Thank you… and good night.
Mary Weiss
December 28, 1948 – January 19, 2024
New Yorker Mary Weiss found fame in the 1960s as the lead singer with the vocal group the Shangri-Las, whose single The Leader Of The Pack topped the US chart. It was later covered by Twisted Sister. After decades away from music, Weiss released a solo album, Dangerous Game, in 2007. She was 75 years old.
Frank Farian
July 18, 1941 – January 23, 2024
Best remembered as the guiding light of the huge-selling disco-pop group Boney M, also the infamous Milli Vanilli, Frank Farian also founded Far Corporation, whose remake of Stairway To Heaven was a Top 10 hit in 1985, and produced Meat Loaf. Farian was 82 years old. Cause of death has not been announced.
Essra Mohawk
April 23, 1948 – December 11, 2023
Born in Philadelphia, Essra Mohawk was a singer with Zappa connections. Under her maiden name Sandy Hurvitz she wrote and arranged songs, and performed briefly with the Mothers Of Invention, after which Frank partproduced her debut record, Sandy’s Album Is Here At Last, for his record label Bizarre. She died of cancer at her home in Nashville, aged 75.
Ronnie Caryl
February 10, 1953 – December 18, 2023
Friends in their teenage years, Ronnie Caryl and Phil Collins formed the group Flaming Youth in 1969. The following year they both auditioned for Genesis. Collins got the gig, while guitarist Ronnie went on to play with Eric Clapton, Lulu, Gary Brooker, Maggie Bell, Stephen Bishop, David Hentchell and John Otway, before becoming the regular rhythm guitarist and backing singer in Collins’s solo band. Caryl also released two solo albums. He was 70 years old.
Mike Maxfield
Died December 2023
Mancunian Mike Maxfield became the lead guitarist with British Invasion band The Dakotas, who were a backing group for Billy J Kramer. Maxfield joined them in February 1962 and wrote their Top 20 instrumental hit The Cruel Sea, which was produced by George Martin. It was later covered by The Ventures. In the US the song was retitled The Cruel S
