Music Obituaries: December 2021

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The last month of the year left us with a number of musical losses, closing 2021 on a somber note. Every month I look back on the previous month and the music/music-related individuals who sang their final song as a way of giving them one last bow. Most news agencies don’t cover the people who aren’t Prince or Michael Jackson, so the majority of music obituaries gets overlooked. As sweet as music is, that shouldn’t happen. Here are the musical individuals who had their final curtain call in December 2021: Richard Cole (December 2, unknown cause, age 75): longtime manager of Led Zeppelin. Melvin Parker (December 3, unknown cause, age 77): longtime drummer for the legendary James Brown. Denis O’Brien (December 3, unknown cause, age 80): manager of George Harrison and the one who helped Harrison put financial backing into the classic Monty Python movie The Life of Brian. Stonewall Jackson (December 4, vascular dementia, age 89): the Opry’s longest-tenured member (64 years) at the time of his death, and a should-be Hall of Fame country singer responsible for hits like “Don’t Be Angry,” “BJ the DJ,” and the crossover hit “Waterloo” (no relation to the Abba song). Buddy Merrill (December 5, unknown cause, age 85): steel guitarist who made his mark performing on The Lawrence Welk Show in the 60s. John Miles (December 5, unknown cause, age 72): British singer who had a top 5 hit with the song “Music” in 1972. Margaret Everly (December 6, unknown cause, age 102): the mother of the Everly Brothers. She survived both her famous sons, with Don passing away earlier in 2021. Steve Bronski (December 7, smoke inhalation, age 61): co-founder of the 80s band Bronski Beat, best known for their song “Smalltown Boy” in 1984. Gary Scruggs (December 7, unknown cause, age 72): the elder son of Earl Scruggs was a singer, songwriter, and musician on his own. Gil Bridges (December 8, COVID-19, age 80): lead singer of the band Rare Earth, known for songs such as “I Just Want to Celebrate” and “Get Ready,” and for being the first Caucasian act signed to Motown Records. Robbie Shakespeare (December 8, complications from kidney surgery, age 68): a onetime member of the reggae band Black Uhuru who went on to make an influence on reggae with Sly Dunbar as Sly & Robbie. Ralph Tavares (December 8, unknown cause, age 79): member of the 70s R&B hit group Tavares. Garth Dennis (December 9, unknown cause, age 72): the Black Uhuru member died one day after fellow member Robbie Shakespeare. David Lasley (December 9, unknown cause, age 74): singer and songwriter who was best-known as a back-up singer on numerous James Taylor and Jackson Browne tours. Les Emmerson (December 10, COVID-19, age 77): the lead singer of the Canadian act Five Man Electrical Band and writer of their biggest hit, “Signs.” Michael Nesmith (December 10, heart failure, age 78): the onetime Monkee was also a songwriter (“Different Drum,” “Joanne”), record producer, and video innovator (Elephant Parts). Vincente Fernández (December 12, complications from a fall, age 81): Grammy-winning pop singer known as the “Idol of Mexico.” Joe Simon (December 13, unknown cause, age 85): Grammy-winning R&B singer with a string of hits including “The Power of Love” and “Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor).” Phil Chen (December 14, cancer, age 75): bassist for Rod Stewart for a number of years. Ken Kragen (December 14, natural causes, age 85): longtime manager for acts like Harry Chapin and Kenny Rogers, he helped to organize the “USA for Africa” fundraiser in 1985 that brought about the single “We Are the World.” *Wanda Young (December 15, COPD, age 78): R&B Hall of Famer. Lead vocalist for the legendary 60s group the Marvelettes. Leonard “Hub” Hubbard (December 16, multiple myeloma, age 62): the bassist for the band the Roots, who serve as the band on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Robie Porter (December 16, dementia, age 80): Australian lap steel player and record producer who worked with the likes of Air Supply and guitar wizard Tommy Emmanuel. Terry Uttley (December 16, unknown cause, age 70): bassist for the band Smokie, known internationally for “Living Next Door to Alice.” He was the last remaining original member in the band. Ron Anderson (December 19, unknown cause, age 75): vocal coach who worked with the likes of Axl Rose and Ozzy Osbourne. Billy Conway (December 19, liver cancer, age 65): drummer for the influential alt-rock band Morphine. Paul Mitchell (December 20, age and cause unknown): member of the group the Floaters, who had the mid-70s hit “Float On.” Anthony Williams (December 21, COVID-19, age 90): the “Chet Atkins” of the steel drum, if you will, he innovated and popularized the instrument. J.D. Crowe (December 24, illness, age 84): legendary banjo player who began working with Jimmy Martin and formed his own band, The New South, which gave the spotlight to future greats Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs. Ted Gardner (December 28, renal failure, age 74): the manager of the band Queens of the Stone Age was also one of the founders of the music festival Lollapalooza. Stephen J. Lawrence (December 30, unknown cause, age 82): songwriter of over 300 songs featured on Sesame Street. Penny Ragsdale (December 31, cancer, age 78): the wife of singer/comedian Ray Stevens for over 60 years. Farewell, and thank you for the music. One of my favorite songs by the late, great Michael Nesmith: