If you’ve been reading the PiercingMetal website for a while then you already know that I occasionally need to share the sad news about deaths in the entertainment world. Historically speaking, I’ve been doing them since the days when I had “PiercingMetal Musings” as a side blog that had not yet been integrated into the main site as you see now. Back then I always felt weird about doing such posts but as much as good news should be announced so should the bad stuff and as a known “voice” for the Metal Scene, I try to keep up on them when the news hits the wire. Now with this being said, there is no way possible for me to address every single one of them based on the size of the team and the time that we have so starting this year I will be doing a larger rundown of many of the names that I think you would know. Some have already been discussed in our “In Memoriam” Features, and those artists will be highlighted so you can examine the longer toast that we did. Let’s start from the beginning of the year and raise a glass to their memories one more time.
January 16, 2017: Steve Wright (66), American power pop bassist and songwriter (The Greg Kihn Band)
January 18, 2017: Mike Kellie (69), British psychedelic rock and power pop drummer (Spooky Tooth, The Only Ones)
January 22, 2017: Pete Overend Watts (69), British glam rock bassist (Mott the Hoople)
January 24, 2017: Butch Trucks (69), American rock drummer (The Allman Brothers Band, Les Brers)
January 28, 2017: Geoff Nicholls (68), British rock musician and keyboardist (Black Sabbath, Quartz)
January 31, 2017: John Wetton (67), British progressive rock singer, bassist, and songwriter (Asia, King Crimson)
February 1, 2017: Robert Dahlqvist (40), Swedish alternative rock guitarist and singer (The Hellacopters, Thunder Express, Dundertåget)
February 4, 2017: Steve Lang (67), Canadian rock bassist (April Wine)
February 8, 2017: Tony Särkkä (44), Swedish black metal multi-instrumentalist
February 12, 2017: Al Jarreau (76), American jazz singer
February 13, 2017: Trish Doan (31), American heavy metal bassist (Kittie) (death announced on this date)
February 19, 2017: Larry Coryell (73), American jazz fusion guitarist
February 25, 2017: Rick Chavez, American progressive metal singer and guitarist (Drive)
February 25, 2017: Bill Paxton (61), American new wave keyboardist (Martini Ranch) and actor
March 1, 2017: Hiroshi Kamayatsu (78), Japanese rock singer (The Spiders, Vodka Collins)
March 3, 2017: Jim Fuller (69), American surf rock guitarist (The Surfaris)
March 3, 2017: Lyle Ritz (87), American rock bassist and ukuleleist (The Wrecking Crew)
March 12, 2017: Joey Alves (63), American hard rock rhythm guitarist (Y&T)
March 13, 2017: Robert “P-Nut” Johnson, American funk singer (Parliament-Funkadelic)
March 18, 2017: Bernie Wrightson (68) American artist.
March 18, 2017: Chuck Berry (90), American rock and roll guitarist, singer and songwriter
March 21, 2017: Gabriel “Negru” Mafa (42), black metal drummer (Negură Bunget)
March 22, 2017: Sib Hashian (67), American rock drummer (Boston)
April 1, 2017: Ikutaro Kakehashi (87), Japanese engineer, founder of Roland Corporation, manufacturer of electronic musical instruments
April 5, 2017: Paul O’Neill (61), American progressive metal composer, lyricist, producer, and songwriter (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Savatage)
April 8, 2017: Keni Richards (60), American rock drummer (Autograph)
April 10, 2017: Banner Thomas (62), American hard rock bassist (Molly Hatchet)
April 11, 2017: J. Geils (71), American blues, rock and jazz guitarist (The J. Geils Band)
April 15, 2017: Allan Holdsworth (70), British jazz fusion guitarist (Gong, Soft Machine, U.K.)
April 15, 2017: Matt Holt (39), American heavy metal singer (Nothingface)
April 27, 2017: Jeff Decker, Canadian heavy metal guitarist (Thor)
May 3, 2017: Casey Jones (77), American blues drummer (Johnny Winter)
May 3, 2017: C’el Revuelta, American punk rock bassist (Black Flag)
May 17, 2017: Chris Cornell (52), American alternative rock singer and songwriter (Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog)
May 20, 2017: Ace Still, American doom metal singer (Goatlord)
May 23, 2017: Sir Roger George Moore (89) British actor; “James Bond 007”.
May 27, 2017: Gregg Allman (69), American rock singer, songwriter and keyboardist (The Allman Brothers Band)
May 27, 2017: Guillermo Sanchez, Argentinian heavy metal bassist (Rata Blanca)
June 9, 2017: Adam West (William West Anderson) (88) American Actor, TV’s “Batman”
June 28, 2017: Nic Ritter (37), American thrash metal drummer (Warbringer)
June 28, 2017: Dave Rosser (50), American alternative rock guitarist (The Afghan Whigs)
July 9, 2017: Erik Cartwright (66), American blues rock guitarist (Foghat)
July 12, 2017: Marc ‘Blaash’ Michaelson, American black metal drummer (Bahimiron)
July 14, 2017: David Zablidowsky (38), American hard rock bassist (Adrenaline Mob, Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
July 20, 2017: Chester Bennington (41), American hard rock singer and songwriter (Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots, Dead by Sunrise)
August 1, 2017: Goldy McJohn (72), Canadian hard rock keyboardist (Steppenwolf)
August 8, 2017: Glen Campbell (81), American country music singer and songwriter
August 20, 2017: Jerry Lewis (91), American actor and pop singer
August 23, 2017: Janet Rains aka Jane Train (48) American Hard Rock singer.
September 2, 2017: Dave Hlubek (66), American rock guitarist and songwriter (Molly Hatchet)
September 3, 2017: Walter Becker (67), American jazz rock guitarist, bassist and songwriter (Steely Dan)
September 13, 2017: Grant Hart (56), American alternative rock singer, songwriter and drummer (Hüsker Dü)
September 21, 2017: Cees Bergman (65), Dutch glam rock singer (Catapult)
September 22, 2017: Eric Eycke (41), American heavy metal singer (Corrosion of Conformity)
October 2, 2017: Tom Petty (66), American rock singer, songwriter and guitarist (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Traveling Wilburys, Mudcrutch)
October 5, 2017: Rodrigo BVevino (42), British heavy metal singer (Avenger)
October 17, 2017: Gord Downie (53), Canadian rock singer and songwriter (The Tragically Hip)
October 21, 2017: Martin Eric Ain (50), American-Swiss heavy metal bassist (Celtic Frost)
October 22, 2017: Scott Putesky (49), American heavy metal guitarist (Marilyn Manson)
October 24, 2017: Fats Domino (89), American rock and roll singer and pianist
October 27, 2017: Mike Hudson (61), American punk rock singer (The Pagans)
October 28, 2017: Bruce Black, American power metal drummer (Meliah Rage)
November 1, 2017: Scott Wily, American death metal singer (Vital Remains)
November 5, 2017: Danny Anaya (52), American heavy metal drummer (MX Machine)
November 7, 2017: Pentti Glan (71), Finnish rock drummer (Mandala, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper)
November 10, 2017: Chuck Mosley (57), American alternative rock singer (Faith No More)
November 12, 2017: Chad Hanks (46), American metal bassist (American Head Charge)
November 16, 2017: Michael “Dik Mik” Davies (73), British space rock keyboardist (Hawkwind)
November 18, 2017: Malcolm Young (64), Australian hard rock guitarist (AC/DC)
November 21, 2017: David Cassidy (67), American pop singer and actor
December 12, 2017: Pat DiNizio (62), American power pop singer and guitarist (The Smithereens)
December 13, 2017: Warrel Dane (56), American heavy metal singer (Sanctuary, Nevermore)
December 19, 2017: Jim Forrester (43), American hard rock bassist (Sixty Watt Shaman)
It was surely a big year in terms of entertainment losses and while some were on the expected side based on the overall age, there were some that seemed to come out of nowhere and were complete surprises to me and their worldwide fans. Some of the names up above hit me harder as I had been fortunate enough to know and talk to them as a media voice discussing their adventures and plans. Time is surely precious my friends so let’s raise a glass to the memories of all of these talented individuals and be sure to play their music or videos or talk to friends about what you liked about them most. We again offer humble condolences to their families and say “Rest In Peace” and “Thank You For The Many Gifts You Left Us”.