Died On This Date (November 1, 2014) Wayne Static / Frontman Of Static-X

Wayne Static (Born Wayne Wells)
November 4, 1965 – November 1, 2014

wayne-staticWayne Static was the lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for the Los Angeles based industrial metal band, Static-X.  Formed in 1994, the band built a legion of followers thanks to a sound that co-mingled industrial metal, groove metal and nu-metal.  Over the course of the band’s 16 year run, they released six albums including their Platinum-selling debut, Wisconsin Death Trip.  Static was the only original member of the band throughout its entire lifespan.  Seemingly musically gifted at an early age, Static’s parents bought him his first guitar at the age of seven, and by the time he was 12, he was in his first band.  He eventually moved from Chicago to Los Angeles where Static-X was born.  After a very successful run, the band went on hiatus in 2009 during which time Static released his solo debut, 2011’s Pighammer, which peaked at #97 on the US Album Charts.  He formed a new version of Static-X in 2012, but disbanded it for good the following year.  Outside of Static-X, Static collaborated with the likes of Skinny Puppy, Godhead, Soil, and Run DMC.   He was scheduled to tour with Powerman 5000 and American Head Charge in November of 2014.  Wayne Static was 48 when he passed away on November 1, 2014.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

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Died On This Date (October 25, 2014) Jack Bruce / Bassist For Cream

John “Jack” Bruce
May 14, 1943 – October 25, 2014

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As the founding bassist, songwriter and singer for the psychedelic rock trio, Cream, Jack Bruce will be remembered as one of popular music’s greatest bass players.  Formed with guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker in 1966, Cream quickly formed a legion of fans thanks to their powerful hybrid of hard rock, electric blues, and psychedelic rock. Like no other group before or since, each instrument was as prominent as the other to the point where Bruce’s bass, Clapton’s guitar, and Baker’s drums could be called the “lead” instrument.  Even though they recorded only four albums across the span of just two years, Cream is regarded as one the most successful and influential “supergroups” of all time.  Their third album, Wheels Of Fire was the world’s first platinum double album.  Born into a musical family, Bruce took a shine to jazz bass early and eventually earned a scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama where he supported himself during by playing in a local jazz band.  In 1962, he joined the Graham Bond Organisation where he met Baker.  After leaving the band in 1965, Bruce released a solo album and then joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers where he met Clapton, who he recruited for his new band.  After Cream broke up, Bruce released several solo albums and collaborated with numerous rock and jazz fusion artists before reuniting with Cream in 1993 for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and again in 2005 for a series of successful shows at the Royal Albert Hall  in London and Madison Square Garden in New York City.  Bruce continued to record and perform live until his passing from liver disease on October 25, 2014.  He was 71.

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Died On This Date (October 19, 2014) John Holt / Reggae Great

Winston “John” Holt
July 11, 1947 – October 19, 2014

john-holtJohn Holt was a respected reggae singer and songwriter who began his career by performing at talent shows in an around Kingston as far back as 12 years old.  After winning upwards of two dozen of these contests, Holt recorded his fist single, “Forever I’ll Stay,” for the great Leslie Kong.  The year was 1963, and two years later, he joined a band that would eventually become the Paragons, one of reggae’s biggest acts during the golden age of mid ’60s rocksteady.  During that period, Holt wrote one of the band’s best known hits, “The Tide Is High,” which became a worldwide smash for Blondie in 1980.  After the Paragons disbanded in 1970, Holt went on to have a successful solo career becoming one of Jamaica’s biggest stars of the ’70s.  His hits included “Stick By Me,” “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” and “Touch Me In The Morning.”  Holt released more than 40 albums and toured regularly throughout his career.  In 2004, he was recognized with the Order Of Distinction by the Jamaican government for his contribution to the island’s music.  In June of 2014, Holt was diagnosed with colon cancer and fell ill in August.  He was 67 when he passed away on October 19, 2014.

 

Thanks to Harold Lepidus at Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.

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Died On This Date (August 31, 3014) Jimi Jamison / Former Lead Singer of Survivor

Jimmy “Jimi” Jamison
August 23, 1951 – August 31, 2014

Jimi-JamisonJimi Jamison is perhaps best remembered as a lead singer of ’80s rock band Survivor.  Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Jamison began singing and playing the guitar and piano as a child.  By the time he hit middle school, he was already playing in a band.   During the early ’80s, Jamison became the lead singer of a band called Cobra, and a few years later, he was invited to front Survivor after original lead vocalist (and “Eye Of The Tiger” singer) Dave Bickler left due to serious issues with his vocal cords.  Jamison’s first recording with the group was the hit, “The Moment of Truth,” for the Karate Kid soundtrack.  That was quickly followed by the Vital Signs album which went Platinum and reached #16 on the US album charts.  The album spawned the hits, “High On You,” “The Search Is Over,” and “I Can’t Hold Back.”  Its follow-up, When Seconds Count, also cracked the Top 50 on the US album charts powered by several radio-friendly pop-rockers.   The list of hit songs that Jamison sang lead on include “Burning Heart” from the Rocky IV soundtrack, and “I’m Always Here,” the theme song of the popular Baywatch television series.  He was also an in-demand session singer, having recorded with the likes of Joe Walsh and ZZ Top, whose Billy Gibbons often referred to him as the fourth member of the group.   Jamison continued to record and perform as a solo act, and upon occasion, with Survivor well throughout the rest of his life.  His most recent solo album, Never Too Late, was released in 2012.   Jimi Jamison was 63 when he died of a heart attack on August 31, 2014.

Thanks to David Plastik at eRockPhotos for the assist.

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Died On This Date (July 16, 2014) Johnny Winter / American Blues Great

Johnny Winter
February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014

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Johnny Winter was an American blues musician and producer who can rightfully be called one of the architects of blues-rock.  An electric guitarist who had few equals, Winter was signed to Columbia Records in 1969 to what is believed to have been the biggest deal for a solo artist at the time. Born in Beaumont, Texas, Winter and his younger brother, Edgar Winter, took to music at an early age.  By the time he was 10, Winter was already performing with a ukulele on local television.  When he was just 15, his band, Johnny and the Jammers, released their first single, “School Day Blues.”  He released his first album, The Progressive Blues Experiment, in 1968. That was followed by Johnny Winter, his first with Columbia Records.  The following year, he released Second Winter, which included several songs that would become staples of his live shows and would enjoy recurring airplay on rock (and then classic rock) and blues stations ever since.  Over the next 40 years, Winter released critical and fan-acclaimed albums for such labels as Columbia, MCA, Alligator, and Virgin.  As a producer, Winter was recognized with three Grammys for albums he produced for Muddy Waters.  In 2003, Rolling Stone named him #63 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.  According to Guitar Blues Scene, Johnny Winter was 70 when he passed away on July 16, 2014.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to David Plastik of eRockPhotos for the assist.

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