MUSIC LEGENDS            

6-20-2010: Bob Meide, drummer for Flamingo/The Flamin' Ohs, passed on June 20, 2010.  The band was part of the "new wave" rock scene at Jay's Longhorn in the mid to late 1970's and released numerous records during their career. 
In 2007, the band was inducted into the Minnesota Rock Country Hall of Fame.
Submitted by Thomas Campbell
Flamin' Ohs on MySpace
Star & Trib Obit

12/20/2009:
Doug Swanson, one of the four original Canoise members, passed away last Saturday in Newport, RI.
Pat Curto will be attending the funeral.
Submitted by Dr Bob Coates

12/15/09: Bruce Allen,
Suburbs guitarist, died at age 54.
Bruce Allen, a founding member of The Suburbs passed on December 7, 2009 at age 54, following a period of health issues including bypass surgery.  Bruce played guitar with the popular local band that formed in 1977 and was part of the "New Wave" rock'n'roll scene that started at Jay's Longhorn in downtown Minneapolis.  The Suburbs were one of the first bands to release a record on the Twin Tone label.  Following the Longhorn scene, the band continued to record on various record labels and play live concerts and maintained a loyal following of local fans.  Bruce also worked on graphics for the bands logo and records.  The band played a number of reunion concerts over the past years, the last one in 2006. 

Submitted by Tom Campbell
More info

Wikipedia concerning the Suburbs

James Gurley (December 22, 1939 – December 20, 2009)
Heart attack claimed the guitarist with the Big Brother and the Holding Co, Janis backing band.

9-21-09 Gene Piccolo:
From Larry Wiegand: Gene Piccolo, local drummer, passed away last week.

5/04/09 Jeff Hill
Bob Coates reports that Minnesota musician Jeff Hill (Canoise) passed away on Sunday, May 3, 2009.  
There will be a Celebration of Life for Jeff at The Fine Line Music cafe, downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. 
The doors will open at 6:00 and the music and program is scheduled for 7:00 to 11:00.

5/15/09: Randy Perez, brother of Chico, passed away May 13, 2009. Our condolences to friends and family.
Obit
Service was Tuesday May 19, 2009

3/22/09: Reg Isidore passed away. He was the first drummer, before Bill Lordan, to play with the Robin Trower band. This band also also included the fine vocals of the late James Dewar.
More info

2/24/2009: Mark Gallagher of The Litter passed away at age 60, on Februray 24, 2009.  
Gallagher was lead singer with the popular local band from 1968 to 1970 and also in a later version in 1992.
Mark was the lead singer on the bands Emerge album, released by Probe Records 1n 1969.  Two 45's were also released on Probe: Silly People/Feeling and Blue Ice/On Our Minds.
 
The Litter were one of the very first local 1960's hard rock bands and over the years their records have become highly sought after by collectors.
 
When The Litter were inducted into the Rock Country Hall of Fame a few years ago at the Medina Ballroom, the original band performed as well as a version with Mark on vocals.  Mark and his band turned in a stunning performance of My Little Red Book, a 1960's garage rock classic.
 
A memorial service for Mark was held on March 15, 2009.    
 
Mark will be missed by the local music community.
   
Tom Campbell
3/25/2009

4/2/2009: Will ("Willy") Pounds passed away at age 65 on April, 2, 2009, in Seattle, Washington, according to his sister Joanne who was with him in his final days.  Larry Beckner reports that Willy played drums with a number of bands including Buddy and The Versatiles, The Shamrocks, The Nightmen and Canoise.  Willy was in declining health over the past years, yet he always made an effort to attend the annual Rock Country Hall of Fame show at the Medina Ballroom.  On one occasion at the show, I asked Willy how he liked living in Seattle, Washington compared to Minnesota.  He looked at me a little sad and told me, "everyone here knows who I am."  According to Larry Beckner, Willy was planning to return to Minnesota and live in the Detroit Lakes area. 
 
A service is planned for Willy on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 2:00 at the Staples United Methodist Church in Staples, Minnesota.
 
Tom Campbell
April 7, 2009

Sunday, Oct 12, 2008:
Amos Helicher, 90, passed.
Godfather of local music, founder of SOMA records, a local label that released "Surfin Bird", "Liar, Liar", and many others. Amos and his brother Danny sold the rights to that label in 1977.

He worked right up till the Wednesday of that week.

Star Tribune article

RIP: Buddy Miles, Jack! 1947-Feb 26, 2008.
Seen him just once, at the Cabooze. Fine player...



Down by the river


Wind cries Mary

3/02/07 Local musician Doug "Froggy" Nelson passed away on March 2, 2007.
Former drummer for "Gregory Dee and The Avantis" and "Froggy and His Friends"

James Brown: May 3 1933-Dec 25 2006
What else can anybody say?

Andy Bailey, - 'B-Cool' Keyboardist Extraordinaire Passed away suddenly of a heart attack one day after his 54th birthday (4/7/5). He was where he loved; in the arms of his wife Jeanine, vacationing in Negril, Jamaica. He is survived by Jeanine, 4 loving step-children: Dean, Michelle, Dana and Sarah; 2 brothers, Matt of Fort Collins, CO and Mark of Cedar Rapids, IA; as well as a multitude of friends worldwide, especially his best friend Joe Juliano of Oakdale. There was a musical celebration of his life on Sunday May 22nd at 5 PM at the MINNESOTA MUSIC CAFE In St. Paul.
'Andy, I was privileged to have been loved by you these past 10 years. You were my honored husband, my best friend, and my business partner.
I miss you more than words can express. May God bless your soul. Jeanine
[Above from posting on MN Blues]

Percy Strother, 58, on May 29 2005
Dear Friends, It is with great sadness that I want to inform you of the passing of the one and only Percy Strother. Percy, for my money one of the greatest blues musicians of our time, passed away Sunday, May 29 at 11:50 am. He was surrounded by his son and Roseanna, his wife of 35 years. I visited with Percy on Saturday at his home in Minneapolis. He was in quite a bit of pain but was still able to converse. When I told him that his music would last for hundreds of years he looked at me and said, “well, I ain’t done yet.” It is fitting to remember on this Memorial Day that he was a soldier until the end.

He did his last gig on April 15th at Famous Daves in Minneapolis. I was honored to sit in with him for the last few songs of his set. He arrived as usual, dressed to the nines. He looked about 35 lbs lighter than the last time I had seen him and before the set had told me that the doctors had just told him he had liver cancer. He told me before he went on, “ I can handle it and I am fine with it as well.” He played a wonderfully powerful solo set. He had his family and band in the audience. His lovely granddaughter Eboni came up to the stage during the set and said, “Grandpa play some blues, I have the blues!” Percy laughed, looked at her and said, “No, you are too young to have the blues. It is your Grandpa that has the blues.” He then went on to ask the audience if there was anything in particular they would like to hear and would be happy to dedicate a song to anyone with a birthday in the audience. He was a complete professional and powerful musician to the end.

I visited him in the hospital a couple of weeks ago. He sat up in the bed and we talked about many things, including his love of fishing. I remember when I called him a couple of years ago. He answered his cell phone and I could tell he was outside. It was in October in the evening and it was snowing and colder than hell. Percy was fishing on the shores of Lake Minnetonka waiting to get his limit of bass. I spoke with Curt Obeda (who Percy always called “OBedia”) and Curt told me a great story of running across Percy fishing by a creek in St. Paul dressed in his ever present hat, cape, and snakeskin boots. That was Percy, always looking like a million bucks.

At the hospital he was writing on a notepad. Percy had this wonderful penmanship and I noticed he was working on a blues number. He told me “I think this is one the people will really enjoy.” He was the consummate entertainer and even while bedridden was working on new material. This should be a lesson to the rest of us. Never give up and put the pleasure of others even ahead of our own pain.

He is survived by his wife Roseanna, four children (two boys and two girls), and four grandchildren. Percy was 58 years old.

Percy didn’t have health insurance. His wife took almost two months off work to care for him and, of course, he wasn’t able to do any gigs after April 15th. He was supposed to play at the Famous Dave’s Barbeque and Blues Fest on June 11th at Peavey Plaza. We will honor him by playing his music through the PA during his set. We will also be doing a Memorial gig for him on June 30th at Famous Dave’s (3001 Hennepin Av., 8pm, $5 minimum donation, show time 8pm)

We are also in the process of setting up a PO Box for donations, all of which will go to the Strother family to cover medical, funeral, and living expenses. We will have that information together tomorrow, at which time we will get all of you a formal press release. The family is in the process of making funeral arrangements.

I always told Percy he was like the big brother I never had. I loved him dearly and thought that that 900 lb voice of his was really a gift from God and truly the cat’s pajamas. He was one of the most hard working musicians I have ever met. He always arrived on time, played his ass off, gave 150%, and always looked really good while doing it.

I can honestly say, knowing Percy Strother was one of the true highlights of my life. Both as a musician and person, he was as good as it gets. I will never forget him. God Bless all of you on this Memorial Day and say a prayer for the GREAT Percy Strother.

Peace,

Paul Metsa
[From mnblues.com ]

TOM NYSTROM

Chuck Worden, 48, lead singer of local band "Chain Lightning", passed away after a performance at Moondance Jam in Walker MN Wednesday, July 14
Chain Lightning performed southern rock along with their own original music.
July 7, 1956- July 14, 2004
Chain Lightning website

Dave Dudley aka: David Darwin Pudraska ("6 days on the road", 1963) died in Danbury, Wi. of an apparent heart attack. Well known for his trucker songs, Dave grew up in Minn. and Wisconsin. He was 75. 1928-Dec 22, 2003

Earl King: Died of diabetes related complications. His top fab two songs "Come on" and "Trick bag". Well backed by Mn's own Butanes. He was 69. 1934-April 19, 2003