Let's start with the more cheerful stuff, shall we, and talk about the new arrivals? Of course, not everyone considers a baby a cheerful thing, especially people with experience of actually having one. Nonetheless, birth is a miracle, etc, etc, and we ought to celebrate it. And nowhere is it more foolishly celebrated than in the world of the uber-pop-celebrity. Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and now-wife Ashlee Simpson welcomed a baby boy to the world and promptly named him Bronx Mowgli, which I'm sure he'll thank them for one day. They also refused to sell his baby pics, which is possibly a sign of sense creeping in, but, the gossips whisper, it could also be taken as a sign that no media outlet was willing to pay the amount demanded by the couple.
Other baby-slebs entering the world this year include Viggo Moriah Hanson, son of middle Hanson, Taylor (that's his fourth child, by the way, and he's only 25); Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's second son Zuma; Lisa Marie Presley's twin girls Harper and Finley Lockwood; another Harper, the new daughter of Dixie Chick Martie Maguire; Max Liron Bratman, son of Christina Aguilera, who did sell her baby pictures; and Dwayne Carter III, son of Lil Wayne. The lovely Mark Owen became a father again, to a little girl named Willow Rose, as did Usher, though I'm not sure what the baby was called. Meanwhile, announcing their pregnancies in the last twelve months were MIA, Gerard Way's wife (Lyn-Z of Mindless Self Indulgence), and Mel C, who also announced that she will marry in the spring.
Which brings us neatly on to engagements and marriages. There's been a lot of talk that the very-young couple that is Chris Brown and Rihanna are engaged, but I think it's just rumour at present. There was also some chatter to the effect that Lindsay Lohan was engaged to Sam (sister of Mark) Ronson, which was somewhat surprising. In October, Eddie van Halen reportedly proposed to his long term girl Janie Liszewski and they are said to be planning to tie the not in June next year. Kian Egan of Westlife and former Hollyoakser Jodi Albert are reportedly also planning 2009 nuptials, whilst KT Tunstall has tied the knot with her drummer Luke Bullen, who she's been seeing since 2003. I think we now assume for definite Jay-Z and Beyonce did, in fact, marry in April, despite much secrecy surrounding the event. And we know for certain Peaches Geldof and Max Drummey of US band Chester French got married this year, though rumour has suggested that they're on the rocks already, but their publicist protested otherwise.
Definitely done and dusted: Silverchair's Daniel Johns and singer Natalie Imbruglia announced that their marriage was over just as 2008 began, insisting that it was work commitments that doomed their relationship, and that they still liked each other. Which contrasts dramatically with the other two big music related divorces of the year, that of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, and Madonna and Guy Ritchie. The hearing of the McCartney Mills divorce case was highly anticipated by the media, and they were not disappointed as they were afforded opportunities to lampoon Mills' more outlandish justifications for demanding a sizable chunk of the former Beatle's fortune, and her dramatic outbursts. A settlement was finally agreed in March giving Mills £24.3million in combined cash and assets, and the divorce was finalised on 12 May.
In the first half of the year, Madonna and Guy Ritchie were defending themselves against rumours that their partnership was crumbling, rumours which ultimately proved true, despite protestations to the contrary. Despite their clearly non-amicable split, it was widely reported that Ritchie was demanding approximately no financial settlement from Madonna. Which is why we were all a bit confused when it was suddenly reported that she'd actually agreed to pay her ex £50m or thereabouts, property and assets included. Those figures were subsequently denied in a joint statement by the couple, though if the figure was anywhere near that amount it would be the biggest divorce settlement in UK history. But Madonna has lots of cash, so don't lose any sleep over it.
And finally, to the sad bit, the deaths. I don't particularly want to pick out big names, to be honest, because the passing of every person mentioned in our list is significant. Of those who've died since our last review of the year, however, the ones making the headlines were the likes of Oscar Peterson, Humphrey Lyttleton, Bo Diddley, Isaac Hayes, Miriam Makeba, Odetta Holmes, and Pink Floyd's Richard Wright. All deaths are sad, some are tragic. Here is our list of every music person we could find that died this year.
December 2007 (after 18th)
Lydia Mendoza, Tejano singer and guitarist, 91
Kex Gorin, Magnum drummer, 56
Jiri Pauer, composer, 88
Joe Ames, singer, Ames Brothers, 86
Ruth Wallis, singer-songwriter, 87
Oscar Peterson, jazz pianist, 82
Cláudio Camunguelo, composer and singer, 60
Mighty King Kong, Kenyan reggae musician, 34
Hans Otte, avant-garde composer and pianist, 81
Joe Dolan, singer and entertainer, 68
Kevin Greening, former BBC Radio 1 DJ, 44
Joan Ingpen, classical music manager, 91
Leonard B. Meyer, musicologist, 89
Willie Robinson, blues singer, 81
Jo Cavanagh, music marketer
January
Dennis Clifton, studio engineer and Cornbread Red guitarist, 54
Ben Marlin, Disgorge bassist, 31
OG Style, rapper, 37
Peter Harris, founder and MD of Kickin Music and Slip N Slide
Keith Baxter, 3 Colours Red drummer, 36
Vernon Derrick, country musician, 74
Mort Garson, electronic musician, 83
Cy Leslie, founder of Pickwick Records and MGM/UA Home Entertainment Group, 85
Ken Nelson, record producer, 96
Raffaello de Banfield, composer, 85
Detlef Kraus, pianist, 88
Clyde Otis, songwriter and record producer, 83
Lew Spence, songwriter, 87
Rod Allen, The Fortunes singer and bassist, 63
Dave Day, The Monks banjoist, 66
Katsutoshi Nagasawa, composer, 84
Pete Candoli, big band jazz trumpeter, 84
John Stoll, concert promoter, 54
Sergey Larin, tenor, 51
Carlos, singer, 64
Pier Miranda Ferraro, 83, tenor
Frank Lewin, composer, 82
John Stewart, singer songwriter and member of The Kingston Trio, 68
Andy Palacio, musician and peace activist, 47
Vic Lanza, former EMI MOR head
Talivaldis Kenins, composer, 88
Tommy McQuater, jazz trumpeter, 93
Ghorban Soleimani, singer and dotar player, 87
Evelyn Barbirolli, oboist, 97
Jeff Salen, Tuff Darts guitarist and founder, 55
Sean Finnegan, Void drummer, 43
Kim Chang-ik,drummer, 50
February
Jorge Liderman, composer, 50
Jackie Orszaczky, genre and instrument hopping musician, 59
Chris Anderson, jazz pianist, 81
Tata Guines, percussionist, 77
Schoolboy Cleve, harmonica and guitar player, 82
Winston Walls, Hammond organist, 65
Benny Neyman, singer, 56
Scot Halpin, musician impromptu one time drummer for The Who, 54
Freddie Bell, singer, 76
Inga Nielsen, soprano, 61
Chris Townson, John's Children drummer, 60
John Brunious, jazz trumpeter, 67
Wilson Hermosa González, musician and composer, 64
Monica Morell, singer, 54
Smoky Dawson, country singer, 94
Henri Salvador, jazz singer and guitarist, 90
DD Meanie, The Meanies guitaristRoger Voisin, trumpeter, 89
Willie P. Bennett, singer, 56
Joaquim Costa, rock musician, 72
Bobby Lord, country musician, 74
Charlie Ryan, musician and songwriter, 92
Jim Jones, Pere Ubu guitarist, 57
Yegor Letov, punk singer, 43
Phil Gernhard, Senior VP of A&R for Curb Records
Teo Macero, record producer and saxophonist, 82
Bobby Lee Trammell, rockabilly singer, 74
Joe Gibbs, reggae producer, 65
Nunzio Gallo, singer, 79
Alan Dargin, didgeridoo player, 40
Larry Norman, Christian rock singer/songwriter, 60
Genoa Keawe, performer of Hawaiian music, 89
Static Major, singer, producer and songwriter, 33
Buddy Miles, drummer for Band of Gypsys and Electric Flag, singer for California Raisins, 60
Ivan Rebroff, singer, 76
Mike Smith, The Dave Clark Five singer and keyboardist, 64
March
Haroldo de Andrade, radio presenter, 73
Jeff Healey, jazz and blues-rock guitarist and vocalist, 41
Giuseppe Di Stefano, operatic tenor, 86
Norman 'Hurricane' Smith, singer, producer and recording engineer, 85
Leonard Rosenman, composer, 83
Gloria Shayne Baker, songwriter, 84
Lili Boniche, singer, 87
Chuck Day, blues guitarist, 65
Dennis Irwin, jazz double bassist, 56
Alun Hoddinott, composer, 78
Tessa Birnie, concert pianist, 73
Bill Bolick, country musician, 90
Martin Fierro, saxophonist, 66
Mikey Dread, singer and producer and broadcaster, 54
Warren Harry, songwriter, 54
Vytautas Kernagis, singer, 56
Ola Brunkert, ABBA session drummer, 61
Daniel MacMaster, Bonham vocalist, 39
Israel Lopez, musician credited with creating mambo, 89
Big Jack Armstrong, radio DJ, 62
Neil Aspinall, former Beatles road manager and executive of Apple Corps, 66
Chase Tatum Outkast road manager, 34,
Chalmers Alford, jazz guitarist, 53
Gene Puerling, jazz musician, singer and arranger, 78
Allan Ganley, jazz drummer, 77
Anders Göthberg, former Broder Daniel guitarist, 32
Jason Rae, saxophonist husband of Corinne Bailey Rae, 31
Sean Levert, singer, 39
Klaus Dinger, founding drummer with Kraftwerk and Neu!, 61
April
Sam Gesser, concert producer, 78
Mike Batchelor, Abbey Road sound engineer and innovator, 80
Jim Bonk, Camelot Music executive, 60
Frosty Freeze, American Rock Steady Crew b-boy , 44
Phil Urso, jazz saxophonist and composer, 82
Cedella Booker, Bob Marley's mum, 81
George Butler, record producer and A&R man, 71
Erkki Junkkarinen, singer, 78
Bob Kames, polka musician and songwriter, 82
Choubeila Rached, singer, 75
Francis Coleman, conductor, TV producer and director, 84
Lawrence Brown, singer with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, 63
Marisa Sannia, Italian singer, 61
Sean Costello, blues guitarist and singer, 28
DJ Froggy (Steven Howlett), pioneering DJ, 58
Clifford Davies, drummer, 59
Brian Davison, The Nice drummer, 65
Mahinarangi Tocker, singer songwriter, 52
Joe Feeney, tenor, 76
Danny Federici, E Street Band keyboardist, 58
Peter Howard, music director and arranger, 80
Bebe Barron, composer and electronic music pioneer, 82
Orish Grinstead, 702 singer, 27
VL Mike, rapper, 30
Aaron Shearer, classical guitarist, 88
Bruce Kapp, live music exec, 57
Al Wilson, soul singer, 68
Monna Bell, singer, 70
Bob Childers, singer-songwriter, 61
Paul Davis, singer , 60
Tristram Cary, electronic music pioneer and film and television composer, 82
Jimmy Giuffre, jazz clarinetist, 86
Humphrey Lyttelton, jazz trumpeter and radio presenter, 82
Henry Brant, composer, 94
Hal Stein, jazz musician, 79
Marios Tokas, composer, 54
Frances Yeend, soprano opera singer, 95
Tarka Cordell, musician and producer, 40
Ernesto Bonino, singer, 86
Micky Waller, drummer for Jeff Beck Group and Cyril Davies, 66
John Cargher, radio broadcaster, 89
May
Mary Berry, British musicologist, 90
Jim Hager, country singer and TV actor, 61
Ilyas Malayev, musician and poet, 72
Kishan Maharaj, tabla musician, 84
Thomas Boggs, Box Tops drummer, 63
Jerry Wallace, country singer, 79
Franz Jackson, saxophonist, 95
D.C. Minner, blues musician, 73
Eddy Arnold, country singer, 89
Larry Levine, Grammy-winning audio engineer, 80
Firoz Dastur, Hindustani classical musician, 89
Leyla Gencer, soprano opera singer, 79
Mario Schiano, jazz saxophonist, 74
Dottie Rambo, gospel singer, 74
John Rutsey, Rush drummer, 55
Alexander Courage, orchestrator and film composer, 88
Walt Dickerson, vibraphonist, 80
Bob Florence, jazz composer and arranger, 75
Jolyon Brettingham Smith, composer, musicologist and radio presenter, 58
Wilfrid Mellers, composer and author, 94
Michelle Meldrum, Phantom Blue and Meldrum guitarist, 39
Siegmund Nissel, violinist, 86
Utah Phillips, folk singer and political activist, 73
Jimmy McGriff, jazz and blues organist, 72
Sonny Okosun, musician, 61
Camu Tao, rapper and producer, 30
Xavier Kingston Joiner, prematurely born son of US rap star Xzibit, 12 days old
Earle Hagen, film and TV composer, 88
Danny Moss, jazz saxophonist, 80
Campbell Burnap, jazz trombonist, 68
Nat Temple, bandleader, 94
June
Al Jones, folk singer, 62
Bo Diddley, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, 79
Bill Finegan, jazz arranger and bandleader, pneumonia, 91
Bill Coday, singer, 66
Bob Grabeau, singer, 81
Mickey McMahan, big band musician, 77
Danny Davis, country musician and trumpet player, 83
June (cont)
Jamelão, samba singer, 95
Michael Mooney, veteran tour manager, 64
Esbjörn Svensson, jazz musician, 44
Margaret Kitchin, British pianist, 94
Dave Carpenter, jazz bassist, 48
Ira Tucker, The Dixie Hummingbirds vocalist, 83
Frédéric Botton, composer, 71
Ronnie Mathews, jazz pianist, 72
Ángel Tavira, musician and actor, 83
July
Johnny Schou, Tickle Me Pink bassist
Mel Galley, 60, guitarist for Trapeze, Whitesnake and Phenomena, 60
Oliver Schroer, fiddler, 53
Bobby Durham, jazz drummer, 71
Hugh Mendl, record producer, 88
Earl Lee Nelson, R&B singer, 79
Stuart Sobol, artist manager, 50
Gerald Wiggins, jazz pianist, 86
Teta Lando, Angolan musician
Katie Reider, singer songwriter, 30
Jo Stafford, singer, 90
Tauno Marttinen, composer, 95
Artie Traum, folk singer and guitarist, 65
Joe Beck, jazz guitarist, 62
Norman Dello Joio, composer, 95
Zezé Gonzaga, singer, 81
Hiram Bullock, jazz guitarist, 52
Johnny Griffin, jazz saxophonist, 80
Graeme Crallan, rock drummer for White Spirit/Tank, 50
Wendo Kolosoy, Congolese musician, 83
Eula Beal, opera singer, 89
Ishmeet Singh Sodhi, singer, 18
Lee Young, jazz drummer, 94
Suzanne Tamim, singer
August
Erik Darling, songwriter and folk musician, 74
Roger Dean, guitarist, 65
Louis Teicher, classical pianist, 83
Eri Kawai, pop and classical singer, 43
Nicola Rescigno, opera conductor, 92
Robert Hazard, musician and songwriter, 59
Reg Lindsay, country singer and songwriter, 79
Isaac Hayes, soul singer, 65
Alexander Slobodyanik, pianist, 65
Don Helms, steel guitarist, 81
Christie Allen, singer, 53
Donald Erb, avant-garde composer, 81
Lita Roza, singer and first British female to top the UK singles chart, 82
Jerry Wexler, record producer, 91
Dorival Caymmi, songwriter and singer, 94
Ronnie Drew, singer and founding member of The Dubliners, 73
Johnny Moore, trumpeter and founding member of The Skatalites, 70
Pervis Jackson, R&B singer, 70
LeRoi Moore, American saxophonist with The Dave Matthews Band, 46
Phil Guy, blues guitarist, 68
Jerry Finn, American record producer, 39
Buddy Harman, session musician, 79
Ralph Young, singer, 90
Jimmy Cleveland, jazz trombonist, 82
Steve Foley, drummer for The Replacements and Bash & Pop, 49
Pehr Henrik Nordgren, composer, 64
Josef Tal, composer, 97
Gilbert Moorer, r&b singer with The Esquires, 67
Jerry Reed, country singer, 71
Andre Young Jr, son of Dr Dre, 20
Jack Hutton, Sounds and Kerrang founder and former editor of Melody Maker
September
Arne Domnérus, jazz saxophonist and clarinetist, 83
Pierre Van Dormael, guitarist, 56
Géo Voumard, composer, producer and Montreux Jazz Festival founder, 87
Waldick Soriano, composer and singer, 75
Ray Loring, composer, 65
Dino Dvornik, pop singer and actor, 44
Peter Glossop, operatic baritone, 80
Nagi Noda, pop singer, 35
Bheki Mseleku, jazz musician, 53
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, violinist, 73
Hector Zazou, composer and record producer, 60
Patrick Flynn, composer and conductor, 72
Robert Glasgow, organist, 83
Vernon Handley, British conductor, 77
Marjorie Thomas, opera singer, 85
Charlie Walker, country singer, 81
Richard Wright, Pink Floyd keyboardist and songwriter, 65
Andrei Volkonsky, composer, 75
Norman Whitfield, Motown songwriter, 68
Chris Baker, Travis Barker's PA, 29
Charles Still, Travis Barker's security guard, 25
Earl Palmer, r&b drummer, 83
Dick Sudhalter, jazz trumpeter, 69
Nappy Brown, blues singer, 78
Connie Haines, singer, 87
Brock McElheran, conductor and composer, 90
Cherry Smith, The Wailers singer, 65
Vice Vukov, singer and politician, 72
Horatiu Radulescu, composer, 66
Bernadette Greevy, mezzo-soprano, 68
Marc Moulin, jazz musician and journalist, 66
Yonty Solomon, pianist, 71
Mahendra Kapoor, playback singer, 74
Henry Adler, drummer, 93
Bob Jones, Michael Jackson's publicist, 70
Bryan Morrison, former Pink Floyd manager, 66
October
Nick Reynolds, folk musician, founder of The Kingston Trio, 75
Aaron Fuller, California band Plan 9's frontman,
Johnny "J", hip-hop producer, 39
Al Gallodoro, jazz musician, 95
Levi Kereama, 2003 Australian Idol contestant, 27
Gidget Gein, former Marilyn Manson bassist, 39
Milan Kymlicka, composer and conductor, 72
Judith Wachs, singer and promoter of Sephardic music, 70
Alton Ellis, singer, 70
Leo Rosner, musician and holocaust surviver saved by Oskar Schindler, 90
Russ Hamilton, singer, 76
Neal Hefti, TV composer, 85
Ray Lowry, artist famed for his cover art and relationship with The Clash, 64
Frankie Venom, Teenage Head singer, 51
Nelson Symonds, jazz guitarist, 75
Cliff Nobles, pop musician, 64
Eduardo Serrano, musician, conductor and composer, 97
Levi Stubbs, Four Tops vocalist, 72
Dave McKenna, jazz pianist, 78
Dee Dee Warwick, soul singer (sister of Dionne), 63
Harold Sandford Kant, lawyer for the Grateful Dead, 77
Gianni Raimondi, lyric tenor, 85
Danny Dill, songwriter, 83
Moshe Cotel, pianist and composer, 65
Merl Saunders, keyboardist who collaborated with Jerry Garcia, 78
Columb Farrelly, record producer
Muslim Magomayev, singer, 66
Estelle Reiner, singer, 94
Eileen Donaghy, singer, 78
Thomas Dunn, conductor, 82
Ray Ellis, musician, conductor and television producer, 85
Frank Nagai, singer, 76
George Sopkin, American cellist, 94
Mike Baker, Shadow Gallery singer, 45
Mae Mercer, blues singer, 76
Frank Navetta, Descendents founder and guitarist, 46
John Pearse, guitarist, 69
Andy Frank, Pusherman vocalist, 42
Luis Silva, Latin music producer and promoter, 65
November
Danny Yarborough, former boss of Sony Music Distribution, 64
Jimmy Carl Black, The Mothers Of Invention drummer and vocalist, 70
Nathaniel Mayer, rhythm & blues singer, 64
Didier Sinclair, techno DJ, 43
Rosetta Reitz, jazz historian, 84
Jack Reno, country singer, 72
Shakir Stewart, vice president of Def Jam Recordings, 34
Yma Sumac, soprano, 86
Edward Scott McMichael, tuba player and renowned busker, 53
John Trudeau, music promoter, 81
Jheryl Busby, record executive, 59
Byron Lee, musician and record producer, 73
Orlando Owoh, Nigerian musician, 76
Chris Thurston, rapper, 32
Jody Reynolds, singer and guitarist, 75
Miriam Makeba, singer, 76
Wannes Van de Velde, singer and artist, 71
Mitch Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer, 61
Serge Nigg, composer, 84
Irving Gertz, composer, 93
Christel Goltz, soprano, 96
MC Breed, rapper, 37
Dave Charity, 64, disc jockey, 64
Alan Gordon, 64, songwriter, 64
Richard Hickox, conductor, 60
Robert Lucas, Canned Heat singer and guitarist, 46
Kenny MacLean, Platinum Blonde bassist, 52
Ocsi Flipper, singer and musician, 46
Michael Lee, drummer who worked with Page and Plant, 39
Chris Nielsen Jr, radio presenter, 69
Dudley Savage, BBC radio presenter, 88
Pekka Pohjola, bassist and composer, 56
Joza Karas, musicologist, 82
Bill Drake, radio programmer, 71
Munetaka Higuchi, Loudness drummer, 49
Rob Partridge, music PR legend, 60
Peter Ikin, former Warner International Music exec, 62
Guy Peellaert, artist known for his album artwork, 74
Jason Boas, music industry accountant and charity campaigner, 34
December
H. Sridhar, sound engineer, 50
Odetta Holmes, 77, folk singer and human rights activist, 77
Derek Wadsworth, composer and jazz trombonist, 69
Party Arty, rapper, 29
Richard Van Allan, opera singer, 73
Dominic Mallary, Last Lights singer, 24
Richard Marsland, radio host, 32
Dennis Yost, 65, Classics IV singer, 65
Didith Reyes, singer, 60
Ramón Barce, composer, 80
Valentin Berlinsky, cellist, 83
Davy Graham, folk/world guitarist, 68
Elmer Valentine, club owner, 85
Les Kaczmerek, former Cold Chisel bassist.
Freddy Breck, schlager singer, 66