Archive for the R.I.P. Category
I can’t tell you what that first night down at Willie Mitchell’s nightclub on Beale Street was like for me back in 19881994 (ed note: thanks Archie), the night Charley Burch first took me in to meet the man himself. I couldn’t tell you because, well, I was young and unscrupulous back then and, not to mention, so much fun was being had, I felt like I was spending a New Year’s with my own family. MORE »
*** UPDATE: ***JesseCASH has set up a donation page requesting assistance to go directly to Vic’s family. Click here to be taken to the donation page. (via Kristin Hersh)
With a heavy heart, we can now verify that indeed, sadly, of one of the Athens music scene’s most enduring figures, songwriter and guitarist Vic Chesnutt, has died. The cause of death is suicide.
Surrounded by family and friends, Vic Chesnutt died in Athens Georgia this afternoon, Friday 25 December at 14:59.
Apparently, some Christmas Eve confusion about the condition of Athens songwriter Vic Chesnutt, who was reported to be in a coma on Thursday, has led to speculation about rumors surrounding his reported death. Stories have swarmed on Twitter and on various blogs this evening about his death. It now appears that two sources which carried notice about his passing, Billboard and Athens Blur, have pulled their stories.
Right now, we don’t know what’s going. Under whatever circumstances, we wish the best to Vic Chesnutt, his friends, family and many fans around the world this Christmas day. (HT: Brooklyn Vegan)
[Songs Of Survival And Reflection: 'At The Cut' (NPR, 12/1/09)]
If you were one of DJ AM’s millions of fans, there was no way to think of him without recognizing his public appeals regarding his personal struggles with addiction. At the height of his fame as DJ, Adam Goldstein was irrepressible and tireless in his quest to help those suffering from addiction, through both financial contributions and personal counseling of those seeking to conquer their addiction and alcoholism. His death at the hands of drugs coincided with the completion of his impassioned MTV reality show Gone Too Far, which began airing on Thursday nights this past October.
But one other thing you knew full well was his passion for his sneaker collection. DJ AM was the truest of heads when it came to fresh kicks, and he had thousands of pairs. In fact, he had so many pairs in his collection that he never wore them all. Continue reading this after the jump. MORE »
We just got news about a benefit, at which Juan MacLean will DJ, to take place on November 20th at San Francisco’s Mezzanine nightclub in tribute to Jerry Fuchs. Jerry, the drummer for !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Maserati, LCD Soundsystem and The Juan MacLean to name just a few, died tragically last week at the age of 34. I’m pasting this straight from the press release.
Juan MacLean will DJ a benefit show in memory and in tribute to friend, band mate and legendary drummer Jerry Fuchs, who passed away in an unfortunate accident in the early hours of November 8. The show will take place November 20 at San Francisco’s Mezzanine (444 Jessie Street). The show will also feature a DJ set with Parallels. A donation will be made to the Fuchs Family.
Jerry was a celebrated drummer, having recorded and toured with The Juan MacLean, Holy Ghost!, Maserati, !!! and Turing Machine. Born December 30, 1974 in Marietta, Georgia, he attended the University of Georgia and moved to New York in 1995, quickly becoming a beloved fixture on the city’s music scene. When not touring, Jerry worked as a graphic designer for publications like Chunklet and Entertainment Weekly. Juan MacLean describes Jerry as “the absolute best at what he did†and a “supportive and loyal friend.â€
The Juan MacLean has released a video of the extended version of “Happy House,†featuring some of Jerry’s best work. Shot at the Double Door in Chicago on June 16 of this year, the song is a crowd and critic favorite, having been named one of Pitchfork’s 100 Best Tracks of 2008. At nearly 20 minutes long, the performance is a testament to Jerry’s talent and dedication to his craft.
TJM and DFA also just released “Happy House 2 x 12″ with remixes by a wide range of dance music’s all-stars: Chateau Flight, Paul Woolford, Will Saul & Mike Monday, and VHS Or Beta. Lazaro Casanova, an up-and-coming artist and DJ from Miami, who turned in the highest-rated remix of the last Juan Maclean single, has been invited back once again.
The video of “Happy House” appears after the jump. MORE »
UPDATE 11/14/09: A benefit show has been planned for November 20th in San Francisco to be DJ’ed by Juan MacLean. Click here for further details.
When you saw Jerry Fuchs playing drums in any of the many bands in which he played, you marveled at his skill. When you talked to Jerry, you were disarmed at his complete lack of hubris, wondering how someone with such skill lacked the egotistical leanings of his contemporaries. If you ever saw !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Maserati, Holy Ghost!, Turing Machine or The Juan MacLean (among many others) over these last many years, you definitely saw him behind the drum set, ferociously pounding away in a style that gave signatory sound to each of the bands which he performed with.
Over the last decade of musical changes, Jerry stood out as one of a handful of particularly special young drummers, ones whom you walked away slack-jawed after seeing, positive you’d stood as close to a lightning bolt as you were likely to ever come. His untimely death at age 34 on Saturday night, after falling down an elevator shaft, tragically ends a much-celebrated era in music from a life cut far too short. We at Loudersoft send our prayers & thoughts to his many friends and family at this extremely difficult time.
I don’t love copy-pasta, but this from his long-time publicists provides fitting insight and tribute to Jerry.
Gerhardt “Jerry†Fuchs, beloved and respected drummer for The Juan MacLean, Holy Ghost!, Maserati, !!!, and Turing Machine, amongst others, passed away in the early hours on Sunday, November 8th due to an unfortunate elevator accident that occurred in a Brooklyn loft building. He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Medical Center, a few hours later.
Jerry was born on December 30, 1974 in Marietta, Georgia. After attending the University of Georgia for graphic design, he left for New York in 1995 to join the band Vineland. His achievements were numerous as he became a New York fixture in the music scene, providing incredibly complex and energetic drumbeats that elicited wide praise and excitement from fellow musicians, critics and friends. On the rare occasion that he was not touring, Jerry did graphic design work for publications such as Chunklet and Entertainment Weekly. Throughout all of his endeavors and successes, Jerry remained one of the most humble and down-to-earth artists anyone could meet. His smile, and loving energy will be missed dearly, as will his talent and contributions to the music scene.
Jerry’s family and friends request that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.
Juan MacLean
Jerry Fuchs was one of my best and most loyal friends. In other situations it might seem trite or misguided to mention someone’s music career in light of such a tragic death, but the truth is that music was an integral part of our relationship. Jerry was with me from the beginning of The Juan MacLean. The band allowed us to travel the world doing something we loved more than anything, and we constantly reminded ourselves how lucky we were, pushing each other to appreciate the life we were living when things got tough.
It is not hyperbole to say that Jerry was the absolute best at what he did. He was a legendary drummer. Other drummers revered him and fans were astounded by his playing. He was always the best part of any band of his which he was a member. And in light of all that, he was relentlessly humble to the point of self-deprecation. He exuded qualities that are are rare in the circles he travelled. He was disarmingly sincere and valued honesty above all else.
I have never played with anyone as great as Jerry. I would be hard pressed to name a more supportive and loyal friend. I hope his family finds some bit of solace in the fact that Jerry touched the lives of so many all across the world, as evidenced by the outpouring of support and condolences come flooding in.
Jonathan Galkin – DFA
Today was a really bad day, Jerry, and I could have used one of those big sweaty hugs you gave after a show, when you were genuinely excited and surprised to see me. “Galkin, what the fuck are YOU doing here?!â€, you would exclaim, as if i didn’t ever attend the live shows from bands on my own label. You were truly one of a kind, and whether you knew it or not, people wanted to be in the same room as you, or near the same room as you, because maybe just maybe, some of that radiant joy and in-the-moment spirit you exuded would rub off on them. You didn’t take it all with you, because there are a lot of people today who are going to feel mighty responsible to carry and spread that joy with them for the rest of the time they have here. And who knows now how long that might be. You were a really good drummer, some might say the best we had, but you were a greater friend. I love you and miss you, Jerry.
Brian Long – Yes Know Management
Jerry cast an incredible glow on every situation he entered into. It was an honor to work with him. His drumming skills were truly a gift which he used to connect with many people. This is what musicians are put on earth to do. Jerry embodied this to the fullest. He will be missed but remembered with a smile and a laugh.
A new teaser-track which features Michael Jackson singing over a J. Dilla beat appeared yesterday (courtesy of turntablist extraordinaire J. Rocc) on the Stones Throw Records website with a cryptic message –
SHARE MY BED=M.J. & DILLA. TEASER FROM J ROCC.
Share My Bed=M.J. & Dilla 1st track “Player has Butterflies”…wait 4 the rest
The track, by the appropriately named “Dil Jackson”, is entitled “Player Has Butterflies”. We don’t know what “the rest” is, but you can best believe –we’re very intrigued after hearing this track. Grab it from the Stones Throw site here. (HT: @Nialler9)
Photo: Popkrazy
I know that I haven’t updated this blog in months. Without taking time to get into a lengthy explanation as to why, the death of Michael Jackson has given me a reason to update. While I don’t know what the future of Loudersoft is right now, it was important to me to share this with you now.
It has taken me days to sit down and write these thoughts to share with you, and I still don’t even know where to begin. I expect any number of you who read this to simply not understand where my mind is. He meant something different to nearly everyone, no matter what part or parts of his life you’ve been affected by or how.
I have laid awake nights thinking to myself how beautiful heaven must be today now that Michael’s pain is at an end. Those of us here on Earth, we are left to consider the many gifts Michael bestowed upon the world, and, in spite of his eccentric and at times inexplicable behavior, how insensitively the media treated him throughout the last years of his life.
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Heaven must be a beautiful place today. We here on Earth have lost the legendary folk and blues singer Odetta, a woman whose music made her a central figure of and one of the most cherished of voices for folk music and, more importantly, the civil rights movement in America of the 1950’s and 1960’s.
I swore I would not write any more epitaphs this year, but this one comes as a complete shock. Not a lot of information is known about the situation yet except that Def Jam executive Vice-president Shakir Stewart reportedly committed suicide in Atlanta today.
Shakir’s career successes included signing Beyonce at Hitco and, as executive VP of Def Jam, several of Def Jam’s top-selling artists over the last few years, including Rick Ross and Young Jeezy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Shakir’s friends and family & to his extended family at Def Jam.
