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Billy Steinberg
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Obituaries: Hit Songwriter Billy Steinberg, Streetheart Guitarist John Hannah, Festival Booker Randi Fratkin
This week we also acknowledge the passing of salsa pioneer Willie Colón.
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John Hannah, a Scottish-Canadian guitarist and singer-songwriter best known as a member of Streetheart, died at his residence in Ayr, Scotland, on Feb. 20, at age 73. He had been in hospital with complications of COPD.
On their website, Streetheart reported the news and noted that "John joined Streetheart in the fall of 1978 and was with the band until the early spring of 1981. John’s contribution to the Streetheart legacy during that time was most profound. Along with being an accomplished guitarist and singer, he was also a creative force, contributing to many of the classic Streetheart songs that remain as fan favourites today. 'Hollywood,' Trouble, and 'Drugstore Dancer' all feature John’s songwriting and playing skills and it is John who played the iconic guitar solo on Streetheart’s classic remake of The Rolling Stones’ 'Under My Thumb' in 1979."
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Hannah recorded three albums with platinum-selling Winnipeg rockers Streetheart: Under Heaven Over Hell, Quicksand Shoes and Drugstore Dancer. He was in the band when Streetheart received their Juno Award for most promising group in 1980, but departed the following year for health reasons.
Streetheart's post notes that "After Streetheart, John divided his time between Winnipeg and his home in Scotland and he maintained many long time friendships in Winnipeg over the years. John was a very soulful, spiritual and playful person in life, those attributes being the stuff that we are holding on to today as we look back on our time spent together. RIP John, we know your ancestors will be waiting to welcome you with open arms on the other side."
Born in Glasgow, Hannah moved to Canada when his family emigrated to Winnipeg in the late 1950s. Prior to joining Streetheart, he had made a mark with multiple prominent rock bands on the Winnipeg scene, including Pig Iron and Chopping Block. Most notable of these was Wood 'n Hannah, a project with David Wood. In 1976, Winnipeg Free Press writer Andy Mellen wrote that "David Wood and John Hannah's tremendous dual-guitar interplay -- which forms the integral part of the band's sound for songs like 'Back On The Scene,' 'Polynesia' and 'Wood Work' -- is characterized by some of the sweetest sounding, intensely delivered playing it has been my pleasure to hear in a long time."
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In a Facebook tribute, fellow Winnipeg musician Stan Bedernjak recalls that "my personal connection to John Hannah came earlier in life when I hooked up with David Wood, who had been in a couple of versions of a Winnipeg favourite named Wood 'n Hannah. Incredibly talented and extremely creative, they ruled the roost in Winnipeg as one of the most dynamic and original-sounding groups. John and Dave were a guitar duo like no other."
This band was short-lived, however, as, in Jan. 1977, Mellen reported in the Free Press that "In a shocking and totally surprising development, The Wood 'N Hannah band has ceased to be. I had no advance warning at all of the move, which took place on Christmas Day.
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"It seems unbelievable that a band I felt possessed the potential for greatness no longer exists. I was a great supporter of The Wood 'N Hannah band right from its inception nine months ago. Of all the many talented Winnipeg band on the scene, I felt that this band had the best shot at advancing well beyond the local pub and one-nighter circuit. There's no question that the talent (and more importantly the original material) to achieve wide recognition was there in abundance."
The nucleus of that group (singer-guitarist John Hannah, drummer Harvey Kostenchuk and bassist Scott Smith, who went on to fame in Loverboy) carried on under the name of Hurricane Hannah, prior to Hannah getting the call to replace Paul Dean (later to join Loverboy) as guitarist in Streetheart. David Wood's next project was the band Woodwork.
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After leaving Streetheart, Hannah recorded and released a solo project, Desperate Times, out on cassette in 1983. On Facebook, Winnipeg musician Alec Friesen recalls that "I met John through Dave Zeglinski (owner of Mid Ocean recording studios on Erin) in 1983. John and Dave were very good friends with John recording at Mid Ocean and Dave engineering and producing sessions.
"Out of these sessions came John Hannah's only solo album release that I know of, Desperate Times. It contains 10 wonderful tracks featuring all John Hannah compositions ranging from Funk, Progressive AOR, and of course the absolute thunderous riff rock that John was so known for. John was also very skilled as a singer and storyteller.
"Desperate Times is a testament to John's tremendous talent. The album also features a veritable buffet of Winnipeg talent as can be seen on the liner credits. I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated on the record. My hope is for it to to have a modern digital release so this great music can be truly appreciated."
In his post, Stan Bedernjak reports that "After he left Streetheart, John kept a low profile, and I was lucky enough to get him to join up with me in a couple of different jam bands. We played at the old Johnnys on Sunday nights and I remember the night we warmed up Edgar Winter at the Rolling Stone Cabaret. Playing with John was always a pleasure. A soft-spoken guy who loved music and chillin' out."
"He ended up doing Jam nights at the Royal George once a week in the summers, and would go back to Ayr, Scotland, his home for the winter. He had a one-man band thing going over there, which he had tried here in Lockport to good turnouts. John also played with The George's Greg Pester's band Sassy Jack. His last time in Winnipeg was just before the COVID shutdown. He was supposed to come back and start up the jams again, but it never happened."
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To Billboard Canada, Bedernjak recalls that "John was also a guitar teacher back in the day, at Guitarland, and he actually started out as a bass player prior to switching to guitar."
Randi Fratkin, a former artistic director of the Mariposa Folk Festival, Winterfolk and Kingfest, died on Feb. 19, at age 61. A cause of death has not been reported.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Fratkin reportedly had no interest in roots music until she stumbled on a John Prine song during a group guitar lesson and bought a pass to the 1989 Winnipeg Folk Festival, just to see Prine.
Two years later, Fratkin volunteered as a stage hand at Mariposa and became a member of the programming committee in 1995. That later led to a stint as artistic director of Mariposa, often recognized as Canada's most historic and prestigious folk and roots music festival.
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She also booked and helped create the Kingfest festival in Toronto and had a period at the helm of Winterfolk, another Toronto roots fest.
In 2007, The Toronto Star's Greg Quill wrote a feature profile of her, headlined 'The Musical Double Life of Dr. Fratkin.' That story noted Fratkin's juggling act as both a successful pediatric dentist in Toronto and the booker of some major folk and roots music festivals.
Quill wrote that "A good music festival artistic director is a lot of things: musicologist, historian, diplomat, negotiator, sleuth, psychologist, lawyer, writer, fundraiser, culture vulture, travel agent, political lobbyist, driver, logistics expert, bully, babysitter, snake-in-the-grass and charismatic charmer.
"Randi Fratkin, who put together this weekend’s three-day Kingfest music extravaganza on the grounds of Seneca College in King City, is all that and then some. She’s also a successful pediatric dentist with offices in Toronto and Newmarket.
"How Fratkin – who also programmed the legendary Mariposa Folk Festival for the past seven years and Toronto’s popular downtown Winterfolk festival for the last two – manages to balance two high-pressure careers comes down to simple economics. Dentistry pays and music doesn’t."
Fratkin explained her situation to Quill this way: "I would love music to be my profession, but I’ve spent a lot of years learning to do something else for a living and, to be perfectly honest, I really like doing dentistry. Fortunately my day job provides me with the time and the money to indulge my hobby.”
For that inaugural Kingfest, Fratkin assembled an impressive lineup of folk, roots and rock performers, including Sarah Harmer, Bruce Cockburn, Susan Werner, Ndidi Onukwulu with Madagascar Slim, the Joel Plaskett Emergency, The Trews and Sloan, Oh Susanna, Justin Rutledge, Lynn Miles, the Jim Cuddy Band and Prairie Oyster.
Fratkin was in the artistic director chair for some important years and highlights for Mariposa. That included 2000, when the fest returned to its birthplace of Orillia, Ontario, for its 40th anniversary, an edition headlined by local hero Gordon Lightfoot.
A Globe and Mail feature then wrote that "'It's like the old days,' says Randi Fratkin, a 10-year Mariposa veteran and chairman of this year's artistic committee. "It feels good to be a big festival again, and we hope Orillia will be its permanent home."
Another highlight of Fratkin's work in booking shows for Mariposa came in 2004, when she organized the Sunday evening main stage concerts as a tribute to Lightfoot, with Murray McLauchlan as the headliner.
In 1997, Fratkin partnered with veteran Toronto music bookers Derek Andrews and Richard Flohil to put on a major benefit concert for Folk Alliance International at Massey Hall. In his Substack series, Stories From The Edge of Music, Flohil recalls that "FAI — the largest folk organization in the world — was planning its annual convention in Toronto. It was also facing financial difficulties, and desperately needed help.
"The answer, perhaps: a major benefit concert. A highly influential backroom music figure, Derek Andrews, roots music fan Randi Fratkin (who was also one of the leading kids’ dentists in Canada) and I went to work. We booked Massey Hall for the opening night of the conference. After booking Pete Seeger, we finally settled on a line-up that sold out the 2,700 seat hall, raised $35,000 for Folk Alliance, and helped save the organization from collapse." Fratkin also sat on the board of Folk Alliance.
As the news of Fratkin's passing spread on social media over the weekend, following a post by Ottawa singer-songwriter Lynn Miles, dozens of artists and other members of the Canadian folk/roots music community quickly paid tribute to an important figure on that scene via Facebook and to Billboard Canada. Here is a selection:
Lynn Miles (to Billboard Canada): "She was a one of a kind human. Loved and supported music and musicians. Performed dental work on her vacations on people who were less fortunate. Was loved by so many people. I can’t imagine a folk fest without her there. We laughed a lot."
Russell deCarle (of Prairie Oyster), to Billboard Canada: "I met Randi in 2000 when she was the artistic director of the Mariposa Folk Festival. She booked a quartet that Keith Glass and I had put together for the festival that year. What a memorable line up that was. I believe she was the first person to book Dala and Tegan and Sara. We became fast friends after that and remained so until her passing.
"With her knowledge and unwavering support Randi has played an integral part in the launch and continued success of my solo career. Her generosity, love and support of the music community also spilled over to her professional career as a pediatric dentist by helping and treating an untold number of musicians' kids."
Keith Glass (of Prairie Oyster, the Keith Glass Band): "She was one of the best I ever knew. RIP Randi."
Veteran Toronto publicist Jane Harbury: "Randi is/was such a wonderful person. So very very saddened to read this awful news. My deepest condolences. As a pediatric dental surgeon, she often went on trips to third world countries and she'd go specifically to operate on/treat children there. Just a super person. We have lost a beautiful friend. My heart hurts for all of us that love Randi."
Broadcaster and music industry notable Greg Torrington: "Randi was a mainstay booster in the folk community and a joy to know."
Sheila Carabine (Dala): "I'm so sorry to hear of Randi's passing. She was always so kind and supportive whenever our paths crossed. I will forever be grateful to Randi for booking Dala to play our first ever folk festival, Mariposa, back in 2005. I'm even more grateful to have had the chance to know such a decent, standup person.Toronto music publicist Bev Kreller: "This is very sad news. I remember her fondly from many various industry scenarios. Always sweet, generous, funny. My deepest condolences to all her friends and family."
Folk singer/songwriter Caitlin Hanford: "She was a wonderful friend, dentist, festival AD, organizer, and super generous human being. R.I.P. Randi. Much love!"
Record label executive Joelle May: "Randi was a lovely person, always appreciated her kindness and peaceful energy. May she rest in peace."
International
Billy (William Endfield) Steinberg, the Grammy-winning songwriter who co-wrote pop classics made famous by Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, The Bangles and more, died on Feb. 16, at age 75, from cancer.
In its obituary, Billboard notes that such hits as Madonna’s “Like A Virgin,” Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” and the Bangles’ “Eternal Flame” "were some of the biggest, most indelible hits of the 1980s and beyond."
"In addition to those three songs, Steinberg — who specialized in big, emotional power ballads with impactful, vulnerable lyrics — had two other songs reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100: Whitney Houston’s 'So Emotional' and 'Heart’s Alone,' all co-written with his longtime writing partner, Tom Kelly.
"The lyricist, who landed chart hits for more than 30 years, also penned such tunes as the Pretenders’ 'I’ll Stand by You,' the Bangles’ 'In Your Room' and the Divinyls’ 'I Touch Myself.' Taylor Dayne, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar, Bette Midler, Cheap Trick, Belinda Carlisle and many other artists also recorded his songs.
Billboard reports that "The Fresno, California, native grew up in Palm Springs. After attending Bard College in New York’s Hudson Valley, he pursued a career as an artist with his band Billy Thermal. While they may not have flourished, Steinberg’s career took off after the group’s guitarist played 'How Do I Make You,' penned solely by Steinberg, for Linda Ronstadt, who recorded it for her Mad Love album in 1980. The song reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Steinberg and his co-writer Kelly, in addition to recording as the duo I-10 for Epic Records, were one of the top songwriting teams of the ‘80s and ‘90s, often writing signature songs for artists. For instance, Billboard ranked the song 'Like A Virgin' as Madonna’s biggest hit of her career in 2024." Steinberg discusses that song here.
After Kelly retired from songwriting, Steinberg continued to write, often with Rick Nowels, including penning Celine Dion’s “Falling Into You,” the title track for Dion’s 1996 hit album. That record won album of the year for the 39th Grammy Awards and earned both Steinberg and Nowels a Grammy.
In the 2010s, Steinberg’s songs were cut by Nicole Scherzinger, Miranda Cosgrove and Demi Lovato, who took “Give Your Heart A Break” (co-written with Josh Alexander) to No. 16 on the Hot 100 in 2012.
At the Grammy Museum’s 2023 “The Power of Song: A Songwriters Hall of Fame Exhibit,” Steinberg was represented by a demo for “True Colors” recorded on a TDK SA 60 cassette and a note from Lauper that read, “Billy — Thanks for sending me and writing such a beautiful song. (heart) Cyndi."
Steinberg and Kelly were inducted as a team into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.
Willie Colón (William Anthony Colón Román), the iconic trombonist, arranger, bandleader and producer considered one of the architects of salsa and a leader of the genre, died on Feb. 21, at age 75.
His death was confirmed in a Facebook post by his longtime manager, Pietro Carlos. “Willie didn’t just change salsa,” wrote Carlos. “He expanded it, politicized it, clothed it in urban chronicles and took it to stages where it hadn’t been before. His trombone was the voice of the people.”
A Billboard obituary notes that "the eulogy is not an exaggeration. A massively talented musician, Colón rose from a tough upbringing in the South Bronx to become not just a masterful performer, but a visionary musician who took the music of his Puerto Rican parents and understood precisely how to blend it with the New York jazz and funk scene.
"There is perhaps no other musician from the fabled Fania empire who so epitomized the salsa sound that propelled Latin music in the ’70s and who so defined it as a quadruple threat. Colón was not, by his own admission, a brilliant singer, but he wrote his songs, he arranged them, he produced them and he played his trombone like no one else in Latin music."
Colon signed to legendary salsa label Fania at just 15 years old, and label founders Johnny Pacheco and Jerry Masucci put him to work producing his own albums as well as those of others.
Billboard reports that "Colón’s very long list of genre-defining hits includes his seminal 'Ché Ché Colé' and 'Aguanile,' recorded with Héctor Lavoe on vocals; the album Celia and Willie alongside Celia Cruz; and the ground-breaking Siembra, the 1978 album he recorded with Ruben Blades, which includes the hit 'Pedro Navaja' and which still is the biggest-selling salsa album of all time.
"It was Colón who introduced future superstar Blades to the world in 1977’s Metiendo Mano. Produced by Colón and Jerry Masucci, it was the first of five collaborative albums by Colón and Blades and its opening song, 'Pablo Pueblo,' marked the beginning of what would be known as more socially conscious salsa, whose message and intent went beyond merely dancing.
"Colón’s colourful life, always anchored by his beloved New York, included often-polemic stints in politics, art and film. But to him, everything stemmed from his origins and the music."
Colón was born in New York to Puerto Rican parents and gravitated to music early on after his grandmother gave him a trumpet when he was 11 years old. At 15, he signed with Fania for $500. He would transcend the Fania days, recording more than 40 studio albums in his lifetime, and his music would cross generations.
A prolific performer, Colón toured up until his death. He was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2000, received a lifetime achievement award from The Latin Recording Academy in 2004, and was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2015, Billboard included him in its list of the 30 most influential Latin acts of all time.
Read tributes to Colon from his fellow Latin music stars here,
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