Butlers as Raw Soul, the group was introduced to Marvin Gayewho suggested they change their name to Maze and took them on the road with him. Maze quickly signed to Capitol Records and went on to release a numerous albums and singles that found homes on both the R&B and Pop charts over the next three decades. In all, Maze scored ten gold albums and charted over two dozen singles. McKinley “Bug” Williams died of a heart attack on September 2, 2011.
David “Honeyboy” Edwards June 28, 1915 – August 29, 2011
David “Honeyboy” Edwards was one of the last surviving Delta blues greats from the ’30s. Edwards was just 14 when he left his Mississippi home to go on the tour with Big Joe Williams, and it was on that road he stayed for the better part of the next two decades. During those early years, he also shared the stage and a close friendship with the great Robert Johnson, making him one of the last living links to the legend. In fact, he was the ONLY link to the legend of Johnson’s sudden demise. On that hot August night in 1938, Edwards was with Johnson when he drank the poisoned whiskey that killed him. It was Edwards’ version of the lore that has long been considered the most accurate account. Edwards also performed with the likes of Charley Patton, Johnny Shines, and Tommy Johnson. Edwards made relatively few recordings through the late ’80s – mostly for folklorists Alan Lomax and Peter B. Lowery. Thankfully he became more active in the studio during his later years. He released his autobiography, The World Don’t Owe Me Nothin’ in 1997 and continued to tour well into his 90s. On July 17, 2011, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, the “Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen,” passed away at the age of 96.
Dan Sicko was a respected music journalist and author whose work has appeared in such magazines as Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Urb, and Wired. A tireless advocate for techno music, Sicko also lectured on the subject at UCLA and the University of Michigan, among others. In 1999, he published Techno Rebels: The Renegades of Electronic Funk, which introduced many to the influential Detroit techno scene of the ’80s. Dan Sicko was 42 when he died from complications of ocular melanoma.
Tom Hibbert was an English journalist who found fame for his sometimes less than flattering pieces on rock musicians throughout the ’80s and ’90s. After dropping out of Leeds University during the ’70s, Hibbert played in a handful of local bands before giving up his rock star dreams and moving on to a life in journalism. Over the course of his career, he wrote music and pop culture columns for the New Music News, Q, and Smash Hits where he ridiculed the likes of Paul McCartney, Johnny Rotten, and David Bowie. Perhaps his biggest moment came in 1987, when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher employed Hibbert to interview her in an attempt to appeal to young voters. The plan backfired as the interview revealed such decidedly non-hip nuggets as her favorite singer being Cliff Richard, and song being “How Much is That Doggie in the Window.” Hibbert spent the last decade of his life in ill health and ultimately died from complications of diabetes on August 28, 2011. He was 59.