dead

We were too busy gulping egg nog and overpaying for New Year’s Eve dinner to notice this story, but we’re kind of glad we did.

Percussionist Ralph MacDonald, the hidden force behind platinum selling songs and albums from artists like David Bowie, Paul Simon and Jimmy Buffett, died on Sunday (Dec. 18) at age 67. Known as “the ghost,” MacDonald’s Caribbean style on congas and dozens of other hand drums and music-makers helped make artists big enough to be recognized by first name — Aretha, Luther, Stevie — only get bigger. 

Ed Roman, a guitar maker and luthier whose famous clientele included Ace Frehley of Kiss as well as Ted Nugent, has died, according to a recent post on his company’s Web site. Roman’s age, as well as the cause and location of his death, were not disclosed.

Jon Bon Jovi would like his fans to know that he is not dead, despite a nasty rumor to that effect which spread around the internet like wildfire today.

Kim Jong Il, the eccentric leader of North Korea since 1994, has died at the age of 69. North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency reported that after “great mental and physical strain,” he passed away of a heart attack at 8:30 a.m. Saturday while on a train during a “field guidance tour.”

Keyboardist Dick Sims backed up two of the greatest classic rockers of all times, and a dozen others that were pretty dang good in his 60 years. The keyboardist died on Thursday, after a battle with cancer, prompting Eric Clapton to dedicate his Saturday show to his one time bandmate.

He was never exactly a household name, but Hubert Sumlin was one of the most influential guitarists of the rock era — and his death on Sunday (Nov. 4) has prompted a flurry of tributes from some of the many fans and musicians who were moved by Sumlin’s work. Such was Sumlin’s legacy that his playing had a profound effect on rock legends like Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Jimmy Pag

British film director Ken Russel, best known in the music world for his work on the Who‘s 1975 rock opera ‘Tommy,’ passed away is his sleep Sunday in Lymington, England, following a series of strokes. He was 84.

Rhythm-and-blues singer Jimmy Norman — who worked with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley early in their careers and was a battle over songwriting credit for ‘Time Is on My Side,’ which the Rolling Stones turned into a Top 10 hit in 1964 — died earlier this month in New York at the age of 84.

Tragedy struck Thursday on the set of Sylvester Stallone’s film ‘The Expendables 2′ when one stuntman was killed and another was seriously wounded. The accident happened during a stunt involving a bomb explosion in an inflatable boat at the Ognyanovo dam, about 15 miles outside the Bulgarian capital of Sofia.

One of the more important behind-the-scenes men of rock ‘n’ roll died Thursday morning. Barry Feinstein, a photographer best known for iconic album covers, passed away at the age of 80 in northern New York. The Associated Press reports that he had been hospitalized with an infection.

Former Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi, who’s been in hiding since August when a NATO-backed rebel force seized his headquarters in Tripoli, was killed on Thursday after rebels stormed his hometown of Sirte, where the last remnants of troops loyal to him were hiding. He was 69 years old.