Dick Kniss
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Dick Kniss was a self-taught musician who for more than 40 years played stand-up bass behind Peter, Paul and Mary, becoming a veritable fourth member of the folk-singing trio.
Kniss died on January 25, 2011 in Kingston, N.Y. He was 74.
Comments OffMark Reale
Filed under: Musicians — Tags: Mark Reale — admin @ 2:14 pm
Thundersteel
Born on June 7, 1955 in Brooklyn, New York.
Mark Reale was an American heavy metal guitarist best known for being the only constant original member in the band Riot.
On January 25, 2012, Reale died of complications related to Crohn’s disease. He was 56.
Comments OffJohnny Otis
Filed under: Musicians — Tags: Johnny Otis — admin @ 1:36 pm
Midnight at the Barrelhouse – The Johnny Otis Story Volume 1: 1945-57
Born on December 28, 1921 in Vallejo, California, U.S.
Johnny Otis was an American singer, musician, talent scout, disc jockey, composer, arranger, recording artist, record producer, vibraphonist, drummer, percussionist, bandleader, impresario and pastor. Born in Vallejo, California, he is commonly referred to as the “Godfather of Rhythm and Blues”.
Johnny Otis died on January 17, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. He was 90.
Comments OffJimmy Castor
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It’s Just Begun / Phase Two
Born on June 23, 1940 in New York City, New York.
Jimmy Castor was an American pop and funk musician. He is best known as a fun disco/funk saxophonist, with his biggest hit single being 1972’s million seller, “Troglodyte (Cave Man)”.
Castor died on January 16, 2012 (aged 71) in Henderson, Nevada.
Comments OffLarry Reinhardt
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Best of Iron Butterfly Evolution
Born on July 7, 1948 in Florida.
Larry Reinhardt was an American rock guitarist who played with Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond. At one time Reinhardt was known by the nicknames “El Rhino” and “Ryno”.
Reinhardt died on January 2, 2012, aged 63.
Comments OffBill Tapia
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Livin’ It Live
Born on January 1, 1908 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Bill Tapia was an American musician, born to Portuguese parents. At age 10, Tapia was already a professional musician, playing “Stars and Stripes Forever” for World War I troops in Hawaii. In his long career beginning in vaudeville and quickly expanding as a jazz guitarist and ukulele player he performed with names such as Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley and Hawaiian musicians such as King Bennie Nawahi, Sol Ho‘opi’i, and Andy Iona.
Bill Tapia died on December 2, 2011 (aged 103) in Los Angeles, California.
Comments OffGary Garcia
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Pac-Man Fever
Gary Garcia was a part of the Buckner & Garcia duo consisting of himself and Jerry Buckner from Akron, Ohio. Their first collaboration was in 1980, when they wrote a novelty Christmas song, “Merry Christmas in the NFL”, imagining Howard Cosell as Santa Claus. Performed under the pseudonym “Willis The Guard & Vigorish”, the song reached #82 on the Billboard charts despite limited airplay after Cosell found the song offensive. In 1981, the duo wrote a sentimental country song called “Footprints in the Sand,” performed by Edgel Groves. They also wrote the lyrics for extra verses of an extended version of the WKRP in Cincinnati theme song in 1982. However, the duo is best known for the song “Pac-Man Fever”, which became a large novelty hit in 1982, peaking at #9 in the United States.
Gary Garcia died at his home in Englewood, Florida on November 17, 2011 from undisclosed causes.
Comments OffMoogy Klingman
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Moogie
Born on September 7, 1950 in Great Neck, New York.
Mark “Moogy” Klingman was an American musician and songwriter. He was a founding member of Todd Rundgren’s musical team Utopia, and later became a solo recording artist, bandleader and songwriter. He released two solo recordings, and his songs have been covered by artists as wide ranging as Johnny Winter, Carly Simon, James Cotton, Thelma Houston, Eric Clapton, Barry Manilow and Guns N’ Roses. He played on stage with Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Luther Vandross, Jeff Beck and Allan Woody & Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule. Other than Rundgren, his longest musical association may have been with Bette Midler, serving as her band leader and who adopted as her signature song (You Gotta Have) Friends, composed by Klingman and William “Buzzy” Linhart.
Klingman died of bladder cancer, in New York on November 15, 2011, at the age of 61.
Comments OffBob Brunning
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Born on June 29, 1943 in England.
Bob Brunning was a British musician best known for his role as original bass guitar player with the blues rock band Fleetwood Mac. After his stint in Fleetwood Mac, he joined Savoy Brown before embarking on a career in teaching which lasted 30 years. He did not abandon music however, and played in the Brunning Sunflower Blues Band, Tramp, and later the DeLuxe Blues Band.In 1972 he played bass guitar on the 22nd Streatham Cub Scouts LP Songs for Your Enjoyment. The album featured folk songs as well as the Scout theme song “Kumbaya”.Brunning also authored many books. He has written several about Fleetwood Mac, the British blues scene, and music in general. His works about his former group include Behind The Masks, published in 1990, 1998’s Fleetwood Mac: The First 30 Years, and The Fleetwood Mac Story: Rumours and Lies.
Brunning died on October 18, 2011.
Comments OffChuck Ruff
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Born on May 25, 1951 in Reno, Nevada.
Chuck Ruff as an American rock drummer well known for his work with Edgar Winter on the popular instrumental “Frankenstein”. He played in the rock group Sawbuck with Ronnie Montrose and Bill Church from 1968–1970. Ruff and Montrose later joined Edgar Winter with Dan Hartman to form The Edgar Winter Group in 1972. It was with this band that he had his biggest successes: first with the album They Only Come Out at Night (1973), featuring “Frankenstein” which reached No. 1 in the U.S. in May 1973, and the top 15 single “Free Ride”, which reached No. 14 that same year. The album Shock Treatment, which featured the song “Easy Street”, was also successful. In 1977, Ruff joined Sammy Hagar and performed on the albums Street Machine (1979) and Danger Zone (1979), including the song “Bad Reputation” which is in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Chuck Ruff died in San Francisco, California on October 14, 2011 after a long illness.
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