ForumsPopular MediaDeceased Music Artists "R.I.P." (General Discussion)

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MrDayCee
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MrDayCee
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Since a lot of music artists have died over the past time and no general thread was available to discuss these great artists (personal preferences set aside), I decided to start one to have a place to discuss them and what they achieved and gave to us to remember them by!

Feel free to add any artists that passed away recently, no need to add artists that are deceased long ago, since that would only fill this thread with unuseful information already known to the world. So... Recently deceased artists only!!

Rest In Peace...

To start the thread off, two wonderful artists have passed recently, one know by his hits and one known a bit less -unless you are a fan of the old school Rock Genre... first:

# Jimmy Ellis of The Trammps (74 y.o.a.)

Jimmy Ellis, frontman of the Trammps, has died at the age of 74. He passed away yesterday in Rock Hill, South Carolina from complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Ellis was best known as the singer of the band's 1976 song "Disco Inferno", which became a smash hit in the United States in 1978 after it was included on the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever. The Trammps also scored hits on the R&B charts with their cover of Judy Garland's signature tune "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", "Hold Back the Night" and "The Night the Lights Went Out", which was inspired by the New York City blackout of 1977.
(Source: www.rollingstone.com)

http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/story/trammps-singer-jimmy-ellis-dead-at-74-20120309/1000x306/main.jpg

What he has left us to enjoy still...

* Disco Inferno
* Shout
* Hold Back The Night
* Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart
* The Night the Lights Went Out


Another (completely different) artist that has died recently...

# Ronnie Montrose (64 y.o.a.)

Ronnie Montrose, who is best known for his fiery guitar work as a member of the band Montrose, died Saturday. It is believed that the cause of death was prostate cancer, which he had been battling for the past few years.

"A few months ago, we held a surprise party for Ronnie Montrose's 64th birthday," a statement said on Montrose's official website. "He gave an impromptu speech, and told us that after a long life, filled with joy and hardship, he didn't take any of our love for granted. He passed today. He'd battled cancer, and staved off old age for long enough. And true to form, he chose his own exit the way he chose his own life. We miss him already, but we're glad to have shared with him while we could."

Born in Denver, Colorado, Montrose got his first break when he was invited to play on Van Morrison's 1971 album, Tupelo Honey. Additional appearances on recordings by Herbie Hancock, Boz Scaggs, and the Edgar Winter Group soon followed before he formed his own band, Montrose, in 1973. In addition to the guitarist, the band consisted of a then-unknown Sammy Hagar on vocals, as well as bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi.

The quartet issued one of rock's all-time great debuts that year, their Zeppelin-esque album, Montrose, which spawned such soon-to-be hard rock standards as "Rock the Nation," "Bad Motor Scooter," "Space Station #5," "Rock Candy" and "Make It Last," all of which featured Montrose's tasty guitar playing. Hagar, however, would only remain with the band for one more release (1974's Paper Money) before exiting the group.

Still, the two Hagar/Montrose albums proved influential to subsequent bands, as evidenced by all the rock acts covering Montrose tunes, including Iron Maiden, who covered "I've Got the Fire" and "Space Station #5." Interestingly, Van Halen (the group Hagar would eventually front for two separate stints) would cover the songs "Rock Candy" and "Make It Last" during their early club days.

Montrose the group (with singer Bob James filling Hagar's spot) would soldier on for a few more releases in the Seventies before the guitarist issued an all-instrumental solo album, 1978's Open Fire. He went on to form Gamma, which issued three albums between 1980 and 1983. From the Eighties onward, Montrose would alternate between issuing additional recordings from Montrose, Gamma, and as a solo artist.

Ronnie Montrose and Sammy Hagar appeared to eventually bury the hatchet, as the original Montrose line-up appeared on the singer's 1997 solo effort, Marching to Mars, for the song "Leaving the Warmth of the Womb," and even played together again on stage several times afterwards. For the past few years, Montrose had played solo shows throughout the U.S.
(Source: www.rollingstone.com)

http://assets.rollingstone.com/assets/images/story/guitarist-ronnie-montrose-dead-at-64-20120304/1000x306/main.jpg

What he has left us to enjoy still...

* Bad Motor Scooter
* Rock Candy
* Space Station #5
* Rock The Nation


For the both of them... Rest In Peace... your contribution to the world of music will be missed!

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