And just like that, December blows in, all blustery and windy, predictably playing havoc with our lives, our schedules, our routines. It chases us indoors and gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect out our frosted windows on the detritus of leaves, branches, and tumbleweed holiday decorations stirred up by its winds.
Another year blowing away. Another year that has claimed so many of our beloved musical artists. As I reflect on, and recall, the lives lost in 2024, I couldn’t help being reminded of the big names, the headline-making names, that appeared far too many times in our news feeds. Names like Quincy Jones, the Chicago-born music industry titan (think musician, composer, arranger, producer) who passed away on November 2. And the multitalented Kris Kristofferson, who helped shake up the country music scene in the 1970s as one of the pioneers of Outlaw Rock. Kristofferson died on September 28 at his home in Maui. And two-time Tony winner Chita Rivera, a cultural icon and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Not to mention a record-setting 10-time Tony nominee. Rivera’s passing made headlines on January 30. And Liam Payne, formerly of One Direction, is still commanding headlines two months after his tragic death on October 16 in Argentina.
Amidst all of these high-profile headlines, the world mourned the passing of so many other artists. Though they may not have garnered front-page mentions, some of these noteworthy names helped define their genres and were musical icons in their own rights. For example, this year saw the passing of the last living original members of The Spinners, The Moody Blues, and Iron Butterfly. Henry Fambrough, who sang baritone for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Spinners passed away on February 7. He sang lead on such hits as “I Don’t Want to Lose You” and shared vocal duties with Dionne Warwick on the Spinners' "Just As Long As We Have Love". He was the only Spinners’ member to appear on all of their albums.
Another Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Mike Pinder, passed away on April 24. Pinder was the original keyboard player and co-founder of The Moody Blues, one of the most influential bands to hail from the English prog/psychedelic/symphonic rock scene in the 1960s. The Moody’s fomented so many sound-alikes in the sixties with their unique sound, and Pinder’s incorporation of the mellotron, organ, Moog synth, and even harpsichord helped cement their sound as a mainstay in the prog rock canon.
Doug Ingle, founder, keyboardist, and vocalist of Iron Butterfly passed on May 24. It's not too far fetched to classify Iron Butterfly as one of the early influencers of the hard and heavy rock scene brewing in Southern California. And with 30 million records sold, the epic album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida remains an impactful piece of work, backed by the 17-minute song of the same name. Ingle initially intended his song to be titled “In the Garden of Eden”, but a drunken misinterpretation by a bandmate gave us the humorous and fun to sing new title.
No musical genre was left unaffected this year. Steve Lawrence, half of the famed husband and wife duo Steve and Eydie, died on March 7. Lawrence began his musical career as the house singer of The Tonight Show with future wife Eydie Gormé. Before becoming an actor, he scored 5 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including the #1 hit "Go Away Little Girl" in 1962. He also enjoyed a storied career in many Broadway musicals, including Golden Rainbow, which yielded the classic tune “I’ve Gotta Be Me”.
Dicky Betts died on April 18. One of the founders of The Allman Brothers Band, he was a stalwart on guitar. Having to play with one of the all-time best guitarists, Duane Allman, Betts was up to the challenge. Allman once quoted that “I'm the famous guitar player, but Dickey is the good one.” His contributions to the Allman catalog are formidable, including “Ramblin' Man”, “Jessica”, and “Blue Sky”. The Allman Brothers family lost another alumni when former keyboard player Johnny Neel passed away on October 6. Though appearing on only one Allman Brothers album, Neel’s songs have been recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys, Travis Tritt, Delbert McClinton, and John Mayall, to name a few.
Speaking of John Mayall, his unfortunate passing on July 22 brought an end to an illustrious seven-decade career, most notably remembered as the driving force of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Known as the Godfather of British blues, the self-taught Mayall shepherded so many legendary musicians through the Bluesbreakers, including Eric Clapton, Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, Jack Bruce, Mick Taylor among others.
Six-time Grammy award winner David Sanborn died on May 12. He was a prolific recording artist who compiled 8 gold albums to go along with his Grammy wins. His illustrious career began as a sax player for The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, appearing with the band at the famed Woodstock festival in 1969. Leaving the band, he became a solo artist and a much sought out session player, appearing on such notable recordings as David Bowie’s Young Americans album and James Taylor’s version of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)”. He was a brief member of the Saturday Night Live Band and also appeared in Paul Shaffer's band on Late Night with David Letterman.
Grammy willer Sergio Mendes died from complications of long COVID on September 5. He was a Brazilian pianist who rose to fame in America playing with his band Brasil '66. Their breakout hit in the States was the Portuguese song "Mas que nada" which reached #47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and which he later re-recorded with the Black Eyed Peas in 2006. In 1983, he released the ballad “Never Gonna Let You Go” from his self-titled album and it peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. He earned an Oscar nomination for his song "Real in Rio", from the animated film Rio. At the time of his passing, he had released a whopping 35 albums.
Finally, in a year of founding members passing away, Grateful Dead co-founder Phil Lesh died on October 25. Trained on the violin and trumpet, with aspirations to be a composer, Lesh was called on to play bass in Jerry Garcia’s band the Warlocks. Having no experience with the instrument, he was free to develop his own unique style and experiment to develop his own sound. They ultimately changed their name to the Grateful Dead and became one of the biggest and most influential counter-culture jam bands in the world! Lesh’s legacy was cemented in the Grateful Dead, and he enjoyed continued success after the band disbanded, occasionally touring with former members of the band and in his own Phil Lesh and Friends, always promoting the Grateful Dead.
Though it is always sad to reflect on the lives that were lost throughout the year, it sometimes helps to lessen the pain and heartbreak by reflecting on these passings as celebrations of life. These artists’ musical legacies will continue to inspire and bring joy to their fans for years and decades to come.