RIP Gene McDaniels

Kind of in shock as I write this, but one of my personal favorite artists of all time passed away (July 29th, 2011) at the age of 76, Gene McDaniels.  Not sure how I missed his death for so many days, but I was drinking wine with a WLFY favorite band The Deloreans and they asked why I hadn't written about his death as they knew he was one of my favorites.  No matter how old a musician is, it's still a shock due to the time spent listening to their music and the effect a few musicians can have on a listeners' life.

Earlier this year we gave McDaniels' album "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" our Stackin treatment (a profile of records we recommend you picking up from the used bins).  McDaniels was one of the best in the early 60's and transitioned into writing some of the biggest hits of the mid and late 60's.  In the 70's he released "Headless Heros Of The Apocalypse", a record that spanned almost every genre and proved he could write music in any decade or style.   He wrote and performed music in Maine until his death on the 29th.  His great talent will be remembered and I thank him for providing some of my favorite music.  The special power of his music is perfectly summed up in this video clip of my favorite song of his, "Another Tear Falls".