kevinsoulman

Heart & Soul artist management is very sad to announce Otis Clay passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack in the early evening of January 8, 2016. Our hearts are broken. Please keep the Clay family in your prayers. was only playing this last night another sad loss

apologies if posted else where http://www.bassplayer.com/artists/1171/the-crusaders-founder-and-motown-bassist-wilton-felder-dead-at-75/54214 added by site Houston Press has a fitting piece on this sad news Houston and the world lost a giant today with the passing of Wilton Felder, saxophonist for the fabled Crusaders. Mr. Felder was 75. Word of his passing reached the Internet via longtime collaborator Ray Parker, Jr.’s Facebook page around 2 p.m. today. Felder’s passing comes only a year after the death of his lifelong friend and fellow Crusader Joe Sample. Crusaders trombonist Wayne Henderson died in April, 2014, which now leaves drummer Nesbert “Stix” Hooper as the only living Crusader from the original four. read more at http://www.houstonpress.com/music/legendary-crusaders-sax-man-wilton-felder-passes-away-7800449 Wikipedia below He was born in Houston, Texas in 1940.Felder, Wayne Henderson, Joe Sample, and Stix Hooper founded the group while in high school in Houston. The Jazz Crusaders evolved from a straight-ahead jazz combo into a pioneering jazz-rock fusion group, with a definite soul music influence. Felder worked with the original group for over thirty years, and continued to work in its later versions, which often featured other founding members. Felder also worked as a West coast studio musician, mostly playing electric bass, for various soul and R&B musicians, and was one of the in-house bass players for Motown Records, when the record label opened up operations in Los Angeles, California, in the early 1970s. He played on recordings by the Jackson 5 such as "I Want You Back" and "The Love You Save," for Marvin Gaye and Grant Green. He also played bass for soft rock groups like America and Seals and Crofts. Also of note was his contribution to the John Cale album, Paris 1919, and Billy Joel's Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade albums. He was one of three bass players on Randy Newman's Sail Away (1972) and Joan Baez Diamonds & Rust. Felder also anchored albums from Joni Mitchell and Michael Franks. His solo album, Secrets, which prominently featured Bobby Womack on vocals, reached No. 77 in the UK Albums Chart in 1985.[2] This album featured the minor hit, "(No Matter How High I Get) I'll Still be Looking Up to You", sung by Womack and Alltrinna Grayson. Felder played a King Super 20 tenor sax with a metal 105/0 Berg Larsen mouthpiece. He also used Yamaha saxes. He played a Fender Precision bass, and also played Aria bass guitars. He died on September 27, 2015, aged 75 Street Life Solo time framed from extended version -see http://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2015/08/wilton-felders-street-life-solo-transcription/ for transcripts etc

RIP to Billy's brother http://www.soultracks.com/story-don-griffin-dies below added by site Clip from above story by Chris Rizik Don Griffin was the brother of longtime SoulTracks favorite and former Miracles lead singer Billy Griffin, and played a role in the second generation Miracles and their success with more upbeat, harder-edged material such as the #1 hit, “Love Machine.” The Baltimore-born guitarist became part of the group’s back up band, the Miracle Workers, while still a teenager, and later became the fifth vocal member of the group, replacing Marv Tarplin. - See more at: http://www.soultracks.com/story-don-griffin-dies#sthash.TF9iHOtf.dpuf DON GRIFFIN 1955-2015.. A world renown R&B/Jazz guitarist with The Miracles and Anita Baker, Don Griffin died Thursday night, September 3rd 2015 in a car accident in Denver, Colorado. Brother of Miracles’ lead singer Billy Griffin, Don played lead and rhythm guitar on The Miracles’ double platinum album “City Of Angels”, their platinum single, “Love Machine” and Anita Baker’s 1986 album, “Rapture”. In 1972 after Smokey Robinson left The Miracles to become VP of Motown, Don’s brother Billy was drafted by Motown to succeed Robinson as the group’s new lead singer. Billy Griffin then brought in a host of young funk musicians to completely re-vamp The Miracles’ 1960’s sound from “Doo Wop and Ballads” to an up-tempo dance-R&B Renaissance. Younger brother Don Griffin’s guitar-genius and innovative musical ideas were always at the forefront of this earth quaking, soul shaking re-birth. Don Griffin born in Baltimore, Md. exuded early virtuoso tendencies as a 17 year old phenom attending The Peabody Conservatory of Music. In the spring of 1974, Griffin was suddenly plucked from fame school obscurity in Baltimore to first guitar in The Miracles’ back up band, called “The Miracle Workers”. After the international success of “Love Machine” in 1976 … Don Griffin’s over whelming popularity with the young female audience who dominated the Miracles’ live concert events, made it clear to the group that Don must be featured down front, in the “foot lights” along side the other legendary stars. So in 1977 when the Miracles left Motown Records to sign with Columbia/Sony, Don joined his brother Billy and became a full fledged 5th member of the iconic soul group on their Columbia/Sony album “Love Crazy”. After the Miracles disbanded in 1979, The Griffin Brothers formed a writing trio and a production team with composer, John Barnes. Solely for writing and producing new 80s material for their three solo projects. more at https://www.facebook.com/billy.griffin.007