R.I.P. 2019

It's become something of a tradition for this blog to bid farewell to the musicians who have departed during the last year. Compiling the list is always a full of  unpleasant surprises for me, as I get to discover that some of my favorite artists have died without it being reported widely in the media. Others (Dr. John, Scott Walker, Ginger Baker etc) made justified headlines. No matter what, they all served. Let's take some time to read their names and bid them a mental farewell.

Thanks for the music, 

[30 Dec 2019] Neil Innes (Monty Pythons/Rutles/Bonzo Dog singer/songwriter), 75
[29 Dec 2019] Norma Tanega (American musician, singer), 80, cancer
[28 Dec 2019] Thanos Mikroutsikos (Greek entekhno composer), 72, cancer
[26 Dec 2019] Sleepy LaBeef (American rockabilly singer), 84

[24 Dec 2019] Kelly Fraser (Canadian Inuktitut pop singer and songwriter), 26

[24 Dec 2019] Dave Riley (American bassist Big Black), 59, throat cancer

[13 Dec 2019] Roy Loney (singer and guitarist for Flamin' Groovies), 73

[12 Dec 2019] Jack Scott (Canadian-American rock singer and songwriter), 83

[09 Dec 2019] Marie Fredriksson (Swedish singer-songwriter for Roxette), 61

[08 Dec 2019] Juice Wrld (American rapper), 21, ceizure complications

[04 Dec 2019] Rosa Morena (Spanish flamenco pop singer), 78, cancer

[02 Dec 2019] Andrew "Greedy" Smith (Mental As Anything), 63, heart attack

[01 Dec 2019] Stuart Fraser (Australian musician for Blackfeather), 57, lung cancer

[25 Nov 2019] Iain Sutherland (The Sutherland Brothers), 71

[24 Nov 2019] Goo Hara (South Korean singer for Kara), 28, suicide

[20 Nov 2019] Doug Lubahn (American rock bassist for Clear Light, The Doors), 71

[19 Nov 2019] José Mário Branco (Portuguese singer-songwriter), 77

[16 Nov 2019] Éric Morena (French singer), 68

[08 Nov 2019] Jackie Moore (American singer), 73

[07 Nov 2019] Ivan Maksimović (Serbian rock guitarist for Metro, The No Smoking Orchestra), 57

[05 Nov 2019] Wake Self (American rapper), 30, traffic collision

[04 Nov 2019] Timi Hansen (Danish bassist for Mercyful Fate, King Diamond), 61, cancer

[03 Nov 2019] Wake Self (American hip-hop artist), 30, traffic collision

[02 Nov 2019] Marie Laforêt aka Maïtena Douménach (French-Swiss singer and actress), 80

[02 Nov 2019] Bart Walsh (American guitarist for David Lee Roth), 56, gastrointestinal bleeding

[26 Oct 2019] Paul Barrere (American rock singer and guitarist for Little Feat), 71, liver cancer

[14 Oct 2019] Steve Cash (singer & harmonica player for The Ozark Mountain Daredevils), 73

[12 Oct 2019] George Chambers (American bassist and singer for The Chambers Brothers), 88

[08 Oct 2019] Molly Duncan (Scottish saxophonist for Average White Band), 74, cancer

[06 Oct 2019] Ginger Baker (English Hall of Fame drummer for Cream), 80

[06 Oct 2019] Larry Junstrom (American bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd), 70

[02 Oct 2019] Barrie Masters (English singer for Eddie and the Hot Rods), 63

[02 Oct 2019] Kim Shattuck (American singer/guitarist for The Muffs, Pandoras), 56, lateral sclerosis

[01 Oct 2019] Karel Gott (Czech singer), 80, acute myeloid leukemia

[24 Sep 2019] Karlos Bareham (UK drummer for Venom), accident

[23 Sep 2019] Robert Hunter (American poet, musician, and lyricist for Grateful Dead), 78

[19 Sep 2019] Larry Wallis (English musician for Pink Fairies, Motörhead), 70

[18 Sep 2019] Tony Mills (English rock singer for Shy, TNT), 57, pancreatic cancer

[16 Sep 2019] Mick Schauer (American rock keyboardist for Clutch)

[15 Sep 2019] Ric Ocasek (American musician for The Cars), 75, cardiovascular disease

[15 Sep 2019] Roberto Leal (Portuguese-Brazilian singer), 67, skin cancer

[13 Sep 2019] Eddie Money (American musician), 70, complications from heart surgery

[11 Sep 2019] Daniel Johnston (American singer-songwriter), 58, heart attack
[9 Sep 2019] Lavrentis Mahairitsas (Greek singer-songwriter with PLJ, Termites & solo), 63
[[26 Aug 2019] Neal Casal (American musician for Ryan Adams), 50, suicide

[19 Aug 2019] Larry Taylor (American bass guitarist for Canned Heat), 77

[07 Aug 2019] David Berman (Silver Jews/Purple Mountains), 52, suicide

[07 Aug 2019] Danny Doyle (Irish folk singer), 79

[07 Aug 2019] Nicky Wonder (American guitarist for Wondermints, Brian Wilson), 59

[05 Aug 2019] Lizzie Grey (American guitarist for glam metal band London), 60

[03 Aug 2019] Damien Lovelock (Australian musician for The Celibate Rifles), 65, cancer

[01 Aug 2019] Ian Gibbons (English keyboardist for The Kinks), 67, bladder cancer

[22 Jul 2019] Art Neville (American singer/keyboardist for The Neville Brothers), 81

[16 Jul 2019] Pat Kelly (Jamaican rocksteady and reggae singer), 70, kidney disease

[12 Jul 2019] Dick Richards (American drummer for Bill Haley & His Comets), 95

[12 Jul 2019] Russell Smith (American singer-songwriter for Amazing Rhythm Aces), 70, cancer

[06 Jul 2019] João Gilberto (Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist, pioneer of bossa nova), 88

[06 Jul 2019] Yannis Spathas (Greek guitarist for Socrates Drank the Conium), 68

[23 Jun 2019] Dave Bartholomew (American Hall of Fame musician), 100, heart failure

[29 Jun 2019] Gary Duncan (American rock guitarist for Quicksilver Messenger Service), 72, seizure

[22 Jun 2019] Jerry Carrigan (American rock drummer for Elvis Presley), 75

[19 Jun 2019] Philippe Zdar (French electronic musician for Cassius), 50, fall

[08 Jun 2019] Andre Matos (Brazilian singer for Viper), 47, heart attack

[06 Jun 2019] Dr. John (American Hall of Fame singer-songwriter), 77, heart attack

[31 May 2019] Roky Erickson (American singer-songwriter for The 13th Floor Elevators), 71

[31 May 2019] Paddy Fahey (Irish composer and fiddler), 102

[30 May 2019] Leon Redbone (Cypriot-American singer-songwriter and actor), 69, dementia

[29 May 2019] Tony Glover (American blues harmonicist for Koerner, Ray & Glover), 79

[29 May 2019] Jeff Walls (American guitarist for Guadalcanal Diary), pulmonary disease

[28 May 2019] Willie Ford (American soul singer for The Dramatics), 68

[21 May 2019] Jake Black (Scottish musician for Alabama 3), 59

[15 May 2019] Chuck Barksdale (American singer for The Dells), 84

[14 May 2019] Mike Wilhelm (American musician for The Charlatans (60s band)), 77, cancer

[13 May 2019] Doris Day (American actress and singer), 97, pneumonia

[04 May 2019] J. R. Cobb (American musician for Atlanta Rhythm Section), 75, heart attack

[30 Apr 2019] Phil Grande (American guitarist for Stevie Ray Vaughn, Blue Oyster Cult), 61

[30 Apr 2019] Boon Gould (English musician for Level 42), 64

[26 Apr 2019] Phil McCormack (American singer for Molly Hatchet), 58

[24 Apr 2019] Dick Rivers (French rock and roll singer for Les Chats Sauvages), 74, cancer

[22 Apr 2019] Dave Samuels (American percussionist for Spyro Gyra), 70

[15 Apr 2019] Joe Terry (American rock and roll singer for Danny & the Juniors), 78

[12 Apr 2019] Johnny Hutchinson (English rock and roll drummer for The Big Three), 78

[12 Apr 2019] Michiel Eikenaar (Black metal vocalist for for Dodecahedron), 42, cancer

[26 Mar 2019] Ranking Roger (British singer for The Beat), 56, cancer

[22 Mar 2019] Scott Walker (American-born British singer-songwriter for The Walker Brothers), 76

[17 Mar 2019] Bernie Tormé (Irish guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, Gillan), 66, pneumonia

[17 Mar 2019] Yuya Uchida (Japanese singer for Flower Travellin' Band), 79, pneumonia

[17 Mar 2019] David White (American singer-songwriter for Danny & the Juniors), 79

[17 Mar 2019] Andre Williams (American R&B musician), 82, colon cancer

[17 Mar 2019] Dick Dale (American guitarist and surf music pioneer), 81

[11 Mar 2019] Hal Blaine (American Hall of Fame drummer for The Wrecking Crew), 90

[08 Mar 2019] Eddie Taylor Jr. (American blues singer and guitarist), 46, heart failure

[06 Mar 2019] Mike Grose (British, first bassist for Queen)

[04 Mar 2019] Keith Flint (English singer for The Prodigy), 49, suicide

[01 Mar 2019] Stephan Ellis (American rock bassist for Survivor), 69

[01 Mar 2019] Paul Williams (English singer for Juicy Lucy), 78

[27 Feb 2019] Doug Sandom (first drummer for The Who), 89

[26 Feb 2019] Andy Anderson (English rock drummer for The Cure), 68, cancer

[25 Feb 2019] Mark Hollis (English musician, singer and songwriter for Talk Talk), 64

[24 Feb 2019] Mac Wiseman (American bluegrass musician for Foggy Mountain Boys), 93

[21 Feb 2019] Gus Backus (American doo-wop for The Del-Vikings and schlager singer), 81

[21 Feb 2019] Peter Tork (American actor, singer, and musician for The Monkees), 77

[20 Feb 2019] Gerard Koerts (Dutch musician for Earth and Fire), 71

[15 Feb 2019] Kofi Burbridge (American rock multi-instrumentalist for Tedeschi Trucks Band), 57

[13 Feb 2019] Willy Lambregt (Belgian rock musician for The Scabs), 59, cancer

[02 Feb 2019] Bill Sims (American blues musician), 69

[01 Feb 2019] Alex Brown (American painter and punk rock musician for Gorilla Biscuits), 52

[29 Jan 2019] James Ingram (American R&B singer-songwriter), 66, brain cancer

[28 Jan 2019] Paul Whaley (drummer for The Oxford Circle & Blue Cheer), 72

[26 Jan 2019] Ingo Bischof (German musician for Kraan), 68

[26 Jan 2019] Michel Legrand (French composer, conductor and jazz pianist), 86

[19 Jan 2019] Ted McKenna (Scottish drummer for The Sensational Alex Harvey Band), 68

[16 Jan 2019] Lorna Doom (American punk rock bassist for Germs), 60

[05 Jan 2019] Eric Haydock (British bassist for The Hollies), 75

[02 Jan 2019] Daryl Dragon, aka The Captain (American musician for Captain & Tennille), 76

[01 Jan 2019] Kris Kelmi (Russian singer-songwriter for Autograph), 63

[01 Jan 2019] Pegi Young (American singer-songwriter), 66, cancer