Obituaries: Canadian Guitar Tech John Farnsworth, Hit Country Songwriter Dave Loggins

John Stewart Farnsworth, a veteran Canadian guitar/stage technician who worked extensively with the likes of Blue Rodeo, The Jeff Healey Band, Amanda Marshall and Cowboy Junkies, died on July 4, at age 56.

The Peterborough-born Farnsworth graduated from George Brown College in Toronto, then began working for BCB Pro Audio. His obituary notes that "he went on to become a skilled and dedicated guitar/stage technician for over 35 years. Loved and admired by his peers for his kindness, humility, passion, skill and attention to detail, he was the brightest light on and off the stage.

"John leaves a legacy of respectfulness towards others, generosity of time, empathy, compassion and most of all, thoughtfulness. He remembered the little things, all the things, and took great care in everything he did. Heartfelt thanks for the countless messages of condolences from family and friends far and wide, his work-family Blue Rodeo, Cowboy Junkies, and many others who brought Farns on board to take care of them on the road."

The artists he worked with shared very affectionate posts on social media after his passing.

On Facebook, Blue Rodeo shared this: "All of us in the Blue Rodeo family are reeling from the sudden, devastating loss of our beloved friend and colleague John Farnsworth. Farns was one of the greatest stage techs and sweetest humans ever to tread the boards of any Canadian stage, known and loved by countless artists and fellow technicians throughout the industry. He had decades of experience and undeniable expertise, but always remained humble, relentlessly upbeat and eager to please. He never failed to say ‘have a great show, everyone!’ before a gig. His motto was ’all good, all the time’ and he truly lived by it.

"Farns was an exceptionally bright light and the world will be a little dimmer without him, but we can still try to rekindle some of that light by following his example of always being a torchbearer for love, kindness, and positivity. We love you, Farns. Forever in our hearts."

Joe Rockman, former bassist of The Jeff Healey Band, told Billboard Canada that "Last night at Amanda Marshall’s performance at the Budweiser Stage, I learned about the unfortunate passing of John Farnsworth. He worked with Amanda and was a pivotal guitar technician for the Jeff Healey Band during many crucial tours, while serving several other touring needs for Jeff and the Band. He did all this with conscientious professional dedication, but I’ll mostly remember his calm demeanour and smile, which diffused many tough situations."

"The Band had some ongoing technical challenges which needed creative solutions. Jeff needed to access his guitar pedals without touching them, when he leaped out of his chair and jumped across the stage, all while still playing. John uniquely designed a way that I thought was genius. Many times in clubs, only the front rows could see Jeff playing. The back rows could only see him singing, so to remedy this, John designed and built an early guitar stand that allowed Jeff to play standing up instead of sitting. In addition, John devised a way for it to fold into a flight case!

"I fortunately reconnected with John around one year ago in the Blue Mountains, after more than two decades. I recognized him instantly. His was not a face you could easily forget, and I never will."

Visitation will take place on July 16th at Innisfil Funeral Home at 12:00 p.m., followed by a Memorial and Celebration of Life at 1:00 p.m., then a reception. Register for the Live Streaming of the Memorial Service here.

In lieu of flowers, donations to support John's two sons are suggested. A GoFundMe link here.

Marjorie Freeborn (Marji-Lea Cody), a Canadian country recording artist, died on July 8 in Moncton, New Brunswick, at age 78.

Country music authority Larry Delaney supplied Billboard Canada with the following information: "Marjorie first attracted attention in the early 1980s as Marji-Lea Cody, with the 1981 duet hit recording of 'That's How Long I'll Love You,' performed with Harold MacIntyre. At the time Marjorie was touring as a member of MacIntyre's band Area Code 705.

"As Marjorie Freeborn, she recorded the 2007 album Songs From A Mic-Mac Maiden, which was produced by the late Larry Coad and featured a guest appearance by Harold MacIntyre. Freeborn also recorded the Larry Coad written song 'Hands Of Steel, Heart Of Gold,' a tribute to Canadian boxing legend Yvon Durelle, a native of Marjorie's hometown of Baie Ste. Anne, New Brunswick. Another Coad composition recorded by Freeborn was 'Manitoulin.'"

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 20 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Moncton Victory Church (155 Dickson Blvd, Moncton, NB E1E2P9). Read the official obituary here.

International

Joe Bonsall, celebrated tenor in the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys and an author, died on July 9 , at age 76, of complications of the neuromuscular disorder Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

The Philadelphia-born Bonsall left his gospel group the Keystones in 1973 to join the Oak Ridge Boys, which originally formed in the 1940s. He was in the band through its golden period in the ‘80s and beyond, which included its signature 1981 song, Elvira, its 1982 hit Bobbie Sue and 1983′s American Made. Elvira was a crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100.

Last September, the Oak Ridge Boys embarked on a farewell tour scheduled to last into 2024. But in January, Bonsall announced his retirement from touring, saying it was too difficult for him physically after a four-year battle with ALS.

His memoir, I See Myself, will be released posthumously in November. It is his 11th book, a collection which includes the four-part children’s series, The Molly Books.

During his five decades with the Oak Ridge Boys, Bonsall was a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“For 50 years, Joe Bonsall was the Oak Ridge Boys’ sparkplug. He was as exciting a performer as any who ever hit a gospel or country stage,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said in a written statement. “His tenor voice was high and clear, and his jovial spirit always provided a jolt of energy, immediately rousing audiences to come on in and take a load off. He certainly lightened our cares every time he sang.”

Read the full Billboard obituary here.

Dave Loggins, the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter best known for his 1974 hit “Please Come to Boston,” died on July 10, at age 76. No cause of death was disclosed.

As Billboard notes, Loggins was "one of the most prolific songwriters of his generation. He crafted five decades’ worth of hit songs for a long list of artists, including Three Dog Night, Joan Baez, Toby Keith, Johnny Cash, Wynonna Judd, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles, Reba McEntire, Tanya Tucker, Kenny Rogers, and Willie Nelson."

"Loggins, a cousin of pop star Kenny Loggins, achieved fame with “Please Come to Boston,” which topped the Easy Listening chart and reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. The song earned him a Grammy nomination for best pop male vocal performance, marking the first of his four Grammy nods.

In 1986, Loggins made history by winning a CMA Award for vocal duo of the year with Anne Murray for their duet “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do,” making him the only artist to receive the award without being signed to a major label."

One enduring Loggins tune is "Augusta," the theme song for the Augusta Masters Golf Tournament that has been termed “the longest-running sports theme in history.”

In recognition of his contributions, Loggins was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1995.

Adrian Olivares, an ex-member of famed Latin boy band Menudo, died at the age of 48 on July 8.

Billboard reports that "Olivares had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease only a week ago, according to the GoFundMe page created by his loved ones and shared by Menudo. The disease was further complicated by ulcerative colitis."

The Mexican-born Olivares formed part of Menudo from 1990 to 1993 when he was 13 to 16 years old, joining after Ricky Martin’s departure in 1989. He’s the third Menudo member to pass on, following Rey Reyes and Anthony Galindo.