Rocker Deaths: Artists We Lost in 2017
From the well-known to the obscure, deaths of musicians have once again provided us with too many headlines in 2017. We've compiled those that we've lost this year in the above gallery.
If 2016 went down as the year that some of the most recognizable rock stars ever, like David Bowie and Prince, died, then the first few months of 2017 suggest that this year, we're losing some of the most important sidemen in music history. This includes two members of Funkadelic (Junie Morrison, Robert "P-Nut" Johnson), Wrecking Crew bassist Lyle Ritz, blues harmonica legend James Cotten and drummer Clyde Stubblefield, whose work on James Brown's seminal late-'60s work has been sampled more than 1,000 times, from hip-hop artists to Sinead O'Connor.
You'll also read about post-punk and New Wave stars like Larry Steinbachek of Bronski Beat, John Lever of the Chameleons and Mike Kellie of the Only Ones, as well as pioneers like composer David Axelrod, William Onyeabor and Jaki Liebezeit of Can.
But it wasn't just musicians. We also lost people who had long careers working behind the scenes as producers and label executives, like Tommy LiPuma, whose Blue Thumb Records was celebrated in the late '60s for its eclectic roster. And there was also an associate of the Beatles who, as it turns out, wasn't as magical as John Lennon thought he was.
Click above to learn more about all the artists we've lost in 2017.