Both BMI and the jazz world are mourning the passing of innovative saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter, who died today in Los Angeles at the age of 89. A player with a distinctive style, Shorter’s mastery of the tenor saxophone set him apart in the 1960’s as a name to know, and he… Read more...
BMI was saddened to learn of the death of storied New Orleans songwriter/producer and rock n’ roll innovator, Huey “Piano” Smith, who passed away on February 13 at his home in Baton Rouge. He was 89. Best known for rollicking hits like “Don’t You Just Know It,” “High Blood Pressure,” “I’ll… Read more...
BMI was saddened to learn of the passing of Trugoy the Dove of the groundbreaking band De La Soul. He was 54. Trugoy, (a.k.a. David Jolicoeur), as one-third of the renowned Amityville, Long Island-based hip-hop trio, helped expand the parameters of the genre in the late ’80s and ’90s by infusing… Read more...
BMI is very saddened to learn of the death of Lisa Marie Presley, who passed away on Thursday in Los Angeles at the age of 54. A talented singer/songwriter and music creator, the only daughter of the legendary Elvis Presley started her own career in the music business in the early… Read more...
BMI was very saddened to learn of the passing of music editor and longtime affiliate, Chris Ledesma, whose death was announced via a title card during the end credits of this past Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons, the iconic animated program for which he served as music editor for 33 years.… Read more...
BMI was saddened to learn of the death of Thom Bell, who passed away Thursday at his home in Bellingham, Washington at the age of 79. An influential figure in contemporary American pop and soul music and one of the preeminent architects of the Philadelphia Sound, Bell was already a seasoned… Read more...
BMI was saddened to learn of the death of Christine McVie, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 79. Most renowned as one of the primary singer/songwriters in Fleetwood Mac, the former Christine Perfect of British blues band Chicken Shack joined Fleetwood Mac in 1971 after marrying founding bass player… Read more...
BMI was greatly saddened to learn of the passing of the incomparable Jerry Lee Lewis, who died Friday at the age of 87 in his home in Desoto County, Mississippi. Nicknamed “The Killer,” Lewis was a genuine rock n’ roll pioneer who established himself very early on in his career, starting… Read more...
BMI was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of GRAMMY-winning jazz musician Pharoah Sanders, who died on Saturday at the age of 81. A revered tenor saxophonist and pioneer of free jazz, Sanders found his initial renown exploring avant-garde jazz alongside John Coltrane in the mid-60s, as heard on influential… Read more...
BMI is saddened by the passing of songwriter and drummer Jerry Allison who co-wrote, among others, the iconic BMI Award-winning songs “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue” as part of Buddy Holly’s band the Crickets. Inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 1998 and placed in the U.S.… Read more...
