Music Obituaries: June 2021

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While July is taking a sad twist (two former members of the same band died on the same day in July -- you'll see that next month), in June we didn't have many music and music-related people to leave us. One is too many, though, giving us pause to remember how they graced us with their talent. One of these was rather personal, too. Here are the music and music-related individuals for whom the curtain fell in June 2021: Clarence Williams III (June 4, colon cancer, age 81): noted actor whose music connection came when he played Prince's abusive father in the film Purple Rain. David C. Lewis (June 7, brain cancer, age 80): keyboardist for the band Ambrosia, playing on their big hit "Biggest Part of Me." Jim Bessman (June 22, aneurysm, age 68): longtime freelance music journalist including working for over 20 years for Billboard magazine. Johnny Solinger (June 26, liver failure, age 55): lead vocalist for the hard rock band Skid Row for 16 years from 1999 to 2015. Robert W. Fulks Jr. (June 27, unknown cause, age 78): the father of alt-country singer Robbie Fulks. Stuart Damon (June 29, kidney failure, age 84): Emmy-winning actor with a long career on General Hospital who rose to fame in the mid-60s as the singing prince in a televised musical production of Cinderella. John Lawton (June 29, unknown cause, age 74): lead vocalist for the band Uriah Heep during the latter part of the 1970s. Vig Biggs (June 20, cancer, age 76): guitarist for Eric Burdon & the Animals. Farewell, and thank you for the music. Here's Uriah Heep, with the late John Lawton on lead vocals: