Introduction: Hour 1

Welcome to 2024 Remembered from The Current, honoring the life, music and legacy of artists we lost this year. This musical tribute is a celebration of all sounds - from indie to influential. Paying homage to the legends who have shaped music history like Quincy Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Sergio Mendes, Steve Albini, and more. I’m your host, Jill Riley, inviting you to reflect on the milestones in each artist's life and career, explore their lasting impact on the music world, and hear their most beloved songs.

From local to legendary — it’s a phrase we use often at The Current — and it certainly applies to two Minnesota musicians with an outsized impact who died in 2024.

“Spider” John Koerner

Born in Rochester, New York, guitarist, singer and songwriter John Koerner — nicknamed “Spider” for the way he climbed shelves while working in an auto garage — became embedded in the Minneapolis folk music scene in the 1950s and ‘60s.  Among the artists Koerner played with and mentored was a young Bob Dylan. Koerner also  teamed up with  Dave “Snaker” Ray and Tony “Little Sun” Glover to form the folk-blues trio, Koerner Ray and Glover. Their 1964 debut album, Blues, Rags and Hollers, earned praise from fans and musicians  including John Lennon and David Bowie. After living in Denmark in the 1970s, Spider John Koerner returned to Minneapolis and remained a West Bank neighborhood fixture, particularly at Palmers Bar, until his death this year from cancer. Minnesota-based singer-songwriter Charlie Parr, keeps Koerner’s legacy alive by frequently playing one of the late folkie’s guitars onstage.

Slim Dunlap

In mid-December, the Twin Cities music community mourned the loss of hard-working singer, songwriter, and guitarist Slim Dunlap.

Back in 1987, Dunlap was working as a janitor at the First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis when he was invited to join the Replacements as a guitarist after Bob Stinson’s departure. Slim Dunlap appears on the last two Replacements studio albums — 1989’s Don’t Tell a Soul and 1990’s All Shook Down.

Dunlap later launched a solo career that leaned deeper into a roots-rock style. In 1996, Dunlap released his second solo album, “Times Like This,” the title track of which would take on a life of its own.

Beyond Minnesota

One iconic artist that passed this year was singer, dancer, and actor Glynis Johns. A child of theater parents, Glynis Johns grew up acting, singing, and dancing on the stages of London’s famed West End. In 1964, she played Mrs. Banks — mother to Jane and Michael — in Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins. Johns’ big number in that film was the votes-for-women anthem, titled “Sister Suffragette.” Glynis Johns left an even bigger mark in 1973 in the musical, A Little Night Music. Stephen Sondheim composed the song “Send In The Clowns” specifically for Glynis Johns, who originated the role of Desirée in the musical on Broadway. “Send in the Clowns” became Sondheim’s most popular song after Judy Collins’ recording of it became a big hit in 1975. Glynis Johns was 100 when she died this year.  

Quincy Jones

Another person who lived a long, creative life is Quincy Delight Jones, an absolute titan in music. Born in Chicago in the midst of the Great Depression, he discovered piano at a rec center as a child. That discovery altered the course of his life — and the lives of billions he reached through music.

He got his start as a jazz trumpeter at 19 years old. Jones performed with luminaries including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Ray Charles. By the mid-1950s, Jones began working as a music producer for TV, and then studied music composition in Paris.

Quincy Jones made a name for himself as a composer, arranger and producer of albums. In 1961, he became the first Black vice president at Mercury Records. He was nominated for Academy Awards for his work in film.

He also released his own music. His album Big Band Bossa Nova included the track, “Soul Bossa Nova,” which affixed itself in pop culture. It was the theme for the Austin Powers movies, the 1998 World Cup, and sampled in hip-hop.

In the 1970s, Jones got to know Michael Jackson while working as a producer on the stage and film musical The Wiz. From there, Quincy Jones went on to produce three hit albums by Jackson: Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad.

Jones also produced music for other artists, including a retrospective collection by Sarah Vaughan, and George Benson’s big hit “Give Me The Night.”

Jones also gathered and produced USA for Africa’s philanthropic release, “We Are the World.” The ensemble recording featured the biggest pop stars of the time including Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Lionel Ritchie, and Tina Turner.

Jones was a philanthropist himself. He contributed to music preservation, arts education, and assistance for underserved communities. He worked to uplift artists like Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and his own daughter, Rashida Jones. Taken together, Quincy Jones leaves an unparalleled legacy.

We lost a member of one of pop music’s signature families, the Jacksons.  Born in Gary, Indiana, as Toriano Jackson, the musician best known as Tito Jackson joined four of his siblings — Michael, Jackie, Jermaine and Marlon — in The Jackson 5.

With big hits for Motown Records like “I Want You Back,” “I’ll Be There,” and “ABC,” the Jackson 5 earned legions of fans.  In addition to singing, Tito played guitar.  After the Jackson 5 left Motown and signed with Epic Records in 1976, he earned co-songwriter credits on “We Can Change the World” and “Everybody.” He also  played guitar on the recordings. In 2016, Tito Jackson released the first of two solo albums, producing a Top-20 R&B hit, “Get It Baby,” featuring Big Daddy Kane. As a member of the Jackson 5, Tito Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Another artist with music running deep in the family was Cissy Houston. Her singing career began in childhood and spanned genres from gospel to pop. Houston performed with her siblings, and she later sang backing vocals for Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Simon and Garfunkel, Wilson Pickett, and for her niece, Dionne Warwick. As a solo artist, Cissy Houston was a renowned gospel performer. In 1967, her gospel group the Sweet Inspirations had the hit single “Sweet Inspiration.” Cissy Houston was also the mother of one of the biggest pop and R&B stars in the world: Whitney Houston.

Harry Traum —  nicknamed “Happy” — was a longtime pillar of New York folk music. He befriended Bob Dylan early on in the Greenwich Village music scene. In 1971, Dylan invited Traum to record four songs that were released on  Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II, including “I Shall Be Released,” which Dylan first recorded with The Band. Happy Traum’s greatest impact was his work making video music lessons available through Homespun Music Instruction, which he founded in 1967 with his wife Jane.

Jerry Fuller was a songwriter and producer whose credits include number 1 hits, like Ricky Nelson’s “Travelin’ Man,” the Knickerbockers’ “Lies,” Al Wilson’s “Show and Tell,” and Gary Puckett and the Union Gap’s “Young Girl.” Artists who recorded songs written by Jerry Fuller include Sam Cooke, Cher, Glen Campbell, Ray Charles, Barbara Mandrell, Percy Sledge, Reba McEntire and Lou Rawls, and his production credits could fill volumes.

JD Souther was a singer-songwriter whose collaborations with  another songwriter, Glenn Frey,  led to the country-rock sound of 1970s band The Eagles. JD Souther wrote “New Kid In Town,” “Best of My Love” and “Heartache Tonight.” JD Souther also worked with Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt.

Another artist we lost in 2024 is guitarist, songwriter and bandleader Dickey Betts. He was one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. Dickey Betts’ blues-, country- and rock-inflected guitar playing became a hallmark of the band’s sound, which shaped Southern Rock.  The Allman Brothers’ 1973 album Brothers and Sisters climbed to Number 1 on the album charts, and the song “Ramblin’ Man” — written by Dickey Betts — peaked at Number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Kris Kristofferson

While reflecting on the songwriters that died this year, one songwriter, in particular, deserves extra attention.

Kris Kristofferson was a master songwriter. After graduating from Pomona College in California, he was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where he became enchanted with the works of 18th- and 19th-century English poet William Blake. Inspired by Blake’s commitment to be an artist, Kristofferson followed his dream to Nashville. He worked as a janitor at Columbia Records by day and wrote songs by night. Kristofferson wrote at a rapid clip — including “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” the eventual Janis Joplin hit “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” which became a No. 1 song for Johnny Cash.

Not only did Johnny Cash perform music by Kristofferson, but he did Kristofferson’s stage introduction at the 1969 Newport Folk Festival. He also invited Kristofferson to perform on The Johnny Cash Show.

Kristofferson also had a successful career as an actor. He appeared opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born.

Kristofferson made his biggest mark writing songs for himself or others.  He inspired and advanced the careers of such artists like Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, John Prine, Steve Goodman, and Margo Price. His work with the Highwaymen — alongside Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson — drafted the blueprint for the Highwomen — Amanda Shires, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby — who came along some 40 years later.

Although he began to experience memory loss in his later years, Kristofferson continued to perform as recently as 2020. After releasing an album a few years earlier, at age 76, Kristofferson told NPR, “I feel nothing but gratitude for being this old, and still above ground, living with the people I love. I've had a life of all kinds of experiences, most of 'em good.”

Slim Dunlap

On December 18, fans of indie rock mourned the passing of Bob “Slim” Dunlap, a Minnesota-based singer, songwriter and guitarist who had faced serious health issues since suffering a stroke in 2012.

Born in 1951, Dunlap had grown up listening to artists like Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Chet Atkins, which helped nurture his musical vocabulary, spanning blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and country. Dunlap earned a reputation in Minneapolis as a reliable and versatile guitar player; he played in several bands — including with Minneapolis mainstay Curtiss A — and Dunlap later noted that he’d find himself playing bluegrass at the popular Minneapolis hangout Dulono’s Pizza one night, and then playing in a hard-rock band the next.

Dunlap was a husband and father to three children, so to augment his music income, he worked odd jobs including taxi driver and janitor. It was while he was working as a janitor at Minneapolis’ famed music venue First Avenue that Dunlap met Paul Westerberg, frontman of the highly influential rock band the Replacements. Westerberg was in need of a new lead guitarist, and he invited Dunlap to join the band.

Being a veteran musician, Dunlap brought a sense of order to the Replacements, who were known for their shambolic live performances as much as for their music. But not only that, Dunlap’s style and versatility helped ignite the creativity of Westerberg and the other Replacements — Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars. Dunlap performed on the band’s final two albums: 1989’s Don’t Tell a Soul and 1991’s All Shook Down.

After the Replacements broke up, Dunlap collaborated with Georgia Satellites frontman Dan Baird and later launched a solo career that leaned deeper into a roots-rock style. As a solo artist, Dunlap released two studio albums: The Old New Me in 1993, and Times Like These in 1996. Dunlap’s solo albums earned the recognition of none other than Bruce Springsteen. In a 2014 interview with NPR’s Ann Powers, Springsteen said, “They're just beautiful rock 'n' roll records. I found them to be deeply touching and emotional.”

Dunlap’s career was tragically cut short due to the stroke the musician sustained in 2012. To help the Dunlap family with medical expenses, artists and friends rallied around them, collaborating on the 2013 Songs for Slim benefit release. Not only did The Replacements participate, but other artists including Steve Earle, Craig Finn from the Hold Steady, Frank Black, Lucinda Williams, John Doe from X, Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers, Jakob Dylan, and Jeff Tweedy covered Dunlap’s songs on the compilation.

But it's for his work with the Replacements that Slim Dunlap is most widely remembered, perhaps most notably his guitar work on the Replacements’ rock ballad, “I’ll Be You.”

Two other notable songwriters remembered for songs they had — let’s say complicated relationships with — are pop artist Melanie and country singer Toby Keith.

Early in her career, Melanie Safka — known artistically by just her first name, Melanie — was helicoptered in to perform in the rain at Woodstock in 1969 following Ravi Shankar. Melanie quickly became widely known. She started the 1970s with the hits “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” inspired by her experience at Woodstock, and the suggestive “Brand New Key,” a No. 1 hit.  For Melanie, the song was a novelty that came to define her career. According to her family, Melanie was working on a new covers album at the time of her passing.

Toby Keith’s song, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” was released in 1993. It was one of the most-played country songs of the 1990s. Keith, who grew up in Oklahoma, became known the following decade as a singer of patriotic music, in particular “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” which he wrote and released in the aftermath of the September 11th terror attacks. The year 2011 saw a lighter side of Keith as his song “Red Solo Cup,” a song about drinking beer at a keg party, proved a massive crossover hit. It peaked at Number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. About the song, Keith told country-music website The Boot, “It is the stupidest song I ever heard in my life, but it's so stupid, it's good.”

Sergio Mendes was an artist who helped defined Brazilian music for listeners in the United States and around the world. Known for his collaborations with Antonio Carlos Jobim and his own band Brasil ’66, Sergio Mendes established the cool sound of Brazilian bossa nova with the massive hit, “Mas Que Nada.” Mendes  signed to A&M Records, where he began collaborating and touring with Herb Alpert and Burt Bacharach. Later in his career, Mendes worked in film as a co-composer and co-producer of the sountrack to the 2011 animated film Rio. The film’s opening theme, “Real in Rio,” was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song at the 84th Academy Awards.

In Mali, Toumani Diabaté was considered master of the kora, a 21-stringed West African harp. Diabaté’s roots as a griot — a Malian caste of musicians and historians — traces back 80 generations.  In 1987, Diabaté gained a following beyond West Africa when he performed in a concert at the South Bank Centre in London for BBC Radio 3. From there, Diabaté collaborated with the London Symphony Orchestra, with Malian singer and guitarist Ali Farka Touré, with American blues musician Taj Mahal and with American banjo player Béla Fleck. Much closer to his own traditions, Diabaté performed and recorded kora duets with his son, Sidiki. Also known for his activism, Toumani Diabaté was appointed a UN goodwill ambassador in 2008 for using his music to increase awareness about HIV and AIDS.

In 1969, Detroit proto-punk band MC5 burst onto the scene, and the year 2024 saw the band’s two remaining original members and a past manager take a final bow.

In a high school in the Detroit suburbs in the early 1960s, Wayne Kramer and four friends including Dennis Thompson, founded a band known as the Motor City Five — or MC5.  They busted onto the scene with their 1969 live album, Kick Out the Jams. Guitarist Wayne Kramer died this past February at the age of 75. Beyond music, Kramer is remembered as a co-founder of Jail Guitar Doors, an organization that helps donate guitars to incarcerated people. Drummer Dennis Thompson passed in May of this year, the last surviving member of MC5. And poet, writer and political activist John Sinclair, who managed MC5 in the late 1960s, died in April at the age of 82.

Mike Pinder, born and raised in Birmingham, England, was a keyboardist and co-founding member of the Moody Blues. Known for his work on piano, organ, Moog synthesizer and harpsicord, Pinder was also a pioneer of an instrument invented in his hometown: the Mellotron. A keyboard instrument that plays back recorded loops of other instruments, the Mellotron was the instrument that gave the Moody Blues’ song “Knights in White Satin” an extra ethereal boost. Pinder, the last surviving original member of the Moody Blues, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with his bandmates in 2018.

2024 saw the passing of several lead singers who left their mark on music.

Shifty Shellshock — whose real name was Seth Binzer — was the frontman of Crazy Town, who enjoyed a massive No. 1 hit in 2000 with the song “Butterfly.” The rap-rock song samples “Pretty Little Ditty,” a song by an act Crazy Town had supported on tour: Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Damo Suzuki is best remembered as the second lead singer of the innovative German band, Can. Although born in Japan, Damo Suzuki had moved to Europe in his late teens, and the members of Can discovered Suzuki busking on the streets of Munich. Suzuki performed on Can’s four most notable albums, including their acclaimed 1972 album, Ege Bamyasi. That album contains the track “Spoon,” which inspired the name for Britt Daniel’s group of Texas indie-rockers.

Born Paul Andrews in East London in 1958, the singer better known as Paul Di’Anno performed with innovative English heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981. He recorded on the self-titled debut and its follow-up, Killers. In fact, you can hear the voice of Paul Di’Anno on Iron Maiden’s debut single, “Running Free.” After leaving the band, Di’Anno continued to perform in various other bands and projects, nearly up to his death this year.

Steve Albini

A hugely influential figure who passed this year is credited with producing several iconic rock albums. Yet Steve Albini never liked the title “producer.” He preferred to be called instead to be called “recording engineer” instead.  Also an esteemed musician and music journalist, Albini’s many credits include Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, The Wedding Present’s Seamonsters, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me, and Nirvana’s In Utero — the latter three of which Albini recorded at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Albini also worked with Minnesota band Low, contributing to 1999's Secret Name and on 2001's Things We Lost in the Fire.

Low recorded those albums at Electrical Audio Recording, a studio Steve Albini founded in Chicago in 1995. One of Albini’s interns at Electrical Audio was Alicia Bognanno of Bully. Bognanno posted on Instagram in tribute to Albini saying “I owe my career to Steve and that studio … thank you for cultivating a space in which I genuinely felt respected, safe and comfortable enough to ask questions and grow.” Albini died of a heart attack in May at age 61.

Steve Albini was one of a kind … and the same is true of the quirky artist Mojo Nixon. 

Born Neill Kirby McMillan Junior, Mojo Nixon was an actor, DJ and an alternative musician best known for the novelty hit song “Elvis is Everywhere.” Beloved by fans, Mojo Nixon also enjoyed a good reputation among music venue operators by having a contract rider that was simple and practical, laying out conditions such as “Be nice”; “Pick an appropriate support act”; “Beer and snacks in dressing room” and “Just a couple of guys or gals to help carry the stuff from van to stage and back again.” Mojo Nixon was 66.

Introduction: Hour 2

Welcome to 2024 Remembered from The Current, honoring the life, music and legacy of artists we lost this year. This musical tribute is a celebration of all sounds - from indie to influential. Paying homage to the legends who have carved out space for themselves like Mary Weiss of the Shangri Las, and Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead, as well as artists who crafted new musical sounds and styles like the First Lady of Jazz and the Godfather of British Blues.

We invite you to reflect on the milestones in each artist's life and career, explore their lasting impact on the music world, and hear their most beloved songs as we commemorate these artists and many more in 2024 Remembered from The Current.

Local musicians are the cornerstone of local music scenes. And when those musicians are lost, their impact is felt deeply. Here are five local artists who had an outsized impact on their local music community.

Laurie Lindeen

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Laurie Lindeen and college friend Coleen Elwood, met drummer Linda Pitmon in Minneapolis, and formed the pioneering indie-rock band Zuzu’s Petals. As Elwood and Pitmon put it, Laurie Lindeen was the inspiration and driving force behind the band, whose discography includes the song “Cinderella’s Daydream.” Lindeen recounted her life and her work in Zuzu’s Petals in the 2007 memoir called Petal Pusher: A Rock and Roll Cinderella Story, published by Simon and Schuster.

Efron Luis Maldonado

Efren Luis Maldonado was a keyboardist in recent years for Minneapolis-based alt-rock band 12 Rods.  He also released work in the group Plastik Boxes and produced for other artists under the name Pye Luis.

Maldonado was a student of the Minneapolis Sound, especially Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. He was a disciple of jazz great Bill Evans. You can even hear that jazz influence in tracks like Pye Luis’ “Soft Crush.”

Maldonado also helped other artists showcase their talents and was no stranger to working behind the camera on music videos.

Zodiak

Elijah Amir Naughton, who recorded and performed as Zodiak, was an innovative St. Paul-born hip-hop artist.  Zodiak was known for his hyper-engaging live performances that frequently got the audience moshing. In a 2022 interview, Zodiak said, “Other things in life make me happy, but music is the one thing I can turn to at any time and find genuine joy in. Whether it's just listening to music or making music … that’s what keeps me going basically, the love of music.” He was 21.

Barry Goldberg

Barry Goldberg was a Minnesota musician and songwriter who started a band called The Shambles in the mid-1960s with Gary Paulak. The Shambles was signed to ATCO Records. Under his own name, Goldberg was involved in several musical projects:

He collaborated with drummer Bobby Z before he joined Prince’s band. He also enjoyed years in New York and Los Angeles working on music for film and television.

His 1974 folk album, Misty Flats, was rediscovered and reissued by Light In the Attic Records in 2015. Barry Goldberg continued to write and perform music throughout his lifetime, and in 2008, he was inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame.

Tyka Nelson

Tyka Nelson grew up in North Minneapolis and — much like her famous older brother, Prince — she went on to write, perform and record music. Tyka Nelson’s 1988 album Royal Blue proved to be her most successful of the four albums she released.  Her biggest hits are “Marc Anthony’s Tune,” which spent 11 weeks on Billboard's Hot R&B Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at Number 33, and “L.O.V.E.," which spent seven weeks on the chart, reaching No. 52.

Following Prince’s death in 2016, Tyka Nelson  defended her brother’s legacy. Two years Prince’s junior, Tyka Nelson once said, “The funniest thing is people say, ‘How does it feel to be Prince’s sister?’ They don’t actually realize what they’re saying. I’ve been Prince’s sister ever since I got here on Earth.”

More Artists to Remember

The revving engines are unmistakable on the Shangri-Las’ 1964 hit song, “Leader of the Pack,” and so are the vocals by lead singer Mary Weiss. The all-women group out of Queens, New York were known for their gritty style — both musically and fashion-wise.

After the Shangri-Las disbanded in 1968, Weiss worked for an architectural firm before returning to music in 2007. Weiss died in January at the age of 75.

Françoise Hardy was a French singer-songwriter, actor and fashion icon. In 1962, she broke onto the scene at age 18 with the melancholy hit song, “Tous les garçons et les filles,” meaning “All the boys and girls.”

Hardy became a fashion icon, and later in life, she became an author. As a musician, Hardy released more than 30 albums — with songs recorded in French, English, German and Italian.  As an actor, she appeared in more than a dozen films including the zany 1965 comedy What’s New Pussycat? with Peter Sellers.

Another iconic singer, Eleanor Collins — became known as the First Lady of Canadian Jazz. She enjoyed a long and groundbreaking career. Born in Edmonton to parents from Oklahoma, Eleanor Collins became a singer on the radio with the gospel group Swing Low Quartet.

In 1954, Collins made her television debut on the first live-music CBC program  to feature a mixed-race cast. One year later, Collins was invited by the CBC to star in The Eleanor Show, making her the first woman to host a national series in Canada, and the first Black artist to host a national TV series in North America.

Collins continued to perform throughout her life, including a Canada Day celebration in 1975 for 80,000 spectators on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Her voice was frequently compared to Lena Horne and to Ella Fitzgerald. Collins got to perform with other jazz luminaries like Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. At age 95, Collins was awarded the Order of Canada. She was 104 years old when she died this past March.

Known as the Godfather of British Blues, John Mayall grew up near Manchester. Fascinated by the sound of American jazz and blues from an early age, he learned to play guitar, harmonica and piano.

Mayall formed the Bluesbreakers in the mid-1960s and began gigging in and around London. Former Bluesbreakers include notable musicians like John McVie, Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac; Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce of Cream; and Larry Taylor and Harvey Mandel of Canned Heat.

Mayall moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s and lived there for the rest of his career, retiring in 2022. He died at home in Los Angeles this year at the age of 90.

Another innovator out of Britain, Richard Tandy was a keyboard player for the Electric Light Orchestra for more than 50 years. Born in Birmingham, England, Tandy was skilled at piano, Moog synthesizer and Mellotron. It was Richard Tandy’s keyboards that gave E-L-O its signature sound on songs like “Telephone Line,” “Livin’ Thing,” and “Strange Magic”. And it’s Tandy’s voice we hear through a vocoder during the bridge of “Mr. Blue Sky.”

ELO’s Jeff Lynne paid tribute to Tandy by writing, “he was a remarkable musician and friend, and I’ll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together.”

Tandy, along with the rest of the Electric Light Orchestra, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

Jazz pianist Les McCann is known for his rollicking, soulful style. His discography is highlighted by his collaboration with saxophonist Eddie Harris on a cover of Gene McDaniel’s “Compared to What.” McCann’s music has also provided a sampling foundation for numerous hip-hop artists, including Notorious B.I.G.; Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre; Slick Rick; and A Tribe Called Quest.

Duke Fakir is the last surviving original member of the legendary R&B group the Four Tops. He died at age 88 in his hometown of Detroit.

In 1953, Fakir and friends Lawrence Payton, Obie Benson, and Levi Stubbs, began singing together as  the Four Aims.

After becoming the Four Tops, they signed with Motown Records in 1963, and enjoyed their first hit, “Baby I Need Your Loving,” in 1964. The Four Tops continued to perform and record together until 1997, when Lawrence Payton died. Duke Fakir kept the Four Tops’ spirit alive through live performances and his memoir.

After Fakir’s passing, fellow Motown artist Martha Reeves said, “Duke had one of the sweetest tenor voices you could hear.”

The artist known as Bo$$ was born Lichelle Marie Laws in Detroit. Discovered by Def Jam’s Russell Simmons, she became the first woman rapper signed to Def Jam Records. Bo$$’s 1993 debut album, Born Gangstaz, peaked at Number 3 on Billboard’s Hip-Hop and R&B albums chart.

Subsequent releases by Bo$$ didn’t see as much success, but she was able to parlay her music career into a role as host of a hip-hop radio program in Dallas. A years’-long struggle with kidney disease hampered Bo$$’s later career, and she succumbed to kidney failure at home in Michigan in March.

Guitarist Duane Eddy created intense rhythms on the instrument’s lower strings. He went on to influence other guitartists like Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and JD McPherson. 

Except for a few backing hollers, Eddy’s music was instrumental rock ‘n’ roll.  His 1958 hit single “Rebel-‘Rouser” later appeared on Eddy’s full-length album called Have Twangy, Guitar Will Travel.

In addition to recording and performing his own music, Duane Eddy worked in music production in Los Angeles, and recorded a guitar version of Henry Mancini’s theme music for the TV series Peter Gunn. Duane Eddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Notable Drummers

Drummers are the backbone of bands, and several notable drummers played their last beat this year.

Born in Massachusetts, drummer Jon Wysocki was a co-founder of the post-grunge band Staind. The band’s 2001 breakthrough album Break the Cycle contains Staind’s signature hit, “It’s Been Awhile.” Wysocki left Staind in 2011 and went on to perform in other bands. After Wysocki’s passing in May, fellow Staind co-founder Aaron Lewis described Wysocki as “a friend I loved like a brother.”

John Barbata’s long career as a drummer included his work for the Turtles. You hear his talents on hits like “Happy Together” and “Elenore.” After working as a touring drummer for Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Barbata was invited to join Jefferson Airplane — soon to be Jefferson Starship. He played on six albums in the 1970s, including on the band’s hit songs “Miracles” and “Count on Me.” 

Colin Burgess was the original drummer for the legendary Australian hard-rock band AC/DC. He was recruited into the band in 1973 by founding members Angus and Malcolm Young and Dale Evans. You can hear Burgess playing drums on AC/DC’s debut single, “Can I Sit Next to You, Girl.” Four months later, Burgess was fired for performing while intoxicated, but he did get invited back for a short time to substitute for his replacement, drummer Phil Rudd, while Rudd was recovering from an injury.

James Kottak was from Louisville, Kentucky, but he is best remembered for his time as the drummer for the German hard-rock band Scorpions. Starting with the  band in 1996, Kottak appeared on 10 Scorpions albums between 1999 and 2015, including on the Scorpions’ 2010 hit, “Raised on Rock.”

Early in his career, drummer Keith LeBlanc was a vital part of some foundational records in hip-hop. Born in Connecticut, LeBlanc became a session drummer for record label Sugar Hill.  He played live drums on songs like the Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache” and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “It’s Nasty.” Later in his career, LeBlanc was a producer on Nine Inch Nails’ debut album Pretty Hate Machine, and played drums on Annie Lennox’s 1992 album, Diva, including the hit “Walking on Broken Glass.”

And in a strange coincidence, two former drummers for the Bee Gees — Colin Peterson and Dennis Bryon — died within a few days of each other. Colin Peterson, who was the Bee Gees’ first drummer played on the band’s first records, which included the early hits, “To Love Somebody” and “Words. Peterson left the Bee Gees in 1969. Following short spells by drummers Chris Karan and Geoff Bridgford, in 1973, Welsh drummer Dennis Bryon joined the band. He played with the Bee Gees until 1981 — including their halcyon disco era, with global hits such as “Stayin’ Alive” and “You Should Be Dancing.”

Liam Payne

October brought with it a devastating loss for fans of one of the 21st century’s most renowned vocal groups, One Direction. Born in 1993 in Wolverhampton, England, Liam Payne auditioned twice on the U.K. version of  The X Factor, and was eliminated both times. But his second appearance saw him, along with Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, be selected by Simon Cowell to form a vocal group that would become One Direction.

One of the best-selling boy bands of all time, One Direction made history as the first group to have its first four albums — all released between 2012 and 2014 — go to Number 1 on the Billboard 200. To date, they have sold more than 70 million albums worldwide – riding a wave of hits like: “Best Song Ever,” “Live While We’re Young,” and “What Makes You Beautiful.”

One Direction went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 as the members pursued their own projects. Payne released a solo album in 2019 and was working on a follow-up at the time of his death in Argentina in October.

Unforgettable Songwriters

Welsh musician Karl Wallinger was originally a member of Mike Scott’s band The Waterboys before leaving in 1986 to form World Party. The band’s debut album, Private Revolution, included the hit song, “Ship Of Fools.” In the 1990s, Wallinger got involved in film music, contributing songs to several movies including Clueless and Armageddon, and composing the score to the iconic Gen-X film Reality Bites.

In March, singer, songwriter and musician Eric Carmen died at the age of 74. Early in his career, Carmen and three friends from his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, formed the Raspberries. Known for their catchy melodies and tight harmonies layered on a guitar-rock sound — now known as power pop -- one of their biggest hits was the 1970 single, “Go All the Way.” After the Raspberries, Carmen went solo and had hits including “All By Myself,” “Never Gonna Fall In Love Again,” “Make Me Lose Control,” and his contribution to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, “Hungry Eyes.”

With his big, black cowboy hat, curly hair, moustache and cigar, Kinky Friedman cut a memorable figure. A singer-songwriter, author, Texas Monthly columnist and one-time Texas gubernatorial candidate, Kinky Friedman was larger than life. His songs were provocative — consider his parody on feminism, “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed.”  Despite his talent for writing novelty songs, he could certainly pen a solid ballad, too, like “Rapid City, South Dakota” from his 1974 self-titled album — and his musicianship earned him the respect of such artists as Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Bob Dylan.

Memorable Bassists

If drummers are the backbone of a band, bassists form the skeleton. The following are just some of the bassists holding down the rhythm section who passed in 2024.

Del Palmer was a longtime bassist and sound engineer who worked with Kate Bush. He started with her 1978 album Lionheart and worked with her all the way up through 50 Words for Snow in 2011. Naturally, Palmer also performed on Bush’s 1985 Hounds of Love album, playing bass and programming the Linn drum machine including on the hit song “Running Up That Hill.”

Aston “Family Man” Barrett was the bassist and bandleader for Bob Marley’s backing band, The Wailers. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Barrett grew up immersed in Jamaican music. His bass playing was foundational to the development of reggae and dub. Barrett performed on several albums by Bob Marley and the Wailers, including “Jammin’.” Barrett was also an audio engineer, and he performed with many other Jamaican artists, including Peter Tosh and Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Charlie Colin was a bassist and founding member of the band Train. The group became a staple of adult-alternative radio stations in the late ‘90s and early 2000s with their hits “Meet Virginia” and “Drops of Jupiter.” Colin left train in 2003 and later played in hard rock bands Slipknot and Puddle of Mudd. He was teaching music at a conservatory in Brussels at the time of his death from a household accident.

Phil Lesh

Our final tribute goes out to a founding member of the Grateful Dead, bassist Phil Lesh.  As a child in California, Lesh was inspired by classical music he heard on the radio. He began studying violin, and later, trumpet.  As a teenager, he made second-chair trumpet in the Oakland Symphony Orchestra. After college, Lesh met local musician Jerry Garcia, who invited Lesh to be a bassist in a new band then called the Warlocks. Lesh took lessons from Garcia and applied his classical training to the basslines anchoring the Grateful Dead’s expansive solos and signature jams. Lesh also contributed songs to the Grateful Dead’s lengthy discography, including the longtime concert-closer, “Unbroken Chain.”

Similarly, that’s where 2024 Remembered comes to a close. Rest in peace, Phil Lesh, and all the other musicians we lost this year.

Credits

2024 Remembered from The Current is hosted by Jill Riley. The production team consists of Derrick Stevens, Reed Fischer, Luke Taylor, Lindsay Kimball, and David Safar.

2024 Remembered from The Current is distributed by American Public Media and is made possible by listeners like you. Thank you.