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INTRODUCTION
This is the Rest in Playlist for Friday, October 20th, 2023, featuring recording artists from around the world who passed away recently. The Reaper struck a huge blow to my Gen-X film & TV culture this week by taking both Chrissy and Paulie. And in the music world, we lost another one of the Isley Brothers. We’ve also got a two-band reggae legend, a UK one-hit wonder, and a man who hit #16 on the US charts twice. We’ve got musicians from Zimbabwe, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Spain, Sweden, Russia, and Japan, too. Get ready to expand your musical horizons on this global jam session from the great beyond. Let’s kick things off with our Opening Act.
Opening Act:
[18 Oct 2023] Dwight Twilley, 72, American singer-songwriter (“I’m on Fire“).
Opening the Playlist this week we welcome Dwight Twilley from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who died on October 18th at the age of 72. At the age of 16, Twilley met his friend and songwriting partner at a screening of The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night. Seven years later, they moved to Los Angeles to record this song, which would unexpectedly rise to #16 on the Billboard Charts. This is The Dwight Twilley Band with “I’m on Fire.”
Dwight Tilley – I’m On Fire
Headliner:
[10 Oct 2023] Rudolph Isley, 84, American Hall of Fame singer (The Isley Brothers) and songwriter (“It’s Your Thing“, “That Lady“), heart attack.
Our Headliner this week is Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rudy Isley, one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers, the legendary soul group with a six decade career. Rudy was born in 1939 and died on October 10th at age 83, leaving just two remaining Isleys, Ronald and Ernie. Here’s their Grammy-winning hit from 1969, which reached #2 on the Hot 100 and became Rolling Stone’s 420th greatest song of all time, their tell-off to Motown called “It’s Your Thing.”
The Isley Brothers – It’s Your Thing
Main Stage:
[12 Oct 2023] Michael Cooper, 71, Jamaican musician (Inner Circle, Third World), cancer.
Opening our Main Stage today we have Michael Cooper, a Jamaican singer and keyboardist who was awarded that country’s Order of Distinction. Cooper completed his battle with cancer on October 12th at the age of 71. In 1968, Cooper co-founded the reggae band Inner Circle in Kingston, whose 1987 song “Bad Boys” was used as the theme for the TV show COPS. But that was long after Cooper left the band in 1973. Here’s a rare track from Inner Circle from 1971, covering the Jackson 5 hit “Never Can Say Goodbye.”
Inner Circle – Never Can Say Goodbye
[09 Oct 2023] Kevin Parrott, British singer (Brian and Michael), stroke.
Our next artist made it to #1 on the UK charts as a one-hit wonder for the duo Brian and Michael, and his name is… Kevin? Yes, Kevin Parrott, who joined the gig eternal on October 9th, used to be in a soul band called The Big Sound with Michael Coleman in 1967. Michael left to form the duo Brian and Michael with Brian Burke in 1976, while Kevin went on to play guitar for a band called Oscar. Then, in 1977, Michael wrote this song and took it to Kevin to record it for Brian and Michael, but after the record got pressed, Brian quit, so for the promotion and the tour, Kevin quit Oscar and became Brian. Confused? Well, here are Brian & Michael, who are really Kevin & Michael, performing “Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs.”
Brian & Michael – Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs
[13 Oct 2023] Garry Mapanzure, 25, Zimbabwean singer, traffic collision.
Closing our Main Stage this week is our youngest performer, Zimbabwe’s Garry Mapanzure, who was killed on October 13th in a traffic collision at the age of 25. At just 19 years old, Mapanzure released this track, “Wapunza,” which has garnered over 4 million views on YouTube.
Garry Mapanzure – Wapunza
In The News:
[15 Oct 2023] Suzanne Somers, 76, American actress (Three’s Company, Step by Step, She’s the Sheriff), breast cancer.
When particularly notable performers outside the musical field are taken by the Reaper, we give them a shout-out In The News. This week, we celebrate Suzanne Somers, the actress, author, and pitchwoman known for her roles in Three’s Company, Step by Step, and She’s the Sheriff. She died on October 15th at the age of 76 following a 20 year battle with breast cancer. Here’s the late Alan Thicke with Julie Rinker on that iconic theme song we’ll always associate with Jack Tripper, Janet Wood, and Chrissy Snow.
Alan Thicke & Julie Rinker – Three’s Company
[08 Oct 2023] Burt Young, 83, American actor (Rocky, Chinatown, The Pope of Greenwich Village).
We also say goodbye to actor Burt Young, who died on October 8th at the age of 83. Young was an actor, author, painter, and Marine with many TV and film roles to his credit, but who will always be remembered for his Oscar nominated role as Rocky Balboa’s best friend and brother-in-law Paulie Pennino in the Rocky film franchise. We salute Burt Young with music from the still-living Bill Conti, the Rocky theme, “Gonna Fly Now.”
Bill Conti – Gonna Fly Now
Festival Stage:
[14 Oct 2023] Gary Nuñez, 71, Puerto Rican musician (Plena Libre), pancreatic cancer.
Our Festival Stage opens with an act from Puerto Rico called Plena Libre. Gary Nuñez performed with the group and died on October 14th at the age of 71. Plena Libre has had multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations and has toured worldwide. Here they are performing “Que Bonita Bandera,” or “What a Beautiful Flag.”
Plena Libre – Que Bonita Bandera
[13 Oct 2023] Astrid Achi, 62, Ecuadorian soprano singer, complications from surgery.
Our next artist is Astrid Achi, an operatic soprano from Ecuador who crossed over into singing boleros, pasillo music, ballads, Christmas music, and Latin music. She then went on to have a successful career as a music teacher. She passed away on October 13th at the age of 62 following surgical complications for treatment of lung cancer. Here she is singing “Angel de Luz,” or “Angel of Light.”
Astrid Achi – Ángel de Luz
[12 Oct 2023] Remei Margarit [es], 87, Spanish Catalan singer-songwriter and writer, co-founder of Els Setze Jutges.
Closing the Festival Stage, we have Remei Margarit, one of the founders of Els Setze Jutges, or “The Sixteen Judges,” which was a group founded in 1961 in Catalonia, Spain, to promote singing in the Catalan language. The group dissolved in 1975 at the end of the Franco dictatorship in Spain. Margarit went on to have a solo career until her death on October 12th at age 87. This is “Classe Mitja,” or “Middle Class.”
Remei Margarit – Classe Mitja
International Stage:
[19 Oct 2023] Lasse Berghagen, 78, Swedish singer (“Teddybjörnen Fredriksson“), musician (Eurovision Song Contest 1975) and television presenter (Allsång på Skansen), complications from heart surgery.
On the International Stage we welcome Sweden’s Lasse Berghagen, who represented the country in the 1975 Eurovision Song Contest and went on to become a beloved TV host. But he was best known for this song about a teddy bear named Fredriksson that he wrote for his three year old daughter, and now considered one of the most popular Swedish children’s songs. Berghagen left us on October 19th at age 78. This is “Teddybjörnen Fredriksson.”
Lasse Berghagen – Teddybjörnen Fredriksson
Encore:
[18 Oct 2023] Dwight Twilley, 72, American singer-songwriter (“I’m on Fire“).
We welcome back Dwight Twilley to the stage for an encore. After hitting #16 with their 1975 debut single “I’m On Fire,” Twilley and his band hit a roadblock. On American Bandstand, they played what was to be their next single, “Shark (In the Dark),” but then Jaws became a box-office smash and they didn’t want their song to be seen as a novelty sell-out, so they shelved it. It wasn’t until 1984 that Twilley would hit the charts again, and again peak at #16, with this track, “Girls.”
Dwight Tilley – Girls
[12 Oct 2023] Michael Cooper, 71, Jamaican musician (Inner Circle, Third World), cancer.
Michael Cooper takes the stage now. The Jamaican musician who formed Inner Circle in 1968 decided in 1973 to leave the band, along with guitarist Cat Coore and singer Prilly Hamilton to form the reggae fusion band Third World. Their cover of this O’Jays’ tune was a hit in 1978, long before Heavy D would cover it in 1991. This is “Now That We’ve Found Love.”
Third World – Now That We’ve Found Love
[10 Oct 2023] Rudolph Isley, 84, American Hall of Fame singer (The Isley Brothers) and songwriter (“It’s Your Thing“, “That Lady“), heart attack.
We close the show today with another hit from the Isley Brothers co-written by Rudy Isley, who was one of six of the brothers to perform in the group. But in 1986, the sudden death from heart attack of his beloved oldest brother, Kelly, led Rudy to quit music for good in 1989 to become a Christian minister. Sadly, a heart attack is how Rudy passed away on October 10th. This is “That Lady, Parts 1 & 2.”
The Isley Brothers – That Lady, Parts 1 & 2
Closing:
And that’s the Rest in Playlist for Friday, October 20th, 2023. Join us here next week for a tribute to the latest artists to cross over to eternity. Catch up on every year of Rest in Playlist back to 2016 on Spotify and RadicalRuss.com. For Rest in Playlist, I’m “Radical” Russ Belville reminding you to seize the day, it may be your last.
