Coroner Rules Pimp C's Death Accidental

The Los Angeles County Coroner's office determined an official cause of the untimely December 4 death of Houston rapper Pimp C yesterday (February 4), according to a TMZ.com.

The report cites spokesman Ed Winter as saying that the death was accidental, "a result of a pre-existing condition of sleep apnea combined with an elevated amount of prescription codeine in his blood."

As a member of UGK, Pimp C (born Chad Butler) peppered his lyrics with references to the cough syrup concoction known as "drank," "sizzurp," and "lean," among other names. Unfortunately, this is not the first time a member of the Houston hip-hop community has had a fatal interaction with codeine. DJ Screw (of "Chopped and Screwed" fame) died as the result of an overdose in 2000, and it is suspected that Big Moe's heart attack last year was the result of the same.

R.I.P. Sean Finnegan, Drummer From Void

Sean Finnegan, drummer from Washington, D.C.-area hardcore band Void, passed away Wednesday, January 30 of an apparent heart attack, according to a press release. One of the first acts associated with Dischord Records, Void appeared on the label's 1982 Flex Your Head compilation. They made their proper debut with a 1982 LP split with fellow D.C. locals Faith.

Void parted ways in 1983. At the time of his death, Finnegan was working on the HBO television show "The Wire". He was 43 years old.

The Heath Ledger/Nick Drake Connection
Actor claims obsession with Drake, simulates suicide on 2007 video to Drake's music

The already startling death of actor Heath Ledger has taken on another startling dimension following the revelation that Ledger courted a self-proclaimed obsession with another tragic figure, late English folk singer Nick Drake. This obsession even manifested itself in a Drake music video.

"I was obsessed with an artist by the name of Nick Drake," Ledger explained at a September 2007 Venice Film Festival press conference [via MTV.com]. Ledger was promoting I'm Not There at the time, in which he plays Bob Dylan, along with several other actors and actresses.

"I was obsessed with [Drake's] story and his music and I pursued it for a while and [I] still have hopes to kind of tell his story one day. But it kind of died away, faded away, because I...He was a very mysterious figure and I felt like I would be taking too many liberties."

The body of 28-year-old Ledger was found yesterday (January 22) in a Manhattan apartment. Since sleeping pills were found nearby, Ledger's death was widely reported as being most likely drug-related. However, according to the Associated Press, an autopsy performed today proved inconclusive, and TMZ.com reports that Ledger had pneumonia at the time of his death.

Drake, meanwhile, died in 1974 at the age of 26 from an apparent overdose of the antidepressant amitriptyline.

Ledger created a black-and-white video clip that was shown at a pair of exhibits devoted to Drake last year, according to MTV.com and Billboard.com reports.

As the MTV.com report explains, "A representative for Drake's estate described the 'gorgeous' and 'extremely moving' clip as a stark black-and-white composition, consisting mainly of the director turning the camera on himself. In the end, Ledger is seen drowning himself in a bathtub."

The song playing during this is Drake's "Black Eyed Dog", purportedly the last song the English singer ever wrote and allegedly a reference to Winston Churchill's description of depression.

The estate of Nick Drake, which owns the Ledger video, has not yet decided whether to release it.

The Monks' Dave Day, R.I.P.

Dave "Day" Havlicek, the beloved electric banjo player of outfit the Monks, passed away yesterday (January 10).

The Monks' official website simply lists the date of Havlicek's death with a message that says, "Play that banjo in heaven, d.d. We'll miss you."

However, a post on WFMU's Beware of the Blog quotes fellow Monk Eddie Shaw as saying, "Two days before the birthday of his hero, Elvis, Dave Day of the Monks suffered a heart attack and massive brain injury. He has been taken off the life support system today. His work is done."

The members of the Monks started out as five American soldiers stationed in Germany in the 1960s. After leaving the military, they stayed in Germany to continue their career as a band. In 1966, the Monks released their only album, the cult classic Black Monk Time. They broke up a year later but reunited to tour in the '90s.

Since then, they have been the subject of a documentary and a tribute compilation, the latter featuring the likes of the Fall, the Raincoats, the Gossip, Faust, and Mouse on Mars. Their song "Monk Time" appeared at #165 on Pitchfork's list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Known as much for their image (the members sported the outfits and haircuts of real monks) as their raw sound, the Monks have been hailed as one of the bands that influenced the style and sound of punk rock.

For footage of Havlicek rocking out with the Monks in their heyday, check out the video below.

R.I.P. Olga Sarantos, Fiery Furnaces' Grandmother

Olga Sarantos, grandmother of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces, has passed away, according to the Chicago Tribune (via BrooklynVegan).

Pitchfork readers will remember Sarantos (maiden name, Kokoris) as the voice of the Furnaces' 2005 album Rehearsing My Choir, which featured Sarantos recounting tales of her youth to the musical accompaniment of her grandchildren.

According to the Tribune, Sarantos began performing music at the age of 12, playing organ at Rock Island, Illinois' St. George Greek Orthodox Church. She remained active in music for much of her life, directing the choir at Chicago's Assumption Greek Orthodox Church for more than four decades. Her work on Rehearsing My Choir was highly divisive amongst Fiery Furnaces fans, but one thing was never in doubt: Sarantos spun a hell of a good yarn.

The Fiery Furnaces' winter tour kicks off January 17 in Hoboken. [MORE...]

Evan Farrell (Magnolia Electric Co./Rogue Wave) R.I.P.

Bloomington, Indiana musician Evan Farrell died on December 23 in an apartment fire in Oakland, California, according to various reports.

Farrell served as bassist for Rogue Wave until early last year and toured with Magnolia Electric Co. this past fall, playing bass and pedal steel. He was also a member of the Secretly Canadian collective the Japonize Elephants, and had a hand in numerous other bands and projects over the years.

On the Rogue Wave website, Zach Rogue wrote, "If you ever saw Evan play music, you would know he was an exceptional and passionate musician. And if you ever had the chance to hang out with him, you would have no doubt been laughing at some point, because he was one of the funniest and most charismatic people ever. Always the extrovert, Evan was meant for the stage. Sometimes I almost felt he was from some other time, some other place."

A post on the Magnolia Electric Co. website echoed these sentiments, concluding, "We love you, Evan, and we are better people for having known you."

Farrell leaves behind a wife and two young children. A memorial fund has been established to help his family during this difficult time. Contribute by clicking here.

R.I.P. Oscar Peterson, 1925-2007

Oscar Peterson, the legendary Canadian jazz pianist known for his breathtaking displays of speed and agility, died Sunday, December 23 at his home in Mississauga, Ontario, according to various news sources. He was 82 years old. According to the Associated Press, the cause of death was kidney failure.

Peterson was born in Montreal on August 15, 1925. He grew up in a musical family, and was influenced by Art Tatum and Nat "King" Cole at an early age. While only in high school, he played in a band with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and performed regularly on Canadian national radio. In 1949, Peterson performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City, launching his international career. He signed to Verve in the early 1950s, and went on to play with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker. His reputation for velocity and virtuosity grew and grew in the decades that followed, and he attracted a large international following. A 1993 stroke weakened his left hand, but Peterson continued to play for years to come.

Throughout his lifetime, Peterson was given countless honors and awards, including many Grammys. He was given his own stamp in Canada and Austria. He also started blogging in 2000.

Since the news of Peterson's death hit on Christmas Eve, tributes from the jazz world have been pouring in. The Associated Press quoted the following statement from Herbie Hancock: "Oscar Peterson redefined swing for modern jazz pianists for the latter half of the 20th century up until today. I consider him the major influence that formed my roots in jazz piano playing. He mastered the balance between technique, hard blues grooving, and tenderness ... No one will ever be able to take his place."

A message from Peterson's family on his website asks that those seeking to honor the pianist's memory can make donations to World Vision or Christian Children's Fund.

Country Singer J.D. "Cast" King R.I.P.

Just yesterday, December 13, Pitchfork ran a story about the efforts to raise money for J.D. "Cast" King, an 81-year-old country singer and songwriter diagnosed with terminal cancer. The same day, King lost his battle with the disease and passed away at home in Old Sand Mountain, Alabama, according to King's label, Locust Music.

King started playing guitar by teaching himself at the age of 10, and in 1955, he and his band the Country Drifters recorded a few tracks at Memphis' legendary Sun Studio. (The list of people who cut their recording teeth there also includes Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and many others.)

After that time, King seemingly disappeared from any sort of public eye until re-emerging in 2005 with his debut album, Saw Mill Man, which came out on Locust Music.

Even though King has passed, money is still needed to help his family cover medical and funeral expenses. Through its website, the Chicago label is hosting an MP3 of "Saved", a song that would have appeared on a Saw Mill Man follow-up. Just below the MP3 is a link to donate to a PayPal account, 100% of the proceeds from which will go to help King's family.

As previously reported, there will be a benefit concert for King on December 29 at JJ's Bohemia in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The show will feature sets from Citico Stringband, the Bohannons, and Saw Mill Man producer Matt Downer.

Finally, King's music will live on next year, as it provides the backdrop to the closing credits of the forthcoming Gus Van Sant movie Paranoid Park.

Ike Turner R.I.P.

Ike Turner, rock'n'roll pioneer, r&b legend, and volatile husband to Tina Turner, passed away at his San Marcos, California home today, according to TMZ. Aged 76, he reportedly died in his sleep.

Born Izear Luster Turner, Jr. in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Turner first found fame as leader of the Kings of Rhythm, whose 1951 single "Rocket 88"-- billed to Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats-- is regarded by some as the first true rock'n'roll recording.

Turner's place in popular music history wasn't cemented, however, until he met a young, fiery vocalist by the name of Anna Mae Bullock in 1956. Bullock would eventually take the name Tina Turner, and the pair would enter a relationship, both musical and romantic, as notoriously tumultuous privately as it was electrifying live on stage and on record. Throughout the 1960s and early 70s, Ike and Tina remained at the forefront of rock'n'roll culture, touring with the Rolling Stones, recording with Phil Spector, and churning out hits like "Proud Mary" and "River Deep - Mountain High".

Turner's reputation was, of course, mottled at best. He has been painted as an abusive and domineering husband to Tina, who left him in the mid-1970s. Turner also landed in prison in the early 1990s after various drug charges, and was in fact incarcerated when Ike & Tina Turner were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

Yet Turner had, by most accounts, cleaned up his act in subsequent years. He also regained some of his footing musically, winning a Best Traditional Blues Grammy this year for Risin' With the Blues. He was also apparently working with the Black Keys and Danger Mouse on a forthcoming album.

Karlheinz Stockhausen R.I.P.

Photo by Harald Fronzeck (via Stockhausen.org)

Renowned German composer and electronic music pioneer Karlheinz Stockhausen passed away December 5 at his home in Kuerten, Germany, according to statement released today by Stockhausen-Verlag. He was 79.

Born August 22, 1928 in a village near Cologne, Stockhausen rose to prominence in the 1950s with a number of pieces that broke decidedly with convention. Across a career that extended into this century, he invoked both awe and controversy with his unorthodox works, noted for their innovation and complexity.

A man content to exist outside the classical establishment, Stockhausen saw his influence extend beyond it as well. Among his advocates were the Beatles, who included the composer on the collage cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The 362 works Stockhausen composed include the world's longest opera cycle (Licht, completed in 2003), the first annotated and published piece of electronic music (1954's Electronic Study II), and a piece for string quartet that also called for four helicopters (1993's Helicopter String Quartet). Like John Cage, he demonstrated a fascination with aleatory composition, that which accounts for an element of chance. Early in his career he was also a proponent of serialism, composition based on mathematical formulas.

Stockhausen studied under Olivier Messiaen and Les Six member Darius Milhaud, among others. He was a highly respected teacher as well, whose students included several of krautrock's prominent figures, including Can's Holger Czukay and Irmin Schmidt.

"In friendship and gratitude for everything that he has given to us personally and to humanity through his love and his music," wrote longtime collaborators Suzanne Stephens and Kathinka Pasveer in the Stockhausen-Verlag statement, "we bid farewell to Karlheinz Stockhausen, who lived to bring celestial music to humans, and human music to the celestial beings, so that Man may listen to God and God may hear His children."

Licht will be performed in its entirety for the first time at October 2008's Donaueschingen Festival in Germany.

R.I.P. UGK's Pimp C

Pimp C, legendary rapper/producer of Houston-based rap duo UGK, was found dead in a Hollywood hotel room this morning, according to TMZ.com. Born Chad Butler, the unmistakable, charismatic wordsmith was 33. TMZ reports that L.A. firefighters responded to a 911 call at the Sunset Strip's Mondrian Hotel, where they found the rapper dead in his bed. No information on cause of death has been given at this time.

Formed some 20 years ago by longtime friends Butler and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, UGK are largely responsible for the deliberate, loping Houston sound further pioneered by the duo's good friend, the late Robert "DJ Screw" Davis. Pimp C spent from 2002 to 2005 incarcerated in a Texas prison on an aggravated assault charge, leading to the ubiquitous "Free Pimp C" rallying cry throughout the hip-hop industry.

UGK spent much of the '00s away from the studio, but were enjoying a banner 2007 with the release of the stellar, sprawling Underground Kingz LP and its triumphant, Outkast-boosted single "International Player's Anthem".

Donda West, Mother of Kanye, Dead at 58

Dr. Donda West, mother of Kanye and an educator, author, and businesswoman, died Saturday night, November 10, in Los Angeles, according to an AP report. She was 58 years old.

A BBC report quotes Dr. West's publicist as saying her death was "the result of complications from a cosmetic surgical procedure."

Dr. West was the former chairwoman of the English department at Chicago State University, where she had worked since 1980, according to the AP report.

In 2004, she left academia to help manage Kanye's career. She was the chief executive of West Brands LLC, the company that handles Kanye's various business ventures, and she also served as the chairwoman of the board for education-oriented nonprofit the Kanye West Foundation, where she helped her son create its first initiative, "Loop Dreams".

On a more personal note, Dr. West raised Kanye herself after his father left when he was three years old, according to the AP report. Earlier this year, she published a book titled Raising Kanye: Life Lessons From the Mother of a Hip-Hop Star. The two Wests' relationship was also touchingly documented in Kanye's "Hey Mama", a song from 2005's Late Registration.

According to the BBC, "West's spokesman said the family 'asks for privacy during this time of grief.'"

Kanye has a run of shows scheduled to begin November 17 in Paris; no word yet on whether or not they are canceled. [MORE...]

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)