RIP- musicians

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

Laura Lynch,65,  founder and member til 1995, of the Dixie Chicks, in a car accident.

[Nick Reg]

Laura Lynch,65,  founder and member til 1995, of the Dixie Chicks, in a car accident.

Love The Chicks but not heard so much of the early stuff. Also i play regularly the stuff made during their hiatus after the Bush kerfuffle, Natalies solo album and The Courtyard Hounds albums are superb. RIP Laura.

[PaulT]

Gordon Lightfoot (84), and Steve Harwell - singer with Smash Mouth(just 56).

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Gordon Lightfoot (84), and Steve Harwell - singer with Smash Mouth(just 56).

Both rather earlier in the year.

[PaulT]

Really? I've only just seen the headline! Whoops...

[ColinB]

If you want a reminder of who the Grim Reaper has taken this year here's a round-up...  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/w8pmj2u36t/notable-deaths-2023

[PaulT]

Del Palmer, 71, who was Kate Bush's bassist and recording engineer for most of her career, has died.  

[davidmjs]

Del Palmer, 71, who was Kate Bush's bassist and recording engineer for most of her career, has died.  

#
and partner for a lengthy period until the early 90s, I think?

[PaulT]

indeed he was. But their professional relationship was as strong as ever after they parted romantically.

[davidmjs]

Tony Clarkin of Magnum (as posted on FB by Rodney Matthews)

[Adam]

Tony Clarkin of Magnum (as posted on FB by Rodney Matthews)

That’s really sad news. I loved Magnum in the 80’s; fantastic rock/pop, and they deserved to be massive.

[Glen S]

Tony Clarkin of Magnum (as posted on FB by Rodney Matthews)

That's sad news!

In 1980 I saw Def Leppard at the New Theatre Oxford, on their first headlining tour.

Magnum were supporting that night and were excellent!

[Jules Gray]

Tony Clarkin of Magnum (as posted on FB by Rodney Matthews)

He was a mate of mine's landlord. I used to see him occasionally when he came round to attend to various things. Never being a metalhead, I had no idea who he was until my mate told me. RIP Tony.

Jules

[wayne stote]

Such a shame about Tony Clarkin. I read, the other day, that Magnum had postponed their forthcoming tour because he was poorly but the report made it seem like an injury rather than anything life threatening.

I've just been listening to their new CD, Here Comes The Rain. Bittersweet, at the moment, of course, but it's a high quality swansong.

[davidmjs]

Tony Clarkin of Magnum (as posted on FB by Rodney Matthews)

He was a mate of mine's landlord.

There should be a thread about landlords of mates in bands.  Dave Arbus was my mate's landlord in Canterbury back in the late 80's/early 90s.  Had a good few evenings with him back in t'day...

As for Tony, well, Magnum are the only band I can actually remember seeing in the old Wardour Street Marquee.  I know I went to others but I'm damned if I can remember what they were.  I've barely listened to a note of Magnum's in 4 decades but I remember them fondly.

[bassline (Mike)]

Tony Clarkin of Magnum (as posted on FB by Rodney Matthews)

That’s really sad news. I loved Magnum in the 80’s; fantastic rock/pop, and they deserved to be massive.

Magnum were one of those bands that were doing all right until the record company decided to stick their oar in and persuaded Tony to write songs with Russ Ballard and Jim Vallance and be produced by the guy that had a massive hit with the MTVised version of Whitesnake's 1987 album. Result : they went from headlining the NEC to playing the Robin and split up, albeit reforming a few years later.
Tony didn't need any help writing. He wrote some beautiful songs, some powerful anti-war songs, and some beautiful anti-war songs for that matter. The record company, or management, should have pushed for established artists to cover his creations to build Magnum's profile in the US market. But commerce versus art doesn't always produce good results.
My connection to the band came from looking after keyboard player Mark Stanway's kids, and Mark, his wife Mo, Bob Catley and, of course, Tony himself, were down to earth, good people to know in person.

What a night to be called to Heaven.

Rest easy Tony, and thank you.  
   

[davidmjs]

Tony Clarkin of Magnum (as posted on FB by Rodney Matthews)

That’s really sad news. I loved Magnum in the 80’s; fantastic rock/pop, and they deserved to be massive.

Magnum were one of those bands that were doing all right until the record company decided to stick their oar in and persuaded Tony to write songs with Russ Ballard and Jim Vallance and be produced by the guy that had a massive hit with the MTVised version of Whitesnake's 1987 album. Result : they went from headlining the NEC to playing the Robin and split up, albeit reforming a few years later.
Tony didn't need any help writing. He wrote some beautiful songs, some powerful anti-war songs, and some beautiful anti-war songs for that matter. The record company, or management, should have pushed for established artists to cover his creations to build Magnum's profile in the US market. But commerce versus art doesn't always produce good results.
My connection to the band came from looking after keyboard player Mark Stanway's kids, and Mark, his wife Mo, Bob Catley and, of course, Tony himself, were down to earth, good people to know in person.

What a night to be called to Heaven.

Rest easy Tony, and thank you.  
  

Wow...Did they really headline the NEC?!  When was that?

[Metro96 (Keith)]

Tony Clarkin of Magnum (as posted on FB by Rodney Matthews)

That’s really sad news. I loved Magnum in the 80’s; fantastic rock/pop, and they deserved to be massive.

Magnum were one of those bands that were doing all right until the record company decided to stick their oar in and persuaded Tony to write songs with Russ Ballard and Jim Vallance and be produced by the guy that had a massive hit with the MTVised version of Whitesnake's 1987 album. Result : they went from headlining the NEC to playing the Robin and split up, albeit reforming a few years later.
Tony didn't need any help writing. He wrote some beautiful songs, some powerful anti-war songs, and some beautiful anti-war songs for that matter. The record company, or management, should have pushed for established artists to cover his creations to build Magnum's profile in the US market. But commerce versus art doesn't always produce good results.
My connection to the band came from looking after keyboard player Mark Stanway's kids, and Mark, his wife Mo, Bob Catley and, of course, Tony himself, were down to earth, good people to know in person.

What a night to be called to Heaven.

Rest easy Tony, and thank you.  
  

Wow...Did they really headline the NEC?!  When was that?

A quick google says December 1988

[bassline (Mike)]

They had Zep clones Kingdom Come as support, their drummer James Kottak, died two days after Tony.

The NEC show had a great stage production.
There was a video release from Hammersmith, from the same tour, which you can watch here :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDT3hO6gmWo

[davidmjs]

They had Zep clones Kingdom Come as support, their drummer James Kottak, died two days after Tony.

The NEC show had a great stage production.
There was a video release from Hammersmith, from the same tour, which you can watch here :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDT3hO6gmWo

I quite clearly missed their growth to that level.  My gaze was elsewhere in the late 80s.  They were always a Marquee Club and, yes, Robin 2, type band to me...or supporting 'major artists' at the Hammy Odeon.... I had a listen to a bit last night. Enjoyable (although there's a limit to how much I can endure Bob's vocal mannerisms)...