Kyle Woodring
February 7, 1967 – September 7, 2009
Kyle Woodring was a concert and studio drummer who has been playing since he was four years old. In the late ’80s, Woodring began drumming for Survivor, playing on their 1988 hit, “Didn’t Know It Was Love.” In later years, he played or toured with John Mellencamp, Deana Carter and for one-time Styx lead singer, Dennis DeYoung. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.
Nicky Hopkins
February 24, 1944 – September 6, 1994
Keyboardist Nicky Hopkins has been called one of the greatest rock session players of all time. Because he suffered from Chron’s disease since childhood, it was difficult for Hopkin’s to be part of a touring band, so he decided he make his mark as a studio musician instead. After cutting his chops with Screaming Lord Sutch and Cyril Davies during the hay day of British R&B of the ’60s, went on to become one of the most favored session men in London. Over the course of his career, he’s played on records by the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Jeff Beck, the Kinks, and John Lennon, as well as those by such American artists as Steve Miller and Jefferson Airplane. Nicky Hopkins died at the age of 50 due to complications from intestinal surgery.
Tom Fogerty is best remembered as the founding guitarist for Creedance Clearwater Revival alongside his younger brother, John Fogerty. Prior to his days in CCR, Fogerty had a group, Spider Webb & The Insects that were signed to Del-Fi Records, but broke up before they could release any records. In the mid ’60s, Fogerty joined up with his brother in the Golliwogs who eventually changed their name to Creedance Clearwater Revival. CCR went on to become one of America’s most popular rock bands, releasing such huge hits as “Bad Moon Rising,” “Proud Mary” and “Fortunate Son.” Over the course of just five years, the band released a series of albums that are now considered classic rock staples. In spite of the band’s success, Fogerty quit the band in 1971 partly due to his strained relationship with his brother. Fogerty’s solo debut album of 1971 was a minor hit which reached #78 on the Billboard charts. Tom Fogerty died of AIDS at the age of 48. He had been infected with HIV from a blood transfusion.
Ernest Tubb was one of country music’s greatest pioneers. With a career that spanned almost 50 years, Tubb ushered in what would be called “honky tonk” with his 1941 hit, “Walking The Floor Over You.” The son of a sharecropper, Tubb spent much of his youth working the fields of Texas, learning to sing and play the guitar during his off hours. His early music jobs consisted of singing at radio stations in San Antonio and San Angelo, Texas. In the mid ’30s, he struck up a friendship with the widow of Jimmie Rodgers, one of his all-time idols. It was she that helped him get his first deal with RCA Records. Tubb was never accused of having the best singing voice, but he certainly put together some of the greatest bands country music has ever known. 1n 1947, Tubb opened Ernest Tubb Record Shop in downtown Nashville. That store, along with locations in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Fort Worth, Texas are still thriving businesses, catering mostly to the classic country fan. Ernest Tubb died of empysema at the age of 70.
Mickie Jones
December 17, 1952 – September 5, 2009
Mickie Jones was the co-founder of and bassist for pioneering ’70s glam metal band, Angel. Formed with guitarist, Punky Meadows in in 1975, Angel would be the link between Bowie and heavy metal. It was Gene Simmons of Kiss who helped the band get signed to Casablanca Records, and in an ironic twist, the members of Angel chose to market themselves dressed in all white as sort of the “anti-Kiss.” The band’s slick pop metal and androgynous image helped pave the way for such ’80s hair bands as Poison, Warrant and Motley Crue. Even the band’s own keyboardist, Gregg Guiffria would go on to have ’80s metal hits of his own. Even though Angel released some of the most memorable hard rock albums of the ’70s, (IE: Helluva Band and On Earth As It Is In Heaven), they never reached much beyond a cult status. Outside of Angel, Jones played in BUX with Meadows and Joe Perry Project singer, Ralph Morman, and Empire with LA Guns drummer, Steve Riley. It has also been reported that Jones was once asked to join the New York Dolls. In recent years, he was working in the film industry. Mickie Jones died of liver cancer on September 5, 2009.