Music History Events: Deaths
December 28, 2014 Singer Frankie Randall, who often played piano for the Rat Pack in the '60s and entertained in Frank Sinatra's home, dies of lung cancer at age 76.
December 22, 2014 Joe Cocker dies of lung cancer at age 70 at his home in Colorado.
December 18, 2014 Larry Henley (lead singer of the '60s pop group The Newbeats) dies at age 77 after suffering with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Co-wrote the 1989 hit "The Wind Beneath My Wings."
December 13, 2014 Raoul Cita (pianist, arranger for The Harptones) dies from liver and stomach cancer at age 86.
December 11, 2014 Country singer Dawn Sears (of The Time Jumpers) dies of lung cancer at age 53. She was a member of Vince Gill's road band and sang harmony on his 1992 album, I Still Believe In You.
December 9, 2014 Winfred "Blue" Lovett, an original member of The Manhattans, dies of cancer at age 74.
December 3, 2014 Ian McLagan (keyboardist for Small Faces, Faces) dies of a stroke at age 69.
December 3, 2014 Graeme Goodall, an Australian recording engineer and co-founder of Island Records, dies at age 82.
December 3, 2014 Sonny Bivins, leader of The Manhattans, dies at age 78.
December 2, 2014 Bobby Keys, whose saxophone can be heard on Rolling Stones tracks "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?" and "Tumbling Dice," dies at age 70.
November 23, 2014 Clive Palmer (of The Incredible String Band) dies at age 71.
November 18, 2014 Dave Appell, a session guitarist and arranger who produced hits for Tony Orlando & Dawn, dies at age 92.
November 17, 2014 Soul singer Jimmy Ruffin dies in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 78. His hits include "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" (1966) and "Hold On (To My Love)" (1980).
November 2, 2014 English clarinetist Acker Bilk, known for the 1962 instrumental hit "Stranger On The Shore," dies at age 85 after years of health issues that included throat cancer, bladder cancer, and a stroke.
October 25, 2014 Jack Bruce, bassist and founding member of Cream, dies at age 71.
October 23, 2014 English rocker Alvin Stardust dies at age 72 after a battle with prostate cancer.
October 23, 2014 Jeanne Black, known for the 1960 hit "He'll Have To Stay," dies two days before her 77th birthday.
October 19, 2014 Raphael Ravenscroft, who played the famous saxophone solo on "Baker Street," dies at age 60.
October 16, 2014 Tim Hauser (of The Criterions, The Manhattan Transfer) dies of a cardiac arrest at age 72.
October 5, 2014 Leonard Delaney (drummer for The Tornadoes) dies at age 71 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.
October 4, 2014 Paul Revere of Paul Revere & the Raiders dies at age 76.
October 2, 2014 Rita Coolidge's sister Priscilla Coolidge is found dead in her Thousand Oaks, California, home. She is the victim of a murder-suicide perpetrated by her husband, Michael Seibert. Priscilla, who was once married to Booker T. of Booker T. & the MG's, performed with her daughter - Laura Satterfield - and Rita in the Native American music trio Walela.
September 26, 2014 Mark Loomis (lead guitarist of The Chocolate Watchband) dies in Hawaii.
September 24, 2014 George Hilliard (of the Philadelphia soul group The Tymes) dies at age 73.
September 17, 2014 Country singer George Hamilton IV dies at age 77. A fixture on the country chart throughout the '60s and '70s, he hit #1 with "Abilene" in 1963.
September 12, 2014 Joe Sample (pianist of The Jazz Crusaders) dies of mesothelioma at age 75.
September 11, 2014 Songwriter Bob Crewe dies at age 83 in Scarborough, Maine, four years after suffering a brain injury from a fall. A prolific hit-maker, he was known for songs like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
September 11, 2014 Cosimo Matassa, who recorded Little Richard and Fats Domino at his New Orleans studio, dies at age 88.
September 5, 2014 Pop singer Simone Battle (of G.R.L.) dies of an apparent suicide in Los Angeles, California, at age 25.
August 31, 2014 Survivor lead singer Jimi Jamison dies from a heart attack aged 63.
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