Pascal DanelFrench-born singer-songwriter whose scored more than 60 hit singles, including "La Plage aux Romantiques" and the internationally-acclaimed platinum-seller "Neiges du Kilimandjaro".At the age of 80, on the 25th July 2024, in Paris, France, of undisclosed causes.Click for further information Shafin Ahmed Bangladeshi-born singer-songwriter, record producer and politician who was the lead singer and bassist for the popular Bangladeshi rock band Miles.At the age of 63, on the 24th July 2024, in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, of heart and kidney failure. Click for further information Malome Vector Lesotho-born South African-based singer-songwriter whose first release "Dumelang" (featuring Blaq Diamond) went double-platinum.At the age of 32, on the 24th July 2024. near Bloemfontein, South Africa, following a car accident.Click for further information Dick Asher American-born, former Deputy President of Columbia Records, Vice-President at Warner Communications, and President and Chief Executive of Polygram Records Inc, who worked wih such stars as Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan, while campaigning fearlessly against payola.At the age of92, on the 23rd July 2024, in Boca Raton, Florida, USA, of undisclosed causes.Click for further information John MayallEnglish-born musician, songwriter, producer, and a pioneering figure of British blues who founded the legendary John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that counted among its members some of the most famous blues and blues rock musicians inthe world.At the age of 90, on the 23rd July 2024, at his home in Laurel Canyon, California, USA, of undisclosed causes.Click for further information Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir American-born founder, lead singer and last surviving member of The Four Tops, one of the most commercially successful American pop music groups of the 1960s which helped propel the Motown label to international fame.At the age of 88, on the 22nd July 2024, at his home in Detroit, Michigan, USA of heart failure.Click for further information Evelyn ThomasAmerican-born singer whose hi-NRG dance hits include "High Energy", "Masquerade", "Standing at the Crossroads", Reflections", and "Weak Spot".At the age of 70, on the 21st July 2024, in Chicago, USA, of undisclosed causes. Click for further information Sandy PoseyAmerican-born singer and songwriter whose twelve US hits included "Born A Woman", "Single Girl", "What a Woman in Love Won't Do" and "I Take It Back", and who later toured as a backing singer for Elvis Presley.At the age of 80, on the 20th July 2024, at her home in Lebanon, Tennessee, USA, of complications brought on by dementia.Click for further information Jerry Miller(81), American-born songwriter, suitarist and vocalist who co-founded Moby Grape, and later led the Jerry Miller Band.A ntive of Tacoma, Washington, he teamed up with Bobby Fuller (of "I Fought The Law Fame"), and in later years, was a member of The Bobby Fuller Four, before moving to San Francisco in 1966 and forming Moby Grape with Don Stevenson and Bob Mosley. Jerry went on to write their three best-known songs "Hey Grandma", "8.05" and "Murder In My Heart For The Judge".In later years, he founded The Rhythm Dukes, and worked with such names as Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, The Doors and Eric Clapton (who named him "best guitar player in the world").On 20th July 2024, in Tacoma, Washington, USA, of undisclosed causes. Click for obituary Jerry Fuller(85), American-born songwriter, singer, producer, and International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.Born in Forth Worth, Texas to Clarence (a vocalist with Bob Wills) and Lola (a club singer), Jerry had a stint as one of The Fuller Brothers with his brother Bill.In 1959, he moved to Los Angeles where he signed with Challenge Records scoring two hits "Betty My Angel", and a rockabilly version of "The Tennessee Waltz" which hit the US Top 40 in 1960.By now a prolific staff writer for the Challenge subsidiary Four Star Music, Bob penned "Travelin' Man" intending to send it to Sam Cooke. However Ricky Nelson's guitarist Joe Osborne heard the song before it got to Cooke and persuaded Ricky to record it that same evening. "Travelin' Man" got to #1 in the USA and went on to sell more than six million copies.As a consequence, Jerry found himself as Ricky Nelson's main songwriter, penning more than two dozen songs for him including such hits as "It's Up To You", "Young World" and "A Wonder Like You". At the same time, be was also on the road singing lead with the touring version of the studio group The Champs, who had scored with "Tequila", alongside such names as Dave Burgess, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts.In 1963, following a stint in the US Army, Challenge transferred him to New York to run their East Coast operation. Here he discovered The Knickerbockers who went on the top the charts with "Lies", and having left Challenge to become a producer for Columbia, discovered and recorded Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, writIng and producing their four biggest hits 'Woman, Woman," "Young Girl," "Lady Willpower," and "Over You,". He also paired O.C. Smith, a jazz singer, with a country song "Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp," and followed this up with O.C.'s Grammy nominated, "Little Green Apples". At Columbia, he also worked with Mac Davis, (whom he had discovered), Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis, and Billy Joe Royal.In 1971, he quit Columbia to set up his own Moonstone Productions,taking Johnny Mathis with him. Jerry then produced five hit albums with Mathis. scoring with such singles as "Make It Easy On Yourself", "Take Good Care Of Her", "Soul And Inspiration", "Just Once In My Life", and "Show And Tell". He was also responsible for "Loving Her Was Easier" by Roger Miller, "Show And Tell" by Al Wilson, and following a move into country music, "That's All She Wrote", "To Make A Long Story Short", and "Feet" for Ray Price, along with Reba McEntire's "I Still Long To Hold You Now And Then" and "That Makes Two Of Us", Freddie Hart's "Toe To Toe", Connie Cato's "I Won't Take It Lyin' Down", Jacky Ward's "Travelin' Man", Dobie Gray's "That's One To Grow On" and John Anderson's "Eye Of A Hurricane".Jerry once worked out that he had more than 1100 songs published, include recordings by such stars as Gene Vincent, Bobby Vee, Sam Cooke, James Darren, Lawrence Welk, Billy J. Kramer, Lou Rawls, Johnny Crawford, The Ventures, Ronnie McDowell, The Four Preps, The Kingston Trio, Hank Snow, Roy Clark, Cher, Ray Charles, Don McLean, Roger Whittaker, Dottie West, Frankie Laine, Lynn Anderson, Ivory Joe Hunter, Eddy Arnold, Toby Beau, Barbara Mandrell, Andre Kostelanetz, Art Farmer, Marty Robbins, Vanessa Williams,Slim Whitman, Billy Eckstein, Lee Greenwood, Johnny Lee, Pat Boone, Steve Wariner, Mark Lindsay, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Lettermen, Kimberly Springs, Al Hirt, Matthew Morrison, Lulu, Tommy Overstreet, Percy Sledge, and many more.During Jerry's career, his songs and/or productions sold more than 120 million records, including 28 Gold or Platinum discs, over 40 Top Ten hits and more than 250 chart entries, along with 12 BMI Achievement Awards and 5 BMI Million-Air Awards.International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 18th July 2024, in Sherman Oaks, California, USA. of complications from lung cancer.Click for Wikipedia entry John Sharkey(78), American-born musician, songwriter and founder member of Syndicate of Sound, whose 1966 million-selling recording "Little Girl" led to tours with such acts as The Yardbirds, Mitch Ryder, Neil Diamond, Paul Revere & The Raiders, the Association, Janice Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and The Rascals. On 18th July 2024, in San Francisco, California, USA of undisclosed causes.Click for Wikipedia entry Dave Loggins(76), American-born singer-songwriter and four-time Grammy nominee, who scored a million-seller with both his 1973 hit "Please Come To Boston" and his 1984 duet with Anne Murray "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do".In addition, Dave (a cousin of singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins), wrote songs for Three Dog Night, Jimmy Buffett, Tanya Tucker, Restless Heart, Wynonna Judd, Reba McEntire, Gary Morris, Billy Ray Cyrus, Alabama, Toby Keith, Don Williams, Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson and Juice Newton.He also penned "Augusta", which was taken up by CBS in 1982 to introduce its annual coverage of the Augusta Masters Golf Tournament and is now the longest-running sports theme in television history.International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 11th July 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. of cancer.Click for obituary Tommy Drennan(82), Irish-born singer-songwriter who scored hits in Ireland throughout tbe 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.Born in Limerick, Ireland, Tommy started out as a clasically-trained singer but who having moved to work in Dublin, joined The Freshmen in 1963. The following year, he returned to Limerick to head up local band The Monarchs alongside Ray Heraty, Bryan Meehan, Brendan Moynihan, John "The Man" Frawley and Frank Hogan. This band toured Ireland nightly, scoring such hit singles as "Boolavogue", "Kevin Barry", "Molly", "I Really Don't Want To Know", "Connemara Cradle Song", "Pearly Shells" (with vocals by John Frawley), "Sean South Of Garryowen", "Come Home Rollin' Stone", "Where Were You When I Needed You", "Little Boy Lost", "Love Is A Beautiful Song", "Share My World" and "Taxes By The Score". Their final hit, "O Holy Night", merged Tommy's 1953 childhood recording of the Placide Cappeau/Adolphe Adams hymn with the Monarchs 1972 arrangement, and remained at Number 1 in Ireland for five weeks. In 1972, Tommy formed The Top League alongside vocalist Sean O'Dowd, and the new outfit scored hits with "The Promise And The Dream", "Love And The Country", and "Beautiful Peace". Three years later however, he left to form The Tommy Drennan Band, to work mainly in the cabaret and corporate entertainment industries, although he continued to release hit records including "If Dreams Came True", "You Light Up My Life", "Sunshine Lover" and "Julie". He also found time to gift his knowledge to up-and-coming performers through his involvement with both the Ennis Performing Arts Organisation (which he co-founded with Pearl Kiely) and Limerick's Expressive Arts Theatre School.On 1tth July 2024, in Limerick City, Ireland.Click for obituary Joe Egan(77), Scottish-born singer-songwriter and co-founder with school friend Gerry Rafferty of Stealer's Wheel.Joe penned the band's hits "Stuck In The Middle With You", "Everything Will Turn Out Fine" and "Star", and after the band broke up in 1975, went on to release several solo albums. He retired from the music business in 1995.On 6th July 2024, in Paisley, Scotland, of undisclosed causes. Click for Wikipedia entry Mary Martin(85), Canadian-born Grammy Award-winning manager and record label executive who was involved in the careers of such acts as Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, Peter, Paul and Mary, Emmylou Harris, Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan and Clint Black.On 4th July 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, of undisclosed causes.Click for obituary Mark Germino(73), American-born singer-songwriter and poet, who released nine albums between 1986 and 2021, and whose songs were recorded by such names as Paul Craft, Confederate Railroad, Loretta Lynn. Kenny Chesney, Kathy Mattea, Steve Earle Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Kevin Welch, Buddy Mondlock, Barbara Mandrell, Mindy McCready and Emmylou Harris.On 3rd July 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, of undisclosed causes. Click for Wikipedia entry Rusty Golden(65), American-born songwriter, vocalist, pianist and son of William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys.Although Rusty started playing drums as a teenager, he switched to piano having seen Elton John in concert and soon emerged as a much-admired session musician in Nashville, backing such acts as Larry Gatlin (with whom he toured) and Marty Stuart. He also formed The Boys Band which had a Billboard Hot 100 hit with "Please Don’t Stop Me Baby".Along with his brother Chris, he later set up The Goldens who recorded for both Epic and Capitol/SBK scoring such hits as "Put Us Together Again", "Sorry Girls", "Take Me Back To The Country" and "Keep The Faith". After the duo split, both brothers released a number of solo singles and albums, while Rusty continued his work as a session pianist.In 2020, William Lee Golden reunited with his two sons to form William Lee Golden & The Goldens which toured extensively and released three albums.On 1st July 2024, in Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA, of undisclosed causes.Click for obituary Peter Collins(73), English-born producer who started out as a singer-songwriter with a Magnet Records recording deal but when that did not produce hits, turned instead to producing such acts as Nik Kershaw, Musical Youth, Tracey Ullman, The Lambrettas, Alvin Stardust and Gary Moore. In 1875, he moved to Canada where he produced four hit albums for Rush, going on further success with Alice Cooper, Desmond Child and Queensrÿche.Other acts for whom he produced million-sellers include Tom Jones, Air Supply, The Belle Stars, Jermaine Stewart, Billy Squier, Indigo Girls, Janes Wiedlin, Suicidal Tendencies, Nanci Griffith, Bon Jovi, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Systematic, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Rick Astley, Kenny Loggins and Stray Cats.On 30th June 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, of pancreatic cancer. Click for obituary Kinky Friedman(79), American-born singer-songwriter, author, humorist, politician and leader of Kinky Friedman & The Texas Jewboys, whose humorous but frequently controversial songs include "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore", "Get Your Biscuits In The Oven And Your Buns In the Bed" (for which he received the "Male Chauvinist Pig Of The Year Award" from the National Organisation for Women) and "Asshole From El Paso" which was a parody on Merle Haggard's "Okie From Muskogee".Kinky Friedman toured with Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson, claimed (probably incorrectly) to have been the first Jew to appear on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, and released 18 albums before going on to pen 19 (mainly detective) novels which sold more than seven million copies.A friend of both George W Bush and Bill Clinton, he decided to run as an independent against Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry in 2006 but was defeated and in 2010, sought but barely failed to win the Democratic nomination for the same post.International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 37th June 2024, in Medina, Texas, USA, of complications brought on by Parkinson's disease.Click for obituary Tom Prasada-Rao(66), Ethiopian-born American-based singer-songwriter whose songs include "See Myself In You" (recorded by Randy Travis), and "$20 Bill", a tribute to the murdered George Floyd. A folk-circuit favourite, he toured with Peter, Paul & Mary, Ed King of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mark Heard, Eva Cassidy and Chris Biondo.On 19th June 2024, in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, from cancer of the salivary gland.Click for obituary Paul Spencer(53), English-born songwriter and producer who along with fellow DJs Scott Rosser and Stephen Spencer formed Dario G, whose hits include "Sunchyme", "Carnaval de Paris", "Sunmachine", "Voices", "Dream To Me" and "Heaven Is Closer (Feels Like Heaven)".On 17th June 2024, in Crewe, UK, of cancer.Click for obituary Buzz Cason(84), American-born singer-songwriter, music publisher and record producer who in 1956 founded what is now recognised as Nashville's first rock and roll band, the Casuals, which outfit later backed Brenda Lee for several years.Adopting the name Garry Miles, he had a Top 20 hit in 1960 with a cover of the Gary Mills UK hit "Look For A Star" (penned by Tony Hatch), and later joined The Crickets for a brief period having produced their 1964 UK hit "La Bamba". Meanwhile, one of his early songs "Soldier of Love" which had charted for Arthur Alexander, was recorded for the BBC by The Beatles, and would later be covered by Pearl Jam.In 1966, Buzz penned his biggest hit - "Everlasting Love" which became a worldwide success for three acts, Robert Knight, Carl Carlton and Love Affair, eventually selling more than two million copies. It also became the only song to reach the US Top 40 in each decade between 1960 and 2010. Other pop hits included "Sandy" for Ronnie & The Daytonas of which he was a member for a time, "Tennessee" and "Popsicle" (both for Jan & Dean) and "Rainbow Valley" (Love Affair). In 1970, following a stint as backing singer for Roy Orbison, Kenny Rogers and Elvis Presley, he opened Creative Workshop, a recording studio in Berry Hill. whose clients included Jimmy Buffett, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, The Faces, The Doobie Brothers, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, Merle Haggard and Emmylou Harris.In 1987, Buzz formed BC & The Dartz, a rockabilly unit which recorded and toured up until the Covid pandemic and in recent years, he recorded and worked with his sons Taylor and Parker under the name Cason & Sons.In a career which lasted more than 65 years, his songs were recorded by such names as U2, Gloria Estefan, Jamie Cullum, Arthur Alexander, The Beatles, Marshall Crenshaw, Pearl Jam, Ronnie & The Daytonas, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Dion, Martina McBride, The Oak Ridge Boys, T.G. Sheppard, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Tommy Overstreet, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mel Tillis, Freddy Weller, Alan Jackson and Placido Domingo.International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 16th June 2024.in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, following a heart attack.Click for Wikipedia entry Angela Bofill(70), American-born singer-songwriter whose 14 hits on the US R&B charts include "This Time I'll Be Sweeter", "Angel Of The Night", "Under The Moon And Over The Sky", "What I Wouldn't Do (For The Love Of You)" and "I Try". On 13th June 2024, in Vallejo, California, USA, following a series of strokes.Click for Wikipedia entry Joe Scaife(68), American-born producer-songwriter, vocalist and music publisher who produced "Achy Breaky Heart" for Billy Ray Cyrus and "80's Ladies" for K.T. Oslin.The son of Cecil Scaife who worked at Sun Records in Memphis alongside such talent as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis before moving to Nashville in the 1960s, Joe went on to produce or engineer hit albums for Montgomery Gentry, Toby Keith, Shania Twain, George Jones, The Oak Ridge Boys, Dr. Hook, Gretchen Wilson, Alabama. Ty Herndon, Glen Campbell, Sammy Kershaw, Crystal Gayle, Anne Murray, Waylon Jennings, Sawyer Brown, Tom Jones, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill and The Jordanaires, frequently providing background vocals on those sessions. On 12th June 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA of undisclosed causes.Click for obituary Francoise Hardy(80), French-born singer-songwriter and actress whose hits included "Tous les garçons et les filles", "C'est à l'amour auquel je pense", L'amour s'en va", "Je veux qu'il revienne", "Comment te dire adieu" and "True Love Ways".In a career spanning fifty years, she released more than thirty albums and sold over ten million records. In 1963, she represented Monaco at the Eurovision song contest.On 11th June 2024, in Paris, France, of laryngeal cancer.Click for obituary Mark James(83), American-born Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer and record producer whose hit songs include "Suspicious Minds", "Always On My Mind", "Raised On Rock", "It's Only Love" and "Moody Blue" (all recorded by Elvis Presley), "Sunday Sunrise" (a hit for both Brenda Lee and Anne Murray), "Roller Coaster" (Blood Sweat & Tears and David Cassidy), "The Eyes Of A New York Woman" and "Hooked On A Feeling" (B J Thomas), and "Where Do We Go From Here" (The Partridge Family).Mark's songs have been recorded by such acts as Floyd Cramer, Faron Young, Roger Whittaker, Val Doonican, Pet Shop Boys, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, The Stylistics. Michael Ball, Chris de Burgh, B.B. King, Jon Bon Jovi, Julio Iglesias, Michael Bublé, José Feliciano, LeAnn Rimes, Loretta Lynn, Susan Boyle, Shirley Bassey, Herb Alpert, The Shadows, Percy Sledge, Lou Rawls, Helen Reddy, The Box Tops, Johnny Winter, Dee Dee Warwick, Roy Clark, Thelma Houston, Billie Jo Spears, Jonathan King, Ray Peterson, Fine Young Cannibals, Billy Swan, Ronan Keating and James Last.International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 8th June 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, of undisclosed causes. Click for obituary Karar Ramadan(26), Swedish-born rapper-songwriter known professionally as C.Gambino, who scored 22 Top 40 hits in Sweden between 2019 and 2024 including his 2023 Number 1 "Automatic".On 4th June 2024, in Gothenburg, Sweden, of gunshot wounds following a shooting.Click for Wikipedia entry Mark D Ross(58), known professionally as Brother Marquis, American-born rapper-songwriter who as a member of 2 Live Crew scored such gold albums as "The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are", Move Somethin'", "Banned In The USA", "Back At Your Ass For Ehe Nine-4" and the platinum album "As Nasty as They Wanna Be", along with hit singles like "Me So Horny", "Banned in the USA", "Do the Bart" and "Pop That Coochie", some of which were denied radio play due to alleged obscenity.One of the band's records became the first album in history to be judged legally obscene (although this decision was later overturned), while their parody of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" led the US Supreme Court to determine that commercial parodies were fair use.On 3rd June 2024, in Gadsden, Alabama, USA, following a heart attack.Click for obituary Tony Bramwell(78), English-born record label executive and childhood friend of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.When the Beatles left Liverpool to move to London, he went with them to act as their road manager, before joining Brian Epstein's NEMS in 1962 as head of promotion. In later years, he produced many of the Beatles videos, eventually becoming joint MD of Apple Records.On 2nd June 2024, in Liverpool, England, of cancer.Click for obituary Harry van Hoof(81), Netherlands-born songwriter and arranger who conducted the Dutch entry at the Eurovision Song Contest on fifteen different occasions between 1972 and 1994.As a songwriter, his most successful composition was "How Do You Do" which became an international hit for Mouth & MacNeal, reaching the US Top 10 and selling more than two million copies, but he also played a major part in the success of Teach-In, who won the Eurovision in 1975 with "Dinge-Dong".In a sixty-year career, Harry worked with a wide variety of acts across Europe, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Metropole Orchestra (which he led for twenty years) and the Anita Kerr Singers. On 1st June 2024, in Eindhoven, Netherlands, following a heart attack.Click for obituary Ed Mann(70), American-born drummer and pianist who was heavily involved with the various Frank Zappa bands playing on thirty two of their albums, while also releasing five solo albums of his own material.Although primarly associated with Zappa, Ed also worked extensively as a studio and touring musician with such acts as Kenny Loggins, Tammy Wynette, Los Lobos and the London Symphony Orchestra.On 1st June 2024, in Los Angeles, California, USA, of cancer.Click for Wikipedia entry Geoff Follin(58), English-born composer of music for video games. who worked alongside his brothers Tim and Mike on such productions as "Batman Forever", "The New Zealand Story", "Terminator 2", "Silver Surfer", "Spot: The Video Game", "Solstice II", "Spider-Man & the X-Men In Arcade's Revenge", "Plok", "The Incredible Crash Dummies", "Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade: Taito" and "Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball".On 28th May 2024, in London, UK, of pancreatic cancer.Click for obituary John Schweers(78), American-born songwriter whose million-selling hits included Charley Pride’s "Amazing Love", Ronnie Milsap’s "Daydreams About Night Things", Dave & Sugar’s "Golden Tears" and Trace Adkins’ "I Left Something Turned On At Home".Over a fifty-year period, his songs were recorded by Nashville royalty, including Charley Pride (who signed John to his publishing company), Tom T. Hall (who had advised him to move to Nashville), Eddy Arnold, Alabama, David Frizzell, Shelly West, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, David Wills, Johnny Russell, Mel Street, Susan Raye, Barbara Mandrell, Sylvia, Ronnie Milsap, Jim Ed Brown, George Jones, Mel McDaniel, The Oak Ridge Boys, Tanya Tucker, The Kendalls, Don Williams, The Osmond Brothers, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, Jeannie C. Riley, Charlie Louvin, Roy Clark, Daron Norwood, George Strait, Marty Raybon, Con Hunley, Don Everly, Buck Owens, Travis Tritt, Larry Stewart, Neal McCoy, Johnny Rodriguez and Jeanne Pruett.International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 28th May 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, of undisclosed causes.Click for obituary Ghigo Agosti(87), Italian-born singer-songwriter who helped popularise rock and roll in 1950s Italy, scoring with such self-penned hits as "Coccinella" and "Stazione Del Rock" as well as covers of "Peppermint Twist", "Memphis Tennessee", "Daydream", "In The Midnight Hour" and "Whiter Shade of Pale".Frequently performing with visiting acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Isaac Hayes and Elton John, Agosti retired in the 1970s to become a photo-journalist, travelling internationally for Virgin Music Italy and various magazines, before returning to music in 1990.On 27th May 2024, a his home outside Pavia, Italy, of heart failure.Click for Wikipedia entry Richard D Sherman(95), American-born songwriter who alongside his brother Robert, wrote more motion-picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history, creating such Disney hit musicals as "Mary Poppins", "The Happiest Millionaire", "The Sword In The Stone", "The Jungle Book", "The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Snoopy Come Home", "Bedknobs And Broomsticks", "The Slipper And The Rose" and "Charlotte's Web".His songs included the Oscar-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee" along with "A Spoonful Of Sugar", "Feed The Birds", "I Wanna Be Like You", "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Jolly Holliday" as well as such teen hits as "Tall Paul" and "Pineapple Princess" (both for Annette Funicello), "You’re Sixteen" (for Johnny Burnette and covered later by Ringo Starr) and "Let’s Get Together" (for Hayley Mills).Son of hit songwriter Al Sherman whose hits included "Livin' In The Sunlight, Lovin' In The Moonlight", Richard won two Academy Awards, three Grammy Awards and 23 gold and platinum albums in a career whugh spanned 65 years,International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 25th May 2024, in Los Angeles, California, USA, of heart failure.Click for obituary Pat Rolfe(77), American-born music publishing executive who after leaving high school, worked at Hill & Range Music in Nashville, eventually rising to the position of Vice President at Chappell Music, before finally moving to hold the same position at ASCAP (the American Society Of Articts, Composers and Publishers).In a fifty-year career, Pat Rolfe worked with hundreds of luminaries including Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman, Phil Spector, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and Wynonna Judd.On 24th May 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, of cancer.Click for obituary Doug Ingle(78), American-born songwriter, organist and lead vocalist for Iron Butterfly, who wrote the band's iconic song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida",On 24th May 2024, in San Diego, California USA, of undisclosed causes. Click for obituary Chaarlie Colin(58), Grammy Award-winning American-born singer-songwriter, bassist and co-founder of Train, whose hits include "Meet Virginia", "I Am", "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)", "She's On Fire" and "Calling All Angels".On 22nd May 2024, in Brussels, Belgium, following a fall.Click for obituary Jan A.P. Kaczmarek(71), Polish-born film and television composer who scored such movies as "Total Eclipse", "Washington Square", "Aimee And Jaguar", "Unfaithful", "Soldier’s Girl", "The Visitor", "City Island", "Get Low", "Paul, Apostle Of Christ" and "Finding Neverland" for which he won an Oscar in 2004.On 21st May 2024, in Krakow, Poland, of complications brought on by Multiple System Atrophy.Click for obituary Frank Ifield(86), English-born singer-songwriter of Australian parentage, who having started his career in Australia, returned to London in 1959 to score a string of hits including "I Remember You", "Lovesick Blues", "The Wayward Wind", "Confessin' That I Love You"."Nobody's Darlin' But Mine", "Mule Train", "Don't Blame Me", "Angry At The Big Oak Tree", "I Should Care", "Paradise", "No One Will Ever Know" and "Call Her Your Sweetheart". Ifield also finished second to Ronnie Carroll in the 1962 UK Eurovision Song Contest heats and was one of the few non-American acts to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, where he was introduced on stage by his idol and fellow-yodeller Hank Snow.On 18th May 2024, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, of heart failure.Click for obituary John Koerner(85), American-born singer-songwriter and guitarist with the Minneapolis folk act Koerner, Ray & Glover, and whose output was much admired by John Lennon, David Bowie and the emerging Bob Dylan (who performed with him on several occasions).On 18th May 2024, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, of cancer.Click for obituary Randy Fuller(80), American-born singer-songwriter and guitarist who as a member of the Bobby Fuller Four, scored American hits with "Let Her Dance", "I Fought The Law" and "Love's Made A Fool Of You".Following his brother Bobby's mysterious death in Los Angeles in 1966, Randy put together the Randy Fuller Four, but in 1969 joined The New Buffalo Springfield, before reforming his own band a few years later. He continued to tour and record with the original Bobby Fulller Four drummer DeWayne Quirico until his retirement in 2023.On 16th May 2024, in El Paso, Texas, USA, of undisclosed causes. Click for Wikipedia entry John Hawken (84), English-born keyboardist and songwriter who found success as a member of such bands as The Nashville Teens ("Google Eye" and "Tobacco Road"), Renaissance, Illusion, Spooky Tooth, The Strawbs, Third World War, Trifle and Vinegar Joe, and whose notable compositions include "Autumn" and "Heroine's Theme".On 15th May 2024, in Metuchen, New Jersey, USA, from melanoma.Click for Wikipedia entry Bud Logan(83), American-born singer. guitarist, songwriter and record producer who took over as lead vocalist of The Blue Boys, following the death of Jim Reeves in 1964. Having scored a number of hits with them inclduing "My Cup Runneth Over" from the Broadway show "I Do I Do", he went solo, later teaming up with Wilma Burgess and garnering several more smashes including "The Best Day Of The Rest Of Our Love".In 1977, he became John Conlee's record producer, the pair hitting the charts an amazing 32 times - 23 of those inside the Billboard Country Top 10 and seven of which got to Number 1. He went on to produce a string of hits for amongst others, T. Graham Brown, Charlie Rich, Johnny Lee, B.J. Thomas and Ernest Tubb for whom he wrote "Till My Getup Has Gotup And Gone".On 13th May 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, of heart failure,Click for obituary David Sanborn(78), American-born saxophonist and composer wo worked with hundreds of artists including Ray Charles, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, James Brown, Bryan Ferry, Eric Clapton, Cat Stevens, Roger Daltrey, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins, Loudon Wainwright, George Benson, Elton John, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Steely Dan, the Eagles, the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones, and supplied sound-tracks for dozens of movies including the "Lethal Weapon" series.In addition, he was the recipient of six Grammy awards, and also produced eight million-selling solo albums and one platinum album.On 12th May 2024, in Tarrytown, New York, from prostate cancer.Click for obituary Wayland Holyfield(82), American-born songwriter who in a fifty-four year career, scored more than forty US Top Ten Country hits. including such classics as Bobby Rusells's "Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer", Don Williams' You’re My Best Friend", "She Never Knew Me" and "Til The Rivers All Run Dry", Crystal Gayle's "I’ll Do It All Over Again", Mel Street's "If I Had A Cheating Heart", Ronnie Milsap's "Nobody Likes Sad Songs", Anne Murray's "Could I Have This Dance" as well as the Arkansas State Song "Arkansas (You Run Deep In Me)".In addition, Wayland scored hits with Conway Twitty, Charley Pride, Randy Travis, George Strait, Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, The Judds, Barbara Mandrell, Kathy Mattea, Mark Chesnutt, John Anderson, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Oak Ridge Boys, Gary Allan, Johnny Rodriguez, and Ernest Tubb while also becoming the first Nashville songwriter to be elected to the national ASCAP Board of DirectorsInternational Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 6th May 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, of undisclosed causes.Click for Wikipedia entry Ron Kavana(73), Irish-born singer-songwriter, actor, journalist and film-maker, who worked with such acts as Big Jay McNeely, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Dr. John, Elvis Costello, Sinead O’Connor, Doug Sahm, Flaco Jiminez, Alexis Korner, Memphis Slim, Champion Jack Dupree, as well as the Pogues for whom he wrote "Every Man Is A King (In The US of A)" and "Young Ned Of the Hill", while also producing ten award-winning solo albums.On 4th May 2024, in Cork, Ireland, of renal failure.Click for Wikipedia entry Duane Eddy(86), American-born Grammy Award-winning guitarist and composer, whose hits include "Rebel-'Rouser", "Ramrod","Cannonball", "The Lonely One", "Peter Gunn", "Yep!", "Forty Miles of Bad Road", "Some Kind-a Earthquake", "Shazam!", "Because They're Young", "Kommotion", "Pepe", "Ring of Fire", "My Blue Heaven", "Caravan", "Deep In The Heart Of Texas", "The Ballad Of Paladin", "(Dance With The) Guitar Man", "Boss Guitar", and "Play Me Like You Play Your Guitar".Still performing well into his 80s, famous guitarists influenced by him include George Harrison, Dave Davies, Hank Marvin, the Ventures, Bruce Springsteen and Mark Knopfler.International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.On 30th April 2024, in Franklin, Tennessee, USA, of cancer.Click for obituary Robin George(68), English-born singer-songwriter and record producer whose song "Heartline" hit the Uk and US charts in 1985. He also worked with such acts as David Byron, Phil Lynott, Glenn Hughes, Robert Plant, Asia, Roy Wood, The Climax Blues Band and Magnum. and produced Diamond Head's single "Sweet & Innocent", along with albums by Quartz and Witchfinder General. On 26th April 2024, in Malaga, Spain, of cancer.Click for Wikipedia entry Mike Pinder(82), English-born keyboardist, songwriter, member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, founding member of the Moody Blues and the musician who most helped to popularise the Mellotron. His compositions for the band include "And My Baby's Gone", "A Simple Game", "Boulevard De La Madeleine", "Melancholy Man" and "People Gotta Go", while his songs have been covered by such acts as The Four Tops, The Mike Morton Congregation and Vicky Leandros.On 24th April 2024, near San Jose, Northern California, USA of undisclosed causes.Click for obituary Chan Romero(82), American-born singer-songwriter whose song "The Hippy Hippy Shake" was covered by more than 70 acts including The Beatles, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Mud, Billy Fury, Shane MacGowan and The Popes and The Georgia Satellites.On 20th April 2024, in Cathedral City, California, USA of undisclosed causes.Click for Wikipedia entry Larry Page(86), English-born singer, manager, record producer. music publisher and record label owner who as a vocalist in 1957, unsuccessfully covered Buddy Holly's "That'll Be The Day" in the UK, but in later years went on to manage The Kinks and The Troggs while owning Page One Records and Penny Farthing Records. He also produced several million-selling hits including "Wild Thing" for the Troggs, "Beautiful Sunday" for Daniel Boone and the Chelsea Football Club song "Blue Is The Colour".On 18th April 2024, in Avoca Beach, New South Wales, Australia, of heart failure.Click for obituary Dickey Betts(80), American-born singer-songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band, whose most famous songs include "Rambling Man", "Jessica", "Straight From The Heart" and ""No One To Run With" (all written by Betts).On 18th April 2024, in Osprey, Florida, USA, of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Click for obituary Rico Wade(52), American-born Grammy Award-winning songwriter, record producer and member of the Atlanta-based production and songwriting trio Organized Noize, who produced Outkast, Goodie Mob, TLC, and En Vogue, and was responsible for such hits as TLC’s "Waterfalls", En Vogue’s "Don't Let Go (Love)", and Ludacris’ "Saturday (Oooh! Ooooh!)".On 12th April 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, of cardiac arrest.Click for obituary Park Bo-ram (30), Korean-born singer-songwriter and actress, whose hits during a ten-year career include "Beautiful", "Celepretty". "Sorry" and "Ordinary Love".On 11th April 2024, in Seoul, Korea, of cardiac arrest.Click for Wikipedia entry Clarence "Frogman" Henry(87), American-born singer-songwriter whose hits include "Aint's Got No Home", "(I Don’t Know Why I Love You) But I Do", "You Always Hurt The One You Love", "Lonely Street", "On Bended Knees" and "A Little Too Much", and who opened for The Beatles during their 1964 USA tour.On 7th April 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana,USA, of undisclosed causes following surgery.Click for obituary John "Bucky" Wilkin(77), American-born singer-songwriter, record producer and music publisher who scored a number of hits under the name Ronnie & The Daytonas including "GTO", "California Bound", "Sandy", "Somebody To Love Me", "Dianne Dianne" and "I’ll Think Of Summer". He also charted with "Tiger-A-Go-Go", performed by Buzz & Bucky, a duo featuring himself and singer-songwriter Buzz Cason.The son of International Songwriters Association Hall of Famer Marijohn Wilkin who had penned such hits as "The Long Black Veil", "One Day At A Time (Sweet Jesus)" and "Waterloo", he and his mother signed Kris Kristofferson to Buckhorn Music, while his John's own songs continued to be recorded by such stars as Bobby Goldsboro, Bobby Vee, Ray Charles, Bobbie Gentry, Southern Pacific, The Beach Boys, Wayne Newton, The Hondells and The Swinging Blue Jeans,When not writing or touring with the Daytonas, John worked in Nashville as a session guitarist, playing on albums by Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Kris Kristofferson, Jessi Colter, Dory Previn and many more.International Songwriters Association Hall Of Fame Member.On 6th April 2024, in Linden, Tennessee, USA, of undisclosed causes.Click for Wikipedia entry Crawford Bell(80), Irish-born singer-songwriter, musician and owner of C B Recording Studios, who during a 64-year career emerged from the showband scene to work alongside such stars as Van Morrison, Nathan Carter, Brendan Quinn and Daniel O'Donnell, touring Ireland, Scotland, England, Europe, USA and Canada.On 4th April 2024, in Carryduff, County Down, Northern Ireland, of undisclosed causes.Click for obituary Jerry Abbott(81), American-born singer-songwriter and record producer, whose hits include "I Want A Little Cowboy" and whose songs have been recorded by such country stars as Emmylou Harris and Freddy Fender. He was also the father of Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell who founded Pantera, a band which he managed and produced before they signed with Atco.On 2nd April 2024, in Denton, Texas, USA, of undisclosed causes. Click for Wikipedia entry Casey Benjamin(46), Grammy Award-winning American-born saxophonist, keyboardist, and songwriter. who worked with such stars as Betty Carter, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Wyclef Jean, Mary J. Blige, John Legend, and Beyonce.On 30th March 2024, in Queens, New York City, USA, of a pulmonary thromboembolism,Click for obituary Louis Gossett Jr.(87), American-born Academy Award-winning actor and singer-songwriter, whose song "Handsome Johnny" was recorded by several acts including Ritchie Havens, Peter Tosh and The Flaming Lips.On 29th March 2024, in Santa Monica, California, USA, of complications brought on by prostate cancer.Click for obituary Mark Spiro(68), American-born singer-songwriter and record producer who wrote songs for such acts as Julian Lennon, Kansas, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cheap Trick, Anne Murray, Heart, REO Speedwagon, Selena, Laura Branigan, Bad English and Lita Ford. In addition, he released eleven solo albums between 1986 and 2021 as well as producing albums for his daughters Ruby and Summer Spiro who work under the group name Ruby Summer. He also contributed music to several movies including "Top Gun", "Far Away Places" and "Voyage Of The Rock Aliens". On 28th March 2024, in Los Angeles, California, USA, of cancer.Click for Wikipedia entry Chris Cross(71), English-born bass guitarist, songwriter and member of Ultravox, who co-wrote such hits as "Dancing With Tears In My Eyes", "Hymn", The Voice", "New Europeans", "Vienna" and "Slow Motion".On 25th March 2024, in London, UK, of undisclosed causes.Click for obituary Humphrey Campbell(66), Surinamese-born Dutch-based singer-songwriter and record producer who represented The Netherlands in the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden, with "Wijs Me De Weg", before going on to become the senior vocal lecturer at the Amsterdam Conservatory Of Music.On 25th March 2024, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, of cancer,Click for Wikipedia entry Erv Woolsey(80), American-born music industry executive and ,music publisher who managed such stars as George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Dierks Bentley, Clay Walker and Ronnie Milsap, having earlier worked with Johnny Rodriguez, Jimmy Buffett, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Donna Fargo, Freddy Fender, Barbara Mandrell, Don Williams, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, The Oak Ridge Boy, Lee Greenwood and the Amazing Rhythm Aces.On 20th March 2024, in Clearwater, Florida, USA, of complications following heart surgery.Click for obituary Kevin Toney(70), American-born twice Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and composer whose compositions include such hits as "Rock Creek Park" and "Unfinished Business", and who worked with Frank Sinatra, Patti Austin, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Whitney Houston, Gloria Gaynor, James Ingram, Enrique Iglesias, Michael McDonald, Bill Withers, and Stevie Wonder.On 18th March 2024, in Los Angeles, California, USA, of cancer.Click for obituary Steve Harley(76), English-born singer-songwriter and leader of the band Cockney Rebel, whose hits include "Judy Teen", "Mr. Soft", "Mr. Raffles (Man It Was Mean)", "Here Comes the Sun", "(I Believe) Love's a Prima Donna" and the #1 hit "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" which reached the UK charts on five separate occasions between 1974 and 2015.On 17th March 2024, in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, of cancer.Click for obituary Dick Allix(78), English-born drummer and songwriter with Vanity Fare, who scored hits with ""I Live for the Sun", "Hitchin' a Ride", "Early in the Morning" and "(I Remember) Summer Morning", and who went on to found the Professional Darts Corporation in 1992 which nowadays operates the televised World Championship, Premier League, World Cup of Darts, World Grand Prix and World Matchplay.On 13th March 2024, in London, UK, of undisclosed causes.Click for Wikipedia entry
