The Minnesota music community lost several important individuals in 2025.  

In January, saw the passing of one of the founding members of The Suburbs. Blaine John “Beej” Chaney died at the age of 67. From 1977 to 1987, Chaney sang and played guitar in the group. During those years The Suburbs rose from indie sensations to sign a major-label record deal for their third album, Love Is the Law, featuring the hit title track. Chaney rejoined The Suburbs for their first reunion run, and retired from the band in 2014. 

Also in January, the owner of Hopkins record store Mill City Sound, Rob Sheeley, died of cancer. Sheeley opened the store in 2014, and it became a destination for fans of rare vinyl. He also founded the record label BackGroove Records, and put out vinyl reissues by the bands Material Issue and Velvet Crush, as well as a Twin Cities punk and new wave compilation called Big Hits of Mid-America, Vol. 3. Rob Sheeley was 69. 

Heath Henjum was a steadfast member of several Twin Cities rock groups. Over the past three decades, Henjum played with the Hopefuls, the Beatifics, Vicious Vicious, Little Man, and several others. Featuring Henjum on bass, the Hopefuls’ 2004, song “Let’s Go!” appeared on TV shows The O.C. and Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. At the time of his death in February, Heath Henjum was 55.

Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland was born in Liverpool, England, but he spent his final four decades living in Minnesota. During his time in the legendary British rock group’s classic 1970s lineup, he played guitar on their big hits like “Day After Day,” “No Matter What,” and “Baby Blue.” He died from complications of diabetes in March at the age of 77. 

In April, Minneapolis musician Tom Berg died. Berg was bassist and vocalist in the indie rock trio Self-Evident, and also played in the instrumental prog-metal band Zebulon Pike. Outside of music, Tom Berg was known as the co-founder of Falling Knife brewery in northeast Minneapolis. He was 46. 

Early Prince associate Pepé Willie was the founder of pioneering Twin Cities R&B and funk group 94 East. The band’s single “Just Another Sucker,” which was written by Prince, was a hit in the mid-1980s. In 2020, Pepé Willie released a memoir titled “If You See Me: My Six-Decade Journey in Rock and Roll.” Willie died of cancer in June at the age of 76. 

Conrad Sverkerson, mostly known by his first name, worked at First Avenue since 1988 and held the title of stage manager since 1990. Over the past 35 years, he was an integral part of the venue’s culture and experience for artists and patrons alike. Due to his mane of curly red hair, he was easy to spot. When news spread of Conrad’s passing on Sept. 30, he received tributes online from countless Minnesota and nationally known musicians. Conrad was 66. 

In November, the Minnesota music community mourned the loss of The Time drummer Garry George “Jellybean” Johnson. An accomplished drummer, Johnson was the literal timekeeper for Flyte Tyme starting in the early 1970s. In 1981, the group formed an association with Prince, and became the funky pop and R&B group known as the Time. In the span of the 10 years that followed, Johnson was the beat behind the Time’s many Billboard Hot 100 hits including “Jungle Love,” “Jerk Out,” and “The Bird.” The Time toured with Prince for dates supporting his early ‘80s albums Controversy and 1999. in 2021, Johnson announced plans to co-found the Minneapolis Sound Museum, and told Jill Riley: “Our goal is for the next generation to know what was created here in North Minneapolis.” The passionate architect and preserver of the Minneapolis Sound passed away at the age of 69. 

Also in November, local music photographer Brian D. Garrity died at the age of 62.