Died On This Date (June 4, 1997) Ronnie Lane / The Small Faces

Ronnie Lane
April 1, 1946 – June 4, 1997

Photo by Craig Petty

Ronnie Lane was born in the east end of London, and from an early age, he wanted to be a musician. Meeting drummer Kenney Jones at 16, Lane formed his first band, the Outkasts with him initially on guitar, but quickly switching to bass. Lane soon met Steve Marriott and together with Jones and Jimmy Winston, they formed the Small Faces in 1965. In 1972, Lane broke from the Small Faces to embark on a solo career. During that time, he hooked up with Pete Townsend to record an album called Rough Mix that was released in 1977. It was during the Rough Mix sessions that Lane discovered he was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, which barely slowed him down for a bit as he continued to tour and record. In fact he spent most of those days as a gypsy minstrel, traveling the highways of England playing acoustically along the way. In 1983, Lane’s then girlfriend, Boo Oldfield helped arrange an MS benefit concert (A.R.M.S Concert) that featured performances by Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Jones and Andy Fairweather-Low. Joe Cocker and Paul Rodgers were added to a US tour. Suffering from the effects of MS, Lane moved to the better climate of Austin TX, where he continued to work with the likes of Alejandro Escovedo. Since he wasn’t earning royalties from his days with the Small Faces, friends like Jimmy Page and Rod Stewart generously helped with the medical bills. Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan were able to arrange Small Faces royalty payments to Lane, before he died of pneumonia as a result of the MS on June 4, 1997.

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Died On This Date (April 23, 1991) Johnny Thunders / New York Dolls

Johnny Thunders (Born John Genzale Jr.)
July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991

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Born in Queens, NY, Johnny Thunders formed his first band while in high school.  At the time, he went by the name Johnny Volume, and that band was Johnny and the Jaywalkers.   By the late ’60s he was hanging out down around Bleeker Street where he hooked up with Arthur “Killer” Kane and Billy Murcia.  Their first band together was called Actress, but when David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain came on board a couple of years later, the name was changed to New York Dolls, Johnny Volume became Johnny Thunders, and the rest is history.  The Dolls released two albums that were virtually ignored by the public (including most of those that now claim to have been fans back in the day…you know, just like the Ramones).  By 1975, the band had broken up, but they would continue to strongly influence bands like the Sex Pistols and Guns ‘n Roses, and whatever crawled out of the gutter in between.  Thunders went on to form the Heartbreakers with former Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan and Richard Hell.  They recorded on and off until 1984, at one point moving to London where they were very popular with the up-and-coming punk bands.  Thunders also recorded a few solo albums during this time, including the awesome So Alone, which featured a stellar cast of allegedly drug-fueled guests including Phil Lynott, Steve Marriott, Paul Cook, Steve Jones, and Chrissie Hynde.  The album featured the beautifully sad and perhaps autobiographical  “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory.”  All the while, Thunders himself was falling deeper into the clutches of heroin abuse.  In 1991, while in New Orleans, Johnny Thunders was found dead in his hotel room.  Although the cause of death was never stated in the autopsy, it was widely assumed that he died of a methadone abuse.  Not without controversy, others have sworn that foul play was involved, pointing to strong evidence that he was killed perhaps by drug dealers who were after his large stash of methadone.  It was also reported that the autopsy revealed he was suffering from advanced stages of leukemia.  Whatever the case,  local police never bothered to open a criminal investigation.

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Died On This Date (April 20, 1991) Steve Marriott / Small Faces, Humble Pie

Steve Marriott
January 30, 1947 – April 20, 1991

Steve Marriott is best known for his aggressive guitar playing in the Small Faces and later, Humble Pie. Growing up, his parents encouraged him to act in live theater, and at the age of 13 he auditioned for and was cast in the role of the Artful Dodger in the London cast of Oliver.  Following his successful run, his parents enrolled him in a prestigious acting school which led to numerous parts in British films, TV and radio. But Marriott’s first love was always music, and in 1965, he was fronting the Small Faces with Kenney Jones, Ronnie Lane and Jimmy Winston (replaced by Ian McLagan). The Small Faces quickly became a hit in the UK, even being noted as a major influence in the formation of Led Zeppelin. By the late ’60s, when the band should have been basking in the success of a number one album, they were growing more and more unhappy with each other. Marriott was suggesting the band bring on a new singer by the name of Peter Frampton, but the others balked at the idea. Marriott soon left the band and joined up with Frampton in Humble Pie. As the ’70s dawned, they were touring the US to a growing legion of fans, and with the release of Performance: Rockin’ The Fillmore they were bona fied rock stars. By now, Marriott was suffering from substance abuse and reportedly showing signs of schizophrenia. The heavy drug use within the band no doubt contributed to its demise in 1975.   In the late ‘7os, Marriott started making noise about his belief that former manager, Dee Anthony was secretly pocketing large amounts of Humble Pie money in order to promote Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive.  It has been alleged that Marriott and his wife were called to New York’s Little Italy to discuss the matter.  John Gotti and other members of the Gambino family were said to have been in the meeting.  He was apparently told once and for all that he would be getting no money.  Throughout the late ’70s and ’80s, Marriott continued to forge on despite financial and personal struggles, playing in no fewer than five bands. But nothing seemed to click. In the early morning of April 20, 1991, after a night of apparent indulging, Steve Marriott was found dead of smoke inhalation from a fire in his home that was presumed to have started by a lit cigarette in his bed.

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