Sonny James 去世

有｢南方紳士｣外號的鄉村歌唱界名人Sonny James，二月22日不幸去世 (87歲)。

出生於阿拉巴馬州Hacklesburg的Sonny James，本名James Loden，他自幼即是他的家庭合唱團的一員，大家叫他"Sonny Boy" Loden，他們在阿拉巴馬州與密西西比州一帶的電台節目裡表演，後來合唱團解散，Sonny James還持續在鄉村音樂很發達的孟非斯擔任吉他手，然後被徵兵去打韓戰。

退伍之後，後來當過RCA副總裁的吉他手與製作人Chet Atkins，鼓勵他到有鄉村音樂之都稱號的田納西州納許維爾去發展， 並介紹他和 Capitol唱片公司簽約，取了藝名"Sonny James"。

Sonny James一生共有72首歌進入鄉村歌曲排行榜，其中有21首歌獲得冠軍，他還跨界有18首歌進入流行歌曲排行榜，其中如"Young Love" (#1-1957) 及 "First Date, First Kiss, First Love" (#25-1957)，成績還不錯，他也參加過幾齣電影的演出。

1973年Sonny James製作了Marie Osmond的暢銷曲"Paper Roses"，後來他陸續獲推薦進入鄉村音樂、暢銷排行雜誌與阿拉巴馬州的音樂名人堂。

Sonny James於1983年退休，並以釣魚陪他度過餘生。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU_8D5jBqd0

Young Love

Songwriters

 CARTEY, RIC / JOYNER, CAROLE

They say for every boy and girl

 There's just one love in this whole world

 And I know I've found mine

The heavenly touch of your embrace

 Tells me no one could take your place

 Ever in my heart

Young love, first love

 Filled with deep devotion

 Young love, our love

 We share with deep emotion

Just one kiss from your sweet lips

 Will tell me that our love is real

 And I can feel that it's true

For we will vow to one another

 There will never be another

 Love for you or for me

Young love, first love

 Filled with deep devotion

 Young love, our love

 We share with deep emotion

Young love, first love

 Filled with deep devotion

 Young love, first love

 Filled with deep devotion

Barry Manilow 微恙

Barry Manilow二月18日衝到洛杉磯的醫院掛急診，他五天前才在孟菲斯動了喉嚨手術，那二天他的演唱會只得取消，但是前幾天在Grammy獎頒獎前夕晚會表演時他還好好的。

Barry Manilow於1943年出生於紐約布魯克林區，他是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第75名的紅歌星，畢業於茱麗亞音樂學院，早年在WCBS電視劇集Callback擔任音樂指導，1972年曾在一家夜總會擔任Bette Midler的鋼琴伴奏，後來替Bette Midler當製作人，出了二張專輯唱片。

Barry Manilow曾錄了很多廣告音樂，最早的是Featherbed寢具，然後有Dr.Pepper、百事可樂、State Farm保險、麥當勞等。1976年還替R&B女子三人合唱團Lady Flash唱過背景和聲。

Barry Manilow是流行音樂界最受歡迎的抒情歌曲演唱人之一，他在排行榜上的暢銷曲很多，其中1974年的Mandy，1975年的I Write The Songs及1977年的Look Like We Made It都得到過冠軍，而1978年他替歌蒂韓與西維蔡斯主演的喜劇，電影Foul Play｢小迷糊闖七關｣演唱的開場插曲Ready To Take Chance Again，更是一首令人難忘的歌。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRZuEz2VJ40

Ready To Take A Chance Again

Songwriters: FOX, CHARLES / GIMBEL, NORMAN

You remind me I live in a shell

Safe from the past and doin' okay but not very well

No jolts, no surprises, no crisis arises

My life goes along as it should

It's all very nice, not very good

[Chorus:]

And I'm ready to take a chance again

Ready to put my love on the line with you

Been livin' with nothing to show for it

You get what you get when you go for it

And I'm ready to take a chance again with you

When she left me, in all my despair

I just held on, my hopes were all gone

Then I found you there

[Chorus x2]

And I'm ready to take a chance again

Ready to take a chance again with you

With you

R&B-funk合唱團Earth, Wind & Fire

R&B-funk合唱團Earth, Wind & Fire的創團者、鼓手、作曲與製作人Maurice White，二月四日去世 (74歲)，他從1992年開始就為帕金森氏病所苦。

孟非斯出生的他，少年時期就移居芝加哥，早年在Chess唱片公司錄音室當鼓手，跟the Impressions、Etta James、Muddy Waters 及 the Dells合作過，1966年他被Ramsey Lewis賞識，邀請他加入Ramsey的三重唱，參與過九張專輯的錄音，1969年Maurice開始了自己的歌唱之路，他組了一個the Salty Peppers合唱團，但沒多久他轉往洛杉磯發展而解散了那個合唱團，並成立了Earth, Wind & Fire。

Earth, Wind & Fire有Maurice White的兄弟Verdine和 Fred與主唱Philip Bailey的加入，他們先有一些R&B排行榜的暢銷曲，如 "Love Is Life" (#43 R&B, #93 Pop - 1971)、 "Mighty Mighty" (#4 R&B, #29Pop - 1974) 及"Devotion" (#23 R&B, #33 Pop - 1974)，1975年他們終於以Shining Star (#1 Pop & R&B)雙料冠軍曲打開知名度，接著的"That's The Way Of The World" (#12 Pop, #5 R&B - 1975)、 "Sing A Song" (#5 Pop, #1 R&B - 1976)、 "Got To Get You Into My Life" (#9 Pop, #1 R&B - 1978)、"September (#8 Pop, #1 R&B - 1979) 及 "Boogie Wonderland" (#6 Pop, #2 R&B R&B - 1979)使他們踏上歌唱事業巔峰。

1992年，Maurice White退出Earth, Wind & Fire的巡迴演唱，但他還擔任Emotions、 Deniece Williams、Barbra Streisand 及Neil Diamond的監製。

Earth, Wind & Fire合唱團於2000年進入搖滾樂名人堂，2004年進入演唱團體名人堂，Maurice White個人則於2010進入作曲人名人堂。

Earth, Wind & Fire在歷年暢銷歌星、合唱團排行榜獲得第88名，他們名次最好的歌是1975年的冠軍曲Shining Star。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwc0AW67CmA

Shining Star

Songwriters

 LORENZO DUNN, PHILIP BAILEY, MAURICE WHITE

When you wish upon a star

 Your dreams will take you very far

 But when you wish upon a dream

 Life ain't always what it seems

 What'd you see on a night so clear

 In the sky so very dear

You're a shining star

 No matter who you are

 Shining bright to see

 What you could truly be (what you could truly be)

Shining star come in to view

 Shine its watchful light on you

 Give you strength to carry on

 Make your body big and strong

 Born a man child of the sun

 Saw my work had just begun

Found I had to stand alone

 Bless it now I've got my own

 So, if you find yourself in need

 Why don't you listen to these words of heed

 Be a giant grain of sand

 Words of wisdom, yes I can

You're a shining star

 No matter who you are

 Shining bright to see

 What you could truly be

You're a shining star

 No matter who you are

 Shining bright to see

 What you could truly be

You're a shining star

 No matter who you are

 Shining bright to see

 What you could truly be

Shinning star for you to see

 What your life can truly be

 Shinning star for you to see

 What your life can truly be

 Shinning star for you to see

 What your life can truly be

Jefferson Airplane的故事

Jefferson Airplane與Jefferson Starship的創始團員、主唱兼主奏吉他手Paul Kantner二月28日因心臟病去世 (74歲)。

當年Paul與Marty Balin在舊金山一家夜總會碰面，決定組一個民謠搖滾合唱團，其他團員還有吉他手Jorma Kaukonen，鼓手Skip Spence(沒多久被Spencer Dryden取代)，貝斯手Jack Casady。

他們立刻吸引了流行音樂界名人Bill Graham的注意，開始當他們的經紀人，並且讓他們在他的Fillmore俱樂部演出，那還是原主唱Signe Anderson被Grace Slick取代之前，而在Grace Slick正式成為主唱後，這個合唱團很快地以暢銷曲"Somebody To Love" (#5-1967") 及 "White Rabbit" (#8-1967)成名，這二首歌是Grace Slick所寫的，還曾由她和 the Great Society合唱團錄過唱片。

Jefferson Airplane在Monterey Pop Festival、 較沒知名度的Altamont Raceway Festival及Woodstock這幾個活動的演出，使他們成了搖滾樂界超級團體之一，從1969 至1975年，Paul Kantner與Grace Slick再一起，還生了女兒China。

1974年Jefferson Airplane改名Jefferson Starship，他們持續推出的暢銷曲有"Miracles" (#3-1975)、"Count On Me" (#8-1976) 與 "Jane" (#14-1980)，1980年Paul Kantner曾罹患腦血管瘤，但後來痊癒。

1985年Jefferson Starship宣告解散，Grace Slick留下來因法律問題而改名的Starship繼續演唱，Paul、 Marty 與 Jack則另組 the KBC合唱團，這個團只有一首暢銷曲"It's Not You, It's Not Me" (#89-1986)，但同年Starship則有三首歌獲得排行榜冠軍(We Built This City、Sara、Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now)。

Jefferson Airplane於1996年進入搖滾樂名人堂。

很巧的是，與Paul Kantner去世同一天，Jefferson Airplane最早的主唱Signe Anderson也去世了(而且也是74歲)。在這個團起飛之前，Signe Anderson就離回家照顧小孩，後來搬到故鄉奧勒岡州並持續演唱生涯直到健康出狀況，她的聲音還可以在"Jefferson Airplane: Live at The Fillmore Auditorium 10/15/66 Signe's Farewell."專輯聽到。

Jefferson Airplane與Jefferson Starship時代，他們排行榜名次最好的歌是:1975年得過三周第三名的Miracles。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKBttQmhDBw

Miracles

If only you believe like I believe baby

 We'd get by

 If only you believe in miracles baby

 So would I

If only you believe like I believe baby

 We'd get by

 If only you believe in miracles baby

 So would I

I might have to move Heaven and earth

 To prove it to you baby

 So we'll make love when you feel the power

 And I feel the power

Then there's really nothing we can't do

 If we wanted to

 You know exist on a side, it'd be so easy

 All we gotta do is get a little faith in you

If only you believe like I believe baby

 We'd get by

 If only you believe in miracles baby

 So would I

If only you believe like I believe baby

 We'd get by

 If only you believe in miracles baby

 So would I

I can't hear windmills and rainbows

 Whenever you're walking with me

 And I feel like swirling and dancing

 Whenever you're walking with me

You feel like a river when I touch you

 When I pluck your body like a string

 When I started dancing inside you

 It makes me wanna sing, oh baby

Oh I need you, oh baby

 I need you

 I need you my baby

 Oh yeah all right

Baby we can do it tonight

 Oh yeah, all right

 Baby we can do it

 Baby we can do it tonight

If only you believe like I believe baby

 We'd get by

 If only you believe in miracles baby

 So would I

If only you believe like I believe baby

 We'd get by

 If only you believe in miracles baby

 So would I