Ralph MacDonald March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011
Ralph MacDonald was an in-demand percussionist and hit songwriter who could count two of the biggest R&B songs of the ’70s as his own. Growing up in a musical family in Harlem, New York, MacDonald first picked up the steelpan as a youngster. By the time he was 17, he had already played his first big gig at a local Harry Belafonte show. He continued on with Belafonte for the next ten years until parting ways in 1971. MacDonald soon became one of contemporary music’s most in-demand session players, performing on countless R&B, jazz and disco records. The list of those he recorded with includes George Benson, Paul Simon, Jimmy Buffett, Carole King, Average White Band, the Brothers Johnson, Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, and David Bowie. MacDonald also released several albums under his own name. His song, “Calypso Breakdown” can be heard on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. As a songwriter, MacDonald scored to massive c0-writing hits; “Where Is The Love,” the 1971 hit for Roberta Flack, and “Just The Two Of Us,” the Grammy-winning hit for Bill Withers in 1981. Ralph MacDonald was 67 when he died of lung cancer on December 8, 2011.
Nick Ashford was a respected songwriter, singer and producer, who with his wife Valerie Simpson made up one of popular music’s most successful hit-making teams. The pair got their start as songwriters during the mid ’60s when they penned such R&B staples as the 5th Dimension’s “California Soul,” Aretha Franklin’s “Cry Like A Baby,” and Ray Charles’ “Let’s Go Get Stoned” and “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” They quickly caught the eye of Motown’s Berry Gordy who hired them on to write songs for and produce many of the label’s acts. For Motown, Ashford and Simpson wrote such hits as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing,” and “Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” to name just a few. Beyond Motown, the list of artists who scored hits with their songs includes Teddy Pendergrass, Chaka Khan, and the Brothers Johnson. As performers, Ashford and Simpson were a formidable force as well. They began making records together during the mid ’60s, but it was the late ’70s and early ’80s that saw their biggest hits like “Solid,” “Street Corner, and “Don’t Cost You Nothin’.” In 1992, Whitney Houston had a huge hit with their “I’m Every Woman” from The Bodyguard soundtrack. The song had originally been recorded by Chaka Khan. 1985 saw Ashford and Simpson become one of Live-Aid’s most memorable if not emotional moments when the brought Teddy Pendergrass on stage for his first public performance since an automobile accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Their performance of “Reach Out And Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” that day struck a chord with viewers from the Philadelphia crowd to those watching on TV from around the world. The pair continued to perform and produce together and separately for many years to come while their songs continued to find new audiences, including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” which was prominently sampled for Amy Winehouse’s single, “Tears Dry On Their Own.” Nick Ashford passed away on August 22, 2011 following a courageous battle with throat cancer. He was 70.
With Clarence Clemons at the taping of “Diff’rent Strokes”
Clarence Clemons was the beloved saxophone player for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The “Big Man” in size, music and love, Clemons was arguably Springsteen’s equal in terms of fan appreciation night after night after night whenever the E Street Band rolled into town. He got his first saxophone as a Christmas present from his dad when he was just nine. But as he grew older, Clemons divided his attention between his music and football – he attended college on scholarships for both. He quickly caught the eye of the Cleveland Browns who offered him a try out, but just one day before he was supposed to show them what he could do, he was in a serious car accident which ruined any chance he might have had to play in the NFL. By then however, he was already working as a session player in and around New Jersey. “And then one night…” as Springsteen said so many times during his concerts, Clemons went to check out Springsteen at a club called The Student Prince. It was late 1971, and Clemons was on a break from a gig down the street. As Springsteen remembered it during his acceptance speech when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, “The night I met Clarence, he got up on stage (and) a sound came out of his horn that seemed to rattle the glasses behind the bar, and threatened to blow out the back wall. … But there was something else, something that happened when we stood side by side. Some energy, some unspoken story. … He always lifted me up. Way, way up. Together we told a story of the possibilities of friendship, a story older than the ones that I was writing, and a story I could never have told without him at my side. I want to thank you, Big Man, and I love you so much.” Clemons went on to be Springsteen’s side man for the better part of the next 40 years. His most notable performances can be heard such Springsteen classics as “Jungleland,” “Thunder Road,” “The Promised Land,” “Badlands,” and “Prove It All Night.” Outside of the E Street Band, Clemons released a handful of solo albums and made impressive contributions to recordings by the likes of Gary US Bonds, Aretha Franklin, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Ronnie Spector, Ian Hunter, and the Michael Stanley Band. In 2012, he guested on Lady Gaga’s chart-topping Born This Way album and performed with her on American Idol, his last public appearance. Along the way, Clemons dabbled in acting as well, guest starring in such programs and films as Diff’rent Strokes, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Human Target, and most recently, The Wire. On June 12, 2011, just 2-1/2 weeks after his appearance on American Idol, Clarence Clemons suffered what was reported to be a serious stroke, and six days later he died as a result. He was 69. Longtime E Street Band mate Danny Federici died of melanoma in 2008.
Bruce Springsteen’s official comment: “It is with overwhelming sadness that we inform our friends and fans that at 7:00 tonight, Saturday, June 18, our beloved friend and bandmate, Clarence Clemons passed away. The cause was complications from his stroke of last Sunday, June 12th. Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band.”
Known primarily as a bop pianist, Ray Bryant was also recognized for his ability to bring elements of Gospel, blues, and boogie-woogie into his style. Launching his career in the late ’40s, Bryant soon found himself in the house band at The Blue Note in Philadelphia. Before long he was playing with the likes of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, and later, Aretha Franklin. He eventually settled in New York City where he formed his own trio with whom he recorded several jazz hits. Ray Bryant was 79 when he passed away on June 2, 2011.
Cornell Dupree was a respected jazz and R&B guitarist who, over the course of his career, played on records by the likes of Aretha Franklin,Miles Davis, Joe Cocker, and Brook Benton. In his early years, Dupree could be found playing in the legendary Atlantic Records house band. He was also a founding member of the much respected jazz funk combo, Stuff. Besides those listed above, Dupree also recorded with such greats as Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett. Additionally, Dupree released several of his own albums, his most popular being 1994’s Bop ‘n’ Blues. Cornell Dupree had been suffering from emphysema and had been waiting for a lung transplant when he passed away on May 8, 2011. He was 68.
themusicsover 
Ralph MacDonald was an in-demand percussionist and hit songwriter who could count two of the biggest R&B songs of the ’70s as his own. Growing up in a musical family in Harlem, New York, MacDonald first picked up the steelpan as a youngster. By the time he was 17, he had already played his first big gig at a local Harry Belafonte show. He continued on with Belafonte for the next ten years until parting ways in 1971. MacDonald soon became one of contemporary music’s most in-demand session players, performing on countless R&B, jazz and disco records. The list of those he recorded with includes George Benson, Paul Simon, Jimmy Buffett, Carole King, Average White Band, the Brothers Johnson, Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, and David Bowie. MacDonald also released several albums under his own name. His song, “Calypso Breakdown” can be heard on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. As a songwriter, MacDonald scored to massive c0-writing hits; “Where Is The Love,” the 1971 hit for Roberta Flack, and “Just The Two Of Us,” the Grammy-winning hit for Bill Withers in 1981. Ralph MacDonald was 67 when he died of lung cancer on December 8, 2011.
Known primarily as a bop pianist, Ray Bryant was also recognized for his ability to bring elements of Gospel, blues, and boogie-woogie into his style. Launching his career in the late ’40s, Bryant soon found himself in the house band at The Blue Note in Philadelphia. Before long he was playing with the likes of 
Cornell Dupree was a respected jazz and R&B guitarist who, over the course of his career, played on records by the likes of Aretha Franklin,