There have been encouraging developments in the past weeks, as it pertains to the ongoing pandemic – vaccines getting approved and distributed, therapeutics advancing and strategies evolving to help those infected with COVID-19, and even glimmers of hope for economic recovery.
In a recent report, David Bailin, chief investment officer of Citi Private Bank, said, “Our optimism going into 2021 is buoyed by strong financial institutions, high household savings and growing confidence levels among businesses and consumers alike. We’re also seeing increased investor optimism due to low global interest rates that will enable a full economic recovery.”
While we all hope for a much (much!) happier year, before we charge fully into 2021, I want to acknowledge just a few of the significant musicians that we lost in 2020 – a year that was particularly devastating in this area. I’m bound to miss a few (or more), but RIP to these talented men and women who helped drive interest in music and musical instruments for generations:
• Neil Peart- drummer, songwriter: Rush (1/7/2020)
• David Olney – singer, songwriter (1/18/2020)
• Bob Shane – singer: The Kingston Trio (1/26/2020)
• Buddy Cage – pedal steel guitarist: New Riders of the Purple Sage (2/5/2020)
• Lyle Mays – keyboardist: Pat Metheny Group (2/10/2020)
• Joseph Shabalala – singer & founder: Ladysmith Black Mambazo (2/11/2020)
• Paul English – drummer: Willie Nelson (2/11/2020)
• Mac Benford – banjoist, singer: Highwoods String Band (2/14/2020)
• McCoy Tyner – pianist (3/6/2020)
• Eric Taylor – singer, songwriter (3/9/2020)
• Kenny Rogers – singer, songwriter (3/20/2020)
• Eric Weissberg – banjoist, multi-instrumentalist (3/22/2020)
• Mike Longo – pianist (3/22/2020)
• Manu Dibango – saxophonist: from Cameroon and France (3/24/2020)
• Joe Diffie – singer, songwriter (3/29/2020)
• Bill Withers – singer, songwriter (3/31/2020)
• Wallace Roney – trumpeter (3/31/2020)
• Ellis Marsalis – pianist, composer (4/1/2020)
• Bucky Pizzarelli – guitarist (4/1/2020)
• Adam Schlesinger – singer, songwriter: Fountains of Wayne (4/1/2020)
• John Prine – singer, songwriter (4/7/2020)
• Hal Willner – music producer (4/7/2020)
• Tony Allen – percussionist: Fela Kuti, Afrobeat groups (4/30/2020)
• Little Richard – singer, pianist, cornerstone of Rock n’ Roll (5/9/2020)
• Betty Wright- singer (5/10/2020)
• Lucky Peterson – guitarist, singer (5/17/2020)
• Jimmy Cobb – drummer (5/24/2020)
• Bucky Baxter – pedal steel guitarist: Bob Dylan, Steve Earle (5/26/2020)
• James Hand – singer/songwriter (6/8/2020)
• Charlie Daniels – fiddler, singer, songwriter (7/6/2020)
• Mickey McGee – drummer: Goose Creek Symphony, Flying Burrito Brothers, Linda Ronstadt (7/20/2020)
• Dan Kelly – fiddler: Tennessee Mafia Jug Band (7/22/2020)
• Peter Green – guitarist, singer, songwriter: Fleetwood Mac (7/25/2020)
• Kenny Ingram – banjo player: Lester Flatt & Nashville Grass, Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys, Larry Stephenson Band (7/26/2020)
• Steve Gulley – guitarist, singer, songwriter: Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle, Mountain Heart, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (8/18/2020)
• Todd Nance – drummer: Widespread Panic (8/19/2020)
• Justin Townes Earle – singer, songwriter, guitarist (8/23/2020)
• Sean Mason – drummer: Snozzberries, Vertigo Jazz Project, Zansa, other Asheville area acts (8/29/2020)
• Gary Peacock – bassist: Albert Ayler, Paul Bley, Bill Evans, others (9/4/2020)
• Toots Hibbert – singer/songwriter: Toots & the Maytals (9/11/2020)
• Helen Reddy – singer (9/29/2020)
• Mac Davis – songwriter, singer (9/29/2020)
• Eddie Van Halen – guitarist, songwriter (10/6/2020)
• Johnny Nash – singer (10/6/2020)
• Spencer Davis – guitarist, bandleader: The Spencer Davis Group (10/19/2020)
• Jerry Jeff Walker – singer/songwriter (10/23/2020)
• Billy Joe Shaver – singer/songwriter (10/28/2020)
• Hal Ketchum – singer/songwriter (11/23/2020)
• Charley Pride – singer (12/12/2020)
• Leslie West – guitarist, singer: Mountain (12/23/2020)
• Tony Rice – guitarist, singer, icon (12/25/2020)
