Bman's Blues Report

 DR John, the flamboyant New Orleans singer-pianist whose hoodoo-drenched music made him the summarizing figure of the grand Crescent City R&B/rock ‘n’ roll tradition, died Thursday of a heart attack at age 77. “Towards the break of day June 6, iconic music legend Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., known as Dr. John , passed away of a heart attack,” a statement on his social media pages said. “The family thanks all whom shared his unique musical journey & requests privacy at this time. Memorial arrangements will be announced in due course.” Rebennack had already tallied more than a decade of experience as a session musician in his hometown and Los Angeles when he rose to solo fame in the late ‘60s after concocting his voodoo-influenced, patois-laced persona of “the Night Tripper.” In their history of postwar New Orleans music “Up From the Cradle of Jazz,” Jason Berry, Jonathan Foose and Tad Jones wrote richly of the artist they called “a true original The writers de...

  JODY WILLIAMS: FEBRUARY 3, 1935 - DECEMBER 1, 2018 photo by Dan Machnik Famed Chicago blues guitarist/vocalist and Blues Hall Of Fame member Jody Williams, who recorded with legends including Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Spann and his childhood friend Bo Diddley, as well as under his own name, died of cancer at the Munster Med Inn in Munster, Indiana on December 1, 2018. He lived in nearby St. John, Indiana. He was 83. One of the last and most accomplished practitioners of the golden 1950s era of Chicago blues, Williams was well-known for his instantly recognizable stinging guitar tone, a keen vibrato and a sensibility that straddled the turf between gutbucket blues, sophisticated jazzy West Coast stylings and even vintage rockabilly, along with solid vocals and thoughtful songwriting. His often-replicated guitar parts were crucial to some of the most iconic songs of the genre, including on Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love and I’m Bad , Howlin’ Wolf’s E...

Tom Petty, the American rocker who fronted one of the country’s longest-running, most successful bands, is dead at 66, according to his longtime manager. Petty had suffered cardiac arrest at his Malibu home early Monday morning “and was taken to UCLA Medical center but could not be revived,” Tony Dimitriades, longtime manager of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, said in a statement on behalf of the musician’s family. “He died peacefully at 8:40pm PT surrounded by family, his bandmates and friends.” The news came hours after TMZ first reported that Petty was found unconscious in full cardiac arrest at his Malibu home. CBS News later reported his death, but the outlet walked back that report as the Los Angeles Police Department issued a statement that it had no information on Petty’s passing. “Initial information was inadvertantly [sic] provided to some media sources,” the police department posted on Twitter. “However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologiz...

Tom Petty, the American rocker who fronted one of the country’s longest-running, most successful bands, is fighting for his life, according to reports. TMZ first reported the news Monday that he was found unconscious in full cardiac arrest at his Malibu home Sunday. CBS News later reported his death, which could not be independently confirmed. A representative for Petty did not immediately return The Washington Post’s inquiry. A CBS Twitter account attributed the report of Petty’s death to the Los Angeles Police Department; the tweet has since been deleted. “The LAPD has no information about the passing of singer Tom Petty. Initial information was inadvertantly [sic] provided to some media sources,” the police department posted on Twitter. “However, the LAPD has no investigative role in this matter. We apologize for any inconvenience in this reporting.” TMZ followed up with a post that Petty was “still clinging to life. A report that the LAPD confirmed the singer’...

Walter Becker, the guitarist and bassist for the popular rock band Steely Dan, died Sunday. He was 67. News of Becker's death was confirmed by a tribute post on his official website, though no cause of death was given. Becker was forced to bow out of two Steely Dan performances earlier this month after undergoing an unidentified "procedure," according to bandmate Donald Fagen. Fagen released a heartfelt statement on the passing of his longtime collaborator, praising Becker's skills as a musician and his killer sense of humor. "Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967," Fagen wrote. "Walter had a very rough childhood — I'll spare you the details. Luckily, he was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. Like a lot of kids from...

Gregg Allman, one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers Band, has died. He was 69. The southern rocker's passing was announced on his official website , adding that Allman "passed away peacefully at his home in Savannah, Georgia" on Saturday. Allman's death comes after rumors circulated last month that he had entered hospice care. A rep for the rocker told ABC News that the rumors were not true. Despite reports, Gregg Allman has not entered hospice Gregg Allman condemns 'Bathroom Bill,' will still perform in NC Still, Allman had been suffering from ill health in recent years, dealing with a respiratory infection, a hernia, a liver transplant and an irregular heartbeat. Back in March, he canceled all his 2017 tour dates to support his upcoming album "Southern Blood" due to his health. Michael Lehman, a close friend of Allman's, said in a statement posted to his website : "I have lost a dear friend and the ...

John Warren Geils Jr., the founding guitarist behind the ’70s and ’80s rock powerhouse J. Geils Band, died at his longtime home in Massachusetts on Tuesday. He was 71. Donald Palma Jr., the chief of police in Groton, Mass., confirmed Geils’ death on Tuesday night, saying in a press release that an early investigation suggested Geils died of “natural causes” and that “foul play is not suspected at this time.” Geils founded his eponymous band in 1967, when he attended the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. The band -- with singer Peter Wolf -- was known for its deft, bluesy guitar work. After touring with the Byrds and the Allman Brothers, the band achieved its breakout success in the ’70s and early ’80s with the release of hit singles like “Must of Got Lost,” “Give It to Me” and “Love Stinks.” “We were a rock, blues, R&B, rootsy band until we developed our own sound," Wolf told The Times in 1994. "[I]t's always cool to rediscover the masters li...

Grammy-nominated Chicago blues icon Lonnie Brooks, whose music Rolling Stone called, "witty, soulful and ferociously energetic...simply astonishing guitar work," died on Saturday, April 1, 2017 in Chicago, according to his son, Ronnie Baker Brooks. He was 83. Guitar Player described him as “...like a fire-and-brimstone preacher, testifying the blues from the bottom of his soul.” With his "booming, gritty vocals and fierce six-string firepower” ( Chicago Tribune ), Brooks created an instantly recognizable signature sound. It combined Chicago blues, rock ‘n’ roll, Memphis soul, swampy Louisiana grooves and country twang into a style that his fellow musicians called "voodoo blues." He was inducted into the Port Arthur Historical Society Hall Of Fame in 2001 and the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2010. On June 12, 2012 Mayor Rahm Emanuel declared Lonnie Brooks Day in Chicago. Lonnie Brooks was born Lee Baker, Jr. on December 18, 1933. Over the course ...

Rock 'n' roll icon and musical master Chuck Berry died Saturday at his home west of St. Louis, Missouri, authorities confirmed. He was 90. The guitarist and musican defined the art form's joy and rebellion in such classics as "Johnny B. Goode," ''Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Roll Over Beethoven" in a career that spanned 7 decades and earned him countless accolades. Emergency personnel summoned to Berry's residence by his caretaker about 12:40 p.m. found him unresponsive, police in Missouri's St. Charles County said in a statement. Attempts to revive Berry failed, and he was pronounced shortly before 1:30 p.m., police said. A police spokeswoman, Val Joyner, said she had no additional details about the death of Berry, calling him  "really a legend." Berry's core repertoire was some three dozen songs, his influence incalculable, from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to virtually any group from garage band to arena ...

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — James Cotton, a Grammy Award-winning blues harmonica master whose full-throated sound backed such blues legends as Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Howlin' Wolf, has died at age 81. A statement from Alligator Records, Cotton's label, says he died Thursday of pneumonia at St. David's Medical Center in Austin. The Mississippi Delta native performed professionally since age 9. Cotton backed Muddy Waters in his landmark album "At Newport" on Chess Records. After going solo in the 1960s, Cotton released almost 30 albums, including his 1996 Grammy Award-winning Verve album, "Deep In The Blues." His most recent album, "Cotton Mouth Man" for Alligator Records in 2013, was nominated for a Grammy. James Henry Cotton (July 1, 1935 – March 16, 2017) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time and with his own band. ...

Sharon Jones, the soul and funk singer in Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, has died after long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 60. Her representative Judy Miller Silverman says she died Friday at a Cooperstown hospital surrounded by her band, the Dap-Kings. Silverman says in a statement, “Thank you for your prayers and thoughts during this difficult time.” Jones was diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer in 2013. Her story was told this year in a Barbara Kopple documentary called “Miss Sharon Jones!” The film documents her transformation into cancer patient and back into a full-throated force.  Jones started her career in the 1970s as a soul singer, but she spent decades in obscurity before her debut album, Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, came out in 2002. In 2014, Jones was nominated for her first Grammy, for the album Give the People What They Want. 

American musician and songwriter Leon Russell has died at the age of 74. The artist, who is best known for the songs "Shine a Light" and "A Song for You", died in Nashville on Sunday. “His wife said that he passed away in his sleep,” a statement posted on Russell’s website read. The artist, who performed his gospel-inflenced southern boogie piano rock, blues, and country music for over five decades,  was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2011. Russell's colourful career saw him lead the famous Joe Cocker's ‘Mad Dogs & Englishmen’ tour, perform with George Harrison and Friends and tour with everyone from Sir Elton John to Willie Nelson, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, Edgar Winter and The New Grass Revival. He was a longtime hero of Sir Elton  and collaborated with him on a number of occasions.  Born in Tulsa in Oklahoma, Russell embarked on his musical career...

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Guy Clark has died. Clark died Tuesday at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, according to his manager, Keith Case. He was 74 and had been in poor health, although Case didn't give an official cause of death. A native of Monahans, Texas, Clark was known for such hits as "L.A. Freeway" and "Desperados Waiting for a Train," and his songs were covered by Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs and many others. In 2014, his "My Favorite Picture of You" won a Grammy for best folk album. Clark also was a mentor for such future stars as Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell. We've not left much room for the making of things that matter in this modern world. For the careful, private passion of handwork and contemplative creation. Instead of art we've embraced certain obsolescence, offshore manufacturing, factory farming, and digital truths that arrive with the half-life of a firefly. Packaging. And yet the tr...