Sandy West of the Runaways

This past Saturday, October 21st, Sandy West, drummer for influential 70s rock band the Runaways, died following a long battle with lung cancer. Runaways vocalist Cherie Currie spoke about West on the band's official website:

"Sandy West was by far, the greatest female drummer in the history of rock and roll. No one could compete or even come close to her, but the most important was her heart. Sandy West loved her fans, her friends and family almost to a fault. She would do absolutely anything for the people she loved. It will never be the same for me again to step on a stage, because Sandy West was the best and I will miss her forever."

As part of the Runaways with Currie, Joan Jett and Lita Ford, West contributed to a discography includes over 60 albums, singles, bootlegs and compilation appearances, not the least of which was the influential hit "Cherry Bomb."

Punknews.org sends our deepest condolences to Sandy's friends, family and fans.

Brad Andress of Close to Home (1986-2006)

Brad Andress, the bassist of Close To Home passed away on Friday from an ongoing battle with cancer. According to the submitter:

Initially he had surgery removing his left lung and a volleyball size tumor from it. He was slowly getting better until he found out that his cancer had spread to his right lung, in front of his heart, and the place where his left lung used to be.

He was 20 years old.

Punknews.org offers our deepest condolences to Brad's friends and family.

Lou “Boulder” Richards (1971-2006)

Former Hatebreed guitarist Lou "Boulder" Richards has passed away. Richards performed on both Satisfaction is the Death of Desire and the follow up, Perseverence before parting ways with the band in 2002.

Punknews.org obtained a statement from Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta:

"As many of you may have heard, and we were sorry to learn, our former guitar player Lou "Boulder" Richards passed away yesterday. It is very unfortunate that he could not see any other way to conquer his demons. We hope he has finally found some peace. Our hearts go out to Vera and his family and friends.

Details on the circumstances are being withheld until his friends and family can be notified.

Punknews.org offers our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this.

Syd Barrett (1946-2006)

A number of people wrote in with the sad news that rock'n'roll enigma Roger "Syd" Barrett has passed away at the age of 60. The founding member of Pink Floyd left the band in the late 1960s after his mental health began to decline, spent the better part of the past 30 years living in seclusion with his mother in Cambridge.

Josiah Steinbrick (Heavens, Thieves Like Us) wrote:

Although his output or even general knowing of his whereabouts over the past few decades have been the subject of pop culture folklore, he will be missed. A true artist, light years ahead of his time.

Our deepest condolences to his friends and family.

Desmond Dekker (1941-2006)

Legendary ska and reggae icon Desmond Dekker has died in London from an undetermined illness. He was 64. The Jamaican star was in the UK to record and perform in upcoming summer festivals.

Dekker was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica on July 16, 1941. While he auditioned for famed Studio One founder Coxsone Dodd in 1961, his first single was released via the producer Leslie Kong's Beverly Records label in 1963. "Honour Your Father and Mother" gave way to a number of early ska hits for Dekker, then backed by the Aces. Dekker's biggest international hit was 1968's "Israelites," which topped the UK charts and reached the top 10 in the US. His career includes such standards as "Get Up Edina," the Derrick Morgan collaboration "Tougher Than Tough," and the rocksteady rude boy anthem "007 (Shanty Town)" among others. Prior to the ascent of Bob Marley, Dekker was the best-known Jamaican musician outside of his home country. Desmond continued to record prolifically for a number of labels throughout his life, including famed reggae label Trojan Records. He participated in the burgeoning 70s punk and ska movement by signing with punk label Stiff Records and releasing albums backed by Graham Parker's backing band the Rumor. Into the 90s Dekker collaborated with the Specials.

Dekker was highly influential in his career. Music historians note that as 68's "Israelites" topped the UK charts the Beatles responded with the ska-influenced "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" ("Desmond has a borrow in the market place"). In recent musical history fans will recall homages to the vocalist in Rancid's "Roots Radicals" and Common Rider's "Classics of Love."

Our condolences go out to Desmond's friends, family and fans.

Promoter Ian Copeland (1949-2006)

Billboard is reporting that trailblazing promoter Ian Copeland has passed away at the age of 57. Copeland, the older brother of Police drummer Stewart Copeland, founding Frontier Booking International, He was instrumental in developing a U.S. club circuit for rock acts and new wave acts like the B-52s and the Police.

Later, F.B.I. became one of the most successful booking agencies in the United States and worked with R.E.M., the Bangles, the Go-Gos, the Smiths, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, the Dead Kennedys and the Cure.

His former partner, Buck Williams had this to say:

His contribution was to the development of modern music, He was the driving force behind the 'new wave' movement. He was the 'go to' man for young, first release, new wave bands in Europe, developing a circuit in which most young European acts could come over, work and go home not in debt

Our deepest condolences to his friends and family.

Buck Owens (1929-2006)

Alan Confrey of Blood or Whiskey (1972-2006)

Alan Confrey, tin whistle player for Kildare / Dublin, Ireland's Blood or Whiskey tragically passed away this past Thursday. Alan suffered a heart attack on Thursday the 23rd at the young age of 33 just after returning home from a Scottish tour with Stiff Little Fingers in support of their recent full length Cashed Out on Culture.

His bandmates posted a short note on their website:

It's a consolation that he died at home. Anyone who knew Alan , knew that whatever he did , it was always at 100%.We love you brother.

They ask that messages of consolation be left on the band's myspace of their official website.

Our condolences go out to Alan's family and friends.

Brent Dowe of the Melodians (1947-2006)

Trojan Records is reporting that Brent Gayford Dowe of the Melodians passed away at the end of January. The singer and founding member suffered from a heart attack in his home in Hugenden, Jamaica on the 29th at the age of 59.

The Melodians were one of Jamaica's most popular vocal groups, having recorded with Clement "Coxson" Dodd, Arthur "Duke" Reid, and many other early producers. The band fit into the Rocksteady wave of Jamaican music quite well, with a string of hits starting in 1964 and running through 1970. After suffering from a lack of royalty payments, the group joined the Gaylads, Delroy Wilson and Ken Boothe to form Links, Jamaica's first artist-owned record cooperative. While this venture proved unsuccessful, it did allow the band to later retain creative control over their works, including production and royalty payments.

Dowe was met with success in his solo endeavors in the mid-70's, and continued recording, even after the Melodians' hiatus in 1983. The band recently came back together to record and perform, including a recent tour of California.

Brent was remembered in a service on Sunday, February 12th at the Oakton Park headquarters of Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes & Affiliates. Our condolences go out to Brent's family and friends.

Jason Sears of RKL (-2006)

Word has come in that Jason Sears, vocalist of RKL has passed away. A friend had this to say:

Santa Barbara local, father, skater, and punk died today battling his illness. It has been a hard year for 805 crew. 3 RKL members in less than a year is a huge loss. I knew each and everyone one of them… each had touched my life in many ways over the last 20 years. Back from when I was arrested at an RKL show at the Rock On Broadway in SF in 1986 and Bomber tried to put me in their tour van while I was in hand cuffs, to the time Jason ran off with my friend Natasha for a week and was MIA in the East Bay… When I moved to Santa Barbara in August 1987 Jason made me feel right at home. To watch all three of these people rise and fall over the last 20 years has been a beautiful and tragic expericence.

RKL, or Rich Kids on LSD was a fixture of the 90s Santa Barbara punk scene. Two members of the band, guitarist Chris Rest and drummer Dave Raun, went on to join Lagwagon,

Sears was the vocalist of the band from 1983-1989 and 1994-1996 and was responsible for the vocals on the band's Epitaph full length, Riches to Rags. The band split up around 1996 but had reunited in various configurations 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. A posthumous collection, Keep Laughing - The Best Of RKL appeared in 2001.

After his time in RKL, Jason recorded Jason Sears And Mercury Legion which was released last year.

Our deepest condolences go out to Jason's family, bandmates, fans and friends.