In Memory Of.../R.I.P.

Many an artist, producer, director, writer and such have been taken away in different forms to the great beyond.  This is the place to honor them.

All I ask is just respect people's opinions with rebuttals to hot topics such as murder, overdose and especially suicide.

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I get on Facebook and this is the first post I see:

Facebook friends, in honor of the recently fallen Mike Starr, what's your favorite Starr-era Alice in Chains song?RevolverMagazine

I am a HUGE fan of this band.  At time in my life when I was going through some really deep personal issues, their songs helped me out a lot.

Mike Starr is/was an original member of AIC.  R.I.P. :cry:

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Mike Starr, the former bassist for Alice in Chains has died, according to police.

Police have confirmed that they checked a residence at 1:42 p.m. at 1986 South Richards Street in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, where they discovered Starr's body.

He was 44 years old.

The cause of death was not immediately known.

Starr was arrested for illegal prescription drug possession in Salt Lake City in February.

Starr was the original bassist for Alice in Chains a rock band that made its mark on the "grunge" scene with roots in the Seattle area. He left the group in 1993. Another original band member Layne Staley, died from a cocaine and heroin overdose in 2002.

Starr appeared in 2010 on the VH1 cable reality show "Celebrity Rehab" after suffering from a heroin addiction.

Stay tuned to ABC 4 News and ABC4.com for more on this story.ABC4News

i dont listen to alice in chains but it is always sad to hear that someone suddenly past away

R.I.P. :(

I will never forget. :)

R.I.P. 

\m/ 

Rest in peace, Mike Starr, along with all other musicians out there that died an untimely death, including the ones below:

• Kurt Cobain
• Jimi Hendrix
• John Lennon
• Elvis Presley
• Layne Staley
• Jim Morrison
• Bon Scott
• Randy Rhoads

May they all rest in peace forever.

Today Nate Dogg has passed away.  He's a West Coast singer that usually accompanied, Snoop, Dre and some others.

Singer Nate Dogg has passed away at the age of 41. According to family members, the singer passed late last night. The news was initially reported by Long Beach, Calif. newspaper the Press-Telegram. While the cause of his death remains unclear the infamous hook singer had been recovering from two massive strokes he suffered over the past years.

The Long Beach native made a name for himself in the rap game on Dr. Dre's ****c album The Chronic followed by a breakthrough performance alongside Warren G on the smash record "Regulate." Nate went on to release numerous solo albums including G-Funk ****cs Vol. 1 & 2 followed up in late 2001 with Music & Me and the latest self-titled solo album Nate Dogg. Nate also made a scene stealing appearance on producer Mark Ronson's "Ooh Wee" that also featured Ghostface Killah.

Following news of Nate's passing Hip-Hop artists reflected on the man who's iconic sound will always be remembered.

"There is a certain void in hip hop's heart that can never be filled.Glad we got to make history together. RT @SnoopDogg: RIP NATE DOGG" rapper Ludacris tweeted who worked withe Nate on his single "Area Codes."

"I lost a friend" an emotional Game tweeted. "Been here before. Tears. Memories. One day someone will lose "US" as well. LIVING until that day comes is our only option. R.I.P. Nate Dogg. Why does it take Death to remind us about the importance of life ??? Cherish every moment cuz tomorrow he mite call your #."

The news appeared to hit both Snoop Dogg and DPG member Daz the hardest.

"We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb" Snoop tweeted. "One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met. I love u buddy luv. U will always b wit me 4ever n a day u put the g n g funk u put the 1 n 213 n u put yo stamp on evrybdy u ever didit wit."

"I miss u cuzz I am so sad but so happy I got to grow up wit u and I will c u again n heaven cuz u know d slogan" Snoop continued. "all doggs go to heaven yo homie n baby brotha bigg snoopdogg!!"

"R.I.P. TO MY HOMEBOY NATE DOGG DPGC DOGG POUND GANGSTA 4 LIFE" tweeted Daz.

"We love you Nate Dogg, it's never going to be the same" West Coast rapper Xzibit added.

"Nate Dogg... freshness period. rest in beats" singer Erykah Badu tweeted.

"Moment of silence for a hip-hop legend; RIP Nate Dogg" comedian Dave Chappelle tweted. "You will be missed, G Funk Era forever. #natedogg."

"I have always said that Nate Dogg is the Marvin Gaye my lifetime. G funk ****cs vol 1 & 2 RIP #NATEDOGG" rapper Murs tweeted.

"What I wouldn't give to hear him say "Roll One" just one more time" producer and friend Fred Wreck tweeted. "To the world you were a legend but to me you were my friend. iLuvUNate"

Another Cali based producer DJ Pooh called in to LA radio station KDAY to share his thoughts on the singer following news of his death. "I aint got too much to say, i'm just feeling bad for his family and the dpg family" said Pooh. "Nate was a friend of mine, nothing but love. I'm just sad. I just wanna send my love out to his family, kids, and to Snoop Dogg, Warren G and DPG."

Early this morning Nate Dogg's sibling Samuel also phoned in to KDAY thanking fans for their sentiments. According to Sam, he says he was feeling numb at the moment and that his brother had been struggling for the past three years due to his illness. Sam declined to speak on how Nate passed but said a more formal statement would be released at a later date. Rapper Snoop Dogg called in to KDAY as well but spoke privately off air.

Rest in peace Nate Dogg. You will be truly missed.MTVRapFix

One of the best voices of the Disco era has passed on. Loleatta Holloway is her name and singing was her game. I remember hearing her voice during the Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch days.

http://spinningsoul.com/2011/03/riploleatta/

Other deaths-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2011

For those who don't know, today marks the 17th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. Kurt had been struggling with depression (Kurt suffered from Bipolar Disorder) and drug addictions, Kurt attempted suicide several times unsucessfully and was in a drug rehab center before he escaped, returned to his home in Seattle, and shot himself in the head with a shotgun (there are many debates about this being a murder rather than a suicide, but he's still dead nonetheless).

R.I.P. Kurt Cobain.

I was never a Cobain person, but it's always sad to see someone go the way he did. I always wanted him to get some help for his Bi-Polar issues more. The one thing that bugged me about this was when fans, and I use that term loosely, were blaming Love for it. What a crock of **** there. The copycat thing pissed me off too.

Also 9 years ago today, Layne Staley, the voice of AIC passed on. Heroin is the death of many a musician. So sad.  

Thank goodness you weren't one of them. I never understood where those ideas came from in the first place. Him not doing it himself is plausible as to how the shotgun blast was supposedly not consistent with the blow to his noggin. I forget where I read it. It was a long time ago.

I had no idea he went to rehab. I'm glad he did, but angry it didn't take. This reminds me of how a well known wrestler by the name of Scott Hall has been too many a rehab, but it never took.  He is alive and has finally come to terms with his issues though.

Do you ever wonder why they delve into the drug thing, musicians that is?

Amy Whinehouse has passed on. Great voice bad decisions.telvisnostic

:shock: Whoa. I can't say I didn't see it coming, but it's still sad to see someone pass on that early.

Another member of the '27 Club'rocketfox129

ANOTHER member? It really is a cursed age for musicians. We already have Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, this is getting out of hand.

[QUOTE="rocketfox129"]Another member of the '27 Club'cronomagus36

ANOTHER member? It really is a cursed age for musicians. We already have Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, this is getting out of hand.

Yup, there's a strange statistical spike of deaths at the age of 27 for musicians, which is a real shame, especially when it snatches such talented people away

if i had to point out 1 person, i guess it would be cliff burton from metallicaleon2365

That's the bassist who was killed in a bus crash, right?

yup. thats him. its crazy though. had he not taken kirk's bunk, kirk would have been dead and cliff still alive. either way, it sucks that he's dead. leon2365

Yeah, I heard the band members drew straws to decide who would sleep in the bed and who would be on the floor. So you can imagine that if the crash still happened no matter what, any one member of Metallica could've died sleeping on that bed. It's like how I read once that on the night John Lennon was killed, he had arrived at his appartment complex to say good night to his son after being out all day, but he was killed when he got there. So if John Lennon decided not to show up then, he might not have been killed that night.

Andrew "Mac" McDermott, the former lead singer of U.K. progressive metallers THRESHOLD, reportedly passed away in England yesterday (Wednesday, August 3). A condolences page has been launched at this location: http://rememberingandrewmacmcdermott.webs.com/

McDermott had "serious health problems" in the months leading up to his death, according to a June 2011 statement from the German melodic metal band POWERWORLD, with whom McDermott recorded the 2010 album "Human Parasite".

"I'm very sad about our big loss," POWERWORLD bassist Ilker Ersin stated about his former bandmate's passing. "I can't find the right words in this moment."

McDermott performed in clubs in England and tried to establish a band there in his early years before he moved to Germany to join the band SARGANT FURY. After three albums, the band dissolved and in 1998 McDermott joined THRESHOLD as lead singer, replacing Damian Wilson.

Shortly after the release of THRESHOLD's 2007 album "Dead Reckoning", McDermott left the band, resulting in Wilson's return to the group.

McDermott's most recent musical project was SWAMP FREAKS, which "took some of the cool 'n' heavy from the '70s [FREE, LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH] and mashed it up with some '90s anarchy [PEARL JAM, NIRVANA, ALICE IN CHAINS] threw in some RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and a sprinkle of punk rock," according to the band's Facebook page.threshold Facebook

Janie Lane forerly of Warrant has passed on.

He's the one in the middle.

Courtesy of Fox 26 Houston

LOS ANGELES - The lead singer of 1980s 'hair band' Warrant was found dead at a Los Angeles hotel late Thursday, TMZ reported.

Officer Sara Faden reported the body of 47-year-old Jani Lane -- who wrote the band's hit "Cherry Pie" and also had a solo career -- was discovered at the Comfort Inn hotel in Woodland Hills.

The official cause of death was not released.

Lane, who was born John Kennedy Oswald in Akron, Ohio, had battled alcohol problems in the past. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail in 2010 after being arrested twice for drunk driving within two years, according to TMZ.

Within the past several years, Lane was a cast member on the second season of the VH1 show "Celebrity Fit Club."

Lane is survived by his two daughters from two previous marriages.

Celebrity Twitter reactions:

Nikki Sixx - "I just heard the sad news about Janie Lane. So hard to swallow when people have kids. RIP."

Bret Michaels - "We'd like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of Jani Lane regarding their loss. Respectfully, Bret and all at MEGI"

Sebastian Bach - "So sad about Jani.The death rate in our business seems awful high huh"

Slash - "Just heard about Jani Lane. What a shame. RIP man."

Chris Jericho - "Sad to hear about the passing of Jani Lane. Jani was a good guy and one of the best songwriters in the late 80s Dog Eat Dog-very underrated"backstageol

another good person to point out is freddie murcury.

he brought us so many cathy songs, and a band to rock the ages.

happy birthday freddie. where ever you are.

your singing for the real gods now.

DJ Mehdi

20th January 1977 - 12 September 2011

Hip hop and house producer, DJ, and one of the more established names on Ed Banger Records

Celebrating a friend's birthday with a party at his home in Paris, he was fatally injured when the roof collapsed.

I've heard of that fella, the DJ.  I did read about it though.  So sad.  May his contributions be felt.

 =----------

Detroit, Michigan's Chaos Kid, an Eminem associate and local rapper, reportedly committed suicide earlier this week according to several reports. He was 37 years old.

Chaos, whose real name is James Deel and later went by the name Santiago Snafu, killed himself around September 28th and his body was discovered on October 3rd. A funeral service will be held at the Harry J Will on October 10th.

In the late '80s, Chaos served as one of the original members of Bassmint Productions, which included a young Eminem. The two later recorded under the name Soul Intent from 1989 to 1992.HipHopDX

The Chicago Tribune and Weezer website confirmed that former Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh died Saturday in what appeared to be a drug overdose. The bassist was 40 years old.

Welsh was pronounced dead on the scene at 2:30 p.m. in his hotel room in Chicago where he was found to be unresponsive by hotel staff. A bag of white powder was found in the room that authorities believed to be heroin.

The bassist played with Weezer starting in 1998, but left the band in 2001 because of a nervous breakdown and opted to start a career in art. He recorded bass tracks on the self-titled "Green" album.

As Pitchfork points out, Welsh coincidentally predicted his own death on Twitter, stating on Sept. 26: "dreamt i died in chicago next weekend (heart attack in my sleep). need to write my will today," and later adding, "correction – the weekend after next."

Weezer released the following statement about Welsh on their website:

Dear friends and fans,
It saddens me and the guys in Weezer so much to say that our beautiful, creative, hilarious and sweet friend Mikey Welsh has passed away at the very young age of 40. A unique talent, a deeply loving friend and father, and a great artist is gone, but we will never forget him. His chapter in the weezer story ('98 – '01) was vital, essential, wild, and amazing.

Mikey was never one to shy away from the absurd, dangerous or strange, and he did so with a gusto few others had. No one had quite the stage presence of Mikey, nor have there been many who pulled the types of shenanigans he did at shows. If it rocked, he had to try it – and he always found a way to pull it off.

When he emerged from his nervous breakdown that spelled his exit from the rock n roll world, he took on a new role as an astonishing and pure visual artist. It was a glorious flowering of a talent he always possessed, but he had chosen to rock out first, paint later. Our more recent meet-ups at weezer shows, including recently at the Weezer/Flaming Lips show at Jones Beach were always a great time. We will miss him terribly. Our deepest heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. The world has lost a truly one of a kind guy.

…Tomorrow we play the RIOTfest in Chicago as planned – Mikey was planning on attending this show and we were looking forward to seeing him again. As sad as it is to think about, we know Mikey would never want the rock stopped on his account – quite the contrary in fact. While we wont see him, we know he will be there rocking out with us!Paste Magazine

Former Fleetwood Mac and Savoy Brown bassist Bob Brunning has passed away as the result of a heart attack. The musician, teacher and author was 68 when he passed away on Oct. 18.

According to Vintage Vinyl News, Brunning was recruited by original Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, who had just left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. In truth, John McVie from the Bluesbreakers was first offered the job, and ended up accepting a few weeks later. But in the meantime, Brunning recorded the track 'Long Grey Mare' which ended up on the band's 1968 self-titled debut.

Brunning then briefly joined Savoy Brown before embarking on a three-decade long teaching career. He found time to perform in a number of bands over the years, including the Brunning Sunflower Blues Band and the De Luxe Blues Band. Brunning also wrote over a dozen books, including one on the history of his former band entitled 'Fleetwood Mac: Behind the Masks."Ultimate C lassic Rock

Flattus Maximus aka Cory Smoot of GWAR fame has been found dead.

More info here

-I used to listen to this band years ago.  They made some good points in their songs and had an interesting look. Losing him, is sorta like losing a member of the family to them.

Flattus Maximus aka Cory Smoot of GWAR fame has been found dead.

More info here

-I used to listen to this band years ago.  They made some good points in their songs and had an interesting look. Losing him, is sorta like losing a member of the family to them.

telvisnostic

Heavy D. has passed on.   I grew up on him.  In the days now where there is some trash out there, his rap stuff was fun and clean.  So if anyone is weary about certain rappers, go to him.

Mount Vernon, New York emcee-turned-actor Heavy D (born Dwight Myers) has been reported dead today. He was 44 years of age. TMZ.com reports that Heavy D was found unconscious near the entrance to his Beverly Hills, California home and rushed to the hospital. Details are still emerging regarding the longtime Uptown Records rapper's cause of death, however peers and loved ones including rapper-turned-deejay/photographer D-Nice and author/activist dream hampton have publicly mourned the rapper's loss just moments ago.

The Jamaican-born emcee was leader of Heavy D & The Boyz, a late 1980s Hip Hop group which released five albums, all on the Uptown label. The group included G-Whiz, DJ Eddie F., and the late "Trouble" T. Roy, who helped inspired Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)." Between 1987 and 1994, Heavy D & The Boyz worked with the likes of Notorious B.I.G., DJ Premier, Marley Marl and longtime affiliate and fellow Mount Vernon native Pete Rock.

As a solo artist, Heavy D remained close with Uptown Records executive Sean "Diddy" Combs and the mogul's Bad Boy Records imprint, despite never releasing a Bad Boy album. Recently, Heavy D released Grammy-nominated Reggae album Vibes on the Stride label in 2008. Previously, D had released Waterbed Hev in 1997 and a self-titled 1999 album.

The group performed the title track to FOX's In Living Color show, and appeared on the program. As an actor, Heavy D would appear in films such as Life.

At the time of his death, Heavy D was at work on an album called Love Opus, set to feature Anthony Hamilton and Carl Thomas. Just weeks ago, Heavy D performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. It was days after Heavy D had performed his hit Michael Jackson collaboration, "Jam," alongside LaToya Jackson.HipHopDx

Keyboardist Mark 'Moogy' Klingman, known for his work with Todd Rundgren and Bette Midler, and also a founding member of Rundgren's Utopia band, passed away on Tuesday evening (Nov. 15) at the age of 61. Klingman had been fighting an extended battle with cancer.

His music was a key element of Rundgren's early solo work, particularly the progressive sound that informed Utopia. Klingman also played a big part in rock history by making the very important introduction between Meat Loaf, composer Jim Steinman and Rundgren. That trio went on to produce what would become the multi-platinum 'Bat Out Of Hell' album in 1977.

Klingman and Rundgren were initially supposed to produce the album together, but Klingman eventually was edged out of the picture when the team became more interested in working with Rundgren directly. The events would cause a rift between Klingman and and Rundgren that would take many years to heal.

Rundgren reformed Utopia for a pair of shows earlier this year (which included Moogy) to help benefit Klingman's mounting medical bills. The reunion continued this fall with additional dates that Klingman was originally set to be a part of, but unfortunately he ultimately was unable to participate as his health got worse.

Todd mourned the "sorrowful" passing of his "longtime friend and Utopian" with a post on his Facebook page that said "he will be missed, RIP Moogy."

Rundgren biographer Paul Myers paid tribute to Klingman with a lengthy post, calling him "a unique character, part foil, part Salieri, but a true original."Ulitmate C lassic Rock

Blues Legend has passed on.  I guess he wasn't 'popular' enough to get any cred on the news.

Hubert Sumlin, who gained blues fame as a guitarist for the legendary Howlin' Wolf from about 1954 to 1976, and in more recent years as a solid performer on his own, died today. His death closes yet another window into blues history.

Sumlin had just turned 80 last month. He died in a hospital in Wayne, N.J., reportedly of heart failure.

Here's a very nice tribute to Sumlin written by guitarist Bob Margolin, back in 2003. I haven't seen a full obituary yet on Sumlin, but I'm sure there will be some in the next day or so.

I've seen Sumlin a few times in recent years at blues festivals. He always impressed me with his sharp dressing and smiling demeanor, and especially with his still-snappy guitar work. Another real-deal bluesman who will be missed.

-Community Voice of Pittsburgh Gazzette

Bio

Jimmy Page speaks on him.

Dimebag Darrell Abbott was killed on this date 7 years ago.  I remember when I heard it.  I was working at Sam Goody.  One of my workmates had to fight back tears as he was a guitarist himself and Dimebag was a bif influence on the way he played.  What happened that day was a fan who just couldn't let things go. 

A fella by the name of John Winston Lennon was also gunned down on this date 31 years ago.

Dimebag Darrell Abbott was killed on this date 7 years ago. I remember when I heard it. I was working at Sam Goody. One of my workmates had to fight back tears as he was a guitarist himself and Dimebag was a bif influence on the way he played. What happened that day was a fan who just couldn't let things go.

A fella by the name of John Winston Lennon was also gunned down on this date 31 years ago.

telvisnostic

Bah, you beat me to it, I was going to talk about this too. :P

Regardless, I hope Dimebag Darrell and John Lennon will always be remembered as two outstanding musicians who had a huge impact on their respective genres of music.

R.I.P.

Bah, you beat me to it, I was going to talk about this too. :P

Regardless, I hope Dimebag Darrell and John Lennon will always be remembered as two outstanding musicians who had a huge impact on their respective genres of music.

R.I.P.cronomagus36

I agree with you there.  Although I'm not a fan of Lennon at all, he did have an impact on the music industry.

As for Dimebag, that fella was just awesome and it was sad to see him go the way he did.

Very sad day in both cases. :(ArmoredCore55

Keyboardist Dick Sims backed up two of the greatest C.lassic rockers of all times, and a dozen others that were pretty dang good in his 60 years. The keyboardist died on Thursday, after a battle with cancer, prompting Eric Clapton to dedicate his Saturday show to his one time bandmate.

Before working for Clapton, Sims worked with Bob Seger. He's heard on Seger's 'Back in '72′ album, which includes the timeless hit 'Turn the Page.' Along with Jamie Oldaker and Carl Radle, Sims help develop what would become known as the 'Tulsa Sound.'

What was supposed to be a single tour turned into an almost 10 year run with Clapton. His s.tyle helped shape Clapton's sound on albums like '461 Ocean Boulevard' and 'Slowhand.' One can hear his work on songs like 'I Shot the Sheriff' and 'Wonderful Tonight.'

Tulsa World reports that Sims was diagnosed with cancer in November, but wrote three more songs in the three following weeks. He is survived by his son Jesse P. Sims and two brothers Larry and Jerry Sims. Family and friends plan to hold a private celebration of his life.

-Ultimate C.lassic Rock

With every passing year come awesome albums and badass concerts. But there also inevitably comes the crushing news that more of our rock-and-roll heroes have shed this mortal coil. In 2011, we bid farewell to current and former members of Motörhead, Alice in Chains, Manowar, Gwar, and others; we at Revolver also lost one of our own. So as 2011 draws to a close, we pay our respects to the dearly departed. Rest in peace.

Gary Moore
Thin Lizzy
Died February 6
Guitarist for Irish rockers Thin Lizzy during several periods, Moore is more renowned and revered as a solo blues axman, whose playing reverberates in the six-string work of everyone from Slash to Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt. Metallica's Kirk Hammett even cites him as one of his top five guitar influences, pointing to the solo in "Master of Puppets" and riffs he wrote for "The Unforgiven" as being inspired by Moore.

Phil Vane
Extreme Noise Terror
Died February 23
Vane made his name as the absolutely ferocious vocalist of pioneering UK crust-punk outfit Extreme Noise Terror, with whom he helped spearhead the late-'80s grindcore movement. He even briefly fronted grindcore originators Napalm Death, switching places with singer Barney Greenway, who appeared on ENT's Damage 381 before returning to NP.

Mike Starr
Alice in Chains
Died March 8
The original bassist of Alice in Chains, Starr's tense, throbbing bass lines underpinned c.lassic grunge-metal albums like Facelift and Dirt. After splitting with the group while it was touring in support of the latter album, Starr formed supergroup Sun Red Sun alongside former Black Sabbath members Ray Gillen and Bobby Rondinelli, and later toured with Days of the New.

Scott Columbus
Manowar
Died April 4
Columbus was the longtime drummer of battle-metal barbarians Manowar, and his playing $tyle was fittingly brutish: The skinsman pounded what he called the "Drums of Doom," a kit made of stainless steel because his hit so hard that when he used standard kits, they had to be replaced too regularly.

Seth Putnam
Anal ****
Died June 11
The sick genius/retard behind Anal **** and grindcore micro-blasterpieces including "Women: Nature's Punching Bag" and "Body by Auschwitz," Putnam was extreme metal's shock-rock provocateur bar none. He also famously feuded with Cannibal Corpse/Six Feet Under vocalist Chris Barnes (culminating in the AC tune "Chris Barnes is a **** and provided backing screams to songs on Pantera's The Great Southern Trendkill.

Mario Comesanas
December Aeternalis, Low Road
Sirius-XM Liquid Metal, Revolver magazine
Died June 13
Hired in 2006, Comesanas was Revolver's longtime promotions director and our man on the road with Mayhem Fest from 2008 to 2010. A DJ on Sirius-XM's Liquid Metal channel, he was a diehard champion of heavy music, as well as a musician in his own right, singing for death-metal outfit December Aeternalis and hardcore band Low Road, which was recording its debut with producer Joey Z, of Life of Agony, at the time of Comesanas' passing.

Michael "Würzel" Burston
Motörhead
Died July 9
Guitarist for the mighty Motörhead from 1984 to 1995, Würzel laid down the licks on rumbling punk-metal landmarks like Orgasmatron and Rock 'n' Roll. He got his nickname while in the army, but Lemmy gave him the umlaut. At the time of his death, he was working on an album with his new band, Leader of Down.

Jani Lane
Warrant
Died August 11
One of the great frontmen of '80s glam metal, Lane will probably be best remembered for the song and video, "Cherry Pie," if not for bedding and wedding the clip's smokin' starlet, Bobbi Brown. In more recent years, the vocalist had gone solo, appeared on VH1′s Celebrity Fit Club 2, and toured with Great White.

Cory "Flattus Maximus" Smoot
Gwar
Died November 2
Adopting the role of Gwar's red-faced, white-dreadlocked, dinosaur-shoulder-padded alien guitarist, Flattus Maximus, in 2002, Smoot came to be considered by fans as the "True Flattus" since he was longest serving axman to play the character. He was also a major songwriter on the four Gwar albums he played on. After his death, bandleader Oderus Urungus announced that the character of Flattus Maximus would be retired.

-RevolverMag