Rock musician Levon Helm passes away

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Famed member of The Band and Bob Dylan touring rock band dies from complications of cancer

Levon Helm (b. 1940 - d. 2012) famous rock musician Fredericton Harvest Blues Festival 2011 (photo Stephen Pate)

His family posted this brief message on Facebook

“Levon Helm passed peacefully this afternoon. He was surrounded by family, friends and band mates and will be remembered by all he touched as a brilliant musician and a beautiful soul.”

He had suffered from throat cancer which has been in remission, although his singing voice never fully recovered.

Update – Remembering Levon Helm

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Jim Marshall father of loud rock dies

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Stephen Pate

James Charles Marshall the founder of Marshall guitar amps died at 88 years

Jim Marshall of Marshall amps - the sound of rock and roll (photo credit Damien Maguire)

James Charles “Jim” Marshall OBE (July 29, 1923 – April 5, 2012) was a man with poor health, a musician and business person.

In the 1960s he created the Marshall guitar amp and changed the volume of rock music forever.

He died on April 5, 2012 at a hospice in London, UK surrounded by his wife and four children. Continue reading →

Earl Scruggs King of the Bluegrass Banjo Dies at 88

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Stephen Pate

He created the modern sound of 5-string banjo and bluegrass music with Bill Monroe and became a household name with The Beverly Hillbillies

Earl Scruggs (photo credit - whittlz Flickr)

By Stephen Pate – Earl Scruggs, the man behind bluegrass banjo and The Beverley Hillbillies theme song “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” died in Nashville, TN at 88 on March 28, 2012.

Bill Monroe sang the high lonesome sound of bluegrass but it was the lightning 3-finger picking of Earl Scruggs’ banjo that propelled the music.

Scruggs left the claw hammer style of banjo, which is similar to thumb picking and strumming the guitar, and popularized the clever and fast 3-finger picking style.

Although other banjo players played 3-finger style, it was Earl Scruggs job with Bill Monroe in 1945 that catapulted the style to the forefront. Scruggs-style is the defacto standard for banjo players today. Continue reading →

Paul Leka Na Na Hey Hey composer dies

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Song written as B-side throw-away goes #1 with sports fans

Paul Leka (photo Joseph Bly NY Times)

In 1969, all songs had to have a B-side for the 45 record. Paul Leka,then a Mercury Records producer, and studio musicians Garrett Scott and Dale Frashuer wrote a throw-away song, so useless that no DJ would play it.

Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye went # 1 for a band called Steam. Today it is the sports chant of fans for retiring pitchers and sports losers of all stripes.

Paul Leka died of lung cancer on October 12th in hospice near his Connecticut home. Leka was 68.
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Invisible death of an invisible woman

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Stephen Pate

The tall, beautiful woman lay on the floor of her apartment dead and invisible for 5 months

Elizabeth Berrigan invisible in death (roses from Island Deaths)

She was a tall, beautiful and intelligent Irish woman of a proud Prince Edward Island family.

Those eyes of hers could flash with wit, laughter and life.

They were also windows to a tortured soul who struggled for 30 years with mental illness and disability. Continue reading →

Sad ending to propane explosion

Posted on July 13, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Horace MacNevin the man in propane explosion dies

Horace MacNevin died on June 27, 2010.

Mr. MacNevin and his wife were victims of a horrific propane explosion that destroyed their West Devon, PEI home on April 27, 2010.

Mr. MacNevin suffered numerous injuries from the explosion and never recovered. He spent more than 4 weeks in the burn unit in Halifax before being transferred back to the Prince County Hospital in Summerside, PEI.

His wife spent seven weeks in recovery in hospital as well.

The explosion was caused, according to the Fire Marshall, from a propane leak. Propane explosions are more common than officials want to admit.

Death notice from Island Deaths.

John Ewart passed away

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Well known writer, farmer, computer expert, newspaper editor, wit and humanitarian died June 25th in his 82nd year

John Ewart image: Island Deaths

It makes me profoundly sad to write about the passing of an old friend John Ewart who died on Friday.

Everyone who knew John Ewart can tell you stories about him. He was a great guy who pretended to be tight with the penny but had great generosity of the spirit.

John was well liked by everyone he met. His sense of humor and intelligence were unforgettable as was his desire to help others.

I will try to give you my remembrance of John. If any facts are confused, feel free to correct them. They are based only my memory of John’s numerous stories from the countless hours we spent together.

He was born in Montreal and had a Montrealer’s sensibility about many things. Montrealer’s have the duality of English and French along with a wonderful internationalism from the many immigrant communities that share the city. I had lived there for 9 years so when we met there was an instant affinity for shared experiences.

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Neda Agha-Soltan’s sister speaks for her murdered sister

Posted on June 13, 2010 by NJN Network

Nedā Āġā-Soltān (b 1982 – d June 20, 2009) victim of political repression and violence in Iran is remembered by her sister

This is her sister’s eulogy (translation follows the story break)

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Neda Agha-Soltan’s fiancée sadly remembers her tragic death

Posted on June 12, 2010 by NJN Network

Neda Agha-Soltan was shot by the paramilitary Basij. (Nedā Āġā-Soltān; b 1982 – d June 20, 2009)

She was a young, beautiful woman with a positive outlook and hope for the future with her fiance. All that was taken away in an instant.

“Caspian Makan, the fiancée of the young Iranian woman shot last week, tells Al Jazeera of her last moments. “Neda”, which is the Farsi word for voice, was allegedly shot dead by a Basij soldier in Tehran last week.” Al Jazeera English

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Fess Parker Davy Crockett Dies

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Stephen Pate

One of TVs early heroes passes away at 85

Fess Parker as Davy Crockett

Who didn’t wear a coonskin cap and talk like Davy Crockett? Everyone remembers the genial remake of history by Walt Disney in the 1950′s. As a Tennessean Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett killed a “bar”, chased Indians and showed bravery at the Alamo, the American Waterloo.

Disney was a master at creating the American myth and then capitalizing on it. The merchandising of Davy Crockett hats, coats, guns and other memorabilia became a marketing legend. Kids begged, including this one, their parents to but them Davy Crockett gear. My mother was a pacifist so I had to get my own coonskin cap and gun. I hide it from her.

Buddy Ebsen (Wizard of Oz, Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones) was Davy Crockett’s sidekick in the TV series. Fess Parker went on to play the role of Abraham Lincoln.
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Alex Chilton Remembered

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Fans and fellow musicians leave personal notes on the death of Alex Chilton

Alex Chilton singing The Letter in 2006

Bob Lefsetz wrote a remembrance for Alex Chilton that struck a chord with fans and friends of Alex Chilton first as a musical star with the Box Tops and Big Star. Lefsetz tells how the music hit him, which is how we remember artists. What was I doing the year of that hit. “Who was I going with” kind of remembrance. He makes a passing comment about Chilton’s health and finances.

“We have a fantasy that our heroes live on a higher plane, live a better life than us…that they’re surrounded by bucks and babes.

“But watching Alex Chilton perform you were struck that his life was much more difficult than yours. He had to go from town to town, playing to appreciative, but tiny audiences, who loved him, but that love won’t keep you warm at night, it won’t pay your bills, it won’t pay your health insurance. Continue reading →