Robin Gibb: December 24, 1949 - May 20, 2012

Robin Gibb's musical genius stood out in a crowded field of competitors. It was about taking existing musical ingredients and creating a sound that was entirely new. Gibb, the Bee Gees co-founder who lost his long battle with cancer on Sunday at the age of 62, had a key role in defining the music, aesthetic and lifestyle of an entire era. But his contributions went much deeper than the bell bottoms, carefully coiffed hairstyles and disco dance moves that went along with smash hits like "Night Fever," "Jive Talkin'" and "Stayin' Alive." Along with his old brother Barry and his twin brother Maurice, Gibb guided the direction of a global shift in pop music.

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Here's an interesting tidbit about Donna Summer, who passed away today at the age of 63, vaguely related to our fair city: Did you know that she once sang a song called "Denver Dream"? The storyline for the lesser know cut from 1974, written by British songwriter Pete Belotte, centers on a conversation between two estranged sisters, the song's namesake, who, evidently, hails from Denver, and the song's protagonist, the younger sister she left behind. Who knew, right?

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Donna Summer: December 31, 1948 - May 17, 2012

Donna Summer died this morning in Florida after succumbing to lung and breast cancer. Born on New Year's Eve 1948, LaDonna Adrian Gaines was a trained traditional gospel singer who grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. As Donna Summer, she went on to change the landscape of dance music with her mezzo-soprano voice and dazzling smile. Summer, who won five Grammy awards, was the only artist to have three consecutive double albums top the Billboard charts.

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TheStaxMan

Donald "Duck" Dunn: November 24, 1941 - May 13, 2012

He was the backbone, part of the nerve center of a great rhythm and blues band that made the music of a bygone era live, breathe and jump again. But Donald "Duck" Dunn's musical accomplishments went far beyond the scripted praise he earned from John Belushi playing the fictional Jake Blues in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.

Dunn, who died Sunday while on tour in Tokyo, had already played an integral role in the seminal R&B music of the 1960s. As a studio bassist for revolutionary Stax label, he put a distinctive stamp on the music of artists like Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes and Sam & Dave. As a core player in integrated soul groups like the Mar-Keys and Booker T. & the MGs, he helped pen some of the most memorable instrumentals of modern pop music.

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Courtesy of PeaceJam

Ivan Suvanjieff (from left), Erin Potts of Milarepa, Dawn Engle, Adam Yauch and Ian Rogers.

While we've been mourning the untimely passing of Adam Yauch (aka MCA) of the Beastie Boys last week and reminiscing about the act's shows in Denver, we've learned that the musician/activist had pretty interesting ties to our city beyond playing here nearly a dozen times over the past two decades. Before organizing his own Tibetan Freedom concerts, Yauch worked with PeaceJam co-founders Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff on the nascent version of their organization in the mid-'90s, and the pair helped arrange for Yauch to get an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama an event that had a profound impact on the musician. Yesterday, the couple took some time away from their latest film project, Mayan Renaissance (slated to premiere next week in New York), to talk about their time working with Yauch.

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The ad that ran in Westword in advance of the Thursday, September 9, 2004, Beastie Boys show at Red Rocks with Talib Kweli.

By all accounts, the Beastie Boys performed in the Denver metro area ten times over the course of two decades, beginning with the act's first show at the Mammoth Events Center on Friday, February 13, 1987, and culminating with its Rock the Vote double bill at the Fillmore with Tenacious D on Monday, November 3. Last night, we braved the scary, cobweb-infested confines of our archives, inhaling a mountain of dust, and found some of the ads that ran in this fishwrap in advance of some of these shows. Page down to have a look.

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We haven't even really had a chance to absorb and process the news of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch's death yet -- and this? Some people never cease to amaze me. Seriously. While it's since been amended, just a bit ago we noticed that some insensitive dickhole apparently thought it would be funny to edit the Beastie Boys wikipedia page with a positively stupefying bit about Adam Yauch's passing. Referring to him as "one of the dumb bastards," the anonymous editor then pointed out that "nobody cared because the Beastie Boys haven't been good, ever." Good one, dude. Your mom must be proud. Stay classy.

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Nasty Little Man

RIP Adam Yauch (August 5, 1964 - May 4, 2012)

Adam Yauch (aka MCA of the Beastie Boys) has died. He was 47. Forming the Beastie Boys as a teenager in Brooklyn in the late '70s, Yauch was part of a pivotal assembly of artists that defined rap music for the radio. Early incarnations of the group shifted genres and changed members, but Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz finalized the trio with Yauch in the early '80s, and stayed intact through more than three decades together.

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Levon Helm: May 26, 1940 - April 19, 2012

See Also: At the Helm - A throat cancer survivor, the Band's Levon Helm can't sing anymore -- but the beat goes on

Levon Helm, iconic drummer and singer extraordinaire of the Band, died yesterday at the age of 71, after a long and strenuous battle with throat cancer. Helm's imaginative drumming and earthy, soulful vocals helped the Band grow from Bob Dylan's backup band to one of the most legendary rock bands of our time.

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See Also: Firefall's Jock Bartley on American Bandstand and the time Dick Clark called the band "Firefly"

When Dick Clark died earlier this week from a massive heart attack at the age of 82, he left a musical legacy that's far too comprehensive and broad to easily sum up. Clark may have spent the latter part of his career hosting game shows, emceeing televised New Year's celebrations and even lending his name to restaurant chains, but his post as the host of the seminal American Bandstand television show starting in the 1950s helped shape the landscape of American pop music in too many ways to count.

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