Photo: Spencer Pyne, Sam Brindis, Bill Pfordresher | Spencer Pyne: My dear friend Bill Pfordresher passed away today. Bill was my mentor as a young record promotion man and together we broke the band Ambrosia out of the Denver market with their hit “Holding On To Yesterday” back in the Summer of 1975.
Bill was an amazing guy who was the VP or Promotions for Elektra Records in the 1980’s. He was a songwriter, guitarist and an avid lover of the Beatles. Bill was a gentle soul with a heart of gold who always remembered his friends.
The last time I saw Bill was when we went to the NAMM Show in Anaheim in 2018. He and his lovely wife Rita allowed me to stay with them while I was there and we all had great time (as you can see).
Billy, you will be missed. I’ll see you on the other side my friend…..
Photo: Bill | From Spencer’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10236610942845806&set=pcb.10236610948205940
Spencer, Sam & Bill | From Spencer’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10236610944565849&set=pcb.10236610948205940
From the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame:
If you haven’t seen the posts, we recently heard about the passing of Al Bear, Alvis Crazy Bear. Al was well known in Colorado for his unique song stylings when he sang and played guitar.
In 2008, he was inducted into the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame. To be inducted, a performer must have 20 years of professional performances in Colorado. He was well loved by so many fans and friends.
Al Bear was a Lakota Sioux Native American from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. From all of us at the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame, we send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
https://www.facebook.com/colocountrymusic.halloffame
Colo-CountryMusic HallOf-Fame
OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
Services for Purnell Steen have been set for Saturday, January 10th at 11:00 a.m. at the Zion Baptist Church, 933 24th Avenue, Denver. The public is invited.
Warning Signs of Suicide – National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or if you want to discuss, call the old numbers at 800-273-TALK or 800-273-8255 for English and 888-628-9454 for Spanish. Learn the signs of someone who may be contemplating suicide.
Posting for my Veteran/singer/songwriter/musician friend Troy Hoss: Heavy on my heart so here goes: This is a very real problem … 22 Veterans a day surrender to their demons. #SuicideAwareness | Call Veteran’s Hotline: 988 #1 or 844-647-1354
From Care2 via Jock Bartley on Facebook: Trump shut down our LGBTQ+ suicide and mental health hotline, but CANADA opened a US toll-free number to theirs… so our citizens can get help anytime, at no cost: 1-877-330-6366
Kindness & empathy have no borders.
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
January 2026
7: James Bernard, American music journalist and magazine editor (The Source, XXL).
6: Jim McBride, 78, American country music songwriter (“Chasing That Neon Rainbow”, “(Who Says) You Can’t Have It All”, “Chattahoochee”).
5: Andrew Bodnar, 71, English bass guitarist (The Rumour) and songwriter (“I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass”); Andrew Carter, 86, English composer and conductor; Mike Embro, 63, Canadian drummer (Razor); Elsje de Wijn, 82, Dutch actress and singer.
4: Calbo, 52, French rapper (Ärsenik).
3: Mesut İktu, 78, Turkish operatic baritone.
2: Ritva Auvinen, 93, Finnish opera singer; Tony Carr, 98, Maltese session drummer and percussionist (CCS, Hot Chocolate); Bohdan Chufus [uk], 75, Ukrainian journalist, actor and singer; Johnny Legend, 77, American rockabilly musician, film producer and wrestling manager, stroke and heart failure; Lajos Rovátkay, 92, Hungarian-born German harpsichordist and musicologist.
December 2025
31: Peter-Lukas Graf, 96, Swiss flautist, conductor and academic; Hayden Thompson, 87, American rockabilly musician.
30: Richard Smallwood, 77, American gospel singer (“Total Praise”), kidney failure.