Category: Obits

Sara Romweber, powerhouse drummer for Let’s Active, has died at the age of 55

Sara Romweber, powerhouse drummer for Let’s Active, has died at the age of 55

Sara Romweber, the powerhouse drummer who held the beat in the first lineup of jangle-pop heroes Let’s Active and who went on to play in Snatches of Pink and, later, with her brother Dexter Romweber, has died of cancer, according to music journalist David Menconi. She was 55.

Andy Anderson, former drummer for The Cure and The Glove, 1951-2019

Andy Anderson, former drummer for The Cure and The Glove, 1951-2019

Drummer Andy Anderson, who played in The Glove with Robert Smith and the Banshees’ Steven Severin then joined The Cure and played on that band’s 1984 album The Top, died Tuesday, just nine days after informing fans that he had a terminal Stage-4 cancer diagnosis.

Mark Hollis, Talk Talk leader who bridged synthpop and post-rock, 1955-2019

Mark Hollis, Talk Talk leader who bridged synthpop and post-rock, 1955-2019

Mark Hollis, the co-founder, lead singer and chief songwriter for Talk Talk, a British group that made its mark with early ’80s synthpop hits before morphing into something altogether artier, has died following a short illness, his former manager confirmed Tuesday. He was 64.

Lorna Doom, bassist for legendary Los Angeles punk act Germs, 1958-2019

Lorna Doom, bassist for legendary Los Angeles punk act Germs, 1958-2019

Lorna Doom, the bassist for legendary early Los Angeles punk outfit Germs and a striking figure described by her own family as “a woman of mystery,” succumbed to cancer this week, dying after a year-long illness in Thousand Oaks, Calif., at the age of 61. Former bandmate Don Bolles announced her death.

Pete Shelley, co-founder, songwriter and guitarist for the Buzzcocks, 1955-2018

Pete Shelley, co-founder, songwriter and guitarist for the Buzzcocks, 1955-2018

Pete Shelley, the co-founder, guitarist and brilliant songwriter behind genre-shaping U.K. punk act Buzzcocks, as well as an accomplished solo artist in his own right, has died, the band announced Thursday via its social media accounts. The BBC reports that Shelley died of a suspected heart attack in Estonia, where he was living.

John Wicks, lead singer/songwriter for power-pop favorites The Records, has died

John Wicks, lead singer/songwriter for power-pop favorites The Records, has died

John Wicks, the lead singer and songwriter for The Records, the late-’70s/early-’80s U.K. power-pop combo best known for their cult-favorite single “Starry Eyes,” has died following a years-long struggle with cancer, according to friends and a former bandmate. The band released three albums on Virgin Records.

Conway Savage, longtime keyboardist for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, 1960-2018

Conway Savage, longtime keyboardist for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, 1960-2018

Conway Savage, the Australian musician who played piano and organ, and provided backing vocals, for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds for more than a quarter-century, died Sunday night, about 10 months after the band revealed he was being treated for a brain tumor. He was 58.

Nick Knox, longtime drummer for psychobilly legends The Cramps, 1953-2018

Nick Knox, longtime drummer for psychobilly legends The Cramps, 1953-2018

Nick Knox, who joined the legendary punk/psychobilly outfit The Cramps in 1977 and played on the group’s first four albums before leaving following 1990’s Stay Sick! and its minor commercial breakthrough “Bikini Girls with Machine Guns,” died this week at the age of 65.

The The’s Matt Johnson pens moving tribute to late father: ‘It has been a privilege to be his son’

The The’s Matt Johnson pens moving tribute to late father: ‘It has been a privilege to be his son’

Just a week into his The The comeback tour, bandleader Matt Johnson was hit with devastating news today as he learned that his 86-year-old father, Edward Charles Johnson, had died, according to a statement posted to the band’s official Facebook page. Read the full statement here.

Mark E. Smith of The Fall died of terminal lung and kidney cancer, family reveals

Mark E. Smith of The Fall died of terminal lung and kidney cancer, family reveals

It was no secret that Mark E. Smith, the late frontman of post-punk icons The Fall, was in ill health leading up to his death last month at the age of 60. But his family today released a statement revealing what ultimately killed him: terminal lung and kidney cancer. Read the full statement here.

Mark E. Smith, one-of-a-kind force behind post-punk icons The Fall, 1957-2018

Mark E. Smith, one-of-a-kind force behind post-punk icons The Fall, 1957-2018

Mark E. Smith, the irascible and utterly one-of-a-kind frontman — and only constant member — of Manchester post-punk icons The Fall, died at home today following months of illness and concert cancellations, his manager announced this afternoon. The singer was 60.

R.E.M., Peter Murphy, The The, U2, Tanya Donelly and more honor Dolores O’Riordan

R.E.M., Peter Murphy, The The, U2, Tanya Donelly and more honor Dolores O’Riordan

News of the sudden and unexpected death of Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan this week at the age of 46 continues to ricochet across the music world, with artists from R.E.M., U2 and Duran Duran to Tonya Donelly, The The’s Matt Johnson and Peter Murphy paying tribute to the beloved singer via social media.

John Dent, engineer who worked with Love and Rockets, U2, The Police and XTC, 1954-2017

John Dent, engineer who worked with Love and Rockets, U2, The Police and XTC, 1954-2017

John Dent, the mastering engineer who worked on albums by U2, Love and Rockets, The Stranglers, Bob Marley and others, and is credited by Andy Partridge with figuring out XTC’s Skylarking suffered for years from “reversed polarity,” died of cancer last week at 63.