Obituaries in the News - The Associated Press (Long John Baldry )

Long John Baldry VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Long John Baldry, the British blues legend who helped launch the careers of such rock greats as Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones, died Thursday of a chest infection, according to his agent. He was 64.

Baldry, nicknamed Long John because of his 6-foot-7 height, was one of the main forces in British blues, rock and pop music in the 1960s. He first hit the top of the U.K. singles charts in 1967 with "Let the Heartaches Begin."

One of his most memorable hits, "Don't Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll," was co-produced by Stewart and Elton John.

Although Baldry released over 40 albums, he was perhaps best known for nurturing the nascent talent of a host of musicians who are now worldwide superstars.

Baldry's early 1960s stage act featured the likes of Stewart, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Jimmy Paige and Ginger Baker.

DOVER, N.J. (AP) - Michael Gibson, a trombone player known for brassy orchestrations of Broadway musicals such as "Grease" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman," died July 15 of lung cancer according to his wife, Ellen. He was 60.

He had been nominated for two Tony awards, for best orchestration of "Steel Pier" (1997) and the recent revival of "Cabaret."

Gibson worked as a studio musician in New York before orchestrating "Grease" in 1972. He also did the platinum album of the film's soundtrack in 1978.

He worked for more than 20 years with the team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, including their "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1995) and several revivals of their "Cabaret."

In addition to work for dancers, including Ann Reinking and Chita Rivera, Gibson had off-Broadway and Hollywood credits, including serving as musical arranger and conductor for "Roseland" (1977) and orchestrating "Still of the Night" (1982).

WEST HURLEY, N.Y. (AP) - John Herald, a noted bluegrass musician who recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, has died. He was 65.

A funeral home confirmed Herald's death to The Daily Freeman of Kingston, which reported it Thursday. A cause of death was not given, nor was an exact date.

Herald was best known as a guitarist and lead vocalist for the Greenbriar Boys, who were at the forefront of the early 1960s folk scene in Greenwich Village. The band toured with Joan Baez, and Herald's song "Stewball" was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary.

In an interview with the BBC five years ago, Herald said he was inspired to sing when he met folk musician Pete Seeger at a summer camp in 1954.

CHICAGO (AP) - Eugene Record, founder of the legendary Chicago-based vocal group The Chi-Lites, died Friday after a long battle with cancer, the president of the group's booking agency said. He was 64.

Record was the composer of many hits including The Chi-Lites classic, "Have You Seen Her?" and "Oh Girl," among others.

The Chi-Lites were formed in Chicago in 1959, and Record slowly emerged as the group's lead singer, songwriter and producer, according to the group's Web site. He retired in the mid-1980s from the group.

Record started The Chi-Lites with Marshall Thompson and Robert "Squirrel" Lester.

In 2003, The Chi-Lites' song, "Are You My Woman?" was the basis for Beyonce's hit, "Crazy in Love."

The Chi-Lites and Record most recently appeared in the documentary "Only the Strong Survive," directed by D.A. Pennebaker.

SEATTLE (AP) - Glynn Ross, Seattle Opera's founding director, died Thursday morning from complications of a stroke. He was 90.

Ross died at his home in Tucson, Ariz., with his wife, Gio, by his side, daughter Melanie Ross said Friday.

Ross served in the Army during World War II and was stationed in Naples, Italy, where he met Gio Solimene, whom he'd later marry. After the war he remained in the city and was stage director at the Teatro San Carlo. He was the first American to direct in a major Italian opera house, according to a biography prepared by Seattle Opera.

Ross returned to the United States where between 1948 and 1962 he staged productions for the Los Angeles Opera Theater, San Francisco Opera, Fort Worth Opera, New Orleans Opera Association, Northwest Grand Opera Association in Seattle and the Opera Company of Philadelphia.

He was a major force in developing Seattle's opera scene, friends and family said.

In 1963, he founded Seattle Opera and served as its first general director - there have only been two. In 1970 he helped organize OPERA America, the professional organization for American opera companies, and in 1972 he started the Pacific Northwest Ballet, which Seattle Opera initially administered.

In 1983, Ross left Seattle Opera and became general director of Arizona Opera, although he maintained a home in Bellevue. He helped revitalize the struggling company, erasing its debt and extending its seasons in Tucson and Phoenix.

http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000990354

'Long John' Baldry Dies At 64

British R&B artist "Long John" Baldry died last night (July 21) in Vancouver after battling a chest infection for four months. He was 64.

Having begun his career playing folk and jazz in the late 1950s, Baldry was one of the founding fathers of British rock'n'roll in the '60s. Eric Clapton has stated many times that he was inspired to pick up the guitar after seeing Baldry perform.

While appearing at the Cavern in Liverpool in the early '60s, Baldry became friends with Paul McCartney. For their internationally televised special "Around the Beatles" in 1964, the Beatles invited Baldry to perform, along with P.J. Proby and Cilla Black.

Later in the decade, Baldry performed with the influential British R&B bands Blues Incorporated and Cyril Davies' R & B All Stars. He later fronted the Hoochie Coochie Men, which included Rod Stewart, who later joined Baldry in Steam Packet.

"'Long John' Baldry launched me on my musical journey," Stewart tells Billboard.com. "He always had encouraging words when I was just getting out there as a performer at 16. He might not have been a legend in the proverbial sense, but he was a cult hero with his own following and has definitely been my mentor."

After a brief period with Bluesology (with Elton John on keyboards), Baldry went solo and scored a No. 1 U.K. hit with the ballad "Let the Heartaches Begin" in 1967. With production assistance from Stewart and John, Baldry recorded the 1971 album "It Ain't Easy" for Warner Bros., which featured his signature song, "Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie on the King of Rock'n'Roll."

After immigrating to Canada in the mid '80s, Baldry recorded for EMI Music Canada, and since 1991 recorded five albums for Stony Plain Records. Stony Plain is slated to re-release "It Ain't Easy" and its follow-up, "Everything Stops for Tea," this fall.

Since the early '90s, Baldry also was known in Canada for his extensive voice work in commercials. As well, he provided the voice of Robotnik on the "Sonic the Hedgehog" computer game and narrated "Winnie the Pooh" recordings for Walt Disney Records.

Aw jeez, I see in that article that in addition to Long John, Eugene Record of the Chi-Lites also died. Man, "Oh Girl" and "Have You Seen Her" were two of the saddest songs I ever heard. Just listen to poor Eugene describing his lonely walk in "Have You Seen Her." He is broken up. First Chi-Lites hit I remember is "(For God's Sake) You've Got To Give More Power To The People." Favorite Chi-Lites title was an obscure one called "There Will Never Be Any Peace (Until God Is Seated At The Conference Table)."

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