Musical Legends Who Passed Away in 2014, Part Two

The year 2014 marked the farewell to some very famous and influential figures in the world of music. Today's music briefly reviews the biographies of some of these artists after their passing. Part one can be followed here. Jack Bruce began studying classical music in his teenage years but soon abandoned it; however, its influence on his bass guitar playing was evident, and he is quoted as saying that Johann Sebastian Bach, the famous Baroque composer, created the best bass melodies in history. In 1966, he formed the band Cream with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker, aiming to discover unknown and pristine sounds in rock music. During this period, Jack Bruce focused on complex improvisations on the bass guitar, and sometimes it was hard to distinguish which sound belonged to his instrument and which came from Eric Clapton's electric guitar. After separating from Cream, Bruce began experimenting with other styles, particularly jazz, alongside hard rock, blues, R&B, fusion, avant-garde, etc. He collaborated with many bands and musicians and formed a group called Jack Bruce and Friends in the early 1980s, whose commercial success saved him from the financial difficulties caused by drug use. In 2003, Bruce was diagnosed with liver cancer, and complications from an organ transplant nearly cost him his life, but he regained his health and continued making music. In 2010, his autobiography was published, and a year later, he became the third person to receive the International Bass Guitarists Award, given in recognition of a lifetime of artistic activity, which has only been awarded to two other artists until now. Jack Bruce passed away at the age of seventy in Suffolk, England, due to liver disease. On February 25, 2014, one of the greatest flamenco musicians, Paco de Lucía, passed away. He was a renowned guitar master who gained fame in the 1970s by blending flamenco music with jazz and classical elements. With the release of over 30 albums, de Lucía is considered one of the most influential and important musicians in Spain. He received his first guitar from his father at the age of five, who was also his first guitar teacher. He began his professional career at eleven and released his first independent album at twenty. During this period, his long-term collaboration with the famous flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla began, and he gained international fame with the song "Entre dos aguas". Although de Lucía experimented with various musical styles throughout his artistic career, he believed he remained faithful to flamenco music and only collaborated and jammed with artists from other styles. Meanwhile, his unique style of guitar playing became a model for many guitarists of later generations. Paco de Lucía passed away at the age of 66 while playing with his children on a beach in Mexico, suffering a heart attack. On December 22, 2014, the famous rock, soul, and blues singer Joe Cocker passed away. He was best known for his very successful covers with his raspy voice and his head, hand, and body movements during performances. Joe Cocker's initial job was gas plumbing, and he had been active in small music groups around his hometown of Sheffield, England, since the age of 15. His global fame began with his cover of a Beatles song, specifically with his performance of "With a Little Help from My Friends" at the historic Woodstock music festival at the end of the 1960s. Physical and financial problems and drug use brought many ups and downs to Cocker's life, but in the last three decades, he found more peace and stability and became one of the most beloved figures in world music. In 2007, he received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II. Joe Cocker passed away at the age of 69 in Crawford, Colorado, due to respiratory illness.