Died On This Date (November 4, 2010) James Freud / Lead Singer of The Models
themusicsover James Freud (Born Colin McGlinchey)
June 29, 1959 – November 4, 2010
James Freud is best remembered as the lead singer and bassist for ’80s Australian new wave rock band, the Models. Formed in Melbourne (originally without Freud) in 1979, musically the Models had much in common with fellow countrymen, INXS, including a handsome and charismatic front man in Freud. Over the next ten years, the group scored a handful of moderate hits, both in Australia and the U.S., but they never quite broke out of cult status. Freud was just 16 when he formed his first band, and after hearing the Sex Pistols a year later, he realized rock ‘n roll was his true calling. By the end of the ’70s, James Freud & the Radio Stars were causing a local stir and were quickly signed to Australia’s storied Mushroom Records. Their first single “Modern Girl” was successful enough to land them on a Gary Numan tour. Freud then joined the Models in 1982, and went on to write a some of their biggest hits. Records like “Barbados” and “Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight” helped them become one of Australia’s post-punk bands. After they broke up in 1988, Freud embarked on a solo career which included Mushroom’s most expensive album to date, Step Into The Heat. He also wrote two autobiographies, I Am The Voice Left From Drinking and I Am The Voice Left From Rehab, in which he chronicled his career in music and his struggles with substance abuse. On November 4, 2010, 51-year-old James Freud was found dead from what was reported to be a suicide. Just several days earlier, he and the Models were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Thanks to Anne Bentley for the assist.
What You Should Own
Jim Clench was a Canadian musician who is perhaps best remembered for his time in both April Wine and Bachman Turner Overdrive. For April Wine, he played and sang on their early ’70s albums, Electric Jewels, On Record, and Stand Back. He left the group in 1975. Three years later, he joined Bachman Turner Overdrive, replacing Randy Bachman who had just embarked on his solo career. He stayed with the group until their first break-up in 1979, playing and singing on Street Action and Rock ‘N Roll Nights. Clench also played bass and keyboards on Bryan Adams’ debut album. When April Wine reformed during the early ’90s, Clench was back on board. He played on their next four studio albums until leaving again in 2006. Jim Clench, aged 61, passed away on November 2, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Eva Cassidy was an American guitarist and vocalist who was equally adept at interpreting jazz, blues, country, folk, and pop standards. Without much more than a cult following outside of her hometown of Washington DC, Cassidy never failed to wow audiences with her remarkable technical ability and passion with which she sang. Unfortunately, and at no fault of her own, record companies ignored her, but only because of their own confusion on how to best market her. In 1993, Cassidy had a malignant mole removed from her back, and her health seamed fine from that point on, but roughly three years later, she began feeling stiffness and pain in her hips. Further tests revealed that she was suffering from advanced stages of melanoma. Eva Cassidy was 33 when she died from the cancer on November 2, 1996. Ironically, after spending her entire adult life trying to get her music heard, it took her death to finally expose her beyond her local fan base. In the years following her passing, collections of her recordings started coming out, leading to critical praise and several charting singles in the UK. In 2005, nearly 10 years after her death, amazon.com ranked her as their 5th best-selling musician behind the Beatles, U2, Norah Jones, and Diana Krall.
Bobby Porter was beloved punk singer who called the Pittsburgh area home. A veteran of the Vietnam war, Porter first surfaced in the area as an R&B singer during the mid ’70s. But by the end of the decade, he became taken by the city’s burgeoning punk scene and successfully transitioned into it. Over the years he fronted such punk bands as Thin White Line and Young Lust, and built a solid following thanks to his strong soulful voice and his energetic performances. Bobby Porter was 59 when he died of cancer on October 28, 2010.
James Phelps was a pioneering Gospel and R&B singer who, over the course of his long career worked with