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Roberta Flack photographed in 1971.
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Obituaries: Soul Greats Roberta Flack, Jerry Butler and Gwen McCrae
We also acknowledge the passing of King Crimson percussionist Jamie Muir, The Jam drummer Rick Buckler, Mexican star Paquita la del Barrio, hip-hop artist and actor Gene 'Groove' Allen, English folk favourite Bill Fay and The Notorious B.I.G.'s mother, Voletta Wallace.
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Gene 'Groove' Allen, a rapper and actor known his role in rap trio Groove B. Chill, died on Feb. 12. He was 62 years old, according to TMZ, who first reported the news.
A Billboard obituary notes that "the Long Island native formed the 1980s group The Uptown Crew in New York City before he branched off with Daryl “Chill” Mitchell and Belal “DJ Belal” Miller to become Groove B. Chill. The group released one studio album, 1990’s Starting From Zero.
"Groove B. Chill made their way in the TV and film industry when they appeared as characters in the 1990 comedy movie House Party, which starred Kid ‘n Play and has become a cult classic since its release. Allen and Mitchell returned for House Party 2 in 1991.
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Allen also continued his acting career with small roles in 1992’s Boomerang and 1993’s What’s Love Got To Do With It, an award-winning biographical movie based on the life of Tina Turner.
Rick Buckler, an English rock drummer best known as a member of The Jam, died on Feb. 17, at age 69. A cause of death has not been reported. Buckler had recently cancelled a spoken word tour due to ongoing health issues.
The news of his death was announced on X via a heartfelt message from his bandmate and The Jam's leader, Paul Weller. “I’m shocked and saddened by Rick’s passing. I’m thinking back to us all rehearsing in my bedroom in Stanley Road, Woking. To all the pubs and clubs we played at as kids, to eventually making a record. What a journey,” Weller wrote.
"Rick was a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs. I’m glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did. My thoughts are with Leslie and his family at this very difficult time.”
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A Billboard obituary reported that "The Jam was formed in 1972 in Woking, Surrey. Buckler was in the original lineup as drummer, and the group released their debut single 'In the City' in 1977, and released their debut album of the same name that same year.
"Overall, the group released six albums, their final project being 1982’s The Gift, which peaked at No. 82 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. After a world tour in support of the album, the group disbanded due to a decision from Weller."
Though The Jam never reached major commercial success in North America, they were one of the biggest and most important bands of the punk and new wave era in the U.K. and Europe. The group's material often included pointed social and political commentary
After The Jam split, Buckler formed Time UK with Jimmy Edwards and Ray Simone, and reunited with Jam bassist Bruce Foxton in the band Sharp in the 1990s. In the 2000s, he formed a new The Jam tribute band called The Gift, though Far Out magazine stated this group "faced considerable pushback from Paul Weller. Despite Foxton joining the group and eventually calling themselves From the Jam, Buckler ended up leaving the group in 2007."
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Far Out reports that "Up until his passing, Buckler had lived a fairly quiet life outside of the limelight. Outside of his recent tours as a spoken word act, he also moved behind the scenes of the industry, eventually working as a management consultant for various up-and-coming artists."
In 1993, Buckler joined Foxton to write The Jam: Our Story, and was later co-author of other Jam-related books including That’s Entertainment: My Life in the Jam (2015) and The Jam 1982 (2022).
The Guardian reports that "Shortly before his death, Buckler had embarked on a series of 'in conversation' nights in which he reminisced about his Jam days, until the venture was cut short by his sudden ill health."
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Jerry Butler, the beloved Chicago soul singer, producer and, later, politician who began his career in the late 1950 singing alongside childhood friend Curtis Mayfield in The Impressions, died on Feb. 20 of undisclosed causes after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 85 years of age.
A Billboard obituary reports that "working alongside singer/guitarist Mayfield — whom he’d met as a teenager singing in a church choir — Butler began his career in the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers group before joining the Roosters, who in short order became known as The Impressions. The group struck gold off the bat with the Butler co-written 'For Your Precious Love,' a slow-burning, yearning song that melded the friends’ church-based gospel roots with a stirring soul sound.
The single, released by Vee-Jay Records, would be one of only two Butler recorded with the group, followed up by that same year’s No. 29 Billboard R&B chart hit 'Come Back My Love.'"
Butler then left to go solo, though his first solo hit was a reunion with Mayfield on the 1960 Vee-Jay co-write “He Will Break Your Heart.” That song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Butler then embarked on a run of hits in the 1960s and '70s that included 38 career Hot 100 entries — including three top 10s — as well as 53 songs on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
Memorable hits included the 1964 ballad “Let It Be Me,” a collaboration with singer Betty Everett, and 1969's inspirational soul stirrer “Only the Strong Survive,” a collaboration with the hit songwriting team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The song, his highest-ever charting single, reached No. 4 on the Hot 100, spending two weeks at the top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (then called the Billboard Black Singles Chart). The song would later be covered by, among others, Elvis, Rod Stewart and Bruce Springsteen.
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Gamble and Huff released a joint tribute to their friend, saying, “We deeply and sincerely mourn the loss of our dear and longtime friend the great Jerry Butler, aka ‘The Iceman,’ for his cool, smooth vocals and demeanor. Our friendship with Jerry goes back for more than 60 years both as an iconic artist and music collaborator with hit songs such as ‘Only the Strong Survive,’ ‘Western Union Man,’ ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ and many more. We will really miss Jerry. He was a one of a kind music legend!”
Motown legend Smokey Robinson told the Sun-Times that Butler was “one of the great voices of our time."
Butler last appeared on the the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart in 1982 with the No. 83 hit “No Love Without Changes.” The singer also co-write a 1965 hit for then climbing soul singer Otis Redding, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” one of Redding’s most beloved songs, which has been covered by the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner and Barbara Mandrell.
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In addition, Butler also had 15 career entries on the Billboard 200 album chart, with The Ice Man Cometh charting highest at No. 29.
As his music career waned in the '80s, Butler entered Chicago politics after being inspired by the city’s first Black Mayor, Harold Washington. Former Black Panther and longtime Chicago alderman Bobby Rush encouraged Butler to run for the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 1985, where the singer served three four-year terms before his retirement from public office in 2018.
Butler kept performing live into the early 2000s and hosted oldies R&B specials (Doo Wop 50, Rock Rhythm and Doo Wop) for PBS, as well as serving as the chairman of the board for the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the Impressions.
Butler published his autobiography, Only the Strong Survive: Memoirs of a Soul Survivor, in 2000.
Paquita la del Barrio (born Francisca Viveros Barradas), a Mexican musical legend known for her powerful voice and fierce defense of women, died on Feb. 17, at the age of 77.
An official statement noted that “With deep pain and sadness we confirm the sensitive passing of our beloved ‘Paquita la del Barrio’ at her home in Veracruz. She was a unique and unrepeatable artist who will leave an indelible mark in the hearts of all of us who knew her and enjoyed her music.”
An Associated Press obituary reports that "Paquita la del Barrio captivated audiences with songs of heartbreak and betrayal, including anthems like 'Rata de dos patas' and 'Tres veces te engañé.' While her fan base was predominantly women, her powerful performances also drew men to her concerts.
“At the beginning, many men said ‘Why would I go, to get shamed? ... Now they join the concerts. They go with their girlfriend, their wife and they love it,” Paquita said in a 2016 interview with the AP.
A two-time Grammy and Latin Grammy nominee, Paquita la del Barrio received recognition from across the industry, including the Billboard Latin Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2021, which was presented to her by Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny.
News of her death sparked an outpouring of grief on social media. The Latin Grammys and Apple Music were among the many who took to social media to mourn her passing.
Bill Fay, the British cult favourite folk singer-songwriter, died on Feb. 23, at the age of 81. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Fay released two albums on the English label, Deram, a self-titled debut in 1970 and Time of the Last Persecution in 1971. The latter album was a commercial failure, and Fay was dropped by the label. He would not release any new music for decades afterwards. In 1998, a small British label reissued his first two albums, leading to renewed interest in his work. Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy championed Fay's music, even convincing Fay to join the band on stage in 2007 and 2010.
A 2005 compilation Tomorrow, Tomorrow & Tomorrow, featured recordings from 1978 to 1981. Fay went on to sign with respected indie label Dead Oceans, where he released three new albums: Life Is People (2012), Who Is the Sender? (2015), and Countless Branches (2020). Read a full obituary in Billboardhere.
Roberta (Cleopatra) Flack, a Grammy-winning R&B superstar best known for the classic hit "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," died on Feb. 24, at age at 88. No cause of death was available.
In its obituary, Billboard terms Flack "A master of the 'quiet storm' style. Her effortless, soothing vocals soon became a staple of R&B and pop radio, leading to a two-decade run of chart hits."
As well as her 1970 breakthrough hit "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," Flack earned major hits with such songs as “Killing Me Softly” (both tunes won Grammy Awards), “Where Is the Love” (1972, No. 5), “The Closer I Get To You” (1978, No. 2) and “You Are My Heaven” (1980, No. 47), among others. Her duet collaborations with fellow soul great Donny Hathaway also resulted in multiple chart hits.
She scored a total of 18 Hot 100 hits, and landed four albums in the top three on the Billboard 200 album charts, as well as more than two dozen charting hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Flack kept recording, releasing her most recent album in 2012 with the Beatles cover album Let It Be Roberta. Over the course of her career, she was nominated for 14 Grammys and won three.
Gwen McCrae (born Gwen Mosley), a U.S. soul-funk singer with multiple hits to her credit, died on Feb. 21 at age 81.
In a Guardian obituary, GarthCartwright wrote that "McCrae didn’t get the recognition she deserved for a discography charged with pain and wonder. 'Rockin’ Chair,' '90% of Me Is You,' 'All This Love That I’m Givin’,' 'Keep the Fire Burning,' 'Funky Sensation' – Gwen McCrae sang all these soul-funk anthems and more. Songs that refreshed radio, songs that lit up discos and clubs, songs that saw her called 'The Queen of Rare Groove,' songs that were covered and sampled and sound as fresh today as when she originally recorded them in Miami in the 1970s and early '80s."
The Florida-born McCrae grew up singing in church, then in local clubs, before marrying a young sailor, George McCrae, she met the week before when he was on shore leave in 1963. The couple recorded as a duo, George & Gwen McCrae, and, in 1967, singer Betty Wright helped get them signed to Steve Alaimo's Alston Records.
As a solo artist, she found success on the U.S. R&B charts with a cover of Bobby Bland's "Lead Me On" in 1970. Husband George had a huge solo hit with "Rock Your Baby," followed by Gwen landing her biggest hit, in March 1975 with "Rockin' Chair" which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 1 on the R&B chart. The McCraes' hits helped launch the Miami sound led by the city’s TK Studios to international prominence.
After TK Records collapsed, McCrae signed with Atlantic Records, recording two albums and notching moderate hits with "Funky Sensation" and "Keep the Fire Burning" in 1982. She continued to record and being accepted by the UK's Northern Soul scene maintained her popularity as a live act in Europe.
After a few one-off singles, she recorded an album for British label Homegrown Records in 1996, titled Girlfriend's Boyfriend. Upon returning to the U.S., she signed with the revived Goldwax label and recorded another album, Psychic Hot Line, but these were not commercial successes.
In 1999, French house music duo Cassius had a Top 20 U.K. hit with the single "Feeling for You," which sampled the vocals of McCrae's "All This Love That I'm Giving." In 2008, rap DJ and producer Madlib also sampled a Gwen McCrae vocal.
In 2004, McCrae released her first gospel album. Her final single, "Now I Found Love," came out in Dec. 2010.
Jamie Muir, a Scottish percussionist best known for his work in King Crimson, died on Feb. 17, at the age of 82. News of his passing was confirmed by his friend and bandmate Bill Bruford in a Facebook post. A cause of death has not been revealed.
King Crimson frontman Robert Fripp paid tribute to Muir on Instagram, writing: “Jamie Muir was a major, and continuing, influence on my thinking, not only musical. A wonderful and mysterious person. Of the five members of KC 1972, Jamie had the greatest authority, experience and presence. Fly well, Master Muir."
In his Facebook tribute, Bruford wrote that "Jamie was the drummer/percussionist with whom I worked on the King Crimson album Larks’ Tongues in Aspic (1973). He had a volcanic effect on me, professionally and personally, in the brief time we were together many years ago – an effect which I still remember half a century later. I’m sorry we lost touch, but his departure from our working relationship was so sudden and unexpected, I sort of assumed he didn’t want anything more to do with me and my colleagues in King Crimson."
Muir was best known for his stint with the legendary prog rock band from 1972 to 1973, playing most prominently on their fifth studio album, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, released in 1973.
In its obituary, NME reports that "Muir was born in Edinburgh in 1942 and educated at the Edinburgh College Of Art. He moved to London in the 1960s as a passionate jazz trombonist, before switching to percussion. In London, he was involved in several free improvisational groups, including The Music Improvisation Company, and played with respected figures such as Derek Bailey and Evan Parker."
Muir also performed in Sunship (with Alan Gowen and Allan Holdsworth) and Boris (with Don Weller and Jimmy Roche, both later of jazz-rock band Major Surgery). Muir occasionally played a conventional drum kit, but more often used a range of small percussion instruments.
NME notes that "He was invited to join King Crimson via a phone call from Fripp in the summer of 1972, joining the new incarnation of the band alongside Yes drummer Bruford, bassist John Wetton and violinist David Cross. After just a year, and just days after the Feb. 1973 release of Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, the group's fifth album, Muir abruptly left King Crimson and moved to a monastery in southern Scotland to pursue life as a Buddhist monk." The name of that album came from Muir, who thought that the title aptly described the music.
During his short stint in King Crimson, Muir's percussion rig featured eccentric instrumentation including chimes, bells, thumb pianos, a musical saw, shakers, rattles, found objects (such as sheet metal, toys and baking trays), and miscellaneous drums and chains. At some gigs, he also played trombone.
Muir returned to music in 1980, appearing on albums by Bailey and Parker, and the soundtrack of the 1983 British independent film Ghost Dance. In 1990, he withdrew from the music industry once again, opting to devote his time to painting.
Voletta Wallace, the dedicated mother of the late famed rapper The Notorious B.I.G., died on Feb. 20, of natural causes, at age 78.
In its obituary, Associated Pressnoted that "Wallace was a dedicated keeper of the legacy of her son, born Christopher Wallace. When he first emerged on the scene as one of rap’s most distinctive talents with songs that expertly detailed street life in Brooklyn, she labeled his music 'noise.' Since his death, his gift took on a new meaning for her. In 2021, Wallace worked as an executive producer on the Netflix documentary Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell."
The Notorious B.I.G., termed one of rap’s greatest performers, was shot to death at age 24 in Los Angeles in 1997. The case remains unsolved. His 1994 debut album for Bad Boy Records, Ready to Die, and 1997 follow-up, Life After Death, have sold over 18 million copies.
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