Alex Soria of Nils and Chino (1966-2004)

Mag Wheel Records has sent the sad news that Alex Soria of legendary Montreal pop punk band, The Nils has passed away.

The label sent us the following:

Details are sketchy right now, but he was hit by a train in the early evening of Monday Dec. 13th. Alex was of course the founder of the legendary Montreal band The Nils, and also played in Los Pados, Black Sox, and Chino. The Nils were big favorites of Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü back in 86'/87'. Their "S/T" CD on NY's Rock Hotel/Profile sold quite well upon its release in 1987.

Our deepest condolences go out to Alex's friends and family

Cadillac Tramps guitarist Mike ''Mad Dog'' Combs

Word has come in that former Cadillac Tramps guitarist Mike "Mad Dog" Combs has died at age 42. Music news site Blabbermouth is citing a report in the Aspen Times that states Combs found on Vail Mountain in Colorado on Tuesday (Dec. 14) after a nearly 19-hour search. From their article:

Mike, a snowboarder who was the boyfriend of film legend Clint Eastwood's daughter Alison, was found about 1 p.m. Tuesday in trees along the Riva Ridge run near the bottom of Vail Mountain, said Kim Andree, spokeswoman for the Eagle County Sheriff's Office, which investigates deaths on Vail Mountain. This is the first ski-related death this season on Vail Mountain, according to The Aspen Times.

The story was also confirmed on Fox 11 KTTV, however we're awaiting further print confirmation and will update this article as that info comes in. Combs played guitar for the Cadillac Tramps from 1999 to 2002. He also sang and played lead guitar in the Back Alley Gators.

Our deepest condolences go out to Mike's friends and family.

Joe Lamadrid of All Hell Breaks Loose

Surprise Attack Records is reporting that Joe Lamadrid, drummer of All Hell Breaks Loose, was found dead after their show this past Friday, November 26th in Tampa, FL. The label posted this statement from the band:

"All Hell Breaks Loose has decided not to continue in light of what has happened. To put any and all rumors to bed, we don't know what happened and neither does his family. I have received numerous phone calls asking about rumors and to put all rumors to sleep, we do not know what happened. Joe meant more to us than any of you will ever know. He was an incredible musician and an amazing friend. He will forever be missed and will always be in our hearts and memories. We have decided to have one more show which will be a memorial tribute for Joe. All Hell Breaks Loose will play our final show ever with the help of our friend, Rene from Target Nevada on drums. The show will be in Miami, FL sometime in the next few weeks. All the money that is raised from the show as well as whatever merch we sell will be donated to Joe's family. Anyone who has questions or wants to help, email us at xbandslutx@yahoo.com. Lastly, to everyone across the country who has called us the last few days, sent their best wishes, and dropped us emails, we love you all. To everyone in South Florida, thank you. From the beginning, you always supported us. We can't thank you enough. Thank you and good night. R.I.P - Joseph William Lamadrid" - ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

Our deepest condolences go out to Joe's friends and family.

Ol' Dirty Bastard (1968-2004)

Russell Jones aka the Ol' Dirty Bastard aka Dirt McGirt passed away on Saturday November 13th from unknown causes. He had been complaining about chest pains earlier in the day, and then collapsed in his recording studio. EMTs were on the scene earlier, but unable to revive him. He is best known for his work with the Wu-Tang Clan on the classic album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). He then released two solo albums; 1995 brought Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version while 1999 brought Nigga Please, which included the radio single "Got Your Money (featuring Kelis)." Nigga Please is known as helping launch the Neptunes' career by showcasing their producing skills. He was also known for his work with Mariah Carey for "Fantasy" and Pras for "Ghetto Superstar," a collaboration that also featured Mya.

Sadly, the ODB's reputation outweighed his rapping ability when such incidences as the 1998 Grammy Awards took the spotlight away from his music. During said awards, he stormed the stage during Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech to voice his outrage at P.Diddy (then Sean "Puffy" Combs aka Puff Daddy) winning an award over the Wu-Tang Clan in a different category. He is also notorious for an instance on MTV news when he picked up a Welfare check in a limousine. He was incarcerated for cocaine possesion, as well, remembered for telling the cops "to do the right things and make the drugs go away."

Russell Jones will always be remembered for bringing a special style to the Wu-Tang Clan, and for releasing some of the most eclectic and eccentric solo albums to major critical acclaim. He had a special way of combining rapping with singing and onomatopoeic bursts that was unique and ground breaking. He was only 35 years old, and two days away from his 36th birthday. He was supposed to have performed with the Wu-Tang Clan the night of his death.
(Source: mtv.com/news)

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of ODB.

John Peel (1939-2004)

A number of you wrote in with the sad news that legendary BBC broadcaster John Peel has died at the age of 65, while on holiday in Peru. He was BBC Radio 1's longest-serving DJ and in recent years had also presented Home Truths on Radio 4. He was most famous for being one of the first DJs to give exposure to punk, reggae and hip-hop, long before they crossed over into the mainstream. He was equally renowned for his legendary "John Peel sessions". where bands were invited to record exclusive tracks for the programme in a BBC studio. Sessions were usually four tracks recorded and mixed in a single day; as such they often had a "rough and ready", demo-like feel, somewhere between a live performance and a finished recording.

Peel was Melody Maker's DJ of the year eleven times, Sony Broadcaster of the Year in 1993, "Godlike Genius Award" from the NME in 1994, Sony Gold Award winner in 2002 and is a member of the Radio Academy Hall of Fame. He gained several honorary degrees including two doctorates and an honorary fellowship of Liverpool John Moores University. He was appointed an OBE in 1998, for his services to British music.

He will be greatly missed, and we wish the best to his family and friends.

Andrew ''Stig'' Sewell of Icons Of Filth

Greg from Go Kart Records just wrote us with this very sad news he recieved this morning:

At 3.10 a.m., Saturday October 23rd the vocalist for Icons of Filth, Andrew Sewell, better known as "Stig" died. Icons of Filth were playing a gig in a squat in Hackney when Stig complained of feeling unwell and we cut our set short so that he could go outside to get some fresh air. Shortly afterwards he collapsed and died, most likely from a brain haemorrhage but possibly a heart attack. He was an avid drinker but on this occasion had only drank 4 cans of lager. He didn't touch illegal drugs of any sort but within 4 hours of his death rumours surfaced about a possible heroin overdose. These rumours are of course ridiculous and insulting to a man whose body was not yet cold. What is the matter with some people? Anyway, when you're having a drink tonight, think of Stig and remember a man who lived life on his own terms but cared immensely about the world around him.

Cheers, Pete

Greg commented "In all my years of running Go-kart I have never met a more honest, compassionate and caring man than Stig. He never spoke a bad word about anyone and believed truly in the values that were represented in the Icons songs. Stig was truly an inspiration and we should all aspire to be half the man he was. He will be missed by anyone who ever came in contact with him. As soon as I have any information regarding where to send condolences I will post them."

We'd like to express our deepest condolences to Stig's friends and family.

Greg Shaw of Bomp Records: 1949-2004

Bomp Records founder Greg Shaw passed away this past Tuesday, October 19th from heart failure at the age of 55. The press release from the legendary indie label states:

"Greg's lifelong devotion to discovering, raving about and releasing authentic -albeit obscure- rock & roll, and promoting rock fandom over four decades was extraordinary. Among his many accomplishments were fanzine publisher, magazine editor, band manager, author, indie label owner, and rock historian. Though his roles often varied, two things were absolutely consistent: his impeccable taste in music and the ability to be there first."

Greg started a rock zine titled Mojo-Navigator Rock & Roll News in San Francisco in '66. A few years after he put out another zine called Who Put the Bomp! which featured such noted rock journalists as Lester Bangs, Greil Marcus, Dave Marsh and Richard Meltzer. Bomp Records was launched in 1974 with the release of the Flamin' Groovies' You Tore Me Down single. Bomp will continue to release the music that was Greg's legacy under the guidance of Suzy Shaw and Alive/Total Energy's Patrick Boissel. They note that "However you choose to honor Greg's memory-- do it with anything but a moment of silence"

Our deepest condolences go out to Greg's friends and family.

Johnny Ramone (1948-2004)

Los Angeles radio station Indie 103.1 and the Associated Press are reporting that Johnny Ramone has passed away. He was 55. A publicist told the Associated Press that Ramone died in his sleep Wednesday afternoon at his Los Angeles home surrounded by friends and family. Johnny had been fighting a five-year battle with prostate cancer. He will be cremated during a private ceremony.

Johnny was born John Cummings on October 8, 1948 in Long Island, NY. He was raised in nearby Forest Hills, Queens. It was here that he and Douglas Colvin (the future Dee Dee) formed the Ramones in 1974. Throughout the Ramones' prolific career Johnny proved one of the most influential and often imitated guitarists in punk rock.

Johnny is survived by his wife Linda and his mother Estelle Cummings. Our deepest condolences go out to Johnny's friends and family.

Ernie Ball: 1930-2004

The music world mourns the loss guitar string maker Roland Sherwood "Ernie" Ball, who passed away this past Thursday at the age of 74 following a lengthy illness. Ernie Ball founded the Ernie Ball Company in 1962 and was a recognized pioneer in the instrument industry. "An artist and a business man in one, Ernie single-handedly revolutionized the music industry with the creation of Slinky Strings, so much so that everyone from the Beach Boys, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix to current artists like Blink 182 have Ernie Ball strings in common" commented Ernie's son and current company president Sterling Ball. Ernie is survived by his wife Ani, sons Sherwood, Sterling and David, daughter Nova and eight grandchildren.

A private service will be held in San Luis Obispo on Monday. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Ernie Ball.

Rick James: 1948-2004

Funk legend Rick James was found dead this morning, presumably of natural causes. He was 56. James, best known for his 1981 hit "Super Freak," had received a recent surge of popularity due to Dave Chappelle's lampooning of him on the Chappelle Show. While James struggled for much of his life with drug addiction, authorities say there appeared to be no drugs involved with his death; in the coming weeks, an autopsy will confirm or deny that thought. You can read more here.

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Rick James.