January 10, 2013 – The Music's Over

Died On This Date (January 10, 2013) Claude Nobs / Founder Of The Montreux Jazz Festival

themusicsover January 10, 2013 0 Comments

Claude Nobs
February 4, 1936 – January 10, 2013

Claude Nobs will be fondly remembered as the man who created the historic Montreux Jazz Festival. Born in the Swiss city that later hosted his annual event, Nobs organized the first installment while working for the Tourism Office of Montreux in 1967. The inaugural one included sets from the likes of Jack DeJohnette, Charles Lloyd, and Keith Jarrett. The festival was quickly recognized as a premier gathering of jazz greats from the world over. Nobs also made a mark on rock and roll as well. As it turns out, Nobs was present when the Montreux Casino infamously burned down during a Frank Zappa concert. He heroically rescued several people who were taking cover in the casino. Deep Purple memorialized the event in song which included a lyrical cameo by Nobs – “Funky Claude was running in and out pulling kids out the ground.” That song is “Smoke on the Water.” During the ’70s, Nobs worked for the local branch of Warner, Elektra and Atlantic Records. While the festival expanded to include musical acts beyond the jazz world, it swelled to over 200,000 attendees. It is considered one of the most prestigious music festivals in the world today. On December 24, 2012, Claude Nobs suffered a skiing accident that left him in a coma. He was 76 when he died from those injuries on January 10, 2013.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus at the Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.

Musician Punk Rock

Died On This Date (January 10, 2001) Bryan Gregory / The Cramps

themusicsover January 10, 2013 0 Comments

Bryan Gregory
February 20, 1951 – January 10, 2001

bryan-gregory Bryan Gregory is best remembered as the founding guitarist for influential psychobillyists, the Cramps. Formed while he and lead singer, Lux Interior worked together at a New York City record store, the band were instrumental in the development of the early punk scene whose centerpiece was the CBGB’s club. The band in those days also included lead guitarist, Poison Ivy and Gregory’s sister, Pam Balaam on drums. It was Gregory’s unique guitar sound and crazy stage antics that endeared him to early fans. He played on the band’s first two albums, Gravest Hits and Songs The Lord Taught Us before leaving in 1980. Gregory spent the next few years in a band called the Beast before playing a zombie in George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead and moving to Florida where he ran an adult book store. The early ’90s found him in Los Angeles where he formed the Dials and played in Shiver. Bryan Gregory was 49 when he suffered “multiple systems failure” after driving himself to a Southern California hospital emergency room. He had reportedly been in ill-health after previously suffering a heart attack, but official cause of death was not released.