In Memoriam - Page 24

Chris Friedrich, bassist for post-rock outfit Caspian, has passed away. The band made the announcement on their website. “We write to you today with heavy hearts and indescribable sadness to tell you that our bass player, Chris Friedrich, died unexpectedly Sunday afternoon,” they wrote. “We have lost a close friend, a true brother, and a presence that can never be...

Tim Wright, original bassist for the experimental rock group Pere Ubu, has passed away. The cause of death was not announced. Wright helped to form Pere Ubu in Cleveland, Ohio in 1975. Blending punk and art rock, the band’s sound was underpinned by the bassist’s growling tone on early tracks including “30 Seconds Over Tokyo” and “Final Solution.” Wright also...

Jazz bassist Ben Tucker was killed on June 4th after his golf cart was struck by a speeding car. The veteran musician was 82 years old. Born December 30th, 1930 in Tennessee, Tucker began his career in Nashville before heading to California and New York City where he played with artists ranging from Art Pepper to Dexter Gordon to Quincy...

Former Eighteen Visions bassist Mick Morris, aka MickDeth, has died at the age of 35 from a pre-existing heart condition. Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Morris started his musical career on guitar in the straight edge hardcore outfit Clear before joining Eighteen Visions on bass in 2000. He went on to record five albums with the group...

Marshall Lytle, bassist for Bill Haley and The Comets, has passed away at the age of 79 after a battle with cancer. Lytle left his mark on popular music as the bassist on the classic track “Rock Around the Clock,” a song that is often cited as the birth of rock ’n’ roll. Born in Old Fort, North Carolina in...

Trevor Bolder, who played with David Bowie’s backing band Spiders From Mars, has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 62. Born in Kingston Upon Hull, England, Bolder was a prominent member of the local R&B scene in the ‘60s before replacing Tony Visconti in Bowie’s band. He appeared on the albums Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall...

Parliament-Funkadelic member Cordell “Boogie” Mosson passed away on April 18th from an unspecified illness. He was 60 years old. Mosson grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey, where he was friends with future P-Funk guitarist Garry Shider. The duo eventually joined a band called United Soul, which came to the attention of P-Funk founder George Clinton. Clinton produced several of the...

The bass community has lost another great player as former Deftones bassist Chi Cheng has passed away after a five year fight for his life. Cheng was in a car accident in 2008 in Santa Clara, California that left him in a coma. Though he had been showing signs of improvement the past two years, he succumbed to heart related...

Bassist Neil Smith, a one-time member of AC/DC and Rose Tattoo passed away early this morning, according to a message posted on his Facebook page. The bassist had been battling cancer. “Neil Smith passed away in the early hours of the morning, Sunday the 7th of April 2013. He was sleeping peacefully and surrounded by family. “Neil is now in...

Chris Bailey, the bassist for The Angels, has passed away at the age of 62 after a battle with throat cancer. The Angels guitarist John Brewster posted the news on the band’s Facebook page. “It is a very sad day for us,” Brewster said. “We have lost a great friend in Chris Bailey and a great friend to a lot...

Philip Kubicki, creator of the Factor Bass, has passed away after a battle with cancer. The renowned luthier spent nine years at Fender in their R&D department before creating his own brand. Kubicki first realized his fascination with instruments at his grandparents’ house. “When I was young – perhaps 12 or 13 years old – I found an old, handmade...

Chuck Goff, who played bass with country music superstar Toby Keith, died this week after sustaining injuries from a car accident. He was 54. Carl “Chuck” Goff Jr. played for Keith for over 25 years as both a bass player and band leader. He also cowrote “You Ain’t Much Fun” and “Upstairs Downtown” from the 1994 album Boomtown. Keith shared...