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Banjo player and guitarist Buck Trent, a two-time CMA instrumental group of the year winner and a prominent member of the cast of the variety show Hee Haw, died on Monday (Oct. 9) at age 85.
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Trent was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Feb. 17, 1938, and moved to Nashville in 1959. In 1962, he joined Porter Wagoner’s Wagonmasters, performing with the group for approximately a decade.
Trent’s star rose through his work as a member of the cast of the variety show Hee Haw from 1974 to 1982. Those performances were regularly punctuated by Trent shouting what became his signature phrase, “Oh yeah!” In 2018, Trent was part of a “Kornfield Friends” reunion tour which also featured his fellow Hee Haw alums Jana Jae, Lulu Roman and Misty Rowe.
During his career, Trent also made appearances on The Marty Stuart Show and The Porter Wagoner Show, among others.
In 1975, Trent and fellow country music entertainer and banjoist Roy Clark earned a Billboard Top Country Albums hit with their collaborative project A Pair of Fives (Banjos, That Is), peaking at No. 9. Three other Trent titles impacted the tally: 1968’s Give Me Five (No. 40), 1976’s Bionic Banjo (No. 43) 1978’s Banjo Bandits with Clark (No. 45).
In 1975 and 1976, Trent and Clark won consecutive CMA Awards for instrumental group of the year. Also in 1976, Trent joined Clark and The Oak Ridge Boys for a concert tour behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union. Two years later, Trent and Clark released the project Banjo Bandits, which would earn a Grammy nomination for best country instrumental performance.
In addition to his own recordings, Trent contributed guitar and/or banjo on enduring recordings by Roy Acuff, Wagoner, Clark, Stuart and Dolly Parton, including Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” and “Jolene.” His contributions to music also proved innovative, as the creator of the electric banjo.
In the 1980s, after traveling to Branson, Trent began performing and would become a longtime performer in the town. In 2004, Trent also appeared as a Branson performer in the movie Gordy. Later, in 2012, Trent played on two songs for Marty Stuart’s album Nashville Volume 1: Tear the Woodpile Down.
Trent was previously named as one of this year’s American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame honorees; the celebration is slated for Oct. 12-14 in Oklahoma City.
Trent’s wife, Jean Trent, said in a statement, “It is with great sorrow and a broken heart to say my husband, my love, Buck Trent, went to be with Jesus this morning. I lost my best friend, and the world lost a Master Musician and Country Music Legend. Oh Yeah!”
Jim Halsey, longtime manager for Country Music Hall of Fame group The Oak Ridge Boys and the late Clark, described Trent as “one of my very favorite people in the world.” He added in a statement, “I worked with him for years as a partner with the Roy Clark Show. Buck Trent is one of the greatest banjo players ever. We will all miss him. Thank you, Buck Trent, for being in all our lives.”
Roman added in a statement, “Buck was like a brother to me after all of these years. We’ve shared tons of laughs and some tears along the way, but we never left each other’s side. We had a bond like no other. I’ll miss the man, but cherish the memories from our 50+ year friendship. My heart breaks for his precious wife, Jean, his family, friends, and fans. There will never be another like Buck Trent. Oh Yea!”
The Oak Ridge Boys member Joe Bonsall added, “We lost a dear long-time friend today in Buck Trent. Buck toured the Soviet Union with us and Roy Clark in 1976 and we have been close ever since. Buck was one of the greatest banjo players of all time and a very funny man. We will miss Buck!”
Ron Haffkine, a Grammy-winning record producer and manager known for his work with Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, has died. He was 84.Haffkine died Sunday at his home in Mexico after a brief bout with leukemia and kidney failure, his friend of 50 years, music executive Joel Diamond, told The Hollywood Reporter.“Ron always had an uncanny knack of hearing a hit song in its rawest stage and the rare talent to couple it with the best musicians and then top it off with a meticulous performance by the artist,” Diamond noted.Haffkine was instrumental in getting Dr. Hook signed by Clive Davis at Columbia Records in the 1970s, and the band led by Dennis Locorriere, George Cummings, the eyepatch-wearing Ray Sawyer and Billy Francis would compile a string of hits that included “Sylvia’s Mother,” “Cover of the Rolling Stone,” “Sharing the Night Together,” “When You’re in Love With a Beautiful Woman,” “Sexy Eyes,” “Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk” and “A Little Bit More.”Haffkine produced 10 Dr. Hook studio albums and two live albums and worked with the likes of Waylon Jennings, Lou Rawls, Mac Davis and Helen Reddy, too.Haffkine also often collaborated with singer, songwriter and poet Shel Silverstein. He won a Grammy Award in 1985 for producing Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and received another Grammy nom two years later for his work on another Silverstein children’s album, “A Light in the Attic.”Born in New York on Dec. 13, 1938, Haffkine contracted polio when he was 12, leaving him paralyzed for two years. Later, he and Silverstein became friends in Greenwich Village.Silverstein asked him to produce music he had written for the films Ned Kelly (1970), starring Mick Jagger, and Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971), starring Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Harris.Haffkine recommended that Dr. Hook be used in Harry Kellerman, but for that to happen, the New Jersey band had to have a record deal. After the musicians did an impromptu live showcase in Davis’ office and were signed, Dr. Hook performed the Silverstein-written songs “Bunky and Lucille” and “Last Morning” in the movie.Haffkine also produced Silverstein’s 1972 music comedy album Freakin’ at the Freakers’ Ball, with Dr. Hook handling the title track, and recorded the quirky Silverstein song “Do You Want to Boogie or Do You Don’t” that year as well.Haffkine and his wife of 37 years, Sydney, moved to Mexico several years ago. She survives him.
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This article originally appeared in THR.com.
Cradle of Filth’s bassist Jon Kennedy died after a car crash, frontman Dani Filth revealed on Facebook. He was 44 years old. “It is with much sadness that we hear about the untimely passing of our former bassist Jon Kennedy. He was a great bassist and singer who filled in for Cradle at a time of such […]
Kevin Fleming, founder/CEO/editor-in-chief/publisher of the premier Black music and entertainment blog/newsletter, The Urban Buzz, died last Thursday (Sept. 21) in Los Angeles after a valiant fight against pancreatic cancer. Fleming, whose multifaceted career included tenures as a radio programmer and consultant as well as senior-level label executive, was 65 years old.
In paying tribute to Fleming, Rick Nuhn — host of the nationally syndicated program Top 10 Now & Then and the family’s spokesman — tells Billboard, “It’s rare that a PD and air talent become 38-year friends, but that is what happened. I was on the air in Phoenix when a few friends from the record business recommended me to Kevin, who was the new PD at legendary KGFJ in Los Angeles. Long story short, I was hired in 1985 to be the morning man in market No. 2. The doors that opened and the opportunities that I was presented with enabled my career to go in many directions — all thanks to Kevin. Words will never be enough to say how much I and my extended family will miss having Kevin by our side.”
“Look up ‘good dude’ in the dictionary and there will be a picture of Kevin Fleming,” adds longtime friend Herb Trawick, president of Fab Entertainment. “Smart, musical, big heart, goofy and a proud dad; loved by all and for good reason. My guy always.”
A Minneapolis native, Fleming was born on March 28, 1958. Graduating from HBCU Clark Atlanta University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast management and communications in 1981, he initially worked at Atlanta radio stations WAOK & WIGO and Sumter, South Carolina’s WWDM. Fleming then landed his first major market gig as PD of L.A.’s aforementioned KGFJ in 1984.
Five years later, Fleming segued to the label side of the industry as vp of Black music at Island Records. Following a two-year tenure as vp/GM of Perspective Records, owned by legendary production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Fleming returned to his radio roots in 1993 as operations manager/PD of Los Angeles outlets KACE & KRTO. During his seven-year tenure there, he also began working as a radio consultant in the areas of programming and overall operations.
It was after serving as Gavin Magazine’s urban radio editor for two years that Fleming launched The Urban Buzz weekly information newsletter and website in 2002, which targeted urban radio, music and entertainment professionals. In addition to being hired to program Radio One’s flagship L.A. station KKBT in 2006 and overseeing its transition to urban adult brand KRBV, Fleming rounded out his radio career with his most recent stint as PD of Pacifica Radio’s KPFK in Los Angeles between 2018-2021.
Notes veteran music executive Ken Wilson, “The industry from radio to records has suffered a big loss. Kevin and I shared many fun as well as teaching moments. Rest well, my great friend!”
Fleming is survived by his wife Maria and son Dylan, parents Cynthia Tyner and Gerald Fleming, sisters Stephanie Fleming, Karen Matthews and Alycia Rivera and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. Donations can be made to Fleming’s GoFundMe account at https://gofund.me/e20783bc.
Terry Kirkman, the singer, songwriter, and co-founder of the Association, a band that, during its heyday in the 1960s, landed major hits with “Windy,” “Cherish” and more, died Saturday (Sept. 23) at his home in Montclair, CA. He was 83.
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“We’re saddened to report that Terry Kirkman passed away last night, RIP Terry,” reads a post on the Association’s official social channels. “He will live on in our hearts and in the music he so brilliantly wrote. Sending hugs and lots of love to Heidi and Sasha!”
Born in Salina, Kansas, Kirkman and his friend Jules Alexander relocated to Los Angles in the early ’60s, where the seeds for the Association were planted.
Early in his California journey, Kirkman played with Frank Zappa, before the late bandleader went on to form the Mothers of Invention.
Kirkman and Alexander were founders in the Men, which would disband, and from it the Association was formed in 1964. The folk-rock group peaked two years later with a string of recordings that also included “Along Comes Mary,” “Never My Love” and “Everything That Touches You.”
Known for their sharp sense of style and smooth harmonies, the Association opened the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, recognized as the first commercial American rock festival, with a bill including Jimi Hendrix and the Who, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, the Byrds, Canned Heat, and many more. They held their own among the legends of rock, onlookers noted at the time.
Kirkman wrote several hits for the Association, including “Cherish”, “Everything That Touches You”, and “Six Man Band,” and played a variety of wind, brass and percussion instruments on their recordings.
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Kirkman left the Association at the end of 1972, following the release of seven albums, led by their 1966 debut And Then… Along Comes the Association. He returned to the fold in 1979, splitting once more in 1984 – having had enough of relentless touring.
That earlier ‘80s reunion included recording sessions which followed an appearance on the HBO special Then and Now. The Association did release a couple of singles for Elektra around that time — including “Dreamer,” which hit No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981.
Over the years, the Association was nominated for six Grammy Awards, and earned a Golden Globe nomination in 1970 for best original song, with “Goodbye Columbus.”
Various incarnations of the band continue to perform, and their albums have achieved three platinum and six gold RIAA certifications, according to the Association’s official site, with its Greatest Hits (via Warner Brothers) now double platinum.
Kirkman dies 20 years following the Association’s induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, in 2003. Bandmate Russ Giguere told his side of the band’s story in 2020’s Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits.
The artist died of congestive heart failure following a long illness, his wife Heidi Berinstein Kirkman confirmed to the Los Angeles Times.
Roger Whittaker, folk singer and expert whistler known for tracks such as “Durham Town (The Leavin’),” “New World in the Morning” and his Billboard Hot 100 top 20 track “The Last Farewell,” has died at 87. The singer died on Wednesday, Sept. 13, according to a statement on his website.
“It is with great sadness that we share that our beloved Roger Whittaker passed away on the 13th. September 2023 he left us in peace in the presence of his family. During this difficult time we would like to thank everyone for their support and compassion,” the statement, also from Sony Music, read. “Roger was an iconic artist, a wonderful husband and father. He touched so many hearts with his music during his lifetime and will always live on in our memories. The family requests privacy as we go through this time of grief and we thank you for your understanding. Roger will be greatly missed, his legacy will forever live on in our hearts and in his art.”
Roger Henry Brough Whittaker was born March 22, 1936, in Nairobi. The singer was exposed to music through his family: his grandfather frequently sang in clubs, while his father played the violin. Whittaker’s earliest recordings were released while he was an undergrad at the University College of North Wales though the campus’ newspaper, which included his songs on flexi discs.
In 1969, Whittaker released “Durham Town (The Leavin’),” with the song eventually peaking at No. 23 Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, where he placed eight additional songs, including “New World in the Morning” (No. 12), “I Don’t Believe in If Anymore” (No. 10) and “The Last Farewell,” which became Whittaker’s most successful single, topping the AC chart. It was also his first and only track to reach the Hot 100, peaking at No. 19.
After becoming fluent in German, Whittaker catered to his fanbase and spent the 1970s and onward performing in the country, in addition to releasing 25 albums in German.
During his career, he also placed six albums on the all-genre Billboard 200, including The Last Farewell and Other Hits (No. 31) and When I Need You (No. 115).
According to his website, he and wife Natalie “settled into retirement” in France in 2012.
Irish Grinstead, a member of R&B girl group 702, has died. She was 43.
Grinstead’s sister and fellow 702 member, LeMisha Grinstead, shared the sad news through Instagram on Saturday (Sept. 16).
“It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that my beautiful sister and friend has passed away this evening,” the artist wrote. “She has had a long battle and she is finally at peace. That girl was as bright as the stars! She was not only beautiful on the outside, but also within. Sharing the stage with her was a joy I will cherish for the rest of my life! We, the family ask for prayers and respect for our privacy as we grieve an outstanding loss to our family.”
A cause of death was not provided, but 702 announced in December 2022 that Irish Grinstead was taking a “medical leave of absence due to serious medical issues.”
The Las Vegas trio, which also included member Kameelah Williams, released their debut album, No Doubt, in 1996. The set featured a guest appearance by Missy Elliott on first single “Steelo.” Three years later, the group’s smash “Where My Girls At?” (co-written by Elliott) peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 702’s eponymous sophomore set, also released in 1999, peaked at No. 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 34 on the Billboard 200.
702, named after the area code of their Las Vegas hometown, released their final album, Star, in 2003, and parted ways a few years later. The album featured production by the Neptunes and guest features by Clipse and Pharrell Williams.
Following the news of Grinstead’s death, Williams took to social media to share a heartwarming tribute.
“Devastated & heartbroken. I struggled with this post because to me this isn’t real,” she wrote on Instagram. “There’s a lot I want to say, but there’s no way to say what your heart hasn’t fully accepted. It’s hard to acknowledge this is even happening. I know you’re feeling better now and hugging your twin Orish which makes me smile cus I know how much you missed her. You & I have known each other since we were kids and we’ve laughed, cried, celebrated, and everything in between which is why I just don’t want to believe this.”
Elliott also remembered the singer in a touching post on X (formerly Twitter). “Irish May your beautiful soul Rest Peacefully in the arms of the Lord A Multitude of prayers for the entire Grinstead family,” she wrote.
Ed Wright, a trailblazing entertainment industry executive whose multi-faceted career encompassed radio programming, music promotion, artist management and private consulting for film and TV, died of natural causes in Cincinnati on Monday (Sept. 11). Wright, who also played a pivotal role in initiating June as Black Music Month, was 82 years old.
Calling Wright a “mentor, friend, colleague and client,” Grammy-winning producer Don Mizell tells Billboard, “Ed was a smooth, congenial visionary and efficacious navigator at the cutting edge of the momentous advances first instigated by the Black music industry during the ‘70s. His warm and gracious personality, diplomatic style and versatility served the emergent needs of Black music’s growth at a crucial time.” Mizell also noted that Wright engineered his being hired as the first Black executive at Elektra Records when he was appointed GM of the label’s jazz fusion/urban division before later ascending to its VP.
Wright was just 13 years old when he became a part-time announcer at WCIN in Cincinnati, where he was born in 1940. After going full-time at the station in 1958, he later became its news director and production manager. Wright also majored in communications at University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
Between 1962-66, Wright served as program director of Cleveland radio station WABQ, where he helped foster today’s modern urban radio format. Also during that period, he became the youngest president of the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers (NATRA), an organization representing Black broadcasters. In the latter half of the decade, Wright segued into the music industry as the head of Liberty Records’ Minit division, whose roster included the O’Jays and Bobby Womack. In addition to managing artist development, production, promotion and sales in coordination with the Liberty branch distribution system, Wright supervised marketing for the Blue Note jazz label.
Wright hung up his own shingle as president of the Edward Windsor Wright Corporation (EWW), focusing on promotion and public relations, from 1969-1976. In addition to Blue Note, the company’s clients included major and independent labels such as CBS Records, A&M, Warner Bros., Capitol, MCA, Stax, United Artists and Philadelphia International as well as ABC Circle Films (Barry Diller) and New World Pictures (Roger Corman). At one time, EWW’s management division boasted a roster ranging from Womack, the O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass and Herbie Hancock to Natalie Cole, Billy Paul and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Kenneth Gamble of legendary production duo Gamble & Huff, and co-founder of Philadelphia International, first met Wright at a NATRA convention. The pair would later co-found the Black Music Association, out of which arose the declaration of June as Black Music Month.
“Ed was a forward thinker,” Gamble tells Billboard. “There was lack of knowledge and comprehension about the economics of our industry. Ed, along with Clarence Avant, Jules Malamud, Glenda Gracia, Dyana Williams and artists like Earth, Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder among others, helped advance our culture. Ed was one of the primary leaders who created economic opportunities for Black professionals as well as the establishment of Black Music Month, now in its 44th year.”
Wright’s career resumé includes his establishment of GEI Communications, specializing in market research, consultation and public relations, and the artist management firm Global Entertainment, which launched in 1977. He was also co-owner/president of the Long Beach, Calif., FM station KNAC in the ‘80s and later managed artist Chico DeBarge and the reconstructed group DeBarge featuring Bobby DeBarge.
Former Mercury Records president Ed Eckstein was 19 years old in 1973 and “a green-behind-the-ears music journalist” for Soul magazine when his assigned beat put him in contact with Wright’s firm, EWW.
“Ed and his trusty lieutenant Bob Brock were head and shoulders above all PR firms specializing in representing contemporary R&B artists,” recalls Eckstein in an email to Billboard. “I reflect fondly on that period when I would get a call querying my interest in talking with a young, pre-Teddy Theodore Pendergrass Jr. of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes or in spending a day with the O’Jays’ Eddie Levert. And in spending the better part of an evening in the studio while Epic Records artist Minnie Riperton was finishing her career-defining Perfect Angel album with Stevie Wonder. Ed was a businessman of dignity, class and professionalism who ran a first-class operation and whose mentorship and tutelage fueled my career from its nascent stages through the ensuing decades. Rest well, Ed. You touched many lives with your gentle hand.”
Wright’s survivors include his sister, Bedria Sanders.
Charlie Robison, the Texas singer-songwriter whose rootsy anthems made the country charts until he was forced to retire after complications from a medical procedure left him unable to sing, died on Sunday. He was 59.
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Robison died at a hospital in San Antonio after suffering cardiac arrest and other complications, according to a family representative.
Robison launched his music career in the late 1980s, playing in local Austin bands like Two Hoots and a Holler before forming his own Millionaire Playboys. In 1996, he released his solo debut, Bandera, named for the Texas Hill Country town where his family has had a ranch for generations.
When he was approached by Sony in 1998, Robison signed with its Lucky Dog imprint, which was devoted to rawer country. His 2001 album Step Right Up, which peaked at No. 27 on the Top Country Albums chart, produced the top 40 country song “I Want You Bad.” The single reached No. 35 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
In 2018, Robison announced that he had permanently lost the ability to sing following a surgical procedure on his throat. “Therefore, with a very heavy heart I am officially retiring from the stage and studio,” he wrote on Facebook.
Robison served as a judge for one year on USA Network’s Nashville Star, a reality TV show in which contestants lived together while competing for a country music recording contract.
He is survived by his wife, Kristen Robison, and four children and stepchildren. He had three children with his first wife, Emily Strayer, a founding member of the superstar country band The Chicks. They divorced in 2008.
Memorial services are pending.
Elliot Goldman, the veteran record executive who co-founded Arista Records, led BMG Music as president and CEO, and served in senior roles with Warner and CBS Records across a decorated career in music, has died at the age of 88.
Goldman joined CBS Records in the 1960s, rising to administrative vice president. Later, with Clive Davis, he established Arista Records, serving as executive VP and general manager at the very inception of the storied label.
“Clive and I formed Arista Records in 1973,” he recounted in an interview with Billboard published in 2015. “One of our first releases was from a gentleman you’ve probably heard of: Barry Manilow.”
Later, Goldman took on duties as senior VP at Warner Communications, and, in 1985, was named president and chief executive of RCA/Ariola International. When BMG parent Bertelsmann acquired RCA outright from the General Electric Company, the German media giant restructured the asset into three operating units; BMG Music, BMG Music International and Arista, all part of BMG. Goldman would guide BMG Music as president and CEO, departing in 1987.
”Elliot expertly managed RCA/ Ariola through very difficult corporate transitions and company restructuring,” Michael Dornemann, co-chairman of the Bertelsmann Music Group, remarked on his departure, The New York Times reported.
A graduate of Cornell, where he majored in political science, and of Columbia Law School, Goldman served on the board of directors of the RIAA, and on the board of directors and executive committee of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Foundation at its inception.
During his lifetime, he also served on the executive council of the T.J. Martell Foundation; was co-chairman of the Home Entertainment Division of UJA/Federation; founding member and president emeritus of the Music for Youth foundation; and a recipient of the AMC Cancer Research Center’s Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Goldman leveraged his considerable major label experience into consultancy work with a string independent and major record company clients throughout the 1990s.
Before entering the music industry, Goldman enjoyed various roles in government, including the position as head of the New York office for the 1964 election campaign of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Arista and J Records founder Clive Davis leads tributes to the late executive.
“Elliot Goldman played a substantial role in the history of Arista Records and strongly contributed to its success,” comments Davis in a statement. “He was also a great family man and Jill, Ben and the Goldman children have my deepest sympathy for this irreplaceable loss.”
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Jill, his son Ben (Allysa Lawson Goldman), daughters Elizabeth and Cathy and his four grandchildren, Justin Goldman, Dylan Goldman, Sophie Gibbons and Olivia Gibbons.Ben and Justin have both carved out successful careers in music.