RIP
R.I.P. Ken Chinn (a.k.a. Mr. Chi Pig), Singer of Punk Band SNFU Dies at 57
Ken Chinn (aka Mr. Chi Pig) of SNFU Ken Chinn (a.k.a. Mr. Chi Pig), the singer of influential Canadian hardcore-punk band SNFU, has died at the age of 57. No cause of death has been disclosed, but the vocalist previously revealed in a December 2019 interview with Beatroute that he was in failing health and had a short time to live. The origins of SNFU — short for Society’s No F**king Use — date back to 1981, when Chinn first formed the punk band Live Sex Shows in Edmonton with twin-brother guitarists Marc and Brent Belke. While that outfit would break up later that year, the three musicians re-formed as SNFU shortly thereafter, going through a series of drummers and bassists throughout the ’80s. From 1985 through 1988, they released three albums, beginning with their debut, …And No One Els...
Quality Control Rapper Lil Marlo Murdered In Atlanta: Report
Source: Prince Williams / Getty We absolutely hate reporting this type of news. Quality Control rapper Lil Marlo was murdered in Atlanta last night (July 12) in the early morning hours. Marlo, born Rudolph Johnson, ran with Lil Baby and the two actually dropped a mixtape a few years ago called 2 The Hard Way. While Lil Baby’s career has taken off, many pegged Marlo as being next in line to blow on QC’s roster. Sadly, Marlo was reportedly shot and killed last night on a Georgia highway. Per TMZ, the cops responded to a call at 2:06 am Sunday morning about a car accident on I-285 in downtown Atlanta. They found Marlo shot and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The cops have barely any details about how it all went down. Just IN: Atlanta Rapper Rudolph “Lil Marlo” Johnson, ...
Bonnie Pointer Of The Pointer Sisters Dead at 69
Source: Harry Langdon / Getty Bonny Pointer, born Patricia Eva Porter, of the Pointer Sisters has passed away. She was 69. Pointer’s sister, Anita, confirmed her passing. Reports TMZ: The Grammy-winning Motown artist, who was originally part of the popular quartet group of sisters in the ’70s, died this morning. Her sister, Anita, tells TMZ, “It is with great sadness that I have to announce to the fans of The Pointer Sisters that my sister, Bonnie died this morning. Our family is devastated, on behalf of my siblings and I and the entire Pointer family, we ask for your prayers at this time.” Bonnie was one of the OG Pointer Sisters — which started out as a duo, with her as one of the leads — but eventually left the group in the mid-1970s to pursue a successful solo career. She’s perhap...
R.I.P. Rupert Hine, Producer for Rush, The Fixx, and More, Dies at 72
Rupert Hine, who produced two RUSH albums, as well as releases from The Fixx, Howard Jones, Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks, and more, has died at the age of 72. No cause of death has been revealed. The veteran UK producer’s passing was reported by the Ivors Academy, a songwriting association of which Hine was a board director. “His passion, wisdom, inspiration and his immense kindness will be hugely missed,” stated the organization. Hine produced RUSH’s gold-certified 1989 album Presto, which included the chart-topper “Show Don’t Tell”, and platinum-certified 1991 LP Roll the Bones, featuring the hit “Ghost of a Chance”. It was in the ’80s new wave scene that Hine really made his mark, producing multiple albums by The Fixx, including the platinum-certified Reach the Beach (highlighted by the si...
Former Misfits Drummer Joey Image Reportedly Dies at 63
Joey Image, a drummer for The Misfits during the band’s formative years, has reportedly passed away at the age of 63. While no official cause of death was mentioned, the musician had been battling liver cancer since 2016. Image’s death was reported by the New York Hardcore Chronicles Facebook page, which simply stated, “Joey Image of The Misfits dead at 63. Rest in Peace.” The drummer was a member of the Misfits from 1978 to 1979, appearing on the band’s Horror Business EP, which contained the title track as well as “Teenagers from Mars” and “Children in Heat”. He also drummed on the “Night of the Living Dead” 7-inch single (also containing “Where Eagles Dare” and “Rat Fink”), plus the song “Who Killed Marilyn?” that was included on the 1985 compilation Legacy of Brutality. Image left...
Gone Too Soon: Toronto Rapper Houdini Murdered In Home Town
Source: @houdini / Instagram The Rap community has another emerging talent. A Canadian MC was just taken away from us due to gun violence. As reported by Complex Houdini life’s was cut short on Tuesday, May 26. According to CP 24 gunfire erupted in broad daylight outside of a hotel in Toronto’s Entertainment District. Local police responded to several calls regarding the incident which is said to have occurred at King Street and Blue Jays Way sometime after 4PM in the afternoon. When they arrived a Black male was found laying on the ground with wounds. Two other unidentified victims, a 15-year-old boy and 27-year-old woman, were also found shortly after. All three were rushed to the hospital. The woman and teenager are expected to survive. “What we heard was like a bunch of fireworks,...
Iron Maiden Singer Bruce Dickinson’s Longtime Wife Paddy Bowden Dies in Tragic Accident
Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson’s estranged wife Paddy Bowden died Monday as the result of an unspecified “tragic accident.” Bowden was married to Dickinson for 29 years, but the couple had recently separated. The Independent reports that Bowden’s body was found at the home the couple once shared in the Chiswick district of West London. Together, Dickinson and Bowden had three children: sons Austin and Griffin, and daughter Kia. Austin is the lead singer of the metal band As Lions, while Griffin is the vocalist in the metalcore group SHVPES (pronounced “Shapes”). Bruce Dickinson issued a brief statement, saying, “This is a terrible tragedy which appears to be a tragic accident. Our children Austin, Griffin and Kia and I are devastated. Out of respect for Paddy we won’t be making any fur...
Brooklyn Rapper Nick Blixky Shot & Killed
Source: Nick Blixky / Instagram An up and coming Brooklyn rapper named Nick Blixky was shot and killed in his home borough last night (May 10). He was just 21 years old. Born Nickalus Thompson, he was found with gunshot wounds in front of 200 Winthrop Street in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn around 9:30 p.m, per NBC New York. Nick Blixky was reportedly shot in his chest and buttocks, according to the NYPD. Unfortunately, after being taken to NYC Health & Hospitals/Kings County he was pronounced dead. CNN reports that police found Blixky after responding to a 911 call. The Brooklyn native was due to drop a mixtape titled Different Timin in June. Blixby’s “Drive The Boat” single and video, which dropped in late 2019, has amassed over 2 million views on YouTub...
9 Little Richard TV Appearances That Changed Everything
Without Little Richard, there would be no James Brown. No Elvis. No Beatles. [ed. note: deep breath] No Stevie Wonder. No New York Dolls. No Jayne County. No Replacements. No Ol’ Dirty Bastard. No Laura Jane Grace. No Billy Porter. No Low Cut Connie. No Kanye. Definitely no Prince. In fact, nothing funky at all. As Yasiin Bey, the man formerly known as Mos Def, put it, Little Richard is rock’n’roll. And all of these wildly disparate acts have a spark or three from an icon who always had electricity coursing through him. When the man born Richard Wayne Penniman was onstage, he was like a catapult launching great balls of fire that kept on generating and inspiring new musicians every decade. There’s a reason he was dubbed the Architect of Rock ‘n’ Roll; he laid an impossibly strong foundatio...
Betty Wright, Soul Hitmaker and ‘Clean Up Woman’ Singer, Dies at 66
R&B singer Betty Wright, best-known for a string of soulful hits in 1970s and early 1980s, including “Clean Up Woman” and “Where Is the Love?”, has died at age 66. Wright’s niece confirmed the news but didn’t reveal a cause of death, TMZ reports. Wright, born in Miami in 1953, launched her career as a child member of her family’s gospel act, the Echoes of Joy. But she ventured into soul and funk with her first solo album, 1968’s My First Time Around. Wright first found commercial success with 1972’s “Clean Up Woman,” famously sampled three decades later for a remix of Mary J. Blige’s “Real Love.” The vocalist issued a string of solo records and singles in the decade, including minor hits like 1972’s “Is It You, Girl?”, 1974’s “Secretary” and 1975’s “Where is the Love?”, which earned th...
Little Richard, Legendary Rock’n’Roll Pioneer, Dies at 87
Little Richard, one of the first and greatest rock’n’roll icons and innovators, has died at age 87, as reported by Rolling Stone. The cause of death has not yet been reported. Born Richard Wayne Penniman, he revolutionized popular music in the 1950s with such culturally irreplaceable hits as “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” and “Long Tall Sally.” He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, the very first year it began, and performed at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration in 1992. The Library of Congress added “Tutti Frutti” to the National Recording Registry in 2010 for its cultural significance, particularly its unforgettable a cappella intro: “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom!“ Born in Macon, Georgia, the second of 12 children, Penniman was kicked out o...
R.I.P. Dave Greenfield, Stranglers Keyboardist and Vocalist Dies at 71
Dave Greenfield, the longtime keyboardist and vocalist for UK punk rock / new wave band The Stranglers has passed away at the age of 71. The veteran musician had been hospitalized for heart problems, but then contracted COVID-19 last week and succumbed to the virus on Monday, May 3rd. Greenfield joined The Stranglers in 1975, a year after the band’s formation. He remained in the group up until his death, playing keyboards and providing backing and occasional lead vocals. He appeared on all 17 of seminal punk band’s albums, and wrote the music for one of their best known hits, “Golden Brown”. That tune won the prestigious Ivor Novello Award for songwriting. The news of Greenfield’s passing was announced on the band’s official website: “We are deeply and profoundly saddened to announce the u...
