but the songs live on forever

Musician

Blues Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (March 8, 2012) Bugs Henderson / Texas Blues Great

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Buddy “Bugs” Henderson
1943 – March 8, 2012

Bugs Henderson was a Dallas, Texas area blues great who, for the better part of the past 50 years has been playing the kind of electric blues that keeps the crowds on their collective feet.  Henderson was just a teenager working in a local record store when he would sneak out of his house to check out the latest bands performing in nearby roadhouses.  By 1966 he was playing in a band, Mouse and the Traps, who scored a regional hit with “Public Execution.”  By the early ’70s, Henderson was an in-demand studio player while establishing himself as a local draw on the stage.  Over the years, he either opened for, or shared the stage with the likes of the Allman Brothers, Leon Russell, Freddie King, Ted Nugent, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and B.B. King.   Bugs Henderson died from complications of liver cancer on March 8, 2012.  He was 69.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.

 

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Bugs Henderson

Metal Musician Rock Songwriter

Died On This Date (March 3, 2012) Ronnie Montrose / Rock Guitar Great

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Ronnie Montrose
November 29, 1947 – March 3, 2012

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Ronnie Montrose was an American guitarist who, since the early 1970’s, has built a reputation as one of hard rock’s leading players.  Montrose was playing in a band called Sawbuck in when he was offered the chance to play with Van Morrison.  He can be heard on Morrison’s Tupelo Honey and Saint Dominic’s Preview.  Within a year or two, he was in the Edgar Winter Group before starting his own band, Montrose, in 1973.  The group, which included then-unknown Sammy Hagar on lead vocals, went on to release such hard rock staples as “Bad Motor Scooter” and “Rock Candy.”  Their self-titled debut sold over a million copies and has been called the first American heavy metal album.  Montrose later formed Gamma who is perhaps best known for “Fight To The Finish” and “Meanstreak.”  As an in-demand session player, Montrose played on records by the likes of Gary Wright, Boz Scaggs, the Beau Brummels, Nicolette Larson, Herbie Hancock, and the Neville Brothers.  Montrose continued to record, tour , and produce well into the 2000s.  Initial reports indicated that Ronnie Montrose died of prostate cancer on March 3, 2012. It was later revealed, however, that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  He was 64.

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Montrose - Montrose

Musician Pop Rock Singer

Died On This Date (February 29, 2012) Davy Jones / The Monkees

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Davy Jones
December 30, 1945 – February 29, 2012

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Davy Jones was and English actor and singer who is best remembered as the lead vocalist for the Monkees, a widely popular pop-rock group that was originally fabricated to star as a band on an American television series.  The weekly comedy followed the hi-jinks of the fictional rock band as they tried to build a music career in Los Angeles.  The show, which premiered in 1966, starred Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith as the group which was loosely based on the Beatles.  The show launched actual music careers for the musicians, even though in the beginning, they contributed very little musically.  Many of the program’s songs, which were showcased like music videos every week, became hits and future staples of oldies radio.  They included “Daydream Believer,” “Last Train To Clarksville,” and “I Want To Be Free.”  The show won two Emmys in 1967 and continued to be popular in reruns ever since.  In later years, Jones recorded and toured the world with the reunited Monkees.  As an actor, Jones also appeared in numerous stage productions as well as on such TV shows as The Brady Bunch, Love American Style, and My Two Dads.  Davy Jones was 66 when he suffered a fatal heart attack on February 29, 2012.  The Monkees co-creator, Bert Schneider passed away in December of 2011.

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The Best of the Monkees - The Monkees

Blues Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (February 25, 2012) Louisiana Red / Blues Great

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Louisiana Red (Born Iverson Minter)
March 23, 1932 – February 25, 2012

Louisiana Red was an Alabama-born blues musician who counted over 50 albums to his credit.  Red began making records in 1949, with his first label being the legendary Chess Records.  What followed was a series of singles and albums, many of which are essential for any respectable blues collection.  A couple of his key albums were The Lowdown Back Porch Blues and Seventh Son, both released in 1963.  During the late ’50s, Red performed with the great John Lee Hooker in Detroit.  And in 1983, he was awarded a prestigious WC Handy Award.  Louisiana Red was 79 when he passed away on February 25, 2012.

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The Lowdown Back Porch Blues - Louisiana Red

Jazz Musician

Died On This Date (February 23, 2012) Mike Melvoin / Jazz Pianist; Studio Session Legend

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Mike Melvoin
May 10, 1937 – February 23, 2012

Mike Melvoin was a much-respected jazz pianist whose talent can be heard on countless records by some of the biggest names in music.  Since 1961, Melvoin graced recordings by such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, Tom Waits, Peggy Lee, Michael Jackson, and Charlie Haden.  As one of L.A.’s leading session players, it was Melvoin who got the call to play on such landmark recordings as the Jackson 5’s “ABC,” the Beach Boy’s “Good Vibrations,” Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable,” Barbra Streisand’s “Evergreen,” and John Lennon’s “Stand By Me.”   He released several albums of his own as well, on such respected labels as Verve, Dot, and Liberty.  Melvoin also found time to raise his own family of respected musicians – Wendy Melvoin of Wendy & Lisa, Jonathan Melvoin of Smashing Pumpkins fame, and Susannah Melvoin.   Mike Melvoin was 74 when he died of cancer on February 23, 2012.

Thanks Craig Rosen at Number 1 Albums for the assist.




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