What can we say about 2016? It’s a leap year, a Presidential election year, a year to reflect on all the great singers and songwriters we’ve lost to the grim reaper. Here’s the calendar of loss thus far.
April 24th – “Me and Mrs. Jones” Billy Paul
April 21st – Prince
April 6th – Merle Haggard
April 2nd – “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods Mike Gibbons
March 30th – Andy ‘Thunderclap’ Newman
March 29th – Patti Duke
March 16th – Frank Sinatra Jr.
March 10th – Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake and Palmer
March 9th – George Martin
March 1st – Gayle McCormick (lead singer) Smith “Baby It’s You”
February 22nd – Sonny James
February 15h – Vanity
February 14th – Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire
January 28th – Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner
January 18th – Glenn Frey of the Eagles
January 17th – Tower of Power’s Mic Gillette
January 7th – Dale Griffin of Mott the Hoople
January 16th – Gary Lozzo (lead singer) American Breed “Bend Me Shape Me”
January 10th -David Bowie
January 8th – Otis Clay
January 5th – Nicholas Caldwell of the Whispers
January 4th – Legendary producer and Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood