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Motown hitmaker Barrett Strong died January 29, 2023

Barrett Strong (February 5, 1941 – January 29, 2023) was born in West Point, Mississippi and was an American singer and songwriter and the first artist to record a hit for Motown. He is best known for his work as a songwriter and some of his most famous work at Motown including the lyrics for many of the songs recorded by the Temptations. Although, Barrett Strong was born in Mississippi, he grew up in Detroit where he sang and played piano with his four sisters in a gospel group called The Strong Sisters. While touring local churches, they befriended many…
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Television front man Tom Verlaine died January 28, 2023

Tom Verlaine (born Thomas Miller, December 13, 1949 – January 28, 2023) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the New York City rock band Television. On December 13, 1949, Thomas Miller (known later as Tom Verlaine), was born to a Jewish family, in Denville, New Jersey. When he was six years old, he and his family moved to Wilmington, Delaware. He started learning piano at a young age, but in middle school, after hearing a Stan Getz record, he switched to saxophone. He was inspired by jazz saxophonists like John Coltrane and Albert…
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Rock Legend David Crosby died January 19, 2023

David Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 19, 2023) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter, solo artist and founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. David Van Cortlandt Crosby was born in Los Angeles, California, the second son of Academy Award-winning cinematographer Floyd Crosby, who formerly worked on Wall Street, and Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead, a salesperson at Macy’s department store. Growing up in California, David Crosby attended several schools, including the University Elementary School in Los Angeles, the Crane Country Day School in Montecito, and Laguna Blanca School in Santa Barbara for the rest…
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Lisa Marie Presley sadly died January 12, 2023

Lisa Marie Presley (February 1, 1968 – January 12, 2023) was an American singer and songwriter. She was Elvis Presley’s only child and the sole heir to her father’s estate after her grandfather and great-grandmother passed away. She was also the only child of Priscilla Presley, an actress. Lisa Marie Presley released three albums during her career in the music industry, 2003’s “To Whom It May Concern”, 2005’s “Now What”, and 2012’s “Storm & Grace”. She also released singles that were not included in an album, some of these singles featured Lisa Marie Presley performing duets with her father Elvis…
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Robbie Bachman sadly died on January 12, 2023.

Robin Peter Kendall Bachman (February 18, 1953 – January 12, 2023), known as Robbie Bachman or Rob Bachman, was a Canadian drummer and the youngest brother of guitarist, singer and songwriter Randy Bachman. He was the original drummer for both the Brave Belt and Bachman–Turner Overdrive bands. Robbie Bachman was born Robin Bachman in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1953. He and his older brother Randy Bachman began playing music in their youth, and Robbie played in a handful of bands in Winnipeg before Randy invited him to join Brave Belt, his new band with Chad Allan, who he had played in…
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Guitar Great Jeff Beck sadly died on January 10, 2023.

Geoffrey Arnold Beck (June 24, 1944 – January 10, 2023) was an English rock guitarist, known as Jeff Beck, who rose to fame with the Yardbirds and afterwards fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. Jeff Beck was often called a “guitarist’s guitarist”, and ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazines’ list of 100 greatest guitarists, and they described him as “one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock”. Jeff Beck earned wide critical praise and received the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance six times and Best Pop Instrumental Performance once. In…
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The Father of Country Music Jimmie Rodgers died May 26, 1933

James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as “the Father of Country Music”, he is best known for his distinctive rhythmic yodeling, unusual for a music star of his era. Rodgers rose to prominence based upon his recordings, among country music’s earliest, rather than concert performances. He has been cited as an inspiration by many artists and inductees into various halls of fame across both country music and the blues, in which he was also a pioneer, including Elvis Presley. Among…
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Anita Pointer died on December 31, 2022

Anita Pointer: The Life and Legacy of an Iconic American Singer and Songwriter Anita Pointer, born on January 23, 1948, and passing on December 31, 2022, left an indelible mark on the music world as a founding member of the Pointer Sisters, an iconic vocal group known for their genre-blending sound. Through decades of hits that crossed the boundaries of pop, R&B, jazz, country, and rock, Anita’s voice became synonymous with the multifaceted creativity of the 1970s and 1980s. Her journey from modest beginnings to superstardom, her role in shaping the success of the Pointer Sisters, and her legacy as…
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Fred White from Earth, Wind & Fire died January 1, 2023

Fred White, or Fred E. White, (born Frederick Eugene Adams; January 13, 1955 – January 1, 2023) was an American musician and songwriter. He was one of the early members of Earth, Wind & Fire and had previously played drums on Donny Hathaway‘s Live album. Born in Chicago, Fred White was the youngest of three sons of Edna (nee Parker) and Verdine Adams, a doctor and amateur saxophone player. Maurice White was Edna’s son from a previous marriage. Fred took up the drums aged nine, soon following his older brothers into the music industry. Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or…
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Maxi Jazz died on December 23, 2022

Maxi Jazz: A Life in Music and Spirituality Maxi Jazz, born Maxwell Fraser on June 14, 1957, was a British musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, and DJ, best known as the lead vocalist of the influential British electronic music band Faithless. His deep, resonant voice, philosophical lyrics, and charismatic stage presence became iconic in the world of electronic and dance music. Maxi Jazz was more than just a performer; he was a spiritual figure, an artist deeply rooted in mindfulness, and a human being who sought to inspire through his words and music. His career, which spanned several decades, left an…
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