The Passing of Music Icons - 2016 - A tribute to those who passed | Eastern North Carolina Now

    I remember the group Emerson, Lake and Palmer, but could not remember any songs from the group. After searching I came across the song that was probably their most famous. Lucky Man. Keith was a very innovative Keyboardist and probably responsible for advancing the Moog modular synthesizer into rock music in as something other than background filler.

    "Emerson died on 10 March 2016 in Santa Monica, California, of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. His body was found at his Santa Monica home. It was later reported that Emerson had "'recently' been suffering from depression and a degenerative nerve issue that hampered his keyboard playing capabilities" (Keith Emerson

   

    "Maurice White, the founder of Earth, Wind & Fire, the band known for hits like "Shining Star and "Boogie Wonderland," died in his sleep overnight. He was 74. White suffered from Parkinson's Disease and had retreated from the public even as the band he founded kept performing.

    White founded the horn-driven band in the late 1960s. "The group went on to sell more than 90 million albums worldwide, displaying a flashy and eclectic musical style that incorporated his influences from growing up in Memphis, Tennessee," The Associated Press reports.

    To me Earth Wind and Fire was the Black Equivalent to Chicago. I will be so glad when it is not necessary to preface the group with the racial makeup but in this case, it may be permitted, because he was a part of the Old Chess studios when Negro Music was referred to as "Race Music".

    "Maurice White was born in Memphis on December 19th, 1941, the son of a doctor and grandson of a New Orleans honky-tonk pianist. He moved to Chicago with his family and sang gospel from a young age. He attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music in the mid Sixties and served as a session drummer at Chess Records, where he cut records with Muddy Waters, the Impressions and Billy Stewart. In the late Sixties, he played in the Ramsay Lewis Trio, where he learned kalimba, the African thumb piano which would become a big part of Earth, Wind and Fire's sound". From the Rolling Stone

    This may be one of their most enduring songs but unfortunately, Maurice has stop performing with the group in the 1990's. But if you stick around to the end of the Video you will see the heartfelt acknowledgement at one his last public appearances from the audience.

   

    The Eagles were part of the 1970's and on music scene and some would say the best all-around pop group ever. There were two main talents in the group throughout: Glenn Frye and Don Henley. The rest of the group came and went over the years and talent was always abundantly on display through every incarnation of the group. Glenn passed today at 67 with a combination of complications from rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia.

    Glenn was probably the official group leader and if you don't have a good understanding on who the Eagles were you can search for the documentary History of the Eagles

    I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite but the "Take it Easy" would have to rank high since 1972 was a very good year for old Bobby Tony. This may not be the best rendition but it shows the band in 1977 while they were still young and getting along.

   

    I was never a Bowie fan; I guess it was the makeup and my 1950s bias. I do not think I knew who he was until he sang Little Drummer Boy with Bing Crosby. After I heard of his passing, I did some research on some of his songs and I found one that I enjoyed. Released in 1972 Changes had a unique chorus. I enjoyed the melody but never really even tried to listen to the lyrics until now. I looked them up and I must admit they captured the time and self-reflection of the early 1970's. I guess I need to work more on my biases and being too quick to stereotype based on what shade of make up a guy wears.