Photo: Bill Bass with Widespread Panic | From Bill’s business partner Peter Olivo on Facebook: It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my longtime friend and, together with his wife Angie, business partner of 26 years, Bill Bass. Bill passed away peacefully in his sleep in San Jose del Cabo, MX, in the early morning hours of Friday, January 13th. We were in Mexico for a very long-awaited trip to do what Bill loved doing the most, fishing. Seems to be a very fitting way to spend your last day on Earth, doing what you love to do.
There will be ample time to tell all the funny and crazy Bill Bass tales (and there were many), and there will be a celebration of life in the coming weeks but for now, Angie and I simply wanted to let folks know that didn’t already.
Bill was a legend and certainly a one of a kind personality and soul, sometimes tough on the outside but always with a soft heart. He loved seeing the fans enjoy the music at his shows and hopefully, will be remembered for his many contributions to the live music scene in Colorado and beyond for the last 40 years. Angie and I are grateful for all of outpouring of support during this difficult time. Thank you! RIP Bill! ~ Peter Olivo | https://www.facebook.com/billbassconcerts/
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From Chris Reidy: My wonderful friend Bill Bass passed away yesterday and I will miss him immensely! I have known him since 1995 as he was one of the biggest supporters of my band Judge Roughneck. After only being a band for 6 months, he invited us to play Reggae on the Rocks and my life would never be the same. Throughout our whole career he put us on the greatest stages, supporting the biggest reggae bands in the world and I will forever be grateful to him. My biggest dream in life was to play Red Rocks and he made that dream come true over and over again.
In the past few years he became a true friend to me and we would talk every day (sometimes two and three times). He was funny, intellectual, extremely interesting, and I am really going to miss our conversations.
RIP my friend. Thank you for making my life better! ~ Chris Reidy
https://www.facebook.com/chris.reidy.5811
Photo: Bill Bass | Widespread Panic Red Rock presentation 2000. Left to right: John “JoJo” Hermann, Sam Lanier, Dave Schools, John “JB” Bell, Bill Bass, Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz, Buck Williams, Todd Nance, Michael Houser, Tad Bowman (sorry for previous poor quality photo. I re-scanned it)
https://www.facebook.com/billbassconcerts/photos/pb.100057187640975.-2207520000./2876384562387954/?type=3
https://www.facebook.com/billbassconcerts/photos
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OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
January 2023
18: Gary Smith, American record producer; Marcel Zanini, 99, Turkish-born French jazz musician.
17: Van Conner, 55, American bass guitarist (Screaming Trees), pneumonia; Manana Doijashvili, 75, Georgian pianist; Renée Geyer, 69, Australian singer (“Say I Love You”, “Heading in the Right Direction”, “Stares and Whispers”), complications from hip surgery; Larry Morris, 75, New Zealand singer (Larry’s Rebels).
15: Doris, 75, Swedish pop singer; C. J. Harris, 31, American singer (American Idol); Vakhtang Kikabidze, 84, Georgian singer, actor (Mimino, Don’t Grieve) and politician, MP (since 2020), brain cancer.
14: Keith Beaton, 72, American singer (Blue Magic); Matthias Carras, 58, German pop singer, cancer; Femi Ogunrombi, Nigerian actor and ethnomusicologist.
13: Ray Cordeiro, 98, Hong Kong disc jockey (RTHK Radio 3) and actor (Games Gamblers Play, Security Unlimited); Thomasina Winslow, 57, American blues musician, stroke.
12: Robbie Bachman, 69, Canadian drummer (Bachman–Turner Overdrive); Aurel Mitran, 68, Romanian rock band manager (Holograf); Lisa Marie Presley, 54, American singer-songwriter (“Lights Out”, “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet”), cardiac arrest; Charles Treger, 87, American violinist.
11: Doming Lam, 96, Macanese-born Hong Kong classical composer; Haakon Pedersen, 64, Norwegian singer; Yukihiro Takahashi, 70, Japanese drummer and singer (Yellow Magic Orchestra, Sadistic Mika Band, METAFIVE), pneumonia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2023
Bill Bass, Local Concert Promoter, Passes // Other Notable Musicians’ Deaths
