Category: Obits

ROGER WILLIAMS (1924 - 2011)

10/11/2011

DECK THE HALLS/ROGER WILLIAMS (Christmas Time)

One of the legendary artists of instrumental Christmas music passed away Saturday, October 8. Roger Williams was 87.

Born Louis Weertz in Omaha, Nebraska, Roger Williams was the son of a Lutheran minister and a music teacher. Williams was something of a prodigy, first playing piano at the age of 3 and learning to play several other instruments proficiently by the age of 9. By the time he reached high school, Williams could play 13 different instruments and could play almost anything by ear. "I settled for what I liked best," Williams said, "the piano."

Williams served in the Navy during World War II and, afterward, attended Julliard in New York City. While there, Williams studied piano under Teddy Wilson. It was Wilson who urged Williams to compete on Arthur Godfrey's talent show in 1952, which Williams won.

The founder of Kapp records, David Kapp, heard Williams play and, signing him to his label in 1954, was determined to help the young pianist become a star. First up, Kapp insisted Louis Weertz change his name to Roger Williams.

Roger Williams' first records for Kapp were not the big sellers David Kapp had hoped for. Frankly, they didn't sell very well at all. But then came "Autumn Leaves". "Autumn Leaves" stormed up the charts in 1955--holding the number one position for a solid month. It remains the best selling piano record of all time.

After that, Williams was a star. His easy style and dynamic stage presence endeared his music to millions and inspired the careers of Richard Clayderman, Ronnie Aldrich, and many others.

Williams recorded well over 100 albums during his career, and hit the charts several more times, reaching the Top Ten for a second time with "Born Free" in 1966.

In March of this year, Williams announced on his web site that he'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and vowed to fight it. He performed his final concert a few days later. On Saturday, October 8, Williams lost his battle with the disease and died at his Los Angeles home.

Roger Williams took his first stab at Christmas music in 1956. The album "Roger Williams Plays Christmas Songs" was dedicated to his father and featured over 20 traditional Christmas songs and carols in solo piano or duet arrangements. The album failed to chart and, in spite of the festive cover art, is very rarely talked about in Christmas music collectors' circles.

Williams tried again in 1959 and, this time, struck the right Christmas note. "Christmas Time" became a classic of the season and an annual seller, reissued no fewer than 5 times by Kapp through the 60s and at least twice more by MCA in the seventies. "Christmas Time" was issued on CD in 1995, but is currently out-of-print.

Williams recorded one more Christmas album in 1981, "Golden Christmas". "Golden Christmas" is still in print (having been issued on CD as recently as 2006) and does feature the string accompaniment that made "Christmas Time" such a hit, but is generally considered inferior to its 1959 predecessor.

MIKEY WELSH (1971 - 2011)

A former bassist for the rock group Weezer, Mikey Welsh was found dead in a Chicago hotel room Saturday, October 8. Welsh was only 40 years old.

Born in Syracuse, New York, Welsh was a bassist for several local Boston bands, playing with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo in Cuomo's side project Homie. When original bassist Matt Sharp officially left Weezer in 1998, Welsh was given the position. This was during one of Weezer's least productive periods so, although Welsh wrote a number of songs for Weezer and recorded a number of tracks with the band in 1998 and 1999, the songs he wrote were never used and the tracks recorded went largely unreleased.

Weezer's "Green Album" is the one and only album featuring Mikey Welsh on bass. But Welsh also was the bass player on the fan-club issued Christmas EP (released on iTunes 5 years later as "Winter Weezerland").

Following the tour in support of the "Green Album", Welsh left Weezer in 2001. It was later disclosed that Welsh had suffered a mental breakdown culminating in a suicide attempt. Welsh ultimately turned to art though, on rare occasions, he would join Weezer on stage to jam on the song "Hash Pipe" or some other track from the "Green Album".

On September 26, Welsh had tweeted "dreamt i died in chicago next weekend (heart attack in my sleep). need to write my will today" causing many to suspect Mikey's death was a suicide. Police were awaiting autopsy and toxicology results. Foul play is not suspected.

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BERT JANSCH (1943 - 2011)

10/7/2011

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IN THE BLEAK MID-WINTER/BERT JANSCH (The River Sessions)

Photo by Sarah Lee for the UK Guardian

You may never have heard of Bert Jansch, but that would just make him the greatest guitar player you never heard. If you ever played guitar, you not only knew who Bert Jansch was, you studied him and hoped to learn from him, maybe even idolized him. Bert Jansch was one of the most influential guitarists of the modern age, having inspired everyone from Paul Simon to Neil Young to Jimmy Page. Young, in fact, has called Jansch the acoustic equivalent of Jimi Hendrix. Bert's guitar fell silent Wednesday when he finally succumbed to lung cancer at the age of 67.

Scottish born Herbert Jansch taught himself to play guitar as a young teen, listening to the records of Woody Guthrie and Blues masters like Big Bill Broonzy and Brownie McGhee. By the time he was proficient, his music was a fairly unique blend of British folk, Celtic, blues, jazz and classical. He played the local clubs in Edinburgh for a while before making his way to London.

Jansch recorded his eponymous debut album on a reel-to-reel tape deck. Released in 1965, "Bert Jansch", according to Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, "completely reinvented guitar playing and set a standard that is still unequaled today." Folk music was in vogue in the mid-60s and the album sold well. Donovan Leetch covered "Do You Hear Me Now?" and a young Jimmy Page listened with rapt attention.

Jansch quickly followed with "It Don't Bother Me" and, in 1966, "Jack Orion", the latter album containing "Blackwaterside", which Jimmy Page was to turn into "Black Mountain Side" for the first Led Zeppelin album.

Along the way, Jansch met up with and began playing with John Renbourn and, together, the two would found the UK's seminal Folk Rock band Pentangle--a staple of FM radio playlists throughout the 70s and 80s. Pentangle's fusion of rock, folk, jazz and classical elements was unique and innovative in its time and its like had only ever been seen then in Jansch's own solo work and that of Davey Graham, one of Jansch's influences.

In the 90s, Jansch was reclusive, performing in smaller clubs off and on. He occasionally toured when his health permitted, but Jansch, who was often seen playing in earlier decades with a cigarette dangling from his lips and who was known for hard drinking, was beset by a number of ailments. In particular, Bert spent most of 2009 in hospitals being treated for cancer. In 2010, Bert shined in the spotlight again, opening for Neil Young on a tour of the US and Canada. And, earlier this year, there was a one-off Pentangle reunion at London's Royal Albert Hall. More recently, Bert Jansch was living in hospice care in north London, where he died early Wednesday morning.

Bert's seasonal output, surprisingly, includes only a few tracks scattered among his extensive catalog. There are Bert's recordings of "In The Bleak Midwinter", one of which was released as a single in 1974. You'll find versions included on several of his albums, including "LA Turnaround" and "The River Sessions". And Bert's own composition, "Mary And Joseph" from "Santa Barbara Honeymoon", is an interesting piece transporting the nativity scene to the space age. Pentangle, on the other hand, recorded several carols and winter themed folk songs, most notably "The Cherry Tree Carol" and (a personal favorite) "Watch The Stars".

MARV TARPLIN (1941 - 2011)

Marvelous Marv Tarplin, an original member of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and the co-author of such hits as "The Tracks Of My Tears" and "Going To A Go-Go" as well as Robinson solo records "Cruisin'" and "Being With You", passed away September 30 at the age of 70. Cause of death was not immediately determined.

Tarplin was born in Atlanta and raised in Detroit where he picked up the guitar. Two members of The Primettes (later The Supremes), Mary Wilson and Flo Ballard, had attended high school with Tarplin and persuaded him to play guitar for them at their Motown audition. Tarplin hooked up with Smokey Robinson at Motown and became an original member of The Miracles. As the guitar player for the group, Tarplin was frequently out of the spotlight and was only included in pictures of the group on some of their early albums. But Tarplin was known around Motown as The Miracles "Secret Weapon". Tarplin stayed with the group until 1973 when he left to work with departed front man Smokey Robinson on his solo career. Tarplin remained with Smokey and toured with him until 2008 when he retired from the road.

Needless to say, Tarplin appeared on the Miracles 1963 Christmas album "Christmas With The Miracles" as well as 1970's "The Season For Miracles".

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WILLIE "BIG EYES" SMITH (1936 - 2011)

9/20/2011

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ONE DAY TILL CHRISTMAS/WILLIE "BIG EYES" SMITH (Santa's Got Mojo)

Blues legend Willie "Big Eyes" Smith played with Muddy Waters' band, with The Legendary Blues Band, and finally won a Grammy award of his own (having earlier appeared on Grammy winning efforts from Muddy) earlier this year at the age of 75. Willie died on the morning of September 16th following a stroke.

Born in Helena, Arkansas in 1936, Willie Smith moved to Chicago while still in his teens. In Chicago, he saw Muddy Waters play the Blues and instantly fell in love with the music, determining to make it his life.

Picking up the Blues harp, Willie formed a trio with drummer Clifton James. The trio did well, gigging around Chicago for a few years. Willie also picked up work playing harp for Bo Diddley, Arthur "Big Boy" Spires, and Johnny Shines. In 1957, Willie switched to drums and joined the Red Devil Trio. On occasion, Smith would sit in with Muddy Waters' band and, in 1961, Willie became Muddy's full-time drummer.

A few years later, the Blues fell out of favor and Willie found himself out of the music business...working in a restaurant, driving a cab, collecting welfare.

In 1968, as the Blues was enjoying a resurgence thanks to rock acts like the Rolling Stones and Cream, Willie went to see Muddy Waters play. Muddy immediately asked Willie to rejoin the band, and there he stayed until 1980, appearing on all of Muddy's Grammy winning albums.

Smith and several other long time members of Muddy Waters' band, including Pinetop Perkins, set out on their own in 1980 forming The Legendary Blues Band. The Legendary Blues Band recorded 7 albums between 1980 and 1993 and were nominated for several Grammys. Since the nature of the band was to feature each member, rotating lead and solo spots, Willie became quite adept as a Blues vocalist. So, in 1995, at the age of 59, Willie Smith began his solo career.

Recorded for Blind Pig Records and released in 1995, "Bag Full Of Blues" helped Willie win one of his 10 W.C. Handy Awards as best Blues drummer.

Willie finally won a Grammy of his own in February 2011, awarded for Best Traditional Blues album. "Joined At The Hip" featured Willie and Pinetop Perkins, who passed away earlier this year. Also on the album was Willie's son Kenny Smith, who played drums on the set.

Willie "Big Eyes" Smith wrote the song "One Day Till Christmas", which he recorded with the Legendary Blues Band for the collection "Ichiban Blues At Christmas, Volume 2", released in 1992. A decade later, Willie performed the song under his own name for Electro-Fi's "Santa's Got Mojo".

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BILLY GRAMMER (1925 - 2011)

8/14/2011

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The best epitaph for Billy Grammer can be found in the liner notes of one of his albums: "[H]e is a better man than he is a musician, and that's saying something." (Fred Foster, President, Monument Records). Billy died in the early hours of August 10, eighteen days shy of his 86th birthday.

Billy Grammer was born on an Illinois farm in 1925, the oldest of 13 children. Music was often the glue that held poor farming families together and so it was with Billy's. His father played the fiddle. Billy picked up the guitar and learned to play his first song at the age of 4. It soon became clear that Grammer had a musician's ear and a natural rhythm. Throughout his youth, Billy was called upon often to play square dances and other occasions. After graduation, he served in WWII in the army and, later, worked at the Washington Naval gun factory. When the war ended, Billy and pretty much everyone else at the factory were laid off.

Grammer eventually managed to score a position with Connie B. Gay, a country disc jockey and promoter in Virginia. This was Billy's entre into the music business. In addition to singing and playing on the radio, he also got to work with such Opry favorites as Grandpa Jones, T. Texas Tyler, and Clyde Moody. Grammer cut a few sides for the Plaza record label in 1949, but the records didn't sell all that well. A few years later, he was signed to be part of the band for Jimmy Dean's television show.

When the show ended, Billy put together his own band. At about the same time, a young songwriter and ABC Records promotion man named Fred Foster was sinking his life savings into a new record label. The very first record on the new Monument imprint was Billy Grammer's "Gotta Travel On" in 1958. The record scored a hat trick, reaching number 4 on the Pop charts, number 5 Country, and even climbing to number 14 on the R&B charts.

Grammer never matched the success of that first hit single. Still, he did produce a few memorable singles such as "Bonaparte's Retreat", "I Wanna Go Home" and "Jesus Is A Soul Man". Billy's albums display a far greater range of talent, from inspired Gospel singing to some of the most skillful guitar playing this side of Chet Atkins. In his time, Billy Grammer was something of a rarity--a singer who was also a great guitar player. He even designed and marketed his own line of flat-top guitars. The Grammer Guitar was considered the finest flat-top guitar of its time and was played by artists ranging from Johnny Cash to Rolling Stone Mick Taylor. Billy's most recently released recording was "Turkey Texas Blues", an original song he wrote for the Bob Wills' 100th Anniversary tribute album released in 2005.

Outside of a couple of post-fame releases from 1985 and 2000 and a Greatest Hits collection, Billy Grammer's recorded legacy remains unavailable digitally or on CD. That includes Billy's contribution to the holiday season, 1977's "Christmas Guitars".

JANI LANE (1964 - 2011)

Jani Lane, the former lead singer of 90s Hair Metal band Warrant and author of their biggest hit single "Cherry Pie", was found dead in a California hotel room on August 11. Cause of death was not immediately known and preliminary autopsy reports were inconclusive. However, Lane's older sister believes Jani lost his ten year battle with alcoholism and TMZ reported that prescription drugs and a half-empty bottle of vodka were found in the singer's room. Lane was 47 years old.

Warrant was formed in Los Angeles in 1984 and Lane joined the group in 1986. Their style was typical of the L.A. Hair Metal bands of the day, but they were good enough to get signed by Columbia records in 1988. Their debut album "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich" was hugely successful and included the power ballad "Heaven" which rose all the way to #2 on Billboard's Hot 100. The band's next effort, "Cherry Pie", sold huge numbers with the help of a suggestive MTV video. However, the MTV video proved to be a double-edged sword as many began to view Warrant as something of a novelty act. Lane soon left the band, though he rejoined it shortly (only to leave again later), and that set off a cascade of membership changes. Toss the beginning of the Grunge movement into the mix and Warrant was soon commercially irrelevant. More recently, Lane was working on a solo career and a side project called Saints of The Underground that included the 2008 release "Love The Sin Hate The Sinner". He was also battling his personal demons as demonstrated by a string of DUI arrests in recent years.

Jani Lane did provide the vocals for Warrant's lone contribution to the festive season, a rendering of the Kinks' "Father Christmas" which was included on the 2003 collection "We Wish You A Hairy Christmas".

MARSHALL GRANT (1928 - 2011)

photo by Nancy Jacobs

The last half of Johnny Cash's original backing band The Tennessee Two passed on August 7. The cause of death was reported to be an aneurism. Marshall Grant was 83 years old.

Marshall Grant was Cash's original bass player, providing the distinctive "boom chicka boom" backing to hits like "Ring Of Fire" and "I Walk The Line". In spite of arguments over Cash's drug use and money issues that led to Grant being fired in 1980, the two men were close and Grant was helping to put on the Johnny Cash Festival (raising money to restore and preserve the Cash family home) at the time of his death. After leaving Cash's band, Grant went on to manage the Statler Brothers until they retired in 2002. Luther Perkins, the other half of The Tennessee Two, died in 1968.

Grant's memoir, I Was There When It Happened: My Life With Johnny Cash, was published 1n 2006.

MILDRED DEL RUBIO (1921 - 2011)

Milly Del Rubio, the last surviving member of The Del Rubio Triplets, died of respiratory failure following a bout with pneumonia on July 21. She was 89.

They were born the Ward triplets in the Panama Canal Zone and raised in Washington DC. "Even though we didn't have any talent," Milly told People magazine in 1988, "we knew we wanted to be in show business." So they bought guitars, dyed their hair blond and renamed themselves the Del Rubio Triplets. To hear them tell it, they spent the next several years working clubs overseas. They briefly stopped performing after their mother died, but eventually the bug got them once again and they began performing in hospitals and such in the seventies. By 1979, they were working lounges and clubs again and, in 1985, they were "discovered" by songwriter Allee Willis who began presenting them at her parties.

The Del Rubio Triplets found their success late in life. But, for about ten years, they were very much in demand, appearing on countless television shows and selling their share of albums. Their "act" was a little bizarre--three women in their sixties wearing short skirts and singing everything from Nat King Cole to the Rolling Stones--but they were so utterly charming that most everyone found them irresistible.

After Eadie died in 1996, the Del Rubios ceased performing. As Willis noted, "They always said to me that they were one person with three heads and that was completely true. They were completely dysfunctional without the other." When Elena died in 2001, Milly was left alone and she never completely recovered from the loss of her sisters.

Although their biggest "hit" was a cover of Devo's "Whip It", the Del Rubio Triplets may best be remembered for their appearance on Pee Wee Herman's Christmas special in 1988. A full album of Christmas songs, "Jingle Belles", followed in 1991.

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DAN PEEK (1950 - 2011)

7/27/2011

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THE STAR/DAN PEEK (On This Christmas Night)

We lost yet another past master of Classic Rock on Sunday when Dan Peek passed away at the age of 60. The cause of death was not immediately available.

Born in Florida, Dan Peek was the son of an American father and British mother. Like the other founding members of the group America, Dewey Bunnell and Gary Beckley, Peek's father was in the military and stationed at an Air Force base in London in the mid-60s. The trio met at London Central High School--three military brats playing music and having fun. The three officially formed America in 1970 when they were just out of high school. They dubbed themselves America and began exploring an acoustic rock sound centered on close harmonies in the vein of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young who were among the hottest acts going at the time.

America's debut album, recorded in London in 1971, was modestly successful but far from a breakout smash. The group returned to the studio to lay down a few more songs, one of which would become "A Horse With No Name". "A Horse With No Name" took hold, becoming a worldwide hit. America's debut album was rereleased with the addition of the million selling single and quickly went platinum. America's follow up, "Homecoming", containing the Top Ten single "Ventura Highway", also went platinum.

Although all 3 wrote for the group and alternated lead vocals, Peek is most closely associated with "Lonely People", a Top 5 single from 1974, that he wrote with his wife Catherine shortly after their wedding. The couple were still married at the time of Dan's death.

In 1977, Dan felt burned out from the road and from drug use and left America to take his life in a different direction. Peek turned to Christianity and his music took a turn to the spiritual. He signed with Pat Boone's Lamb & Lion label and his first solo release, 1979's "All Things Are Possible", spent 13 weeks atop the Contemporary Christian charts. After a decade of hits, major and minor, on the Christian charts, Peek went into semi-retirement in Florida, occasionally releasing digital music through his web site. He never reunited with Beckley and Bunnell, though there was no animosity between them...it just wasn't in the cards.

America's Christmas album was recorded decades after Peek had left the group, but he, in fact, beat America to a Christmas record--writing and recording "The Star" for the 1979 MCA album "On This Christmas Night". In 2000, Peek returned to the Christmas theme with an instrumental steel drum album, "Caribbean Christmas". And my mind keeps telling me that he turns up on another Christian Christmas record somewhere, but I can't find any reference to such a thing anywhere.

BILL MORRISSEY (1951 - 2011)

photo by Herve Oudet

A truly American voice, Bill Morrissey, is gone. The singer and songwriter passed away over the weekend in a Georgia motel room where he was staying, a final stop before heading home to New Hampshire following a series of concert dates in the south. The autopsy listed heart disease as the cause of death. Bill Morrissey was 59.

Bill Morrissey was born in Connecticut, but found a home in New Hampshire which served as something of a muse for him, as he wrote song after song about small town New England life. He released ten albums during his lifetime (not counting his "Essential Collection"), two of which were nominated for Grammy Awards. Morrissey's music explored the larger themes of life and love through small slices of American life. His songs and stories were filled with the humor and heartbreak of the human condition. His attention to detail was uncanny.

Among the songs most loved by his fans are "Small Town On The River" (about what happens to a small town when the mill closes), "Off White" (a proposal to his wife, companion, and manager), "Last Day Of The Last Furlough", and, for humor with a side of hopeful irony, "Letter From Heaven" from the 1993 album "Night Train".

“And me, I couldn’t be happier
The service here is fine
They’ve got dinner ready at half-past nine
And I’m going steady with Patsy Cline
And just last night in a bar room
I bought Robert Johnson a beer
Yeah, I know, everybody’s always surprised to find him here
It’s a great life in heaven
It’s better than the Bible said
It’s a great life here in heaven
It’s a great life when you’re dead.”

It's a shame there's no Christmas music in Bill's discography, though he did record a few songs with winter settings. One of those (as it happens) is my absolute favorite Bill Morrissey song. Also from the album "Night Train", here is "Birches":

JOE ARROYO (1955 - 2011)

Singer, songwriter and Salsa icon Joe Arroyo died Tuesday, July 26, after suffering multiple organ failure. He was 56. Alvaro José Arroyo Gonzalez was born in Cartagena, Columbia in 1955 in a poor family, one of at least 39 children (siblings and half-siblings). Joe Arroyo went on to become "Chonero de la Salsa" (which I believe means "Salsa Master", but don't quote me). Arroyo was originally discovered by a local piano teacher who spotted him in a local choir. His "big break" came in 1971 when he joined Fruko y sus Tesos, a group that was soon to become Columbia's most popular Salsa band. After a brief stint with another Columbian Salsa band, The Latin Brothers, Joe struck out on his own in 1981, fronting a band he named La Verdad ("the truth"). Exploring and mixing various Caribbean music--Soca, Zouk, African Diaspora, etc.--Joe essentially created his own unique sound and style (called "joeson"). Among his many recordings, "Rebelión (No Le Pegue A La Negra)" is considered among the greatest Salsa songs ever. Joe Arroyo will be posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Latin Grammys this November.

I am completely unfamiliar with Mr. Arroyo's discography. However, the Christmas recording that seems to turn up frequently is "El Nino Dios", available on several compilations including "20 Exitos de Diciembre y Navidad".

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AMY WINEHOUSE (1983 - 2011)

7/23/2011

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The Guardian UK is reporting that singer Amy Winehouse, just 27 years old, was found dead in her London apartment this afternoon.

Winehouse rose to prominence with her heavily jazz and R&B influenced roots music. Her 2003 debut, "Frank", was well received by critics, but it was her 2006 CD, "Back To Black" that earned Winehouse 5 Grammy Awards--including Best New Artist and Record Of The Year.

Following the success of "Back To Black", however, Winehouse experienced a string of difficulties with drugs and alcohol, her health, and the law. Winehouse had only recently reemerged and was performing again but, following a June concert in which she was booed heavily, Winehouse cancelled the remainder of her European tour.

Winehouse was said to be preparing material for her follow up album and, most recently, was selected by Tony Bennett to record a track with him for his upcoming "Duets II" CD, expected to be released in September.

Winehouse had often spoken about recording a Christmas album, however the only holiday track we have from her was taken from a television show performance a few years back. Amy's take on "I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus" was included on the 2008 Dutch collection "The Best Of Christmas".

Here is a fan video/slideshow of Amy's Christmas song.

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JOE LEE WILSON (1935 - 2011)

7/20/2011

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photo by Dave Redfern

One of the world's great Jazz singers, Joe Lee Wilson, passed away Sunday at the age of 75. Wilson sang very much in the tradition of late Jazz legend Joe Williams, though he didn't achieve the same level of fame. Wilson recorded as part of sax man Archie Shepp's band and then as leader of his own groups, Plus Five and Joy of Jazz. Wilson's discography isn't long, but what there is is choice.

Wilson never recorded any holiday music, as far as I can determine. Probably the closest thing to a Christmas record would be the song "Thoughts Of The Season"--a Gospel tinged praise selection that appears on the 2001 album "Feelin' Good".

The clip above is from November 2010 on the occasion of Joe Lee's induction into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

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ROB GRILL (1943 - 2011)

7/13/2011

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ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE/THE GRASS ROOTS (20 Christmas Stars, Vol. 3)

Without a doubt, one of the most memorable songs of my childhood was "Midnight Confessions" by The Grass Roots. The hook from that rockin' pop confection, as well as the insistent driving organ intro to "I'd Wait A Million Years", remain a near daily part of the soundtrack in my mind. Rob Grill, the lead vocalist on those late sixties gems, passed away Monday at the age of 67. Rob had been in a coma for several weeks after suffering a stroke and injuring his head in a fall last month in Northern California.

Rob Grill was born in Los Angeles and attended California State University with intentions of a career in the legal profession. Taking a part-time job at a recording studio, however, Grill decided upon a musical career.

The Grass Roots were the studio creation of Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan. When a recording of "Where Were You When I Needed You" began to get some airplay, the shopping for a real band to front the single began. Barri and Sloan recruited first the Bedouins and then the 13th Floor to play the part. Just as the 13th Floor was about to become the Grass Roots, one of their number was drafted and Rob Grill was tapped as the replacement.

From 1967 to 1972, the Grass Roots were a hit making machine, setting a Billboard record for "chart presence" with 302 consecutive weeks on the singles charts. "Midnight Confessions" was the group's highest charting single--reaching number 5. Other memorable hits included "Let's Live For Today", "Temptation Eyes", "Two Divided By Love", "Sooner Or Later" and "Heaven Knows". A couple of my personal favorites--"The River Is Wide" and "Love Is What You Make It"-- fared less well, though they did chart. What I loved about the Grass Roots was that you could toss on an album of their's and be consistently entertained by great pop tunes--never a clunker or filler imho (at least until the band's 1975 swan song LP).

Ironically, the band's very success played a part in their demise. At the start, the Grass Roots enjoyed popularity with fans of Folk, Rock and Pop. But the group was so popular with fans of the bubblegum dominated Top 40 charts, that it simply became "uncool" for fans of "serious" music to like them. Toss in the beginnings of the disco era and one of the most dominant chart acts of the era suddenly seemed dated and out-of-place.

When the Grass Roots dissolved, Rob released a solo album, 1979's "Uprooted", and then quite literally went fishing.

The oldies revival brought the Grass Roots out of retirement and Rob has spent quite a bit of the last 30 years on the road--the one man who had spanned almost the entire history of the group. Grill suffered from a painful degenerative bone disorder for years and, following the 2008 release of the most recent Grass Roots album, "Live Gold", he removed himself from the regular line-up, although he still made "special appearances" with the group.

The Grass Roots' era fits snugly in that time when few acts were recording Christmas music. They did give a nod to the holiday season in 1971 when they recorded an entry in the Christmas Seals Campaign series; no Christmas songs, but I'd love to hear it if anyone has a copy. The Grass Roots' lone issued Christmas song, so far as I know, is their version of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" included on the charity collection "20 Christmas Stars, Vol. 3" (which carries a 2001 release date on Amazon). Though I've included it above, it really doesn't capture, in any way, the magic of the band I grew up listening to. And, for that reason, we close with a medley of some of their biggest hits from a 1970 television appearance.

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CLARENCE CLEMONS (1942 - 2011)

6/20/2011

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Auld Lang Syne/Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (unreleased live recording)

King of the World, Master of Disaster...Clarence Clemons had many identities. But he was best known as The Big Man--an apt moniker for the 6 foot 5 inch 270 pound behemoth who found his place in the world as a sideman for one of history's most legendary rockers--Bruce Springsteen. His sound on the saxophone was every bit as big as he was and, helping define (as it did) the sound of the Jersey Shore, perhaps even bigger. Clarence Clemons passed away Saturday, June 18, following a stroke suffered a week earlier. He was 69 years old.

Clarence Clemons was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1942, the first of three children born to the owner of a fish market. At the age of 9, Clarence asked his parents for a set of electric trains for Christmas. Instead, his father presented him with a saxophone. Clarence was expected to practice every day in the back room of the market, where he helped his father, while the other kids were playing outside and he pretty much hated it. That changed when, at age 18, Clarence first heard King Curtis.

Clarence was recruited by a New Jersey band known as Tyrone Ashley's Funky Music Machine for a few recording sessions and, while attending Maryland State College, worked with the Vibrations, a James Brown cover band. One day, Clarence got a flat tire in front of a New Jersey club and needed to use the phone. Playing the club was a rock band, Norman Seldin & The Joyful Noyze. Clarence, who had long been more interested in playing rock than R&B, asked if he could sit in and, after playing with the Big Man, Seldin hired him on the spot. It's worth mentioning that the music scene was still largely segregated in the late 60s and early 70s. And Seldin lost a lot of work for having a black man in his band but refused to succumb.

The story of how Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons first met has become the stuff of legends, but both men swear it happened pretty much as advertised. The Joyful Noyze was playing a matinee at an Asbury Park club, The Wonder Bar, early in September 1971. Vocalist Karen Cassidy was friends with Bruce Springsteen who, on this night, was playing three blocks away at The Student Prince, and she told Clarence he "had to" go hear him play.

It was a stormy night in Asbury Park. A strong nor'easter was blowing in. Heavy winds, vertical rain, vivid lightning. Clarence opened the door to The Student Prince and the wind literally ripped the door off its hinges and sent it blowing off down the street. Springsteen saw a huge silhouette of a man carrying a saxophone in the doorway, lightning flashing behind him; it was like a panel from a graphic novel. Clemons walked up to Bruce and said, "I want to play with you." Springsteen said, "Hey, you can do anything you want. Take a couple of background singers, anything." The two said they knew instantly that this was rock and roll magic, a pairing that was meant to be. Clarence stayed on with Seldin for another year, but also was recording with Springsteen as Bruce put together his Columbia debut, "Greetings From Asbury Park". Then, deciding this was definitely it, Clarence left his day job and Seldin's band to work full time with Springsteen, earning about $15 a week at the start.

In all, Clarence played on more than 20 albums with Springsteen. He also turned in several solo efforts and scored a Top Twenty single with Jackson Browne in 1985-86, "You're A Friend of Mine". During Bruce's nearly decade long break from the E Street Band, Clarence played with Ringo Starr & His All Star Band, did a few TV spots and turned up in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. In addition to Jackson Browne and Ringo Starr, Clarence appeared on records from a wide range of artists, most notably Aretha Franklin, Narada Michael Walden, Todd Rundgren, and Roy Orbison. Most recently, Clemons brought his distinctive saxophone to a pair of tracks for Lady Gaga's new album, including the latest single "The Edge of Glory". Clarence has a prominent role in the song's video and appeared with Gaga on the "American Idol" season finale last month. As for Christmas music, who isn't already familiar with Springsteen's renditions of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (wherein Clarence gets to play that other Big Man) and "Merry Christmas Baby". And last year's "The Promise" DVD included a video of "Blue Christmas". Additionally, there are tons of live Christmas performances from Bruce and the E Street Band that have turned up on equally countless bootlegs. (Surely, Sony Records, there's an album's worth within your vaults. Just sayin'.)

Clarence Clemons had gone through a number of health issues over the years, as many big men do. He experienced chronic back pains and both of his knees were replaced in 2009. But he never let his health issues keep him off the stage. "It's amazing what the stage can do for you," Clemons told PopDose in 2009, near the end of a long tour with Bruce. "It heals me, that time up on the stage."

Upon news of the Big Man's death, Bruce Springsteen released the following statement: "Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable..."

In 1981, Clarence opened a club in Red Bank, New Jersey called Big Man's West. The club only lasted about a year and a half. I never saw either Bruce or Clarence play there, on the three or four nights I was at Big Man's West. But I did meet Clemons on one occasion when he was doing the meet and greet thing. Just a handshake and smile is all. But the man radiated warmth and sincerity. Clarence made everyone at his club that night feel special and important; that's a gift. Among the online tributes, I saw one comment from someone who claimed to be a sax player saying Clarence was pretentious and not a very good sax player. Anyone who says Clarence was pretentious clearly never met the man. Anyone who says Clarence wasn't a very good sax player either never heard "Born To Run", "Tenth Avenue Freezeout", "Jungleland", etc. or doesn't understand the first thing about great rock and roll.

Perhaps the best epitaph for Clarence Clemons came from the Big Man himself. Speaking to the Associated Press last year, Clarence said, "Somebody said to me, 'Whenever somebody says your name, a smile comes to their face.' That's a great accolade. I strive to keep it that way."

LARRY "WILD MAN" FISCHER (1944 - 2011)

Intending no offense to anyone, I can't help but offer the transitional "from the sublime to the ridiculous" here.

The godfather of DIY/outsider music, a favorite of Doctor Demento, certified paranoid schizophrenic and acid casualty, prolific songwriter and street singer, and the first artist to record for Rhino Records--just some of the credits of Larry "Wild Man" Fischer, who passed away of heart failure at the age of 66 on June 15.

Born in Los Angeles, California in 1944, Lawrence Wayne Fischer began singing and writing his, er, unique songs in his mid-teens. His mother had him committed to Camarillo State Hospital, a mental institution, after he allegedly attacked her with a knife. Once released, Fischer wandered the streets of LA singing whatever tunes came out of his head. On occasion, Fischer would turn up at talent shows.

Solomon Burke was the first to take Larry seriously. It was Burke who dubbed Fischer "Wild Man" and he took his discovery on tour with him. Later on, after another involuntary commitment to Camarillo, it was Frank Zappa who took an interest. Zappa produced the 2 record set "An Evening With Wild Man Fischer", still unavailable on CD. Fischer's relationship with Zappa ended poorly and Larry once again found himself on the streets of LA, offering to sing a "different kind of song" to anyone who would give him ten cents.

Larry took up a regular "residence" in front of the Rhino Records store in 1975 and the shop owners thought it might be worthwhile to have the Wild Man record a theme song for their shop. "Go To Rhino Records" proved to be so popular, it ultimately led to the launch of the Rhino label. For their first album release, Rhino naturally turned to Fischer again, who recorded "Wildmania". In its initial release, "Wildmania" sold 5,000 copies..."which", Rhino's Richard Foos recalls, "gave us enough money to release the next album." Fischer recorded two more albums for Rhino and, save the odd track here and there, that was the extent of his recording career.

In 1999, Rhino Handmade released a box set containing all of Wild Man's Rhino recordings, including his duet with Rosemary Clooney, "It's A Hard Business". From time to time, Wild Man would resurface for a performance or two. Fischer appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2004 and, in 2005, the documentary Derailroaded was released. An album of "rarities", "Lost And Found Pep", was independently released in 2008.

Wild Man's contribution to the holiday season was a 25 second ditty that is virtually impossible to dislodge from your brain once you've heard it. "I'm A Christmas Tree" appears on the 1981 album, "Pronounced Normal". A slightly longer version (1:13)--a duet with Doctor Demento--was included on the Doctor's "Christmas Novelty" CD and is also included on "Lost And Found Pep".

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ANOTHER ROUND OF OBITUARIES

6/15/2011

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I've again been neglecting our tributes to the fallen. Apologies all around. By the way, you'll note (scrolling down) that I've gone through and properly tagged all of our front page posts. So if you ever feel the need to call up all of our posts on singles or all of our obituaries, for example, it should be much easier now. Without further ado...

GIL SCOTT HERON (1949 - 2011)

If legendary Blues man Robert Johnson had been born in 1949, he’d have sounded a whole lot like Gil Scott-Heron. Gil Scott-Heron died Friday, May 27, at the age of 62, “but the bitter truth lives on”.

Gil Scott-Heron was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1949, but was sent by his parents to Tennessee to be raised by his maternal grandmother. When Lillie Scott passed away, the 13 year old Gil moved to New York City with his mother. Even at this age, Scott-Heron’s writings were impressive enough to earn him a full scholarship to the private Fieldstone School. Gil then attended Lincoln University, though he left after two years to focus on writing. After a pair of beat novels and a book of poetry, Gil teamed with Brian Jackson, whom he’d met at Lincoln, to put some of his poetry to music.

It was late 1969, early 1970. A turbulent time, both exciting and tragic. The Civil Rights movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King. The Viet Nam War, The Sexual Revolution, Woodstock and the assassination of Robert Kennedy. Man on the Moon and Nixon in the White House. “Small Talk At 125th and Lenox”, Scott-Heron’s debut album, captured all of this brilliantly. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, “Evolution (And Flashback)”, “Whitey On The Moon”, and “Who’ll Pay Reparations On My Soul?" were just some of the unforgettable tracks on that first album.

“Pieces Of A Man” followed in 1971, featuring Scott-Heron classics “Home Is Where The Hatred Is”, “I Think I’ll Call It Morning” and the title track, “Pieces Of A Man”.

I saw my daddy greet the mailman
And I heard the mailman say
“Now don’t you take this letter to heart now Jimmy
Cause they’ve laid off nine others today”
He didn’t know what he was saying
He could hardly understand
That he was only talking to
Pieces of a man
I saw the thunder and heard the lightning
And felt the burden of his shame
And for some unknown reason
He never turned my way

In spite of a reprise of “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”, “Pieces Of A Man” was a far less political album than its predecessor, focusing instead on very personal reflections on every day living—both the good and the bad. As the years have passed, “Pieces Of A Man” has been recognized as one of the most "essential" albums of all time and a foundation for what would become Rap and Hip Hop. The album has been sampled by everyone from Salt-N-Pepa to Kanye West.

1972 saw the release of “Free Will”, which returned to political and societal themes with pieces like “The Get Out Of The Ghetto Blues” and “No Knock”. There were two Scott-Heron releases in 1974, a compilation album and the incredible “Winter In America”. Considered by many to be Scott-Heron’s best and most cohesive effort, "Winter In America" featured a Top 15 R&B single, “The Bottle”, and an ode to the most famous scandal of the day, “H2Ogate Blues”. The song "Winter In America", however, would not appear until Scott-Heron's next album "The First Minute Of A New Day". As Scott-Heron tells the story, Peggy Harris had created the gatefold collage. "Every time we saw her she said the same thing: 'There just ought to be a song called 'Winter In America'.' Even after the album was out and we were working on another one she said the same thing. 'There ought to be...' She was right. So I wrote the song 'Winter In America' that shows up on an album called The First Minute Of A New Day. Some folks believed we did that on purpose. Nope. Mrs. Harris made us do it."

"The First Minute Of A New Day" was Scott-Heron's first for a major label (Arista), featured The Midnight Band, and became a must-own piece of vinyl on college campuses across America. With pieces ranging from "Guerilla", "Ain't No Such Thing As Superman", and "Pardon Our Analysis", the album became not only a tremendous critical success but also a strong seller, charting on the R&B and Pop album charts and rising to number 5 on the Jazz album charts.

The song "Johnannesburg" led off and carried Scott-Heron's next album, "From South Africa To South Carolina" and the double-LP "It's Your World" (featuring "Bicentennial Blues" and a 13 minute live jam on "The Bottle") kept Gil high on critic's lists, though sales for the artist were leveling off. 1977's "Bridges" was a huge favorite among fans and featured the now iconic anti-nuke anthem "We Almost Lost Detroit", but failed to find a wider audience. A couple of my favorites, "Secrets" and "1980", were also modest sellers and the critics were unimpressed. After three more albums, Arista dropped Scott-Heron. He continued touring, for a while, and then became something of a recluse. There would be only 2 more studio albums from Gil Scott-Heron from 1985 to his death this year, but they are two well worth the journey. 1994's "Spirits" is a jazz tour de force, while "I'm New Here", released in 2010, is a powerful epitaph for a giant of a man. An interview with Gil, featuring intimate performances of his music, was filmed in 2010 and is expected to be released some time later this year.

Often credited as "The Godfather of Rap", Gil Scott-Heron said bluntly, "I don't know if I can take the blame for it." Scott-Heron did admit to listening to rap music, because "I have kids... But I would not say its aimed at me. I listen to the jazz station."

Gil Scott-Heron never recorded a Christmas or holiday effort, though some of his pieces work very well in the proper context and I have used "Winter In America" in a mix, here and there. He was a major influence on my musical taste and I dig the man's life philosophy as well. "If someone comes to you and asks for help and you can help them, you're supposed to help them. Why wouldn't you?"

CARL GARDNER (1928-2011)

Following a long battle with dementia, the last original member of the Coasters died of congestive heart failure on June 12. Carl Gardner was 83.

Born in Tyler, Texas in 1928, Gardner's family was poor and Texas, in those days, was largely segregated. Gardner remembered Tyler as "its own special kind of hell." Singing from the age of 5, Gardner couldn't wait to leave that Texas town. Gardner believed he was destined to be a singer. Following a short stint in the Army, Carl traveled to California in search of his dream, leaving a wife and baby daughter behind.

In California, Gardner joined up with Bobby Nunn to form the heart of the R&B group The Robins. The Robins recorded for Spark Records, a label founded by the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. For the Robins, Leiber & Stoller wrote such classics as "Riot In Cellblock #9", "Framed" and "Smokey Joe's Cafe". "Smokey Joe's Cafe" sold well enough to get Leiber & Stoller a deal with Atlantic records and they convinced Gardner and Nunn to come with them. Gardner and Nunn officially formed The Coasters in 1955.

The witty and gritty lyrics of Leiber and Stoller and the talent and showmanship of Gardner and Dunn was a match made in rock and roll heaven. Though Nunn left the group when Leiber, Stoller and Gardner relocated to New York, the Coasters (with Gardner as lead vocalist) had a string of hits as memorable today as when they were originally released--"Yakety Yak", "Youngblood", "Poison Ivy", "Along Came Jones" and the iconic "Charlie Brown" to name a few. Dubbed "The Clown Princes of Rock and Roll", the Coasters were equally adept when they put their talents behind more standard fare such as "Besame Mucho" and "Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart". When the hits stopped coming and Leiber & Stoller left Atlantic/Atco in the mid-60s, the Coasters went right on singing. Through every membership change, Carl Gardner remained the group's lead vocalist until 2005 when illness forced his retirement. Gardner was replaced in the group by his son, Carl Gardner, Jr.

The Coasters were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Gardner became a strong advocate for legislation protecting groups from having their identities appropriated by bogus copy cat outfits; at one time, there were several groups performing under the name of "The Coasters" even though Gardner owned the rights. "I started the group," said Gardner, "I'll be damned if I'm gonna let someone steal it from me."

The Coasters finally recorded a Christmas song in 1993. Their version of "Frosty The Snowman" appeared on the out-of-print CD "Rock & Roll Christmas" on the I-Spirit label that year and is currently available as a download through Amazon MP3 and other digital outlets. The Robins 1950 Christmas record (released as by the Nic Nacs), "Gonna Have A Merry Christmas", was recorded before Gardner joined that group.

ANDREW GOLD (1951 - 2011)

Composer, performer and producer Andrew Gold died of a heart attack on June 3 at the age of 59. The son of singer Marni Nixon and Oscar winning composer Ernest Gold, Andrew will likely best be remembered for his Top Ten smash "Lonely Boy" from 1977. Gold also charted with "Thank You For Being A Friend" and "Never Let Her Go" and did well internationally with "Bridge To Your Heart", a song written and recorded with Graham Gouldman.

Gold was an accomplished player of multiple instruments and is featured on the records of Linda Ronstadt, Art Garfunkle, Eric Carmen, 10 cc, and Jackson Browne, among others. Gold wrote hits for Trisha Yearwood, Leo Sayer, Wynonna Judd and Celine Dion, to name a few. Gold was also a successful producer, arranger and engineer. He frequently worked with Stephen Bishop as well and managed to record with all of the former Beatles except George Harrison.

Gold's music of holiday interest begins with the 1996 album "Halloween Howls". It's said to be a favorite of Doctor Demento and, though it clearly caters to the children's market, it's spooky holiday fun for kids of all ages. In 2001, Gold produced a children's Christmas album, "Sugar Beats Christmas". And, in 2008, Gold finally got around to recording a pair of Christmas tracks as a digital single, John Lennon's "Happy Xmas" and the Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick". "Happy Xmas" found its way to hard copy CD that same year as part of "Santa's Rock N Roll Christmas Party".

RAY BRYANT (1931 - 2011)

A giant of Jazz piano, Ray Bryant passed away on June 2 following a long illness. Bryant was 79.

Ray Bryant was born in Philadelphia and, as a young man, played the jazz clubs with his brother Tommy on bass. The Bryant brothers became regulars at Philly's Blue Note, a stopping point for all the top jazz names of the era. Bryant impressed visiting artists sufficiently that he soon had plenty of work as a sideman with artists like Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and Milt Jackson. By 1955, his name shared billing with a legendary singer on the album "Meet Betty Carter and Ray Bryant". After that, Bryant fronted his own unit, The Ray Bryant Trio, which recorded brilliant jazz for decades. Hardcore jazz fans favor Ray's solo piano work.

Bryant was noted for bringing sophistication to be-bop and simmering liberally in blues and gospel. Songs such as "Blues Changes" have been tremendously influential in the genre and beyond. Many of his best tracks were completely improvised, with no sheet music or lead sheet to follow. Ray scored a Top 40 hit in 1960 with the novelty "The Madison Time" and his version of "Ode To Billie Joe" also charted in 1967.

Bryant performed several Christmas songs for NPR's long running Jazz Piano Christmas series, two of which ("God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine") were included on the out-of-print album of the same name. Ray's solo take on "Greensleeves" from the album "Alone At Montreaux" is readily available as a download through Amazon MP3.

BUDDY GASK (1948 - 2011)

William Buddy Gask died June 7, following an extended illness. Gask was an original member and vocalist with the British pop group Showaddywaddy who scored a Christmas smash in 1974 with "Hey Mr. Christmas". Formed in 1973, Showaddywaddy was a large sprawling band, a bit like ShaNaNa and, while Buddy handled vocals for the band's first hit record, "Hey Rock And Roll", it was Dave Bartram fronting the Christmas single. Gask was known for his Elvis Presley vocal delivery, flashy style, and sense of humor. He was also known for his hard drinking and his personality clashes with the rest of the group.

Buddy Gask left Showaddywaddy in 1987. He was "fired" when his drinking and clashes with the other members became too much for the rest of the band. Guitarist Russ Fields was also tossed for similar reasons. Gask's ongoing difficulties with alcohol took a substantial toll on his health and, in 2005, he retired to Spain where he lived the rest of his days in poor health.

ALYS ROBI (1923 - 2011)

Born Alice Robitaille in Quebec City, Canada, Alys Robi passed away May 28 at the age of 88.

The actress and singer performed in the theatrical cabaret style I most associate with Edith Piaf. Robi built her stardom in the forties by bringing Latin rhythms to North America and translating the songs to French. Robi wrote two autobiographies and the biographical film Bittersweet Memories was released in 2004.

I'm completely unfamiliar with the music of Alys Robi, but a simple search on Amazon did turn up one Christmas track, "C'est Noel Dans Mon Village".

DAVID "FRANKIE" TOLER (1951 - 2011)

59 year old David "Frankie" Toler died on Saturday, June 4, following a lengthy illness after a pair of liver transplants in 2009. Toler provided the back beat for bands like The Allman Brothers, Gregg Allman, and the Marshall Tucker Band and those who played with him unabashedly call Toler "one of the best rock n roll drummers in the world".

Toler's health had been in decline for a number of years, which kept him from performing or recording extensively in recent times. He does not appear on any holiday records that I'm aware of, but played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of one of rock's greatest eras.

Other notable deaths during the last few weeks include the following:

Legendary R&B singer Benny Spellman passed away on June 3, following a long illness. He was 79. Spellman, who was a member of Huey Piano Smith's famous Clowns, is best known for his classic solo sides "Lipstick Traces" and "Fortune Teller" (both written by Allen Toussaint).

Steve Popovich died on June 8 at his Nashville home at the age of 68. A long time Record Executive with Columbia, Steve founded Cleveland International Records in 1976 when he was unable to find another label willing to release Meat Loaf's "Bat Out Of Hell", an album that has since sold over 43 million copies.

Alan Rubin, a trumpet player with the original Blues Brothers band, died of lung cancer on June 8. The 68 year old, who backed artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra and Yoko Ono, was plucked for the Blues Brothers role of "Mr. Fabulous" from the Saturday Night Live band that backed Belushi and Aykroyd during their musical skits on the show.

British producer Martin Rushent passed away on June 4 at the age of 62. Rushent's credits include Fleetwood Mac, The Go-Gos, The Human League, The Stranglers, The Buzzcocks, T-Rex, Yes, Shirley Bassey, XTC, ELP, and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 2010, Rushent produced "Santa's On His Way" for The Pipettes, which is still available as a free download from the group's website.

Finally, I thought it worth mentioning the passing of English songwriter and producer Gordon Lorenz, who died June 5 after a short illness. Lorenz worked with a number of big name stars during his career, from Shirley Bassey to Cliff Richard (a Christmas album, no less) to David Soul to Gloria Gaynor. But most in the UK will remember Lorenz most for the song he wrote that bumped John Lennon out of the top spot on the British charts in 1980, becoming Christmas Number One that year, "There's No One Quite Like Grandma". Before Simon Cowell came along, Christmas Number One was a pretty big deal in the UK. So, even though its not really a Christmas song, we'll close with a video of Gordon Lorenz' biggest hit.