Musician Tribute

Andy Anderson (1951–2019) Clifford Leon Anderson , known professionally as Andy Anderson, was an English drummer, best known for his work with The Cure and Steve Hillage. Anderson worked on Xitintoday, a studio album released by former Hawkwind member Nik Turner's project Sphynx in 1978, which was produced by Steve Hillage. He then joined Hillage's band and appeared on his two 1979 albums, Live Herald and Open. After a few years as a session musician, he had a brief stint in Hawkwind in 1983, but did not record with them. His tenure in that band was cut short when he played with the Glove on their first and only album Blue Sunshine. This led to him joining the Cure later that year, when original drummer Lol Tolhurst moved to keyboards. Anderson recorded on the albums Japanese Whispers, The Top, and Concert in addition to the singles "Love Cats" and "The Caterpillar". He is credited on recordings by many other bands and artists, includ...

Keith Flint (1969-2019) Keith Charles Flint was an English singer, dancer and motorcycle racer. He was a founding member of the electronic dance act the Prodigy. Starting out as a dancer, he became the frontman of the group and performed on the group's two UK number one singles, "Firestarter" and "Breathe" both released in 1996. He was also the lead singer of his own band, Flint. He owned a motorcycle racing team, Team Traction Control, which won three Isle of Man TT races in 2015 and competed in the British Supersport Championship. Flint was born in Redbridge, London, to Clive and Yvonne Flint, on 17 September 1969. Clive Flint was the son of a German Jewish immigrant and worked as an engineering consultant. Keith Flint was initially raised in East London but in the mid-1970s his parents moved out to a quiet suburban cul-de-sac in Springfield, Essex. His childhood was described as unhappy and he feuded with his parents, who parted when he was yo...

Janice Freeman (1985-2019) The neo-soul artist from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Janice Freeman is the voice the nations have yet to hear. The soulfulness and round sounds of her vocal range are memorable, as is proven with her current trek on the 13th season of The Voice. Janice initially moved from Pennsylvania to L.A. in 1999, where she studied music and computer information systems. While studying, she traveled internationally with the singing group M.I.G., and finished Top 6 in the U.S. for the Sunday Best show. In 2013, Janice made a full-time commitment to do what she felt she was put on the planet to do – change people’s lives with her story and her song. As a singer and songwriter, Janice has been accepted into the globally renowned songwriters’ association, SESAC. Her new single “You” was released on Feb. 6, 2017, and a number of her songs are currently online at Apple iTunes and SoundCloud. Achievements: Janice Freeman was a contestant on The Voice Season ...

John Holohan (1973-2005) John Holohan, better known as John Beatz, was drummer in Long Island, New York based punk band Bayside. Born March 15, 1973. Achievements: Bayside was formed by Anthony Raneri and Mike Kozak in October 2000[2] in Queens, New York City. The band got its name when on their way to a New Found Glory show on Long Island, with the intention of giving New Found Glory a demo CD, and they were trying to think of a name to write on the CD. They passed the Bayside train station, and decided to write "Bayside" on the CD simply as a name for New Found Glory, but the name became permanent.[3] The group self-released a 5-song demo and signed to Dying Wish Records to issue their first release, Long Stories Short EP in 2001. In 2003 the band released a split EP with Name Taken, entitled Bayside/Name Taken, with Dying Wish Records. Later in 2003, Bayside signed to Victory Records, where the band resided for the next six years. Bayside's debut full...

Gidget Gein (1969-2008) Bradley Mark "Brad" Stewart, known by his stage name Gidget Gein, was an American musician and artist. He was the second bassist and co-founder of the alternative metal band Marilyn Manson. His stage name references and dichotomies serial killer Ed Gein and the fictional 1960s surfer girl Gidget. Gein was born and raised in Hollywood, Florida. His mother was a Roman Catholic schoolteacher and his father was a police officer. His parents divorced when he was the age of 3 and his mother remarried a few years later to a carny and a birthday clown who became Gein's step father. "He was like Krusty the Clown," describes Gein. "And he was a rampant alcoholic, so after these birthday parties, he would hang out with the parents and drink. Then he'd come home, reeking and smoking cigars in his clown makeup, drunk off his ass, busting shit, being nasty. That was a weekly occurrence." As a child he attended Catholic...

Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan (1981-2009) James Owen Sullivan, professionally known by his stage name The Rev (shortened version of The Reverend Tholomew Plague), was an American musician, best known as the drummer, songwriter, backing vocalist and founding member of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The Rev was widely regarded and critically acclaimed for his work on Avenged Sevenfold albums, and contributed entire songs composed by himself, such as "Afterlife", "A Little Piece of Heaven", and "Almost Easy". He was also the lead vocalist/pianist in Pinkly Smooth, a side project where he was known by the name Rathead, with fellow Avenged Sevenfold member, guitarist Synyster Gates (Brian Elwin Haner Jr.), and he was the drummer for Suburban Legends from 1998 to 1999. Sullivan was born in Huntington Beach, California, on February 9, 1981, of Irish descent. He received his first pair of drumsticks at the age of five and his o...

Casey Calvert (1981 -2007) Casey was born October 20, 1981. He played rhythm and lead guitar, unclean backing vocals for Hawthorne Heights. His light brown mop of perpetually messy hair had grown out, falling thick down to the nape of his neck and just above his eyebrows, shading two tired, deeply set blue eyes. He also sported a dusting of facial hair, confirming any suspicion that grooming was not a top priority for this guy. Looking like an average, nondescript teenager for the first 19 years of his life, Calvert’s appearance had changed since Hawthorne Heights formed six years ago. Today, his arms, chest and feet had become a canvas for various tattoo artists, featuring depictions of Dr. Seuss characters, Jack the Pumpkin King and Kidrobot. A hoop piercing distinguished the noticeably pudgy nose that occasionally held up Calvert’s pair of black, rectangular rimmed glasses, and two large, gauged earrings had created small, gaping holes in his earlobes. A final facial...

Avicii (1989-2018) Tim Bergling was born on September 8th, 1989 in Stockholm, Sweden to Klas Bergling and Anki Liden. At the age of 16 he began making music due to being inspired by his brother who was also a DJ. In 2007, Bergling went on to sign a contract with Dejfitts Plays Label. He chose the name Avicii because his real name was taken on Myspace. (Avicii means the lowest level of Buddhist Hell.) In 2010, his hit song “Seek Bromance” reached the top 20 in many countries. Tim mentions his influences as Daft Punk, Swedish House Music, and Eric Prydz. In 2016, due to deteriorating health he decided to retire from performing live. Achievements:  -2013: AMA - Favorite Electronic Dance Music Artist -2013: Best Artist (solo) - International Dance Music Awards -2013: Best Swedish Act - MTV Europe Music Awards -2013: Best Electronic - MTV Europe Music Awards -2014: Billboard Music Award - Top Dance/Electronic Song for “Wake Me Up” -2014: Electronic Dance Musi...

Mikey Herrera (1982-2015) Mike “Mikey” Herrera was born in 1982. He was the lead singer of many bands over the years, such as One Dying Wish, the Blackout Pact, Sleeper Horse and Tin Horn Prayer. He is most known as the frontman in The Blackout Pact. they were signed to Eyeball Records an imprint of Astro Magnetics. They released a full-length album in 2005 called Hello, Sailor. Later, Mike would go onto form Tin Horn Prayer and they would release an album called Grapple the Rails in 2012. Achievements: In October 2004, Geoff Rickly signed The Blackout Pact to the indie label Astro Magnetics. Rickly also produced their first CD Hello Sailor. They went on to tour with such bands as Fight Paris, Drowningman, The Lawrence Arms, The Fall of Troy, Folly, The Draft, Rise Against, The Number 12 Looks Like You, Yellowcard, Heavy Heavy Low Low, Silverstein, Mae and more. In 2005 they released a video to the song "We Drink So You Don't Have to." Former frontman ...

Stephen Gately (1976-2009) Stephen Patrick David Gately was born on October 10th, 1976 in Dublin, Ireland born to Martin and Margaret and was one of four kids. In 1993, Gately joined Boyzone. The band became popular and had much success in Ireland. Then, in 2000 Gately decided to embark on a solo career which was quite successful. He also appeared in films and plays, some include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Chitty Chitty Bang, Bang, Cinderella, and The Wizard of Oz amongst many others. Later, in 2008 Boyzone reformed and Gately had revealed to the public that he identified as homosexual after someone threatened to sell details to media. In 2006, he and his partner entered into a civil partnership. Achievements: -1999: BRIT Award for best International Group -1999: BRIT Award for Best International Single -1999: MTV Europe Music Award for Best Album by Request -1999: MTV Europe Music Award for Best UK and Ireland Act -1998: BRIT Award for Best...

Chris Cornell (1964-2017) Christopher John Boyle was born on July 20th, 1964 in Seattle, Washington to Edward Boyle and Karen Cornell. Cornell had two older brothers and three younger sisters. After his parents divorced he and his five siblings took on their mother’s maiden name, Cornell. As a child he took piano and guitar lessons, his mother had also bought him a snare drum. In his early to late teens Cornell had spiraled into depression and self medicated with drugs and alcohol until he found music. In the 1980’s he was a member of the coverband The Shemps who performed all around Seattle. In 1984 Cornell founded the band Soundgarden which he originally performed the drums and sang for, but would later be able to fully commit to singing after they found a full-time drummer. Later, he would be invited to join the band Audioslave which was formed by Zack De La Rocha in 2001. In 2007 Cornell announced his departure from Audioslave. Achievements: 2018: Life size bronze...

Lemmy Kilmister (1945-2015) Ian Fraser Kilmister was born on December 24th, 1945 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. His parents would later separate and Lemmy would go on to live with his mother and grandfather. His mother had remarried when he was 10 and he did not get along with step siblings. His family eventually moved to Bellenech, Anglesey, where he attended Sir Thomas Jones’ School in Amlwch, which is where he received the nickname Lemmy. During high school was when he began showing interest in music, primarily rock and roll. Upon leaving school he played guitar in locals bands and worked many odd jobs. Between 1960 and 1975 Lemmy played in a couple different bands. Soon after being kicked out of the band Hawkwind he would start the band Motorhead, originally called Bastard with Larry Wallis and Lucas Fox. Achievements:             -2017: Inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History for creating Thr...

Scott Weiland (1967-2015) Scott Richard Weiland was born on October 27th, 1967 in San Jose, California to Sharon Williams and Kent Kline. At age five his stepfather legally adopted him, which is how he acquired the last name Weiland. He had lived in Ohio for some time as a child, but would move back to California as a teenager. As time progressed he and a few others would go on to found the Stone Temple Pilots. Their first album Core gave them four hits, “Sex Type Thing”, “Wicked Garden”, “Creep”, and “Plush”. In 1994 they would release their second album Purple which was very successful. This album sold six million copies. Weiland formed the band The Magnificent Bastards in 1995, but they would only go on to record two songs. Between the fall of 1995 and 2002 Weiland would be in and out of Stone Temple Pilots many times, finally breaking up in late 2002. In 2008, Weiland reunited with Stone Temple Pilots for Rock on the Range and would continue with them through 2009. In 2...