Iconic San Francisco musician Paul Kantner died Thursday, Jan. 28, of multiple organ failure and septic shock.
A founding member of the Jefferson Airplane, Kantner, 74, suffered a heart attack earlier this week, reported the San Francisco Chronicle, adding that he had experienced many health problems in recent years.
With Jefferson Airplane, Kantner defined the mid-1960s psychedelic sound and created hits like “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit” featuring Grace Slick’s narcotic vocals. Most notably, the band was the first headliner at Bill Graham’s legendary Fillmore Auditorium and performed at Woodstock. Kantner and Slick transformed the group into Jefferson Starship in 1974; Kantner departed 11 years later, although the couple had a daughter together.
In 1996, Kantner was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he continued touring up until his death. Most recently, Steve Malinski witnessed Kantner perform with several bandmates for a 50th anniversary celebration at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut this past August:
The Starship’s presence on stage was bold and cohesive – original members of the Airplane Paul Kantner and David Freiberg kept the sound true and original to the Airplane along with longtime Starship drummer Donny Baldwin, keyboardist Chris Smith and guitarist Jude Gold. The animated and exhuberant Cathy Richardson fulfilled the big-shoes role created by Grace Slick’s powerful vocals, to whom she gave a tip of the hat to near the end of the set. Together they made the performance feel engaging to the audience with down to earth, unscripted banter and humor between songs, which has been a consistency for the group through the past several years.”
Paul Kantner at the Woodstock 40th Anniversary Concert, Bethel Woods Aug. 15, 2009
Paul Lorin Kantner is survived by three children: sons Gareth and Alexander, and daughter, China. At press time, funeral arrangements had not been released.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our comrade, Eagles founder, Glenn Frey, in New York City on Monday, January 18, 2016.” A simple statement from a complex band; the announcement was made on the Eagles’ website late Monday. Frey was 67.
In recent weeks, Frey had been battling rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia, conditions that also led to the postponement of a tribute at Kennedy Center last month. His family included a message to fans in the message on the band’s website:
The Frey family would like to thank everyone who joined Glenn to fight this fight and hoped and prayed for his recovery.
Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community & millions of fans worldwide.
Frey was born in Detroit in 1948. By age 19, he was under the tutelage of Bob Seger and contributed backing vocals and acoustic guitar to Seger’s hit, “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” in 1969.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, Frey crossed paths with future collaborators J.D. Souther, Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon, with the latter three going on to become members of Linda Ronstadt’s 1971 backing band.
Following the Ronstadt tour, the four went on to form the Eagles and the rest is history. The Eagles went on to become one of the biggest selling artists of all time behind such Frey-penned hits as “Take it Easy,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Heartache Tonight” and “Already Gone.” Frey and Henley shared much of the songwriting and vocal duties on their biggest hits.
The Eagles broke up in 1980 after Don Felder and Frey nearly came to blows following a concert in Long Beach. Many members went on to successful solo careers with Frey scoring two number one hits in the 80s with “The Heat is On” from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack and “You Belong to the City” from the television show, Miami Vice. Frey also took a turn at acting during this period. Among his most prominent roles was in Miami Vice in an episode based upon his song “Smuggler’s Blues.”
A fourteen year band hiatus ended when it embarked upon its Hell Freezes Over album and tour in 1994. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. An album entitled The Long Road Out of Eden was released in 2007 and the band toured through the millennium.
Despite periods of animosity between them, Don Henley considered Frey a brother. Henley issued the following heartfelt statement regarding the death of his long-time friend:
“He was like a brother to me; we were family, and like most families, there was some dysfunction. But, the bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved. We were two young men who made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles with the same dream: to make our mark in the music industry — and with perseverance, a deep love of music, our alliance with other great musicians and our manager, Irving Azoff, we built something that has lasted longer than anyone could have dreamed. But, Glenn was the one who started it all. He was the spark plug, the man with the plan. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn’t quit. He was funny, bullheaded, mercurial, generous, deeply talented and driven. He loved is wife and kids more than anything. We are all in a state of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow. We brought our two-year ‘History of the Eagles Tour’ to a triumphant close at the end of July and now he is gone. I’m not sure I believe in fate, but I know that crossing paths with Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever, and it eventually had an impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet. It will be very strange going forward in a world without him in it. But, I will be grateful, every day, that he was in my life. Rest in peace, my brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some.”
Legendary singer, songwriter, and actor David Bowie is dead, as of Sunday night, at the age of 69. With a career that spanned nearly five decades, he not only created impactful, memorable musical moments but influenced generations of musicians.
The New York Times confirmed his death with his publicist, Steve Martin, on Monday morning.
According to a post on his Facebook page, “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family.” Various statements on Bowie’s social media accounts confirm he died after an 18-month battle with cancer.
Jan. 8th not only marked Bowie’s 69th birthday, but also the release of his latest album, Blackstar. Carnegie Hall recently announced plans for a David Bowie tribute concert on March 31. The Roots, The Mountain Goats, Cyndi Lauper, Perry Farrell, Jakob Dylan, and Ann Wilson (Heart) are all slated to perform in what will now be a tribute to Bowie’s life, music and legacy.
Longtime collaborator and producer Tony Visconti, who worked with Bowie on his album’s since his 1969 breakthrough Space Oddity, wrote on his facebook page that he felt Blackstar was intended to be Bowie’s “parting gift.”
“He always did what he wanted to do. And he wanted to do it his way and he wanted to do it the best way. His death was no different from his life – a work of Art.
“He made Blackstar for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be. I wasn’t, however, prepared for it.
“He was an extraordinary man, full of love and life. He will always be with us. For now, it is appropriate to cry.”
Bowie released his self-titled debut album in 1967. Over the course of 28 albums, he constantly reinvented himself in persona, musical styling and fashion.
After his first UK hit, “Space Oddity” in 1969, Bowie emerged in the early 70s as “Ziggy Stardust”. His alter ego’s album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, was ranked #35 by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the greatest albums of all-time. The 70s also gave birth to Bowie’s first US crossover hit “Fame” while his 1975 release Young Americans saw another shift in style and sound.
Photo: Rex
By the 1980s, Bowie enjoyed mounting commercial success. In the UK, he landed #1 singles with “Ashes to Ashes” and the Queen collaboration “Under Pressure.” His career reached new heights in 1983 with the release of Let’s Dance, his best-selling album to date. The title track would become his biggest hit, reaching #1 in the UK, US and various other countries. The album also launched several other singles including “China Girl” and “Modern Love.”
Bowie continued to write and create new materials throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He stopped touring after his 2003-2004 Reality Tour. His final live performance was in 2006 for a charity event.
In addition to music, Bowie enjoyed success in both stage, television and film. He collaborated on an Off Broadway musical “Lazarus”, a sequel to his role in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth. His two dozen film roles included Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth and Andy Warhol in Basquiat.
Bowie’s legacy is highlighted by his 1996 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in Feb. 2006.
David Robert Jones was born in Brixton, London on January 8, 1947. Bowie would later change his moniker in the mid 60’s to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees. He renamed himself after the 19th-century American frontiersman Jim Bowie, who popularized the bowie knife. As a young man in the UK, Bowie studied art, music and design.
Read the true story behind Bowie’s arrest in Rochester in 1976.
Bowie is survived by his son, director Duncan Jones from his marriage with his first wife Angela Barnett, his wife fashion model Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid (known professionally as Iman) and their daughter, Alexandra “Lexi” Zahra Jones.
A slew of celebrities took to Twitter on news that Bowie had passed.
“Very sad news to wake up to on this raining morning. David was a great star and I treasure the moments we had together.” Paul McCartney
“Talented. Unique. Genius. Game Changer. The Man who Fell to Earth. Your Spirit Lives on Forever!” – Madonna
“David’s friendship was the light of my life. I never met such a brilliant person. He was the best there is. – Iggy Pop”
“I just lost a hero. RIP David Bowie.” – Ricky Gervais
“Never imagined a world without him. He has ascended into the cosmos from whence he came. Farewell, David Bowie.” – Elijah Wood
“He never seemed of this earth. Now he’s left it. He bent rules, gender, genres, and our minds. RIP David Bowie. One. Of. A. Kind.” – Josh Groban
“RIP David . I loved your music. I loved you. One of the greatest performance artists to have ever lived. #sorrow.” – Russel Crowe
” David Bowie was a true innovator, a true creative. May he rest in peace #RIPDavidBowie” – Pharrel Williams
“I feel like the wind has been knocked out of me – I was not ready for this. RIP Bowie.” – Weird Al Yankovic
“I grew up listening to and watching the pop genius David Bowie. He was a master of re-invention, who kept getting it right. A huge loss.” – British Prime Minister David Cameron
As the year comes to a close, so does the music of one of America’s most loved musicians. On Dec. 31, 2015, Natalie Marie Cole, daughter of legendary Nat King Cole, died as a result of congested heart failure.
This multiple Grammy award-winning musician brought to us decades of music from R&B, to jazz, to pop, to the beautiful standards her father was best known for. Living her life for the world to see, she shared her joys and struggles with us, never once pretending to be anyone she wasn’t. Her melodic voice and “Unforgettable’” duets she performed with her father through the magic of technology honored her father and introduced a whole new generation to the beauty of the standards.
In 2009, Natalie Cole received a much-needed kidney transplant from a direct donation made to her from the family of a South American fan who knew she was in need. Diagnosed with Hepatitis C from years of drug addiction, the recovered Cole underwent a successful transplant, and in 2013, Cole released her final album, Natalie Cole en Español, a tribute to honor both the donor and her father. This multi-talented woman dabbled in film, television, as well as music and didn’t allow her father’s shadow to define who she was or what she wanted to achieve in her career. For more than 20 years, she refused to cover her fathers songs, but in the end, it was her celebration of his music together with her angelic voice that will live on in our hearts forever.
Frey was born in Detroit in 1948. By age 19, he was under the tutelage of Bob Seger and contributed backing vocals and acoustic guitar to Seger’s hit, “
This multiple Grammy award-winning musician brought to us decades of music from R&B, to 
This multi-talented woman dabbled in film, television, as well as music and didn’t allow her father’s shadow to define who she was or what she wanted to achieve in her career. For more than 20 years, she refused to cover her fathers songs, but in the end, it was her celebration of his music together with her angelic voice that will live on in our hearts forever.