Jakartass Home thoughts from abroad. Alien thoughts from home.

Obituaries 2008 Part 2

From my lists, it’s obvious that music has long been a feature of my life. Thankfully I do have recordings of most of those who’ve gone to the great gig in the sky. But why are so many of them drummers? And why are there three who played with Jimi Hendrix?

June
–2. Bo Diddley, 79, rock pioneer.

July
--6. Robert ‘Bobby’ Durham, jazz drummer.
21. Eric ‘Digger’ Dowling, 93, the ‘Forger’ of the Great Escape from Colditz.
25. Hiram Bullock, guitarist extraordinaire.

August
–3. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, 89, Russian literary giant and Nobel literature prize winner (1970).
–4. Robert Aime Maheu, 90, FBI agent, CIA and Howard Hughes’ fixer. There are several novels and movies to be produced about him.
14. Lita Roza, 82, British singer who dismissed her No. 1 novelty hit “How Much Is That Doggie In The Window? (And so did I.)
15. Gerald ‘Jerry’ Wexler, 91, record producer and music industry executive (Atlantic Records). Coined term ‘rhythm and blues’
16. Ronnie Drew, 73, lead singer Dubliners (Black Velvet Band, Wild Rover).
19. Leo Abse, 91, parliamentary backbench social reformer
31. Ken Campbell, 66, actor, writer and man of experimental theatre.

September
15. Richard Wright, 65, keyboard player, Pink Floyd
16. Norman Whitfield, 67, Motown songwriter, inc. Papa Was A Rolling Stone.
28. Paul Newman, 83, an actor of genius and a man of decency.

October
14. Ray Lowry, 64, artist.
17. Levi Stubbs, 72, Four Tops singer inc. Reach Out (I’ll Be There)
26. Anthony Grove Hillerman, 83, writer of thrillers about Native American mysticism and religion
31. Studs (Louis) Terkel, 96, broadcaster and oral historian

November –
–1. Yma Sumac (Zoila Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo), 86, iconic Peruvian singer.
–1. Jimmy Carl Black, 70, drummer and sometimes lead vocalist with Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart
–4. John Michael Crichton, 66, writer (Jurassic Park and many more) and film director (Westworld)
–6. Douglas Henry George Keen, 95, publisher – Ladybird Books.
11. John ‘Jack’ Scott , 85, meteorologist and BBC Weatherman
13. Mitch Mitchell, 61, original drummer Jimi Hendrix Experience and latterly in tribute band, Experience Jimi Hendrix.
16. Reginald Alfred Varney, 92, actor (On The Buses)
29. Jørn Utzon, 90, architect of Sydney Opera House – which he never saw completed.

December
–2. Odetta Holmes Felious, 77, folk singer, civil rights campaigner, and actor
11. Ali Alatas, 76, Indonesian Foreign Minister and presidential advisor on foreign affairs 1988-2008. One of the rare good guys.
15. Davey Graham, 68, seminal guitar virtuoso. (Rare video footage here.)
18. Mark Felt, 95, Watergate’s Deep Throat.
20. Adrian Mitchell, 76, pacifist poet.

Reg Varney and Jack Scott were key figures for we British TV viewing public in the 1970′s.

Pet Obituaries can be found here.

I kid you not.