Died On This Date (June 4, 2014) Doc Neeson / Lead Singer Of The Angels (Angel City)
themusicsover Bernard “Doc” Neeson
January 4, 1947 – June 4, 2014
Doc Neeson was a singer who is best remembered as the front man of the legendary Australian pub rock band, the Angels (Angel City outside of Australia as to not be confused with the then-popular American glam-metal band, Angel). Born in Belfast, Ireland, Neeson moved with his family to Adelaide, Australia when he was 13. Before long, he found himself in the Moonshine Jug & String Band which morphed into the Angels in 1974. The band scored several hits throughout Australia and beyond, including “Let The Night Roll On,” “Take A Long Line,” “Dogs Are Talking,” and their biggest, “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again,” whose live performances prompted crowds everywhere to shout “No way, Get fucked, Fuck off,” when Neeson sang, “Am I ever gonna see your face again?” Although the exact origin of the chant remains unclear, it has become part of the Australian lexicon, so much so, that it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see a group of nuns participating. The band continued to record and play in front of ecstatic arena and stadium sized crowds over the next two decades. But in 1999, Neeson left the ban due to a back injury he suffered in a car accident. Known for his wild live performances, his doctors advised him against continuing or risk landing in a wheelchair. He ultimately reunited with the original members of the Angels in 2008 and have recorded and performed live ever since. In 2006, the band graced an Australian postage stamp, and in 2009, Neeson was included in the Irish Echo‘s list off the Top 100 Irish People in Australia of All Time. In January 2013, Neeson was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. Doc Neeson was 67 when the cancer took his life on June 4, 2014.
Thanks to Craig Rosen or Number 1 Albums for the assist.
What You Should Own
Neil Bogart is best remembered as co-founder of Casablanca Records, the one time home of such acts as KISS, Angel, Donna Summer, the Village People, Parliament and Cher. Casablanca was one of the labels closely associated with the rise of disco. In the late ’70s, Bogart founded Boardwalk Records which he hoped would be to new wave what Casablanca was to disco. Joan Jett was one of the flagship artists of the label. Bogart died of lymphoma at the age of 39.
Mickie Jones was the co-founder of and bassist for pioneering ’70s glam metal band, Angel. Formed with guitarist, Punky Meadows in in 1975, Angel would be the link between Bowie and heavy metal. It was Gene Simmons of Kiss who helped the band get signed to Casablanca Records, and in an ironic twist, the members of Angel chose to market themselves dressed in all white as sort of the “anti-Kiss.” The band’s slick pop metal and androgynous image helped pave the way for such ’80s hair bands as Poison, Warrant and Motley Crue. Even the band’s own keyboardist, Gregg Guiffria would go on to have ’80s metal hits of his own. Even though Angel released some of the most memorable hard rock albums of the ’70s, (IE: Helluva Band and On Earth As It Is In Heaven), they never reached much beyond a cult status. Outside of Angel, Jones played in BUX with Meadows and Joe Perry Project singer, Ralph Morman, and Empire with LA Guns drummer, Steve Riley. It has also been reported that Jones was once asked to join the New York Dolls. In recent years, he was working in the film industry. Mickie Jones died of liver cancer on September 5, 2009.
