We pay our final respects to Lou Reed and many, many more that we lost in 2012.
BY FRED MILLS
I quote myself from last year: Having performed this annual ritual for years now, I’ve learned to take a quiet comfort in pulling together notes and combing the internet to learn names, dates, causes of death – and the artistic achievements that prompt us to memorialize the people in the first place. So as you scan down the list of those who did leave us this year, pause when you reach an artist who was particularly special to you, and meditate momentarily on why he or she was special. The list isn’t comprehensive, but it does dovetail into virtually every musical genre and discipline (it additionally includes a handful of non-musicians), and it touches equally upon the obscure and the well-known. For the sake of clarity, particularly if it’s a more obscure artist, in some instance we’ve added the affiliation/group or genre.
On a personal note, the loss of Lou Reed hit very, very hard, and it was by far the most frequently-cited 2013 death among the BLURT staffers and contributors, too. Perhaps no rock death in recent years has loomed so large.
And after you pay your own last respects, pledge to seek out those artists who are still with us and who are important to you, and let them know in some way how much you appreciate them. (Special thanks to the Rev. Keith Gordon, regular contributor and the man behind the About.com Blues blog, with whom I always consult on these matters.)
*BLURT’s farewell to music passings of 2012
*BLURT’s farewell to music passings of 2011
*BLURT’s farewell to music passings of 2010
*BLURT’s farewell to music passings of 2009
*BLURT’s farewell to music passings of 2008
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JANUARY 2013
1 Patti Page
12 Precious Bryant
17 Robert “Chicago Bob” Nelson
29 George Higgs (bluesman)
29 Butch Morris (jazzman)
30 Ann Rabson (Saffire – The Uppity Blues Women)
30 Patty Andrews (Andrews Sisters)
FEBRUARY
4 Donald Byrd
14 Tim Dog
16 Tony Sheridan
17 Mindy McCready
18 Kevin Ayers
21 Morris Holt, aka Magic Slim
21 Cleotha Staples (Staples Singers)
25 “Dangerous Dan” Toler (Gregg Allman Band, Dicky Betts Band)
MARCH
6 Alvin Lee (Ten Years After)
7 Peter Banks (Yes, Flash)
12 Clive Burr (Iron Maiden)
19 Harry Reems
27 Paul Williams (rock critic and Crawdaddy! founder)
28 Hugh McCracken
28 Robert Zildjian
30 Phil Ramone (producer)
APRIL
1 Johnnie “Mr. Johnnie” Billington (Mississippi bluesman)
4 Carmine Infantino
7 Les Blank
10 Jimmy Dawkins (bluesman)
11 Don Blackman (jazz-funk pianist)
13 Chi Cheng (Deftones)
15 Scott Miller (Game Theory, Loud Family)
21 Christina Amphlett (Divinyls)
22 Richie Havens
26 George Jones
MAY
2 Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
11 Ollie Mitchell (Wrecking Crew)
18 Zach Sobiech
20 Ray Manzarek
29 Mulgrew Miller (jazzman)
JUNE
2 Mandawuy Yunupingu (Yothu Yindi)
2 Mick Deth (Bleeding Through)
8 Arturo Vega (punk designer)
14 Tom Tall (rockabilly)
19 Chet Flippo (journalist)
19 Slim Whitman
21 Mary Love (soul singer)
23 Bobby “Blue” Bland
24 Alan Myers (DEVO)
JULY
1 John Riley Brown, aka “Texas Johnny Brown (bluesman)
16 James Carter Ford, aka “T-Model” Ford
20 Faye Hunter (Let’s Active)
25 Kongar-ol Ondar (Russian Tuvan throat singer)
26 JJ Cale
31 Alvis Wayne (rockabilly)
AUGUST
4 Tim Wright (Pere Ubu, DNA)
8 Cowboy Jack Clement
10 Eydie Gorme
10 Joy Payne (Willie Nelson)
13 Jon Brookes (Charlatans UK)
13 Tompall Glaser
14 Allen Lanier (Blue Oyster Cult)
18 Wes Dakus (rockabilly)
19 Cedar Walton
20 Marian McPartland (jazzwoman and NPR radio host)
SEPTEMBER
7 Fred Katz (jazzman)
11 Prince Jazzbo (reggae)
11 Mats Oosson
15 Jackie Lomax (songwriter, early Apple Records signee)
16 Mac Curtis (rockabilly pioneer)
18 Lindsay Cooper (Henry Cow, Comus)
24 Pat Fear, aka Bill Bartell (White Flag)
27 Oscar Castro-Neves (bossa-nova)
OCTOBER
8 Philip Chevron (The Pogues)
10 Cal Smith
12 Marc Trovillion (Lambchop)
15 Gloria Lynne
19 Noel Harrison
23 Gypie Mayo (Dr. Feelgood, Yardbirds)
26 Al Johnson
27 Lou Reed
30 Pete Haycock (Climax Blues Band)
30 Bobby Parker (bluesman)
NOVEMBER
6 Clyde Stacy
25 Chico Hamilton
25 Tony Brevett (The Melodians)
27 Aaron Moore (bluesman)
DECEMBER
2 Junior Murvin
5 Nelson Mandela
5 Andy Pierce (Nasty Idols)
7 Robert “Chick” Willis (bluesman)
10 Jim Hall (jazzman)
12 Tom Laughlin
16 Ray Price
19 Herb Geller (jazzman)
20 Eric “Guitar” Davis (bluesman)
20 Lord Infamous (Three 6 Mafia)
23 Ricky Lawson (R&B drummer)
23 Yusef Lateef (jazzman)
29 Benjamin Curtis (School of Seven Bells)