Grammys’ ‘In Memoriam’ Tribute Missed Some Important Names
The rock world suffers a lot of notable losses every year, and it wouldn't be possible to include each and every name in the Grammy Awards' annual 'In Memoriam' tribute video without stretching an already-lengthy show to unreasonable length.
That was as true as ever in 2014, a year that deprived us of dozens of talented musicians -- and although the Grammys did their best to honor the departed with the segment you can watch at the top of this post, they neglected to mention a number of artists whose contributions also deserved the tribute treatment, and we've listed a few of them here.
WAYNE STATIC: The Static-X frontman passed away at the age of 48 last fall, bringing a premature end to one of the industrial metal scene's more musically rewarding careers.
CLIVE BEER-JONES: A co-founding member of early British prog band Black Widow, Beer-Jones succumbed to cancer last October, passing away in hospice care at the age of 65.
VICTOR AGNELLO: While never a household name, the former Laaz Rockit drummer was a fundamental part of the early Bay Area thrash scene, and his unique double-bass drumming style became a common technique among metal musicians. Just 50 at the time of his death, Agnello lost his battle with leukemia last summer.
DAVE "ODERUS URUNGUS" BROCKIE: The GWAR frontman -- or, as he preferred to be called, "lead throat-thing" -- passed away last March at the age of 50.
SCOTT ASHETON: The drummer and Stooges mainstay suffered a heart attack last March, prompting a heartfelt tribute from his longtime musical companion Iggy Pop.
RICK PARASHAR: While rarely mentioned in the same breath as superstar producers like T Bone Burnett or Rick Rubin, Parashar had a major hand in the sound of the early '90s thanks to his ownership of Seattle's London Bridge Studio, where he worked on early efforts from Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, as well as successful releases from a host of other artists.
RAPHAEL RAVENSCROFT: Saxophonist to the stars, Ravenscroft was catapulted to the upper ranks of session musicians after contributing one of rock's most enduring sax lines to Gerry Rafferty's hit 'Baker Street.' He was only 60 when he passed away last fall, the victim of what was reported as a "suspected heart attack."
RICK ROSAS: The bassist, who put in years of service with Neil Young's band while working with an array of other artists, was 65 when he was felled by lung disease last November.
DICK WAGNER: An integral part of Alice Cooper's early success, Wagner had battled a variety of health woes in recent years, but hopes were high that he'd overcome those issues and would be resuming his distinguished career; sadly, he developed a lung infection while in the hospital for heart surgery last summer, and passed away at the age of 71.
JIMI JAMISON: After years of turnover at the lead singer position -- during which both Jamison and his predecessor Dave Bickler served separate stints -- Survivor seemed to have found an unlikely solution by settling down with a lineup that included both of them. Sadly, that era came to an end last September, when Jamison unexpectedly passed at the age of 63.
JOHN SPINKS: The Outfield ended its run of AOR hits in the early '90s, but the band continued to tour and record -- even after guitarist and chief songwriter Spinks was diagnosed with liver cancer. He was only 60 when he passed away last summer.
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