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Tag: Eric Clapton

  • Bee Gees Manager Robert Stigwood, Who Produced ‘Grease’ and ‘Saturday Night Fever,’ Dies at 81

    Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood has died at the age of 81. , who also produced the 1970s blockbusters Grease and “Saturday Night Fever,” has died. He was 81.

    Stigwood’s office said the producer of the 1970s Grease and Saturday Night Fever died Monday, as reported by the BBC. The cause of death was not disclosed.

    The Bee Gees manager was born in Adelaide, Australia, in 1934, and moved to Britain in the 1950s, where he quickly became an important figure in the growing rock music industry.

    He managed Cream and its guitarist Eric Clapton in the 1960s before becoming the manager of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, collectively known as the Bee Gees.

    Later, Stigwood moved from music into theater and ultimately film. He is known for bringing the Broadway hit, Hair, to the London stage. He brought to film other classic theater productions including Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar and The Who’s rock opera Tommy.

    He went on to produce Saturday Night Fever. The soundtrack, which featured the Bee Gees, made superstars out of the brothers Gibb. That was followed by the 1979 release of Grease, released in 1978, which, combined with Saturday Night Fever, made John Travolta into one of the decade’s biggest stars.

    Stigwood also produced Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a 1978 Beatles-based movie musical which did not fare as well as his other musical endeavors.

    While sequels to Saturday Night Fever and Grease were flops, Stigwood’s movie musical Evita starring Madonna as Argentine first lady Eva Peron was a hit.

    Travolta paid tribute to Stigwood, saying he “changed the world and only for the better and he was certainly important to my career. His legacy lives on and he will forever be remembered.”

    Spencer Gibb, who is the son of the late Robin Gibb and Stigwood’s godson, described him as “a creative genius with a very quick and dry wit.”

    “I would like to thank Robert for his kindness to me over the years as well as his mentorship to my family,” Gibb wrote on Facebook. “‘Stiggy,’ you will be missed.”

    Lloyd Webber also remembered Stigwood on Twitter, calling him a “great showman who taught me so much.”

  • Rolling Stones Saxophonist Dies at 70

    Rolling Stones Saxophonist Dies at 70

    Bobby Keys, the legendary saxophonist who toured and appeared on albums with the Rolling Stones, passed away on Tuesday at his Franklin, Tennessee home, after battling a lengthy illness. He was 70.

    Known for his blistering solos, most notably on the Rolling Stones’ 1971 hit “Brown Sugar,” Keys also at times led the horn section when the band went into the studio or toured. Keys played on every Stones record from 1969 until 1974 and from 1980 to his death, and played live on all tours since 1970.

    Born in Slaton, Texas in 1943, Keys began performing as a teenager, and played with Buddy Holly, John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

    The band said in a statement, “The Rolling Stones are devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone player, Bobby Keys. Bobby made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960s. He will be greatly missed.”

    Keys was also a close friend of Stones guitarist Keith Richards. There is footage of him and Richards throwing a television set from the 10th floor of a hotel during the 1972 American Tour, as seen in the Stones’ unreleased 1972 concert movie Cocksucker Blues.

    Richards penned a small eulogy:

    The Rolling Stones – “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” featuring Bobby Keys:

    Keys once told Rolling Stone Magazine that he never learned to read music. “That’s not where I come from musically. I come strictly from feeling, and that feeling comes from rock ‘n’ roll,” the musician remarked.

    Keys once related his struggles with heroin addiction in the autobiography Every Night’s a Saturday Night. Nashville rock veteran Michael Webb said Keys had a liver condition and had been in and out of the hospital over the past two months.

  • Jack Bruce, Legendary Rock Bass Player, Dead at 71

    Jack Bruce was one-third of the iconic rock legend that was Cream. Playing bass alongside drummer Ginger Baker and guitarist Eric Clapton, Bruce would help churn out four albums before Cream flamed out.

    Jack Bruce died at the age of 71, as announced on his website and Facebook page.

    “It is with great sadness that we, Jack’s family, announce the passing of our beloved Jack: husband, father, granddad, and all round legend. The world of music will be a poorer place without him, but he lives on in his music and forever in our hearts.”

    Bruce’s publicist Claire Singers said, “He died today at his home in Suffolk surrounded by his family.”

    Cream, the most popular period of Bruce’s career, was originally active for less than three years. But in that time they sold 15 million albums. The band broke up, reportedly because Bruce felt that he had strayed too far from his ideals and wanted to re-discover his musical and social roots.

    Others reported that Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, who had played together in another band before Cream, were not getting along. Eric Clapton has said that the band just kept playing louder and louder, not listening to each other on stage, and they had lost their way.

    Over the years since the breakup, Cream has reunited twice for tours. Bruce’s former bandmates both offered kind words on the news of his passing.

    “My thoughts & wishes are with his family at this difficult time,” said Ginger Baker. Eric Clapton remarked that Bruce “was a great musician and composer, and a tremendous inspiration to me.”

    Geddy Lee, bass player and singer for Rush, was a keen fan of Jack Bruce. He also left a sad announcement on Rush’s website.

    “The sudden passing of Jack Bruce is terribly sad news. One of the greatest rock bassists to ever live and a true and profound inspiration to countless musicians. He was one of my first bass heroes and was a major influence on my playing and my music. My heartfelt condolences to his family and fans.”

  • JJ Cale Dies At Age 74 From Heart Attack

    The music industry and the world lost a very talented man Friday, July 26, 2013. According to his official website, JJ Cale passed away at 8:00 p.m. at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California after suffering from a heart attack. He was 74-years-old.

    “JJ Cale was loved by fans worldwide for his completely unpretentious and beautiful music,” said Mike Kappus, president of the Rosebud Agency. “He was loved even more dearly by all those he came in contact with as the most real and down-to-earth person we all knew. He was incredibly humble and avoided the spotlight at all costs but will be missed by anyone touched by him directly or indirectly. Luckily, his music lives on.”

    Although most people may not know his name, many consider singer/songwriter, JJ Cale, a legend. His songs “Cocaine” and “After Midnight” were made famous by Eric Clapton. Lynyrd Skynyrd made Cale’s song “Call Me The Breeze” famous, and bands including Santana, The Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, and many others covered his songs. When asked if it bothered him that many of his fans didn’t know his name, he replied, “No, it doesn’t bother me. What’s really nice is when you get a check in the mail.”

    Cale is credited with helping create what is now known as the Tulsa Sound, “a laid-back style that contrasted with the psychedelic rock that was heard at the time”. “I’m so old, I can remember before rock ‘n’ roll come along,” Cale told CNN in 2009. “When I was a young fellow, I played guitar for other people, so I’d have to learn (cover tunes). … So the guitar players on all those early recordings, I guess, influenced what I did. I never could get it exactly right the way they played it, and I guess that helped the style that evolved.”

    Cale’s official biography describes music as being part of his life for as long as he can remember. When his latest studio album was released, 2009’s Roll on, Cale said, “I remember when I made my first album, I was 32 or 33-years-old and I thought I was way too old then. When I see myself doing this at 70, I go, ‘What am I doing, I should be layin’ down in a hammock,’” he joked.

    His management company has said, “donations are not needed but he was a great lover of animals so, if you like, donations can be made to your favorite local animal shelter.”

  • Lennon Letter to Clapton Up For Auction

    Lennon Letter to Clapton Up For Auction

    Entertainment memorabilia auction house Prifiles in History this week announced that the personal correspondence of several famous musicians will be up for auction on December 18 in Los Angeles. 300 of the “most important” items from a collection of over 3,000 items will be up for sale. Some of the most interesting letters in the collection include letters from Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and John Lennon.

    The Lennon letter is particularly interesting because of its context. The letter is from Lennon to Eric Clapton, and is dated September 29, 1971. It shows that Lennon was hoping to collaborate with Clapton in the years following the break-up of The Beatles. From the letter:

    Both of us have been thru the same kind of shit/pain that I know you’ve had—and I know we could help each other in that area—but mainly Eric – I know I can bring out something great – in fact greater in you that had been so far evident in your music, I hope to bring out the same kind of greatness in all of us – which I know will happen if/when we get together.

    At the time of the letter, Clapton had already played with Lennon as a part of the Plastic Ono Band. Clapton also played on the White Album track “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” written by George Harrison. The Lennon letter is expected to sell for $20,000 to $30,000.

    The Ludwig von Beethoven letter is signed and features a “disgruntled tone.” It is expected to sell for $40,000 to $60,000. The Tchaikovsky letter is also signed, and is expected to sell for $10,000 to $15,000. Other letters in the collection not expected to fetch as high a price include letters from the early 1930s from Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter.