Hollywood Forever

Every December, I post a simple alphabetical list of the musicians and music industry figures taken from us during the past year, from pop superstars and behind-the-scenes movers and shakers to the working-class drummers and session string players and backup singers and roadies who devoted their lives to helping to soundtrack ours. The list seems to get longer each year, which I used to take as a sign that things were getting worse or that entire generations were suddenly disappearing, but I’ve come to realize it’s more likely I’ve simply gotten a little better and more obsessive at documenting the losses in my attempt to give everyone, no matter how long they lived, no matter how consequential their career, the dignity of a grave marker.

Here's a link to this year’s list, just short of 600 names as of this morning, to be updated through year’s end. The huge, reverberant losses recorded herein include MIGOS’ master of triplets, the queen of all girl group singers (and possibly all rock and roll), a coal miner’s daughter, classic rock’s songbird, one of Hitsville’s greatest hitmakers, the spirit of FOO FIGHTERS and a visionary young jazz trumpeter and composer who seemed like she was just getting started. You’ll also find the world’s greatest piano tuner, a master of musical glasses, instrument inventors and designers, Broadway and Hollywood musicians, too many murdered rappers and a certain sculptor who specialized in a certain part of rock star anatomies.

If anyone seems missing, please let me know. I want everyone to be remembered. I want everyone to be mourned. But mostly, I want everyone to be celebrated. (As always, another edition of MusicREDEF, in the final week of the year, will feature longer obituaries and remembrances of some of the most notable and devastating losses.)

Rest in Peace

Lost over the last few days: Film composer, songwriter and orchestrator ANGELO BADALAMENTI, whose dreamy and haunting music for David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks” and “Blue Velvet” (and many others) left a long-lasting mark on film and TV music as well as on pop. He worked with Nina Simone, David Bowie, Marianne Faithfull and Julee Cruise (who died in June) in addition to his frequent collaborations with Lynch, who said Badalamenti’s music had “a deep and powerful beauty”... German musician/composer MANUEL GÖTTSCHING, who led the Krautrock group Ash Ra Tempel in the 1970s and released groundbreaking electronic work in later years. His improvised hourlong composition “E2-E4,” recorded in 1981, flopped at home in Germany but found a second life as a staple in Larry Levan’s sets at Paradise Garage in New York and a third life in dance-music remixes, most notably by Detroit techno DJ Derrick May... Composer, music educator and synth pioneer HERB DEUTSCH, who developed the original Moog synthesizer with Bob Moog... Rapper TRIGGA of the Scottish drill group Triple01s... Detroit soul singer J.J. BARNES... Singer and actress—and Cher’s mother—GEORGIA HOLT... Longtime Kenny Chesney guitar tech ZAK GODWIN II.

Etc Etc Etc

Some “verified” TAYLOR SWIFT fans are apparently back in line for ERAS TOUR tickets, while the Wall Street Journal’s ANNE STEELE tries to figure how many are left (paywall) and TICKETMASTER gets in trouble with a different pop superstar's fans and a different country’s government... MEGAN THEE STALLION expected to testify today in TORY LANEZ's trial on charges of shooting her... JIN joins the (actual) army... The year of the stadium... Congrats to our friend VAN TOFFLER at GUNPOWDER & SKY for the upcoming soft-rock documentary series SOMETIMES WHEN WE TOUCH, premiering Jan. 3 on PARAMOUNT+.