A prevailing phenomenon is that famous people — actors, musicians, athletes, scientists, etc., — die in sets of three within short time frames. In the music world recently, five music legends died recently within one month.
While all performing under the umbrella of pop and rock and roll, the deceased musicians ideally defined the broad reaches of the genre.
David Bowie was a visionary; Paul Kantner greatly influenced the psychedelic sound; Lemmy Kilmister was a heavy metal master.
Unlike many musicians who die young, the five recently deceased icons ranged from age 64 to 74 and they died between December 28, 2015 and January 28, 2016.
Here’s a brief synopsis of the musicians. May they rest in peace.
David Bowie, January 8, 1947 -January 10, 2016, age 69.
A British singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and accomplished multi-instrumentalist, David Bowie was an innovative artist. He reinvented his musical art form by presenting different personas, most notably Ziggy Stardust.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, Bowie, who died of liver cancer, sold an estimated 140 million records and received five platinum and seven gold certificates in the United States. Bowie became internationally famous in 1969 with “Space Oddity.”
Bowie acted in several movies and in the 1970s reached further popularity with singles like “Fame” and the album "Young Americans."
Glenn Frey, November 6, 1948, January 18, 2016, age 67.
Co-founder of the Eagles, Glenn Frey was often the lead singer as well as played guitar, piano and other keyboards on some of the most popular rock songs in history.
Frey, who died from complications of rheumatoid rarthritis, acute ulcerative colitis and pneumonia, was also an accomplished solo artist and actor. As a member of the Eagles or in his solo career, Frey had 24 top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Take It Easy,” and Tequilla Sunrise" with the Eagles and “Smuggler’s Blues” as a solo artist.
The Eagles have two of the top-15 top-selling albums in history and Frey, as a member of the group, won six Grammy Awards. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mic Gillette, May 7, 1951-January 17, 2016, age 64.
The veteran trumpet player, who died of a heart attack, was a long-time member of Tower of Power.
He played solos in arguably the San Francisco Bay Area's biggest hit, "You're Still a Young Man."
Gillette, a lifelong resident of the Bay Area, also played for several other bands throughout his long career, including Sons of Champlin, the Doobie Brothers and Cold Blood.
Gillette was also a devoted father and enjoyed giving clinics to schools. He was also a successful fundraiser for high school music departments around the country.
Paul Kantner, March 17, 1941-January 28, 2016, age 74.
The singer, songwriter and guitarist was the co-founder of the Jefferson Airplane. It was among the leading psychedelic rock bands in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1960 and early 1970s.
Kantner, who died from a heart attack, also performed at “Paul Katner and the Jefferson Starship and as Jefferson Starship.
He was for many years the only touring original member of the band, which had included Grace Slick, Marty Balin, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady.
The group, whose hits included “Somebody to Love” and “White Rabbit,” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.
Lemmy Kilmister, December 25, 1945-December 28, 2015, age 70
The English musician, singer and songwriter was all about the heavy metal genre. He founded Motorhead and was known for his gravelly voice, mutton chops and heavy partying.
Kilmister, who died of prostate cancer and liver failure, was the lead singer and bass guitar ist for Motorhead. He lived as tough as his music. The group’s biggest-selling album was “No Sleep ’til Hammersmith, which featured the single “Ace of Spades.”
Kilmister often stated he didn’t support the Nazi movement, he had a vast collection of Nazi memorabilia.