Jessi Sazu, Center. Photo Credit: Guitarplaya1525 via Wikimedia Commons
Jessi Zazu, the lead singer of popular Nashville indie garage band, Those Darlins has lost her battle with cancer. She was 28. Formed in 2006 after Zazu, Nikki Kvarnes, and Kelley Anderson met at a Rock and Roll camp, the band released their self-titled debut to positive reviews and local fan acclaim. This afforded them the opportunity to tour with the likes of the Black Keys, Dr. Dog and JEFF the Brotherhood which expanded their fan base even more. Those Darlins’ early sound leaned Americana and Traditional, but over the next few years, they took on a more garage rock vibe. The band’s line up changed as well – bassist Adrian Barrera replaced Anderson who left the band in 2012. Throughout their run, they released one EP, three albums and several singles.
Walter Becker February 20, 1950 – September 3, 2017
By Arielinson – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikipedia
Walter Becker was the co-founder, co-songwriter, guitarist, and bassist for the immensely successful rock band, Steely Dan. Formed with Donald Fagen in 1972, the band built a sizable cult following almost immediately for their unique blend of pop, rock, traditional jazz and R&B behind clever lyrics. Joined in the studio by top-tier session players, Steely Dan went on to record some of the most popular songs and albums of the ’70s. Over the course of their first eight years, they released a remarkable seven albums – only 1979 going without. Even more astonishing, among those seven albums, one was Double Platinum in the US, five were Platinum, and the other went Gold. Those included Aja, Can’t Buy A Thrill, Pretzel Logic, and Katy Lied. In all, Steely Dan has sold over 40 million album worldwide. As a band, Steely Dan went on hiatus in 1981, but both musicians carried on with other work. For Becker’s part, he moved with his family to a more quiet life in Hawaii where he farmed avocados while working as a producer. A few of his more notable clients were Michael Franks, Rickie Lee Jones, and China Crisis who credited him as being an official member of the band. He and Fagen regrouped as Steely Dan in 1993 and immediately went on a well-received tour, their first in almost two decades. In 2000, they released Two Against Nature, their first album since 1980. It earned them four Grammys including Album of the Year. The following year found them being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. During the latter years of Becker’s career – while still touring and recording with Steely Dan – he released a solo album, guested on other albums and did some song co-writes. On September 3, 2017, Walter Becker passed away, and by all accounts, it was unexpected. Cause of death was not immediately released. He was 67.
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Dave Hlubek was the founder and lead guitarist for the popular Jacksonville, Florida rock band, Molly Hatchet. Formed in 1971, the group helped pioneer what would quickly come to be known as southern rock, which included equal parts rock ‘n roll, country, and blues, with a lot of southern culture, electric guitar and boogie thrown in for good measure. The band’s inclusion in the sub-genre reportedly baffled Hlubek, as he considered them to be a heavy metal band who just happened to be from the south. Molly Hatchet hit the ground running with their self-titled debut in 1978. It quickly went platinum in the US, and was followed a year later with their most successful album to date, Flirtin’ With Disaster, which sold over 2 million copies in the US alone. In all, Hlubek’s Molly Hatchet albums sold upwards of 24 million copies world wide. In 1987, Hlubek and the band parted ways, and he went on to live a quieter life in order to kick some potentially life-stealing bad habits. After a time he did just that, and he went back to work as a session player while taking part in various southern rock super groups. In 2005, with his life back in order, Hlubek re-joined Molly Hatchet with whom he went on to record, and when his then-deteriorating health permitted, perform live until the time of his passing. On September 3, 2017, Dave Hlubek suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 66.
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Gregg Allman was the lead singer, keyboardist and primary songwriter for the Allman Brothers Band, which he formed with his brother, Duane Allman, in 1969. The Allman Brothrers went on to become one of the most influential rock bands America has ever produced. Albums like The Allman Brothers Band, At Fillmore East, and Eat A Peach are considered landmark recordings of the ’70s. Their marriage of rock to country, blues and jazz – along with unmatched improvisational skills, laid the foundation of the Southern Rock scene which exploded in their wake. Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, and the Marshall Tucker Band are just a handful of bands from the American South who built successful careers due in large part to the Allman Brothers’ direct influence. Between their formation in 1969, and ultimately calling it a day in 2014, the band released 11 studio albums and 16 official live albums while playing countless live shows during their on-again off-again run. During one break during the ’80s, when most thought his career was over, Allman released a handful of solo albums including Laid Back and I’m No Angel, both of which went gold. His most recent solo album, 2011’s Low Country Blues, was also his highest charting, debuting at #5 on the Billboard charts. In recent years, Gregg Allman suffered from a series of health issues and ultimate lost his life to complications of liver cancer. He was 69 years old when he passed on.
Chris Cornell (Born Christopher Boyle) July 20, 1964 – May 17, 2017
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Chris Cornell was Seattle singer, songwriter and guitarist who will forever be remembered as one of the primary architects of grunge, a sub-genre or alternative rock. If a singer is lucky, she or he will find critical acclaim and commercial success by fronting just one band. But Cornell achieved that three times, with Soundgarden, Audioslave and early on, with Temple of the Dog, a one-off tribute to his friend, Mother Love Bone‘s Andrew Wood, who died of an overdose in 1990, just as the Seattle scene was about to change pop music forever. Born and raised in Seattle, Cornell found himself drawn to the Beatles as a child, reportedly spending most of his days between 9 and 11 years old, devouring a collection of Beatle records he found in a neighbor’s basement. After learning to play the guitar and drums, Cornell joined a local cover band called the Shemps during the early ’80s. It was with the Shemps that he forged his musical relationship with Kim Thayil and Hiro Yamamoto, which lead to the formation of Soundgarden in 1984. The band went on to release six studio albums, with 1994’s Superunknown debuting at #1 and going on to sell over 9 million copies worldwide. In all, Soundgarden sold upwards of 25 million albums. With Audioslave, which Cornell co-founded with Tom Morello,Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine, Cornell and the band moved more toward a ’70s rock vibe. The band released three albums which sold more than 4.5 million albums in the US alone. As a solo artist, Cornell achieved success with four releases and had the rare opportunity to record the theme song for a James Bond film, 2006’s Casino Royale. The single, “You Know My Name,” charted in several places, most notably, the UK, where it peaked at #7. After initially disbanding in 1997, Soundgarden reformed in 2010 and released King Animal in 2012. It was their first album in 16 years and debuted at #5 on the Billboard charts. It was while on tour with Soundgarden in 2017 that Chris Cornell passed away. Found deceased in his hotel room following a May 17th performance in Detroit, the local Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging. He was 52.
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