Clive Welham was an English drummer whose brush with fame came during the early ’60s,when he played with pre-Pink FloydSyd Barrett and then, David Gilmour. In 1962, Welham was playing alongside Barrett in a band called Geoff Mott and the Mottoes. Within a couple of years, Barrett went off to join what was to become Pink Floyd, while Welham and Gilmour moved on to play in the Ramblers, the Four Posters and ultimately, Jokers Wild before Gilmour was hired to replace Barrett in Pink Floyd. Clive Welham passed away on May 9, 2012 following a long illness.
Everett Lilly was a respected mandolin picker who, along with his brother, Bea Lilly, were known to the bluegrass world as the Lilly Brothers. The Lilly Brothers got started singing on their local Appalachia radio stations during the 1940s, and folks took to their sound which has been likened to that of the Blue Sky Boys and the Monroe Brothers. In 1952, they moved to Boston and are largely credited to bringing bluegrass to New England. They quickly became a popular draw at area folk clubs, coffee houses, and festivals. The Lilly Brothers went on to record several albums for such labels as Folkways and Prestige. Prior to going off with his brother, Lilly played and sang for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, and performed on the Grand Ole Opry as part of their Foggy Mountain Boys. He also played on several of their early records. In recent years, Lilly performed alongside his sons in the Lilly Mountaineers. Everett Lilly was 87 when he passed away on May 8, 2012.
Born in Milwaukee, WI, Michael “Iron Man” Burks was an exceptional electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. By the time he was just five years old, Burks was already making beautiful noise on his guitar standing alongside his father who once played with Sonny Boy Williamson II. During the early ’70s, Burks moved with his family to Camden, Arkansas where his father opened a juke joint. Before he knew it, Burks was fronting the house band who played behind numerous visiting blues greats. After the club closed during the ’80s, Burks all but left the music business altogether to earn a better living at Lockheed. He eventually returned to making music full-time, releasing his debut album, From The Inside Out, in 1997. Over the next two decades, Burk released three more albums for the esteemed Alligator Records while entertaining blues lovers around the world. Upon returning from a European tour on May 6, 2012, Michael “Iron Man” Burks collapsed at the Atlanta International Airport and ultimately died from what was reported to have been a heart attack. He was 54.
Jesse “Sweet Joe” Russell September 25, 1939 – May 5, 2012
Photo by Susana Millman
Sweet Joe Russell was an influential vocalist who, for the better part of five decades, sang with the a capella group, the Persuasions. Formed in Brooklyn in 1962, the Persuasions first found an audience on local street corners. In 1970, after hearing them sing over the telephone, Frank Zappa signed them to his Straight Records and released their debut record, A Capella. They went on to release numerous albums and record or tour with the likes of the Grateful Dead, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Joni Mitchell, and Liza Minnelli. And it was Russell, with his sweet tenor, who was called “the voice of the Persuasions.” Sweet Joe Russell died on May 5, 2012, after a long battle with diabetes. He was 72.
Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF
Known on stage as MCA, Adam Yauch was a founding member of influential hip hop trio, the Beastie Boys. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself how to play the bass and formed the Beastie Boys while still in high school. Initially a hardcore punk band, the Beasties began transitioning toward hip hop with their 1983 12-inch record, “Cookie Puss” – which quickly became an underground dance hit in New York City. Within a year, they were full-on hip hop. In 1986, the group released their debut full length, Licensed To Ill, which, with a little help from MTV, made them international stars. The raucous video for the album’s “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)” is one of MTV’s most popular videos of all time. Licensed To Ill went on to sell over 40 million albums worldwide and is considered one of the most influential albums of its era. The Beasties released several more charting albums over the next two decades and in 2012 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yauch directed many of the group’s videos along with their groundbreaking concert film, Awesome, I Fuckin’ Shot That, which was released in 2006. Away from the Beasties, Yauch produced such albums as Bad Brains‘ Build A Nation. His likeness appeared in video games like NBA Street V3, Tony Hawks Proving Ground, and NBA Jam. In 2009, Adam Yauch learned began treatment for cancerous gland. He ultimately died of cancer on May 4, 2012. He was 47.
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Clive Welham was an English drummer whose brush with fame came during the early ’60s,when he played with pre-Pink Floyd Syd Barrett and then, David Gilmour. In 1962, Welham was playing alongside Barrett in a band called Geoff Mott and the Mottoes. Within a couple of years, Barrett went off to join what was to become Pink Floyd, while Welham and Gilmour moved on to play in the Ramblers, the Four Posters and ultimately, Jokers Wild before Gilmour was hired to replace Barrett in Pink Floyd. Clive Welham passed away on May 9, 2012 following a long illness.
