RIP: CHRISTOPHER LEE

 At the age of 93; Not the first, but to me the best Dracula ever, and even if he hadn't gone on to other movie roles, he still would live on forever. Sorry to see him go, but at least he lived a long full life (though not as long as Dracula, of course).
Now you can get together with your old friend Peter Cushing and laugh over old times...and old movies made together...

RIP: PERCY SLEDGE

1941 - April 14,2015: Best known for his song "When A Man Loves A Woman". I remember hearing this as a teenager, and thought it was a great song even then, when it was not my usual listening fare.
Years later, in the early 2000s, saw him perform it at Cypress Gardens Florida. Same incredible voice, same incredible song. Michael Bolton(Bolotin) should just stop singing it.
Rest In Peace Percy, and know your song will live forever...

RIP: BOB BURNS

November 4, 1950 – April 3,  2015

First drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, he left the band after recording the 

second album due to stress. He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall 

of Fame in 2006 with the rest of the band, and would appear on stage 

on special occasions.

He died on April 3 after sustaining injuries from a car accident.

Now you too are a free bird and can play with Ronnie and the rest...

RIP: JOHN RENBOURN

At the age of 70 in his home in Scotland. A talented guitarist, he helped create English electric folk-rock music when he founded the band Pentangle with Bert Jansch. Though never well known in the US, he will be sorely missed by those who loved his music.

RIP: LEONARD NIMOY

 From an astronaut on the ISS

Been seen circulating in Canada

(Rest in peace Leonard: 1931 - 2015)

RIP: RAY FALL

 Thanks for starting it all, Ray.

Ray McFall outside the Cavern Club

The Cavern Club’s legendary owner Ray McFall who first booked the Beatles has died.

Mr McFall, a legend of the British music scene, first bought the club in October 1959 from Alan Sytner and set about transforming it from a jazz club to the mecca of British rock and roll.

Buying the Cavern for the tidy sum of £2,750, Mr McFall owned and operated theMathew Street venue throughout the 60s- booking a young Ringo Star in his first band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

VIEW GALLERY

 

Under Mr McFall, many more legends from the Who to the Kinks performed at the Cavern, and he first booked the Beatles for a lunch-hour appearance on February 21, 1961.

The Beatles’ first evening appearance followed a month later, the beginning of 292 Cavern Club dates by August 3, 1963, earning roughly 25 shillings per performance.

(With thanks to the Liverpool Echo)

RIP: JOE COCKER

And only 70! Sorry to see him go, and way too young..let's just leave you with a performance from Woodstock...

RIP: SHELBY

Alas, my daughter’s pet turtle, a red eared slider, who she’s had for 26-1/2 years, since we bought it for her 12^thbirthday.

Suspect it was a respiratory infection, we just saw him Saturday when we were visiting and I thought he looked a bit lop-sided but didn’t think anything of it. He used to like to swim between his basking rocks and the glass in his tank, so just figured it was one of his silly things.

Didn’t see him often, but still going to miss him, hope he’s in turtle heaven…

RIP: ROBIN WILLIAMS

A suicide at 63? Say it ain't so Mork...

nanu nanu, over and out...

SAY WHAT?!

Heard an ad on the radio for a funeral home the other day; the tag line was “Experience the difference.”

How the hell do you experience the difference (whatever it may be) without actually dying? And wouldn’t it be a little late to comparison shop by then?

I’m just saying…

RIP: JAMES GARNER

1928 - July 19 2014

 Was in The Great Escape (one of my favorite movies), and on TV in Maverick and my favorite The Rockford Files.

Sorry to see you go Jim, but you'll always be there in re-runs...

RIP: JOHNNY WINTER

1944 – July 16, 2014:

One of America's top

 blues guitarists, gone

from us at the age of 70.

 Never got a chance to

see him, though he was

 scheduled for a show at

Ruth Eckerd Hall in

 August, which I was

thinking of going to since

 it had him, brother

Edgar, Kim Simmonds 

and others.

But I do own some 

excellent live albums, old and new to listen to.

 Rock on, Johnny, rock on...

RIP: H.R.GIGER

February 5, 1940 - May 12, 2014

Best known for creating the Alien for the film of the same name, H.R. Giger also made a considerable contribution to pop music as well. Among others, he created album covers for Emerson, Lake, & Palmer's 'Brain Salad Surgery' album & Debbie Harry's 'Koo Koo'. 
He leaves behind a lot of creeped out people(us) and a cool museum in Gruyeres, Switzerland.

RIP: KATE O'MARA

1939 – 3/30/2014: An actress more famous in England than here, though she was in Dynasty with Joan Collins during the 1986 season. But to me, she’ll always be the gorgeous actress from the Hammer films The Vampire Lovers and The Horror of Frankenstein.Even though she’s gone, she will live forever (for me) in those two movies that I watched as a teenager, and re-watched times since.

Interestingly, the monster in the above picture with Kate is Dave Prowse who I got to meet back in the early 90s and was the actor who actually acted Darth Vader in the original 3 Star Wars movies!

RIP: TOM LAUGHLIN

Tom Laughlin, the maverick actor and filmmaker best known for the "Billy Jack"  films, has died. He was 82.
 Laughlin died Thursday in Thousand Oaks, his family announced.
 Laughlin had been married to actress Delores Taylor since 1954 and also had several ill-fated runs for president. But he was best known for the "Billy Jack" films, which also starred Taylor. In 1967, he wrote and directed (under the pseudonym T.C. Frank) and starred in "The Born Losers," a motorcycle exploitation film that became a big box-office hit. It introduced the world to the part-Native American Vietnam veteran title character.

RIP: JOAN FONTAINE

At the age of 96 - survived by her older sister, Olivia DeHavilland! Starred in a number of Hitchcock movies, won an oscar for Suspicion.

RIP: PETER O'TOOLE

 At 81 years of age; best known for Lawrence of Arabia. Great movie, and a great actor.

RIP: RICHARD COUGHLAN

 Richard Coughlan September 2, 1947 - December 1, 2013
 Richard Coughlan was an English drummer who spent almost his entire career as the drummer for influential Canterbury scene prog rock band, Caravan.

RIP: JOHN PRICE (STRANGER)

11/14/13: Drummer for Florida's legendary Stranger Band. Saw them for the first time at WYNF's birthday party concert, opening for Bad Company (w/Brian Howe). Blew them off the stage!! 
What a great band, too bad they never hit the big time, but I'll always treasure my copies (cassette & CD) of We Be Live.

Rock on John, rock on...

RIP: LOU REED

1942 - 10/27/2013:  Famous for being in The Velvet Underground and then making his own solo career a hodge-podge of styles and sounds. Never really cared for him, but do own Rock N Roll Animal, his live album with 2 of his songs I do like; Sweet Jane (with the incredible intro) & Rock And Roll. So now he's reunited with Sterling Morrison and they can have their 1/2 Velvets reunion.

Rock on Lou, rock on...