Including musicians, producers, industry figures and innovators
Jim Steinman, Sylvain Sylvain and Tim BogertAuthor: Scott ColothanPublished 4 hours ago
Last updated 3 hours ago
Planet Rock remembers rock and metal musicians who have sadly passed away in 2021.
Alongside the singers and musicians, we have also included the songwriters, record label founders, producers and innovators who have contributed so much to our beloved genre and music as a whole.
The rock world is truly a poorer place without these stars - however, their music and influence will live forever. RIP.
Rock star deaths in 2021:
Gerry Marsden
Eponymous Gerry and the Pacemakers star Gerry Marsden died on 3rd January 2021 aged 78 following a brief illness. The Pacemakers were rivals and friends of The Beatles in their native Liverpool in the 1960s and they scored a string of huge hits including Ferry Cross The Mersey , How Do You Do It? , I Like It and their defining cover of the show tune You ll Never Wal
Captured hearts and minds: The Animals
Credit: AP
Bruce Springsteen once claimed he owed his whole career to British beat group, The Animals. Speaking at the SXSW festival in 2012, Springsteen singled out Elvis Presley for igniting his love of rock and roll, Roy Orbison for imbuing him with a sense of musical mystery, Phil Spector for teaching him about the language of sound, The Beatles for showing him the value of a band unit, Bob Dylan for unleashing his inner wordsmith, and James Brown for demonstrating the power of showmanship.
But it was the great bluesy Newcastle combo fronted by Eric Burdon that became the catalyst for his own musical vision. “For me they were a revelation, the first records with full blown class consciousness that I d ever heard, that mirrored my home life.”