Music Obituaries: June 2024
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (65390)
United States
July 18, 2024 8:32pm CST
Wow, has July been brutal for music obituaries. It seems that it began in late June, as you’ll notice in this list of musicians and music-related individuals who passed away last month. Every month I post these to assure that these people, whether superstars or barely-known, get their final round of applause.
Here are the music people who sang their final song in June 2024:
*Mark James (June 8, unknown cause, age 83): NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS and SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAMER. Some songwriters give us one timeless classic. He gave us two: “Always on My Mind” and “Suspicious Minds.” Other songs he wrote included “Sunday Sunrise,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” and “Moody Blue.”
Françoise Hardy (June 11, laryngeal cancer, age 80): French singer/songwriter whose 1965 song “All Over the World” was a hit throughout Europe and covered by the likes of the Seekers.
Johnny Canales (June 12, unknown cause, age 81): Tejano singer and Mexican TV host who gave Selena her first exposure on his show.
Angela Bofill (June 13, long illness, age 70): R&B singer with a string of hits in the 70s and 80s including “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” and “Too Tough.”
Jeremy Tepper (June 14, heart attack, age 60): SiriusXM executive and driving force behind the successful “Outlaw Country” cruises.
Buzz Cason (June 16, unknown cause, age 84): singer and songwriter whose best-known song was “Everlasting Love,” a major hit for Robert Knight in 1967 and covered several times. He also owned a publishing company and was credited with discovering Jimmy Buffett.
James Chance (June 18, gastrointestinal disease, age 71): saxophonist, singer, and songwriter who blended punk and jazz for an interesting combination in his band James Chance and the Contortions, with their best-known song being ‘I Can’t Stand Myself.”
Terri Kathey (June 20, natural causes, age 71): Nashville-based blues-gospel singer/songwriter.
Joe Scaife (June 24, unknown cause, age 68): record producer whose list of mega hits include production for “Achy Breaky Heart” and “Redneck Woman.” He was also an Opry sound engineer, percussionist, and background vocalist.
*Jewel Brown (June 25, colon cancer, age 86): BLUES HALL OF FAMER. Jazz and blues singer who worked with the likes of Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie.
Gary Grant (June 26, cause of death and age unknown): prolific session trumpet player, considered by many to be one of the best in the world, who played with acts as diverse as Michael Jackson, Elton John, Woody Herman, and Frank Sinatra.
Kinky Friedman (June 27, Parkinson’s disease, age 79): legendary Texas humorist, philosopher, singer, songwriter, and politician.
Martin Mull (June 28, unknown cause, age 80): although best-known as a comedic actor on shows like Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, he was also a guitarist, singer, and songwriter with a string of musical comedy albums.
Kong Nay (June 28, unknown cause, age 80): included for his fascinating history. A Cambodian chapei dang veng (a type of lute) musician, he survived the Khmer Rouge attack on culture in the 70s to become one of the most respected musicians in Cambodia.
Farewell, and thank you for the music.
Here is “Suspicious Minds,” written by and originally recorded by the late Mark James:
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7 responses
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@FourWalls (65390)
• United States
20 Jul
@LindaOHio — Saturday night was magic: those two, along with Carol Burnett and M*A*S*H.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (65390)
• United States
19 Jul
July has been awful. You can see where it started, about the 24th of June. It hasn’t let up. As Greg mentioned, Bob Newhart will be included next month for his “album of the year” Grammy in 1961.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (170715)
• United States
20 Jul
@FourWalls We used to watch The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show every week.
2 people like this
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@marguicha (219877)
• Chile
19 Jul
May them rest in peace. They gave us their music. Thank you. And they lived long lives.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (65390)
• United States
19 Jul
Yes, it’s horrible to see some band of 20-something kids all killed in a car crash. Not that I won’t miss Martin Mull, but there’s 50 years of a career to look back on.
2 people like this
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@FourWalls (65390)
• United States
19 Jul
Yeah, he was a good singer as well as a great songwriter.
2 people like this
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@RasmaSandra (77609)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
19 Jul
Let them have a happy jam session up above,
2 people like this
@FourWalls (65390)
• United States
20 Jul
This is a prelude to the long list for July. ![](/Content/images/emotes/cry.gif)
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2 people like this
@FourWalls (65390)
• United States
19 Jul
Wide diversity, too. Mark James wrote some great songs, and you can tell Elvis didn’t stray too far from Mark’s original of “Suspicious Minds.”
2 people like this
@dgobucks226 (34957)
•
3 Aug
I remember Kinky Friedman being on the IMUS radio show when he was running for Governor of Texas. Quite a humorist!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (65390)
• United States
3 Aug
The guy who gave us “A-hole From El Paso”!!
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (42308)
• Wapello, Iowa
19 Jul
It is refreshing to see the youngest on the list was 60 (Jeremy Tepper ).
Too often, there are ones in their 30s or 40s.
Will Bob Newhart make next month's list? He didn't sing or play any instrument but he did win three Grammy Awards.
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (42308)
• Wapello, Iowa
19 Jul
@FourWalls That's what I wanted to hear. I have already bet on him.
#$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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