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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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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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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The Supremes

Barbara Martin (L)

Photo: GAB Archive/Redferns

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Barbara Martin, Original Singer For The Supremes, Dies At 76

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As a member of the legendary Motown group, she sang on the band's 1962 debut album, 'Meet The Supremes'
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Mar 6, 2020 - 10:56 am

Barbara Martin, best known for her work as one of the original singers in the legendary Motown group The Supremes, has died. She was 76. 

According to NME, Martin died earlier this week (March 4). While details surrounding the cause of her death have yet to be released, the group confirmed her passing yesterday (March 5) in a post shared on The Supremes' official Facebook page, writing, "Our hearts go out to Barbara's family and friends. Once a Supreme, always a Supreme."  Founding Supremes member Mary Wilson also confirmed Martin's death on Twitter.

Born in Detroit, Martin joined The Supremes in 1960, replacing founding member Betty McGlown, when the group was still known as the Primettes. One year later, the group, featuring the original lineup of Martin, Wilson, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, changed its name to The Supremes when they signed to the iconic Motown Records, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year.

While only an official member of the group for two years, Martin sang on multiple early Supremes singles. She shared lead vocal duties with Diana Ross on "(He's) Seventeen," featured on the band's 1962 debut album, Meet The Supremes. Although she contributed lead and background vocals on the album, Martin is not featured on the cover art. 

In 1962, Martin left The Supremes after she got pregnant. The group continued as a trio, filtering through numerous lineup changes throughout the years, and did not replace Martin.

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Marie Fredriksson - Roxette

Marie Fredriksson of Roxette performs in Spain in 2015

Photo: Jordi Vidal/Getty Images

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Marie Fredriksson, Singer For Roxette, Dies at 61

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The vocalist for one of Sweden's most successful acts was behind four chart-topping songs in the U.S. and multiple global hits
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Dec 10, 2019 - 3:50 pm

Marie Fredriksson, the singer for Swedish pop rock duo Roxette, died Dec. 9 following a 17-year-long battle with cancer. She was 61 years old.

Dimberg Jernberg Management, the management company that represents Roxette, confirmed the news of her death in a press release posted on the company's website, in addition to messages shared on the group's and Fredriksson's official Facebook pages.

"Marie leaves us a grand musical legacy," the press release states. "Her amazing voice – both strong and sensitive – and her magical live performances will be remembered by all of us who was [sic] lucky enough to witness them. But we also remember a wonderful person with a huge appetite for life, and woman with a very big heart who cared for everybody she met."

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Per Gessle, vocalist/guitarist and chief songwriter of Roxette, posted his condolences on his official Twitter page, writing, "I’m honoured to have met your talent+generosity. All my love goes to you+your family. Things will never be the same."

One of Sweden's most beloved and successful artists, Fredriksson formed Roxette alongside bandmate and good friend Gessle in 1986. Following Fredriksson's 1984 solo debut album, Het vind, the duo released their debut album, Pearls Of Passion, in 1986.

While their debut album was an immediate commercial success in their native Sweden, the group first gained international recognition via their second album, 1988's global multiplatinum full-length, Look Sharp! The album produced the international hits "The Look" and "Listen To Your Heart," both of which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.

Their 1987 hit, "It Must Have Been Love," became the duo's third Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper, while an edited version of the track was featured on the soundtrack of the 1990 film, "Pretty Woman." The group notched its fourth and final U.S. No. 1 hit in 1991 via "Joyride," the lead single and title track of their third album released that same year.

Born in 1958 in south Sweden, Fredriksson got her start in the local indie music scene in the late '70s. Her early projects included the punk group Strul, which was behind the successful independent music festival Strulfestivalen, and MaMas Barn, in addition to her work with other Swedish groups and as a solo artist. Fredriksson would go on to release 10 studio albums with Roxette and eight solo albums.

In 2002, Fredriksson was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in the back of her head. After a successful surgery to remove the tumor, she began to work, alongside her husband Mikael Bolyos, on what would become her 2004 album, The Change, which ultimately debuted at No. 1 in her home country of Sweden.

Following an eight-year hiatus due to Fredriksson's health, Roxette reunited in 2009, followed by regular tours as a duo starting in 2010. After the reunion, Fredriksson would go on to release three albums with Roxette—Charm School (2011), Travelling (2012) and Good Karma (2016)—and one final solo album via 2013's Nu!

In 2016, Fredriksson ceased touring to focus on her health at the advisement of her doctors.

Fredriksson is survived by her husband, Mikael Bolyos, and her two children, Josefin and Oscar.

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