Died On This Date (January 24, 2016) Jimmy Bain / Bassist For Dio, Rainbow & More
themusicsover Jimmy Bain
December 19, 1947 – January 24, 2016
Jimmy Bain was a rock bassist who is best remembered for his years playing with Rainbow and Dio. Born in Highland, Scotland, Bain caught the attention of Ritchie Blackmore when Bain was playing a gig at London’s Marquee. Blackmore quickly hired him to play on Rainbow’s 1976 metal masterpiece, Rising and on the tour that followed. That tour, with Bain on bass, was recorded for Rainbow’s popular On Stage album that came out the following year. After leaving Rainbow in 1978, Bain formed Wild Horses who received moderate success with two albums. During the early ’80s, Bain co-wrote songs for Phil Lynott‘s two solo albums and toured as part of his backing band. In 1983, he joined forces with former Rainbow singer, Ronnie James Dio in the latter’s new band, Dio. Bain wrote several of the band’s hits, including “Holy Diver” and “Rainbow In The Dark.” He played on The Last In Line and Dream Evil, among other Dio classic albums. In 1985, Bain founded Hear ‘n Aid which was metal’s effort to raise money for famine relief. The all-star collective recorded, “Stars,” co-written by Bain, which reportedly raised over $1 million in its first year of release. Bain continued to record and tour with various members of metal’s elite up until the time of his death. It was while traveling as a performer on Def Leppard‘s Hysteria On The High Seas cruise on January 24, 2016, that Jimmy Bain passed away unexpectedly His cause of death was not immediately released and was believed to have been health related. He was 68.
What You Should Own
Lemmy Kilmister was the lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only original member of Motorhead, the legendary English rock band he formed in 1975. Over the course of four decades, the band, which was equal parts punk rock and heavy metal, released over 22 albums, which sold upwards of 30 million worldwide. Kilmister was born in Straffordshire, but spent most of his early years in North Wales. After leaving high school early, he worked various menial jobs while learning to play the guitar. When he was 16, he saw one of the Beatles‘ iconic Cavern Club shows and instantly knew he wanted to make music. The next day, he bought Please Please Me and learned to play the guitar while playing along with it. After performing in a series of local bands, Kilmister moved to London where he shared a flat with 
Stevie Wright was an English-born singer and songwriter best remembered as the lead singer of Sydney, Australia’s Easybeats. The band, and Wright in particular, are widely regarded as Australia’s first international pop stars. Formed in 1964, the Easybeats quickly rose to the top of the heap of local bands that were direct byproducts of the British Invasion. In fact, the group first found its footing in a tiny hangout in pub basement that was dubbed Beatle Village. Within a year, the Easybeats were signed to Parlophone Records and quickly built a sizable following throughout Australia. By the end of 1965, they were playing to sell-out crowds and sparking their own Beatlemania-like hysteria coined, “Easyfever.” The band’s hits included “She’s So Fine,” “Come And See Her,” “Sorry,” and most notably, “Friday On My Mind,” their only true international hit. After the band split up in 1969, Wright fronted a handful of other bands and launched a solo career. In 1972, he performed as Simon the Zealot in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1986, Wright reunited with the Easybeats for a brief Australian tour. He ultimately retired in 2009. On December 27, 2015, Stevie Wright died of pneumonia. He was 68.