Music Obituaries: April 2016

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The hits just keep on coming to the music world. We've now lost five Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acts and two Country Music Hall of Fame singers. Wow. A friend said, "Ten out of ten people will die," but it seems like they're all leaving this year! Here are the music folks who left us in the month of April 2016: Carlo Mastrangelo (died April 4, unknown cause, age 77): and the only thing that keeps it from being six Rock and Roll Hall of Famers with this man's death is the fact that Dion was inducted as a solo act instead of "Dion and the Belmonts." Mastrangelo was the bass player for Dion & the Belmonts, the early rock group, and became their lead singer with Dion left for a solo career. Dorothy Schwartz (died April 4, natural causes, age 89): a member of the all-girl vocal group the Chordettes, best-known for songs "Lollipop" and "Mister Sandman." Dennis Davis (died April 6, cancer, age unknown): prolific drummer who worked with David Bowie in the 70s as well as Stevie Wonder. Merle Haggard (died April 6, pneumonia, 79th birthday): the "Poet of the Common Man" who championed the blue-collar life in his songs, earning him a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame and the hearts of countless fans. Leon Haywood (died April 6, unknown cause, age 74): R&B singer who went from playing piano for Sam Cooke in the late 1950s to a star on his own, with his biggest hit being "I Wanna Do Something Freaky to You." Jimmy Van Zant (died April 7, cancer, age 59): Jacksonville, Florida-based musician who was the cousin of Ronnie (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Donnie (.38 Special), and Johnny Van Zant but never achieved the varying level of success as his cousins. Jim Ridley (died April 8, cardiac arrest, age 50): the editor of the popular Nashville music paper Nashville Scene. Melinda Rose Woodward Jones (died April 10, cancer, age 75): a singer on her own, she left her career and became the wife of Welsh pop legend Tom Jones, married to the superstar for 48 years. Jack Hammer (real name: Earl Burroughs) (died April 11, natural causes, age 90): a songwriter who gave the world two great tunes: Wanda Jackson's smoking classic "Fujiyama Mama" and some song called "Great Balls of Fire." Robbie Brennan (died April 12, long illness, age unknown): Irish drummer who worked with Thin Lizzy members Phil Lynott and Gary Moore (separately), as well as the band Skid Row. David Gest (died April 12, unknown cause, age 62): the former husband of Liza Minelli was also a TV producer, most famously producing the Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary special, which is the highest-rated music special in US TV history. Gib Guilbeau (died April 12, unknown cause, age 78): Cajun/country fiddler who worked with a variety of country-rock acts including Gram Parsons, Linda Ronstadt, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Pete Zorn (died April 19, cancer, age 65): a member of the not-well-known-in-the-US band Steeleye Span (probably because people confused their name with Steely Dan) as well as a member of Richard Thompson's touring band. Lonnie Mack (died April 21, natural causes, age 74): one of the most legendary and influential blues-rock guitarists of the rock era. Prince (died April 21, prescription drug overdose, age 57): Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who put the funk in rock and the rock in funk, starring in three movies and creating a large part of the soundtrack of the 1980s. Billy Paul (died April 24, pancreatic cancer, age 81): R&B singer whose best-known song was the adultery soul classic "Me and Mrs. Jones." Philip Kives (died April 27, illness, age 87): the founder of the compilation record label K-Tel. Farewell, and thank you for the music. "Mister Sandman" by the Chordettes: