Betty Davis was an American composer and singer working in the funk and soul idioms.
She is known for such songs as “Anti Love Song “.
Tag Archives: American music
Syl Johnson (1936 – 2022)
Syl Johnson was an American singer known for compositions such as “Is It Because I’m Black” (1969), a musical composition performed and co-written by Johnson.
RIP George Crumb (1929 – 2022)
George Crumb was an American composer known for such compositions as Black Angels (1971). Black Angels is featured in “Confessions of a Vinyl Junkie” (2003), a list of records by David Bowie published in Vanity Fair.
Meat Loaf (1947 – 2022)
Meat Loaf was an American singer noted for his grotesque stage persona. He is best known for interpreting two songs written by Jim Steinman: “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” (1977) and “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (1993) .
Meat Loaf became 74.
Steinman died died last year.
RIP Ronnie Spector (1943 – 2022)
Ronnie Spector was an American singer best known for interpreting “Be My Baby” (1963).
RIP Marilyn Keith Bergman (1928 – 2022)
RIP Marilyn Keith Bergman (1928 – 2022) was the female half of the American husband-wife duo of lyricists and songwriters.
They are known for writing the lyrics to such songs as “The Windmills of Your Mind”.
RIP Joe Simon (1936 – 2021)
Joe Simon was an American singer who worked in the soul and R&B idioms. Well-known recordings are “The Chokin’ Kind” (1967) and “Drowning in the Sea of Love” (1971).
But I give you “Love Vibration” (1978) because Larry Levan used to played it at the Paradise Garage.
Be sure to also check “The Chokin’ Kind” for its interesting percussion. Morevoer, that song was written by Harlan Howard, the same songwriter who gave us country music favorite “No Charge”.
RIP Michael Nesmith (1942 – 2021)
Michael Nesmith was an American musician, best known as the songwriter of “Mary, Mary”.
That song made into a hit by Run-DMC in 1988.
It was also sampled by De La Soul in 1989 on their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising.
RIP Wah Wah Watson (1950 – 2018)
This happened in 2018, but I only found out today.
Wah Wah Watson was an American guitarist who was a member of The Funk Brothers, the studio band for Motown Records.
This track from Elementary (1976), his only solo album, reminds me somehow of “Rapper Dapper Snapper” (1980) by Edwin Birdsong.
RIP Alvin Lucier (1931 – 2021)
Alvin Lucier was an American composer, perhaps best-known for his piece I Am Sitting in a Room (1969). That piece is a reflection on resonance and generation loss.