Music Obituaries: February 2016

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January 2016 was a horrible month for music deaths. February wasn't any better (and March is continuing that bad trend, sadly). Here are the musicians and music-related individuals who left us in February: JOE DOWELL (died February 4, heart attack, age 76): 60's pop singer who is best remembered for his 1961 chart-topping rendition of "Wooden Heart" and the top 40 song "Little Red Rented Rowboat." MAURICE WHITE (died February 4, Parkinson's disease, age 74): the co-founder and lead singer for the legendary R&B band Earth, Wind, and Fire. White was the fourth Rock and Roll Hall of Famer to die in the first 35 days of 2016 (after David Bowie, the Eagles' Glenn Frey, and Jefferson Airplane/Starship's Paul Kantner). DAN HICKS (died February 6, liver cancer, age 74): quirky Americana singer/songwriter and leader of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, he had a devoted cult following thanks to his offbeat, genre-defying songs such as "I Scare Myself." RICK WRIGHT (died February 7, car wreck, age 57): guitar player for Country Music Hall of Fame singer Connie Smith, he backed her countless appearances on the road and on husband Marty Stuart's RFD-TV show. JANET WATSON (died February 8, unknown cause, age 70): a choreographer for Broadway musicals, her biggest success came as choreographer for the 1984 Tony Award-winning play Big River. KIM WILLIAMS (died February 11, unknown cause, age 68): Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member who is best-known for writing a number of Garth Brooks hits ("Papa Loved Mama," "Ain't Goin' Down Till the Sun Comes Up") and the inspirational, award-wining Randy Travis hit "Three Wooden Crosses." JACK DACKIN (died February 13, car wreck, age 19): member of British indie pop band Viola Beach (see below). KRIS LEONARD (died February 13, car wreck, age 20): member of British indie pop band Viola Beach (see below). TOMAS LOWE (died February 13, car wreck, age 27): member of British indie pop band Viola Beach (see below). RIVER REEVES (died February 13, car wreck, age 19): member of British indie pop band Viola Beach (see below). CRAIG TERRY (died February 13, car wreck, age 32): the manager of the British indie pop band Viola Beach. After Viola Beach played a festival in Sweden the entire band was killed, along with their manager, when their car plunged off a drawbridge and landed 80 feet below in the water. DEVIN BACHMANN (died February 13, car wreck, age 26): member of Dayton, Ohio-based metal band CounterFlux (see below). KYLE CANTER (died February 13, car wreck, age 23): member of Dayton, Ohio-based metal band CounterFlux (see below). EARL MILLER II (died February 13, car wreck, age 27): member of Dayton, Ohio-based metal band CounterFlux. The same day as the Viola Beach tragedy another band was decimated in a car wreck. This time, an Ohio metal band called CounterFlux was hit head-on by a drunk driver. The driver had been released from jail a day earlier on bail over another drunk driving charge. Also killed in the wreck was the drunk driver and a friend of the band's. JOEY FLOOD (died February 15, cancer, age 54): guitarist for country singer Toby Keith. VANITY (nee Denise Matthews) (died February 15, renal failure, age 57): a protégée of Prince, she was a member of Vanity 6, who had the hit "Nasty Girl." After her music career she converted to Christianity and became a minister. JOYCE PAUL (died February 15, unknown cause, age 78): 60's country singer best known for her hits "Phone Call to Mama" and the "Girl on the Billboard" answer song "I'm the Girl on the Billboard." PAUL GORDON (died February 18, unknown cause, age 52): guitarist who worked with artists as diverse as the B-52's and Jennifer Nettles. ART FERGUSON (died February 19, unknown cause, age 71): National Radio Hall of Fame DJ known as "Charlie Tuna," he subbed for Casey Kasem on the American Top 40 program when Kasem was on vacation. RICHARD "BUCK" RAMBO (died February 21, natural causes, age 84): the patriarch of the Singing Rambos southern gospel family (which included legendary singer/songwriter Dottie Rambo). He was also a founding member of the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame. SONNY JAMES (died February 22, natural causes, age 87): Country Music Hall of Fame singer whose career began with the country and pop hit "Young Love" in the 50s and continued through an historic string of chart-topping songs in the 60s and early 70s. LENNIE BAKER (died February 24, brief illness, age 69): saxophonist and singer in the oldies band Sha Na Na. JAMES ATKINS (died February 27, esophageal cancer, age 49): bassist in the grunge band Hammerbox. Farewell, and thank you for the music.