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The Recording Academy Remembers The Music People We've Lost | GRAMMY In Memoriam (2021 – 2022)
Take a moment to reflect and salute the members of the music community who we lost
The following is a list of artists and industry professionals the music community lost from January 2021 – March 15 2022.
The 2022 GRAMMYs telecast on CBS featured an In Memoriam segment highlighting some of these individuals via a video tribute, and all of these individuals who died prior to its print date are included in the official 2022 GRAMMYs program book.
The Recording Academy salutes each individual for their respective talents and contributions to our culture and community.
"General" Jeff Page
"John Miles" Errington
"Mark Keds" Myers
"Meor" Yusof Aziddin Meor Hassan
"Nobuo Hara" Tsukahara
"Raffaella Carrà" Pelloni
Abdel Karim al Kabli
Abhijit Bandyopadhyay
Adalberto Álvarez
Adolph "Young Dolph" Robert Thorton Jr.
Agustin Gurza
Aki Rahimovski
Al Schlesinger
Al Schmitt
Alain Bancquart
Alan Hawkshaw
Alan Jesperson
Alan Lancaster
Alberto Ciurana
Aleksandr Khrabunov
Alemayehu Eshete
Alex DePue
Alexander Gradsky
Alexander Hamilton
Alexi Laiho
Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis
Alfredo Diez Nieto
Alicia "Lisa" Lee
Alix Dobkin
Allan Slaight
Allan Stephenson
Alleppey Ranganath
Allin Grigoryevich Vlasenko
Alto Reed
Álvaro Manzano
Alvin "Seeco" Patterson
Alvin Lucier
Alvin Speights
Amanda Holden
Amarendra Mohanty
Ana Bejerano
Andre Petersen
Andrea Martin
Andrea Meyer
Andrew "Drew" Alexander
Andrew Barker
Andy Ross
Andy Warpigs
Andy Williams
Angela Kukawski
Anita Lane
Anthony "Muffman" Williams
Antonietta Stella
Anzor Erkomaishvili
Apostolos "Tolis" Voskopoulos
Aria Baron
Armando Gama
Arnold "Arnie" Pustilnik
Art Stewart
Arthur E. "Juini" Booth
Arthur Grigoryan
Arthur Pomposello
Arvil Freeman
Astroworld 2021
Aurelio De La Vega
B.B. Dickerson
B.J. Thomas
Badal Roy
Bappi Lahiri
Barbara Ess
Baron Browne
Barry Harris
Barry Ryan
Beatrice Bowles
Beldina "Heir of the Cursed" Odenyo Onassis
Belinda Sykes
Benjamin Vallé
Bennie Pete
Bernard Haitink
Betty Davis
Betty White
Beverly Noga
Beverly Ross
Bezbaruah
Bhaskar Menon
Bichu Thirumala
Big John Harte
Bill Harkin
Bill Holden
Bill Mollman
Bill Owens
Bill Runkle
Bill Staines
Billa O'Connell
Billie Hayes
Billy Conway
Billy Hinsche
Bjorn Thorsrud
Blake Mevis
Bob Moore
Bob Saget
Bobbe "Beegie" Long Adair
Brian Dunning
Brian Rohan
Brian Travers
Bruce Conte
Bruce Gaston
Bruce Greig
Bruce Hawes
Bryan St. Pere
Buddy Deppenschmidt
Burke Shelley
Burton Greene
Busker Meor
Byron Berline
Calvin Simon
Carl "Chucky" Thompson Jr.
Carl Bean
Carleton Carpenter
Carlisle Floyd
Carlos do Carmo
Carlos Marin
Carmel Quinn
Carmela Corren
Carmen Balthrop
Carol Easton
Carol Fran
Cathy Favaro-Maimone
Charles "Chuck E." Weiss
Charles "is-City" Gatt
Charles Criss
Charlie Black
Charlie Davis
Charlie McCardell
Charlie Watts
Chi Modu
Chris "The Bear" Hutka
Chris "X'Ho" Ho
Chris Scicluna
Christa Ludwig
Christine Nofchissey McHorse
Claire dela Fuente
Clarence "Mac" McDonald
Claude Bolling
Cleve Hall
Clifford Grant
Clive "Zanda" Alexander
Concha Márquez Piquer
Connie Bradley
Conrad Janis
Constance Demby
Corey "Chucky Trill" Detiege
Courtney Granger
Curtis Fuller
C.W. McCall
Dale Clevenger
Dale Knippers
Dallas Frazier
Dallas Good
Damodar Hota
Dan Einstein
Daniel "Dan" Sartain
Darrell "Drakeo the Ruler" Caldwell
Dashawn "Lil Loaded" Robertson
David "Dave" Frishberg
David "Jay Black" Blatt
David Cutler Lewis
David Darling
David Edwards
David Lasley
David Longdon
David Romano
David Surette
Dearon "Deezer D" Thompson
Debby King
Dee Pop
Dell Furano
Denis O'Brien
Dennis "Denny" Nowak
Dennis Payne
Dennis Thomas
Denroy Morgan
Dev Tharikewala
Dewayne Blackwell
Diane Martin
Dick Halligan
Dick Odette
Diego Verdaguer
Dimitri "Dee Pop" Papadopoulos
Djivan Gasparyan
Dmitri Bashkirov
Don Dilling
Don Everly
Don Heffington
Don Maddox
Don Wilson
Donald "Don" Marquis
Donald Dowdy
Donny Gerrard
Doris "Rose Lee" Maphis
Dorothy "Dottie" Dodgion
Doug Eyink
Douglas "Doug" Parkinson
Douglas Grigsby
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Drew Alexander
Earl "DMX" Simmons
Earl "JT" Gray
Earl Swavey
Ed Asner
Ed Bruce
Eddie "Ed" Asner
Eddie Basinski
Edita Gruberová
Edmund "Ed" Ward
Eleonore "Lorli" von Trapp Campbell
Ellen McIlwaine
Elliot Lawrence Broza
Elza Soares
Emani "Emani 22" Johnson
Emil Ramsauer
Emmaretta Marks
Emmett Chapman
Enrique "Pil Trafa" Chalar
Enriqueta "La Prieta Linda" Jiménez
Eric Wagner
Ernie Andrews
Esther Béjarano
Ethel Gabriel
Eugene "Gene" Smith
Eugene Wright
Eulalio "Sax" Cervantes Galarza
Eulis Cathey
Everett Lee
Everett Morton
Fanny Waterman
Farhad Humayun
Farid Ahmed Hazra
Flavio Etcheto
Francis Jackson
Francis Stueber
Francisco Kröpfl
Franco "Süphan Barzani" Battiato
Franco Cerri
Franz Streitwieser
Fred Geiger
Fred Johnson
Fred Parris
Freddie Combs
Freddie Redd
Frederic Rzewski
Fredrik Johansson
Gared O'Donnell
Gary "Chicken" Hirsh
Gary Brooker
Gary Corbett
Gary Edwards
Gary Leib
Gary Scruggs
Gene Rumsey
General Defao
General Jeff Page
Genival "Cassiano" dos Santos
Geoffrey Stephens
Georg Alexander Albrecht
George "Commander Cody" Frayne
George "Gay" McIntyre
George Crumb
George Frayne
George Horn
George Mraz
George Wein
George Winn
Georgie Dann
Gerald "Jerry" Granelli
Gerry Marsden
Gianluca Floris
Gil Wechsler
Gilberto Grácio
Glen Peart
Glenn Douglas Tubb
Glenn Wheatley
Gloria Montes
Graeme Edge
Graham Vick
Greg Gilbert
Greg Tate
Greg Webster
Gregory "Greg" Tate
Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs
Griselda Jiménez
Guilia Lorimer
Gurmeet Bawa
Habeeb "Obama DMW" Uthman
Haja El Hamdaouia
Hans Neuenfels
Hans-Erik "Hank von Hell" Husby
Hargus Robbins
Harpdog Brown
Harry Colomby
Harry Coombs
Harvey Louis Krantz
Hayk "Hayko" Hakobyan
Heber Bartolome
Héctor "Perro" Emaides
Henry Goldrich
Henry Stephen
Heo Cham
Hillel Resner
Howard "KingFish" Franklin Jr.
Howard Alexander Dumble
Howard Grimes
Howard Johnson
Howard Wales
Howard Weitzman
Hugh X. Lewis
Ian "Napolian" Evans
Ian Alexander jr.
Ian McDonald
Ian Worang
Ibrahim Ashk
Igor Oistrakh
Ike Stubblefield
Inge Ginsberg
Ivan Tasovac
Ivor "Nick" Kamen
Iwan Edwards
J.D. Crowe
Jaakko Kuusisto
Jack Bradley
Jacob "Jake" Abrams Jr.
Jacob Desvarieux
Jagjit Kaur
Jamal Edwards
Jameon "Ketchy the Great" Davis
James "Jamie" O'Hara
James "Jim" Maher
James "Jim" Pembroke
James "Jim" Steinman
James "Jimmy" Cox
James "Koz" Kozlowski
James Dee "J.D." Crowe
James Easter
James Leary
James Levine
James Maraniss
James Mtume
Jamie O'Hara
Jamillah "JAM" Muhammad
Jan Welmers
Jane "Nightbirde" Marczewski
Janet Mead
Janice Wendell
János "Mecky" Kóbor
Jason "Rowdy" Cope
Jason Moore
Javunte "Squeak" Wheeler
Jay Jacobs
Jay Jay Phillips
Jay Weaver
Jayananda Lama
Jean-Paul Jeannotte
Jeff "Hitmaka Jeff" Thornton
Jeff Chambers
Jeff Wald
Jeffrey "Deon" Estus
Jeffrey "Jeff" LaBar
Jem Targal
Jemal Chkuaseli
Jeremy Lubbock
Jerold "Jerry" Blair
Jerome "J.D." Hill
Jerome Hyde
Jerry Crutchfield
Jerry Ray Johnston
Jervis "Pete" Corum
Jesse Aratow
Jessie D Lee Daniels
Jim Bessman
Jim Duty
Jim Horn
Jim Knapp
Jim Maher
Jimbeau Hinson
Jimmy Cox
Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Kennedy
Joanne Shenandoah
Joe "Dusty" Hill
Joe Simon
Joel Chadabe
John "J.D." Hutchinson
John "Johnny" Crawford
John "Johnny" Solinger
John "Tim" Bogert
John Ashton Thomas
John C. Koss
John Davis
John Fagot
John Kinsella
John Lawton
John Miles Errington
John Nolan
John Rice Irwin
John Viers
Johnny Brown
Johnny Solinger
Jon "Doug" Nichols
Jon "Woodenman" Lukas
Jon Appleton
Jon Hassell
Jon Lind
Jon Mark
Jon Mark
Jon Zazula
Jonas Gwangwa
Jonathon "Baby CEO" Brown
Joni James
Jordi Sabatés
Jorge Cumbo
José "Flow La Movie" Ángel Hernández
José Ángel "Flow La Movie" Hernández
José Enrique "Chelique" Sarabia
José María Cámara
Joseph "Jo Jo" Bennett
Joseph "Joe" Palmaccio
Joseph Horovitz
Josephine Veasey
Joyce Reeves Milsap
Juan "Johnny Ventura" Soriano
Juan Nelson
Judith Davidoff
Julia Nixon
Julie "Tawny" Kitaen
Juraj Filas
Jürg Wyttenbach
Justin Alexander "J $tash" Joseph
Kaithapram Viswanathan Namboothiri
Kalaimamani M. J. C. Comagan
Karan Armstrong
Karim Ouellet
Karla Burns
Keith Allison
Kelli "K-HAND" Hand
Ken Seaman
Kenneth "Ken" Kragen
Kenneth Cooper
Kenneth Wannberg
Kenny Malone
Kenny Sidle
Kenwrick "Kenny J" Joseph
Kerry Chater
Kerry Hay
Kevin Clark
Khan Jamal
Kim Tribble
King Louie Bankston
Kirti Shiledar
Koady Chaisson
Kyle Wood
Lalith Anand
Larry Willoughby
Lars-Göran "LG" Petrov
Lata Mangeshkar
Laurence "Enzo" Gusman
Lawrence "Larry Harlow" Kahn
Lawrence "Larry" Sheridan
Lawrence “Maniac” West
Lawrence Matshiza
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Lee Williams
Leonard 'Hub' Hubbard
Leonard "Doc" Gibbs
Leonard "Hub" Hubbard
Leslie "Les" Harris
Leslie "Les" McKeown
Leslie Bricusse
Leslie Parnas
Leslie West
Letieres Leite
Levon Chaushian
Lieb Bester
Lil Bo Weep
Linda Mensch
Lindsay Tebbutt
Lisa Roy
Lizzie Bravo
Lloyd "Gitsy" Willis
Lloyd Price
Locksley "Slide" Hampton
Lodewijk "Lou" Ottens
Lois Kirschenbaum
Lou Dennis
Louis "Lou" Robin
Louis Andriessen
Louise Tomberlain
Lucy Rowan Mann
Ludmila Ferber
Luis de Pablo Costales
Lulendo "General Defao" Matumona
Mac Martin
Malcolm Cecil
Malcolm Dome
Man Arai
Manikka Vinayagam
Marc Lee Dé Hugar
Marc Tanner
Marcel "Biz Markie" Hall
Margaret Everly
Margo Guryan
Maria "Milva" Biolcati
Maria Ewing
María Mérida
Marília Mendonça
Marilyn Bergman
Mario Lavista
Mario Pavone
Mark Keds Myers
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lubotsky
Mark Varner
Marsha Zazula
Martin "Marty" Roberts
Martín Carrizo
Martin Kahan
Martin Wright
Mārtiņš Brauns
Mary Edna Thompson
Matt "Money" Miller
Matthew Strachan
Maureen Cleave
Mauri Louisa Skinfill
Meat Loaf
Melvin Parker
Melvin Van Peebles
Michael "Mick Rock" Smith
Michael "Mike" Finnigan
Michael "Mike" O'Reilly
Michael Bishop
Michael Chapman
Michael Fonfara
Michael Lang
Michael Morgan
Michael Nesmith
Michael Stanley
Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis
Michel Baumann
Michel Corboz
Mick Brigden
Mick Griffiths
Mickey Eichner
Miguel "Meñique" Ángel Barcasnegras
Mike Dekle
Mike Finnigan
Mike Howe
Mike Mitchell
Mike O'Reilly
Mike Renzi
Mike Tarsia
Mikey "Mao" Chung
Mikey Chung
Mimi Stern-Wolfe
Misty Morgan
Mita Haque
Morton "Mort" Sahl
Morty Craft
Muvaffak "Maffy" Falay
Mzilikazi Khumalo
Nana Ampadu
Nanci Griffith
Nathan "Joey" Jonas Jordison
Neela Wickramasinghe
Neil Flanz
Neil Nongkynrih
Nelson Freire
Nick Colionne
Nick Weaver
Nicky Tesco
Nicole Hurst
Nigel Butterley
Nikolai Golyshev
Nikolai Slichenko
Nils "Einár" Grönberg
Nobesuthu Mbadu
Nobuo Hara Tsukahara
Norma Morris
Norma Waterson
Norman "Paul Cotton"
Norman "Rusty" Young
Norman Simmons
Obie "Travis Stewart"
Olanrewaju "Sound Sultan" Fasasi
Olanrewaju "Sound Sultan" Fasasi
Oscar Guitián
Oscar López Ruiz
Osvaldo Peredo
Owen Moran
Paddy Moloney
Pat Fish
Pat Martino
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Patricio Manns
Patricio Renán
Patrick "Pat Fish" Huntrods
Patrick Sky
Patsy Bruce
Pau Riba i Romeva
Paul Cotton
Paul Jackson
Paul Johnson
Paul Laubin
Paul Mitchell
Pauline Tinsley
Pearl Kaufman
Peer Mohammed
Pervis Staples
Peter "Jack Terricloth" Ventantonio
Peter "Pita" Rehberg
Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Ind
Peter Klatzow
Peter Scolari
Peter Zinovieff
Phi Nhung
Phil Leadbetter
Phil Zimmerman
Philip "Phil" Schaap
Philip "Phil" Zimmerman
Philip Margo
Philip Paul
Phillip "Phil Naro" Sampognaro
Phillip "Phil" Chen
Phillip Wells
Phyllis McGuire
Pierce Fulton
Pietro Gilfucci
Piraisoodan
Prabhakar Jog
Prateek Chaudhuri
Prem Dhoj Pradhan
Rachel Nagy
Raffaella Carrà Pelloni
Ralph Emery
Ralph Irizarry
Ralph Schuckett
Ralph Tavares
Ramasaamy "Pulavar Pulamaipithan"
Ramdas Kamat
Randall Massengill
Randy "Baja" Fletcher
Randy Jackson
Rasie "Razzy" Bailey
Ravindranath "Lakshman Wijesekara"
Ray Reyes Léon
Raymond Gniewek
Reggie Warren
Renee Grant-Williams
Renée Martel
Renée Pietrafesa
Richard Cole
Richard H. Kirk
Richard Pratt
Rick Jarrard
Rick Laird
Rick Raybon
Rickie Lee Reynolds
Ricky Powell
Riky Rick
Rob Vitale
Robby Steinhardt
Robert 'Bob' Rudolph
Robert "Black Rob" Ross
Robert "Bob" James
Robert "Bob" Koester
Robert "Bob" Porter
Robert "Bob" Rudolph
Robert "Bobby" Few
Robert "Les" Emmerson
Robert "Robb" Earls
Robert "Robbie" Shakespeare
Robert "Robby" Steinhardt
Robert "Rockin' Rob" Aldridge
Robert Richards
Roberta Morales
Roberto "Elio Roca" Macceialli
Roberto "Palo" Pandolfo
Roberto Roena
Robin Le Mesurier
Robin McNamara
Robin Morton
Roger Englander
Roger Hawkins
Roger Newell
Roland Anthony Chirico
Ron "Snake" Reynolds
Ron Bushy
Ron Miles
Ronald "Ron" Anderson
Ronald "Ron" Cornelius
Ronald "Ron" Cuccia
Ronald "Ron" Tutt
Ronald "Ronnie" Falgout
Ronald "Ronny" Drayton
Ronnie Kidd
Ronnie Spector
Ronnie Wilson
Rosa Lee Hawkins
Rosalía Garrido
Rosalie Trombley
Rose Beauchamp
Ruben Rodriguez
Rudy Salas
Ruth Olay
Sabah Fakhri
Sally Grossman
Salvador Lizárraga
Sam Lay
Sam Riddle
Sammy Clark
Samuel "Sam" Salter
Samuel "Wes" Phillips
Sandhya Mukherjee
Sandra Jaffe
Sandy Nelson
Sanford Clark
Sarah Dash
Sarah Harding
Scott Whitehead
Scotty Wray
Sebastião Tapajós
Sérgio Brandão
Sergio Esquivel
Shaun "Kangol Kid" Shiller Fequiere
Shawn Cripps
Shorty Byrd
Shravan Rathod
Sidney Miller
Sidney Poitier
Simon Illa
Sirivennela Seetharama Sastry
Sister Janet Mead
Skibadee
Skilyr Hicks
Snootie Wild
Sonny Osborne
Sonny Simmons
Sonny Turner
Søren Holm
Spencer Nitchie
Stan Moress
Stanley Crouch
Stéphane Blet
Stephen J. Lawrence
Stephen Sondheim
Steve "Baba Zumbi" Gaines
Steve Bronski Forrest
Steve Salas
Steven "Steve Bronski" Forrest
Stonewall Jackson
Sudie Callaway
Sue Thompson
Sultan "Traxamillion" Banks
Sunil Pererea
Susan Anway
Susan Palo Cherwien
Suzanne "Jane Powell" Burce
Syl Johnson
Sylvano Bussotti
Sylvia Medford
Tam Harvey
Tatiana Chudova
Taylor Hawkins
TDott Woo
Tebogo "Steve" Kekena
Ted Gardner
Terence "Astro" Wilson
Teresa Żylis-Gara
Terry Shue
Terry Teachout
Terry Tolkin
Teruhiko Saigo
Theuns Jordaan
Thione Seck
Thom Moore
Thomas "Mensi" Mensforth
Thomas "Tom" Gray
Thomas "Tommy West" Picardo Jr.
Thomas "Tommy" Edwards
Thoppil Anto
Tim Akers
Timothy J. "The Gift of Gab" Parker
Tito Matos
Tohru "Monamour" Hiroshima
Tom Parker
Tom Starr
Tom T. Hall
Tommy "TT" Truesdale
Tommy DeBarge
Tommy Edwards
Tommy Neal
Tõnu Aare
Tony "Muffman" Williams
Tony MacMahon
Trevor Birdsong
Tsai "Fan Fan" Yi-fan
Tsepo Tshola
Udo Zimmerman
Uno Loop
Urban Haglund
Vanraj Bhatia
Veronica "Ronnie" Dunne
Veronica Dunne
Vicente Feliú
Vicente Fernández
Vicente Zarzo Pitarch
Victor Wood
Vince "CPO Boss Hogg" Edwards
Vincent "Slim 400" Cochran
Violeta Dávalos Lara
Virgil Abloh
Virginia "Ginny" Mancini
W. Royal Stokes
Walter "Herbie" Herbert II
Walter Barylli
Walter C. Blount
Walter Yetnikoff
Wanda Young
Warner Mack
Warner Williams
Warren Storm
Wayne Miller
Weerasak Sunthornsri
William "Ed" Bruce
William B. Shelby
William Kraft
WIlliam Shelby
William Vernon Pippin
Willie Garnett
Willie Leacox
Willie Winfield
Winfield Parker
Winona K Blackburn
Wyttenbach
Yoram Taharlev
Yoshimasa "Yoshi" Wada
Young Dolph
Yves "Lionel Leroy" Martin
Yves Aerts
Yvonne Sterling
Zhou Guangren

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
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Watch The 2023 GRAMMYs Star-Studded Tribute To Lost Legends Loretta Lynn, Christine McVie & Takeoff | 2023 GRAMMYs
The moving GRAMMY Awards segment featured friends, family and bandmates honoring their departed loved ones in song — including tributes from Kacey Musgraves, Quavo, and Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood, and Bonnie Raitt.
A moving 2023 GRAMMYs segment featured friends, family and bandmates honoring their departed loved ones in song — including tributes from Kacey Musgraves, Quavo, and Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood, and Bonnie Raitt.
The GRAMMY Awards' annual tribute to music industry icons who passed in the preceding year is always a bittersweet highlight of the ceremony — and this year's moving edition was certainly no exception.
In addition to honoring the many artists, producers, executives, and more who we lost, three legendary musicians received individual recognition from their close friends, collaborators, and loved ones.
A longtime admirer of Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves became friends with the late country legend after opening for Lynn's 2012 tour — and thus was the perfect person to honor the four-time GRAMMY-winner.
Surrounded by a spray of red flowers and wearing a red dress that would've suited the Songwriter Hall of Fame honoree, Musgraves delivered a sterling rendition of Lynn's autobiographical "Coal Miner's Daughter."
With each strum of her guitar — with Lynn’s name inlaid on the neck in enamel — Musgraves brought more of her hero's trademark warmth and country legacy into fuller bloom, the names and images of other lost legends materializing behind her.
The rap world was stunned when it lost Migos member Takeoff in a tragic shooting in November, and his uncle and bandmate Quavo paid tribute with the elegiac "Without You." The rapper's soulful delivery was rounded out by the rich harmonies of gospel group Maverick City Music, the pain evident in his face as he sat next to an empty stool, his nephew’s chain hanging from a tragically unused mic stand.
As the song concluded, Quavo rose, holding that chain up to the heavens, his hope to see Takeoff again ringing out.
While clips of heroes like Jeff Beck and David Crosby surely brought tears to many an eye, the heartfelt tributes were rounded out by the trio of Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, and Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood. Together, they honored Christine McVie with a poignant rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird."
While Fleetwood stood with a resonant hand drum, Crow took to the piano with Raitt seated at her side. "And the songbirds are singing/ Like they know the score," they sang: "And I love you, I love you, I love you/ Like never before."
The crystalline performance immaculately suited the songwriter's immense spirit and unparalleled writing, with Fleetwood’s somber hand drum lending a beautiful final note.
Check out the complete list of winners and nominees at the 2023 GRAMMYs.
Head to live.GRAMMY.com all year long to watch all the GRAMMY performances, acceptance speeches, the GRAMMY Live From The Red Carpet livestream special, the full Premiere Ceremony livestream, and even more exclusive, never-before-seen content from the 2023 GRAMMYs.

Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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The Recording Academy Remembers The Music People We've Lost | GRAMMY In Memoriam (2022)
Take a moment to reflect on and salute the members of the music community we lost.
The following is a list of artists and industry professionals the music community lost from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 6, 2022.
The 2022 GRAMMYs telecast on CBS featured an In Memoriam segment highlighting some of these individuals via a video tribute, and all of these individuals who died prior to its print date are included in the official 2023 GRAMMYs program book.
The Recording Academy salutes each individual for their respective talents and contributions to our culture and community.
Jody Abbot
Juan Alfonso Abreu (Xtassy)
Ernest Abuba
Bobbe "Beegie" Long Adair
Patrick Adams
Cynthia Albritton
Yuz Aleshkovsky
Clive "Zanda" Alexander
Drew Alexander
Silas "SiMan Baby" Alexander
Ian Alexander jr.
Mary Alice
Stu Allan
Jerry Ivan Allison
George al-Rassi
Ahmed Alshaiba
Lalith Anand
David Andersson
Ernie Andrews
Reggie Andrews
Nicholas Angelich
Stuart Anstis
Jon Appleton
Steve Arkin
Brooks Arthur
Maureen Arthur
Ibrahim Ashk
Bobby Atkins
Barry Bailey
Chris Bailey
Bamba Bakya
Silvia Baleani
Classie Ballou, Sr.
Gabe Baltazar
Alain Bancquart
Abhijit Bandyopadhyay
Sultan "Traxamillion" Banks
King Louie Bankston
Joseph Banowetz
Carlos Barbosa-Lima
Daniele Barioni
John Barnes
Scott Barnes
Walter Barylli
Edava Basheer
Eddie Basinski
Jules Bass
Shandler "Wavy Navy Pooh" Beaubien
Rose Beauchamp
Ana Bejerano
Daniel Belardinelli
Jerry Bentley
Teresa Berganza
Marilyn Bergman
John Beug
Guillame Bideau
Ryan Biggs
Yam Bing-yee
Bayron Binkley
Ali Birra
Harrison Birtwistle
Alan Blaikley
Lilian Blankson
Stéphane Blet
Philippe Boesmans
Peter Bogdanovich
Rolando Boldrin
Bill Bourne
Donald Brady
Jaimie Branch
Traci Braxton
Thom Bresh
Todd Brodginski
Peter Brook
Gary Brooker
Steve Broughton
Harpdog Brown
Johnny Brown
Julia Buciuceanu
Kai Bumann
Roman Bunka
Bruce Burch
Sonny Burke
Billie Burton
Joe Bussard
Nigel Butterley
Hal Bynum
Shorty Byrd
James Caan
Dennis Cahill
Eison Cai
Mickey Calin
Mira Calix
Sudie Callaway
Darius Campbell
Pat Campbell
Marciano Cantero
María José Cantilo
Allison Canzanella
Irene Cara
Giancarlo Cardini
Erasmo Carlos
Jo Carol Ann
Carleton Carpenter
Martín Carrizo
Pat Carroll
Jeff Carson
Aaron Carter
Darryl Caseine
Fred Catero
Guayo Cedeño
Jordi Cervello
Koady Chaisson
Heo Cham
Joe Chambers
Norm Chambers
Manny Charlton
Kerry Chater
Subhomoy Chatterjee
Levon Chaushian
Roland Anthony Chirico
Terry Choate
Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury
Miu Chu
Gene Cipriano
Roderick 'Pooh' Clark
Sammy Clark
Mike Clement
Dale Clevenger
Con Cluskey
Bob "Dr. Jazz" Cohen
Nick Colionne
"Chubby" Conine
Jeff Cook
Al Cooley
Tommy Cordell
Azio Corghi
Carmela Corren
José Luis Cortés
Gal Costa
Warren "Waz" Costello
Cathal Coughlan
Morty Craft
Zuri Craig
AB Crentsil
Lyell Cresswell
Bernard Cribbins
Charles Criss
Mike Cross
J.D. Crowe
Julee Cruise
George Crumb
Bettye Crutcher
Jerry Crutchfield
Ronnie Cuber
Scott Dachroeden
David Dalton
"Jessie D" Lee Daniels
Kal David
Betty Davis
Rosa de Castilla
Marc Lee Dé Hugar
Aurelio De La Vega
Paulino Deanda Bernal
Joey DeFrancesco
Mike Dekle
Emilio Delgado
Garth Dennis
Alex DePue
Bunny Diamond
Tabby Diamond
Don Dilling
Paulo Diniz
Jerry Doucette
Jane Dowden
Tyrone Downie
Lamont Dozier
Frank Drake
Martin C. Dreiwitz
Eddie Edwards Drennan
Paul Dufour
Noel Duggan
Shonka Dukureh
Howard Alexander Dumble
Brian Dunning
Jim Duty
Dennis East
John L. Eastman
Ray Edenton
Iwan Edwards
Jamal Edwards
Vince "CPO Boss Hogg" Edwards
Mickey Eichner
Dan Einstein
Mary Ellin Barrett
Kenward Elmslie
Ralph Emery
Greg Epler
Ernesto Cavour
Flavio Etcheto
Archie Eversole
Maria Ewing
Ulises Eyherabide
Doug Eyink
Muvaffak "Maffy" Falay
Xue Fan
Dewey Farmer
Christine Farnon
Ben Farrell
Mitch Faulkner
Nolan Faulkner
Daniel Fawcett
Tim Feerick
Núria Feliu
Ludmila Ferber
Fallece Bernardo Adam Ferrero
Steve Fickinger
Bert Fields
Eberhard Finke
Annie Flanders
Neil Flanz
Jorja Fleezanis
Mark Fleischman
Andy Fletcher
Jake Flint
Gianluca Floris
Adam Foster
Juan Francisco González
Deborah Fraser
George Frayne
Dallas Frazier
Wes Freed
David Freel
Joe Friedman
Bill Fries
Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr.
Ron Gallela
Luiz Galvao
Armando Gama
Ricky Gardiner
Rita Gardner
Ray Garduño
Charles "is-City" Gatt
Franco Gatti
Jan Gaye
Fred Geiger
Geoff Nuttall
Donny Gerrard
Joe Gilchrist
Mickey Gilley
Ellen Zoe Golden
Burt Goldstein
Darío Gómez
Doc Gonzales
Francisco González
Dallas Good
Tristan Goodall
Sam Gooden
Mick Goodrick
Robert Gordon
Robert Louis Gordy
Gilbert Gottfried
Don Grahm
Randy Gray
Helen Grayco
John Green
Bruce Greig
John Grenell
Arthur Grigoryan
Howard Grimes
Steve Grimmett
Zhou Guangren
Agustin Gurza
Barbara Maier Gustern
Song Hae
Patrick Haggerty
Dick Halligan
Alexander Hamilton
Duncan Hannah
Ed Hardy
Alice Harnoncourt
William Hart
"Big John" Harte
John Hartman
Orrin Hatch
Ronnie Hawkins
Rosa Lee Hawkins
Ivonne Haza
Bob Heathcote
Michael Henderson
Judy Henske
Marva Hicks
Jimbeau Hinson
Arnold "Arno" Hintjens
Tohru "Monamour" Hiroshima
Gary "Chicken" Hirsh
Jim Horn
Joseph Horovitz
Damodar Hota
Franz Hummel
Darryl Hunt
Ivy Jo Hunter
Hovain Hylton
Pau Riba i Romeva
Toshi Ichiyanagi
Simon Illa
İlhan İrem
Colleen Ironside
Susan Jacks
Francis Jackson
Michael James Jackson
Big Rude Jake
Khan Jamal
Joni James
Conrad Janis
Danny Javier
Philip Jeck
Lee Jihan
Griselda Jiménez
Fredrik Johansson
Mable John
Jimmy Johnson
Keith Wonderboy Johnson
Syl Johnson
Wilko Johnson
Jerry Ray Johnston
Leslie Jordan
Justin Alexander "J $tash" Joseph
Kenwrick "Kenny J" Joseph
Marvin Josephson
Naomi Judd
Orlando Julius
Bang Jun-seok
Michail Jurowski
Danny Kalb
Joseph Kalichstein
Ramdas Kamat
Prafulla Kar
Ryan Karazija
Lil Keed
Ken Kelly
Sean Kelly
Jimmy Kennedy
Anita Kerr
Alam Khan
Ronnie Kidd
Hamish Kilgour
Douglas Kirkland
Margo Knesz
Dale Knippers
Stamatis Kokotas
Irini Konitopoulou-Legaki
Charles Koppelman
John C. Koss
William Kraft
Blanka Kulinska
Jaakko Kuusisto
Dr. Paul Kwami
Carmelo La Bionda
Art Laboe
Bappi Lahiri
Jayananda Lama
Mark Lanegan
Michael Lang
Mike Lang
Angela Lansbury
Sam Lay
Q Lazzarus
Willie Leacox
Marcus Leatherdale
Pastelle LeBlanc
Everett Lee
Quentin Oliver Lee
Mon Legaspi
Keith Levene
Mark Levine
Mariusz Lewandowski
Ramsey Lewis
Don Lewis
Gord Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jon Lind
Ray Liotta
Lenny Lipton
Meat Loaf
Kevin Locke
Bob Lokman
Jim Long
Jun Lopito
Bob LuPone
Radu Lupu
Loretta Lynn
Warner Mack
Shirles "Re Styles" Macleod
Shel Macrae
Al Mair
Kyle Maite
Clyde Maness
Lata Mangeshkar
Lucy Rowan Mann
Ken Mansfield
Álvaro Manzano
James Maraniss
Jane "Nightbirde" Marczewski
Sid Mark
Emmaretta Marks
Kurt Markus
Ingram Marshall
Bernabé Martí
Brad Martin
Diane Martin
Gavin Martin
Keith Martin
Mac Martin
Mor Mario Martínez
Randall Massengill
Janez Maticic
Tito Matos
Tina May
Lowry Mays
Gazi Mazharul Anwar
Dan McCafferty
Mary McCaslin
Deborah McCrary
David McDonald
Ian McDonald
John McGale
Bob McGrath
Douglas McGrath
Doug McKean
Noel McKoy
John McLeod
Christine McVie
Sister Janet Mead
Glenn Meadows
Eric Mercury
María Mérida
Joe Messina
Blake Mevis
Pablo Milanes
Ron Miles
Jody Miller
Sidney Miller
Sue Mingus
Zelito Miranda
Nirmala Mishra
Charnett Moffett
Franz Mohr
Boris Moiseev
Bill Mollman
Mick Moloney
Grachan Moncur III
Gracia Montes
Benjamin Moore, Jr.
Mike Mora
Owen Moran
Massimo Morante
Henrique Morelenbaum
Denroy Morgan
Tommy Morgan
Joel Morowitz
Barbara Morrison
Robert Morse
Juan José Mosalini
Rodger E. Mosley
Mighty Mouse
James Mtume
Sandhya Mukherjee
Dudley Murphy
David Muse
Rachel Nagy
Pierre Narcisse
María Inés Naveillán
Nolan Neal
Tommy Neal
Dawit Nega
Bobbie Nelson
Sandy Nelson
Hans Neuenfels
Bobby Neuwirth
Don Newkirk
Olivia Newton-John
Nichelle Nichols
Mariana Nicolesco
Rab Noakes
Paolo Noel
Minoru Nojima
Neil Nongkynrih
Adibah Noor
Nayyara Noor
Monty Norman
Ica Novo
Carlo Nuccio
Bobby O'Jay
Sammie Okposo
David Ornette Cherry
Mariel Orr
Anthony Ortega
Dave Osborne
Mo Ostin
Karim Ouellet
Jim Owens
Pedro Pablo García Caffi
LaShun Pace
Irene Papas
Gloria Parker
Mimi Parker
Tom Parker
Dez Parkes
Leslie Parnas
Ric Parnell
Fred Parris
Anne Parsons
Philip Paul
D.H. Peligro
Osvaldo Peredo
Jacques Perrin
Mark L. Perthel
Libor Pesek
Marybeth Peters
Maggie Peterson
Greg Philbin
Idris Phillips
Svika Pick
Keaton Pierce
Renée Pietrafesa
Don Pippin
Galina Pisarenko
Bill Pitman
Paul Plimley
Sidney Poitier
Prins Polo
Jerzy Polomski
Bruce Pomahac
Jim Post
Gerald Potterton
Jesse Powell
Richard Pratt
Seymour "Red" Press
Simon Preston
James Price
Howie Pyro
Charles Quillen
Rubina Qureshi
James Rado
Bob Rafelson
Aki Rahimovski
S.V. Ramanan
Agustin Ramirez
Randy Rand
Alleppey Ranganath
Raymond Raposa
James Reams
Pete Reiniger
Patricio Renán
Hollis Resnik
John Rice Irwin
Robert Richards
Riky Rick
Walter Riley King
Ismael Rivera Jr.
Archie Roach
Richard Roat
Hargus "Pig" Robbins
Sandy Roberton
Garry Roberts
Martin "Marty" Roberts
PnB Rock
Pamela "Jordan" Rooke
Ned Rorem
Art Rosenbaum
Andy Ross
Beverly Ross
Cormac Roth
Badal Roy
Jamie Roy
Ed Rudy
Art Rupe
Bobby Rydell
Paul Ryder
Jordi Sabatés
Samir Sabri
Wally Safford
Balwinder Safri
Bob Saget
Daniel Sahad
Teruhiko Saigo
Steve Salas
Marty Sammon
Pharoah Sanders
T.V. Sankaranarayanan
Manolo Sanlucar
José Enrique "Chelique" Sarabia
Peter Scaping
Leon Schidlowsky
Klaus Schulze
Chris Scicluna
JayDaYongan
Richard Seal
Jim Seals
Gabe Serbian
Richard Setlowe
Shiv Kumar Sharma
Yuri Shatunov
William B. Shelby
Burke Shelley
Liz Sheridan
Dave Sherman
Kirti Shiledar
Guitar Shorty
Terry Shue
Riho Sibul
Paul Siebel
David "Ziggy" Sigmund
Haralds Simanis
Calvin Simon
Joanna Simon
Lucy Simon
Joyce Sims
Bhupinder Singh
Roslyn Singleton
Herschel Sizmore
Arnold Skolnick
Alexander Skulsky
DJ Kay Slay
Young Slo-Be
Elliott "Grandpa" Small
Dave Smith
Dick Smith
Steve Smith
B. Smyth
Elza Soares
Jim Sohns
Josep Soler
Stefan Soltesz
R Somasekharan
Bhajan Sopori
Paul Sorvino
Pervis Spann
Ronnie Spector
Willie Spence
Buddy Spurlock
Pete St John
Meghan Stabile
Atilio Stampone
Pat Stay
Saundra Steele
Antonietta Stella
Elizabeth Stewart
Jim Stewart
Paul Stoddard
Laila Storch
Larry Storch
Trevor Strnad
Mark Stroman
Shivamogga Subbanna
Alec John Such
Monnette Sudler
Frederick Swann
Earl Swavey
John Swenson
Robin Sylvester
Yoram Taharlev
Marc Tanner
Joe Tarsia
Richard Taruskin
Carolyn Tate
Greg Tate
Creed Taylor
Dean Taylor
Morgan Taylor
Terry Teachout
Judy Tenuta
Arnold Terry
Nicky Tesco
Dev Tharikewala
Timmy Thomas
Barbara Thompson
Bjorn Thorsrud
Janet Thurlow
Jin Tielin
Clifford S. Tinder
Louise Tobin
Terry Tolkin
Louise Tomberlain
Alexander Toradze
Colin Touchin
Bramwell Tovey
Rosmarie Trapp
Héctor Tricoche
Dick Trump
Tokollo Tshabalala
Tuck Tucker
Brett Tuggle
Nik Turner
Rick Turner
Sonny Turner
Bob Tutupoly
Margaret Urlich
Frank Ursoleo
Bin Valencia
Paul Vance
John P Varkey
Josephine Veasey
Diego Verdaguer
Lars Vogt
William "Bil" VornDick
Adam Wade
Abdul Wadud
Natty Wailer
Sidhu Moose Wala
Bill Walker
Kenneth Wannberg
Dennis Waterman
Norma Waterson
Jody Wayne
Jay Weaver
Greg Webster
Lil Bo Weep
Bobby Weinstein
Mike Wells
Jan Welmers
Janice Wendell
Ken West
Sonny West
Glenn Wheatley
Joel Whitburn
Alan White
Carrie White
Roland White
Krista Whitworth Beitter
Neela Wickramasinghe
Jan Wijn
Snootie Wild
David O. Will
Ken Williams
Robert Williams
Don Wilson
George Winn
Geoff Wonfor
TDott Woo
Terry Woodson
Max Woodward
Andrew Woolfolk
Scotty Wray
Bernard Wright
Qiao Yu
Phyo Zayar Thaw
Jon Zazula
Drummie Zeb
Bezbaruah
Club Q Victims
Coolio
Dakis
DJ Sumbody
El Noba
FBG
Goonew
Hadrawi
Hurricane G
Kandikonda
KK
Mikaben
Skibadee
Takeoff
Tame One
Trouble
Vangelis
Walkie
Walsh
YOSHI

Photo: Rachel Kupfer
list
A Guide To Modern Funk For The Dance Floor: L'Imperatrice, Shiro Schwarz, Franc Moody, Say She She & Moniquea
James Brown changed the sound of popular music when he found the power of the one and unleashed the funk with "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag." Today, funk lives on in many forms, including these exciting bands from across the world.
It's rare that a genre can be traced back to a single artist or group, but for funk, that was James Brown. The Godfather of Soul coined the phrase and style of playing known as "on the one," where the first downbeat is emphasized, instead of the typical second and fourth beats in pop, soul and other styles. As David Cheal eloquently explains, playing on the one "left space for phrases and riffs, often syncopated around the beat, creating an intricate, interlocking grid which could go on and on." You know a funky bassline when you hear it; its fat chords beg your body to get up and groove.
Brown's 1965 classic, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," became one of the first funk hits, and has been endlessly sampled and covered over the years, along with his other groovy tracks. Of course, many other funk acts followed in the '60s, and the genre thrived in the '70s and '80s as the disco craze came and went, and the originators of hip-hop and house music created new music from funk and disco's strong, flexible bones built for dancing.
Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins learned the power of the one from playing in Brown's band, and brought it to George Clinton, who created P-funk, an expansive, Afrofuturistic, psychedelic exploration of funk with his various bands and projects, including Parliament-Funkadelic. Both Collins and Clinton remain active and funkin', and have offered their timeless grooves to collabs with younger artists, including Kali Uchis, Silk Sonic, and Omar Apollo; and Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and Thundercat, respectively.
In the 1980s, electro-funk was born when artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, and Egyptian Lover began making futuristic beats with the Roland TR-808 drum machine — often with robotic vocals distorted through a talk box. A key distinguishing factor of electro-funk is a de-emphasis on vocals, with more phrases than choruses and verses. The sound influenced contemporaneous hip-hop, funk and electronica, along with acts around the globe, while current acts like Chromeo, DJ Stingray, and even Egyptian Lover himself keep electro-funk alive and well.
Today, funk lives in many places, with its heavy bass and syncopated grooves finding way into many nooks and crannies of music. There's nu-disco and boogie funk, nodding back to disco bands with soaring vocals and dance floor-designed instrumentation. G-funk continues to influence Los Angeles hip-hop, with innovative artists like Dam-Funk and Channel Tres bringing the funk and G-funk, into electro territory. Funk and disco-centered '70s revival is definitely having a moment, with acts like Ghost Funk Orchestra and Parcels, while its sparkly sprinklings can be heard in pop from Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, and, in full "Soul Train" character, Silk Sonic. There are also acts making dreamy, atmospheric music with a solid dose of funk, such as Khruangbin’s global sonic collage.
There are many bands that play heavily with funk, creating lush grooves designed to get you moving. Read on for a taste of five current modern funk and nu-disco artists making band-led uptempo funk built for the dance floor. Be sure to press play on the Spotify playlist above, and check out GRAMMY.com's playlist on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora.
Say She She
Aptly self-described as "discodelic soul," Brooklyn-based seven-piece Say She She make dreamy, operatic funk, led by singer-songwriters Nya Gazelle Brown, Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham. Their '70s girl group-inspired vocal harmonies echo, sooth and enchant as they cover poignant topics with feminist flair.
While they’ve been active in the New York scene for a few years, they’ve gained wider acclaim for the irresistible music they began releasing this year, including their debut album, Prism. Their 2022 debut single "Forget Me Not" is an ode to ground-breaking New York art collective Guerilla Girls, and "Norma" is their protest anthem in response to the news that Roe vs. Wade could be (and was) overturned. The band name is a nod to funk legend Nile Rodgers, from the "Le freak, c'est chi" exclamation in Chic's legendary tune "Le Freak."
Moniquea
Moniquea's unique voice oozes confidence, yet invites you in to dance with her to the super funky boogie rhythms. The Pasadena, California artist was raised on funk music; her mom was in a cover band that would play classics like Aretha Franklin’s "Get It Right" and Gladys Knight’s "Love Overboard." Moniquea released her first boogie funk track at 20 and, in 2011, met local producer XL Middelton — a bonafide purveyor of funk. She's been a star artist on his MoFunk Records ever since, and they've collabed on countless tracks, channeling West Coast energy with a heavy dose of G-funk, sunny lyrics and upbeat, roller disco-ready rhythms.
Her latest release is an upbeat nod to classic West Coast funk, produced by Middleton, and follows her February 2022 groovy, collab-filled album, On Repeat.
Shiro Schwarz
Shiro Schwarz is a Mexico City-based duo, consisting of Pammela Rojas and Rafael Marfil, who helped establish a modern funk scene in the richly creative Mexican metropolis. On "Electrify" — originally released in 2016 on Fat Beats Records and reissued in 2021 by MoFunk — Shiro Schwarz's vocals playfully contrast each other, floating over an insistent, upbeat bassline and an '80s throwback electro-funk rhythm with synth flourishes.
Their music manages to be both nostalgic and futuristic — and impossible to sit still to. 2021 single "Be Kind" is sweet, mellow and groovy, perfect chic lounge funk. Shiro Schwarz’s latest track, the joyfully nostalgic "Hey DJ," is a collab with funkstress Saucy Lady and U-Key.
L'Impératrice
L'Impératrice (the empress in French) are a six-piece Parisian group serving an infectiously joyful blend of French pop, nu-disco, funk and psychedelia. Flore Benguigui's vocals are light and dreamy, yet commanding of your attention, while lyrics have a feminist touch.
During their energetic live sets, L'Impératrice members Charles de Boisseguin and Hagni Gwon (keys), David Gaugué (bass), Achille Trocellier (guitar), and Tom Daveau (drums) deliver extended instrumental jam sessions to expand and connect their music. Gaugué emphasizes the thick funky bass, and Benguigui jumps around the stage while sounding like an angel. L’Impératrice’s latest album, 2021’s Tako Tsubo, is a sunny, playful French disco journey.
Franc Moody
Franc Moody's bio fittingly describes their music as "a soul funk and cosmic disco sound." The London outfit was birthed by friends Ned Franc and Jon Moody in the early 2010s, when they were living together and throwing parties in North London's warehouse scene. In 2017, the group grew to six members, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Amber-Simone.
Their music feels at home with other electro-pop bands like fellow Londoners Jungle and Aussie act Parcels. While much of it is upbeat and euphoric, Franc Moody also dips into the more chilled, dreamy realm, such as the vibey, sultry title track from their recently released Into the Ether.

Photo: Steven Sebring
interview
Living Legends: Billy Idol On Survival, Revival & Breaking Out Of The Cage
"One foot in the past and one foot into the future," Billy Idol says, describing his decade-spanning career in rock. "We’ve got the best of all possible worlds because that has been the modus operandi of Billy Idol."
Living Legends is a series that spotlights icons in music still going strong today. This week, GRAMMY.com spoke with Billy Idol about his latest EP, Cage, and continuing to rock through decades of changing tastes.
Billy Idol is a true rock 'n' roll survivor who has persevered through cultural shifts and personal struggles. While some may think of Idol solely for "Rebel Yell" and "White Wedding," the singer's musical influences span genres and many of his tunes are less turbo-charged than his '80s hits would belie.
Idol first made a splash in the latter half of the '70s with the British punk band Generation X. In the '80s, he went on to a solo career combining rock, pop, and punk into a distinct sound that transformed him and his musical partner, guitarist Steve Stevens, into icons. They have racked up multiple GRAMMY nominations, in addition to one gold, one double platinum, and four platinum albums thanks to hits like "Cradle Of Love," "Flesh For Fantasy," and "Eyes Without A Face."
But, unlike many legacy artists, Idol is anything but a relic. Billy continues to produce vital Idol music by collaborating with producers and songwriters — including Miley Cyrus — who share his forward-thinking vision. He will play a five-show Vegas residency in November, and filmmaker Jonas Akerlund is working on a documentary about Idol’s life.
His latest release is Cage, the second in a trilogy of annual four-song EPs. The title track is a classic Billy Idol banger expressing the desire to free himself from personal constraints and live a better life. Other tracks on Cage incorporate metallic riffing and funky R&B grooves.
Idol continues to reckon with his demons — they both grappled with addiction during the '80s — and the singer is open about those struggles on the record and the page. (Idol's 2014 memoir Dancing With Myself, details a 1990 motorcycle accident that nearly claimed a leg, and how becoming a father steered him to reject hard drugs. "Bitter Taste," from his last EP, The Roadside, reflects on surviving the accident.)
Although Idol and Stevens split in the late '80s — the skilled guitarist fronted Steve Stevens & The Atomic Playboys, and collaborated with Michael Jackson, Rick Ocasek, Vince Neil, and Harold Faltermeyer (on the GRAMMY-winning "Top Gun Anthem") — their common history and shared musical bond has been undeniable. The duo reunited in 2001 for an episode of "VH1 Storytellers" and have been back in the saddle for two decades. Their union remains one of the strongest collaborations in rock 'n roll history.
While there is recognizable personnel and a distinguishable sound throughout a lot of his work, Billy Idol has always pushed himself to try different things. Idol discusses his musical journey, his desire to constantly move forward, and the strong connection that he shares with Stevens.
Steve has said that you like to mix up a variety of styles, yet everyone assumes you're the "Rebel Yell"/"White Wedding" guy. But if they really listen to your catalog, it's vastly different.
Yeah, that's right. With someone like Steve Stevens, and then back in the day Keith Forsey producing... [Before that] Generation X actually did move around inside punk rock. We didn't stay doing just the Ramones two-minute music. We actually did a seven-minute song. [Laughs]. We did always mix things up.
Then when I got into my solo career, that was the fun of it. With someone like Steve, I knew what he could do. I could see whatever we needed to do, we could nail it. The world was my oyster musically.
"Cage" is a classic-sounding Billy Idol rocker, then "Running From The Ghost" is almost metal, like what the Devil's Playground album was like back in the mid-2000s. "Miss Nobody" comes out of nowhere with this pop/R&B flavor. What inspired that?
We really hadn't done anything like that since something like "Flesh For Fantasy" [which] had a bit of an R&B thing about it. Back in the early days of Billy Idol, "Hot In The City" and "Mony Mony" had girls [singing] on the backgrounds.
We always had a bit of R&B really, so it was actually fun to revisit that. We just hadn't done anything really quite like that for a long time. That was one of the reasons to work with someone like Sam Hollander [for the song "Rita Hayworth"] on The Roadside. We knew we could go [with him] into an R&B world, and he's a great songwriter and producer. That's the fun of music really, trying out these things and seeing if you can make them stick.
I listen to new music by veteran artists and debate that with some people. I'm sure you have those fans that want their nostalgia, and then there are some people who will embrace the newer stuff. Do you find it’s a challenge to reach people with new songs?
Obviously, what we're looking for is, how do we somehow have one foot in the past and one foot into the future? We’ve got the best of all possible worlds because that has been the modus operandi of Billy Idol.
You want to do things that are true to you, and you don't just want to try and do things that you're seeing there in the charts today. I think that we're achieving it with things like "Running From The Ghost" and "Cage" on this new EP. I think we’re managing to do both in a way.
Obviously, "Running From The Ghost" is about addiction, all the stuff that you went through, and in "Cage" you’re talking about freeing yourself from a lot of personal shackles. Was there any one moment in your life that made you really thought I have to not let this weigh me down anymore?
I mean, things like the motorcycle accident I had, that was a bit of a wake up call way back. It was 32 years ago. But there were things like that, years ago, that gradually made me think about what I was doing with my life. I didn't want to ruin it, really. I didn't want to throw it away, and it made [me] be less cavalier.
I had to say to myself, about the drugs and stuff, that I've been there and I've done it. There’s no point in carrying on doing it. You couldn't get any higher. You didn't want to throw your life away casually, and I was close to doing that. It took me a bit of time, but then gradually I was able to get control of myself to a certain extent [with] drugs and everything. And I think Steve's done the same thing. We're on a similar path really, which has been great because we're in the same boat in terms of lyrics and stuff.
So a lot of things like that were wake up calls. Even having grandchildren and just watching my daughter enlarging her family and everything; it just makes you really positive about things and want to show a positive side to how you're feeling, about where you're going. We've lived with the demons so long, we've found a way to live with them. We found a way to be at peace with our demons, in a way. Maybe not completely, but certainly to where we’re enjoying what we do and excited about it.
[When writing] "Running From The Ghost" it was easy to go, what was the ghost for us? At one point, we were very drug addicted in the '80s. And Steve in particular is super sober [now]. I mean, I still vape pot and stuff. I don’t know how he’s doing it, but it’s incredible. All I want to be able to do is have a couple of glasses of wine at a restaurant or something. I can do that now.
I think working with people that are super talented, you just feel confident. That is a big reason why you open up and express yourself more because you feel comfortable with what's around you.
Did you watch Danny Boyle's recent Sex Pistols mini-series?
I did, yes.
You had a couple of cameos; well, an actor who portrayed you did. How did you react to it? How accurate do you think it was in portraying that particular time period?
I love Jonesy’s book, I thought his book was incredible. It's probably one of the best bio books really. It was incredible and so open. I was looking forward to that a lot.
It was as if [the show] kind of stayed with Steve [Jones’ memoir] about halfway through, and then departed from it. [John] Lydon, for instance, was never someone I ever saw acting out; he's more like that today. I never saw him do something like jump up in the room and run around going crazy. The only time I saw him ever do that was when they signed the recording deal with Virgin in front of Buckingham Palace. Whereas Sid Vicious was always acting out; he was always doing something in a horrible way or shouting at someone. I don't remember John being like that. I remember him being much more introverted.
But then I watched interviews with some of the actors about coming to grips with the parts they were playing. And they were saying, we knew punk rock happened but just didn't know any of the details. So I thought well, there you go. If ["Pistol" is] informing a lot of people who wouldn't know anything about punk rock, maybe that's what's good about it.
Maybe down the road John Lydon will get the chance to do John's version of the Pistols story. Maybe someone will go a lot deeper into it and it won't be so surface. But maybe you needed this just to get people back in the flow.
We had punk and metal over here in the States, but it feels like England it was legitimately more dangerous. British society was much more rigid.
It never went [as] mega in America. It went big in England. It exploded when the Pistols did that interview with [TV host Bill] Grundy, that lorry truck driver put his boot through his own TV, and all the national papers had "the filth and the fury" [headlines].
We went from being unknown to being known overnight. We waited a year, Generation X. We even told them [record labels] no for nine months to a year. Every record company wanted their own punk rock group. So it went really mega in England, and it affected the whole country – the style, the fashions, everything. I mean, the Ramones were massive in England. Devo had a No. 1 song [in England] with "Satisfaction" in '77. Actually, Devo was as big as or bigger than the Pistols.
You were ahead of the pop-punk thing that happened in the late '90s, and a lot of it became tongue-in-cheek by then. It didn't have the same sense of rebelliousness as the original movement. It was more pop.
It had become a style. There was a famous book in England called Revolt Into Style — and that's what had happened, a revolt that turned into style which then they were able to duplicate in their own way. Even recently, Billie Joe [Armstrong] did his own version of "Gimme Some Truth," the Lennon song we covered way back in 1977.
When we initially were making [punk] music, it hadn't become accepted yet. It was still dangerous and turned into a style that people were used to. We were still breaking barriers.
You have a band called Generation Sex with Steve Jones and Paul Cook. I assume you all have an easier time playing Pistols and Gen X songs together now and not worrying about getting spit on like back in the '70s?
Yeah, definitely. When I got to America I told the group I was putting it together, "No one spits at the audience."
We had five years of being spat on [in the UK], and it was revolting. And they spat at you if they liked you. If they didn't like it they smashed your gear up. One night, I remember I saw blood on my T-shirt, and I think Joe Strummer got meningitis when spit went in his mouth.
You had to go through a lot to become successful, it wasn't like you just kind of got up there and did a couple of gigs. I don't think some young rock bands really get that today.
With punk going so mega in England, we definitely got a leg up. We still had a lot of work to get where we got to, and rightly so because you find out that you need to do that. A lot of groups in the old days would be together three to five years before they ever made a record, and that time is really important. In a way, what was great about punk rock for me was it was very much a learning period. I really learned a lot [about] recording music and being in a group and even writing songs.
Then when I came to America, it was a flow, really. I also really started to know what I wanted Billy Idol to be. It took me a little bit, but I kind of knew what I wanted Billy Idol to be. And even that took a while to let it marinate.
You and Miley Cyrus have developed a good working relationship in the last several years. How do you think her fans have responded to you, and your fans have responded to her?
I think they're into it. It's more the record company that she had didn't really get "Night Crawling"— it was one of the best songs on Plastic Hearts, and I don't think they understood that. They wanted to go with Dua Lipa, they wanted to go with the modern, young acts, and I don't think they realized that that song was resonating with her fans. Which is a shame really because, with Andrew Watt producing, it's a hit song.
But at the same time, I enjoyed doing it. It came out really good and it's very Billy Idol. In fact, I think it’s more Billy Idol than Miley Cyrus. I think it shows you where Andrew Watt was. He was excited about doing a Billy Idol track. She's fun to work with. She’s a really great person and she works at her singing — I watched her rehearsing for the Super Bowl performance she gave. She rehearsed all Saturday morning, all Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning and it was that afternoon. I have to admire her fortitude. She really cares.
I remember when you went on "Viva La Bam" back in 2005 and decided to give Bam Margera’s Lamborghini a new sunroof by taking a power saw to it. Did he own that car? Was that a rental?
I think it was his car.
Did he get over it later on?
He loved it. [Laughs] He’s got a wacky sense of humor. He’s fantastic, actually. I’m really sorry to see what he's been going through just lately. He's going through a lot, and I wish him the best. He's a fantastic person, and it's a shame that he's struggling so much with his addictions. I know what it's like. It's not easy.
Musically, what is the synergy like with you guys during the past 10 years, doing Kings and Queens of the Underground and this new stuff? What is your working relationship like now in this more sober, older, mature version of you two as opposed to what it was like back in the '80s?
In lots of ways it’s not so different because we always wrote the songs together, we always talked about what we're going to do together. It was just that we were getting high at the same time.We're just not getting [that way now] but we're doing all the same things.
We're still talking about things, still [planning] things:What are we going to do next? How are we going to find new people to work with? We want to find new producers. Let's be a little bit more timely about putting stuff out.That part of our relationship is the same, you know what I mean? That never got affected. We just happened to be overloading in the '80s.
The relationship’s… matured and it's carrying on being fruitful, and I think that's pretty amazing. Really, most people don't get to this place. Usually, they hate each other by now. [Laughs] We also give each other space. We're not stopping each other doing things outside of what we’re working on together. All of that enables us to carry on working together. I love and admire him. I respect him. He's been fantastic. I mean, just standing there on stage with him is always a treat. And he’s got an immensely great sense of humor. I think that's another reason why we can hang together after all this time because we've got the sense of humor to enable us to go forward.
There's a lot of fan reaction videos online, and I noticed a lot of younger women like "Rebel Yell" because, unlike a lot of other '80s alpha male rock tunes, you're talking about satisfying your lover.
It was about my girlfriend at the time, Perri Lister. It was about how great I thought she was, how much I was in love with her, and how great women are, how powerful they are.
It was a bit of a feminist anthem in a weird way. It was all about how relationships can free you and add a lot to your life. It was a cry of love, nothing to do with the Civil War or anything like that. Perri was a big part of my life, a big part of being Billy Idol. I wanted to write about it. I'm glad that's the effect.
Is there something you hope people get out of the songs you've been doing over the last 10 years? Do you find yourself putting out a message that keeps repeating?
Well, I suppose, if anything, is that you can come to terms with your life, you can keep a hold of it. You can work your dreams into reality in a way and, look, a million years later, still be enjoying it.
The only reason I'm singing about getting out of the cage is because I kicked out of the cage years ago. I joined Generation X when I said to my parents, "I'm leaving university, and I'm joining a punk rock group." And they didn't even know what a punk rock group was. Years ago, I’d write things for myself that put me on this path, so that maybe in 2022 I could sing something like "Cage" and be owning this territory and really having a good time. This is the life I wanted.
The original UK punk movement challenged societal norms. Despite all the craziness going on throughout the world, it seems like a lot of modern rock bands are afraid to do what you guys were doing. Do you think we'll see a shift in that?
Yeah. Art usually reacts to things, so I would think eventually there will be a massive reaction to the pop music that’s taken over — the middle of the road music, and then this kind of right wing politics. There will be a massive reaction if there's not already one. I don’t know where it will come from exactly. You never know who's gonna do [it].