Archive for Musicians

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Johnny Ramone

Posted in Hollywood Forever Cemetery with tags , , , on September 12, 2018 by Cade

October 8, 1948 – September 15, 2004

Guitarist for the pioneer punk group the Ramones, Johnny Ramone (John William Cummings) was the downstroke/bar chord king. Formed in 1974 in Forest Hills, Queens, Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy Ramone (all adopted pseudonyms) exploded onto the New York City club scene with their “wall of sound” and lightning fast songs. Their performances at storied venues GBGB and Max’s Kansas City drew massive attention and helped usher in a new genre of rock-and-roll: Punk. Johnny’s no-nonsense playing style was the rhythmic driving force behind the band’s massive hits like “Rockaway Beach”, “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Continue reading →

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Dee Dee Ramone

Posted in Hollywood Forever Cemetery with tags , , on September 11, 2018 by Cade

September 18, 1951 – June 5, 2002

1-2-3-4…

Douglas Colvin, aka Dee Dee Ramone, was the bass player and most prominent songwriter for the legendary punk rock band, the Ramones. Colvin was the first to adopt a “Ramone” pseudonym after urging the rest of the band to do the same and call themselves the Ramones. Early on, Dee Dee was the main singer, but eventually opted to just play, leading to former-drummer Joey taking over lead vocals. After recording 11 albums with the Ramones, Dee Dee left the band in 1989 to pursue other solo projects – including, but certainly not limited to, a critically-panned hip hop album. Continue reading →

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Chris Cornell

Posted in Hollywood Forever Cemetery with tags , , on August 31, 2018 by Cade

July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017

An enormous talent and an unmistakable voice, Chris Cornell not only soared from the early 1990’s grunge-rock movement, but helped define and shape it. Cornell’s first success was found with the Seattle-based grunge-pioneer band, Soundgarden, which he fronted from the mid-80s until the band dissolved in 1997. Soundgarden shot through the charts and their seminal 1994 release, Superunknown – the band’s 4th – remains one of the most successful and influential albums of that decade. Following Soundgarden, Cornell joined members of Rage Against the Machine to form the supergroup, Audioslave, which went on to release 3 albums and the gold-single “Like a Stone.” Continue reading →

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Tom Petty

Posted in Cremated with tags , , , on March 3, 2018 by Cade

petty1
October 20, 1950 – October 02, 2017

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free

“Wildflowers”  – Tom Petty

Thomas Earl Petty was rock and roll’s everyman. Whether fronting the eponymous Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, jangling along with his friends as a member of the Traveling Wilburys or simply selling millions of albums as a solo artist, Petty’s 40-year career was nothing short of legendary. Petty won 3 Grammys and worked with everybody who was anybody in music. Continue reading →

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Chuck Berry

Posted in Bellerive Gardens with tags , , , on August 22, 2017 by Cade

October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017

Marvin Berry’s famous cousin invented Rock ‘n’ Roll. I could just stop there. But, where’s the fun in that?

Charles Edward Anderson Berry was a guitarist and singer who spent the 1950’s taking bits and pieces of the rhythm and blues style of music and turning the world on its head. As he pioneered new ways to use guitar and up-tempo rhythms in popular music, he paved the way for others to follow. The Beatles. The Rolling Stones. Elvis. Hendrix. You name it. If they were a giant in the history of rock and roll music, Berry influenced them directly.

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Andrew Wood

Posted in Miller-Woodlawn Memorial Park with tags , , on August 26, 2015 by Cade

awood1January 8, 1966 – March 19, 1990

It’s completely understandable if the casual music fan doesn’t know Andrew Wood’s name. It’s also a distinct possibility that the same fan might not know Mother Love Bone, the band Wood fronted. But, Wood’s influential work in the late-1980’s Seattle music scene and his tragic death touched off much of what the landscape of the 1990’s alternative music would come to look like.

In 1988, Andrew Wood formed the Seattle-based post-metal/pre-grunge alternative rock band Mother Love Bone with bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard, both formerly of the locally-influential band, Green River. MLB showed massive promise in the burgeoning Seattle circuit. They recorded their debut album in 1989, but Wood never saw it released. After years of battling substance abuse, he died of a heroin overdose at the age of 24.

But, Wood’s story doesn’t end there. Continue reading →

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Jimi Hendrix

Posted in Greenwood Memorial Park with tags , , on August 13, 2015 by Cade

hendrix2November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970

Any bio-let I could come up with for Jimi Hendrix would immediately fail to do him justice. Perhaps the most iconic guitar player in the history of rock-and-roll, Hendrix blazed (both figuratively AND literally) onto the scene in the late 1960’s and quickly became one of the most popular and sought-after artists around. His style was unique. His persona was wild. And his legend – following his untimely death at the age of 27 – remains unmatched and ever-expanding.

With that said…James Marshall Hendrix grew up in Seattle and idolized musicians like Elvis Presley and Little Richard. He learned guitar at 15 and found his first success in England where he formed his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Continue reading →

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Janis Joplin

Posted in Cremated with tags , , , on July 8, 2015 by Cade

joplin1January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970

“The Queen of Psychedelic Soul”

Janis Lyn Joplin worked her way through the 1960’s Haight-Ashbury scene with her Blues-influenced power-rock voice. Her love for Blues standards helped her make a name for herself in San Francisco and her native Texas. She was asked to join the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and Holding Company which, with Janis on lead vocals, collectively impressed the crowd at 1967’s Monterrey Pop Festival. Record labels came calling and Janis spent the next year on the road and in the studio with Big Brother. Audiences and critics couldn’t get enough of her unique power as a performer. Her public persona surpassed the band and she quickly went solo. During her brief time on top of the music world, she recorded dozens of songs including hits like “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Mercedes Benz.”

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Denny Doherty

Posted in Gate of Heaven Cemetery (NS) with tags , , , on August 4, 2014 by Cade

doherty1November 29, 1940 – January 19, 2007

The story of the eventual creation of the Mamas & the Papas reads like a laundry list of formations, break-ups and reorgs – just listen to their song “Creeque Alley” for a little insight. There are no fewer than a dozen band names that finally led to the group that famously charted Top 10 hits all throughout the late 1960’s. All you need to know here is that Denny Doherty of the Halifax, Nova Scotia band The Colonials (aka, The Halifax Three,) met Cass Elliot while touring the folk circuits. Denny seemed to always be there to fill in when Elliot or John Phillips needed help with a new lineup or a lost group member. Eventually, Doherty landed a permanent spot in The Magic Cyrcle…which became the Mamas & the Papas.

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Amy Winehouse

Posted in Cremated with tags , , , on June 4, 2014 by Cade


winehouse1September 14, 1983 – July 23, 2011

<insert “Rehab” joke here>

An eclectic and immensely talented singer, Amy Jade Winehouse stormed onto the British music scene in 2003 with her debut album, Frank. But, it was her sophomore effort, 2006’s Back to Black that made her an international sensation. Combining old-school genres like jazz and soul with her distinctive style and sultry voice, Amy blew through the Grammys that year collecting five awards. Her singles “Rehab” and “You Know I’m No Good” were Billboard chart mainstays for months. As troubled as she was talented, Winehouse struggled with drugs and alcohol throughout her career. Add to this her meteoric rise to stardom and (allegedly) poor grasp on moderation and self-control…well, you know where this is going or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. Continue reading →

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