deaths
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Wayne Kramer, the co-founder of the protopunk Detroit band the MC5 that thrashed out such hardcore anthems as “Kick Out the Jams” and influenced everyone from The Clash to Rage Against the Machine, has died at age 75.
Kramer died Friday (Feb. 2) at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, according to Jason Heath, a close friend and executive director of Kramer’s nonprofit Jail Guitar Doors. Heath said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer.
From the late 1960s to early 1970s, no band was closer to the revolutionary spirit of the time than the MC5, which featured Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith on guitars, Rob Tyner on vocals, Michael Davis on bass and Dennis “Machine Gun” Thompson on drums. Managed for a time by White Panther co-founder John Sinclair, they were known for their raw, uncompromising music, which they envisioned as the soundtrack for the uprising to come.
“Brother Wayne Kramer was the best man I’ve ever known,” Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello wrote via Instagram on Friday. “He possessed a one of a kind mixture of deep wisdom & profound compassion, beautiful empathy and tenacious conviction. His band the MC5 basically invented punk rock music.”
The band had little commercial success and its core lineup did not last beyond the early 1970s, but its legacy endured, both for its sound and for its fusing of music to political action. Kramer, who had a long history of legal battles and substance abuse, would tell his story in the 2018 memoir The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5, and My Life of Impossibilities.
Thompson is now the band’s only surviving member.
Kramer and Smith had known each other since their teens and played with various other musicians around Detroit before the core lineup was in place, in the mid-1960s. At Tyner’s suggestions, they called themselves the MC5, short for Motor City Five, and emulated The Rolling Stones, the Who, and other hard rock bands of the era.
By 1968, they had built a substantial local following and were influenced by Marxism, the White Panthers, the Beats and other social-political movements. The MC5 was more radical politically than most of its peers, and otherwise louder and more daring. They were virtually the only band to perform during the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention, in Chicago, where police were beating up anti-war protesters.
“Kick Out the Jams” was their most famous song, peaking at No. 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and marking their only appearance on the chart, and opened with an unprintable call to arms: “Kick out the jams mother—-er!” A live album of the same name peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 in 1969, their highest-charting release. They also released the studio albums Back in the USA and High Time before breaking up at the end of 1972.
Kramer would lead various incarnations of the MC5 over the following decades, and perform with Was (Not Was) among other groups. But for a time he sank into the life of what he called “a small-time Detroit criminal.” He was arrested on drug charges in 1975 and sentenced to four years in prison. Jail Guitar Doors is named for a Clash song that refers to his struggles: “Let me tell you ’bout Wayne and his deals of cocaine.”
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Saadi, and son, Francis.
Groundbreaking Los Angeles-based disc jockey Jim Ladd, whom Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers immortalized in their 2002 song “The Last DJ,” died suddenly Sunday of a heart attack. He was 75.
A Los Angeles fixture, Ladd worked up and down the Los Angeles radio dial, including stints at KNAC, KMET and KLOS. He was considered the last freeform DJ in the country, allowed to pick his own song selections.
After leaving KLOS in 2011, he was quickly picked up by SiriusXM’s Deep Tracks channel, where he appeared until his death. Over the decades, he was well known for his interviews with such artists as John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Stevie Nicks and Led Zeppelin.
The Doors drummer John Densmore paid tribute to Ladd on social media, posting on X, “’The Last DJ’ has crossed the tracks. There wasn’t a more soulful spinner of music. The songs he played were running through his blood, he cared so much for rock n’ roll. Irreplaceable… a very sad day, which can only be handled by carrying his spirit forward.”
Densmore’s Doors bandmate Robby Krieger also posted, “Rest in peace, Jim Ladd. He was the best friend in radio The Doors ever had. Even when people forgot about us in the late ‘70s, he kept playing our music.“
Ladd started his career at Long Beach, Calif.’s KNAC in 1969 as FM radio was burgeoning and quickly established himself as one of Southern California’s leading rock voices. In an undated interview with Michael Simone, he said of his mentors and being at the forefront of FM radio, “We were inventing this thing as we were going along, so what I would say in radio [for role models], it is pretty much everybody that I’ve worked with that I’ve learned from or borrowed from. … As far as role models in my life, Martin Luther King would be one, and certainly when I was growing up, John Lennon and Jim Morrison were two others who had a great influence on me, as well as [Roger] Waters.”
Waters and Ladd had a long friendship, with Ladd playing a rebel DJ on Waters’ 1987 Radio K.A.O.S. album and touring with Waters on the Radio K.A.O.S. On the Road outing.
From KNAC, Ladd moved to KLOS in 1971 and then had stops at Los Angeles stations KMET, KMPC and KLSX before returning to KLOS in 1997, where he stayed for 14 years. As Billboard reported in 2011, when he was let go from KLOS after Cumulus bought the station, he signed off with Pink Floyd’s “Shine On Your Crazy Diamond.”
Ladd inspired “The Last DJ” song, which Petty told journalist Jim DeRogatis was “about a DJ who becomes so frustrated with his inability to play what he wants that he moves to Mexico and gets his freedom back.”
Flowers will be placed on Ladd’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. He received his star in 2005. “His legendary voice and unparalleled contribution to the world of radio have left an indelible mark on the industry,” Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremonies, stated in a statement. “Jim’s passion for music and his unique ability to connect with his listeners will always be remembered fondly.”
SiriusXM is airing tributes to Ladd, who is survived by wife Helene, on Deep Tracks as well as other classic rock channels.
Brazilian gospel singer Pedro Henrique died at age 30 after collapsing onstage during a performance Wednesday night. His record label, Todah Music, released a statement Thursday morning (Dec. 14) confirming the news. The cause of death is not yet known. “There are very difficult situations in life for which we have no explanation,” the label […]
Nigerian rapper Oladips has died at 28, his management team confirmed in a statement shared to Instagram on Wednesday (Nov. 15). A cause of death for the rapper was not revealed publicly. “We are saddened to inform the general public that Oladipupo Olabode Oladimeji aka OLADIPS has passed away on Nov. 14 Tuesday evening at […]
Aaron Spears, who worked as a drummer for Usher, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and countless other music stars, has died at age 47, his family announced Monday (Oct. 30).
The drummer was nominated for a Grammy for his work on Usher’s 2004 album Confessions and had just turned 47 last week.
“It is with a heavy heart and overwhelming sadness that I share the news of the passing of my beloved husband, Aaron Spears,” Spears’ wife, Jessica, said in an Instagram post. “Aaron was not only an incredibly accomplished drummer, admired by many for his unparalleled talent and passion for music, but he was also a devoted father to our precious son, August. His love, guidance, and warmth were the pillars of our family, and his absence leaves a void that words cannot describe. We were blessed to have him in our lives, and his legacy will live on through the beautiful rhythms he created and the love he shared with us. We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Please remember Aaron for the incredible person he was and the amazing music he brought into our world. At this time we ask for privacy as we work our way through this.”
The many artists who worked with Spears shared an outpouring of condolences to social media.
Along with a photo of Spears, Grande shared this message to her IG Story: “I can’t wrap my head around this. We were all so incredibly lucky to know Aaron. The absolute brightest light of a human being. Always the kindest, always smiling. I am so honored and thankful that our paths crossed and to have spent so much very special time together. Thank you for your utter brilliance, for our laughs, and for your kindness always. I will miss your hugs. You are so, so loved and will be so very missed.”
“It’s been a painful season for all of us,” Justin Bieber wrote in an Instagram post, adding in his Story: “We lost a beautiful man and inspiration to all of us drummers. @aspears prayers for your family and loved ones you will be remembered and celebrated.”
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker commented on Jessica’s post, “I have no words. I love you so much my brother and will miss you. This doesn’t seem real. Praying for you Jessica and August.”
The Roots’ Questlove shared a video of Spears drumming along with a heartfelt message about his fellow drummer on Instagram. “The world lost a legend today. Husband, father, producers music director, leader drumgod & just a Cotdamn BEAST in Aaron Spears. You’ve seen Aaron drum prolly 5-10 times in your life if you attend concerts & sometimes without knowing. That’s how much in demand his services were. … Condolences to his wife, family, community and all who loved him and were given joy through his musical contributions. This is devastating … rest in melody brother.”
See Jessica’s announcement below:
Mylon LeFevre, the founding member of Mylon and Broken Heart whose 1987 album Crack the Sky earned him a Grammy award for best gospel performance by a duo, group, choir or chorus, died at 78 on Friday, Sept. 8 from complications with cancer, his wife Christi LeFevre revealed in a statement posted to Facebook.
“My precious, strong and courageous husband laid hold of eternal life last night. When we discussed heaven through the years, Mylon was most excited about receiving the soul winner’s crown. With his contemporary Christian rock band, Mylon and Broken Heart, he had the privilege of leading over 250,000 youth to Jesus,” she wrote. “He cherished all the years of music ministry and the countless lives touched through his songs but his greatest joy was teaching the Word of God, especially through our broadcast, On the Road to Freedom.”
“My love, you are finally enjoying in this moment what you affectionately referred to as ‘the first day of forever.’ It has been my highest honor and privilege for God to trust me with you these past 25 years.All my love, Christi,” she concluded her post.
LeFevre was born into the southern gospel family group The LeFevres, and started singing and performing with them from an early age. The late musician’s solo singing career formally kicked off at age 17, when he wrote his first song “Without Him.” After singing the track at the National Quartet Convention in Memphis, Tenn. while in the army, LeFevre was noticed by Elvis Presley, who was impressed enough by the track that he later recorded it for his 1967 album, How Great Thou Art. LeFevre released his debut solo album, New Found Joy in 1964, and followed it up with Your Only Tomorrow in 1968.
In the the 1970’s and ’80s, LeFevre recorded and performed with stars like The Who, Elton John, Geroge Harrison, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Berry Oakley, Little Richard and Billy Joel. In 1981, LeFevre formed Mylon and Broken Heart after stepping back from secular music; the band recorded 10 of Lefevre’s 22 albums, and in 1988 received the rock album of the year GMA Dove Award for Crack the Sky. LeFevre was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame in 2005.
Read the post LeFevre’s wife wrote announcing his death below:
Gary Young, the original drummer of ’90s indie rockers Pavement, has died at age 70. “Gary Young passed on today,” Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus posted Thursday (Aug. 17) on X (formerly Twitter). “Gary’s pavement drums were ‘one take and hit record’…. Nailed it so well. rip.” Matador Records, which released Pavement’s beloved 1992 debut album […]
Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of suicide.
Kellie Pickler is breaking her silence after the death of her husband Kyle Jacobs. On Thursday (Aug. 17), the singer-songwriter shared a statement with People about how she has been coping since he died by suicide at age 49 in late February.
“One of the most beautiful lessons my husband taught me was in a moment of a crisis, if you don’t know what to do, ‘Do nothing, just be still,’” she said in a statement to the outlet. “I have chosen to heed his advice.”
The “Didn’t Know How Much I Loved You” singer took a moment in her message to extend a thank you to friends, family and fans “for the countless letters, calls, and messages that you have sent my way.” She continued, “it has truly touched my soul and it’s helping me get through the darkest time in my life. As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers.”
The country singer revealed that she’s holding a memorial in Jacobs’ honor in the coming months. “I am planning an intimate memorial for my husband, which will happen later this fall, that is what Kyle would have wanted,” she wrote before concluding her message with “Love & Blessings, Kellie.”
Jacobs’ cause of death was reported as a self-inflicted gunshot wound in February; the Davidson County Medical Examiner confirmed that Jacobs died by suicide, while toxicology results revealed he did not have any drugs in his system at the time of his death. Jacobs’ toxicology report additionally shed light on his history of “pseudoseizures, gastrointestinal bleeding, elevated liver enzymes, and chronic alcohol use.”
Pickler and Jacobs married on Jan. 1, 2011. They starred on the reality show I Love Kellie Pickler for three seasons. Jacobs was also a star in his own right, penning country songs for Trace Adkins, Clay Walker, Garth Brooks and more.
If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 988.
After news of the death of legendary music executive Jerry Moss on Wednesday (Aug. 16), many of the artists he worked with over the decades shared remembrances and tributes.
Moss worked closest with Herb Alpert, with whom he co-founded A&M Records in 1962 as an independent music company. The label was behind classic albums such as Alpert’s Whipped Cream & Other Delights, Carole King’s Tapestry and Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive!, among many others. Alpert shared this simple statement with Billboard on Wednesday: “I never met a nicer, honest, sensitive, smart and talented man then my partner Jerry Moss.”
Frampton shared his reaction to the news on X (formerly Twitter), writing in part, “Jerry was a true gentleman and if it weren’t for him, so many lives might have turned out very differently.”
Below, find tributes from Amy Grant, Quincy Jones, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (which inducted Moss and Alpert in 2006) and more.
Amy Grant: “My first awareness of A&M Records was seeing the iconic logo on the inside of a Carole King record. A&M Records was known by all to be the “artist label” and it was a dream come true when they signed me. In getting to know Jerry Moss over the years, I was amazed by the breadth of his interests. Whether it was music, horse racing or trekking thru Africa, excellence defined everything in which he invested his talents and passions. Jerry – I will remember you.”
Herb Alpert: “I never met a nicer, honest, sensitive, smart and talented man then my partner Jerry Moss.”
Peter Frampton: “I am so sorry to hear Jerry Moss has left us. Jerry was a true gentleman and if it weren’t for him, so many lives might have turned out very differently. He loved great music and went out of his way to make a place where artists could find themselves and create with his lovely encouragement and patience. I love you, Jerry, and my thoughts are with wife Tina and the entire family. Rest now my dear friend.”
(2/2) He loved great music and went out of his way to make a place where artists could find themselves and create with his lovely encouragement and patience. I love you, Jerry, and my thoughts are with wife Tina and the entire family. Rest now my dear friend. pic.twitter.com/zZKXX4Kzfy— Peter Frampton (@peterframpton) August 16, 2023
Quincy Jones: “Jerry Moss was the consummate music man, [whose] love of all genres of the art-form was unabashed. That was why when I decided to get off the soundstage and back into the recording studio in 1969, I knew there was only one record label for me to go to that would give me the creative freedom that I was seeking, and that record label was A&M with Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. In my almost 70 years in the music business, I can say without a doubt that my time at A&M was one of the most artistically and professionally fulfilling times of my life and I attribute that in large part to the environment that Jerry created on that hallowed ground that was A&M Records. His spirit will live on forever through the great records that he helped bring to the world.”
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: “In Memoriam: 2006 Inductee Jerry Moss founded A&M Records in 1962 with partner Herb Alpert and led it to become the most successful independent record company in history. The company’s legendary culture focused on the artist first and became a home for many innovators to thrive, including fellow Inductees Janet Jackson, Quincy Jones, Cat Stevens, Carole King, The Go-Go’s, and the Police.”
The Music Center: “The Music Center mourns the loss of Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records, who passed away on Tuesday. Jerry was an incredible inspiration for artists and had a keen ability to help them explore and hone their craft. His remarkable talent and his partnership with Herb Alpert led to the creation of one of the record industry’s most successful labels. The Music Center is very grateful for the longstanding support of Tina and Jerry Moss and honored to name our expansive plaza as Jerry Moss Plaza in 2020. Jerry was dedicated to giving back to the community by supporting arts experiences that resonate in the hearts and minds of all Angelenos and meaningfully impact their lives. His artistic influence and business savvy, along with the opportunities he provided for numerous extraordinarily talented artists, changed the course of music forever. That was his gift to us all. We offer our heartfelt sympathies to Tina and the entire Moss family.”
I’m so very sad to see that Record Executive Jerry Moss has died…Jerry was very kind to me when I had a record deal with ALMO SOUNDS which was the label he had with Herb Alpert after A&M Records. After I was dropped from the label, Jerry still gave me $ to make another album! pic.twitter.com/iTSYILdIvn— Victor DeLorenzo (@VicDeLorenzo) August 16, 2023
Flowers will be placed on the star of music executive and Walk of Famer Jerry Moss tomorrow, August 17th at 11:30 a.m. The star is located at 6933 Hollywood Blvd. pic.twitter.com/gjLnDsmKCs— Ana Martinez (@wofstargirl) August 16, 2023
Jerry Moss, a music industry giant who co-founded A&M Records with Herb Alpert and rose from a Los Angeles garage to the heights of success with hits by Alpert, The Police, the Carpenters and hundreds of other performers, has died at age 88.
Moss, inducted with Alpert into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, died Wednesday (Aug. 16) at his home in Bel Air, California, according to a statement released by his family.
“They truly don’t make them like him anymore and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun,” the statement reads in part, “the twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure.”
For more than 25 years, Alpert and Moss presided over one of the industry’s most successful independent labels, releasing such blockbuster albums as Albert’s Whipped Cream & Other Delights, Carole King’s Tapestry and Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive! They were home to the Carpenters and Cat Stevens,Janet Jackson and Soundgarden,Joe Cocker and Suzanne Vega, the Go-Gos and Sheryl Crow.
Among the label’s singles: Alpert’s “A Taste of Honey,” the Captain and Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together,” Frampton’s “Show Me the Way” and “Every Breath You Take” by The Police.
“Every once in a while a record would come through us and Herbie would look at me and say, ‘What did we do to deserve this, that this amazing thing is going to come out on our label?’” Moss told Artist House Music, an archive and resource center, in 2007.
His music connections also led to a lucrative horse racing business that he owned with his first wife, Ann Holbrook. In 1962, record manufacturer Nate Duroff lent Alpert and Moss $35,000 so they could print 350,000 copies of Alpert’s instrumental “The Lonely Bull,” the label’s first major hit. A decade later, Duroff convinced Moss to invest in horses.
The Mosses’ Giacomo, named for the son of A&M artist Sting, won the Kentucky Derby in 2005. Zenyatta, in honor of the Police album “Zenyatta Mondatta,” was runner-up for Horse of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and won the following year. A hit single by Sting gave Moss the name for another profitable horse, Set Them Free.
Moss’ survivors include his second wife, Tina Morse, and three children.
Born in New York City and an English major at Brooklyn College, Moss had wanted to work in show business since waiting tables in his 20s and noticing that the entertainment industry patrons seemed to be having so much fun. After a six-month Army stint, he found work as a promoter for Coed Records and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he met and befriended Alpert, a trumpeter, songwriter and entrepreneur.
With an investment of $100 each, they formed Carnival Records and had a local hit with “Tell It to the Birds,” an Alpert ballad released under the name of his son, Dore Alpert. After learning that another company was called Carnival, Alpert and Moss used the initials of their last names and renamed their business A&M, working out an office in Alpert’s garage and designing the distinctive logo with the trumpet across the bottom.
“We had a desk, piano, piano stool, a couch, coffee table and two phone lines. And that for the two of us worked out very well, because we could go over the songs on the piano and make phone calls to the distributors,” Moss later told Billboard. “We also had an answering service at the time. I’d do all my own billing.”
For several years they specialized in “easy listening” acts such as Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Brazilian artist Sergio Mendes and the folk-rock trio the Sandpipers. After attending the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, rock’s first major festival, Moss began adding rock performers, including Cocker, Procol Harum and Free.
One of their biggest triumphs was Frampton Comes Alive! a live double album from 1976 that sold more than 6 million copies in its first year and transformed Frampton from mid-level performer to superstar.
“Peter was a huge live star in markets like Detroit and San Francisco, so we made a suggestion that he make a live record,” Moss told Rolling Stone in 2002. “What he was doing onstage wasn’t like the records — it was outrageously better. I remember being at the mix of Frampton Comes Alive! at Electric Lady studios, and I was so blown away I asked to make it a double album.”
A&M continued to expand their catalog through the 1970s and ’80s, taking on The Police, Squeeze, Joe Jackson and other British New Wave artists, R&B musicians Janet Jackson and Barry White and country rockers 38 Special and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.
By the late ’80s, Alpert and Moss were operating out of a Hollywood lot where Charlie Chaplin once made movies, but they struggled to keep up with ever-higher recording contracts and sold A&M to Polygram for an estimated $500 million. They remained at the label, but clashed with Polygram’s management and left in 1993, one of their last signings a singer-musician from Kennett, Missouri: Sheryl Crow. (Alpert and Moss later sued Polygram for violating their contract’s integrity clause and reached a $200 million settlement.)
For a few years, Alpert and Moss ran Almo Records, where performers included Garbage, Imogen Heap and Gillian Welch.
“We wanted people to be happy,” Moss told The New York Times in 2010. “You can’t force people to do a certain kind of music. They make their best music when they are doing what they want to do, not what we want them to do.”