RIP – Rock In Perpetuity
Mourning the loss of classic rock stars, other musical greats and related figures
Autograph’s Founding Member, Randy Rand, Dies
The “Turn Up the Radio” band got a big break when they got the opening slot for Van Halen’s 1984 tour while still unsigned
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Cynthia Plaster Caster, Groupie Who Made Art From Rockers’ Genitals, Dead at 74
Using a substance utilized for dental molds, she immortalized rockers’ “junk,” with Jimi Hendrix, Eric Burdon and other musicians posing for posterity..
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Art Rupe—Label Owner Who Signed Little Richard and Sam Cooke—Dies at 104
A gospel music fan who moved into the fields of R&B and early rock ‘n’ roll, his Specialty Records label gave us some of the greatest classics of the era.
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Bobby Rydell, ’50s/’60s Singer, Actor and Teen Idol, Dead at 79
Part of a wave of young, Philadelphia based teen idols, his hits included “Wild One” and “Volare,” and he starred in ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ with Ann-Margret.
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Joe Messina, Guitarist with Motown’s Funk Brothers, Dead at 93
A core member of the Detroit label’s house band, Messina played on hits by the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, 4 Tops and many others.
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Richie Podolor, Producer of Hits For Three Dog Night, Dies
His biggest early break was when he became recording engineer for Steppenwolf. He went on to produce the #1 hits “Joy to the World” and “Black and White”
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Fred Parris, Who Led and Wrote the Five Satins’ ‘In the Still of the Night,’ Dies
“I started writing songs, which I really hadn’t planned on doing. I heard the other songs that groups were recording and I just tried my hand at it”
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Dixie Cups Member Rosa Lee Hawkins—of ‘Chapel of Love’ Fame—Dead at 76
The group, consisting of two sisters and a cousin, knocked the Beatles out of the #1 spot and returned to the charts with “People Say” and “Iko Iko.”
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Calvin Simon, Rock Hall Member With P-Funk, Dies
He formed a doo-wop quintet with George Clinton called the Parliaments and they eventually evolved into the collectives known as Parliament-Funkadelic
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Wanda Young, Singer of the Marvelettes’ ‘Don’t Mess With Bill,’ Dies
She joined the singing group just prior to their signing with Motown in 1961. Their first single, “Please Mr. Postman,” became the label’s first #1 pop hit
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