W♥M (Archive)

R.I.P. Ginger Baker (Cream), Larry Junstrom (Lynyrd Skynyrd), and Ed Ackerson (Polara)

Read More Cream Those of us, of a certain age, will recognize Jack Bruce as the singer and bassist from the supergroup Cream, along with guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. … Lynyrd Skynyrd Also, worth noting is that Ed King, the Hall of Fame guitarist for Strawberry Alarm Clock and Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died at the age of 68 to lung cancer. He’s probably most famous for co-writing the hit song “Sweet Home Alabama” ..… Ed Ackerson I have here Ed Ackerson's Ackerson2 album in my frozen fingers, I don't think there is an official release date, other than that it's already available for purchase. Incidentally, if you don't know who Ackerson is …

Superstar drummer Ginger Baker for supergroup Cream died at the age of 80… With bassist/singer Jack Bruce dying in October 2014, that leaves Eric Clapton the remaining surviving band member.

Also Larry Junstrom, founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died at the age of 70. He was their bassist until 1964… Junstrom also formed .38 Special in 1977.

Finally, local songwriter and record producer Ed Ackerson has died at the age of 54 to cancer. He was most famous for being in Polara (who we saw in 1995), and later in his career formed BNLX. We saw BNLX’s very first live show at the Sauce in March 2010.

Throughout the years, I’ve seen Ed Ackerson at many live concerts (as an audience member), and usually would usually say hi. He probably didn’t know who I was, but he was also nice.

For the full death list head over to Musicians who died in 2019.

October (11)

[06 Oct 2019] Ginger Baker (English drummer for Cream), 80

[06 Oct 2019] Larry Junstrom (American bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd), 70

[04 Oct 2019] Ed Ackerson (American singer-songwriter, musician for Polara, BNLX), 54, cancer

[04 Oct 2019] Glen Brown (Jamaican reggae musician), 75

[04 Oct 2019] Diahann Carroll (American actress and singer), 84, cancer

[02 Oct 2019] Giya Kancheli (Georgian composer for Unusual Exhibition), 84

[02 Oct 2019] Barrie Masters (English singer for Eddie and the Hot Rods), 63

[02 Oct 2019] Kim Shattuck (American singer, songwriter and musician for The Muffs), 56, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

[01 Oct 2019] Karel Gott (Czech singer), 80, acute myeloid leukemia

[01 Oct 2019] Bat McGrath (American musician and songwriter for Friends and Love), 73, liver cancer

[01 Oct 2019] Beverly Watkins (American blues guitarist), 80

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

R.I.P. Kyle Pavone (We Came As Romans) and Ed King (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Read More We Came As Romans We Came As Romans stole the show last night, playing tracks from their latest self-titled album (Equal Vision Records). They had an intense light show that pretty much blinded you at times along with great music. ..… Lynyrd Skynyrd Country music has been more appealing to the masses for years, with the lines between country and pop blurring further and bands like The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd easily becoming a part of either genre. ..…

Kyle Pavone, the singer of We Came As Romans, has died at the age of 28, as reported by cnn.com.

A cause of death was not clear, but Pavone’s sudden death is tragic as they are so young.

We saw the group in October 2015 and wrote, “We Came As Romans stole the show last night, playing tracks from their latest self-titled album (Equal Vision Records).... The crowd never slowed down for WCAR's set and neither did the band members. The amount of energy these guys have is immeasurable. Throughout the hour long set, WCAR had the crowd enthralled in their live show. You didn't have to know their lyrics to feel like you were a part of this band. That is why I feel like these guys stole the show. It didn't matter who you were there to see last night, you stopped what you were doing, stopped the conversation you were in the middle of, put your phones away the second these guys started.”

Also, worth noting is that Ed King, the Hall of Fame guitarist for Strawberry Alarm Clock and Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died at the age of 68 to lung cancer. He’s probably most famous for co-writing the hit song “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Below are more recent deaths - for the full death list: Musicians who died in 2018.

August (47)

[25 Aug 2018] Kyle Pavone (American rock vocalist for We Came as Romans), 28

[25 Aug 2018] Noam Sheriff (Israeli composer), 83

[24 Aug 2018] DJ Ready Red (American hip hop producer for Geto Boys), 53, heart attack

[23 Aug 2018] George Walker (American composer for Lilacs), 96, fall

[22 Aug 2018] Ed King (American Hall of Fame guitarist for Strawberry Alarm Clock, Lynyrd Skynyrd and songwriter), 68, lung cancer

[22 Aug 2018] Lazy Lester (American Hall of Fame blues musician), 85, stomach cancer

[21 Aug 2018] Spencer P. Jones (New Zealand singer and guitarist for The Johnnys), 61, liver cancer

[20 Aug 2018] Eddie Willis (American studio guitarist for The Funk Brothers), 82, complications from poliomyelitis

[19 Aug 2018] Khaira Arby (Malian singer), 59

[19 Aug 2018] Deivison Kellrs (Brazilian singer), 30, liver cancer

[19 Aug 2018] DJ Loutka (Czech DJ), 51, suicide by hanging

[17 Aug 2018] Claudio Lolli (Italian singer-songwriter), 68, cancer

[17 Aug 2018] Sahar Taha (Iraqi-born Lebanese musician and journalist), 61

[16 Aug 2018] Aretha Franklin (American soul singer, pianist and songwriter), 76, pancreatic cancer

[16 Aug 2018] Count Prince Miller (Jamaican-born British singer and actor), 83, cancer

[16 Aug 2018] Benny Andersen (Danish author, poet and pianist), 88

[15 Aug 2018] Marie-Françoise Bucquet (French pianist and teacher), 80

[15 Aug 2018] Queeneth Ndaba (South African jazz singer and manager for Dorkay House), 82

[14 Aug 2018] Jill Janus (American rock singer for Huntress), 42, suicide

[14 Aug 2018] Valentina Levko (Russian opera and chamber singer), 92

[14 Aug 2018] Teo Maiste (Estonian opera singer), 86

[14 Aug 2018] Randy Rampage (Canadian thrash metal singer and bassist for D.O.A.), 58, heart attack

[14 Aug 2018] Alberto Tosca (Cuban singer-songwriter and guitarist), 63

[11 Aug 2018] Blue Miller (American musician), 66

[10 Aug 2018] Donnie Robichaud (Canadian bassist), 42, shot

[10 Aug 2018] Scepaz (Australian hip-hop artist), 30, homicide

[09 Aug 2018] Arthur Davies (Welsh opera singer), 77

[08 Aug 2018] Linda Mkhize (South African rapper and DJ), 37, seizure

[07 Aug 2018] Carlos Almenar Otero (Venezuelan singer and songwriter), 92

[07 Aug 2018] Vicki Archer (British radio DJ for BBC Radio Shropshire), 41

[07 Aug 2018] Étienne Chicot (French actor and composer), 69

[07 Aug 2018] Dumitru Fărcaș (Romanian tárogató player), 80

[07 Aug 2018] Guilherme Lamounier (Brazilian singer-songwriter, composer), 67, pneumonia

[05 Aug 2018] Dan Uhrich (American tuba musician), 42

[05 Aug 2018] Majid Al-Majid (Saudi folk singer), 52, shot

[05 Aug 2018] Navid Izadi (American DJ and hip hop artist), 32, plane crash

[05 Aug 2018] Ellen Joyce Loo (Canadian-born Hong Kong singer for at17), 32, fall

[04 Aug 2018] Lorrie Collins (American rockabilly singer for The Collins Kids), 76

[04 Aug 2018] Anar Nagilbaz (Azerbaijani rapper, songwriter and actor), 44, internal hemorrhage

[03 Aug 2018] Bradley Daymond (Canadian dance musician for Love Inc.), 48, cardiac arrest

[03 Aug 2018] Tommy Peoples ( Irish fiddler for The Bothy Band), 70

[02 Aug 2018] Neil Argo (American composer for Mission: Impossible), 71, heart failure

[01 Aug 2018] Gaqo Çako (Albanian opera singer), 83

[01 Aug 2018] Hasanaga Sadigov (Azerbaijani ashik musician), 67, cancer

[01 Aug 2018] Jan Kirsznik (Polish rock and roll saxophonist), 84

[01 Aug 2018] Celeste Rodrigues (Portuguese fado singer), 95

[01 Aug 2018] Umbayee (Indian ghazal singer), 66, cancer

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis/St. Paul - Gone Country (?!?!)

Read More Garth Brooks After all, what is more intriguing than a musician who adopts a highly stylized persona without losing credibility? Sorry Garth Brooks. .…

Get out your cowboy boots and hats, as apparently, Minneapolis/St. Paul is a hotbed for country music.

Garth Brooks has just started his record setting 11-show at Target Center, selling over 188,000 tickets and a recent Star Tribune article mentioned 4 of the 5 upcoming area stadium concerts in the metro will be country themed—a two-night stand at Target Field from Kenny Chesney w/ Jason Aldean (only one is announced thus far), Luke Bryan/Florida Georgia Line coming to TCF Bank Stadium in June, and Zac Brown Band expected at a stadium in August.

The only other stadium show on the horizon for 2015 is pop boy band One Direction at TCF in late July… what happened?!?

Despite Minneapolis/St. Paul being the 14^th biggest metro area (according to the 2010 census) and 16^th largest radio market, it ranks as 4^th in terms of country music ticket sales, an impressive but no less puzzling accomplishment.

Country music has been more appealing to the masses for years, with the lines between country and pop blurring further and bands like The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd easily becoming a part of either genre.

Rock stars like Darius Rucker, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, and Kid Rock have all taken a turn towards Country (with varying degrees of success), Taylor Swift has moved from country-pop to full on Pop with her 1.3 million unit selling 1989, and this week’s CMA Awards telecast included help on performances from non-Country acts Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande, and The Doobie Brothers.  Country is clearly now more the mainstream.

Eric Church at Target Center

Concert promoters no doubt love a full house, but also reap the benefits of additional liquor sales with these acts, as the Strib article mentioned Eric Church’s September show at Target Center as being the second highest beverage-per-person sales, in the venue’s history.

Need more proof?- Country radio is the #1 radio format nationwide of people 18-54 and the Twin Cities ranks highest in viewership for ABC’s “Nashville” series…ugh.

What happened to Rock?  There’s still hope with U2 due to tour next year, a new Foo Fighters record just around the corner, and a hope that Tool’s long-awaited new album might see the light of day in 2015.

Many promising alternative bands that W♥M covers are hitting the busy local club circuit and Electronica in its many variations, is still packing venues area wide.

So Rock is not quite dead yet, though clearly needs a strong comeback.  In the meantime, get out your boots, Stetson hat, and Wrangler jeans, as apparently Minneapolis is still crazy for country.

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic