Died On This Date (December 1, 2013) Richard Coughlan / Drummer For Caravan

Richard Coughlan
September 2, 1947 – December 1, 2013

richard-coughlanRichard Coughlan was an English drummer who spent almost his entire career as the drummer for influential Canterbury scene prog rock band, Caravan.  With a career that more or less started when he was 10 years old, Coughlan has been called one of rock’s longest tenured musicians.  After playing in different bands during his teens, Coughlan found himself playing for the Wilde Flowers, a Canterbury progressive rock band whose members eventually went on to form either Soft Machine, or in Coughlan’s case, Caravan, the genres two most influential bands.  Formed in 1968, Caravan became the first British act to sign to prestigious American label, Verve.  Over the next decade or so, the band built a loyal legion of fans thanks in part to their ability to blend jazz and psychedelic rock.  Also called art rock, Caravan’s sound can be credited for paving the way for the likes of Genesis, Roxy Music, David Bowie, and later, Muse and Radiohead.   Caravan remained active – with different members coming and going – with Coughlan remaining in the fold until he died following a fight with pneumonia on December 1, 2013.  He was 66.

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Died On This Date (April 18, 2013) Storm Thorgerson / Created Several Iconic Album Covers

Storm Thorgerson
February 28, 1944 – April 18, 2013

storm-thorgersonStorm Thorgerson was a renowned graphic artist whose catalog includes some of rock music’s most famous album covers. Born in Middlesex, England, Thorgerson went to high school with Syd Barrett and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame.  He eventually joined a graphic arts collective called Hipgnosis which created many popular album cover designs until closing shop in 1983.  He then went on to form his own design house, Storm Studios.  Arguably, Thorgerson’s most famous cover is the one he designed for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.  Often surreal in nature, his canon of work includes the covers of most of the Pink Floyd albums; the Cult‘s Electric; Led Zeppelin‘s Presence and In Through the Out Door; Peter Gabriel‘s three self-titled albums; as well as visually stunning covers for Muse, Phish, Megadeth, Catherine Wheel, Black Sabbath, the Cranberries, Genesis, Alan Parsons and many more.  Thorgerson also directed popular videos by the likes of Bruce Dickinson, Nik Kershaw, Paul Young, David Gilmour, and of course, Pink Floyd.  He suffered a stroke in 2003 but recovered and went back to work.  Sometime later, he was diagnosed with cancer and ultimately died from it on April 18, 2013.  Storm Thorgerson was 69 when he passed away.

Thanks to Bruce Kilgour at Slipped Disc Entertainment for the assist.

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Died On This Date (July 14, 2009) Michael Klenfner / Respected Music Industry Executive

Michael Klenfner
DOB Unknown – July 14, 2009

michaelMichael Kenfner was a long time record company executive that got his start working for Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic Records during the ’70s.  Throughout his career, he was instrumental in the successes of Laura Branigan, AC/DC, Genesis, Yes, Cher, and in particular, the Blues Brothers, with whom he appeared in the film of the same name.  Michael Klenfner died of congestive heart failure at the age of 62.


On This Date (July 7, 2008) Hugh Mendl / Influential Decca Producder

Hugh Mendl
August 6, 1919 – July 7, 2008

Hugh Mendl started his music career in the early ’40s when his grandfather, then chairman of Decca Records gave him his first job as a producer at the label.  He stayed there for some 40 years.  Over the years, the label followed Mendl’s great ear by signing such acts as Lonnie Donegan, the Moody Blues, Genesis, David Bowie and John Mayall.  One act that the label famously did ignore his pleas to sign was the Beatles.  Mendl eventually grew disillusioned with business and retired to become an antique dealer.  He passed away in 2008 at the age of 89.

Died On This Date (March 26, 2009) John Mayhew / Drummer For Genesis

John Mayhew
March 27, 1947 – March 26, 2009

John Mayhew was an English drummer who is best remembered as the third one in the progressive rock band, Genesis.  He joined the group in 1969, replacing John Silver.  He was then replaced by Phil Collins a year later.  During his short tenure, Mayhew played on Tresspass.   Not much is known about Mayhew’s post-Genesis life, many in fact, assumed he had died since rumors circulated that he had never claimed a royalty check.  He did resurface at a Genesis convention in 2006.  John Mayhew passed away on March 26, 2009.

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Trespass - Genesis