Dennis Sheehan had been U2‘s tour manager since 1982. Joining the European tour prior to the release of War, Sheehan went on to become not only a trusted colleague of the band, but a dear friend as well. Throughout his career, Sheehan also worked with Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, and Stone the Crow.Just hours after the band kicked off a string of dates in Los Angeles, Sheehan reportedly died of cardiac arrest in his hotel room.
Thanks to John Harrison at OOII Swim Club for the assist.
Dean Schachtel was a beloved music industry veteran who spent the latter part of his career working as the GM for Wendy Dio and Ronnie James Dio‘s Niji Entertainment. Schachtel, who also served on the board of the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, was a major force behind the annual Dio celebrations that raised money for the fund. A tireless ambassador for the industry as a whole, his enthusiasm for all types of music was on display every single day. A regular presence at concerts, festivals, and other music related events, Schachtel shared his enthusiasm with anyone within earshot. Earlier in his career, Schachtel worked at Rhino, the Warner Music Group, and the Jewish Music Group, as well as KDSK radio in Southern California. In recent years, Shachtel also managed the social media campaigns for Motorhead and Territory League Wrestling. Dean Schachtel was 49 when he passed away on May 18, 2015. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Yahoo! Music for the assist.
To many, B.B. King was the greatest bluesman who ever walked the planet. During an astonishing career that spanned seven decades, he almost single-handedly brought the blues into the mainstream. Born on a Mississippi cotton plantation to sharecroppers in 1925, King saw extreme poverty first hand. After his mother left home when he was just four years old, King went to live with his grandmother who went on to raise him. He began his life in music by singing in the church choir as a young boy. By the time he was 15, he was playing the guitar. In 1946, he moved to Memphis to launch his professional career, and within three years, he was making his earliest recordings. King went on to record and perform live for the next 65 years. Along the way he made some of the most iconic and influential records known to man. They include “The Thrill Is Gone,” “3 O’Clock Blues,” “Everyday I Have The Blues,” and “When Love Comes To Town,” which he recorded with U2 in 1988. He’s received countless awards and accolades including 15 Grammy Awards. The list of artists who have claimed him as a major influence is staggering. It includes Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Jeff Beck, and Keith Richards. In 2006, King kicked off his “farewell” world tour, but thankfully it never ended since he continued to wow audiences right up until October of 2014 when he became too ill to continue. His declining health lead to a couple of hospital stays and ultimately hospice care, which was announced on May 1, 2015. Two weeks later, B.B. King passed away at the age of 89.
Ben E. King was an American R&B singer whose signature song, “Stand My Me,” is one of the few records to hit the Top 10 in two separate decades – the first being upon release in 1961, the second in 1986 when it was used as the theme song for the very popular film of the same name. In 1958, King was a member of a Harlem doo wop group known as the Five Crowns when the manager of the Drifters recruited them to replace recently fired members of the Drifters.With the Drifters, King scored several hits over the next two years. That list includes “This Magic Moment,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” and “There Goes My Baby.” He left the group for a solo career in 1960 and went on to release some of the biggest hits of the era including, “Spanish Harlem,” “There Goes My Baby,” and of course, “Stand By Me.” Those three songs are considered to be vital parts of the foundation that shaped rock and roll. Like many R&B acts during the mid ’60s, King’s brand of music was pushed aside by the British Invasion. Even though he continued to record and tour, he wouldn’t hit the charts again until the re-release of “Stand By Me,” 20 years later. His career enjoyed even another bump when hip hop artists began sampling his songs during the ’90s and beyond. He continued to tour into his 70s. Ben E. King was 76 when he passed away on April 30, 2015. Cause of death was not immediately released
Jack Ely was an American singer and musician who is most famously remembered as the lead vocalist on the Kingsmen‘s classic garage anthem, “Louie Louie.” Born in Portland, Oregon, Ely was classically trained on the piano at an early age, but switched to the guitar after seeing Elvis Presley on TV. He co-founded the Kingsmen in 1959, and after spending the next few years playing local fashion shows and such, he and the band recorded “Louie Louie,” which went on to become one of the most influential, if not easiest to play, rock and roll songs of all time. It reportedly cost just $36 to record. After leaving the group shortly after the release, Ely formed a new band, the Courtmen who made a handful of records and toured the region. He enlisted in the Army in 1966 but upon his return in 1968, he didn’t have much luck restarting his music career. In later years, he devoted his time to speaking against drug and alcohol abuse. Jack Ely was 71 when he died following a long illness on April 27, 2015.