Died On This Date (May 25, 2024) Richard M. Sherman / Celebrated Disney Songwriter

Richard M. Sherman
June 12, 1928 – May 25, 2024

Photo credit: Greg Hernandez via wikimedia

As reported by Jeff Lundun at NPR, renowned Academy Award-winning composer Richard M. Sherman, part of the illustrious songwriting team with his late brother Robert Sherman, has passed away at the age of 95 due to age-related illness. The Sherman brothers created memorable scores for over two dozen films, many of which were Disney classics, including Mary Poppins (which earned them two Oscars), The Jungle Book, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Born in New York on June 12, 1928, Richard moved to Beverly Hills, California, with his family when he was nine. His father, Al Sherman, a popular songwriter, encouraged Richard and his older brother to collaborate. Richard fondly recalled in 2005, “He sensed that Bob and I collaborating and pooling our wits could come up with something.”

Their big break came in 1958 with the Top 10 hit “Tall Paul,” performed by Annette Funicello, which caught the attention of Walt Disney. Throughout the 1960s and into the 1980s, they were essentially Disney’s house songwriters, beginning with The Parent Trap in 1961. They created numerous film scores and even composed theme park songs like “It’s a Small World (After All).”

The score for Mary Poppins, featuring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, solidified their legacy. The film’s soundtrack includes timeless songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” One of the standout tracks, “Feed the Birds,” was Walt Disney’s favorite.

Producer Cubby Broccoli, who owned the rights to Ian Fleming‘s James Bond novels, commissioned them to adapt Fleming’s children’s book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Richard remembered the joy they found in writing the title song about the magical flying car. “We wanted the song to sound like the way the motor sounded,” Sherman explained, “because that’s the trick, the whole thing is that it backfires and goes ‘bang bang.'” The rhythmic song earned an Oscar nomination.

Despite their professional harmony, the brothers had a complex, sometimes contentious relationship, as explored in the 2009 film The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story. Their final original score was for Disney’s The Tigger Movie in 2000, and both Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang were later adapted for the stage. The Sherman brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976.

Click to find at amazon

Died On This Date (May 18, 2024) Spider John Koerner / Influential Folk Singer

John Koerner
August 31, 1938 – May 18, 2024

Photo credit: Dktrfz via wikimedia

As reported by Chris Riemenschneider in the Minneapolis Start Tribune, Spider John Koerner, a revered American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, passed away at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer. Known primarily for his work with the influential blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, alongside Dave Ray and Tony Glover, Koerner also enjoyed a prolific solo career and collaborated with Willie Murphy.

Koerner’s impact on music was profound with no less than Bob Dylan citing him as an early influence in his autobiography, Chronicles. Koerner was known for his distinctive style, playing a big-body 12-string acoustic guitar and performing a repertoire that spanned traditional folk and blues songs, as well as his own originals.

Originally from Rochester, New York, Koerner became a cornerstone of Minneapolis’ West Bank folk and blues scene in the early 1960s. He mentored a young Bob Dylan and recorded albums that left a lasting impression on artists like John Lennon, David Bowie, Bonnie Raitt, and Beck.

Koerner’s life in Minnesota began in 1956 when he moved to study aeronautical engineering. Despite his fascination with engineering, his path veered towards music after a stint in the Marine Corps. The formation of Koerner, Ray & Glover in 1963 marked the beginning of his musical career, with their debut album Blues, Rags & Hollers released on Elektra Records, followed by Lots More Blues, Rags & Hollers in1964. Although their records didn’t achieve commercial success, they were treasured by musicians of the time. Lennon praised their first album in a 1964 Melody Maker profile, and Bowie later lauded it in a 2016 Vanity Fair story. The trio also gained recognition through their performances at the Newport Folk Festival, sharing the stage with blues legends like Muddy Waters and Son House.

After the trio disbanded in the late ’60s, Koerner continued to make his mark with the 1969 album Running, Jumping, Standing Still, a collaboration with Willie Murphy. The album featured the track “I Ain’t Blue,” which Bonnie Raitt covered on her debut album.

Koerner’s legacy was celebrated in 2012 when he returned to the Newport Folk Festival after a 43-year hiatus, receiving a warm welcome from younger fans and musicians like Conor Oberst and Trampled by Turtles.

Click to find at amazon

Died On This Date (May 17*, 2024) Charlie Colin / Co-founder Of Train

Charile Colin
November 22, 1966 – May 17, 2024 (presumed)

Photo Credit: Unknown (AP News) via wikimedia

As reported by Stephen J. Horowitz in Variety, Charlie Colin, a founding member of the band Train, has tragically passed away at the age of 58 after a fall in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium. His body wasn’t discovered until his friends returned home from their five-day trip, according to TMZ.

Colin was an original member of Train, which began with Pat Monahan, Rob Hotchkiss, Scott Underwood, and Jimmy Stafford. As the band’s bassist, he played a crucial role in their first three albums: the self-titled debut in 1999, Drops of Jupiter in 2001, and My Private Nation. The band achieved significant success with their hit “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me),” reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning Grammy awards for Best Rock Song and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).

Originally from Newport Beach, California, Colin met fellow founding member Hotchkiss in the seventh grade. Both later attended Berklee School of Music, where Colin studied jazz composition and guitar. After moving to Los Angeles, Hotchkiss invited Colin to join one of his band. Before forming Train, Colin, Hotchkiss, and Stafford created the group Apostles, which eventually disbanded. Colin then traveled the world before returning to the U.S. and joining the newly formed Train around 1996. He toured internationally with Train and enjoyed mainstream success until his departure from the band in 2003.

In his post-Train career, Colin played with Slipknot and Puddle of Mudd. At the time of his death, Colin was serving as the musical director for the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Click to find at amazon

Died On This Date (May 12, 2024) David Sanborn / Influential Jazz Saxophonist

David Sanborn
July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024

David Sanborn, Festival de Jazz Riviera Maya 2008 via wikimedia

As reported by Lisa Respers at CNN, renowned saxophonist David Sanborn, whose mastery spanned genres from pop and R&B to jazz, has passed away at the age of 78.

The news was shared via his social media accounts with a heartfelt statement: “It is with sad and heavy hearts that we convey to you the loss of internationally renowned, 6-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist, David Sanborn. Mr. Sanborn passed Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications.”

Despite being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018, Sanborn continued to perform until recently, with concert dates scheduled as far ahead as 2025.

Born in Tampa, Florida, and raised in Missouri, Sanborn discovered his passion for the saxophone as part of his recovery from polio at the age of three, according to his website. By the time he was 14, he was already playing alongside legends such as Albert King and Little Milton. Sanborn later pursued music studies at Northwestern University before transferring to the University of Iowa, where he had the opportunity to play and study with the renowned saxophonist JR Monterose.

Sanborn’s career soared when he joined the Butterfield Blues Band and performed at Woodstock with Paul Butterfield. He later collaborated with musical icons like Stevie Wonder, recording on Wonder’s Talking Book album, and played with the Rolling Stones and David Bowie. He also worke with other notable artists such as Paul Simon and James Taylor.

In 1975, Sanborn released his debut solo album, Taking Off, followed by Hideaway in 1979. Throughout his career, Sanborn’s albums featured the likes of Luther Vandross, Christian McBride, Eric Clapton, and many more.

Sanborn won his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance with “All I Need Is You” in 1981. Over the years, he earned a total of six Grammy Awards, eight gold albums, and one platinum album. He continued to tour successfully for decades.

Click to find at amazon

Died On This Date (May 9, 2024) Dennis Thompson / Longtime Drummer For MC5

Photo credit: Retrokimmer via wikimedia

Dennis Thompson
September 7, 1948 – May 9, 2024

As reported by Brian McCollom in the Detroit Free Press, Dennis Thompson has passed away. Known for his dynamic drumming that propelled the influential Detroit band MC5, died Thursday morning at the age of 75 after battling a series of medical issues.

While in a hospital following a heart attack back in April, Thompson learned that MC5 was finally headed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to which he reportedly exclaimed, “It’s about fucking time!” and was eagerly anticipating the event.

Thompson was the last surviving member of MC5, preceded in death by his bandmates singer Rob Tyner, guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and guitarist Wayne Kramer.

While still in high school, Thompson’s musical journey began with a teen garage band called the Bounty Hunters, alongside his friend Kramer who in 1965, welcomed him into the MC5 family. Thompson often credited the band’s success to their blue-collar work ethic and relentless practice sessions.

Throughout the band’s turbulent rise and fall in the late ’60s and early ’70s, Thompson remained a stalwart member. From their iconic live album Kick Out the Jams to their defiant performance at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, his powerful drumming defined MC5’s sound and spirit.

Following MC5’s breakup in 1972, Thompson continued to perform locally with various Detroit bands and reunited with Kramer and Davis from time to time.

Click to find at amazon