Guess who died in 2024

[The Hot Corner]

"They were rockin'"
J. Cougar Mellencamp

I can find nothing online regarding the passing of John Mellencamp. His official site makes no mention of his passing. Some sites state he has been a victim of a hoax and that he is fine.

[kcmets]

I think Lunch was referring to Shangra-Las in the R O C K song.

They were rockin'.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I knew that was gonna happen

[Edgy MD]

Mitch Ryder, Betty Weiss (Shangri-Las), three fourths of the tirelessly vital Young Rascals, and Martha Reeves remain from Mellancamp's litany, along with possibly a few members of Ryder's un-mentioned Detroit Wheels or Frankie Lymon's Teenagers.

The other two Vandellas (1964-1967 lineup) are still among us as well!

[G-Fafif]

Marlena Shaw, no longer rockin’, 81.

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-n ... 235585900/

[Edgy MD]

Mitch Ryder, Betty Weiss (Shangri-Las), three fourths of the tirelessly vital Young Rascals, and Martha Reeves remain from Mellancamp's litany, along with possibly a few members of Ryder's un-mentioned Detroit Wheels or Frankie Lymon's Teenagers.

The other two Vandellas (1964-1967 lineup) are still among us as well!

I expressed this badly.

There's still Mitch Ryder, Betty Weiss, three Young Rascals
(They're still rockin'!)
A Detroit Wheel, Martha Reeves, two Vandellas
(All still rockin'!)

Maybe a Teenager or two, but brother, not James Brown!!
Rockin' to advancing age!

[The Hot Corner]

I think Lunch was referring to Shangra-Las in the R O C K song.

They were rockin'.

Vrrooom. That one went over my head.

[G-Fafif]

Director Norm Jewison, 97.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235803603/

[Benjamin Grimm]

Martin Luther King Jr.'s son, Dexter Scott King, 62.

I probably should have known this, or maybe did know it and somehow forgot, but MLK's mother was assassinated while playing a church organ in 1974.

[G-Fafif]

Charles Osgood, long of CBS News, 91.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/charles-os ... ies-at-91/

[MFS62]

Charles Osgood, long of CBS News, 91.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/charles-os ... ies-at-91/

the elusive warmth and intelligence of his voice and delivery.

That is what I think of when I remember him.
RIP

Later

[G-Fafif]

Melanie, whose "Brand New Key" unlocked the top of the charts, 76.

https://variety.com/2024/music/obituari ... 235886892/

[cal sharpie]

That's so sad. "Lay Down" is a great record and some of her covers that I've heard over the years were also really good. "Brand New Key", however, was just annoying.

[Frayed Knot]

That's so sad. "Lay Down" is a great record and some of her covers that I've heard over the years were also really good. "Brand New Key", however, was just annoying.

Concur with all parts of that.
Little girl with a big voice that absolutely soared in 'Lay Down' even with the full Edwin Hawkins singers playing along.
That the record was so well done keeps what was essentially a hippie anthem from 50+ years ago from sounding like
a dated relic from a bygone era.
I look forward to hearing it, and probably other Melanie stuff, on Don McGee's 'Mixed Bag' show this Saturday.



oe: from Astoria, NYC. I did not know that.

[batmagadanleadoff]

That's so sad. "Lay Down" is a great record and some of her covers that I've heard over the years were also really good. "Brand New Key", however, was just annoying.

Concur with all parts of that.
Little girl with a big voice that absolutely soared in 'Lay Down' even with the full Edwin Hawkins singers playing along.
That the record was so well done keeps what was essentially a hippie anthem from 50+ years ago from sounding like
a dated relic from a bygone era.
I look forward to hearing it, and probably other Melanie stuff, on Don McGee's 'Mixed Bag' show this Saturday.

I also concur with all of these comments. Just finished listening to Lay Down (Candles...) several times, studio and live.

[batmagadanleadoff]

That's so sad. "Lay Down" is a great record and some of her covers that I've heard over the years were also really good. "Brand New Key", however, was just annoying.

Concur with all parts of that.
Little girl with a big voice that absolutely soared in 'Lay Down' even with the full Edwin Hawkins singers playing along.
That the record was so well done keeps what was essentially a hippie anthem from 50+ years ago from sounding like
a dated relic from a bygone era.
I look forward to hearing it, and probably other Melanie stuff, on Don McGee's 'Mixed Bag' show this Saturday.

I also concur with all of these comments. Just finished listening to Lay Down (Candles...) several times, studio and live.

P.S. I don't even associate Brand New Key with Melanie anymore, but instead, with Roller Girl from Boogie Nights.

[Chad ochoseis]

One evening about 25 years ago, I was absolutely jonesing to hear "Lay Down", so I drove half an hour to a shopping mall for no other reason than to buy a Melanie's Greatest Hits CD. I'd never gone to so much effort just to hear one song, before or since.

Of course, now that we have YouTube, Spotify, etc., I don't figure to ever have to do that again.

[whippoorwill]

No no no! Such a cutie pie with such a voice!

[Fman99]

P.S. I don't even associate Brand New Key with Melanie anymore, but instead, with Roller Girl from Boogie Nights.

Ah, OK, now I know who we're talking about

[MFS62]

Chita Rivera - 91
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/broad ... =shoreline

Later

[Frayed Knot]

A couple of celebrity relatives in the last few days:

- Adele Springsteen (98), mother of Bruce, after multiple years with dementia

- Melinda Ledbetter Wilson (77), wife of Beach Boy Brian since 1991.
She's often credited with managing both his career and life following his years under the very controlling control of
controversial (and later unlicensed) doctor Eugene Landy. Brian turns 83 this June and you wonder how this will
affect his often precarious and unstable existence.

[G-Fafif]

Carl Weathers, best known as Apollo Creed, 76. Stole some scenes in Arrested Development, too.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

supposed to be in a Super Bowl commercial next week.

He was excellent as Apollo

[MFS62]

I also remember him in Predator.
RIP

Later

[TransMonk]

Wayne Kramer, co-founder of Detroit's MC5, dies in Los Angeles