Josh Graves / Henry Townsend / Joe Glazer / Earl Heywood / Jumpin’ Gene Simmons / Maynard Ferguson / David Schnaufer / Johnny Duncan
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Posted On November 1, 2006
Revered dobro player Josh Graves died September 30. An IBMA Hall of Honor inductee, Uncle Josh (born Burkett H. Graves) is best known for his long tenure with Flatt & Scruggs’ Foggy Mountain Boys, and as the principal architect of the dobro sound in bluegrass. After stints with Flatt’s Nashville Grass and the Earl Scruggs Revue, Graves moved largely to session work, playing with Kris Kristofferson, J.J. Cale, Mac Wiseman and others. Graves also participated in a number of all-star picking projects. He was 81.
Bluesman Henry Townsend, one of the last surviving musicians to have played with Robert Johnson, died September 24. He was 96.
Joe Glazer, the writer of classic labor anthems (“The Mill Was Made Of Marble”), died September 19. He co-authored the book Songs Of Work And Freedom. He was 88.
Earl Heywood, dubbed Canada’s No. 1 Cowboy Singer, died September 17. He was 89.
Jumpin’ Gene Simmons (born Morris Eugene) died August 29. He worked with the Bill Black Combo and Elvis Presley and co-wrote Tim McGraw’s hit “Indian Outlaw”. He was 69.
Big-band trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson died August 23. He was 78.
Nashville’s most prominent dulcimer player and teacher, David Schnaufer, died August 23. He was 53.
Country singer and songwriter Johnny Duncan, best known for his mid-’80s duets with Janie Fricke, died August 14. He was 67.
