As the coronavirus crisis continues, we look at some of the sadly many musicians - from world-famous to quietly impactful - we've lost to COVID-19.

The end of a year is a time to celebrate the best new music that hit our ears in the past 12 months — and also to remember the remarkable lives and storied careers of people on the music scene who passed on. For the Honey Do list this Saturday, Dec. 28 on The Current,…

Wee Willie Walker, one of the earliest and greatest soul singers to emerge from the Twin Cities scene, has died at age 77. Walker’s wife Judy confirmed the sad news in an e-mail; a cause of death was not immediately available. Update 12/22: Judy Walker has announced that a celebration of Willie Walker’s life will…

Ed Ackerson, the prolific and iconoclastic rocker whose Flowers Studio was a go-to hub for generations of Minnesota artists, died yesterday after being diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. His wife, Ashley Ackerson, wrote, “He was peaceful and at home with his family and friends. He left this world smiling.” She continued, “Ed never looked…

On Thursday, the Minnesota music community reeled from the news that a beloved Twin Cities musician and sound professional died in a tragic highway crash in Arizona. Trevor Engelbrektson, who played bass in Southside Desire and ran sound at numerous Twin Cities venues, was traveling with the Liverpool-based duo Her’s as their tour manager. Around…

Though the Twin Cities lost the local R&B legend Willie Murphy earlier this week, he is far from forgotten. From fans and fellow Minnesotan musicians alike, here are just a few of the tributes to the “godfather” of the Minneapolis music scene that have spread on social media since the musician’s death. Willie also told…

Anyone who had the opportunity to see Maurice McKinnies perform back in the 1960s seems to get the same starry-eyed look in their eyes when they remember back to seeing him live. “Maurice was the one,” Wanda Davis told me once, reflecting on her days singing back-up vocals in his band. “As they say, he’s…

2016 took the lives of many of our favorite musicians, and 2017 wasn't so nice either. In the second installment of this 2-day Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear from musicians that died in 2017?

2016 took the lives of many of our favorite musicians - Prince, Sharon Jones, David Bowie, George Michael, Leonard Cohen, Phife Dawg, Merle Haggard, and so many more. And 2017 wasn't so nice either. In a 2-part Coffee Break, we'll spend the next two days remembering artists lost in 2017.

Photographer Jacob Blickenstaff documented Sharon Jones for years both on- and off-stage. Here, he shares archival shots of the dearly departed star.