Musician Tribute

Vincent Crane (1943-1989) Vincent Rodney Cheesman was born on May 21st, 1943 in Reading, Berkshire, England. As a teenager he taught himself boogie woogie piano and also started playing a Hammond Organ. While touring with the Crazy World of Arthur Brown in the United States he suffered a nervous breakdown and returned back home fore care. This group disbanded in 1969 and Crane then formed Atomic Rooster with Carl Palmer. He struggled with Bipolar disorder from about 1968 on and would periodically take part in inpatient and outpatient mental health facilities. He has also collaborated with numerous other musicians throughout his career.  Accomplishments: By 1968, the debut album, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Produced by The Who's manager Kit Lambert, and executive-produced by Pete Townshend on Track Records, the label begun by Lambert and Chris Stamp, it spun off an equally surprising hit single, "Fire", and co...

Hillel Slovak (1962-1988) Hillel Slovak was born April 13th, 1962 in Haifa, Israel and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1967 at the age of 5. He is best known for being the original guitarist and founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He met his future band mates while they were all in high school in Los Angeles, California and played various shows around the city. During his time as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers he developed an addiction to heroin. He attempted to quit many times, but always ended up relapsing.  Accomplishments: Slovak recorded two albums with the band, Freaky Styley (1985) and The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987). His guitar work was primarily rooted in funk and hard rock, although he often experimented with other genres including reggae and speed metal. He is considered to have been a major influence on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' early sound. When Kiedis and Flea were searching for a new guitarist to replace Slovak, ...

Cliff Burton (1962-1986) Clifford Lee Burton was born February 10th, 1962 in Castro Valley, California. He is best known as being the bass guitarist in the American band Metallica. Cliff has was the youngest of three kids and studied piano as a child. His interest in music began when his father introduced him to classical music as a child. He was active in Metallica from December of 1982 until his death. He performed on Metallica’s first 3 studio albums Kill ‘em all, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets.  Accomplishments: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Metallica on April 4th, 2009; His father accepted on his behalf. 2018: Almeda County, California board of Supervisors issued a proclamation to declare February 10th, 2018 as “Cliff Burton Day”, this would have been his 56th birthday. Charities:  Father donates Cliff’s Metallica royalties to his old high school, Castro Valley High School because he believes it’s what Cliff would h...

Ricky Wilson  (1953-1985)f Ricky Helton Wilson was born on March 19th, 1953 in Athens, Georgia. He was best known as the original guitarist and founding member of the B-52’s. Ricky, his sister, and a few of their friends founded the group in 1976. The bands unusual sound is credited to Ricky’s unusual guitar tunings amongst other things. He played on a custom guitar with the two middle strings removed for a unique open tuning.  Ricky also worked with Tom Verlaine and appeared in many movies.  Accomplishments: The B-52's evoked a "thrift shop aesthetic", in the words of Bernard Gendron, by drawing from 1950s and 1960s pop sources, trash culture, and rock and roll. Schneider, Pierson, and Wilson sometimes use call and response style vocals, and their guitar and keyboard-driven instrumentation composes their trademark sound. The band has had many hits, including "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", "Private Idaho", "Legal Tender...

Dennis Wilson (1944-1983) Dennis Wilson was born December 4th, 1944. He was a musician, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys. He was the drummer in band. Dennis was what most would consider the only true surfer in the band and his life celebrated the “California myth” lifestyle. He was also briefly associated with Charles Manson, and was involved in many scary scenarios involving Charles and the Manson Family. In 1983 Dennis was banned from performing with the band and told that the only way he could rejoin them would be if he admitted himself into a 24 hour detoxification program. From November to December of 1983 Wilson was homeless and lived a very nomadic lifestyle; constantly moving and checking in and out of various hospitals and rehabs for help with wounds and addiction.  Wilson served mainly on drums and backing vocals for the Beach Boys, and contrary to popular belief, his playing can be heard on many of the group's hits. He originally had few...

Bobby Sheehan (1968-1990) Robert Vaughan Sheehan was born on June 12th, 1968 in Summit, New Jersey. Bobby was a musician and songwriter best known as a founding member and bassist of the band Blues Traveler; which he co-founded in 1987. He attended the Berklee College of Music.  Accomplishments: Blues Traveler released their self-titled debut album in 1990, with the song "But Anyway" getting airplay on college radio stations. The album included Joan Osborne on backing vocals on two tracks. A second album, Travelers and Thieves, followed in 1991. Upon Bill Graham's death that year, they released a live EP, On Tour Forever, as a tribute to Graham, which featured guitarist Carlos Santana. The group was becoming well known in the new wave of jam bands that was developing in the early 1990s. Around this time, the mainstream national audience was exposed to Blues Traveler by television host David Letterman, who has introduced them as "[his] favorite b...

Randy Rhoads (1956-1982) Randy Rhoads was an American Heavy Metal guitarist who played with Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne. Randy was born December 6th, 1956 in Santa Monica, California. He began taking Folk and Classical guitar lessons at the Age of 7 at his mother’s music school. His band Quiet Riot quickly became a popular act in the Los Angeles club circuit and were signed to CBS/Sony Records in late 1976. In 1979 he began working with Ozzy Osbourne. However, prior to Randy’s death he had decided that he no longer wanted to be working with Osbourne. Accomplishments: Voted “Best New Talent” by the readers of Guitar Player Magazine in December 1981. Voted “Best Heavy Metal Guitarist” by the readers of the UK-based Sounds Magazine in December 1981. Placed 36th on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists. Named 26 in Guitar World’s 50 Fastest Guitarists list. “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley” placed 9th and 28th respectively on Guitar World’s 100 Greatest Gu...

Michael Hutchence (1960-1997) Michael Hutchence was born January 22nd, 1960 and was best known as an Australian musician and actor who was a founding member, lead singer and lyricist of the band INXS. He was in many films which include Dogs in Space and Frankenstein Unbound. He was active in INXS only during the year 1997. In 1996 Paula Yates gave birth to Hutchence’s only daughter.  Accomplishments: INXS have been cited as an influence by several acts, such as Maroon 5 and Savage Garden. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), INXS has sold over 30 million units in the United States alone, making them the third-highest selling Australian music act in the United States behind AC/DC and The Bee Gees. INXS has sold over 60 million records worldwide. INXS has been nominated for numerous music awards, including ARIA Awards, Grammy Awards, and MTV Awards. INXS has won seven Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. The band...

Notorious B.I.G .(1972-1997) Christopher George Latore Wallace was born on May 21 st , 1972 in Brooklyn, New York. Christopher was more commonly known as Notorious B.I.G. He was involved in the East Coast’s hip-hop scene and was majorly involved in the growing hip-hop feud between the East and West coasts. Wallace married Faith Evans in 1994, they had a son in 1996 and he has a daughter from a previous relationship who was born in 1993. Accomplishments: Won 2 Billboard Music Awards in 19995 for rap artist of the year and one for rap single of the year for the song, “One More Chance”. Won a Soul Train Music Award in 1997 for Best R &/Soul Album, male for the album Life after Death. Won an MTV Video Music Award in 1997 for Best  Rap video for the song “Hypnotize”. Won 4 The Source Awards in 1995 for New Artist of the year, solo;Lyricist of the Year; Live performer of the year, and Album of the Year for the album Ready to Die. Charity: The Christoph...

Kyle Pavone (1990-2018) Kyle was the vocalist in the Michigan metalcore band We Came as Romans. Pavone joined We Came as Romans in 2008 as vocalist and keyboardist. Together, the band recorded five albums, most recently 2017’s Cold Like War. Their 2013 LP Tracing Back Roots peaked at Number Eight on the Billboard 200. Accomplishments: On August 26, 2013, the band's video for "A War Inside" directed by Cole Dabney won the 2013 Music Video Directors Association's Award for "Best Live Performance/Tour Video". Charity: Kyle Pavone Foundation

Karl Mueller (1963-2005) Karl was an American rock musician. He was the bass guitarist and a founding member of the Minneapolis alternative rock band Soul Asylum.  Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, best known for the Grammy-winning 1993 hit "Runaway Train". Accomplishments: Soul Asylum contributed music to three Kevin Smith films, Clerks, Clerks II, and 1997's Chasing Amy (in which Pirner provided the score). Smith directed the music video for the song "Can't Even Tell," which was featured on the Clerks soundtrack. After playing a series of acoustic shows in the early 1990s, they were picked up by Columbia Records. In 1992 they released Grave Dancers Union, which became their most popular album. On January 20, 1993, the group performed at the first inauguration of United States President Bill Clinton. Later that year, the band performed "Sexual Healing" for the AIDS benefit al...

Bryan Ottoson (1978-2005) Heavy Metal Musician. Guitarist for the band American Head Charge. American Head Charge is an industrial metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States.  Accomplishments: The band has earned two nominations at the Kerrang! Awards. Guitarist Wayne Kile departed from the industrial outfit in early April 2002, paving the way for former Black Flood Diesel guitarist Bryan Ottoson. Just 24 hours after getting the offer to join the band, Ottoson flew to Los Angeles and marked his inclusion to the band participating in the filming of the music video "Just So You Know". The Feeding was released on February 15, 2005. The Feeding spawned one radio single "Loyalty". They also recorded a music video for the song "Cowards", featuring former UFC fighter Chuck Lidell.

Rust Epique (1968-2004) Charles Lopez better known by his stage name Rust Epique, was an American guitarist and painter, who performed with the bands Crazy Town and pre)Thing. In 1999, Rust Epique joined Crazy Town, a rap metal band from Los Angeles. Despite his success with Crazy Town, Epique quit the band as a result of various disagreements with his bandmates. In 2003, V2 Records signed Epique to work with a band called Pre)Thing. They released their debut album, 22nd Century Lifestyle, in 2004. Accomplishments:  After cutting some demos Rust signed with V2 Records in 2002. He then reassembled and re-formed an ensemble called Rustandthesuperheroes. Soon after, they began playing clubs in the Los Angeles area. Due to a trademark conflict with Hanna-Barbara, the band couldn't use a moniker with the phrase "Superheroes" in it, so they used a name that Rust had created years earlier in Modesto. "pre)Thing". At the Dragonfly in January 2003, they...