10 Music Legends We Lost in 2015 & 2016

As our Music Issue hits the newsstands, we look back at some of the greats the industry has lost since the last year—a lot of them having been honoured with the golden Gramophone at some point in their career. Most of them were also specially celebrated at the 58^Th Grammy Awards. Here, BAZAAR takes a trip down music memory lane…

14 May 2015

The King of Blues B.B. King thrilled us for years with his soulful guitar sounds—his “hummingbird” vibrato has influenced scores of blues guitarists after him. The blues legend collected many accolades during his illustrious career including 30 Grammy nominations to a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. He won his first Grammy for—of course—the song, “The Thrill is Gone.”

The second of the original Blues Greats was 89.

22 June 2015

Legendary Hollywood composer James Horner, has made blockbusters such as Titanic, Braveheart and Field of Dreams that much more memorable for movie goers. The iconic love theme “The Heart Will Go On… ” that he co-wrote with Will Jennings for Titanic needs no introduction; sure enough it won him the Grammy in 1997 for Best Original Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television and Song of the Year. He has won a few other Grammys for his work in American Tail and Glory and has been nominated for five others in his career span.

Horner was 61 when his plane crashed in Santa Barbara. But his music will go on…

27 June 2015

Chris Squire may have started on his music career later than his contemporaries, but there is no denying his musical genius. Fans and admiring co-musicians have called him a “blazing elephant” when it comes to the bass guitar. The genius bassist and co-founder of progressive rock group Yes was all about innovation—the band’s rock-mixed-with-orchestral-style music is celebrated. Yes earned its first and only Grammy in 1985 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for its single “Cinema” a two-minute attention-grabber from its chart-topping album 90125. “Owner of a Lonely Heart” will forever remain the all-time favourite of Yes fans.

Squire was 67.

2 December 2015

Former frontman of the Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland’s baritone vocals and unique knack for injecting a tender hook into a hardcore rock number will forever resonate in the minds and hearts of fans. The band’s debut album Core won them a Grammy for the hit single “Plush” in 1994 for Best Hard Rock Performance. Weiland did a few solo gigs including Velvet Revolver after leaving the band in 2013. Velvet Revolver’s single “Slither” won him his second Grammy in 2005 in the same category.

Weiland was 48.

28 December 2015

To say Motörhead founder and bassist Lemmy Kilmister was one of the pioneers of heavy metal is by no means an exaggeration. The band continued to rewrite the genre from the time of its founding in 1975 all the way into the ’90s. Motörhead was awarded a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2005 for its rendering of “Whiplash” from Metallic Attack: The Ultimate Tribute, for Metallica and its genre Thrash Metal.

Kilmister was 70.

The band also lost another of its legendary cast, drummer Phil Taylor. “Philthy,” as he was fondly referred to by band members was also famously the quintessential bad boy of rock, influencing generations of youth and musicians alike with his style and musical genius. He was 61.

31 December 2015

Daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole and a celebrated R&B singer in her own right, Natalie Cole had music running through every vein in her body having recorded her first solo at the age of six. Ten years after her singing partner’s—her father—death, Natalie debuted her first album Inseparable, which won her two Grammys in 1976 for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Performance.

The singer went on to win seven more including for her chart-topper tribute album to King Cole, Unforgettable... with Love, and has been nominated 12 times.

Cole was 65.

10 January 2016

Atypical, original, daring… these words may all mean the same thing, but when it comes to David Bowie they have to be mentioned separately. Bowie rewrote the norm even in industries as unconventional as the fashion and music industry. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust continues to be regarded as one of the greatest ones made; never in the history of music has an alter-ego been as influencial. One who cannot be fit into a category, Bowie won two Grammys for Best Video, Short Form for “Jazzin’ For Blue Jean” in 1995 and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. His elegant final bow Blackstar topped the most-downloaded-albums list on iTunes charts across 25 nations.

Bowie was 69.

18 January 2016

Glenn Frey, was by no means “A New Kid in Town” when he founded the Eagles in the early ’70s with drummer Don Henley—by then the talented guitarist had toured with the likes of Bob Seger and Linda Ronstadt and written a few songs. Although the Eagles went through a few ups and downs during their music career, the band made good their time with six Grammy wins—from 1975 to 2009—and have been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stone magazine listing them under its 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Frey and Henley’s “Hotel California” will continue to pique the interest of song interpreters for years to come.

Frey was 67.

28 January 2016

A revolutionary in his own way, guitarist and singer Paul Kantner founded the band Jefferson Airplane with singer Marty Balin at a time when change was the order of the day—the counterculture era of the’60s. The band’s music, which melded Kantner’s forceful, yet ethereal stance with Marty Balin’s soulful voice, defined the psychedelic rock genre we know of today. Their album Surrealistic Pillow was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Kantner’s penchant for constant innovation saw him moving to progressive rock with another band, Jefferson Starship in the early ’70s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Kantner was 74.

3 February 2016

Maurice White was the founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, which has been named one of the most successful bands of the 20^th century with its never-before and possibly, never-after, mix of genres. The band’s chart-topping hits such as “September” and “Let’s Groove” solidified its position at the top, while bringing African-American music to the forefront of pop culture. No surprise then that the band won six Grammys and was nominated 20 times. White also had a solo win for the single “Got to get you into my Life” and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

White was 74.

Most of these legends may not have got the credit they deserve from the Recording Academy, but they will forever remain winners in the hearts of their fans—possibly, something that holds a greater value for these genius tune makers.

By Sandhya Mahadevan