As July slips out the door and the kids' (or should that be the teachers'?) hearts start palpitating with the summer holidays coming closer to an end, the return to school looming large in their sight, we reach out and grab the departing coat-tails of the month and remember those in the music community who have passed during this month down the years.
You know the drill by now, but the standard disclaimer applies: I have to pick the people who have died who contributed the most to music, or who I know of personally, so although sadly many many people passed away in July whose departure should perhaps be marked, I can't include every single death and so I ask your understanding and forebearance if I miss out someone you think should be noted. There's no malice intended, and no disrespect meant.
Also, in case anyone thinks that of those artistes I do feature, I'm shortchanging them by only writing, in most cases, a short piece, even if the artiste was very well-known and famous, then please understand that every month I have to trawl though hundreds (sadly) of deaths, select the ones I wish to feature, and find examples of their music, and still get the article posted in time for that month. So there is usually not enough time to write a deep, thoughtful profile of each artiste. This does not mean I don't afford them the respect they deserve, but it's all about deadlines.
As ever, thanks to
BITTER SUITE BAND: official website! for their excellent resource, which makes doing this every month not only easier, but possible.
Wilhelm Friedmann Bach (1710-1784)
Eldest son of Johanne Sebastian, and part of the hugely influential Bach dynasty that virtually dominated organ-orchestral classical music in the eighteenth century, Friedemann, as he was called, was forever trying to measure up to the huge figure of his famous father, and like many noted musicians he taught others who went on to become quite famous, including the great-aunt of the legendary Felix Mendelssohn. Despite being a renowned composer though he does not seem to have been able to keep his finances in order, and he died in poverty, though of what is not certain --- probably old age --- July 1 1784.
Wolfman Jack (1938-1995)
Until 1973 he was known only as Wolfman Jack, the most famous radio DJ in New York, his trademark wolf howl part of his charm and attraction. After the movie “American Grafitti” hit the screens it was revealed that his name was Robert Preston Smith. Even though the mystique surrounding him was gone, Wolfman Jack continued as a star, hosting a TV show and making appearance on eighty others. He died of a heart attack, July 1 1995.
Luther Vandross (1951-2005)
One of the most recognisable and loved voices in the soul scene, Luther had many hits and won eight Grammys for his music. He was known as one of the “smooth soul” singers, who along with the likes of George Benson popularised the form in the eighties and nineties. He died of a stroke following a heart attack, July 1 2005.
Mel Galley (1948-2008)
Guitarist who found his major fame with Whitesnake, Mel was involved in an accident which left his arm useless and necessitated his departing the band. Determined to play guitar again, he used a device called “The Claw”, a mechanical contraption which afforded the dead nerves in his arm some power and allowed him to return to playing music. He died of cancer, July 1 2008.
Brian Jones (1942-1969)
Founder and original lead guitarist with the Rolling Stones, Brian was a multi-instrumentalist and is known to have played at least fifteen different instruments, including, but not limited to, piano, organ, sitar, mellotron, xylophone, and of course guitar. He drowned in a swimming pool, though there is a school of thought that believes it was not an accident and that he was murdered, July 3 1969.
Jim Morrison (1943-1971)
One of the most iconic figures of the sixties, Jim Morrison lead the Doors to fame and glory, but his own self-destructive nature and contempt for authority led to his untimely death, mystery still surrounding it, July 3 1971.
Barry White (1944-2003)
One of
the most instantly recognisable voices in music, Barry made his name with steamy love songs like ”Can't get enough of your love” and ”My first, my last, my everything”, and often preceded the singing on his songs by talking in a deep bass voice considered to be very sexy, usually directed at the woman he was singing about --- basically, oral foreplay on a record. He became one of the few artistes to hit number one with an instrumental, when his backing band, the Love Unlimited Orchestra, reached the top with “Love's theme”, composed and arranged by him. He died of kidney failure, July 4 2003.
Allan Klein (1931-2009)
One of the “pitbulls” of the early record labels, Klein was responsible for representing such acts as Sam Cooke, Bobby Darin, The Animals, the Stones and the Beatles. When the Verve's “Bittersweet symphony” sampled the Stones' “This time”, he was influential and tenacious enough to ensure that it was Jagger and co. who got the credit for the Grammy it had been nominated for. He died from Alzheimer's Disease, July 4 2009.
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
One of the best known trumpet players of the jazz era, he also appeared on Broadway and in films. He had a huge hit with “What a wonderful world”, a timeless classic even today, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Eleven years later, the city of New Orleans, his hometown, renamed their international airport in his name. He died of a heart attack, July 6 1971.
Roy Rogers (1911-1998)
One of the original “singing cowboys”, Roy was born Leonard Slye, and found fame as originally a stand-in for Gene Autry, soon taking over the lead role in many musical westerns, where with his almost-as-famous horse Trigger he went on to make over 100 movies, later hosting a radio and then TV show that ran for a total of 22 years. He died of congestive heart failure, July 4 1998.
Syd Barret (1946-2006)
Founder and original member of Pink Floyd, Sid was the lyricist of the band and its frontman and lead guitarist until he departed in 1968 and was hospitalised, with mental illness being the rumoured reason. He never returned to the band he had created, and the remaining members, who would go on to world domination without him, never forgot him, writing the song “Wish you were here” in his memory. Syd's experimental work with guitars, which explored such ideas as feedback and dissonance, has reverberated down the decades, and influenced such major artistes as Bowie, Eno and Page. After a brief flirtation with solo projects, Syd retired from music and never went back. He died on July 7 2006, from complications with diabetes.
Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941)
Born Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, he rather grandly and arrogantly claimed to have invented jazz in 1902, though it is generally accepted that he was the first true jazz composer and arranger. He was certainly an influential figure in early jazz, and though his name sounds like he was very fat and ate jelly rolls (swiss rolls), it is apparently slang for certain, ahem, private parts! He died after complications following a badly-treated knife wound, eleven days after being stabbed, July 10 1941.
George Gershwin (1898-1937)
One of the best-loved and most accomplished and recognised popular film music composers of the last century, Gershwin is best known for his musicals like “Porgy and Bess”, “Funny face” and “Show girl”, with two of his biggest commercial hits being the classical-themed “Rhapsody in blue” and the eternal “Summertime”, which has been covered by more artistes than I can count. Literally. Almost
thirty thousand versions of it have been recorded, making it easily the most-covered song in modern music. Gershwin died following surgery to remove a brain tumour, July 11 1937. He was only 38 years old.
Paul Young (1947-2000)
Lead singer with Sad Cafe in the seventies before moving on to join Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford's solo project, Mike + the Mechanics, Young shared vocal duties with the other Paul in the band, Carrack, and can be heard singing on the hits “All I need is a miracle” and “Word of mouth”. He died of a heart attack, July 15 2000.
Kelly Johnson (1958-2007)
One of the most influential female figures in the emerging world of heavy metal music in the early eighties, Kelly fronted the all-female metal band Girlschool, who were leading lights in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and in fact one of the focusses of our fourth instalment of the article on that scene later on in the year. Kelly played lead guitar, sang and wrote the songs for the band, but left them in 1984 to head to LA. She returned for their reunion in 1993 and stayed with them, recording and touring until 1999, when she became too ill to continue. She then fought a six-year battle with cancer, which she lost July 15 2007.