In Memoriam - Page 21

Bass legend Chris Squire, who stood at the helm of progressive rock in Yes since 1968, has died of cancer. He was 67 years old. Yes released a statement on their Facebook page announcing the news. “It’s with the heaviest of hearts and unbearable sadness that we must inform you of the passing of our dear friend and Yes co-founder,...

Bass legend Louis Johnson, the funk session musician who played on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, has passed away of undisclosed causes. He was 60 years old. Nicknamed “Thunder Thumbs,” Johnson was born in Los Angeles in 1955 and learned to play bass alongside his brother George. The duo would work alongside each other with Bobby Womack, the Supremes, and Billy...

Bassist Rutger Gunnarsson, who made waves with Swedish pop sensation ABBA, has passed away. He was 69 years old. Gunnarsson was born in Linköping, Sweden in 1946. Originally a guitarist, he was studying at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm when a friend convinced him to audition for the Hootenanny Singers, a folk band that included future ABBA frontman...

Bassist Craig Gruber, best known as an original member of Rainbow, has passed away from prostate cancer. He was 63 years old. Gruber’s rise in the rock world began when he joined Elf in late 1973. The band was fronted by Ronnie James Dio, who also covered bass duties before Gruber’s introduction. The bassist was featured on two studio albums...

Scott Clendenin, who played bass with Death, has passed away at the age of 47. A cause of death has not been released, though former band manager Eric Greif stated he had been facing health challenges. Clendenin joined the band in 1996 and was featured on 1998’s The Sound of Perseverance. The bassist continued with Death until frontman Chuck Schuldiner’s...

Andy Fraser, bassist and founding member of the ’60s rock band Free, has passed away at 62. Although a cause of death has not been released, Fraser had recently been battling AIDS and cancer. Fraser was born in London in 1952 and began music studies on piano at the tender age of five. He switched to guitar when he was...

Mike Porcaro, who played bass for the seminal rock band Toto, has passed away after a long battle with ALS. He was 59 years old. Porcaro came from a musical family. His father is jazz drummer Joe Porcaro, and he is the middle brother of drummer Jeff Porcaro and keyboardist Steve Porcaro. Though Mike played on several unofficial sessions since...

Danny McCulloch, who played bass for the second incarnation of The Animals, has passed away from cardiac heart failure. He was 69 years old. McCulloch was born in West London in 1945 and got his musical start in his teens. His first band was The Avro Boys, who went on to become Tony Craven & The Casuals in the late...

Joe B. Mauldin, who helped change the face of popular music as bassist for Buddy Holly and the Crickets, passed away February 7th after a battle with cancer. He was 74 years old. The Lubbock, Texas native started music early. Born on July 8, 1940, he first recorded with The Four Teens in 1955 at only 15 years old. He...

Another fantastic session bassist has left us. Tim Drummond, who worked with artists ranging from James Brown to Bob Dylan to Neil Young, has passed away at the age of 74. A cause of death has not been announced. Drummond was born in Canton, Illinois in 1940. He honed his craft in the clubs around Cincinnati, Ohio where he would...

Sad news to report today: prolific Nashville session bassist Henry Strzelecki passed away on December 30th after being struck by a car. He was 75 years old. Henry Strzelecki was born in Birmingham, Alabama and relocated the Nashville when he was still young. He began his recording career in country music with songwriter Baker Knight on the Decca Label while...

At the close of each year, we take time to remember those we lost in the bass community. 2014 saw the passing of some of the most influential bassists of our lifetime. Join us as we take a moment to remember the lives and legacies of the bass players we lost this year. Paul Goddard (April 29, 2014) Goddard was...