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INTRODUCTION
This is the Rest in Playlist for Friday, December 8th, 2023, featuring recording artists from around the world who passed away recently. This week, the Reaper continued his assault on Generation X’s cherished TV memories, taking from us the great Norman Lear. On the musical side of the ledger, we’ve got a co-founder of two influential British bands in two decades and another Englishman from the British Invasion. We’ve also got a Canadian rocker, some American gospel, Argentine tango, Chilean folk, and classical music in the Amphitheater. 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:
[03 Dec 2023] Myles Goodwyn, 75, Canadian musician (April Wine) and songwriter (“Tonite Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love“, “Just Between You and Me“).
Opening the Reaper’s Rotation this week is Myles Goodwyn, the singer/songwriter/lead guitarist/front man for the Canadian rock group April Wine, who left us on December 3rd. Goodwyn formed April Wine in his garage in 1969 and first hit the U.S. Top 40 charts in 1972 with a cover tune, then again in 1979 with this single called, “Roller.”
April Wine – Roller
Headliner:
[05 Dec 2023] Denny Laine, 79, English Hall of Fame musician (Wings, The Moody Blues) and songwriter (“Mull of Kintyre“), interstitial lung disease.
It’s quite a feat to be a co-founder of one of the most influential bands in British rock history, The Moody Blues. But our Headliner, Denny Laine, who passed on December 5th, was also the co-founder of a second legendary British band, which I’ll tell you about in tonight’s encore. Born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines, he took the stage name Denny Laine because his sister idolized singer Frankie Laine. After a stint in an early 60s group called Denny & the Diplomats, he was invited by Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder to form The Moody Blues and played with the band from 1964–1966. Here he is singing lead on the first-ever Moody Blues hit single, “Go Now.”
The Moody Blues – Go Now
Main Stage:
[25 Nov 2023] Les Maguire, 81, English musician (Gerry and the Pacemakers)
We open the Main Stage with one of the first bands of the British Invasion, Gerry & the Pacemakers, and their piano and sax man, Les Maguire, who died on November 25th. Maguire joined the band in 1961 and was with them in 1963 when they became the first British band to hit #1 with their first three singles. Here’s the first of those singles called “How Do You Do It?”
Gerry & the Pacemakers – How Do You Do It?
[15 Nov 2023] Sandy Farina, 68, American singer-songwriter and actress (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band).
Next, we’re sticking with a decidedly British song but bringing you an American singer. Sandy Farina was also an actress who was best known for playing Strawberry Fields in the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. She passed away on November 15th. Here’s Farina performing the Beatles’ classic, “Here Comes the Sun.”
Sandy Farina – Here Comes The Sun
[19 Nov 2023] Carlton Pearson, 70, American minister and gospel singer, subject of Come Sunday, prostate cancer.
Closing the Main Stage, we have a gospel singer who made his mark as a megachurch pastor who declared that God had told him there is no eternal Hell. Carlton Pearson, who died on November 19th, was the subject of the 2018 Netflix film Come Sunday, which documented his excommunication for his alleged heresy. Here he is with gospel legend Pop Winans performing “We’ll Understand it Better By and By.”
Carlton Pearson, Pop Winans – We’ll Understand it Better By and By (Live)
In the News:
[05 Dec 2023] Norman Lear, 101, American Hall of Fame television writer and producer (All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons).
Last week In the News the Reaper took Henry Kissinger a few decades too late. This week, he took from us Norman Lear in what feels like a few decades too early. Lear served in WWII, flying combat missions, before working his way to becoming the most celebrated television producer in history. He then pointed his success toward defense of civil liberties by founding People for the American Way. That he outlived Kissinger by a year at age 101 is a blessing; maybe Norman couldn’t leave us until he was sure Henry was dead.
Norman Lear TV Theme Tribute
The Amphitheater:
[11 Nov 2023] Heinz Zickler [de], 103, German trumpeter, organist and composer.
Regular listeners may have noticed that I didn’t mention 101-year-old Norman Lear as our oldest performer this week. That’s because the honor this week goes to 103-year-old German trumpeter Heinz Zickler, who joined the ethereal brass section on November 11th. Born in 1920, Zickler began music lessons at age 14, interrupted only by his conscription to serve in Hitler’s army in WWII. In 1970, he was the first German trumpeter to perform in Israel. He also was a devoted churchgoer, often performing as a church organist.
Heinz Zickler – Trumpet Concerto in D Major
[13 Nov 2023] Ivo Kuusk, 86, Estonian opera singer.
Next, we have Ivo Kuusk, the longtime leading soloist of the Estonian National Opera, who joined the choir invisible on November 13th. Kuusk had originally studied to work in construction, but an opportunity to sing in a theater choir brought attention to his incredible tenor. Here he is performing “Hei Madamoiselle Roxane” from Cyrano de Bergerac with Eino Tamberg.
Eino Tamberg, Ivo Kuusk – Cyrano de Bergerac, Op. 45, Act II Hei, mademoiselle Roxane!
[25 Nov 2023] B. Sasikumar, 74, Indian violinist.
We close the Amphitheater with India’s B. Sasikumar, a violinist and music teacher who died on November 25th. Born into a musical family, Sasikumar earned his degrees in music and went on to join All India Radio as a performer and as a lecturer at a college of music. Here he is performing, “Rushing to Home.”
Sasikumar B. – Rushing to Home
Festival Stage:
[21 Nov 2023] Horacio Malvicino, 94, Argentine jazz and tango guitarist and composer.
On the Festival stage we welcome Horacio Malvicino from Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a child, Malvicino’s guitar teacher would only allow him to listen to classical music, but he managed to sneak jazz and tango music into his repertoire, including his idol, Argentine jazz tango legend Astor Piazzola. Eventually he’d develop the chops to play with his idol on many recordings, including this one called “Decarisimo.”
Astor Piazzolla, Simon Bajour, Horacio Malvicino, Kicho Diaz, Jaime Gosis – Decarisimo
[14 Nov 2023] Chabelita Fuentes [es], 92, Chilean singer and folklorist.
Next, Chilean folk singer Chabelita Fuentes hits the Festival Stage. She was born in 1931 and was already taking guitar lessons by 1935 and played guitar until her death on November 14th. Fuentes was well-respected in the nation of Chile, declaring her 2014 birthday as the “National Day of the Chilean Singer” in her honor. Here she is singing, “Es Inútil Soñar.”
Chabelita Fuentes – Es Inútil Soñar
[19 Nov 2023] Ninie Doniah, 56, Malagasy singer and composer.
Closing the Festival Stage we have an artist from Madagascar, singing in the Malagasy language, named Ninie Doniah. She was commonly termed the “Queen of Salegy”, referring to the salegy music that originates from the northern coastal area of Madagascar, including her birthplace of Nosy Be. Here is Doniah singing “Malilo.”
Ninie Doniah – Malilo
Encore:
[05 Dec 2023] Denny Laine, 79, English Hall of Fame musician (Wings, The Moody Blues) and songwriter (“Mull of Kintyre“), interstitial lung disease.
We welcome Denny Laine and Myles Goodwyn back to the stage for an encore. I told you how Laine co-founded the Moody Blues. Afterwards, he played with Electric String Band, Balls, and Cream drummer Ginger Baker’s Air Force, before this young couple named Paul & Linda McCartney recruited him to form a band called Wings. Laine remained the only consistent member of the group aside from the McCartneys during its full run from 1971–1981. Here’s a song he wrote and sang for Wings called “Again and Again and Again.”
Wings – Again And Again And Again
[03 Dec 2023] Myles Goodwyn, 75, Canadian musician (April Wine) and songwriter (“Tonite Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love“, “Just Between You and Me“).
After Myles Goodwyn’s song “Roller” hit in 1979 for his band April Wine, the subsequent album, Harder…Faster, was their first gold record in the United States, propelled by this hard rock anthem, “I Like to Rock.”
April Wine – I Like to Rock
The peak of success for Myles Goodwyn and April Wine came in 1981 with the album The Nature of the Beast. It produced April Wine’s last U.S. Top 40 single and one of the most perfect arena rock power ballads ever. This is “Just Between You and Me.”
April Wine – Just Between You and Me
Closing:
And that’s the Rest in Playlist for Friday, December 8th, 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.
