Click to Listen to the Rest in Playlist
INTRODUCTION
This is the Rest in Playlist for Friday, May 5th, 2023, featuring artists who passed in the week prior, from April 22nd through April 28th. This week’s show is packed with disco, rap, Celtic, Ukrainian, country, and metal musical artistry from ages 22 to 97, featuring our Headliner, the late great civil rights activist Harry Belafonte. But let’s kick off this week’ Reaper’s Rotation with our Opening Act.
Opening Act:
[28 Apr 2023] Tim Bachman, 71, Canadian guitarist (Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Brave Belt).
Earlier this year the Grim Reaper collected the founding drummer of Canadian rock legends Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Robbie Bachman, back in January. This week on April 28th, guitarist and brother Tim Bachman joined the Great Gig in the Sky. Here’s a lesser-known BTO track Tim wrote from their eponymous first 1973 album entitled “Down And Out Man.”
Bachman-Turner Overdrive – Down And Out Man
Headliner:
[25 Apr 2023] Harry Belafonte, 96, American Hall of Fame musician (“The Banana Boat Song“, “Jump in the Line“), actor (Odds Against Tomorrow), and civil rights activist, heart failure.
The whole world said goodbye this week on April 25th to 96-year-old legend Harry Belafonte. In addition to popularizing Calypso music, he was one of the two Black Hollywood leading men of his era, and a close confident of Dr. Martin Lither King Jr. and fighter for American civil rights. Here’s the track he’s best known for, “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).”
Harry Belafonte – Day-O (Banana Boat Song)
Main Stage:
[23 Apr 2023] Isaac Wiley Jr., 69, American drummer (Dazz Band).
Opening up our Main Stage this week we have the founding drummer of a band that bridged the gap between disco and electronic dance. Isaac Wiley Jr. of the The Dazz Band passed away at the age of 69 on April 23rd. The group filled the dance floors of the early 1980s. Here’s their biggest hit, “Let It Whip.”
Dazz Band – Let It Whip
[25 Apr 2023] MoneySign Suede, 22, American rapper, stabbed.
Our next performer was sadly barely old enough to buy a beer in America. The rapper MoneySign Suede was stabbed to death in the shower of a California prison on April 25th at the age of 22, where he was serving two years, eight months, for being a felon in possession of a gun. Here’s his breakout track, “Back to the Bag,” which I have edited for radio.
MoneySign Suede – Back to the Bag [Radio Edit]
[24 Apr 2023] Lilian Day Jackson, 63, American singer (Spargo).
We spin up the disco ball again for Lilian Day Jackson, who passed away on April 24th. Jackson, a stepdaughter of jazz great Art Blakely, joined the Dutch disco band Spargo in 1979 as a singer. Here’s their 1980 hit, “You and Me,” which became the best-selling record in Holland that year.
Spargo – You And Me
Festival Stage:
[28 Apr 2023] Johnny Fean, 71, Irish guitarist (Horslips, Zen Alligators).
Next up we head to Ireland, where on April 28th the Reaper took Johnny Fean, one of guitarists for the band Horslips. The group found its success in the 1970s, but newfound interest in Celtic rock in the 1990s led to rediscovery of the band as one of the defining bands of the genre. Here’s the Horslips with “Trouble (With a Capital T).”
The Horslips – Trouble (With A Capital T) (Roll Back Ver.)
[22 Apr 2023] Ron Cahute, 68, Canadian singer-songwriter and accordionist.
We close the Festival Stage with music from Eastern Europe. Ron Cahute left us at age 68 on April 22nd. He was a Canadian singer-songwriter, accordionist, and founding member of the Ukrainian-Canadian music band Burya. Cahute released over 30 albums either with Burya or as a solo artist. Here he is with a traditional Ukrainian folk song, “Holubko.”
Ron Cahute – Holubko
In the News:
Whenever someone outruns the Reaper for over a century, that’s newsworthy to us. So, this week we salute Herb Douglas, age 101, who was finally caught on April 22nd. He was an American long jumper who took Olympic bronze in 1948. Herb was our oldest-living U.S. Olympic medalist.
[27 Apr 2023] Jerry Springer, 79, British-born American television host (The Jerry Springer Show, America’s Got Talent) and politician, mayor of Cincinnati (1977–1978), pancreatic cancer.
Also in the news, a couple of deaths in the world of entertainment that cannot be ignored. Love him or hate him, British-born Jerry Springer changed American television forever with his raucous brand of trashy talk. His death on April 27th at age 79 also gives us the excuse to play this salute from perhaps not technically the best but arguably the most famous accordion player in an extremely specific genre of music.
“Weird Al” Yankovic – Jerry Springer
Bob’s Country Bunker:
[27 Apr 2023] Wee Willie Harris, 90, English rock and roll singer.
In the Country Bunker today, we start off with some rockabilly music. 90-year-old Wee Willie Harris passed on April 27th and was known as “Britain’s wild man of rock ‘n’ roll” for his brightly colored hair and energetic performances reminiscent of Little Richard. This is his 1957 hit, “Rockin’ at the 2 I’s” named for the 2 I’s Coffee Bar in London.
Wee Willie Harris – Rockin’ at the 2 I’s
[23 Apr 2023] Keith Gattis, 52, American country music singer, songwriter (“El Cerrito Place“, “When I See This Bar“), and producer.
Next up we have American country music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer Keith Gattis, who died in a tractor accident at age 52 on April 23rd. Gattis was Dwight Yoakum’s band leader and released his own solo material. Two of his tunes were recorded by Kenny Chesney, including this track that he took to the top 20. Here’s Gattis’ original version of “El Cerrito Place.”
Keith Gattis – El Cerrito Place
[26 Apr 2023] Billy “The Kid” Emerson, 97, American singer-songwriter (“Red Hot“, “When It Rains, It Really Pours“).
We close the Country Bunker with more rockabilly from the oldest performer on the Rest in Playlist this week, 97-year-old Billy “The Kid” Emerson, a World War II vet who got his start in Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm in the 1950’s. In the 1970’s he dedicated himself to preaching and gospel music. Emerson passed away on April 26th. Here’s his best known tune from 1955, “Red Hot.”
Billy “The Kid” Emerson – Red Hot
Mosh Pit:
[28 Apr 2023] Helge Engelke, 61, German guitarist (Fair Warning), colon cancer.
We head to Germany where guitarist Helge Engelke has died on April 28th. He started playing guitar at age 13 and in 1996 broke both arms in a car accident. It took him five month to be able to play guitar again. His bands Fair Warning and Dreamtide have been cranking out hard rock since the 90s. Here’s Fair Warning with a track called “Burning Heart.”
Fair Warning – Burning Heart
[25 Apr 2023] Ralph Humphrey, 79, American rock drummer (The Mothers of Invention).
This next artist is why we have a discretion warning at the beginning of the show. No, seriously, if you are easily offended, please turn off the radio now. There are no curse words approaching, but we are celebrating the work of drummer Ralph Humphrey, who died on April 25th and had played with Frank Zappa in the mid-1970s, which is when The Mothers released this next track called “Dinah-Moe Humm.” Again, there’s no profanity in this song, but many would find this, shall we say, dirty. You have been warned.
The Mothers – Dinah-Moe Humm
Encore:
[25 Apr 2023] Harry Belafonte, 96, American Hall of Fame musician (“The Banana Boat Song“, “Jump in the Line“), actor (Odds Against Tomorrow), and civil rights activist, heart failure.
We end the show this week with more from Harry Belafonte. The Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner was one of the main forces behind USA for Africa’s “We Are the World” single in 1985 and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influencer. This is the late great Harry Belafonte with “Jump in the Line.”
Closing
And that’s the Rest in Playlist for Friday, May 5th, 2023, featuring artists who passed the week before. Join us here next week for a tribute to the artists who have passed this week, including Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. For Rest in Playlist, I’m “Radical” Russ Belville reminding you to seize the day, it may be your last.
