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Pye Dubois
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Obituaries: Max Webster Lyricist Pye Dubois, Hamilton Sax Legend Sonny Del-Rio, Drummer Chris Sutherland
This week we also acknowledge the passing of Rose Tattoo frontman Angry Anderson and Naked Eyes singer Pete Byrne.
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Pye Dubois (born Paul Phillip Woods), a lyricist, artist and poet best known as the lyricist for beloved Canadian rock band Max Webster, died on Sept. 15, at age 77.
His official obituary notes that ''Pye was a true Canadian icon. A gifted writer, artist, lyricist, and poet, he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021.' 'On my deathbed I will cry, not because I’m dying, but because I am alive'- Pye Dubois 2016.''
As a lyricist, Dubois primarily worked with Max Webster (he was considered an unofficial fifth non-performing member) and Kim Mitchell, though he also made significant contributions to some Rush material.
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As Rush stated in their Facebook tribute, ''Over a span of 20 years, Pye and Neil Peart collaborated on the lyrics for four Rush songs: 'Tom Sawyer, ' 'Force 10,' ''Between Sun and Moon' and 'Test for Echo.'''
A Dubois poem, "There is a Lake Between Sun and Moon," reportedly inspired many of the Neil Peart lyrics for the Rush album Counterparts, including a song of the same name for which Dubois received co-writing credit.
Author and musician Bob Wegner wrote a very well-received biography of that band, Max Webster: High Class (now in its second pressing). He tells Billboard Canada that ''As the fates would have it, Pye’s most commercially significant contribution to the world of music would be a piece he was working on during a 1980 recording session for 'Battle Scar,' a song Max Webster were recording with label mates Rush.
''At one point that afternoon Dubois showed Kim Mitchell 'Louie the Warrior' and Kim thought it may be something worth passing along to Neil Peart. Soon 'Tom Sawyer' was born, which is almost certainly Rush’s most enduring song.''
Dubois' work with Max Webster included being present in the studio as that band recorded its material. Wegner reports that after that cult favourite band broke up, ''Dubois continued on with Kim Mitchell for much of his solo career, penning hits like 'Go for Soda,' 'Patio Lanterns' and 'Rock 'n' Roll Duty' and lesser known gems.''
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Their joint compositions included all but one of the songs on Mitchell's platinum album Akimbo Alogo and every song on the triple platinum Shakin' Like a Human Being, and double platinum Rockland.
Dubois did not write on Mitchell's follow-up album, Aural Fixations (lyrics on that album were handled largely by Jim Chevalier and Andy Curran), but did return for 1994's Itch, the last time the pair co-wrote. His last credited new co-composition was "Test For Echo", co-written with (and performed by) Rush in 1996.
Dubois and Mitchell were inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2021 but Dubois did not attend the ceremony.
2026 has been a year of losses in the Max Webster camp. Keyboardist Terry Watkinson died in February and drummer Gary McCracken passed on September 15.
Social media tributes to Dubois upon news of his passing revealed the impact his work with Max Webster had on many prominent Canadian musicians and songwriters, with some pointing out his friendly demeanour. Others offered Billboard Canada their thoughts. Here is a selection:
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On Facebook, Kim Mitchell posted this tribute: ''Rest in Peace lyricist / friend / writing partner Pye Dubois .. You sure knew how to jam with the English language! (hangover .. here among the cats .. beyond the moon .. the party .. high class in borrowed shoes .. diamonds diamonds .. on the road .. a million vacations .. drive and desire .. rock n roll duty .. lager and ale .. all we are .. patio lanterns .. go for soda .. wonder where and why .. rockland wonderland .. tom sawyer .. battlescar) ‘Some say freedom is after the storm’ Pye Dubois.''
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Rush, on Facebook: ''It’s been an unbelievably tragic year for Max Webster founder Kim Mitchell and all those who knew that band personally. In late February, Max keyboardist Terry Watkinson passed away, and now, a mere 7 days after the death of drummer Gary McCracken, news has reached us that Max Webster lyricist Pye Dubois (Paul Woods) has suddenly left the planet.
''For those who aren’t aware, over a span of 20 years, Pye and Neil collaborated on the lyrics for four Rush songs : Tom Sawyer, Force 10, Between Sun and Moon, and Test for Echo. We send our most heartfelt sympathies to the bandmates, friends and families of those three stellar musicians. RIP boys.''
Internationally-acclaimed singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith (to Billboard Canada:) ''Max Webster has long been my favourite Canadian band and in my opinion Pye Dubois was such a huge part of what made them great.His words were always original, thought provoking and as eccentric as the music itself.''
Bob Wegner, to Billboard Canada: ''Pye Dubois wasn’t your traditional storyteller. He endeavoured to challenge his listeners to think outside the box, once contending that 'My function as a lyricist is to show people different aspects of reality.'''
''Dubois was in the band but not in the band, similar to Bernie Taupin’s working relationship with Elton John. He was Max Webster’s non-performing fifth member, decorating the world with images and eschewing clichés as if it were sport. Kim Mitchell would sift through his observations on life, page after page, book after book, carefully selecting the bits that resonated with him and then composing complementary music for them.
''It is fans of Max Webster who most keenly hang onto Pye Dubois as one of their own, as his words helped shape the sound of an era whilst sounding like absolutely nothing else in it. 'Now we’re just musicians here to thin the thickness of your skin,' he insisted in 'The Party.”' Phrases like this will live on in the hearts of Max fans forever.''
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Musician, songwriter and newspaper publisher Dave Bidini (Rheostatics), on Facebook: ''So long Pye. I spent lots of time with this word wizard, peripatetic soul, denizen of the in-between places. He came, he went, he pulled us way up into the sky. Beyond the moon. Madcap scene and the Max machine. Canada's musical Vonnegut. Knows stuff that you don't. He let a young person inside his terrifyingly wild mind. A little hip talk goes a long way. Tomato juice.''
Charlie Angus (former MP and leader of Grievous Angels) on FB: ''Pye Dubois, the wild lyricist for Max Webster has passed away. It is really hard to describe how great this band was as a live act. Go to the angels Pye.''
Rock singer-songwriter and producer Jordon Zadorozny·(Blinker the Star) on Facebook: ''Surreal, intelligent, streetwise, a hard boiled slightly tipsy romantic, a street punk and backroom observer. A seer of visions pointing out the most interesting road ahead. Pye's words paired with Kim's music are part of our DNA. Saturday nights wouldn't be the same without them. Rock on, Pye.''
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Veteran rock radio host Jeff Woods (Facebook): ''Beyond the sublime words that would get set to music by Kim Mitchell and company, Pye Dubois would provide the poem 'Louis the Warrior,' which Neil Peart would adapt and expand, adding personal themes of reconciling youth and adulthood and exploring the difference between self-perception and others’ perceptions, for which Geddy and Alex would craft music for what became the Rush song 'Tom Sawyer.' '
Award-winning producer and songwriter Rob Wells (Ariana Grande, Jusin Bieber), on Facebook: ''Rest in peace Pye Dubois. Thank you for all the music. Thank you for 'All We Are,' 'Go For Soda,' ' Tom Sawyer' and sooo many others that have been monumental to my musical growth.
''Thank you for being so kind to me at age 16 when our paths crossed backstage and you handed me a piece of paper that contained a future Rush lyric and your signature. That song became 'Between Sun And Moon.'''
Veteran Toronto music journalist Nick Krewen (Facebook): ''My first time watching a concert in a bar was May 16, 1978 and it was my first live encounter with an eccentric outfit named Max Webster. at the Uncle Sam's nightclub in Niagara Falls. It harkened back to a time when bands held residencies at clubs and really got their instrument chops together, so we were treated to three full 45-minute sets of original music throughout the evening.
''But that wasn't the total experience. Someone in our group - and I think it was me - brought some albums to sign, and in between the second and third sets, this mustachioed gentleman approached us, grabbed the cover and said, 'Who is thees Max Webster?' To our surprise, It was Pye Dubois - genius wordsmith who provided the words that Mitchell sang.
''He hung out with us for about 15-20 minutes, and was extremely friendly and fun. I'm not sure what happened in the intervening years that made him so bitter to his former mates, but I will remember that Uncle Sam occasion as part of my inauguration into the world of rock 'n roll and the music business. Pye's words inspired a lot of imaginative musicians to write outside the box, and I hope he eventually found the peace for which he seemed to be striving.''
Musician/producer Joel Wasson (The Discarded, Fifth Column), on Facebook: ''When I was a teen in the seventies, I went to see Max Webster and it was pointed out that a person there was Pye Dubois. I asked him for an autograph, and he signed it with this quote- 'eggs over easy, love over gold.' Rest easy, good gentleman.''
Sonny Del-Rio (born Dennis Grasley,) a Hamilton-based blues and rock saxophonist, vocalist and recording artist, died on Sept. 18, at age 82.
In its obituary, the Hamilton Blues Lovers Facebook group reports that ''Sonny was a giant in the music scene and his contributions are incalculable. His stellar, decades-long career (he started in 1957) included performing with Crowbar, King Biscuit Boy, Ronnie and the Rockets, Trickbag, Smoke Wagon Blues Band, Teenage Head, Ray Materick and too many to mention here. He has been a part of the Hamilton music scene for such a long time that it is going to be so hard to think of the scene without him.''
The Hamilton music history group Steelore-Hamilton Rock History 1970s to 2010s notes that ''Sonny Del-Rio is most remembered as being a part of Crowbar and with his times with King Biscuit Boy's bands. Sonny was a three time winner of The Real Blues Magazine’s best blues sax player in Canada award and he was nominated for numerous awards at The Hamilton Music Awards, including winning special instrumentalist of the year in 2005.''
Del-Rio's musical career began in 1957 when he started playing tenor saxophone in a local rock & roll band. The former Dennis Grasley adopted his stage name when he started the band Sonny And The Del-Rios. His career would last well over six decades.
His career gained real prominence when he began playing with his long time friend Richard Newell (a.k.a. King Biscuit Boy) and Kelly Jay in a version of Crowbar, the popular blues-rock band best known for their classic hit ''Oh What A Feeling.'' Del Rio recorded two albums with King Biscuit Boy and toured with his group..
Del-Rio continued to work extensively with King Biscuit Boy after the demise of Crowbar including on the album Two Hound Blues . Credited to King Biscuit Boy and Sonny Del-Rio, it was released on local label Race Records shortly after Newell's passing in 2003. The album combined six lost tracks from the 1981 King Biscuit Boy album, Blues Biscuits, and songs from Del-Rio's debut solo album, 40 Years of Rock & Roll and All I Got’s the Blues. The duet title song was Richard Newell's last recording. The record received a Hamilton Music Awards nomination for best blues album in 2005.
40 Years of Rock & Roll and All I Got’s the Blues was recorded by Del-Rio after he returned to Hamilton from a stint living on the West Coast. It featured blues and rock stylings and was produced by Georgie Fab. Noted players on the album included Newell, drummer Jack Pedler (Teenage Head, Ray Materick) and keyboardist Jesse O'Brien (Colin James, Junkhouse). In turn, Del-Rio played on Pedler's acclaimed 2003 album D.T. Delinquent.
Another long musical relationship for Del-Rio was with acclaimed folk-rock singer-songwriter Ray Materick, in whose band Del-Rio played from 1976 to 1983. On Facebook, Materick noted that ''Sonny Del-Rio was a great friend for 45 years and an extreme delight for a lot of that time as a rock and roll saxophone playing band mate. So many road stories. Jack Pedler, Sonny and I would laugh for hours recalling our zany days on the road.''
Following his 1999 solo debut, Del-Rio released such albums as Blow Your Horn Man! and Welcome To Saxland.
In late 2002, he and Georgie Fab gathered over 20 local celebrities (including Ian Thomas, the Honorable Lincoln Alexander and the then Mayor of Hamilton) for a CD titled Sonny Del-Rio and Friends Hamilton Hometown Christmas. All profits were donated to local children’s charities. Those yearly Hamilton Hometown Christmas shows became an annual tradition, and Del-Rio's charity work earned him a much-deserved Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal medal for his fundraising in 2012.
In 2009, Del-Rio was a key player in the recording of a song named ''Canadian Heroes'' that helped raise money for the Military Families Support Fund. Its star-studded cast included Skip Prokop (Lighthouse), Ian Thomas, Brian Melo, Tomi Swick, Tom Wilson, Ray Materick, Jack de Keyzer, Teenage Head and Dave Rave.
In 2018, Del-Rio organized a 5-Star Revue concert to celebrate his 60 years in music, and it would be released in 2020 as a concert video DVD.
Del-Rio was long a popular fixture on the Ontario club circuit. He earned a reputation as a real showman, with his signature moves including jumping up on bar tables to wail away in the middle of the audience.
He quite frequently guested on Teenage Head shows, including at the Y108 Rock N Roll Picnic at Gage Park in Hamilton in August 2008, shortly before the death of their original frontman Frankie Venom. In 2022, Del-Rio was one of many star guest performers at a Celebration of Life concert for Teenage Head guitarist Gord Lewis.
As well as performing with local cover bands, Del-Rio often played with Hamilton blues favourites Trickbag and The Smokewagon Blues Band, and he guested on the latter's 2006 album, The Smoke Wagon Blues Band and Friends.
Trickbag drummer Paul Panchezak paid extensive tribute to his friend Sonny Del-Rio on his CFMU radio show Breakfast of Champions last week, noting that ''while Sonny became a distinguished elder statesman of blues and rock 'n roll in Hamilton, back in the day he was dangerous!''
Of note: Sonny Del-Rio's son, Tommy Grasley is a rock singer-songwriter and producer who performs as TOMMYGUNN and has released three albums. Sonny produced and played on TOMMYGUNN's 2013 debut album, Unleash The Hounds, and played on his second full-length, 2020's I Believe In Love.
Tommy Grasley tells Billboard Canada that ''my second album includes a song I wrote called 'Richard,' about King Biscuit Boy. Legendary producer Eddie Kramer produced that song and he bowed to my father at the recording session in Toronto.'' He adds that ''My sister [Lori Grasley Thompson] and I watched our Dad from when we were kids. He taught me the art of entertainment.'
Del-Rio was definitely a hero in his hometown, as longtime Hamilton Spectator music critic Graham Rockingham explained to Billboard Canada. ''Despite his work with Crowbar, Teenage Head, King Biscuit Boy and Ray Materick, Sonny wasn't well known outside his hometown of Hamilton. But in Hamilton, he was dearly loved.''
''In 2006, the Hamilton Spectator ran a readers poll to determine who was the 'Greatest Hamiltonian' of all time. While Lincoln Alexander topped the list, Sonny came in at No. 11, edging out astronaut Roberta Bondar and fellow musician Tom Wilson. Sonny simply knew how to get a room on its feet and dancing. He made red Converse high tops haute couture in Hamilton. The man was truly loved ... almost as much as he loved old time rock and roll.''
The respect of Del-Rio's local peers was shown in 2015 when they banded together for a benefit concert to support him by covering costs of extensive dental work that would allow him to keep playing sax. Those performing included Rita Chiarelli, Trickbag, Ronnie and the Rockets, the Five Star Revue, Smokewagon Blues Band, Tim Gibbons, Russ Wilson and TOMMYGUNN.
Plenty of Del Rio's Hamilton musical peers and friends have paid recent tribute on social media and to Billboard Canada. Here are some of those.
Veteran Hamilton keyboardist and singer-songwriter Lily Sazz, to Billboard Canada: ''Sonny Del-Rio was as charismatic a musician as they come. Back in the mid-eighties, not long after I met him and the rest of Crowbar, I was honoured to be part of that inner circle of friends who knew to quickly clear our drinks whenever we could see that Sonny was fixin’ to leave the stage and jump on our table to play a solo! He knew he could trust us to have his back in case of misadventure. Like the time he actually took a fall and bent the neck of his sax. He simply bent it back and kept playing.
''Beyond all that, and his generosity to the community, Sonny was one of the wittiest storytellers I knew. It was always a pleasure to hear him, Richard Newell and Kelly Jay swap stories and humour. He’ll be missed by many.''
Renowned engineer and studio owner Bob Doidge worked with Del-Rio a few times at his legendary Hamilton studio, Grant Avenue. He tells Billboard Canada that ''Sonny was always so nice to work with and was always a positive guy to be around with a great sense of humour. He was also very serious about his music. Those qualities made him a good band mate. He sure was a great lover of Hamilton.''
Hamilton keyboardist Jesse O'Brien, to Billboard Canada: ''Beyond sad to hear the news. A legend, beautiful soul and saxophone rocker like no other. Sonny was one of the first musicians I ever played with and was always kind & generous. It was an honour to play with him alongside King Biscuit Boy, The 'Highway To Heroes' project & often Trickbag. Sonny will be missed by many.''
Hamilton punk rock musician and promoter Sammy Squid, to Billboard Canada: ''Am very saddened by the passing of this legend. My very first concert was way back when I was only 13 years old, at The Queenston Banquet Room on Ottawa Street. My brother in law was good friends with the doorman so he was able to sneak me in. There was live blues and rock and roll filling the room and the crowd was going nuts!
''The headliner was King Biscuit Boy with Sonny Del-Rio. I had no idea of their status or the association with Crowbar, I had no idea that in time I would become friends with these two first class Hamilton legends. I will always remember that amazing night and the raw power that filled the room. Some people dancing, others just freaking out. I will miss the wonderful smile of Sonny, he always had something funny to say, always made me feel welcome. Cheers to his music and spirit filling our hearts. Humblest condolences to family and friend and all who loved him.''
Hamilton music promoter and radio host Lou Molinaro, to Billboard Canada: ''I only knew Sonny peripherally, but it didn't take me long to realize that Sonny was a local legend. Over the years, I hosted countless shows where the performers added Sonny to the guest list so he could cameo during their set. Whether it was Teenage Head or Kelly Jay, the red carpet always led right up to the stage for Sonny.''
''Sonny always dressed well too. While he was aging, his fashion always subtracted years from his looks. I always enjoyed having him as a guest on my radio show in support of his annual Christmas shows. It selfishly gave me more time to chat with him about [English rocker] Roy Wood with him. He too was a huge fan.''
Ray Materick: ''He was a kind and charitable person who will be missed so much by myself and the thousands of other people whose lives he affected....Rock on in heaven my friend!''
Veteran Hamilton blues outfit Smoke Wagon Blues Band posted a tribute to Del-Rio on Facebook that reads, in part: ''The Smoke Wagon Blues Band and myself owe so much to the legendary Sonny Del Rio - 'Mr Hamilton.' It was over 23 or 24 years ago we first started playing with Sonny. We looked up to him so much that I was so scared to ask him to play on our album at the time that I called Jesse O'Brien to ask him for us, ha. That was the start of an amazing friendship.
''Sonny became our alternate sax player for many years and we had all kinds of fun and shenanigans playing throughout Ontario. Sonny always stole the show; he was the most charismatic musician that I've ever shared the stage with. I learned so much about stage presence, professionalism, friendship, and humanity from him.
''He introduced us and invited us into the family of legendary Hamilton musicians. He was so supportive of our career, and he booked us onto great bills with local stars. Sonny will always be the king of Hamilton to us. Farewell to the king. Blow your horn man!'
A Celebration of Life for Sonny Del-Rio is planned for Nov. 14 (2-6 pm) at the Corktown in Hamilton. Tommy Grasley posted that ''We want this celebration to be filled with the music, stories, and memories that made Sonny who he was.'' Contact him at tommygrasley@yahoo.com.
Chris 'Suds' Sutherland, a noted Canadian drummer for Kim Mitchell, Streetheart, Doc Walker, Saga, The Road Hammers, Alias and many more, died suddenly on Sept. 19, at age 58. A cause of death has not been reported.
Since Sept. 2024, he had been touring in the U.S. extensively with his wife, Canadian keyboardist and musical director Tina Faye, as part of the orchestra for The Notebook, a Tony and Grammy-nominated musical. Sutherland was playing percussion and Faye was serving as musical director.
Sutherland was born and raised in Brandon, Manitoba. In an obituary in The Brandon Sun, that city's mayor, Jeff Fawcett, remembered how well-respected Sutherland was when they both attended Valleyview Centennial School.
“He was a very respected drummer,” Fawcett told The Sun. “I don’t remember him not being a drummer. Even as a kid he was a serious drummer. It was cool, he was cool, but it was just this guy. It was always just Chris,” he said, adding the city is proud of Sutherland and his musical influence lives on. No one in a band in Brandon wouldn’t know him. I take great joy in seeing the life he lived.”
Sutherland studied at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles with Joe Porcaro, Casey Scheurrell, Steve Houghton, Ralph Humphrey, and Chuck Silverman and privately with Jim Chapin and Ed Soph.
For the past several decades, Sutherland had made a mark as one of Canada's most in-demand drummers for both rock and country artists and many theatre productions.
A biography on the Yamaha website (he had an endorsement arrangement with them) notes that ''Chris Sutherland has been the drummer for the Toronto productions of Dear Evan Hansen, Kinky Boots, Bat Out Of Hell, The Bodyguard Musical, Hairspray and the long running Toronto production of Mamma Mia. He was the drummer for the pre-Broadway production of &Juliet, working with songwriting and producing legend Max Martin.
''He is the drummer for classic rock legends Streetheart and is known for his 15 years with multi-platinum artist Kim Mitchell. Chris has also performed, toured, and recorded with Sass Jordan, Saga, The Road Hammers, Lawrence Gowan of Styx, Dallas Smith, Doc Walker, Dierks Bentley, Randy Bachman and many more.
His Sutherland & Faye collaboration with his wife, Christina Faye, performed at the Drumfest International in Quebec City and the pair recently recorded a joint release, Philip Glass Piano Etudes Re-Imagined.
Sutherland was the co-composer of the 2023 single “Plein D’Amour” by the Guess Who. As a producer, he helmed albums for Graham Scott Fleming, David St Germain, Heather Longstaffe, Squeek and the debut release of Maddy Ringo, Wake Up Woman.
In 2014, Sutherland released a solo album, Ain’t That A Kick In The Headphones. He composed, engineered, and mixed the entire album himself and also played all instruments.
Upon news of his death, Sutherland's musical peers and former bandmates quickly posted tributes on social media, with others paying homage to Billboard Canada.
Kim Mitchell, on Facebook: ''Rest in Peace drummer Chris Sutherland .. You brought some serious RAWK to the Kim Mitchell Band for well over a decade You were a good friend as well !''
Toronto guitarist Stuart Cameron (Crash Test Dummies), on Facebook: ''We had some fun times over the years. I thought of you multiple times while on stage tonight.''
Keyboardist Ray Coburn (Honeymoon Suite, Kim Mitchell), on Facebook. ''Still in shock about Suds. Grateful that his last stand was with the Kim band last week in Delta B.C. Suds parachuted in from NYC to sub for a temporarily disabled Dave Langguth. It was 36 hrs of laughter, warm, long embraces and some heavy plowing along with our Tom Cochrane friends / family.''
Streetheart guitarist Jeff Neill offered a lengthy tribute on Facebook. It reads, in part: ''We are all devastated by this news.Chris was an integral part of the Streetheart family for many years and although we have missed having his amazing spirit around us and his immense talent driving the groove bus for this band the past few years, we have all been cheering him and Tina along in their new adventures together.
''We were lucky enough to be able to attend Chris and Tina’s wedding back in September of 2022 and there could not be a more perfectly matched couple.Two incredibly talented and beautiful souls who met, feel in love, got married and were building a life together. Two true renaissance artists reinventing themselves together in the most wonderful of ways.
I’m sure gonna miss you Suds,. I’m going to miss crushing tunes with you, hanging out with you and just enjoying your uncompromising, wickedly clever company.Godspeed my brother.''
Tina Faye, to the Brandon Sun: ''Chris was a really unique musical force. It’s like he’s just bringing everything along with him, like a snowplow…. It’s steady and it’s strong and it feels good when you’re playing along with that.”
Toronto drummer, singer-songwriter and producer Derek Downham, on Facebook: ''Rest, Suds. A monster talent. I was honoured when he asked me to sub for him. A formidable drummer. Too young. Very sad and sudden. My heart goes out to the massive music community that he was a part of.''
Toque, on Facebook: ''We are so shocked and heartbroken to hear of the passing of our good friend and Toque alumni-ist Chris Sutherland. He was such an amazing person and an incredible drummer. '
Honeymoon Suite drummer Dave Betts, to Billboard Canada: ''He really, really was a lovely person and if you couple that with tremendous drumming talent, it is a very sad loss.''
Don Breithaupt (Monkey House, The Breithaupt Brothers) to Billboard Canada: ''I was in the Kim Mitchell Band for seven years with Suds. Every night, he would bench press the band (metaphorically) from that drum riser. He was the engine. He played everything with such force and authority that you couldn’t have a bad night — you had to raise your game.
''As he moved on to other styles and playing situations, I realized that his rock playing was just the tip of the iceberg. He could play anything: country, pop, musical theatre, you name it. He also happened to be great company, and a very loyal friend. Gone way too soon. I will never stop missing him.''
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to support Tina Faye. You can donate here.
A Celebration of Life for Sutherland was held at Lula Lounge in Toronto on Sept. 28.
International
Angry (Gary) Anderson, frontman of Australian hard rock veterans Rose Tattoo, died on Sept. 21, at age 79.
Billboard reports that ''Anderson had suffered a heart attack in August while Rose Tattoo was on tour in Europe. The rocker was hospitalized in Germany and the remainder of the group’s 50th anniversary tour was scrapped, including planned shows in Australia.''
''He was the feisty frontman of Rose Tattoo, one of the hardest-rocking bands to emerge from Australia in the 1970s,. With Anderson at the mic, Rose Tattoo enjoyed a string of hits in '70s and '80s including 'Bad Boy for Love,' 'Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw' and 'We Can't Be Beaten.' Rose Tattoo was the quintessential Aussie pub rock band.''
A Guardian obituary notes that ''Anderson was not a nice boy growing up. As one of the founding members of Melbourne motorcycle club the Vigilanties, Gary Anderson initially earned the sobriquet Mouse, on account of his diminutive stature.''
Though short, Anderson was a charismatic figure onstage. He formed Buster Brown in Melbourne in 1973 (with AC/DC’s Phil Rudd on drums) and released an album through Michael Gudinski’s Mushroom Records. When they split, Anderson formed Rose Tattoo in Sydney in 1976 and promptly signed with Alberts, joining a roster that included AC/DC. Although the group disbanded and reunited on several occasions with different lineups, Anderson was always the frontman.
The first self-titled Rose Tattoo album, released in 1978 , made a splash with the singles 'Bad Boy for Love' and 'Rock ’n’ Roll Outlaw.' The band's fortunes soared in 1981 when the debut and its follow-up, Assault and Battery, both reached No 1 on the British heavy metal charts.
The Guardian reports that ''At Reading festival in the UK, Anderson’s physicality was terrifying, head-butting the amplifier stacks until blood streamed down his face. Welcomed home as conquering heroes, the band’s third album Scarred for Life yielded an Australian hit with 'We Can’t Be Beaten' before the lineup split.''
''What happened after that was one of Oz rock’s most unlikely transformations as Anderson slowly ingratiated himself into the nation’s heart as a youth advocate and all-round rough diamond.''
Billboard writes that ''Often clad in leather or a simple singlet, revealing his arms-length collection of tattoos, Angry Anderson always looked hard as nails and as angry as his nickname. But he was a softy at heart. Raised in the school of hard knocks, Anderson was a passionate advocate for disadvantaged young Australians, his work recognized when he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993 for services to the community.''
In later years, he did draw flak for his right-wing, anti-migrant political stances. He ran as a Senate candidate for the Australian Liberty Alliance, a political party whose platform included placing strict limits on Muslim migration.
Subsequent lineups of Rose Tattoo featured Anderson as the sole original member. Guns N’ Roses – having covered ''Nice Boys'' on their Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide EP – recruited the band to support them on their Use Your Illusion tour in 1993; the same year, Anderson was awarded an Order of Australia. In 2006, after two strong comeback albums, Rose Tattoo were inducted into the Aria Hall of Fame.
Anderson also made a splash as an actor. He had a role alongside Tina Turner in 1985’s hit film, Max Mad 3: Beyond Thunderdome, and his biggest ever international hit was his 1986 solo recording “Suddenly, ” featured on the soundtrack to blockbuster hit TV series Neighbours. That show was viewed by more than 20 million people across Australia and the United Kingdom, and the song reached No. 3 in the UK.
Although Rose Tattoo never had massive commercial success outside Australia, the band had an impact on many musical peers, including Canadians. On Facebook, former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach posted this tribute to Anderson. ''They don’t make them like Angry Anderson anymore. You’re not gonna see the likes of Angry anymore. You left us too soon but that’s because you was too good for us.''
''The most gifted vocalist lyricist performer up until the day you fucking died. The James Brown of heavy metal rock ‘n’ roll. I love you so much Angry Anderson, thank you for a lifetime of inspiration. It was so incredible spending time with you in Sydney this year only a couple months ago. Every time I listen to one of your recordings it makes me understand why I love rock ‘n’ roll in the first place.''
Todd Kerns (Toque, Slash, Age of Electric) posted this on Facebook: ''We have lost the legend that is Angry Anderson from Australia’s historic Rose Tattoo. I have been fortunate enough to have been on stage with the man multiple times over the past 16 years. Diminutive in stature but a GIANT of a man. I loved our time together.
''Do yourself a favour and crank up his catalog today. Our next trip to Australia will not be the same without Angry there to welcome us. I’m getting so fatigued from saying goodbye to so many friends. Make time for all you care about. It all goes too fast. You will be missed, Angry. Your music lives on. Thank you for the music.''
Pete Byrne, the frontman of British new wave group Naked Eyes who carried them to repeated chart successes in the U.S., has died on Sept. 14, at age 74, after a brief illness.
The news was announced via the band’s website and social media.
In its obituary, The Guardian reports that ''Byrne was part of the “second British invasion” when synthpop and new wave bands from the UK, powered in part by the rise of MTV, swept into the US, with peers including Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls and more.
''He formed Naked Eyes in the late 1970s after the failure of his groups Studio and Neon, with Neon featuring future Tears for Fears members Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal as well as his future Naked Eyes bandmate Rob Fisher and others.''
''Fisher and Byrne split off as a duo, renamed themselves and signed to EMI. Their debut single became their biggest hit: a cover of the Burt Bacharach-penned 'Always Something There to Remind Me,' powered by Byrne’s earnest boyish croon, which reached the Top 10 in the US, Canada and Australia.''
Naked Eyes never hit the Top 40 in their native U.K., but continued a run of U.S. successes with three more Top 40 hits there: ''Promises, Promises'' (which reached No. 11 and featured Madonna on unreleased remixes), ''When the Lights Go Out'' and ''(What) In the Name of Love'' (which was remixed by Arthur Baker).'
Naked Eyes split after their second album, 1984’s Fuel for the Fire. Byrne later blamed the split on him and Fisher living in Los Angeles and London respectively, and on EMI losing faith in the project.
Byrne then moved to writing and producing with other artists – later including a song for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen – and he recorded backing vocals for Stevie Wonder’s 1985 US No 1 ''Part-Time Lover. ''He released a solo album, The Real Illusion, in 2001, and began working with Fisher again, rebooting Naked Eyes as a solo project after Fisher’s death in 1999.
Byrne released two further albums under that name and became a familiar face on '80s revue tours, alongside the likes of the Go-Go’s, Men Without Hats and the Human League.
On Facebook, Men Without Hats posted this tribute: ''Today we mourn the loss of a good friend whom we shared the stage with many times. 'There is always something there to remind me.' Peter Byrne Naked Eyes Rest in Peace.''
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