George Graham's 1998 Year-End Essay | The 1998 Graham Awards | George's Home Page

Compiled by George Graham
As broadcast on WVIA-FM 12/30/98
And now we come to another regular part of our look back at the year in music,
the obituary page, noting the passing of some of the well-known figures on the
music scene, and also some of the people, whose names might not be household
words, but whose contributions were influential; people whose passing was
mostly ignored by the popular media. Here they are presented in chronological order of passage.
- Popular singer John Gary, 1/4, age 65
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Congressman Sonny Bono, half of Sonny & Cher, 1/5, 62
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Owen Bradley, country producer who is credited with helping to define the
"Nashville Sound", 1/7, 82
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Blues great and harmonica man Junior Wells 1/15, 63
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Another fine bluesman Junior Kimbrough 1/17, 67
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Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins 1/19, 65
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Cliffie Stone, another country producer, credited with discovering Tennessee
Ernie Ford 1/19, 80
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S.P. Leary, blues drummer 1/26, 67
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Nick Webb, guitarist for Acoustic Alchemy 2/5, 43
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Falco (Johann Holzel), creator of the 1980s hit Rock Me Amadeus, 2/6,
40
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Beach Boy Carl Wilson 2/6, 51
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Louis Marshall (Grandpa) Jones, member of the Grand Ole Opry 2/19, 84
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Comedian and some-time violinist Henny Youngman 2/24, 91
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Jazz/pop saxophonist George Howard 3/22, 41
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Kasey Cisyk, who started in opera but eventually became one of the world's most
frequently heard vocalists through her performances on hundreds of advertising
jingles, including "Have You Driven a Ford Lately" and as backup singer on a
lot of hit records died 3/29 of cancer at age 44
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Rob Pilatus, half of the disgraced duo Milli Vanilli 4/2, 33
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Cozy Powell, Britist rock drummer 4/5, 50
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Tammy Wynette, the queen of country music 4/6, 55
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Wendy O. Williams (Plasmatics) 4/6, 48
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James Conkling, who at Columbia Records popularized 12" LP over the 10" album,
and started the first mail order record company, Columbia House 4/12, 83
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Country music singer Rose Maddox 4/15, 72
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Linda McCartney, musician, photographer 4/17, 56
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Big Band singer Helen Ward. She sang with Benny Goodman on the famous recording
Goody Goody 4/21, 82
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Jazz composer Mel Powell 4/24, 75
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Country singer-songwriter Eddie Rabbitt 5/7, 53
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Big Band and movie singer Alice Faye, best known as the wife and musical
partner with bandleader Phil Harris 5/9, 83
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Frank Sinatra 5/14, 82
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Flamboyant jazz pianist and vocalist Dorothy Donegan 5/19, 76
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Jazz guitarist Ted Dunbar 5/29
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Helen Carter, oldest daughter of the legendary Carter Family of country music
6/3, 70
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Bill Chase, who founded the jazz-rock band Chase in the 1970s 6/4, 55
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William Schwann, who created the bible of recorded music, the Schwann Catalog
6/7, 85
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Edward Eliscu, lyricist, who created "Without a Song" 6/18, 96
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Errol Parker, jazz pianist 7/2, 72
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Roy Rogers, singing cowboy actor 7/6, 86
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Jimmie Driftwood (composed Battle of New Orleans, Tennesse Stud) 7/12, 91
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Jazz guitarist Tal Farlow 7/25
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Country guitarist extraordinaire Eldon Shamblin, was a long-time member of Bob
Wills and the Texas playboys and helped to create the Western Swing sound 8/5,
82
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Bobby McBay, drummer with Bob Wills 8/9, 60
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Benny Waters, jazzman 8/11, 96
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Rockabilly pioneer Charlie Feathers 8/29, 66
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Great New Orleans bluesman Johnny Adams 9/14, 66
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Jazz drummer and bandleader Barrett Deems 9/15, 83, who was leading a big band
right up until shortly before his death, and recorded an album earlier this
year
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Robert Wells, lyricist for "The Christmas Song" 9/23, 75
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Betty Carter, one of the most innovative jazz singers 9/26, 69
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Gene Autry, singing cowboy, actor 10/2, 91
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Frankie Yankovic, the Polka King 10/14, 83
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Albert Washington, bluesman 10/23, 59
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Jazz pianist Kenny Kirkland, who worked with people like Sting and was a
regular on in the Tonight Show band with Branford Marsalis 11/13, 43
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J. D. Sumner gospel bass singer 11/16, 73
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Barbara Acklin, performer, songwriter for Chi-Lites 11/27, 56
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David "Butch" McDade, Amazing Rhythm Aces drummer 11/29, 56
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George Van Eps, 7-string jazz guitarist 11/29, 85
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Jazz bassist and composer Bob Haggart. He wrote the song What's New that
Londa Ronstadt later made into a hit 12/2, 84
Here are some other musical figures whose date of passing I was not able
immediately to obtain
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Floyd Cramer, country pianist
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Phil Medley, wrote "Twist and Shout"
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Charlie Foxx, composed "Mockingbird"
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Tommy McCook, was founder of the Skatalites
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Jimmy Rogers, blues guitarist
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West Nkosi, South African producer of Ladysmith Black Mabazo
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Sir Michael Tippett, classical composer, age 92
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