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Here are some of the musicians and singers who left us in 2024. Check my blog for entries on several of these artists.
David Soul – Hutch from the 70s television show Starsky and Hutch, Soul scored a #1 hit in 1977 with Don’t Give Up on Us, which ended up being a one-hit wonder. He died at the age of 80, after suffering from COPD.
Melanie – Born Melanie Safka, she began singing in folk clubs in New York in the late 60s. She performed at Woodstock in 1969 – one of only three solo female artists there. In 1971, she had her biggest hit – Brand New Key topped the Hot 100 chart. She won an Emmy award for writing the lyrics to the theme song of the television show Beauty and the Beast. After an illness, she died at the age of 76.
Aston Barrett – “Family Man” Barrett was the bass player for Bob Marley and the bandleader of Marley’s backing band, the Wailers. His innovative performances helped create modern reggae music. In 2012, he received a Lifetime Achievement award from Bass Player magazine. He was 77 when he died, after heart failure following several strokes.
Toby Keith – Keith was one of country music’s most successful artists during the 2000’s decade. He had 20 singles reach #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, including mega-hits Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American), Beer For My Horses (his duet with Willie Nelson), I Love This Bar, and American Soldier. His song Red Solo Cup was a crossover hit, reaching #9 on the Country Chart and #15 on the Hot 100 Chart in 2011. He died of stomach cancer, age 62.
Henry Fambrough – The last original member of the Spinners, Fambrough started the group in 1954, and he continued to perform with them until he retired in 2023. The vocal group finally was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that same year – 69 years after the group formed. They were R&B mainstays in the 70s, with hits including I’ll Be Around, Could It Be I’m Falling In Love, Then Came You (with Dionne Warwick), Games People Play and The Rubberband Man. He was 85 years old when he died.
Steve Lawrence – Performing as a solo vocalist as well as with his wife Eydie Gorme, Lawrence was popular in the 50s, 60s and 70s. His biggest hit was Go Away Little Girl – it was one of only a handful of songs that reached #1 by more than one artist (Donny Osmond also topped the chart with the song). Steve and Eydie hosted many variety television shows in the 70s, and their act in Las Vegas won the Las Vegas Entertainment Award for Musical Variety Act of the Year four times. Lawrence died of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 88.
Eric Carmen – Carmen was the lead vocalist of the 70s rock band the Raspberries. Their biggest hit was in 1972, with Go All the Way. In 1975, he began a solo career, scoring hits with All By Myself, Never Gonna Fall In Love Again, Hungry Eyes and Make Me Lose Control. He died in his sleep, at 74 years old.
Dickey Betts – Betts was a guitarist and co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band. After leaving the band in 2000, he left and formed his own band, performing for many years. Betts was the writer and vocalist for the Allman Brothers Band’s biggest hit, Ramblin’ Man. Betts was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the band in 1995. He also won a Grammy award as part of the band in 1996 for Best Rock Performance for the song Jessica. Betts died of cancer and COPD at the age of 80.
Duane Eddy – In the early years of rock and roll, Eddy’s twangy guitar helped define the sound of rock during that era. His biggest hit was 1958’s Rebel-‘Rouser, an instrumental that became his signature piece. It was featured in the film Forrest Gump and it was included on the soundtrack of the film. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. He was 86 years old when he died of cancer.
David Sanborn – Sanborn was a alto saxophonist who released many albums and also performed for numerous other artists, including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, James Brown, and the Rolling Stones. He was a leader in the smooth jazz genre (though he did not like the term and even claimed that he was not a jazz musician). His six Grammy awards in the jazz category were an indication that he was one of the best. He died of prostate cancer at the age of 78.
Dave Loggins – Pop and country singer Loggins was a second cousin to Kenny Loggins. In 1974, he had a hit with Please Come to Boston, reaching #5 on the Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Easy Listening chart. Ten years later, he topped the Hot Country Songs chart with Nobody Loves Me Like You Do, a duet with Anne Murray. That collaboration got him a CMA award – He’s the only artist to win a CMA while not signed to a recording contract. He also wrote the theme song Augusta, used for the Augusta Masters Golf Tournament. He was 76 years old when he died.
John Mayall – Blues rocker Mayall was the frontman to the band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. He earned the nickname “the Godfather of the British Blues,” and he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 in the musical influencer category. Members of the Bluesbreakers included legends like Eric Clapton, John McVie (Fleetwood Mac), Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) and Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones). He was still performing until his death at the age of 90.
Greg Kihn – Leader of The Greg Kihn Band, the group had top 15 hits in 1981 and 1983 with The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em) and Jeopardy respectively. He died from Alzheimer’s disease at 75 years old.
Tito Jackson – A founding member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons), Tito and his brothers were one of the first African American groups to cross over from R&B to a successful pop music career. The group’s first four singles all topped the Hot 100 chart. His contributions as part of the Jackson 5 got him inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. He had a heart attack and passed away at the age of 70.
JD Souther – Songwriter Souther wrote songs for Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles, including Eagles mega-hits Best of My Love, Heartache Tonight and New Kid in Town. He had two solo hits – You’re Only Lonely (#7 in 1979) and Her Town Too (a duet with James Taylor, #11 in 1981). He also had acting roles in the television shows Nashville and Thirtysomething. He was 78 years old when he died.
Kris Kristofferson – One of the first outlaw country music artists, he had twelve hits on the Country music charts, including #1 songs Why Me and Highwaymen. He was also famous as a songwriter – he wrote Me and Bobby McGee, For the Good Times and Help Me Make It Through the Night. He won three Grammy awards, and he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004. He also had movie roles, and his lead role in A Star Is Born in 1976 earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He was 88 years old.
Liam Payne – A member of the pop boy band One Direction, he started a solo career in 2016. One Direction was one of the best selling boy bands of all time – their five albums all were platinum sellers, and six singles were top 10 hits in the U.S., with Best Song Ever reaching #2, Live While We’re Young peaking at #3 and Drag Me Down also peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 chart. His debut solo single Strip That Down reached #10 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Dance/Mix Show Airplay charts. He died at the age of 31, falling from a hotel balcony while in a drug stupor.
Jack Jones – Pop and Jazz/Big Band singer Jones won two Grammy awards in the early 60s, for Lollipops and Roses and Wives and Lovers. He was a popular performer in Las Vegas and in many 60s and 70s variety shows. He sang the theme song to the television show Love Boat. He died of leukemia at 86 years old.
Phil Lesh – Bass guitarist Lesh was a founding member of the Greatful Dead, the iconic jam band that helped define psychedelic rock in the 60s. They performed for 30 years, and after they disbanded, Lesh continued the Grateful Dead tradition with his side project Phil Lesh and Friends. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 2024 he received (posthumously) a Kennedy Center Honors award. Rolling Stone ranked Lesh as the 11th greatest bass player of all time. He died at the age of 84.
Quincy Jones – One of music’s most acclaimed figures, Jones was a producer, arranger, composer, conductor, trumpeter and bandleader. In his career, he received 28 Grammy awards (third most all time – he had a total of 80 nominations), an Emmy award and a Tony award. He received seven Academy award nominations, but never won a competitive award – though the Academy presented him with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award and the Academy Honorary Award, giving him a non-competitive EGOT. He also received a Grammy Legend award, the Kennedy Center Honors award, and the National Medal of the Arts. In 2013, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. As a musician/bandleader, he had numerous #1 jazz albums. He was a producer and composer of music for many jazz, R&B and pop legends, including Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles and Michael Jackson. Jones died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 91.
Music goes on without these artists. One of Quincy Jones’ most famous production efforts was We Are The World, the charity single released in 1985 to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, it is the eighth best-selling single of all time, with sales in excess of 20 MM physical copies. 54 artists participated – another 50 were turned away. Here’s the video to the song.