Rest in peace dear ones: 2012 in rock and roll...

Our friends at the College of Rock and Roll Knowledge just posted a list of those artists we lost in 2012 - women and men who brought some joy and verve to the world - and added to the rock and roll cannon.  It is a pretty staggering list and I've annotated it a bit by way of gratitude.

Larry Reinhardt 1-2-12 Iron Butterfly:  I saw these guys at the Fillmore East - and I'm not ashamed to say we used to play "Inagaddadavida" for a time back in high school - for what can a poor boy do but to play in a rock and roll band, ya?
Etta James 1-2-12:  one of the best and the brightest from "At Last" to "Tell Momma!"Bob Weston 1-3-12 Fleetwood Mac
Tom Ardolino 1-6-12 NRQB:  totally hot and crazy rock'a'billy boogie band
Johnny Otis 1-17-12:  a leader in the jump bands and great influence on early rock and roll who discovered Etta James, produced (and played drums) on "Hound Dog" with Big Momma Thorton and brought "Willie and the Hand Jive" into popular consciousness.
Mark Reale 1-25-12 Riot
Don Cornelius 2-1-12 Soul Train:  brought more soul music to the world than anyone else and made sure white kids saw the newest dances by the hottest black dancers!
Whitney Houston 2-11-12:  a mighty and soul-filled voice brought low by her own demons way too early
Michael Davis 2-17-12 MC5:  kick-out the jams MFs!!!
Davy Jones 2-29-12: a total Beatles' rip off but still tons of bubble gum fun
Ronnie Montrose 3-3-12
Michael Hossack 3-12-12 Doobie Brothers
Earl Scruggs 3-28-12:  the hippest banjo player in creation!
Adam Yauch 4-4-12 Beastie Boys:  my Cleveland youth group turned me on to these guys and the world hasn't been the same since
Jim Marshall 4-5-12 Marshall Amplifiers
Dick Clark 4-18-12:  started watching the man BEFORE the Twist was poopular and never quit
Greg Ham 4-19-12 Men At Work
Levon Helm 4-19-12: I reviewed the first Band album for my high school newspaper and have loved them since 1968; saw them with the Allmans and the Dead at Watkins Glen.

Donald "Duck" Dunn 5-13-12:  THE most soulful bass player who graced so many songs starting with Booker T through the Stax-Volt groove.  A real gift to the world.
Donna Summer 5-17-12:  too damn much fun and a powerful voice for women and those who need to shake their booties!
Robert Nix 5-20-12 Atlanta Rythm Section: loved their groove
Robin Gibb 5-20-12:  I mostly loved to hate the BeeGees but I couldn't stay in my seat whenever their disco stuff came up... and we sang some of their faux Beatles' stuff back in high school, too.
Doc Watson 5-29-12:  the finest flat-picker on an acoustic guitar I've ever heard
Bob Welch 6-7-12:  didn't like him in Fleeetwood Mac and HATED "Sentimental Lady"
Jon Lord 7-16-12
Kitty Wells 7-16-12:  country music great
Bob Babbit 7-16-12 Motown session legend
Marvin Hamlisch 8-6-12:  who could forget reintroducing America to Scott Joplin?
Hal David 9-1-12:  the great lyricist with Bacharach
Mark Abrahamian 9-2-12 Starship
Joe South 9-5-12:  a HOT Southern guitar player with a wicked sense of humor
Scott McKenzie 9-24-12:  I still sing "If You're Going to San Francisco..."
Andy Williams 9-25-12: never my cup of tea but still loved "Moon River"
Big Sullivan 10-2-12 UK session legend
Steve Paul 10-21-12 The Scene NYC
Michael Dunford 11-20-12 Renaissance:  saw them at the Fillmore East, too
Dave Brubeck 12-5-12:  the first jazz player to grace TIME magazine's cover and the man who kept it real for music and civil rights ALL of his beautiful life.
Ed Cassidy 12-6-12 Spirit: loved these guys from the first sound
Ravi Shankar 12-11-12:  Harrison made him popular and I spent lots of time loving his tunes
Lee Dorman 12-21-12 Iron Butterfly:  ibid
Mike Scaccia 12-23-12 Ministry
Ray Collins 12-24-12 Mothers of Invention:  oh man my life was changed by going to the Garrick Theatre in the Village during the summer of love and seeing the Mothers at the late show.  We even did their songs in CHURCH!
Fontella Bass 12-26-12:  she rocked my world with "Rescue Me" but blew me away years later she tore it up with Cinematic Orchestra - freakin' brilliant
Thanks for the blessings and great times:  rest in peace dear ones.


 ©The College of Rock and Roll Knowledge 2012.