re: Endless Sleep - The Obituary Thread

Roy Thomas Baker (November 10, 1946 – April 12, 2025) was an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who produced rock and pop songs.

He first worked with Queen on their 1973 debut, co-producing the album with the band and John Anthony. He next co-produced Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, and A Night at the Opera, the 1975 album that houses Bohemian Rhapsody.

Beyond his work with Queen, Baker produced the Cars’ first four albums: 1978’s The Cars, 1979’s Candy-O, 1980’s Panorama, and 1981’s Shake It Up. He also worked with Yes, Journey, Devo, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Dusty Springfield, the Smashing Pumpkins, the Darkness, Foreigner, and Slade, among others.

Born in Hampstead, London, Baker began his career in music at Decca Studios in London where he served as second engineer to such major producers as Gus Dudgeon (Elton John) and Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex). He worked on recordings by those artists (under the name Roy Baker) as well as the Rolling Stones, the Who, Dusty Springfield, Ten Years After, Dr. John, Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Savoy Brown, Moody Blues, Nazareth, Yes, Be Bop Deluxe, and many more. By 1971, he had become chief engineer and worked on such hits as Free’s 1970 smash “All Right Now” and T. Rex’s “Bang A Gong (Get It On).” He later moved over to Trident Studios in London’s Soho district, where he began working closely with Queen.

Rick Derringer (born Richard Dean Zehringer; August 5, 1947 - May 26, 2025).

He was an American musician, producer, and songwriter. He gained success in the 1960s with his band, the McCoys. Their debut single, "Hang on Sloopy", became a number-one hit in 1965 and is now regarded as a classic track from the garage rock era. The McCoys had seven songs chart in the top 100, including covers of "Fever" and "Come on Let's Go".

Derringer released a solo album, All American Boy, in 1973, which featured the hit song “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” as a single.

He also worked extensively with brothers Edgar and Johnny Winter, playing lead and rhythm guitar in their bands and producing all of their gold and platinum records, including Edgar Winter's hits "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride" (both in 1973). Derringer has also collaborated with Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, and "Weird Al" Yankovic, producing Yankovic's Grammy Award-winning songs "Eat It" (1984) and "Fat" (1988).

In the 2000s, Derringer pivoted to smooth jazz and later toured with Ringo Starr and The All Starr Band for three years.

Thaddeus James Lowe (1943 – May 22, 2025) was an American musician and record producer, best known as the lead singer of 1960s psychedelic rock band The Electric Prunes and as an audio engineer and producer with Todd Rundgren and the band Sparks.

Lowe, who for many years had left his days as a touring and recording musician behind following his departure from the Prunes in 1968, reformed the group in 1999, and since then has been the only original member still in the new version of the band.

He was influenced by the bands of the "British Invasion" and surf music pioneer Dick Dale, and formed a garage band, the Sanctions, in 1965, by recruiting Mark Tulin (bass, keyboards), Ken Williams (lead guitar), Michael "Quint" Weakley (drums), and various other short-term members. The group developed into Jim and the Lords, and then became the Electric Prunes - a name that Lowe originally suggested as a joke, before saying: "It's not attractive, and there's nothing sexy about it, but people won't forget it."

The Electric Prunes signed to Reprise Records in 1966. Lowe was the lead singer, and played rhythm guitar and autoharp. They had two nationally charting songs, "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" and "Get Me to the World on Time", both written by external writers and included on their debut album.

After the commercial failure of the Sparks album, Lowe left record production in the early 1970s. He set up a television production company, and produced and directed commercials, children's shows for Disney, and corporate presentations.

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Sorry to hear of the passing of Andrew Matheson from the Hollywood Brats. The perfect bridge between glam and punk never got the success they deserved but Andrew wrote a great book about it

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The Hollywood Brats were a British glam rock and protopunk band in the early 1970s. They found little commercial success at the time, and split up in 1974, but are regarded as influential on the later punk rock scene

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The band became noted in London for their flamboyant make-up and clothes, and aggressive musical approach, influenced by, and in many ways parallel to, the New York Dolls... The group was championed by Keith Moon, who said they were the best band he had ever seen,

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Reading his book now - probably the funniest rock memoir I've ever read.

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Rules for a Rock ’N’ Roll Band
~ The Template ~

1, Four or five members maximum. No sax, no horn section, no keyboards, no Moog-synthesizer boffin, no backup chanteuses, no nothing. Two guitars, a bass, drums, and singer, that’s it. Think the Beatles, Kinks, and Who for four, Stones for five.

2. The singer sings. That’s it. No hanging a guitar around his neck mid-show and strumming a few cowboy chords to show he can play, no sitting at the piano for a poignant ballad or two, and definitely no tambourine bashing. And for Christ’s sake, no standing on one leg and sucking and wheezing into a flute like that hobo in Jethro Tull. At a pinch a shake of maracas but just for a portion of a song then toss them aside. If a singer can’t think what to do with himself during a bandmate’s solo he should consider a career as a bank teller.

3. Great hair, straight hair, is a must and is nonnegotiable. If a member starts going thin on top put an ad in the Melody Maker immediately. If he has too tight a natural curl or, saints preserve, a perm, well, shame on you for hiring him in the first place. Be firm about this; a hat won’t work.

4. No facial hair. Girls, or at least girls you’d ever deign to paw, do not swoon over the Grateful Dead. Jerry Garcia is no sane, recently showered girl’s idea of a pinup.

5. No girlfriends. They are cancerous for the esprit de corps. They lower the band’s collective sexual currency and can twist a measly bass player’s brain until he thinks he should get a triple-album solo deal and headline Vegas.
Two words: Yoko and Ono.

I still believe in these rules but as fate would have it we broke most of them.

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Bobby Sherman, '60s teen heartthrob and 'Easy Come, Easy Go' singer, dies at 81

Melissa Ruggieri
USA TODAY

Bobby Sherman, a 1960s teen idol and pop star turned public servant, has died. He was 81.

Sherman's wife, Brigitte Poublon Sherman, and actor/musician John Stamos, who was an ambassador for the Sherman's charity, announced his death in an Instagram announcement June 24.

"From one ex teen idol, to another - rest in peace Bobby Sherman," Stamos wrote.

"It is with the heaviest heart that I share the passing of my beloved husband, Bobby Sherman," Poublon wrote. "Bobby left this world holding my hand - just as he held up our life with love, courage, and unwavering grace through all 29 beautiful years of marriage."

In late March, Poublon shared that her husband had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer and later told Fox News that his body was "shutting down" because the cancer had "spread everywhere."

In her statement, Poublon said: "I was his Cinderella, and he was my prince charming. Even in his final days, he stayed strong for me. That's who Bobby was - brave, gentle, and full of light."

Poublon added that she had recently read aloud to Sherman "fan letters from all over the world - words of love and gratitude that lifted his spirits and reminded him of how deeply he was cherished. He soaked up every word with that familiar sparkle in his eye."

"And yes, he still found time to crack well-timed jokes - Bobby had a wonderful, wicked sense of humor. It never left him. He could light up a room with a look, a quip, or one of his classic, one-liners."

Poublon noted that though he was "known around the world for his music and acting," to his loved ones he "was something much more. He was a man of service. He traded sold-out concerts and magazine covers for the back of an ambulance, becoming an EMT and a trainer with the LAPD. He saved lives. He showed us what real heroism looks like - quiet, selfless, and deeply human."

Sherman is survived by his two sons, Tyler and Christopher, and six grandchildren.

Born in 1943 in Santa Monica, California, Sherman's career kicked off with his dueling talents. In 1964, "Rebel Without a Cause" actor Sal Mineo invited him to sing at a Hollywood party attended by high-powered industry types. The appearance led to Sherman signing with an agent and landing a TV role on ABC's "Shindig!" as a house singer and member of the cast. Though Sherman had been recording music since the early '60s, it was 1969's "Little Woman," a gold-certified No. 3 hit in the United States, and the string of hits that followed – "La La La (If I Had You)," "Easy Come, Easy Go," "Hey, Mister Sun" and "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" among them – that earned Sherman his pop credentials.

From 1962 to 1976, Sherman released more than 100 songs, with seven landing in the Top 40.

While engaging in pop music stardom – the screaming from smitten fans at his concerts was reportedly loud enough to affect his hearing – Sherman also was a familiar presence on TV.

His role as Jeremy Bolt on the Western comedy series "Here Comes the Brides" from 1968 to 1970 earned him copious fan mail, and subsequent appearances on episodes of "Honey West" and "The Monkees" continued to boost his profile.

Bobby Sherman left Hollywood for public service

Sherman decided to detour from celebrity life and began a new career in emergency services. He volunteered at the Los Angeles Police Department from the 1990s through 2017 and was a technical reserve police officer with the unit. In 1999 he was named the LAPD's reserve officer of the year. Sherman was also a reserve deputy sheriff for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

"It was a labor of love," Sherman told the podcast "A Breath of Fresh Air" in 2024. "I really enjoyed every minute of it."

In 2011, Sherman and Poublon created the Brigitte and Bobby Sherman Children's Foundation, a Ghana-based youth center dedicated to blending music and education and providing children in Ghana with educational tools. Stamos was a major supporter of their foundation and charitable endeavors.

In his "Fresh Air" interview with podcast host Sandy Kaye, Sherman grew contemplative and left fans with a message. "Just enjoy life, be respectful of others and trust in the Lord," he said. "(They) always used to say that the minute you're born you begin to die, but you know what? It's true. So it's one of those things just to live it the fullest and the most righteous way you can."

Bobby Sherman has passed away.

David Joseph Cousins (born David Joseph Hindson; January 7, 1940 – July 13, 2025) was an English musician who was the leader, singer and most-active songwriter of Strawbs, .

Cousins was a founding member of Strawbs, which started out as the Strawberry Hill Boys, playing bluegrass music, then moved on to folk, folk rock, and progressive rock.

An early singer was future Fairport Convention member Sandy Denny, with whom Strawbs recorded All Our Own Work in 1967. The band were the first UK group signed to A&M Records and Tony Visconti worked with the band on their self-titled 1969 release, which was produced by Gus Dudgeon.

Rick Wakeman joined the band for 1970's Just A Collection Of Antiques And Curios but would leave following the next year's From The Witchwood to join Yes. Although best known for their 1973 No. 2 hit Part Of The Union from that year's Bursting At The Seams album, 1972's Grave New World and 1974's Hero And Heroine represent the classic Strawbs sound.

Cousins made an unlikely cameo on Def Leppard's 1980 debut album, On Through The Night, his speaking voice can be heard at the beginning of When The Walls Came Tumblin' Down.

He also performed as an acoustic duo with Strawbs guitarist Brian Willoughby, and as Acoustic Strawbs with Willoughby (until August 2004), Dave Lambert and Chas Cronk (from September 2004).

Cousins, who has faced a number of health issues in recent years, including a major cancer operation, stent replacements and a full knee replacement, quit touring in 2021 and Strawbs performed their final show at Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival on August 11, 2023.

George Jan Kooymans (March 11, 1948 – July 23, 2025) was a Dutch guitarist and vocalist. He was best known for his work with the Dutch group Golden Earring. Kooymans wrote "Twilight Zone", the group's only top 10 entry on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart.

Kooymans’ family confirmed his death to the Dutch outlet AD, saying the musician died from the effects of ALS, which he was diagnosed with in 2020. “We say goodbye to a great musician and composer whose work reached far beyond Golden Earring. George was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, but above all, a friend,” the family said.

Golden Earring drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk added, “What we want now is silence and to remember everything he did. I played with him for 50 years, and that was the best time of my life. I’ll leave it at that for now.”

Golden Earring spent more than five decades together, enjoying massive success in their home country and achieving international renown with tracks like 1973’s “Radar Love,” 1982’s “Twilight Zone,” and 1984’s “When the Lady Smiles.” While “Twilight Zone” was the group’s highest-charting song in the U.S., peaking at Number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, their epic, multi-faceted opus “Radar Love” (which peaked at Number 13) remains Golden Earring’s most enduring hit and a staple of classic rock radio. (It also landed at Number Three on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 50 Best Road Trip Songs.)

“This song was responsible for 80 percent of U.S. speeding tickets in 1974. (The rest were caused by ‘Takin’ Care of Business.’),” Rolling Stone’s Rob Sheffield wrote of “Radar Love” while praising Golden Earring’s 1974 album Moontan. “It remains one of the all-time coolest driving songs, with hypnotic bass and white-line fever poetry. ‘I’ve been driving all night, my hands wet on the wheel’ — now there’s an opening line.”



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Ozzy Osbourne
R.I.P.