Obituary News

Les Paul's Innovations Paved the Way for Rock 'N' Roll

Source: Michael Ricci
August 14, 2009

The virtuoso picker influenced a generation of guitarists and had a series of hits in the '50s with wife Mary Ford. He invented an early solid-body electric guitar and pioneered new recording methods.

Les Paul was often called rock royalty, but for the people who knew the man before his death Thursday at age 94, that term often inspired a gentle chuckle.

Born in Wisconsin in 1915, Paul was a Midwestern jazz man who went on to make high-polish 1950s ...

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Rashied Ali, Jazz Drummer, Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
August 14, 2009

Rashied Ali, whose expressionistic, free-jazz drumming helped define the experimental style of John Coltranes final years, died Wednesday in Manhattan. He was 76. The cause of his death was a heart attack, his wife, Patricia Ali, said. Mr. Ali, who first encountered Coltrane in their Philadelphia neighborhood in the late 1950s, made the leap from admiration to participation in the mid-1960s, when he joined Elvin Jones as a second drummer with Coltranes ensemble at the Village Gate in November 1965 ...

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Les Paul

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
August 14, 2009

Les Paul, who affected the course of popular music in profound ways, died yesterday at the age of 94. Jazz devotees may remember the guitarist most fondly from the days in the 1930s when he collaborated with Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge and Art Tatum, or his involvement with Jazz At The Philharmonic and a memorable 1944 blues duet with Nat Cole. He went on to star on radio and television, invent equipment, come up with innovative recording techniques and zoom ...

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Rashied Ali

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
August 14, 2009

Rashied Ali, a drummer who applied his advanced technique to free jazz, died today in New York. He was 76. Born Robert Patterson, Ali became a disciple and close colleague of his fellow Philadelphian John Coltrane. He played on some of the most uninhibited recordings of Coltrane's final years, including the astonishing Interstellar Space, a series of free duets. I was on a selection committee for Grammy nominations in 1974, the year Impulse! Records released Interstellar Space. Pianist Billy Taylor, ...

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'Lit' Drummer Allen Shellenberger Dies of Brain Cancer

Source: All About Jazz
August 14, 2009

The drummer for the rock band 'Lit,' Allen Shellenberger, died on Thursday at age 39 of brain cancer.

Shellenberger was diagnosed in May 2008 with rare form of brain tumor, a malignant glioma. He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments at the Cedars-Sinai Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute in Los Angeles.

According to the group's publicist Ken Phillips, Shellenberger was a founding member of the group along with brothers Jeremy and A. Jay Popoff and bassist Kevin Baldes.

This year marks the ...

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Rashied Ali, an Iconic Musician, Has Left Time

Source: Michael Ricci
August 13, 2009

Rashied Ali, the great free jazz drummer, who is mainly known as a member of John Coltrane's last band, passed away yesterday, August 12, 2009 in New York City. In addition to Coltrane, Ali had worked with numerous musicians; Paul Bley, Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, John Zorn and several generations of younger musicians. Rashied Ali, who was also an avant-garde music activist in the 70s, owned a New York downtown jazz club, Ali's Alley, which is described in his last ...

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Rock Hall Issues Statement Regarding Les Paul's Death

Source: Just Roots PR
August 13, 2009

In response to the death of 1988 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Les Paul, the Rock Hall has issued the following two statements: “Without Les Paul, we would not have rock and roll as we know it,” said Terry Stewart, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. “His inventions created the infrastructure for the music and his playing style will ripple through generations. He was truly an architect of rock and roll.” ...

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Les Paul Passes Away at 94: 1915-2009

Source: All About Jazz
August 13, 2009

The World Has Lost a Remarkable Innovator and Musician New York, NY - August 13, 2009 - Les Paul, acclaimeimed guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away today from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plain, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He had been receiving the best available treatment through this final battle and in keeping with his persona, he showed incredible strength, tenacity and courage. The family would like to express their ...

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