Music Obituaries: April 2022

@FourWalls (61319)
United States
May 22, 2022 7:49pm CST
Every month I take a moment to stop and remember those from the world of music who passed away in the previous month. As I tell the newcomers, I do this for two reasons: one, I love music; and two, most people in the world of music are NOT the stop-the-presses legends like Elvis, Michael Jackson, or Prince, so some of these folks barely got a mention. Therefore, I make sure they get their last round of applause. Here are the music and music-related individuals for whom the final curtain fell in April 2022: C.W. McCall (ne William Fries) (April 1, lung cancer, age 93): Bill Fries was an ad executive who created a TV commercial character named C.W. McCall. From there, McCall had a pop and country smash with “Convoy” in 1976. Fitzroy “Bunny” Simpson (April 1, illness, age 70): singer in the reggae band the Mighty Diamonds. Another member of the band, Donald Shaw, was murdered three days before Simpson’s death. *Roland White (April 1, complications of a heart attack, ate 83): Bluegrass Hall of Famer. Legendary mandolin player who first rose to prominence in the Hall of Fame bluegrass band the Kentucky Colonels. Eric Boehiert (April 4, hit by train, age 57): music journalist who wrote for Billboard and Rolling Stone. *Joe Messina (April 4, kidney disease, age 93): Musicians Hall of Famer. Member of Motown’s legendary “Funk Brothers” session band who played guitar on countless sessions. Bobby Rydell (April 5, pneumonia, age 79): early-era rocker who had hits with songs like “Volarie” and “Wildwood.” He also appeared in the musical movie Bye Bye Birdie. Ken West (April 7, unknown cause, age 64): the co-founder of Australia’s Big Day Out music festival. Charles E. McCormick (April 12, unknown cause, age 75): member of the R&B group Bloodstone, best known for their 1973 top ten hit “Natural High.” *Art Rupe (April 15, natural causes, age 104): Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. The founder of Specialty Records, a label founded in the mid-1940s that featured a number of gospel and R&B artists who’d later become famous in rock, such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and Lloyd Price. Rich Turner (April 17, stroke, age 78): guitarist and guitar maker whose instruments were played by the likes of Lindsey Buckingham, among others. Jerry Doucette (April 18, cancer, age 70): founder of the Canadian band Doucette, best known for their FM rock hit “Mama Let Him Play.” Guitar Shorty (ne David Kearney) (April 20, natural causes, age 87): a blues guitarist who was married to Jimi Hendrix’s sister and greatly influenced Hendrix so much that Hendrix frequently went AWOL to see him play. Orrin Hatch (April 20, stroke, age 88): the long-serving senator from Utah wrote a number of songs, including the contemporary Christian song “Unspoken.” Susan Jacks (April 25, kidney disease, age 73): the former wife of “Seasons in the Sun” singer Terry Jacks was also a member of the folk group the Poppy Family, known for their song “Which Way You Going, Billy.” Jimmy Thomas (April 25, respiratory failure, age 83): a member of the Kings of Rhythm, who were also known as the “Ike & Tina Turner Review,” and backed Ike Turner for decades. *Andrew Woolfolk (April 25, long illness, age 71): Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. Saxophonist in the legendary band Earth, Wind, and Fire. Randy Rand (April 26, heart disease, age 62): bassist and co-founder of the hard rock band Autograph, best known for their hit “Turn Up the Radio.” Klaus Schulze (April 26, long illness, age 74): member of the German electronic band Tangerine Dream. Judy Henske (April 27, long illness, age 85): folk singer from the 1960s best known for her 1963 hit “High Flying Bird.” George Yonok (April 29, lung cancer, age 83): producer and writer for the long running country variety show Hee Haw. Ray Fenwick (April 30, unknown cause, age 75): guitarist in the Spencer Davis Group and later the guitarist in Ian Gillan’s post-Deep Purple band. *Naomi Judd (April 30, suicide [gunshot], age 76): Country Music Hall of Famer. The mother half of the legendary country duo the Judds. She died the day before the Judds’ formal induction (which had been announced in late 2021) into the Hall of Fame. Farewell, and thank you for the music. Doucette’s FM rock hit “Mama Let Him Play,” featuring the late Jerry Doucette:
RewardsTop suggestions for Mama leet him play DoucettJerryDoucetteJerryDoucette Mama Let Him PlayDoucetteTop suggestions for Mama leet him play DoucettLet Him Play DoucetteLessonMama LetEm Play SongMama LetMe PlayMama Let Him PlayGuitar LessonMama Let Him
15 people like this
11 responses
@JudyEv (323673)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 May 22
I remember Convoy from this list.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45226)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
23 May 22
Yeah, that was a fun song.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45226)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
23 May 22
@FourWalls For the fun of it.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
23 May 22
They made a movie based on that song, starring Kris Kristofferson as the Rubber Duck. And it begs the question: why???
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (72527)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 May 22
How sad so many of them, Time marches on but the music keeps playing,
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
24 May 22
We’ll miss them but we have their music forever.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (72527)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
25 May 22
1 person likes this
@rebelann (110772)
• El Paso, Texas
23 May 22
I only recognized 2, C.W. McCall and Naomi Judd. That song Convoy was a favorite in the mid 70s.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (110772)
• El Paso, Texas
23 May 22
Oh yeah, I forgot about him, yes, I do recall hearing one of his songs but I'd have to look him up to see if I recognize one. Remember, I really didn't get into music until 1965 or so and it was the Beatles I wanted to hear.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
23 May 22
You’d probably have to listen to a lot of oldies to remember Bobby Rydell.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (153180)
• United States
23 May 22
Well, I know Bobby Rydell and Naomi Judd.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
23 May 22
I’m surprised how many people have forgotten Rydell.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (153180)
• United States
23 May 22
@FourWalls I saw him in Bye Bye Birdie at least a half-dozen times...and I remember his songs on my little transistor radio!
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203478)
• Nashville, Tennessee
23 May 22
Once again, too many names here. So very sad.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
23 May 22
Even with three people over the age of 90 it’s sad to lose them.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203478)
• Nashville, Tennessee
23 May 22
@FourWalls No matter the age.
1 person likes this
@erictsuma (9727)
• Mombasa, Kenya
23 May 22
They were such talented musicians, may their souls rest in peace
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
23 May 22
Yes, all different musical walks of life, but their songs touched someone.
1 person likes this
@erictsuma (9727)
• Mombasa, Kenya
24 May 22
@FourWalls exactly
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (168428)
• United States
23 May 22
That song Covoy was super popular back in the day...RIP to all the talented artists on the list.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
24 May 22
Yes, so popular they made a movie based on it.
@marguicha (214294)
• Chile
23 May 22
I read all the names but I have never heard of them. Probably it would be different if you wrote about Spanich speaking musicians.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
23 May 22
I know that’s the problem with being an American in an international forum: I only mention the people who were popular here.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (214294)
• Chile
23 May 22
@FourWalls I know. Some names are important for me, in spite of not being American. The musician of my time are important for me even now. I remember that when Joan Baez finally came to Chile (she had said that she would not come until the Pinochet era was over) I got a couple of tickets and invited one of my friends my age. The place was filled with 70 year old people crying at the songs of their youth. Joan Baez sang at Woodstock as did Janis Joplin and Jimmy Hendrix. I know many mylotters are too young to know about that.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (36268)
• Toccoa, Georgia
23 May 22
I never knew Senator Orrin Hatch wrote some songs, interesting. And it is truly tragic about Naomi Judd
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
24 May 22
That kind of surprised me, too.
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (115620)
• United States
23 May 22
The only one I've heard of is Naomi Judd
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (61319)
• United States
23 May 22
I don’t blame you for ignoring “Turn Up the Radio” by Autograph. I think that was probably the only song from “your era.” And you’ve probably had indigestion from Orrin Hatch, but in his role as a senator, not a songwriter.
1 person likes this
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
23 May 22
There were a few that I recognized, but I was most affected by Naomi Judd, she was someone that I grew up listening to.
1 person likes this