Obituary
R.I.P. Spencer Davis, “Gimme Some Lovin” Rocker Dies at 81
Spencer Davis, founding member and namesake of the UK rock band The Spencer Davis Group, has died at the age of 81. His agent, Bob Birk, confirmed to the BBC that Davis passed away in a California hospital on October 19th after suffering heart failure while being treated for pneumonia. Davis formed The Spencer Davis Group — originally called The Rhythm & Blues Quartet — after he saw brothers Steve and Muff Winwood performing at a local pub. He asked them to join a band with him, and eventually brought in drummer Pete York to complete the lineup. Though bearing his name, Davis wasn’t the singer of the group, as might be expected. Instead, it was a teenaged Steve Winwood providing vocals on The Spencer Davis Group’s biggest hits, such as “I’m a Man”, “Gimme Some Lovin”, and “Keep on...
Tony Lewis, Lead Singer of The Outfield, Dies at 62
Tony Lewis, lead singer of the 1980s power pop band The Outfield, died on Monday (Oct. 19) at age 62. According to a statement from a spokesperson, Lewis died “suddenly and unexpectedly” near London. At press time, no cause of death had been announced. The Outfield, fronted by bassist/singer Lewis, guitarist/keyboardist John Spinks and drummer Alan Jackman, first formed in the late 1970s as Sirius B and The Baseball Boys, before landing on another baseball-inspired name, a conceit the British trio continued on the title of their hit 1985 debut album, Play Deep; the multiplatinum debut reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200, spending 66 weeks on the chart. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with g...
Spencer Davis, ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ Guitarist, Dies at 81
Spencer Davis, the guitarist best known for his hits ubiquitous late-’60’s hits “I’m a Man” and “Gimme Some Lovin’” with his band the Spencer Davis Group, died in California at the age of 81, the BBC reports. According to his agent Bob Birk, Davis died in the hospital on Oct. 19 while being treated for pneumonia “He was a very good friend,” Birk told the BBC. “He was a highly ethical, very talented, good-hearted, extremely intelligent, generous man. He will be missed.” Born in Swansea, Wales, Davis’ first group, the Saints, featured future Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman. He also performed with Christine Perfect, who, using her married name of Christine McVie, went on to join Fleetwood Mac. The guitarist and multi-instrumentalist formed the Spencer Davis Group in Birmingham, U...
José Padilla, DJ Who Pioneered the Balearic Sound, Dies at 65
The celebrated Spanish DJ and producer traveled from his hometown Barcelona to Ibiza in 1975, where he would later settle in for his legendary Café Del Mar residency and forge a reputation as the godfather of chill-out music. Padilla’s sunset mixes spawned the popular Café del Mar compilation albums, which have sold more than six million copies around the globe, according to his reps. As a producer, Padilla cut remixes for Norah Jones, Chris Rea and others, he would take his tunes to clubs and parties around the globe, and he counted Madonna among his fans. His first artist album, 1998’s Souvenir, went on to earn a Latin Grammy nomination for best instrumental work. As his health deteriorated in recent months and the pandemic saw his income dry up, Padilla launched a GoFundMe. “My situatio...
Bob Biggs, Founder of Slash Records, Dies at 74
Originally distributed by Jem Records until it went bankrupt in 1981, Slash signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. in 1982. The Blasters, Violent Femmes, Los Lobos, Faith No More, L7, The Del Fuegos, and Failure were among bands whose records were distributed by the label. In 1987, Biggs talked to the Los Angeles Times about releasing records that he felt were essential. “I wouldn’t describe myself as a music fan and specific styles of music don’t interest me,” he said. “But I wouldn’t put out a record I didn’t find some merit in. I put out records I think are necessary and the challenge of getting a mass audience to agree they’re necessary is what’s fun for me.” John Doe, singer/songwriter, guitarist, bassist and co-founder of punk rock quartet X, which forme...
Doreen Montalvo Dead: Broadway and Television Actress Dies at 56
Most recently, Montalvo performed in the Broadway production of ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’ Doreen Montalvo, an actress who appeared on Broadway in In the Heights, died on Saturday after a sudden ailment, her manager Steve Maihack confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 56. He offered the following statement, “Doreen didn’t just light up the stage, she brightened the light in all of those around her. She was having quite the year with two films in the can and a new Broadway show…but she would be so happy to know she will live on through these projects and the outpouring of love from every corner of the business.” Montalvo’s additional Broadway credits include On Your Feet, while her off-Broadway and national tour credits include Giant...
R.I.P. Saint Dog, Founding Member of Kottonmouth Kings Dies at 44
Kottonmouth Kings founding member Steven Thompson, a.k.a. Saint Dog Kottonmouth Kings founding member Steven Thompson, a.k.a. Saint Dog, has died at the age of 44. TMZ reports that the Southern California rapper was found dead early Wednesday (October 14th) at a friend’s home in Victorville, California. Police found no obvious signs of foul play and are awaiting the results of an autopsy and toxicology report to determine his cause of death. A founding member of Kottonmouth Kings alongside D-Loc and Johnny Richter, Thompson appeared on the group’s first four releases, Stoners Reeking Havoc, Royal Highness, Stash Box, and Hidden Stash. He departed the Kings in 1999 to pursue a career with his brother. After guesting on 2012’s Mile High, Thompson rejoined Kottonmouth Kings in a full-tim...
R.I.P. Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men Co-Star Dies at 77
Conchata Ferrell, the veteran actress best known for her Emmy Award-nominated roles in Two and a Half Men and L.A. Law, has died at the age of 77. According to Deadline, Ferrell passed away Monday (October 12th) due to complications from a cardiac arrest. Ferrell portrayed Berta the Housekeeper on Two and a Half Men, appearing in a total of 212 episodes between 2003 and 2015. She was twice nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Support Actress — Comedy category. Prior to that, Ferrell received recognition for her recurring role as Attorney Susan Bloom on the sixth season of L.A. Law, which earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama. Ferrell’s other notable television credits included Good Times, E/R, Grace and Frankie, and Buffy the Vampi...
R.I.P. Johnny Nash, “I Can See Clearly Now” Singer Dead at 80
Johnny Nash, the American reggae and pop artist behind the hit song “I Can See Clearly Now”, has died at the age of 80. His son confirmed to CBS Los Angeles that Nash passed away at his home in Houston on Tuesday, but did not disclose a cause of death. Born in Houston in 1940, Nash was introduced to music early on in his life. As a child, he sang in the choir at Progressive New Hope Baptist Church, and later as a teenager, covered R&B hits on Matinee, a variety show that aired on local station KPRC-TV. At only 17 years old, Nash signed with ABC-Paramount and released his debut single, “A Teenager Sings the Blues”. His first official chart hit, however, came with his 1958 cover of Doris Day’s “A Very Special Love”. His 1965 single, “Let’s Move and Groove Together”, also saw success...
R.I.P. Eddie Van Halen, Legendary Guitarist of Van Halen Dead at 65
Van Halen co-founder and guitarist Eddie Van Halen has died following a long battle with throat cancer. He was 65 years old. According to TMZ, Van Halen passes away Tuesday (October 6th) at St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica, California. Edward Lodewjk Van Halen was born to Jan and Eugenia van Halen, on January 26th, 1955, in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The family, including elder brother Alex, moved to Pasadena, California, in 1962. With a father who played piano, saxophone, and clarinet, the brothers had the privilege of growing up in a musical household. He wasn’t shredding or even picking any guitars at first, though. Had things gone a different way, Van Halen might have become known for being a classical pianist. He and his brother took lessons from Stass Kalvitis, an older Russian instruc...
Eddie Van Halen, Rock Legend & Guitar Hero, Dies at 65
The flashy guitarist and bandleader had been the subject of near-death rumors for many years — some due to his documented substance abuse issues but most stemming from news of tongue cancer in 2000 — which caused doctors to remove a third of his tongue — though Van Halen was declared cancer free two years later. In recent months, however, reports stated that he was battling throat cancer and flying to Germany for specialized treatments — though rumors of his imminent demise seemed to be exaggerated. In recent months, after a protracted period out of sight that led to more rumors of ill-health, Van Halen made a determined attempt at a public profile. During October he was photographed at a McLaren auto dealership in Beverly Hills, Calif., and shortly after that he at...
Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Actor and Spike Lee Collaborator, Shot and Killed in Atlanta
Thomas Jefferson Byrd, a longtime collaborator of Spike Lee, was shot and killed in Atlanta on Saturday. The Georgia native appeared in eight of Lee’s films, beginning with 1995’s Clockers. He also had roles in Girl 6, Get On the Bus, He Got Game, Bamboozled, Red Hook Summer, Sweet Blood of Jesus, and Chi-Raq. Aside from his work with Lee, Byrd also appeared in such films as Antoine Fuqua’s Brooklyn’s Finest, Jamie Foxx’s Ray Charles biopic Ray, and F. Gary Gray’s Set It Off. In 2003, he received a Tony Award nomination for for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. In an Instagram post, Lee wrote, “I’m so sad to announce the tragic murder of our beloved brother Thomas Jefferson Byrd last night in Atlanta, Georgia. Tom is my guy.” He proceeded to sha...
