Year-end tributes are nothing new, except the fact that we have never published a list before at Do You Believe in Magic. The idea came to me when I hear the news of Christine McVie’s passing this past November. I started to think about who else passed away this past year. I recall hearing similar news about Commander Cody’s passing. When I discovered he died in 2021, I thought that I should dig into this further. So, in chronological order here are artists we lost this year.

JANUARY

On the 20, we lost comedian Louis Anderson at 68…a very funny man.

Also on the 20^th, Meatloaf, born Marvin Lee Aday, left the stage for the last time at 74. Best known for Bat Out of Hell, Bat out of Hell II and Bat Out of Hel III,  he sold more than 100 million albums in his career.

January 30, Ronnie Spector, lead singer in the 60’s girl group the Ronettes, passed away at 78. She was married to record producer, Phil Spector, from 1968 to 1974.

 Also on the same day, Hargus “Pig” Robbins died too at 83. He was a session keyboardist for numerous country artists as well as Bob Dylan.

FEBRUARY

Ian MacDonald multi-instrumentalist and founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, passed away at 75 on the 9^th.

MARCH

Bobbie Nelson, Willie’s sister and piano player in the Nelson Family band, was 91 when she left the stage for the last time, on the 10^th. Aside from her excellent tickling of the ivories, she was known to braid Willie’s ponytails.

Traci Braxton, star of the reality program Braxton Family Values and sister of Toni Braxton, died at 50 on the 12th.

Taylor Hawkins, drummer of the Foo Fighters and a founding member, passed away on the 25^th at 50.

APRIL

Roland White, who played mandolin on many bluegrass albums, died on the 1^st at 87.

Joe Messina, a Motown guitarist passed away on the 4^th at 93

Bobby Rydell, teen idol and the famed singer of Wild One and Volare  from the 60’s, left the stage for the last time, at 80 on the 5^th. He also acted on TV’s Happy Days and in the Star Wars movies.On April 30, at age 79, we lost Naomi Judd. She was the mother of Ashley and Wynonna and had a long singing carrier, and a difficult life, as one half of the Judds.

MAY

Country artist and music impresario Mickey Gilley died on the 7^th at 86. He  had 17 Number One Country hits but was best known as the owner of the Honky Tonk that bears his name and the inspiration for the movie Urban Cowboy.

Bob Neuwirth, who wrote the Janis Joplin hit “Mercedes Benz” and was bob Dylan’s Road manager for many years, passed away on the 18^th at 82.

Alan White, drummer of the progressive rock band YES and the Plastic Ono band died on the 26^th at 72.

JUNE

Jim Seals, one half of the soft rock duo Seals and Croft, dies at 80 on the 8^th.

Brett Tuggle keyboardist for Fleetwood Mac and David Lee Roth, passed away on the 19^th at 70

AUGUST

Olivia Newton-John, well known singer and actress, left the stage on the 8^th at the age of 73.

Lamont Dozier, a member of the song writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland that shaped the Motown sound in the 60’s, died on the 22nd at age 81.

SEPTEMBER

Ramsey Lewis, jazz pianist and composer, recorded over 80 albums before passing away at 87 on the 12^th.

John Hartman, a co-founder and original drummer for the Doobie Brothers band, dies on the 22^nd at 82.

Pharoah Sanders, influential jazz saxophonist, died on the 24^th at 81.

Coolio (Leon Ivey, Jr.) a West Coast rapper passed away on the 28^th at 59. He was the father of 10.

OCTOBER

Loretta Lynn- She was a Coal Miner’s daughter who rose to the highest level of fame in Country Music. A true Hall of Famer, she passed on the 4^th at 90

Jerry Lee Lewis, an original bad boy of early Rock, a great piano player and a questionable human being, left the stage for the last time on the 28^th. He was 87.

NOVEMBER

Aaron Carter, younger brother of Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys), put out his first album at 9 which sold a million copies. He passed away on the 5^th at the age of 34.

Jeff Cook, a founding and lifelong member of the country super group Alabama, passed away on the 7^th at 73. He was a talented multi-instrumentalist.

Dan McCafferty, lead singer and songwriter of the Scottish band Nazareth, was 76 when he died on the 8^th.

Leo Anthony Gallagher, famously known as Gallagher, a comedian, dies on November 11 at the age of 76. He was very popular in the 80’s and was best known for smashing watermelons with a sledge hammer on stage and all over his audience.

Christine McVie, British singer and keyboardist with Fleetwood Mac, was 79 when she passed away on the 30^th. She joined the band in 1970 and helped craft the sound that made they one of the biggest bands in the rock world.

DECEMBER

Kim Simmons, front man for the British Blues Rock band, Savoy Brown, died at the age 75.

Dino Danelli, drummer for the Young Rascals/Rascals, left the stage on  December 15 at 78. 

Ian Tyson, of the 60s duo Ian and Sylvia, passed away on Dec. 29 at 89. Aside from his hits alongside his wife Sylvia Tyson he was the composer of Four Strong Winds. The song was covered by Neil Young, Johnny Cash, John Denver and many others. He reinvented himself in the 70s and beyond as a Rancher and Cowboy artist.

The famous and the unknown who made their mark in the entertainment business and will live on in our memory. If you know of an artist that we have overlooked,let me know. Only the Pope is infallible, or so it is said.

#louieanderson #meatloaf #ronniespector # hargusrobbins #ianmacdonald #bobbienelson #tracybraxton #taylorhawkins #foofightersb #rolandwhite #jimmessina #bobbyrydell #naomijudd #thejudds #mickeygilley #urbancowboy #bobneuwirth #alanwhite #jimseals #sealsandcroft #bretttuggle #olivianewtonjohn #lamontdozier #holland-dozier-holland #ramseylewis #johnhartman #doobiebrothers #pharoesanders #coolio #leoniveyjr # lorettalynn #jerryleelewis #aaroncarter #jeffcook #alabama

#danmccafferty #doobiebrothers #gallagher #christinemcvie #fleetwoodmac #savoybrow #kimsimmons #dinodanelli #therascals #youngrascals #ianthomas #ianandsylvia #iantyson