We lost too many Influential musicians in 2017. This list is not complete, and it's in no particular order, but it's the folks that mattered to me and impacted my world. They will be missed. RIP...
Clyde Stubblefield - James Brown's original funky drummer - along with Jabo Starks he laid the blueprint for funk drumming, and remains the most sampled drummer of all time. #ghostnotes
Col. Bruce Hampton - Jam Scene patriarch, surrealist, musician, founder of Aquarium Rescue Unit. He died on stage at his own 70th birthday concert in Atlanta. #fixintodie
Chuck Berry - Singer, songwriter, guitarist that refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive. He never learned to read or write so well, but he could play the guitar just like a ringing a bell. #gojohnnygo
Gregg Allman - cofounder of the Allman Brothers Band, organ player, and one of the most soulful crooners of all time. #onewayout
Butch Trucks - Another founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, Trucks' distinctive and locomotive drumming remained constant for all 45 years of the band's existence. #eatapeach
Fats Domino - Legendary New Orleans singer & piano player, One of the pioneers of rock and roll music. #blueberryhill
Tom Petty- I never considered myself a huge Petty fan, that is until I went to his concert and realized I knew the words to damn near every song he played. Also, The Traveling Wilburys were amazing. #80MillionRecordsSold
Chris Cornell- Possibly the best set of vocal chords in all of rock. and a killer songwriter taboot. 'Black Hole Sun' is a pop macabre masterpiece. And Soundgarden was the soundtrack to my mid-teens. #aloneinthesuperunknown
Charles Bradley - A late bloomer that went from line cook to James Brown impersonator to bonafide #ScreamingEagleofSoul , Bradley put Daptone Records on the map, and his gentle demeanor left a mark on everyone he met.
Walter Becker - One half of the legendary Steely Dan, Becker was a quiet genius of songwriting and guitar playing. The Dan managed to slide their intricate jazz/rock/pop onto mainstream airwaves and into our hearts. #DeaconBlues
Glen Campbell - One of the titans of country music, Campbell recorded over 70 albums and charted over 80 songs. One of Paul McCartney's favorite guitar players. #rhinestonecowboy
William Onyeabor - Enigmatic Nigerian funk musician and businessman. He never played live, but his 70's recordings were rediscovered in the early 2000's, his admirers include David Byrne and Damon Albarn. #AtomicBomb
Junie Morrison - Original member of the Ohio Players and musical director of Parliament Funkadelic, George Clinton once described Morrison as "the most phenomenal musician on the planet." #OneNationUnderaGroove
George Reiff- one of the most beloved bass players in the Austin music scene and secret weapon for national bands like The Jayhawks, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Black Crowes, and many others- Reiff was a generous neighbor and an immense talent that was taken much too early by the big C. #fuckcancer
Jonathan Demme - Oscar winning filmmaker and director of the greatest concert film of all time - Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads. #StillWaiting
Malcolm Young - co-founder and songwriter for AC/DC, and possibly the greatest rhythm guitar player of all time. #thunderstruck