George Graham's 1998 Year-End Essay | The 1998 Graham Awards | George's Home Page

Compiled by George Graham

As broadcast on WVIA-FM 12/30/98

And now we come to another regular part of our look back at the year in music, the obituary page, noting the passing of some of the well-known figures on the music scene, and also some of the people, whose names might not be household words, but whose contributions were influential; people whose passing was mostly ignored by the popular media. Here they are presented in chronological order of passage.

• Popular singer John Gary, 1/4, age 65
• Congressman Sonny Bono, half of Sonny & Cher, 1/5, 62
• Owen Bradley, country producer who is credited with helping to define the "Nashville Sound", 1/7, 82
• Blues great and harmonica man Junior Wells 1/15, 63
• Another fine bluesman Junior Kimbrough 1/17, 67
• Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins 1/19, 65
• Cliffie Stone, another country producer, credited with discovering Tennessee Ernie Ford 1/19, 80
• S.P. Leary, blues drummer 1/26, 67
• Nick Webb, guitarist for Acoustic Alchemy 2/5, 43
• Falco (Johann Holzel), creator of the 1980s hit Rock Me Amadeus, 2/6, 40
• Beach Boy Carl Wilson 2/6, 51
• Louis Marshall (Grandpa) Jones, member of the Grand Ole Opry 2/19, 84
• Comedian and some-time violinist Henny Youngman 2/24, 91
• Jazz/pop saxophonist George Howard 3/22, 41
• Kasey Cisyk, who started in opera but eventually became one of the world's most frequently heard vocalists through her performances on hundreds of advertising jingles, including "Have You Driven a Ford Lately" and as backup singer on a lot of hit records died 3/29 of cancer at age 44
• Rob Pilatus, half of the disgraced duo Milli Vanilli 4/2, 33
• Cozy Powell, Britist rock drummer 4/5, 50
• Tammy Wynette, the queen of country music 4/6, 55
• Wendy O. Williams (Plasmatics) 4/6, 48
• James Conkling, who at Columbia Records popularized 12" LP over the 10" album, and started the first mail order record company, Columbia House 4/12, 83
• Country music singer Rose Maddox 4/15, 72
• Linda McCartney, musician, photographer 4/17, 56
• Big Band singer Helen Ward. She sang with Benny Goodman on the famous recording Goody Goody 4/21, 82
• Jazz composer Mel Powell 4/24, 75
• Country singer-songwriter Eddie Rabbitt 5/7, 53
• Big Band and movie singer Alice Faye, best known as the wife and musical partner with bandleader Phil Harris 5/9, 83
• Frank Sinatra 5/14, 82
• Flamboyant jazz pianist and vocalist Dorothy Donegan 5/19, 76
• Jazz guitarist Ted Dunbar 5/29
• Helen Carter, oldest daughter of the legendary Carter Family of country music 6/3, 70
• Bill Chase, who founded the jazz-rock band Chase in the 1970s 6/4, 55
• William Schwann, who created the bible of recorded music, the Schwann Catalog 6/7, 85
• Edward Eliscu, lyricist, who created "Without a Song" 6/18, 96
• Errol Parker, jazz pianist 7/2, 72
• Roy Rogers, singing cowboy actor 7/6, 86
• Jimmie Driftwood (composed Battle of New Orleans, Tennesse Stud) 7/12, 91
• Jazz guitarist Tal Farlow 7/25
• Country guitarist extraordinaire Eldon Shamblin, was a long-time member of Bob Wills and the Texas playboys and helped to create the Western Swing sound 8/5, 82
• Bobby McBay, drummer with Bob Wills 8/9, 60
• Benny Waters, jazzman 8/11, 96
• Rockabilly pioneer Charlie Feathers 8/29, 66
• Great New Orleans bluesman Johnny Adams 9/14, 66
• Jazz drummer and bandleader Barrett Deems 9/15, 83, who was leading a big band right up until shortly before his death, and recorded an album earlier this year
• Robert Wells, lyricist for "The Christmas Song" 9/23, 75
• Betty Carter, one of the most innovative jazz singers 9/26, 69
• Gene Autry, singing cowboy, actor 10/2, 91
• Frankie Yankovic, the Polka King 10/14, 83
• Albert Washington, bluesman 10/23, 59
• Jazz pianist Kenny Kirkland, who worked with people like Sting and was a regular on in the Tonight Show band with Branford Marsalis 11/13, 43
• J. D. Sumner gospel bass singer 11/16, 73
• Barbara Acklin, performer, songwriter for Chi-Lites 11/27, 56
• David "Butch" McDade, Amazing Rhythm Aces drummer 11/29, 56
• George Van Eps, 7-string jazz guitarist 11/29, 85
• Jazz bassist and composer Bob Haggart. He wrote the song What's New that Londa Ronstadt later made into a hit 12/2, 84

Here are some other musical figures whose date of passing I was not able immediately to obtain

• Floyd Cramer, country pianist
• Phil Medley, wrote "Twist and Shout"
• Charlie Foxx, composed "Mockingbird"
• Tommy McCook, was founder of the Skatalites
• Jimmy Rogers, blues guitarist
• West Nkosi, South African producer of Ladysmith Black Mabazo
• Sir Michael Tippett, classical composer, age 92

Comments to George:

• George Graham's 1998 Year-End Essay
• The 1998 Graham Awards

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