During 2015, the entertainment industry lost over 100 names from both in front of the microphone and behind the scenes.
Only this week we heard news of the death of Stevie Wright of The Easybeats, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, John Bradbury of The Specials and Guru Josh.
As well as Stevie Wright this week Australia also farewelled James Cruickshank of The Cruel Sea, Chris Paine of Mantissa, broadcaster Mike Gibson, Allan Fryer of Heaven, Doug Rowe of the Flying Circus and Daevid Allen of Gong.
Here are the people we lost in 2015.
December
Guru Josh
John Bradbury of The Specials
Lemmy Kilmister
Stevie Wright
Carson Van Osten of Nazz
William Guest of The Pips
Gareth Mortimer of Racing Cars
Scott Weiland
Cynthia Robinson of Sly and the Family Stone
NOVEMBER
Chris Paine of Mantissa
P.F.Sloan
Martin Beard of Sopwith Camel
Andy White (Beatles session drummer)
Allen Toussaint
Fast Eddie Hoh
Charlie Dick
Paul Rekow of Santana
Tommy Overstreet
OCTOBER
Al Molinaro of Happy Days
Diane Charlemagne of Urban Cookie Collective
Joe Moss, manager of The Smiths
Cory Wells of Three Dog Night
Smokin’ Joe Kubek
Steve Mackay of The Stooges and Violent Femmes
Jim Diamond
James Cruickshank of The Cruel Sea
Gail Zappa
Billy Joe Royal
Al Abrams, Motown publicist
Simon Cowe of Lindisfarne
SEPTEMBER
Frankie Ford
Mike Gibson
Ben Cauley of The Bar-Keys
Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen in The Adventures of Superman)
Peggy Jones aka Lady Bo
Gary Richrath of REO Speedwagon
Bryn Merrick of The Damned
Rico Rodriguez of The Specials
Boomer Castleman
AUGUST
Wes Craven
Danny Sembello
Bob Johnson, producer
Jazz Summers, manager
Stephen Lewis from On The Buses
Billy Sherrill
Cilla Black
Lynn Anderson
JULY
Bobbi Kristina Brown
Eddie Hardin of Spencer Davis Group
Theodore Bikel, founder of the Newport Folk Festival
Mitch Aliotta of Rotary Connection
Doug Rowe of The Flying Circus
Perry ‘Buddy’ Buie of Atlanta Rhythm Section
Wayne Carson
Dave Somerville of The Diamonds
Eric Wrixon of Them
Joseph Robinson of Sugarhill Gang
Ernie Maresca
Michael Masser
Jerry Weintraub
Red Lane
Val Doonican
Bruce Rowland of Fairport Convention
JUNE
Chris Squire of Yes
James Horner
Monica Lewis
Jim Ed Brown
Christopher Lee
Ornette Colman
James Last
Ronnie Gilbert of The Weavers
Nick Marsh of Flesh For Lulu
Allan Fryer of Heaven
Randy Howard
MAY
Darius Minwalla of The Posies
Louis Johnson of Brothers Johnson
Robert Drasnin, composer of Twilight Zone
B.B. King
Craig Gruber of Rainbow
Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate
Ben E King
APRIL
Jack Ely of The Kingsmen
Suzanne Crough of The Partridge Family
Guy LeBlanc of Camel
Sid Tipper, songwriter for Elvis
Percy Sledge
Stan Freberg
Cynthia Lennon
MARCH
Jeremy Brown of The Wildabouts
Jackie Trent
AJ Pero of Twisted Sister
Michael Browne of The Left Banke
Andy Fraser of Free
Mike Pocaro of Toto
Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night
Daevid Allen of Soft Machine and Gong
Charmayne Maxwell of Brownstone
FEBRUARY
Lesley Gore
Gary Owens
Sam Andrew of Big Brother and the Holding Company
Steve Strange of Visage
Joe Mauldin of The Crickets
Don Covay
JANUARY
Rod McKuen
Demis Roussos
Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream
Dallas Taylor of Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Kim Fowley
Bill Thompson, manager of Jefferson Airplane
Clifford Adams of Kool and the Gang
Tim Drummond, of early Neil Young albums
Curtis Lee
Willie ‘Popsy’ Dixon of The Holmes Brothers
Rod Taylor
Pino Daniele
Little Jimmy Dickens
Donna Douglas of the Beverly Hillbillies
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