Rock 'n' roll losses - January 1-15, 2025

Thank you for the music and have a great afterlife!

In the first half of January we’ve lost some well-known rock ‘n’ roll and folk musicians around the world.

Briefly profiled below, with a video of one of their popular songs, are the ones whose music has been a part of my life.

Others I never knew, but who are notable nonetheless, are also listed below.

Wayne Osmond of The Osmonds

Wayne Osmond did vocals and guitar for The Osmonds, and co-wrote some of their songs once the band was able to break away from its ‘boy band’ image and the songs mandated by their record company.

Out of this new freedom, one of their first songs, “Crazy Horses” (1972), was a hard rock protest song —about gas-guzzling cars destroying the environment — that has been covered by many other bands.

Wayne passed away on New Year’s Day of a stroke at age 73. He co-wrote “Crazy Horses”:

Soul singer Brenton Wood

Brenton Wood (born Alfred Jesse Smith) was known for “The Oogum Boogum Song” (1967). You know this song!

He died on January 3rd at 83 years old from natural causes.

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary

Peter Yarrow was a singer-songwriter and guitarist for the folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary from 1961 to 1970 and 1978 to 2008.

Some of the group’s hits included “Puff the Magic Dragon,” which Peter co-wrote, a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and covers of Pete Seeger’s “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and “If I Had a Hammer.”

Peter died on January 7th at age 86.

Here’s Peter, Paul and Mary’s #1 single, “Leaving on a Jet Plane” from 1969:

Soul singer Sam Moore

Sam Moore was a member of the soul and R&B duo Sam & Dave from 1961 to 1981, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (for “Soul Man”), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. He inspired both Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen.

He died on January 10th at age 89.

Here’s a live performance of Sam and Dave’s 1967 hit “Soul Man”:

Other rock ‘n’ roll musicians we’ve lost

Leo Dan, singer and composer of Latin pop and soft rock, on January 1st at age 82.

Chad Morgan, Australian country and folk singer and guitarist, on January 1st at age 91.

Russ North, English hard rock and heavy metal singer, most notably with Cloven Hoof, on January 1st at age 59.

Ed Askew, American folk singer-songwriter, on January 4th at age 84.

Beej Chaney, American punk and new wave singer and guitarist with the Suburbs and owner of the Shangra-La recording studio in Los Angeles, on January 5th at age 67.

Fredrik Eugén Lindgren, Swedish heavy metal guitarist and composer, on January 6th at age 53.

Hope Foye, American folk singer, on January 6th at the age of 103.

Ragne Wahlquist, co-founder of Swedish heavy metal and power metal band Heavy Load and owner and producer of Thunderload Records, on January 7th at age 69.

P. Fluid (Peter Forrest), vocalist for American hard rock, heavy metal, rap metal, and funk metal band 24-7 Spyz from the South Bronx, on January 13th at age 64.

Linda Nolan, member of the Irish girl group The Nolans, singer, and TV personality, on January 15th at age 65.

David Lynch, notable American filmmaker and experimental rock and avant-garde electropop musician and film sound designer, on January 15th at age 78.