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International Musician Pop Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (June 11, 2024) Françoise Hardy / Popular 1960s French Singer

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Françoise Hardy
January 7, 1944 – June 11, 2024

Public domian via wikimedia

As reported by Joe Taysom in Far Out Magazine, renowned French singer-songwriter Françoise Hardy has passed away at the age of 80, following a prolonged illness.

Hardy stands as one of France’s most celebrated cultural icons. Born in Paris in 1944, near the end of World War II, she emerged as a key figure in the 1960s yé-yé movement. Her distinctive voice left an indelible mark on music, seamlessly transitioning from poignant adolescent ballads to sophisticated pop classics. Even in her later years, her work, such as the 2018 album Personne d’Autre, remained emotionally resonant and captivating.

Hardy burst onto the scene at 18 with her debut single, “Tous les garçons et les filles,” in 1962, followed by her self-titled debut album. Her musical prowess garnered admiration from contemporaries like Bob Dylan and established her as a French icon. Her influence extended beyond music, as she appeared in films such as Roger Vadim’s Château en Suède and Jean-Luc Godard’s Masculin féminin, though music always remained her true passion.

Beyond her artistic achievements, Hardy also became a muse for influential fashion designers, including Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabanne, further cementing her status as a cultural icon. In recognition of her contributions to French culture, Hardy was awarded the Grande Médaille De La Chanson Française in 2006, a prestigious honor given to a select few.

Hardy married fellow musician Jacques Dutronc in 1981, and the couple remained together until her death. In her later years, Hardy was candid about her health struggles. Diagnosed with MALT lymphoma in 2005, she faced significant health challenges and a gradual decline. In 2018, she was further diagnosed with a tumor in her ear.

In a 2021 interview with Femme Actuelle, Hardy revealed that she could no longer sing due to her health issues, stating, “My physical suffering has already been so terrible that I am afraid that death will force me to go through even more physical suffering.” Françoise Hardy’s legacy as a multifaceted artist and cultural icon will endure, remembered for her contributions to music, film, and fashion, and for her courageous openness about her personal battles.

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Composer Musician Songwriter

Died On This Date (May 25, 2024) Richard M. Sherman / Celebrated Disney Songwriter

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Richard M. Sherman
June 12, 1928 – May 25, 2024

Photo credit: Greg Hernandez via wikimedia

As reported by Jeff Lundun at NPR, renowned Academy Award-winning composer Richard M. Sherman, part of the illustrious songwriting team with his late brother Robert Sherman, has passed away at the age of 95 due to age-related illness. The Sherman brothers created memorable scores for over two dozen films, many of which were Disney classics, including Mary Poppins (which earned them two Oscars), The Jungle Book, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Born in New York on June 12, 1928, Richard moved to Beverly Hills, California, with his family when he was nine. His father, Al Sherman, a popular songwriter, encouraged Richard and his older brother to collaborate. Richard fondly recalled in 2005, “He sensed that Bob and I collaborating and pooling our wits could come up with something.”

Their big break came in 1958 with the Top 10 hit “Tall Paul,” performed by Annette Funicello, which caught the attention of Walt Disney. Throughout the 1960s and into the 1980s, they were essentially Disney’s house songwriters, beginning with The Parent Trap in 1961. They created numerous film scores and even composed theme park songs like “It’s a Small World (After All).”

The score for Mary Poppins, featuring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, solidified their legacy. The film’s soundtrack includes timeless songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” One of the standout tracks, “Feed the Birds,” was Walt Disney’s favorite.

Producer Cubby Broccoli, who owned the rights to Ian Fleming‘s James Bond novels, commissioned them to adapt Fleming’s children’s book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Richard remembered the joy they found in writing the title song about the magical flying car. “We wanted the song to sound like the way the motor sounded,” Sherman explained, “because that’s the trick, the whole thing is that it backfires and goes ‘bang bang.'” The rhythmic song earned an Oscar nomination.

Despite their professional harmony, the brothers had a complex, sometimes contentious relationship, as explored in the 2009 film The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story. Their final original score was for Disney’s The Tigger Movie in 2000, and both Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang were later adapted for the stage. The Sherman brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1976.

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Folk Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (May 18, 2024) Spider John Koerner / Influential Folk Singer

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John Koerner
August 31, 1938 – May 18, 2024

Photo credit: Dktrfz via wikimedia

As reported by Chris Riemenschneider in the Minneapolis Start Tribune, Spider John Koerner, a revered American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, passed away at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer. Known primarily for his work with the influential blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, alongside Dave Ray and Tony Glover, Koerner also enjoyed a prolific solo career and collaborated with Willie Murphy.

Koerner’s impact on music was profound with no less than Bob Dylan citing him as an early influence in his autobiography, Chronicles. Koerner was known for his distinctive style, playing a big-body 12-string acoustic guitar and performing a repertoire that spanned traditional folk and blues songs, as well as his own originals.

Originally from Rochester, New York, Koerner became a cornerstone of Minneapolis’ West Bank folk and blues scene in the early 1960s. He mentored a young Bob Dylan and recorded albums that left a lasting impression on artists like John Lennon, David Bowie, Bonnie Raitt, and Beck.

Koerner’s life in Minnesota began in 1956 when he moved to study aeronautical engineering. Despite his fascination with engineering, his path veered towards music after a stint in the Marine Corps. The formation of Koerner, Ray & Glover in 1963 marked the beginning of his musical career, with their debut album Blues, Rags & Hollers released on Elektra Records, followed by Lots More Blues, Rags & Hollers in1964. Although their records didn’t achieve commercial success, they were treasured by musicians of the time. Lennon praised their first album in a 1964 Melody Maker profile, and Bowie later lauded it in a 2016 Vanity Fair story. The trio also gained recognition through their performances at the Newport Folk Festival, sharing the stage with blues legends like Muddy Waters and Son House.

After the trio disbanded in the late ’60s, Koerner continued to make his mark with the 1969 album Running, Jumping, Standing Still, a collaboration with Willie Murphy. The album featured the track “I Ain’t Blue,” which Bonnie Raitt covered on her debut album.

Koerner’s legacy was celebrated in 2012 when he returned to the Newport Folk Festival after a 43-year hiatus, receiving a warm welcome from younger fans and musicians like Conor Oberst and Trampled by Turtles.

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Musician Rock Songwriter

Died On This Date (May 17*, 2024) Charlie Colin / Co-founder Of Train

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Charile Colin
November 22, 1966 – May 17, 2024 (presumed)

Photo Credit: Unknown (AP News) via wikimedia

As reported by Stephen J. Horowitz in Variety, Charlie Colin, a founding member of the band Train, has tragically passed away at the age of 58 after a fall in the shower while house-sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium. His body wasn’t discovered until his friends returned home from their five-day trip, according to TMZ.

Colin was an original member of Train, which began with Pat Monahan, Rob Hotchkiss, Scott Underwood, and Jimmy Stafford. As the band’s bassist, he played a crucial role in their first three albums: the self-titled debut in 1999, Drops of Jupiter in 2001, and My Private Nation. The band achieved significant success with their hit “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me),” reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning Grammy awards for Best Rock Song and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s).

Originally from Newport Beach, California, Colin met fellow founding member Hotchkiss in the seventh grade. Both later attended Berklee School of Music, where Colin studied jazz composition and guitar. After moving to Los Angeles, Hotchkiss invited Colin to join one of his band. Before forming Train, Colin, Hotchkiss, and Stafford created the group Apostles, which eventually disbanded. Colin then traveled the world before returning to the U.S. and joining the newly formed Train around 1996. He toured internationally with Train and enjoyed mainstream success until his departure from the band in 2003.

In his post-Train career, Colin played with Slipknot and Puddle of Mudd. At the time of his death, Colin was serving as the musical director for the Newport Beach Film Festival.

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Folk Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (April 21, 2024) Alex Hassilev / The Limeliters

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Alex Hassilev
July 11, 1932 – April 21, 2024

Photo credit: Jack de Nijs via wikimedia

As reported by Clay Risen at The New York Times, the last original member of the Limeliters, Alex Hassilev, passed away on April 21 at the age of 91.

During the early ’60s, American audiences couldn’t get enough of the harmonies and traditional sounds of folk music. Among the most beloved acts of that era were the Limeliters – a trio comprised of Alex Hassilev, Glenn Yarbrough, and Lou Gottlieb. Hassilev, a skilled musician fluent in multiple languages, played banjo, guitar, and sang baritone for the group.

The Limeliters’ performances were marked by a unique blend of seriousness and humor, mixing traditional folk tunes like “The Hammer Song” with playful compositions such as “Have Some Madeira, M’Dear,” “The Ballad of Sigmund Freud,” and “Charlie the Midnight Marauder.” Before the Beatles came ashore, the trio were a powerhouse, playing an astonishing 300 shows a year and releasing multiple Billboard Top 10 albums, including Tonight in Person (1960) and The Slightly Fabulous Limeliters (1961).

Born in Paris to Russian Jewish immigrants Leonide and Tamara Hassilev, Alex Hassilev showed early promise as a student, attending Harvard after his military service. Disillusioned by what he perceived as elitism, he transferred to the University of Chicago and eventually found his way into acting and music, gravitating towards New York’s burgeoning folk scene in Greenwich Village.

The fateful meeting with Glenn Yarbrough at a party led to the formation of the Limeliters, who quickly gained popularity along the West Coast. Their official debut occurred after establishing a loyal following in San Francisco, leading to a recording contract with Elektra Records.

Despite their on-stage success, the Limeliters were famously known for their off-stage conflicts, earning them the nickname the Bicker Brothers. After Yarbrough’s departure following a plane crash in 1962, the group disbanded in 1965, with Hassilev pursuing solo projects in acting and record producing. His musical career continued with sporadic Limeliters reunions, solidifying in 1981 with a new lineup. Following the deaths of Lou Gottlieb in 1996 and Glenn Yarbrough in 2016, Alex eventually retired from the Limeliters in 2006.

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