R.I.P. Rembert De Smet (2 Belgen)

Read More Ro Maron Ro Maron | Collected #1 Ro Maron January 12, 2015 Label: Musique Pour La Danse Copyright: Musique Pour La Danse Total Length: 2:59:57 Genres: Dance & Electronic > Electronica …

Thanks to reader Johan, who sent in the link and information, regarding the death of Rembert De Smet singer of 2 Belgen on Saturday at the age of 62 to cancer. The news hit all of Belgium’s news channels and newspapers - but the U.S. has yet to mention De Smet’s death.

I should mentioned that he started work in the late ‘80s, but didn’t use his real name! Some of his early monikers includes the names Ro Maron and Agaric.

His best-known band 2 Belgen (Twee Belgen), featuring Rembert De Smet on guitars and vocals and Herman Celis on drums. The band is known for their three big hit songs ‘Lena’ (1985), ‘Queen Of Mine’ (1985), and ‘Opération Coup de Poing’ (1984). Since 1994 (after 2 Belgen broke up), he's active as Esta Loco, a Flamenco-Pop band, where he provides over a dozen acoustic instruments.

Below are more deaths for the month of January - for the full death list: Musicians who died in 2017.

January (67)

[28 Jan 2017] Rembert De Smet (Belgium singer of 2 Belgen), 62, cancer

[28 Jan 2017] Geoff Nicholls (English keyboardist for Black Sabbath), 68, lung cancer

[28 Jan 2017] Alexander Tikhanovich (Belarusian pop singer for Verasy), 64

[27 Jan 2017] Benny Collins (American tour manager for Journey), 68, pneumonia

[27 Jan 2017] Henry-Louis de La Grange (French musicologist, biographer of Gustav Mahler), 92

[27 Jan 2017] Bruce Hathaway (American radio host for KTSA), 78, heart attack

[25 Jan 2017] Ronnie Davis (Jamaican reggae singer), 66

[24 Jan 2017] Gil Ray (American drummer for Game Theory), 60, cancer

[24 Jan 2017] Scott Campbell (guitarist for Pat Puckett Band), 58, cancer

[24 Jan 2017] Björn Thelin (Swedish bassist for The Spotnicks), 74

[24 Jan 2017] Butch Trucks (American drummer for The Allman Brothers Band), 69, suicide

[23 Jan 2017] Marvell Thomas (American keyboardist), 75, not given

[23 Jan 2017] Bimba Bosé (Italian-born Spanish model, singer and actress), 41, cancer

[22 Jan 2017] Jaki Liebezeit (German drummer for Can), 78

[22 Jan 2017] Pete Overend Watts (English bassist for Mott the Hoople), 69, throat cancer

[22 Jan 2017] Naqsh Lyallpuri (Indian poet and songwriter), 89

[21 Jan 2017] Maggie Roche (American singer-songwriter for The Roches), 65, cancer

[21 Jan 2017] Adèle Bloemendaal (Dutch comedian, actress and singer), 84

[21 Jan 2017] Veljo Tormis (Estonian composer), 86

[20 Jan 2017] Ca Lê Thuần (Vietnamese composer), 78

[20 Jan 2017] Darci Rossi (Brazilian sertanejo composer), 69, pneumonia

[20 Jan 2017] Frank Thomas (French songwriter), 80

[19 Jan 2017] Loalwa Braz (Brazilian singer-songwriter for Kaoma), 63, murder

[19 Jan 2017] Howard Kaufman (American talent manager for The Eagles, Aerosmith, etc.), 79

[19 Jan 2017] Mike Kellie (English multi-instrumentalist and record producer), 69

[16 Jan 2017] William Onyeabor (Nigerian singer-songwriter), 70

[16 Jan 2017] Charles "Bobo" Shaw (American jazz drummer), 69

[16 Jan 2017] Steve Wright (American bass guitarist for The Greg Kihn Band), heart attack

[16 Jan 2017] Franz Jarnach (German musician from The Rattles), 72, heart attack

[15 Jan 2017] Thandi Klaasen (South African jazz singer), 86, pancreatic cancer

[15 Jan 2017] Richard Divall (Australian conductor and musicologist), 71

[15 Jan 2017] Greg Trooper (American singer-songwriter), 61, pancreatic cancer

[14 Jan 2017] Yama Buddha (Nepalese rapper), 29, suicide

[13 Jan 2017] Dick Gautier (singer, actor on Get Smart and Bye Bye Birdie), 85

[13 Jan 2017] Mark Fisher (British writer, music journalist for The Wire), 48, suicide

[13 Jan 2017] Muhammad Fachroni (Indonesian singer of Project Pop), 44, diabetes

[13 Jan 2017] Horacio Guarany (Argentine folkloric singer and writer), 91

[13 Jan 2017] Anton Nanut (Slovenian conductor of classical music), 84

[13 Jan 2017] Magic Alex (Greek British engineer for EMI), 74

[12 Jan 2017] Meir Banai (Israeli singer), 55, cancer

[12 Jan 2017] Milton Metz (American radio and television host), 95

[12 Jan 2017] Larry Steinbachek (English keyboardist of Bronski Beat), 56

[11 Jan 2017] Tommy Allsup (American rockabilly and swing musician), 85

[11 Jan 2017] Tony Booth (British poster artist, including The Beatles), 83, cancer

[10 Jan 2017] Buddy Greco (American jazz and pop singer, actor in The Girl Who Knew Too Much and pianist), 90

[09 Jan 2017] Crazy Toones (American rap DJ), 45, heart attack

[09 Jan 2017] Travis Peterson (American music video director), 40

[08 Jan 2017] Buddy Bregman (American arranger, producer, and composer), 86

[08 Jan 2017] Peter Sarstedt (English singer-songwriter), 75, progressive supranuclear palsy

[07 Jan 2017] Eddie Kamae (American musician for Sons of Hawaii), 89

[07 Jan 2017] Jerzy Kossela (Polish guitarist and vocalist Niebiesko-Czarni), 74

[07 Jan 2017] Nat Hentoff (Jazz critic for Village Voice), 91, natural causes

[06 Jan 2017] Johnny Dick (Australian drummer for John Paul Young, Fanny Adams), 73

[06 Jan 2017] Sylvester Potts (American soul singer for The Contours), 78

[05 Jan 2017] Dave Franklin (punk band Vision), 47, unknown

[05 Jan 2017] Géori Boué (French soprano, known for Thaïs opera), 99, not known

[04 Jan 2017] Mike Gaborno (aka Gabby Gaborno; singer of Cadillac Tramps, Manic Hispanic), 51, liver cancer

[04 Jan 2017] Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan (Indian sitar player and composer), 89, cardiac arrest

[04 Jan 2017] Bade Fateh Ali Khan (Pakistani singer), 82, lung disease

[04 Jan 2017] Georges Prêtre (French orchestral and opera conductor), 92

[04 Jan 2017] Vlastimir Trajković (Serbian composer), 69

[03 Jan 2017] Sam Lovullo (producer and casting director for Hee Haw), 88, not given

[02 Jan 2017] Auriel Andrew (Australian country musician), 69

[02 Jan 2017] Barbara Fei (費明儀) (Chinese opera singer), 85

[02 Jan 2017] Anand Yankaran (Chutney singer), suspected heart attack

[01 Jan 2017] Stuart Hamilton (Canadian musician and broadcaster, first music director of Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble), 87, unknown

[01 Jan 2017] Memo Morales (Venezuelan singer), 79, heart attack

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