In Memoriam: Musicians We Lost In 2012

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And as another year draws to a close, it is time to remember some of the people in music who we lost this year. Their sounds may stir some memories, or put you in a certain mood. What you're about to hear may be familiar at times, less familiar at other. But here is a montage. It's the work and voices of people in the music industry who died in 2012.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "AMERICAN BANDSTAND")

(APPLAUSE)

DICK CLARK: Oh! Is it a day on "American Bandstand." It's a salute to a group I met in 1969.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING BLUEGRASS MUSICIAN EARL SCRUGGS)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING PIANIST CHARLES ROSEN)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING JAZZ PIANIST DAVE BRUBECK)

(SOUNDBITE OF COMPOSER MARVIN HAMLISCH SONG, "THE ENTERTAINER")

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING BASSIST DONALD "DUCK" DUNN)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RESCUE ME")

FONTELLA BASS: (Singing) Rescue me, and take me in your arms. Rescue me...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'D RATHER GO BLIND")

ETTA JAMES: (Singing) Something told me it was over...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LAST DANCE")

DONNA SUMMER: (Singing) So let's dance the last dance, let's dance the last dance...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BUSTIN' LOOSE")

CHUCK BROWN: (Singing) I feel like bustin' loose. Gimme the bridge, ya'll, gimme the bridge now...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING DRUMMER EDWARD "CASS" CASSIDY)

(SOUNDBITE OF THE BAND SONG, "THE WEIGHT")

LEVON HELM: (Singing) I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half-past dead...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LOVE IS STRANGE")

MICKEY BAKER: (Singing with Sylvia Vanderpool) Love, love is strange...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING BANDA SINGER JENNI RIVERA)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING RANCHERA SINGER CHAVELA VARGAS)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HONKY TONK ANGELS")

KITTY WELLS: (Singing) It wasn't God who made honky tonk angels...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING FOLK MUSICIAN DOC WATSON)

(SOUNDBITE OF COMPOSER HANS WERNER HENZE SONG)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL")

WHITNEY HOUSTON: (Singing) Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING BARITONE DIETRICH FISCHER-DIESKA)

(SOUNDBITE OF COMPOSER ELLIOTT CARTER SONG)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MOON RIVER")

ANDY WILLIAMS: (Singing) Moon River, wider than a mile...

(SOUNDBITE OF BEE GEES SONG, "MASSACHUSETTS")

ROBIN GIBB: (Singing) We are going back to Massachusetts...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG FEATURING SITAR PLAYER RAVI SHANKAR)

(SOUNDBITE OF THE MONKEES SONG, "DAYDREAM BELIEVER")

DAVY JONES: (Singing) Cheer up, sleepy Jean. Oh, what can it mean...

(SOUNDBITE OF BEASTIE BOYS SONG, "YOU GOTTA FIGHT")

ADAM YAUCH: (Rapping) You gotta fight for your right to paaaar-ty!

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NEW YEAR'S EVE BROADCAST)

CLARK: (leading Times Square crowd in countdown) ...5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy 2000!

(SOUNDBITE OF THEME SONG FOR DON CORNELIUS SHOW, "SOUL TRAIN")

GREENE: That's sound from some of the great musical figures who died this year. A complete list is on MORNING EDITION's Facebook page. This is NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.