Life Member. Trombone/Bass
1/18/1928 – 11/30/2018
by the Burton daughters
Lifelong AFM member Roger V. Burton died on Nov 30, 2018 at home in Santa Monica, surrounded by his family. A jazz musician, developmental research psychologist, and television actor, he was 90 years old. Continue reading
Life Member. Violin
2/3/1942 – 4/5/2019
Submitted by the Farkas/Vener families
The music world lost one of its greats on Friday, April 5, 2019, when violinist Pavel Farkas, passed away at the age of 77. Mr. Farkas was a loving husband, devoted father of three and proud grandfather of 11. Continue reading
Hal Blaine’s drums can be heard as part of the Wall of Sound on the Ronettes’ 1963 hit “Be My Baby” produced by Phil Spector at Hollywood’s Gold Star Studios, founded by David S. Gold and Stan Ross in 1950.
Life Member. Drum Set
2/5/1929 – 3/11/2019
by David Gold
Musician, drummer,
and sometimes conductor too,
Four bass beats to set the tempo,
And start the music too.The bass, the toms and symbols still,
The sticks now quietly lie on the snare,
And now the stool is empty too.
For Hal is no longer there.
Former Member. Bass/Keyboard
2/13/1942 – 2/21/2019
Peter Halsten Thorkelson, better known as Peter Tork, was an American musician, composer and actor, best known as the keyboardist and bass guitarist of the Monkees. Continue reading
Member. Drum Set
8/13/1932 – 11/1/2018
Love of music and family were the driving forces during Danny Pucillo’s 86 years of life.
Born and raised in Mt. Vernon, New York, he originally wanted to play the trumpet. However, at the age of 10, his mother took him to the Strand Theatre in New York City, and once he saw the indelible image of Gene Krupa playing his signature floor tom beat, extending up on the fine white projection screen, he was captivated by the mastery of what Krupa had played. Danny knew he had to become a drummer. Continue reading
Former Member. Trumpet
5/19/1929 – 1/5/2019
by Kirk Silbee
Ralph Jungheim, a record producer, impresario, photographer and an all-around friend to jazz, has died. He oversaw 58 albums as an independent producer for such artists as Earl “Fatha” Hines, Freddie Hubbard, Ruth Brown, Joe Pass, Michel Legrand, Jimmy Rowles, Freddy Cole, Jimmy Witherspoon, Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All Stars, Jack Sheldon, Wild Bill Davison and Eddie Miller, Jackie Allen, Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, Bill Berry’s Ellington All-Stars, Charles Neville, Tommy Newsom, Mavis Rivers, James Zollar and John Dentz. Jungheim passed away on January 5, due to complications of a longtime illness. Continue reading
Life Member. Trumpet
8/2/1926 – 11/3/2018
Talented musician, dedicated teacher, devoted husband, beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and friend, Sid Lazar passed away at home at the age of 92.
He was born and raised in Los Angeles, attended L.A. High School, then graduated, cum laude, from USC. He later received his M.A. from CSU Northridge. Continue reading
Epdavidson – CC BY-SA 3.0
Former Member. Electric Bass
8/28/1937 – 12/18/2018
by Hal Blaine, Life Member, AFM Local 47
We are all shocked at the news that “the gentle giant of the Fender bass” has left the world, leaving a musical resume that will live on forever. Joe Osborn has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Continue reading
Life Member. Trumpet
6/3/1930 – 2/9/2018
Elmer Hollis Ramsey — trumpet player, conductor, composer, arranger, orchestrator and educator — passed away on February 9, 2018, in Thousand Oaks, CA at age 87. Continue reading
Life Member. Bongos
9/24/1919 – 8/18/2018
Born in Sept. 24, 1919 in Chicago, Illinois, Jack Costanzo universally gets credit for introducing the bongo drums to American jazz. As a teenager, he witnessed a Puerto Rican dance group whose leader played bongos, and there was no looking back. With no one to help, Costanzo had to teach himself to play. He fashioned a pair of bongos out of wooden butter tubs and began his long percussion quest. Continue reading