R.I.P. LEE DORMAN

 

Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman has died at age 70 in Laguna Niguel, California, leaving fans to mourn the death of a musician whose psychedelic rock band made "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" one of the most iconic anthems in history.

Lee Dorman's cause of death is believed to be from natural causes, according to the Orange County Coroner's Office, as the rock star had a history of heart problems.

OC Sheriff deputies say Lee Dorman was found dead in his car without any evident signs of foul play, nor were any drugs or paraphernalia found, reportedly.

Douglas Lee Dorman was born on September 15, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved to Southern California in the 1960s to make it in the music business.

In 1967, Lee Dorman joined the acid rock band Iron Butterfly in Los Angeles and recorded the band's megahit album, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, which has sold a staggering 31 million copies and counting.

The album is historically significant as the very first album ever to be awarded Platinum status.

The epic 17-minute title track, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," is one of the most recognizable musical anthems in history.

The song would not have been as successful without Lee Dorman's hypnotic, iconic bass line by which the song is immediately recognized.  That is a rare status for a bass player to hold, as most musicians know.

MR SKIN SAYS GOODBYE

I would be amiss without a moment to thank the "World's Greatest Drummer" Ed Cassidy of Spirit and so much more, Another piece of the 60's music scene has gone on to the other side. R.I.P. Ed Cassidy Dec 06-2012

TERRY DOLAN

Terry Dolan, a singer-songwriter whose band, Terry and the Pirates, boasted an all-star lineup in the 1970s and '80s that included Rolling Stones' keyboardist Nicky Hopkins and Quicksilver Messenger Service guitarist John Cipollina, died Jan. 15 at his home in Novato. He was 68.

Friends said Mr. Dolan had been in ill health and died in his sleep.

Born in 1943 and raised in Connecticut, Mr. Dolan arrived in San Francisco in 1965 during the Haight Ashbury hippie migration and began his music career as a guitar-strumming folk singer in North Beach clubs and coffee houses.

"His delivery was really powerful," said Michael Hunt of Woodacre, who often performed with Mr. Dolan in those days. "He could handle the stage all by himself."

In 1973, Mr. Dolan formed Terry and the Pirates with a lineup that was anchored by Cipollina and guitarist Greg Douglass. Over the years, it also featured a host of star rock musicians, including Van Morrison Band bassist David Hayes, Journey guitarist Neil Schon, original Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden, the Pointer Sisters, Peter Rowan and the Tubes' Prairie Prince.

"All these talented musicians, the cream of the crop, came to play with Terry," said Mike Somavilla, his business manager. "It wasn't for monetary gain. They just loved the free-form rock that Terry was putting out there."

In one interview, Mr. Dolan said that he and his wife made a list one night of all the musicians who had been in his band.

"And everyone is successful except me," he added, laughing.

Terry and the Pirates dissolved after Cipollina's death in 1989, but reunited for a time in 1994, releasing one album, 1998's "Still a Pirate."

SEAN BONNIWELL

Sean Bonniwell R.I.P.

Birth name Thomas Harvey Bonniwell
Also known as T.S. Bonniwell


Website ... bonniwellmusicmachine.com

Thomas Harvey "Sean" Bonniwell (August 16, 1940 – December 20, 2011) was an American singer-songwriter/guitarist, who was known as the creative force behind the 1960s garage rock band, The Music Machine.

Bonniwell was quoted in Richie Unterberger's 1998 book, Unknown Legends of Rock 'n' Roll, as saying "Rock and roll was a teenager in the '60s, and I used that climate to express my confusion, my anger, at the injustice of the world."

Bonniwell was born in San Jose, California. During his teens, Bonniwell was inspired to form a high school vocal group after hearing the song "Only You" by The Platters. After high school, Bonniwell's first serious musical incarnation was that of clean-cut pop-folk guitarist for the quartet The Wayfarers. The Wayfarers released three albums under the RCA label.

As the folk music craze died out, Bonniwell sought to create music with "fuzz and fangs." In 1965, he formed a trio called The Ragamuffins, which quickly grew into The Music Machine. Adopting Beatles-style moptop hair and all-black outfits (and Bonniwell's signature single black leather glove), Music Machine churned out a diversified style of garage rock. After the band debut's album spawned the successful single "Talk Talk" (1966), the original line-up broke apart. Bonniwell continued on with Music Machine, now signed to Warner Bros. Records and re-named The Bonniwell Music Machine (1967). Unhappy with the way things were going, Bonniwell sold the rights to the band name to his label in order to be released from their contract

In 1969, Bonniwell released a solo album on Capitol Records. This recording marked a change in identity for Bonniwell, who not only chose to make gentle, sensitive music (contrasting that for which he was known), but also chose to record under the name of T.S. Bonniwell. The recording received minor label support and displeased Bonniwell enough that he left the music industry altogether. He entered a period of spiritual quest and internal soul-searching, grew a beard, sold everything he owned, and drove around the US in a Volkswagen bus.


In 1996, Bonniwell self-published a memoir called Talk Talk, which was later revised and re-titled Beyond The Garage, published by the small press Christian Vision.[3] Several years later, Sundazed Records put out previously un-released Music Machine material from the 1960s, along with demo recordings from The Ragamuffins. Bonniwell claimed to have written over 300 songs since 1970.

In November 2004, Bonniwell embarked on his first European Tour, performing his hits with musicians from the US and Europe.

In 2006, Bonniwell recorded his first new material in several years, as a guest musician appearing on a self-titled debut album by The Larksmen, a garage rock group from Los Angeles, California. He appeared on two songs entitled "Burn Like A Boy" (actually written back in 1967 for The Music Machine but never released) and "Out Of Darwin's Mind".

Bonniwell died on December 20, 2011, in Visalia, California, from lung cancer. He was 71 years old.
As a teenager The Music machine was one of those bands that made an impression on me even though they had only that one touch of success with "Talk Talk".

ROCKIT RUBY

Remembering Ruby Starr who passed away from cancer on January 14-1995 If anyone out there has alink or info on the Ruby Starr CD "Stealin' The Show" or the single "Under Your Spell" I would like to obtain the music