As a long and eventful year draws to a close, NME is taking some time to remember the musical icons we lost in 2024. Whether they were pop innovators, flag-bearers for the avant-garde or unsung heroes behind the boards, these musicians made indelible marks on our lives. Below, we pay tribute.
Jose Vasquez, The Soft Moon (May 30, 1979 – January 18, 2024)
In 2022, post-punk project The Soft Moon entered a renewal of sorts, rendering their well-worn gothic textures with hyperdigital fury in the album ‘Exister’. It appeared to be an exciting next stage for its leader Jose Vasquez, the Californian musician who had been releasing albums since 2010 and crafted a discography filled with tender feeling – all expressed through cold and steely sounds that ranged from goth rock to industrial. Sadly, Vasquez died aged 44.
Mary Weiss, The Shangri-Las (December 28, 1948 – January 19, 2024)
The Shangri-Las debuted in 1963 as a wiry girl group led by Mary Weiss. The New Yorkers’ rough-and-tough image, backed by lush pop tunes of heartbreak like ‘Remember (Walking in the Sand)’ and ‘Leader Of The Pack’, would inspire the catchy raucousness of the Ramones and Blondie, along with the barb-wired sadness of Lana Del Rey and Amy Winehouse. Weiss left the music industry after the group disbanded in 1968, turning to various non-music careers before re-emerging in 2007 to record her first, and only, solo album ‘Dangerous Game’. Weiss died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease aged 75.
Wayne Kramer, MC5 (April 30, 1948 – February 2, 2024)
2024 was a solemn year in the history of MC5: alongside the deaths of drummer Dennis Thompson and manager John Sinclair, the year saw the passing of guitarist Wayne Kramer, who brought garage distortion and bluesy mayhem to unsuspecting audiences in the counter-cultural 1960s.
The band’s irrepressible spark was first extinguished in 1972, Kramer spending the next two decades under the radar before re-emerging as a solo artist in the ’90s, a time when the band were finally recognised as punk rock’s godfathers. A key influence on Slash and Tom Morello, Kramer died from pancreatic cancer at age 75.
Damo Suzuki, Can (January 16, 1950 – February 9, 2024)
Damo Suzuki first performed with Can, unrehearsed, in 1970, his free-fall, shamanistic approach to words and performance becoming his signature. The Japanese beatnik – who, before Can, had been busking on the streets of Munich – flowed with it through three albums of unfettered psychedelia. His tenure with the band was brief, but it caused seismic ripples in the minds of those who listened: Radiohead, Sonic Youth, The Fall, Portishead, Black Midi and Mogwai, some of whom would collaborate with Suzuki. He would spend the four decades post-Can following his own muse. Suzuki was 74.
Shinsadong Tiger (June 3, 1983 – February 23, 2024)
K-pop is a relatively new phenomenon, having flourished globally in the last two decades. Songwriter and producer Shinsadong Tiger entered the industry in its second generation in 2005 at the age of 21. Since then, he never stopped working, producing music every year until his death at 40. The brains behind girl groups EXID and TRI.BE, he also spent his entire young adult life in the studio making hits with Apink, 4minute, HyunA, T-ARA, BEAST, MOMOLAND, among others.
Chris Cross, Ultravox (July 14, 1952 – March 25, 2024)
In the ’70s post-punk landscape that Ultravox was birthed in, groove was everything. And with bassist Chris Cross, Ultravox found their north star. As vocalist Midge Ure said in his tribute to Cross, he was “the glue that held the band together”. Through scrappy glam punk and into airier – and catchier – synth-pop, Cross helped steer Ultravox steadily into modest mainstream success, with their cult of diehards never far behind. Cross died at age 71.
Graeme Naysmith, Pale Saints (February 9, 1967 – April 4, 2024)
A crucial architect of Pale Saints’ swirly, psych-infused shoegaze, guitarist Graeme Naysmith achieved dreaminess in three albums that were grounded by infectious, though increasingly askew, jangle pop. And, as 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell put it, he also “wasn’t afraid of a good guitar solo”. These qualities helped launch the Leeds group into indie rock success before they called it quits in 1996 after just under a decade. Naysmith went on to pursue his own projects, the last of which was The X-Ray Eyes. He died in April at age 57.
DJ Mister Cee (August 17, 1966 – April 10, 2024)
Big Daddy Kane’s 1988 debut album ends with ‘Mister Cee’s Master Plan’ – a closing track named after DJ Mister Cee. At this point, the DJ and producer had only just begun his hip-hop journey, but Big Daddy Kane saw it fit to announce it to the world with great fervour. DJ Mister Cee would go on to be a crucial figure in the career of The Notorious B.I.G., and an advocate of emerging talent as a New York radio DJ. DJ Mister Cee died of diabetes-related coronary artery/kidney disease at age 57.
Duane Eddy (April 26, 1938 – April 30, 2024)
A defining factor of Duane Eddy’s success as a rock’n’roll innovator was his use of the ‘twang’ sound he pioneered on the guitar. Between the late 1950s and early ’60s, the instrumentalist clinched a whopping 16 hits in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, going up against the likes of Elvis Presley. While his career as a recording artist didn’t translate as well into rock’s album-centric age, his influence remains staggering: among his devotees are Paul McCartney, The Kinks’ Dave Davies, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Fleetwood. Eddy died from cancer at age 86.
Richard Tandy, Electric Light Orchestra (March 26, 1948 – May 1, 2024)
Electric Light Orchestra are chiefly known as the project of Jeff Lynne, but the intergalactic sweetness of albums like ‘Eldorado’, ‘Out Of The Blue’ and ‘Discovery’ wouldn’t have been possible without the keyboard work of Richard Tandy. Despite leaving the band for his own solo adventures in 1986, he would not stray far from Lynne’s orbit. His ELO work lent a touch of whimsy to their sprightly pop hits, and a dose of drama when the band would circle back into its own prog-rock wormhole. He passed at 76.
Steve Albini (July 22, 1962 – May 7, 2024)
When he was alive, Steve Albini was far more interested in recording his own music with Shellac – or playing poker – than getting praise as a quote-unquote alternative rock pioneer. Nonetheless, whether you knew him as a noise-rock prankster or member of the experimental rock vanguard, Albini was, by all accounts, an engineering master.
The work he produced through the decades is an assemblage of records from underground misfits turned reluctant prophets. They found their voice through Albini’s precise, yet intentionally light-touch, studio magic – be it the Pixies or Nirvana, PJ Harvey or Low. Albini died from a heart attack at age 61.
Doug Ingle, Iron Butterfly (September 9, 1945 – May 24, 2024)
Doug Ingle – Iron Butterfly’s co-founder, lead vocalist and main songwriter – sang about the Book of Genesis while shredding on the organ, like a born-again phantom of the opera, in their biggest hit ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’. Ingle and co. wouldn’t match the success of their second album again, but his acid-laced imagination would help usher in the birth of heavy metal. And several reunions with his bandmates over the decades (the last in 1999) would invite many new fans into their congregation. Ingle died at age 78.
Brother Marquis, 2 Live Crew (April 4, 1967 – June 3, 2024)
2 Live Crew reached unexpected and outrageous heights in 1989 – their third album ‘As Nasty As They Wanna Be’ became the first album in history to be deemed legally obscene. More importantly, it introduced the world to the sound of Miami bass, selling over two million copies and convincing countless people that, yes, music can sound this gleefully dirty. If not for the work of Brother Marquis and crew, we may not have ever had ‘Anaconda’ or ‘WAP’. Marquis died of a heart attack at age 57.
Francoise Hardy (January 17, 1944 – June 11, 2024)
At age 18, Francoise Hardy was thrust into France’s national spotlight with her wistful 1962 single ‘Tous les garçons et les filles’. Her ensuing body of work was characterised by melancholy, yearning and uneasiness. Hardy never settled on one style of music, stepping into jazz, bossa nova, folk and indie rock over the decades. She neglected, intentionally or otherwise, to give several of her albums titles. She was painfully shy, even when worshipped by the public as a pop music treasure and a style icon. Aside from a handful of published written works – despite undergoing cancer treatment in her last two decades – she always found solace in music, recording all the way till 2018, when she released ‘Personne d’autre’: “I cannot resist the temptation of a beautiful melody,” she once told NPR. Hardy died aged 80.
Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson, The Selecter (April 29, 1951 – June 11, 2024)
With their infectious, rugged ska, The Selecter are an essential part of British music history under the revolutionary two-tone movement. With co-vocalist Pauline Black, Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson led the charge in demanding change, fighting against racism and sexism through The Selecter’s riotous, euphoric live performances. The band broke up in 1982, but Hendrickson would appear with them sporadically during subsequent reunions before returning full-time in 2010. His last album with the band was 2023’s ‘Human Algebra’. Hendrickson died aged 73 after an unspecified illness.
James Chance, The Contortions (April 20, 1953 – June 18, 2024)
In the mid-’70s, amid growing acceptance by a wider public, punk rock was confronted by its more nihilistic sibling: no wave. Emerging from that underground movement was saxophonist James Chance. With his band the Contortions, the Wisconsin native brought the dissonance and unerring freak-outs of free jazz into a belligerent punk rock setting. ‘Punk jazz’ was its name, and it became the iron-clad calling card of the mercurial musician. After years of ill health, Chance died in June at age 71.
John Mayall (November 29, 1933 – July 22, 2024)
Both a pioneer and a workaholic, John Mayall earned the title of ‘The Godfather of British Blues’ for many reasons. His hard-edged guitar work revolutionised the British music scene of the ’60s, and his band the Bluesbreakers would help launch the careers of many icons: Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, among others. But his discography – standing at over 30 albums – is the biggest testament to Mayall’s work, one that bridged generations of blues with a single axe. His last album was 2022’s ‘The Sun Is Shining Down’. He died in July aged 90.
Catherine Ribeiro (September 22, 1941 – August 23, 2024)
With the band Alpes, Catherine Ribeiro left her yé-yé roots in 1968 to step into the unknown. The French singer harnessed avant-garde theatrics and a political focus that added transgression to the band’s cosmic sound, as perfected in their 1972 album ‘Paix’. She would venture back into pop music as a solo artist decades later, eventually stepping away from music altogether in the 2000s. However, Ribeiro’s fearless vision would become a key influence on Kim Gordon and Weyes Blood, the latter enthralled by her “extremely powerful, wild, improvisatory voice”. She was 82.
Fatman Scoop (August 6, 1968 – August 30, 2024)
Wherever he went, Fatman Scoop was the life of the party. A hip-hop emcee from Harlem with an authoritative voice and immediate charm, Scoop was heard rallying the party animals of the world in Missy Elliott’s ‘Lose Control’, Mariah Carey’s ‘It’s Like That’, Ciara’s ‘Level Up’ remix, and in his own anthems ‘Be Faithful’ and ‘It Takes Scoop’. The latter single was Scoop’s highest Billboard chart placement at number 12. Scoop died from heart disease at age 56.
Rich Homie Quan (October 4, 1990 – September 5, 2024)
At the turn of the 2010s, Rich Homie Quan was among a crop of exciting new names waving the trap banner high all the way from Atlanta. Alongside Future, Chief Keef, Young Thug and Migos, Quan would help ignite a renewed, global interest in rap music with ‘Type Of Way’, ‘Walk Thru’, ‘Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)’ and ‘Lifestyle’, a posse cut with Thug and Southern rap kingpin Birdman that still sounds thrilling today. Rich Homie Quan died from an accidental drug overdose at age 33.
Herbie Flowers (May 19, 1938 – September 5, 2024)
Herbie Flowers was a prolific session musician and a talented multi-instrumentalist. Despite his illustrious body of work, one arguably stands above the others: the opening bassline of Lou Reed’s ‘Walk On The Wild Side’, which then became immortal in hip-hop thanks to A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Can I Kick It?’. By the end of the 1970s, he had contributed to over 500 recordings by the likes of Elton John, David Bowie, Cat Stevens, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Bryan Ferry. Flowers died aged 86.
Tito Jackson (October 15, 1953 – September 15, 2024)
Tito Jackson, a young blues and doo-wop fan, founded The Jackson Five in 1964 with brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael. What started as a family project became the launch pad of the biggest pop star in history. However, the elder Jackson continued, unfazed, producing lush R&B albums with the group until 1989. A talented blues guitarist in his own right, Jackson pursued a solo career in the 2000s. He would land his first-ever Billboard charting single ‘Get It Baby’ in 2016, years after a high-profile reunion with his brothers. Jackson died from a heart attack at age 70.
Kris Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024)
Who ever expected an outlaw to be so widely beloved? Kris Kristofferson was, at once, a prolific country singer, charismatic actor, former Marine and staunch activist. The Johnny Cash protégé was crucial in nudging Nashville away from its glitzy pop habits and onto rougher terrain. He would go on to release 22 studio albums, star in 1976’s A Star Is Born and 1998’s Blade, all while speaking out against the Gulf War and apartheid and undertaking several benefit concerts. Four years after retiring from music, Kristofferson died at age 88.
Ka (August 11, 1972 – October 12, 2024)
Throughout his mighty – though tragically short – career, Ka remained fiercely independent. The Brooklyn rapper simply made music on his own terms, which included placing his people first. When he wasn’t organising DIY events to meet fans or packing merch orders by hand, he would risk life and limb as a firefighter, which he continued to do as he released albums, the last of which was this year’s ‘The Thief Next To Jesus’. Ka had an unimaginable way with words, his hushed, resonant voice both a deadly weapon and a guiding light in darkness. He was 52.
Jackmaster (January 11, 1986 – October 12, 2024)
Glasgow’s electronic music scene wasn’t the same once Jackmaster – real name Jack Revill – entered the picture at the young age of 17. Adopting a stage name in tribute to Chicago house of the 1980s, Revill established himself as a champion of dance music both new and forgotten. Through the 2010s, he continued to be rated among the best DJs in the world, earning a residency on BBC Radio 1 in 2014. Revill died after sustaining a head injury in Ibiza. He was 38.
Liam Payne (August 29, 1993 – October 16, 2024)
Millions of fans saw Liam Payne grow up in real time as One Direction took the world by storm. In 2010, the Wolverhampton native auditioned for The X Factor (for the second time), only for Simon Cowell and his fellow judges to group Payne with four other teens and set them on the path to superstardom.
Following 14 UK Top 10 singles between 2011 and 2015, 1D famously went on hiatus in 2016. Payne, like his bandmates, pursued a solo career, launching the steamy debut single ‘Strip That Down’, which would rack up over a billion streams. The 31-year-old’s life was tragically cut short by a fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
DJ Clark Kent (September 28, 1966 – October 25, 2024)
Taking his name from Superman’s alter ego, producer DJ Clark Kent made miracles with a laundry list of hip-hop luminaries over the decades. He helped launch the careers of Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G. and Lil Kim with finesse, notching his biggest hit with Mariah Carey’s 2001 single ‘Loverboy’, which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Dubbed by many as “God’s favourite DJ”, he would play host to countless hip-hop parties around the world. After a three-year battle with colon cancer, DJ Clark Kent died aged 58.
Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead (March 15, 1940 – October 25, 2024)
The jam band exploits of the Grateful Dead required endurance and adaptability. Bassist and co-founder Phil Lesh lived up to the task for decades, adding to the Dead a distinctive and gentle jazz-influenced style. Originally a classically trained violinist and jazz trumpeter, Lesh quickly learned the ways of the bass guitar once the band was founded. He would play on all 13 of the Dead’s studio releases and 10 live albums between 1967 and 1990. Despite facing health issues in the last two decades, Lesh would continue performing live with a band of his own. He died at 84.
Quincy Jones (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024)
Viewed from any angle, the life of Quincy Jones is staggering. In the ‘50s, he was a twentysomething musician who had already racked up a list of jazz’s who’s-whos as collaborators. In the ’60s, he would score era-defining films like The Italian Job and In The Heat Of The Night. In the ‘70s, he embraced the fusion of jazz and funk – and met a young Michael Jackson, with whom he would make pop history.
In the decades since, he’s been rightly praised as a hitmaker and innovator who drew threads through a multitude of American music. In the later years of his life, he became an elder statesman for jazz, a television producer and, most surprisingly, a delightful interviewee who gave the world a peek behind closed celebrity doors. He died aged 91.
Roy Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024)
One of Jones’ most notable collaborators was dynamite jazz drummer Roy Haynes. In a career spanning nearly seven decades, Haynes conspired with the likes of Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Ray Charles, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Louis Armstrong. As bandleader and sideman, he recorded hundreds of albums, with his last being 2011’s aptly titled ‘Roy-Alty’. “The secret of staying youthful” was his work: “Performing makes me feel good, and it also makes me sleep well,” he once said. Haynes died at 99 following a short illness.
Will Cullen Hart (June 14, 1971 – November 29, 2024)
If psychedelia was a ’60s cultural touchstone, it would be reclaimed as the playground of weirdos in the ’90s. With nothing but four-track cassette recorders and a shared distaste for the corporate music industry, the Elephant 6 collective found kinship in The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Yoko Ono in the way they treated pop music as both precious and ripe for disfigurement. Its co-founder Will Cullen Hart was one of its four ringleaders, and he would expand his ideas with The Olivia Tremor Control, even as multiple sclerosis would attempt to stifle his ambition. He died from a heart attack at age 53.
Zakir Hussain (March 9, 1951 – December 15, 2024)
He was one of the world’s most venerated tabla players, but Zakir Hussain considered himself a mere “worshipper of music”, he humbly said in 2016. Born in Mumbai in 1951 and swiftly taken under the tutelage of his father Ustad Allarakha Khan, himself a tabla maestro, Hussain would go on to play with the likes of George Harrison, Pharoah Sanders and sitar legend Ravi Shankar (with whom he performed as a teen) – not to mention win four Grammy awards and contribute to the soundtracks of Apocalypse Now and Vanaprastham, among other films. He died of lung disease in San Francisco aged 73.
