Armando Acosta
DOB Unknown – November 25, 2010
Armando Acosta was the founding drummer for doom metal band, Saint Vitus. Formed in Los Angeles in 1979, Saint Vitus was one of the genre’s earliest and most influential bands. They called it quits in 1996 but reformed briefly in 2003 and then again in 2008. Over the years, they released seven albums, four of which on the great SST Records. Acosta left the band in 2009. Armando Acosta was 58 when he passed away on November 25, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.
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Known by the stage name, Sleazy, Peter Christopherson is best remembered as a founding member of British avant-garde industrial band, Throbbing Gristle. He was also part of such projects Psychic TV, Coil, Soisong, and The Threshold HouseBoy’s Choir. Throbbing Gristle formed in 1975, with Christopherson mostly handling synthesizers and vibraphone. The group developed a very loyal following thanks in part to their sometimes controversial shows that often included disturbing visuals of Nazi concentration camps and pornography. Throbbing Gristle were pioneers of incorporating prerecorded tapes, or “samples” into their shows, and paved the way for such bands as Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, Front 242. The group broke up in 1981 but then reformed in 2004. Remarkably prolific, they recorded numerous albums for the highly influential Mute Records, also the one-time home for Depeche Mode, The Birthday Party, Nick Cave and Erasure, to name a few. While he wasn’t making music, Christopherson was a video director, graphic artist, and photographer. Peter Christopherson passed away in his sleep on November 24, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released. He was 55.
Little Smokey Smothers was a popular Chicago-area blues singer and guitarist. Smothers was playing the guitar by the time he turned 15, and within two years, he had moved from his home in Mississippi to Chicago to make his mark. In those early years, he played with the likes of 
Tony Moreno is best remembered as the founder of MP Records, one of the biggest independent Latin music labels in the United States. Moreno moved to Miami from Cuba shortly in the aftermath of Fidel Castro’s revolution. In 1987, he started MP Records which quickly established itself as one of the premier Tropical labels in the world. Over the course of MP’s long run (it merged with J&N Records in 2006) it was home to the likes of Oscar D’ Leon, Eddie Santiago, Tito Rojas, and Jose Luis “El Puma” Rodriguez. Tony Moreno was 66 when he passed away on November 14, 2010.
JP Toulan is best remembered as the lead singer and guitarist for early ’90s pre-teen punk band, Old Skull. Formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1989, the band was initially made up of Toulan (age 10), his brother Jamie Toulan (age 9), and friend Jesse Collins-Davies (age 10). In 1989, the band signed with respected indie label, Restless Records who released their debut, Get Outta School. The fact that the boys were not even in their teens yet sang of such themes as AIDS, homelessness, and Reagan-era politics, many critics wrote them off as a novelty act. Meanwhile, they continued a to build a solid fanbase throughout the skate punk community. And perhaps due to their novelty, they were asked to support such acts as Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth and GWAR, and were profiled in such media as “A Current Affair,” MTV News, Life and Newsweek. In 1992, the band released their second album, CIA Drug Fest but soon broke up. Toulan battled drug addiction throughout his adult life. In 2005, Old Skull briefly reformed, afterwhich Toulan moved to New York where he joined crust punk band, Planned Collapse. JP Toulan was 30 when he passed away on November 13, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Reg King was a respected British singer and songwriter whose band, the Action, with all due respect to the Kinks, Small Faces and the Who, were widely considered the best of the UK mod scene. King also helped popularize “blue eyed soul” throughout the region. What endeared the Action to mods was that they were edgier than their contemporaries and often included the latest American soul covers in their live sets. Even though they never were able to break out of a cult status, their fans were markedly loyal. Formed in 1963, the Action were signed to Parlophone Records in 1965. Even though they had developed a rabid fan base thanks to their live shows, none of their records sold very well. In spite of that, future stars like Paul Weller and Phil Collins claim them as favorites and inspirations. In fact, Collins played with the Action for a reunion show in 2000. Reg King was 65 when he died of cancer on November 8, 2010.
James Freud is best remembered as the lead singer and bassist for ’80s Australian new wave rock band, the Models. Formed in Melbourne (originally without Freud) in 1979, musically the Models had much in common with fellow countrymen, INXS, including a handsome and charismatic front man in Freud. Over the next ten years, the group scored a handful of moderate hits, both in Australia and the U.S., but they never quite broke out of cult status. Freud was just 16 when he formed his first band, and after hearing the Sex Pistols a year later, he realized rock ‘n roll was his true calling. By the end of the ’70s, James Freud & the Radio Stars were causing a local stir and were quickly signed to Australia’s storied Mushroom Records. Their first single “Modern Girl” was successful enough to land them on a Gary Numan tour. Freud then joined the Models in 1982, and went on to write a some of their biggest hits. Records like “Barbados” and “Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight” helped them become one of Australia’s post-punk bands. After they broke up in 1988, Freud embarked on a solo career which included Mushroom’s most expensive album to date, Step Into The Heat. He also wrote two autobiographies, 
Jim Clench was a Canadian musician who is perhaps best remembered for his time in both April Wine and Bachman Turner Overdrive. For April Wine, he played and sang on their early ’70s albums, Electric Jewels, On Record, and Stand Back. He left the group in 1975. Three years later, he joined Bachman Turner Overdrive, replacing Randy Bachman who had just embarked on his solo career. He stayed with the group until their first break-up in 1979, playing and singing on Street Action and Rock ‘N Roll Nights. Clench also played bass and keyboards on Bryan Adams’ debut album. When April Wine reformed during the early ’90s, Clench was back on board. He played on their next four studio albums until leaving again in 2006. Jim Clench, aged 61, passed away on November 2, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.
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