Again, so many deaths this week that, as one COMBO member wrote: “The newsletter is looking more [sadly] like the Obituary Pages.” So I’ve condensed this into one article. I’ve put URLs after each name and the last names are in alphabetical order in case you’d like to read more.
- Ross ‘The Boss’ Friedman, founding guitarist with Manowar and The Dictators, dead at 72
- Beloved Austin singer-songwriter Jon Dee Graham dead at 67
- Ted Nichols, composer for ‘Scooby-Doo’ and ‘The Flintstones,’ dies at 97
- Christopher North, Founder of Ambrosia
- Showaddywaddy guitarist Trevor Oakes dies aged 79 after a long illness
- Gary Stites (& The Satellites), ex-Local Colorado Kid, Passes at Age 85
- Mike Vernon dies after helping launch Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton
Ross ‘The Boss’ Friedman:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/ross-the-boss-friedman-founding-guitarist-with-manowar-and-the-dictators-dead-at-72/
Jon Dee Graham:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/beloved-austin-singer-songwriter-jon-dee-graham-dead-at-67/
Ted Nichols:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/ted-nichols-composer-for-scooby-doo-and-the-flintstones-dies-at-97/
Christopher North:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_North_(Ambrosia)
Gary Stites (& The Satellites) (Formerly of Colorado) (Sent by Shirley Brown Wilcoxson, his cousin)
https://kimsloans.wordpress.com/colorado-local/colorado-1960s/colo-musicians-russo-tune/gary-stites-the-satellites/
Mike Vernon:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/mike-vernon-dies-after-helping-launch-fleetwood-mac-and-eric-clapton/
OTHER NOTABLE MUSICIANS’ DEATHS
Quote from Drew Carey on The Price is Right: Take care of your mental health. There is no shame in it. It’s part of your “Health.”
Chuck Morris: Old friend Whizie Weiss died. Chuck E Weiss’ older brother. Got to be friends
because of Chuck E and the fact that Whizie owned the Record Center chain of record stores where I sold tickets for shows. Went to his house to sit shiva. His family was thrilled I showed up. Couldn’t find 2 people so different than Whizie and Chuck E but they loved each other so. When I ran Tulagi in Boulder used to watch Chuck E go to the Record Center store around the corner and steal money from the register. He thought Whizie had no idea but, of course, he knew and couldn’t care.
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
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.
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
March 2026
31: Tony Rivers, 85, English singer (Harmony Grass).
30: Walt Maddox, 88, American singer (The Marcels); Christopher North, 75, American keyboardist (Ambrosia), throat cancer; Michelangelo Zurletti, 89, Italian musicologist and essayist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_North_(Ambrosia)
29: Greg Elmore, 79, American drummer (Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Brogues); Volodymyr Komarov, 62, Ukrainian comedian, actor and musician; David Riondino, 73, Italian singer-songwriter, actor (The Night of the Shooting Stars, Cavalli si nasce, Ilona Arrives with the Rain) and writer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Elmore
28: DJ Dan, 57, American house music DJ and producer, heart attack; Matt Krupanski, American drummer (BoySetsFire); Marinella, 87, Greek singer (“Dio Portes Echi i Zoi”, “Giati Fovase”), complications from a stroke.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Dan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BoySetsFire
27: Jon Dee Graham, 67, American musician (The Skunks, True Believers); Doug Irwin, 76, American luthier; Mahbuba Rahman, 91, Bangladeshi playback singer (Mukh O Mukhosh, The Day Shall Dawn); Walter Savelli, 77, Italian pianist and composer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Dee_Graham
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Irwin | He designed and built guitars for Jerry Garcia.
26: Ahmad Kaabour, 70, Lebanese singer; Ross the Boss, 72, American guitarist (Manowar, The Dictators), complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_the_Boss
25: Dash Crofts, 87, American musician (Seals & Crofts) and songwriter (“Summer Breeze”, “Diamond Girl”), complications from heart surgery; Mick Roberts, 57, English singer (The Bridewell Taxis).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash_Crofts
24: Gameboy Tetris, 40, Estonian rapper (5minust), suicide; Gino Paoli, 91, Italian singer – songwriter (“Il cielo in una stanza”, “Senza fine”, “Sapore di sale”) and politician, deputy (1987–1992).
