Photo: Charlie Gracie | Although, for the moment, deaths from COVID-19 seem to be on the descent, we are now losing many of our famous musicians to the effects of other medical issues and age. If you want to know more about any of the musicians we lost, please check them out at http://www.wikipedia.com
December 2022
22: Thom Bell*, 79, Jamaican-born American songwriter (“The Rubberband Man”, “La-La (Means I Love You)”, “Mama Can’t Buy You Love”), arranger and record producer.
*Thomas Randolph Bell (January 26, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was a Jamaican-born American record producer, arranger and songwriter known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. He is best known for his success with the Philadelphia sound in the 1970s, particularly with the Delfonics, Stylistics and Spinners. In June 2006, Bell was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2016, Bell was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thom_Bell
21: Bilqees Khanum, 82–83, Pakistani classical singer.
20: Anton Khabibulin, 44, Russian guitarist (Tantsy Minus); Iain Templeton, British drummer (The La’s, Shack).
19: Claudisabel, 40, Portuguese singer, traffic collision; Stanley Drucker, 93, American clarinetist.
18: Terry Hall, 63, English singer (The Specials, Fun Boy Three) and songwriter (“Our Lips Are Sealed”); Wim Henderickx, 60, Belgian composer (Muziektheater Transparant) and academic teacher (Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, Conservatorium van Amsterdam).
17: Urmas Sisask, 62, Estonian composer.
16: Rick Anderson, 75, American rock bassist (The Tubes); Jean-Paul Corbineau, 74, French singer-songwriter (Tri Yann), leukemia; Charlie Gracie, 86, American rock and roll singer (“Butterfly”, “Fabulous”). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Gracie
15: Bertha Barbee-McNeal, 82, American singer (The Velvelettes); Dino Danelli, 78, American Hall of Fame drummer (The Rascals); Shirley Eikhard, 67, Canadian singer-songwriter (“Something to Talk About”, “It Takes Time”, “Smiling Wine”); Oqtay Radjabov, 81, Azerbaijani academic and composer.
14: Djene Djento, 58–59, Cameroonian singer-songwriter; Rock Nalle, 79, Danish rock musician; Koji Ryu, 60, Japanese musician (C-C-B), stroke.
13: Sol Amarfio, 84, Ghanaian-British drummer (Osibisa); Stephen “tWitch” Boss, 40, American dancer, television personality (The Ellen DeGeneres Show, So You Think You Can Dance) and actor (Step Up), suicide by gunshot; Benjamin Bossi, 69, American saxophonist (Romeo Void), complications from Alzheimer’s disease; Luis “Checho” González, 89, Chilean musician; Grand Daddy I.U., 54, American rapper (Juice Crew); Nihal Nelson, 76, Sri Lankan vocalist and songwriter, heart attack; Bayan Northcott, 82, English music critic (The Independent, BBC Music Magazine) and composer; Lalo Rodríguez, 64, Puerto Rican salsa singer (“Ven, Devórame Otra Vez”); Kim Simmonds, 75, British rock guitarist (Savoy Brown), colon cancer.
12: Ekambi Brillant, 74, Cameroonian makossa singer; Roberto Ferri, 75, Italian singer, songwriter, and lyricist.
11: Angelo Badalamenti, 85, American film and television composer (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive), Grammy winner (1991).
10: John Aler, 73, American lyric tenor; J. J. Barnes, 79, American R&B singer; Sulochana Chavan, 89, Indian Marathi singer (Sawaal Majha Aika!); Tracy Hitchings, 60, English singer (Landmarq), cancer; Georgia Holt, 96, American singer and actress (Watch the Birdie, Grounds for Marriage), subject of Dear Mom, Love Cher; Tshala Muana, 64, Congolese singer (La Vie est Belle, Aya of Yop City); Aziouz Raïs, 68, Algerian chaabi singer; José Ángel Trelles, 78, Argentine singer, musician and composer; Kihnu Virve, 94, Estonian folk singer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2022
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Gracie
December 22, 2022| In Memoriam| Barb Dye