Peter Tork

Peter Tork

Photo: Paul Warner/Getty Images

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Peter Tork Of The Monkees Dies At 77

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Tork was known for his musicianship and comedic presence in the '60s television sensation group
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Feb 21, 2019 - 3:51 pm

Peter Tork, multi-insturmentalist and actor most famous for his work '60s television musical sensation the Monkees has died. He was 77.

“There are no words right now… heartbroken over the loss of my Monkee brother, Peter Tork,” bandmate Mickey Dolenz tweeted.

Prior to the explosion of popularity the Monkees experienced during their brief but impactful initial run from 1966 to 1971, Tork was part of New York's Greenwich Village folk scene in the early '60s.

“To be in Greenwich Village in the ’60s was pure joy; to be young was pure bliss,” Tork once told UK Music Reviews. “When I talk about having a well favored life, I went from Greenwich Village almost directly into The Monkees. … I had first heard about the Monkees in the early summer of 1965 from a good friend of mine, one Mr. Stephen Stills.”

After Stills introduced him to his future group, they went on to become a national craze on their way to earning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy and four GRAMMY nominations, two each for their enduring hits"Last Train To Clarksville" and "I'm A Believer." Tork was a man of many talents, playing several instruments in the band as well as contributing vocals and his unique and endearing brand of comedy.

"Peter Tork died this a.m.," wrote bandmate Michael Nesmith. "I am told he slipped away peacefully. Yet, as I write this my tears are awash, and my heart is broken. Even though I am clinging to the idea that we all continue, the pain that attends these passings has no cure. It’s going to be a rough day. I share with all Monkees fans this change, this 'loss,' even so. PT will be a part of me forever."

Dolenz, Nesmith, and Tork reunited for a U.S. tour in 2012, following their fellow Monkee Davy Jones' death. The shows marked their first live performances together in 15 years.

While no cause of death has been revealed, Tork was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer a decade ago. His legacy will live on in the music, fans and friends he made during his life.

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GRAMMYs

Yonrico Scott

Photo: Michael Buckner/WireImage

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Yonrico Scott, GRAMMY-Winning Drummer, Dies At 63

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Best known for his work with the Derek Trucks Band, Scott also played with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and many more during his illustrious career
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Sep 20, 2019 - 1:39 pm

GRAMMY-winning drummer, percussionist, visual artist and educator Yonrico Scott has died. Scott's record label, Blue Canoe Records, confirmed the sad news of his passing early Friday morning. He was 63 years old.

A prolific and accomplished musician and dedicated member of the music community, Scott was best known as the drummer for the Derek Trucks Band, with whom he won the GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album for 2009's Already Free.

Born in Detroit, Scott was drumming professionally by age 7 and studied under Motown drummer George Hamilton. During the course of his career as a highly sought-after studio and live drummer, Scott also played with a staggering amount of musical greats, including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Chuck Berry and many more. Scott also toured the world with Royal Southern Brotherhood and, as a band leader, released seveal albums of his own.

Scott was also active in the music community as a longtime member and supporter of the Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter. He will be remembered for the music he made and the lives he touched.

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James Ingram

James Ingram

Photo: Gabriel Olsen/FilmMagic

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James Ingram, Soulful R&B Singer And Hit Songwriter, Dies At 66

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Ingram was known for his chart-topping hits, extensive soundtrack work, and co-writing achievements with some of music's biggest stars
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jan 29, 2019 - 4:52 pm

Two-time GRAMMY winner and 14-time nominee James Ingram, who enjoyed great success through the 1980s and '90s, has died. He was 66 years old.  

A chart-topping R&B singer and songwriter, Ingram landed his first No. 1 hit in 1982 with "Baby, Come To Me," a duet with Patti Austin. He earned two GRAMMY Awards later in that same decade, winning Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male for "One Hundred Ways" and Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for "Yah Mo B There," a duet with Michael McDonald. Ingram also returned to the top of the charts in 1990 with his hit "I Don't Have The Heart."

James Ingram Wins Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male

As a songwriter, he collected several hits with an impressive roster of artists including Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters, among others. He notably co-wrote Jackson's "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" with Quincy Jones and worked with Jackson and Jones on the "We Are The World" all-star charity video and single.

He was also well-known for his soundtrack work, including a duet with Linda Ronstadt on "Somewhere Out There" for the 1986 animated film An American Trail, which earned the song's writers, James Horner and Cynthia Weil, the GRAMMY for Song Of the Year.

 

Ingram also scored Oscar nominations for Best Original Song twice for his theme songs from Beethoven's 2nd and Junior. In 2008, Ingram released what would be his final album, Stand (In The Light), which was co-produced by Jones.

"Ingram's rich voice and masterful songwriting has made a lasting impact on the music industry," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "Our thoughts go out to his loved ones during this difficult time."

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GRAMMYs

Paul Barrere

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Paul Barrere, Little Feat Guitarist & Songwriter, Dies At 71

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Starting with 1973's seminal album 'Dixie Chicken,' Barrere's funky guitar playing helped shape the band's unmistakable groove
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 28, 2019 - 4:48 pm

Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere died on Oct. 26 due to complications of medical issues. The band announced the sad news on their website, sending well wishes to his surviving family and to his many fans, who were "his extending family." He was 71 years old.

Barrere attending high school with Little Feat founder Lowell George, and even auditioned for the band on bass in 1969. Three years later, he'd join on guitar, and his first recording with the band was their seminal 1973 album, Dixie Chicken. In all, he played in Little Feat for 47 years and influenced countless artists and guitarists in the worlds of rock and jam music over the last five decades.

As a songwriter, Barrere also made significant contributions to the band, writing or co-writing a number of songs including “All That You Dream,” “Old Folks Boogie,” “Time Loves A Hero” and “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now.”

Barrere and Little Feat were nominated for the GRAMMY for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for "Let It Roll" at the 31st GRAMMY Awards in 1988. Outside of Little Feat, Barrere also recorded with artists such as Taj Mahal, Jack Bruce and Carly Simon. 

In 1994, Barrere was diagnosed with Hepetits C, and in 2015 he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He was forced to miss Little Feat's 50th Anniversary tour this summer, which landed in Huntington, N.Y., on the evening of his death, where the band payed tribute to their longtime bandmate.

"As the song he sang so many times put it, he was always “Willin’,' but it was not meant to be," his bandmates wrote. "Paul, sail on to the next place in your journey with our abiding love for a life always dedicated to the muse and the music.  We are grateful for the time we have shared."

Fellow guitar greats such as Warren Haynes and Bonnie Raitt reacted to the sad news and paid tribute to Barrere on social media. Barrere leaves a lasting legacy in the music world in the music he made, the musicians he influenced and the lives he touched.

GRAMMY-Winning Producer & Engineer Ed Cherney Dies At 69

 

 

 

GRAMMYs

Kim Shattuck

Photo: Jim Dyson/Redferns/Getty Image

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Kim Shattuck, Singer/Songwriter & Co-Founder Of The Muffs, Dies At 56

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As a member of the Muffs, The Pandoras, The Coolies and Pixies, Shattuck was an influential figure in punk-rock and alternative music
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Oct 3, 2019 - 10:58 am

Singer/songeriter and guitarist Kim Shattuck passed away Wednesday after a two-year battle with ALS disease (Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). Over the past three decades, Shattuck made waves in the punk and indie rock scenes as co-founder of the Muffs and a member of the Pandoras, The Coolies and Pixies. Shattuck was 56.

"Besides being a brilliant songwriter, rocking guitarist and singer/screamer extrordinaire, Kim was a true force of nature," Roy McDonald & Ronnie Barnett of The Muffs said in a statement. "While battling ALS, Kim produced our last album, overseeing every part of the record from tracking to artwork. She was our best friend and playing her songs was an honor. Goodbye Kimba. We love you more than we could ever say." 

Heavily influenced by the Beatles, the Kinks and the Bangles' Sussanah Huff, Shattuck arrived on the L.A. punk scene as part of the Pandoras in the late '80s. She went on to fully realized her dreams and influences when she co-founded the Muffs, who released their self-titled debut in 1993, crafting powerful and catchy songs and delivering them with edge and earnesty that made her an underground indie icon. 

A prolific and unstoppable musical force, Shattuck also briefly joined Pixies, formed the supergroup The Beards, collaborated with White Flag, Bowling For Soup and NoFX, and even started a new group recenlty, The Coolies, who released a brand-new EP earlier this year called Uh Oh! It's... The Coolies.

The Muffs final album, No Holiday, is due out Oct. 18 on Omnivore Records. The label also issued a statement on Shattuck's remarkable life and tragic death. 

"All of us at Omnivore Recordings are devastated by the loss of our friend Kim Shattuck of The Muffs," the statement reads. "We’re thinking about all her friends and fans, especially her family and bandmates. Her creative fire will endure and inspire artists of tomorrow. We’re so grateful to have been in the audience and to have played a small part in getting more of her music out into the world." 

Legendary Opera Singer Jessye Norman Dies At 74