BJ Thomas

2021, Tribute

BJ Thomas will forever be famous for the lucky break he almost didn’t get. Composer Burt Bacharach was turned down by his top two choices to record a song for the soundtrack of a quirky western in 1969. But when Bob Dylan and Ray Stevens put up their umbrellas, Thomas would step in to ride “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” to the top of the US charts and a Best Song Oscar. Despite battles with drug and alcohol addiction, Thomas’s honeyed baritone would lead him to become a mainstay of the pop and country charts and, after recovery and a religious awakening, he would record a handful of gospel hits. In May 2021, lung cancer took Billy Joe Thomas from us, but thanks to his time here, many of us will never hear a rainstorm the same way.

Baron Browne

2021, Tribute

Baron Browne was a joy to hear and a pleasure to play with, as dozens of the most accomplished players in electric jazz will gladly attest. Closely associated with drummer Steve Smith and violinist Jean Luc Ponty, Browne was also sought after as a sideman for both his flawless technique and his warm sense of humor. After a year at Berklee School of Music, where his classmates included Bill Frisell and Kevin Eubanks, Browne would become the bassist of choice for bandleaders like Ponty and fusion pioneer Billy Cobham, as well as vibraphonist Gary Burton among many others. Baron Browne. When it comes to blending in, he stood out.

Doc Gibbs

2021, Tribute

Leonard “Doc” Gibbs Jr., also known as Doc Gibbs, was an American percussionist. He acquired the nickname “Doc” after suggesting herbal remedies to jazz saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in the early 1970s, and toured with artists such as Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, Bob James, Al Jarreau, Erykah Badu, and of course, for a long time, Grover Washington, Jr. Doc also led the house band on the popular Food Network television show Emeril Live, hosted by Chef Emeril Lagasse. Gibbs died from cancer in September 2021, at the age of 72.

Roger Hawkins

2021, Tribute

Roger Hawkins was an American drummer best known for playing as part of the studio backing band known as the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (also known as the Swampers) of Alabama. Hawkins’s drumming can be heard on dozens of hit singles, including tracks by Percy Sledge (“When A Man Loves A Woman”), Aretha Franklin (“Respect”), Wilson Pickett (“Mustang Sally”), The Staple Singers, Bobby Womack, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Paul Simon, Boz Scaggs, Rod Stewart, Willie Nelson and Bob Seger. He also recorded with Eric Clapton in the early 80’s. Roger Hawkins died at age 75 in May 2021.

Chick Corea

2021, Tribute

For millions of music lovers, Chick Corea’s keys opened a doorway into jazz appreciation. His joyful arpeggios, Latin-inflected melodies and improvisational genius inspired not only a passionate fan following, but also the universal respect, admiration and love of his fellow musicians. Over a groundbreaking six-decade career, Corea was best known as one of the major architects of electric jazz fusion

Dusty Hill

2021, Tribute

From the age of seven, a jukebox was his music box and the voice of Elvis Presley was his babysitter. Little wonder then that the boy born Joe Michael Hill would be a rock star in his own right. Before founding ZZ Top with fellow Texans Frank Beard and Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill would back up Blues legends Freddie King and Lightning Hopkins with his booming bass lines.

Jim Weatherly

2021, Tribute

It starts with the song. James Weatherly was a prolific American singer-songwriter who wrote mostly pop and country music. He passed away in February 2021. Weatherly wrote songs for almost 50 years and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.

Gerry Marsden

2021, Tribute

Gerry Marsden was an English singer-songwriter, musician and television personality, best known for being leader of the band Gerry & The Pacemakers. As a songwriter, he helped pen the band’s biggest hits, “Ferry Cross the Mersey” and “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying.” Gerry Marsden passed away in January 2021.

Mary Wilson

2021, Tribute

Mary Wilson was an American singer. She gained worldwide recognition as a founding member of The Supremes, the most successful Motown act of the 1960s and the best-charting female group in U.S. chart history, as well as one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Mary Wilson passed away in February 2021.