2025

Died On This Date (October 27, 2025) Vivian Jones / UK Reggae Great

Vivian Jones
1957 – October 27, 2025

Photo via YouTube

Reggae singer and songwriter Vivian Jones, a soulful voice who bridged the roots of Jamaica with the rhythms of Britain’s lovers rock era, has died at the age of 68.

Born in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, in 1957, Jones moved to England as a child and found his calling amid the rise of UK reggae in the 1970s. He began his career performing with groups like the Spartans and the Doctor Birds before stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist in 1980. His early singles, including the beloved “Good Morning,” became fixtures on British reggae charts, setting the tone for a career defined by warmth, sincerity, and an unshakable groove.

Over the decades, Jones released a steady flow of albums, including Bank Robbery, Iyaman, and 50th, each a reflection of his evolving artistry and spiritual depth. He also founded his own label, Imperial House, ensuring that his creative vision remained independent and uncompromised.

Celebrated by fans and peers alike, Jones was named Best Male Artist at the British Reggae Industry Awards in 1991 and continued recording, performing, and inspiring until the end of his life. His influence rippled through both the UK and Jamaican reggae scenes, leaving an enduring mark on the genre’s history.

Died On This Date (October 26, 2025) Jack DeJohnette / Legendary Jazz Drummer

Jack DeJohnette
August 9, 1942 – October 26, 2025

Photo by Ric Brooks via Wikimedia

Jack DeJohnette, one of jazz’s most inventive and versatile drummers, died on October 26, 2025, at his home in Woodstock, New York. He was 83.

Born in Chicago on August 9, 1942, DeJohnette began his musical life behind a piano before shifting to drums in his teens, developing a rhythmic language that would redefine modern jazz. His playing was as much about melody as timekeeping, a swirl of touch, tone, and texture that spoke with a pianist’s sensitivity and a bandleader’s instinct.

DeJohnette’s rise coincided with a revolution in sound. By the late 1960s he was anchoring Miles Davis’ groundbreaking electric period, his drumming propelling “Bitches Brew,” “Jack Johnson,” and “On the Corner” into uncharted territory. He later became an essential part of Keith Jarrett’s Standards Trio, a partnership that lasted more than three decades and yielded some of the most revered recordings in modern jazz. Along the way he collaborated with giants like Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Sonny Rollins, and Charles Lloyd, while releasing a steady stream of his own albums that showcased his range as a composer and bandleader.

He approached the drum kit as a complete instrument, not just rhythm but color and emotion. “I am hearing orchestrally,” he once said, and that awareness gave his music both depth and space. Whether in free improvisation, straight-ahead swing, or fusion explorations, DeJohnette’s pulse was alive, breathing and responsive.

Honored as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2012, he continued to perform and record well into his later years, always open to new ideas and new players. Offstage, he lived quietly in Woodstock with his wife Lydia, balancing creativity with calm and family life.

Died On This Date (October 22, 2025) David Ball / Co-founder of Soft Cell

David Ball
May 3, 1959 – October 22, 2025

David Ball, the pioneering electronic musician and one half of Soft Cell, died peacefully in his sleep on October 22 at his London home. He was 66.

Born in Blackpool and trained in fine art at Leeds Polytechnic, Ball met Marc Almond in 1979, and together they shaped the sound of early ’80s synth-pop. With Ball’s pulsing synths and minimalist production, Soft Cell created timeless hits like “Tainted Love,” “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye,” and “Torch,” blending grit, glamour, and melancholy into something wholly their own.

After Soft Cell’s first split, Ball formed The Grid with Richard Norris, producing dance music that bridged underground and pop worlds. In later years, he reunited with Almond, completing a new Soft Cell album, Danceteria, shortly before his passing.

Marc Almond called him “a wonderfully brilliant musical genius.” Ball’s influence continues to echo through every modern synth line and club track that dares to mix heart with circuitry.

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Died On This Date (October 16, 2025) Ace Frehley / Co-founding Lead Guitarist For KISS

Ace Frehley
April 27, 1951 – October 16, 2025

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Ace Frehley, the original Spaceman and founding guitarist of KISS, died on October 16, 2025, at the age of 74, following complications from a fall in his home studio. Born Paul Daniel Frehley in the Bronx on April 27, 1951, he was the spark behind some of the most electrifying moments in rock. From the first time he stepped on stage in silver makeup and platform boots, Frehley embodied the wild imagination of KISS, a band that turned spectacle into an art form and made arenas feel like rocket launches.

Joining KISS in 1973, Frehley brought both swagger and soul to the group’s sound. His gritty tone powered early classics like “Cold Gin” and “Parasite,” while his own “Shock Me” became a live highlight and personal anthem. When he released his self-titled 1978 solo album, one of four simultaneous KISS solo records, his stood out as the most successful. His hit “New York Groove” became a staple on rock radio and became one of the most recognizable anthems in film and television.

After leaving KISS in 1982, Frehley formed Frehley’s Comet and continued a steady run of solo albums that blended arena rock with NYC street-level attitude. Over the decades he never lost his edge, returning to KISS for their 1996 reunion tour and releasing acclaimed solo work well into his seventies, including 10,000 Volts in 2024.

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Died On This Date (October 8, 2025) Ace Finchum / Founding Drummer of Tigertailz

Ace Finchum
January 19, 1961 – October 8, 2025

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Ace Finchum, the founding drummer of Welsh glam-metal mainstays Tigertailz, has died at 62. His explosive playing and larger-than-life personality helped define the band’s early sound, raucous, melodic, and unapologetically over the top.

Born Stephen Wayne Finchum in Ipswich, England, Finchum found his calling behind the kit after a short-lived flirtation with guitar. Inspired by the power and precision of drummers like Clive Burr, Tommy Lee, and John Bonham, he brought that same mix of swing and swagger to Tigertailz, the Cardiff band that became a fixture of Britain’s late-’80s glam scene.

Finchum joined Tigertailz in the mid-’80s, holding down the beat on their debut Young & Crazy and their breakout Bezerk, which spun off the hit “Love Bomb Baby” and landed the band in the UK Top 40. His playing was loud but never sloppy, built on feel as much as flash. Onstage, he was a showman in every sense, drumming with a grin, twirling sticks mid-fill, and fueling the chaos that made Tigertailz one of the wildest live bands of their era.

After leaving the group in the early ’90s, Finchum stayed active in music, returning briefly to Tigertailz in the 2010s and continuing to play with the same fiery energy that first put him on the map. His former bandmates remembered him as unpredictable, funny, and full of life, a guy who could turn rehearsal into a party and a gig into a riot.

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