Died On This Date (August 22, 2006) Bruce Gary / The Knack
themusicsover Bruce Gary
April 7, 1951 – August 22, 2006
Bruce Gary is best remembered as the drummer of ’80s power pop band, the Knack. A drummer from an early age, eventually found himself playing on the road with Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor and Carla Bley. In 1978, he joined up with Doug Fieger, Burton Averre and Prescott Niles in the Knack. Their debut album, Get The Knack included the song “My Sharona” which became a massive era-defining hit thanks in part to Gary’s instantly recognizable opening drum beat. The album eventually went on to sell over six million copies. The group broke up in 1982 and Gary went on to perform on records by the likes of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Sheryl Crow and John Lee Hooker. He also worked as a producer, working with such acts as the Ventures. Bruce Gary died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 55.
What You Should Own
Jerry Finn was a well-respected producer who lent his talents to a who’s who of alternative rock, artists like Blink-182, Green Day, Sum 41, AFI, Rancid, the Offspring, Morrissey, Alkaline Trio and many others. While working on a Morrissey release in July of 2008, Finn suffered a massive brain hemmorage. Never regaining consciousness, he was taken off life support on August 9 and passed away twelve days later. He was just 39.
Larry Knecthel was a Los Angeles session keyboardist and bassist who played on hits by the likes of the Doors, Simon & Garfunkel and the Beach Boys. After spending a few years as part of Duane Eddy’s touring band in the early ’60s, Knechtel went to work in the studio with Phil Spector, adding his own mark to the legendary “wall of sound.” Knechtel also played on several Doors records since they didn’t have their own bassist. He joined the easy rock band, Bread in 1971. In later years, Knecthel did session work for producer Rick Rubin, most notably on albums by the Dixie Chicks and Neil Diamond. Larry Knechtel passed away in a Yakima hospital just two weeks after his 69th birthday.
Dorsey Burnette was born into a musical family that included brother, 