Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Music Talk
Reload this Page >

Bands whose founding members are all dead

Community
Search
Music Talk Discuss music in all its forms: CD, MP3, DVD-A, SACD and of course live

Bands whose founding members are all dead

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 07-15-14, 01:16 AM
  #26  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
aintnosin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 2,897
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by Michael Corvin
Yeah, and CCR lost a Fogerty or two along the way and spawned lawsuits and fun stuff like that because of it.

How about the Eagles? Did they ever have fill ins during the "we hate each other" years or did they make a clean break and reunite years later?
The Eagles changed lineups a lot, even before the break. Joe Walsh didn't join until Hotel California. Don Felder joined for the third album. Timothy B. Schmidt joined after Hotel.
Old 07-15-14, 02:16 AM
  #27  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Ginwen's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 7,387
Received 21 Likes on 17 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

In the living and still in the band category--U2 as far as I know. Same 4 guys and they've been around more than 30 years.

All dead i haven't thought of one yet.

Last edited by Ginwen; 07-15-14 at 02:26 AM.
Old 07-15-14, 05:53 AM
  #28  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,983
Likes: 0
Received 246 Likes on 175 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

So U2 and ZZ Top are it? Exclusive club.
Old 07-15-14, 08:20 AM
  #29  
RIP
 
EddieMoney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Paradise, USA
Posts: 9,904
Received 54 Likes on 41 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Pet Shop Boys
Old 07-15-14, 01:07 PM
  #30  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 12,924
Received 948 Likes on 722 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Even two Crickets (Buddy Holly's backup band) are still alive.
Old 07-15-14, 02:16 PM
  #31  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Damfino's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 6,914
Received 136 Likes on 107 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by spsimmons
Sad thing is, that within the next couple years this list is going to grow by leaps and bounds. Depressing to think of. I'm a huge Stones fan, but I know the time is coming. Probably not too far off.
I did a little research on a few 50s bands and found that an original member of The Coasters is still with us at age 85.

I tried looking into The Drifters, but so many people drifted in and out of that band that it's almost impossible to look them all up.

The Crickets weren't on Buddy Holly's plane, and they are all still with us!
Old 07-15-14, 02:32 PM
  #32  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Damfino's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 6,914
Received 136 Likes on 107 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by benedict
As of February, Bill Haley & The Comets have all ceased to be.
I found original bass player Al Rex is still alive at age 86.
Old 07-15-14, 03:23 PM
  #33  
Premium Member
 
The Cow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Grazing in a field somewhere...
Posts: 23,628
Received 694 Likes on 464 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by rw2516
So U2 and ZZ Top are it? Exclusive club.
King's X

Triumph (I think they are still officially together, but haven't done anything in quite a while)
Old 07-15-14, 03:40 PM
  #34  
DVD Talk Legend
 
hdnmickey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Cygnus
Posts: 12,524
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by The Cow
Triumph (I think they are still officially together, but haven't done anything in quite a while)
Do they count since they replaced Rik Emmett for the Edge of Excess album?
Old 07-15-14, 04:20 PM
  #35  
DVD Talk Legend
 
cungar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 22,980
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes on 9 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

So this thread is now the opposite of its title?
Old 07-15-14, 04:34 PM
  #36  
Premium Member
 
The Cow's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Grazing in a field somewhere...
Posts: 23,628
Received 694 Likes on 464 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by hdnmickey
Do they count since they replaced Rik Emmett for the Edge of Excess album?
I forgot about that one, cross them off this list.
Old 07-15-14, 04:55 PM
  #37  
Mod Emeritus
 
benedict's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Outside of the U.S.A.
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Haley_%26_His_Comets

Originally Posted by Damfino
I found original bass player Al Rex is still alive at age 86.
The band's chronology certainly seems somewhat murky! The guy I thought was the last original member wasn't even in the original line-up!. And while Al Rex was in the predecessor group to the Comets, the Saddlemen, per wiki he wasn't there at the name change stage in 1952 but (re)joined in 1955 when three members left in a dispute over pay.

The suggestion is that the 1955 version of the band was more popular - maybe like the Gillan incarnation of Deep Purple.

All this being said, for obvious reasons, I withdraw the Bill Haley and the Comets suggestion and await with baited breath the obituary of Michelle Philips.
Old 07-15-14, 05:12 PM
  #38  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Nick Danger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Albuquerque
Posts: 30,616
Received 1,462 Likes on 930 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by manicsounds
Here's a bigger question: A band whose original members are all dead, but subsequent members are still continuing the band. (No, factory-made revolving door boy bands don't count)
The Dave Brubeck Quartet came through town last year. The band was run by Dave's son.

I was surprised to see that one of the two founding members of The Ventures is still playing with the band. That's a 55 year run.
Old 07-15-14, 08:47 PM
  #39  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Damfino's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 6,914
Received 136 Likes on 107 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by Ginwen
In the living and still in the band category--U2 as far as I know. Same 4 guys and they've been around more than 30 years.
The original members of the Four Tops started their long career in high school in 1953 and continued without a membership change until 1997. I don't know if 44 years is a record, but I think U2 has a realistic chance to challenge that number.

Speaking of U2, I had no idea that it was the then 14 year old drummer Larry Mullen who posted the ad that led to the formation of U2. Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton all responded to that ad!
Old 07-15-14, 09:46 PM
  #40  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Numanoid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Down in 'The Park'
Posts: 27,881
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

a-ha have gone almost 30 years with the same three guys. Although they "officially" retired in 2010, they still perform one-off events and there's more than a decent chance that they will resume recording again one day.
Old 07-15-14, 11:25 PM
  #41  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Richmond, TX
Posts: 14,590
Received 74 Likes on 48 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by The Cow
King's X
Good one. They are going on 30 years and have been active the whole time.
Old 07-16-14, 01:26 PM
  #42  
DVD Talk Hero
 
TomOpus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Kansas City, MO
Posts: 40,141
Received 1,300 Likes on 944 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by Numanoid
a-ha have gone almost 30 years
Suddenly I feel old
Old 07-09-18, 02:16 AM
  #43  
New Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Hello, I have joined the forum to add my ten pence worth to this debate, and maybe revive it? I don't know how many original members of this thread are still living? Perhaps the originator may be.

There were a number of points raised in different posts that I wanted to address, in particular two bands who never came up that I could see on this thread. One was the list of bands, all of whose recordings were by the same members of the band throughout their career. No-one mentioned The Beatles that I can recall, unless I missed it. If you did, I apologise for reviving a debate after four years for no reason. The Beatles were the same four members from the first album to the last. Furthermore, for me an even bigger omission was Queen, because they kept their original lineup for 18 years as a recording unit, and had Freddie Mercury not died, would have doubtless continued to this day.

And as for bands who kept the original or 'classic' lineups for long periods of time: this excellent debate continued for some time without bringing up the name of Aerosmith, who formed in 1970. Other bands that did not get a mention include Motley Crüe, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, Guns N' Roses*, The Pixies, Manic Street Preachers**, Blur, Radiohead and Foo Fighters (sort of).

*Exactly what constitutes their original lineup is a bit of a fluid definition, but I've taken their 'classic' lineup of the 'Use Your Illusion' tour which is the one that is on tour today (2018). GnR are certainly not a band that have kept original members throughout, and I'm not trying to suggest they are, but the reunion tour gives them a 27-year span, despite there being many other lineups in the interim, and highlights a point of confusion which is bands that do reunite after long periods of time.

**Manic Street Preachers remained together as a 3-piece after the disappearance of Richey Edwards in 1995.

Oh, and what about Muse? 24 years so far...

Coldplay, God help us? They formed in 1996 which leaves them 22 years unchanged, unfortunately...

Kings of Leon have remained unchained in that, like the Bee Gees, they have three brothers in it (plus a cousin). 19 years for them, so far.

If those of you who participated in the original discussion just wanted to walk away from it in 2014 then I apologise for reinvigorating it so furiously.

Cheers,
Stephen
Old 07-09-18, 05:06 AM
  #44  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,983
Likes: 0
Received 246 Likes on 175 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Aerosmith has not always had the original lineup.
Old 07-09-18, 10:57 AM
  #45  
New Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by rw2516
Aerosmith has not always had the original lineup.
Thanks for that, but the reason I mentioned them was because - other than a four-year period when both Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band - both of those members returned, and the lineup has remained unchanged (apart from the early eighties) unchanged since 1971.
Old 07-09-18, 12:44 PM
  #46  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,435
Received 32 Likes on 26 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by Stephen Butler
Exactly what constitutes their original lineup is a bit of a fluid definition, but I've taken their 'classic' lineup of the 'Use Your Illusion' tour which is the one that is on tour today (2018)
I think you'd probably find most people define GNR's "classic" lineup as the AFD lineup - Rose, Slash, Izzy, Duff and Adler.
Old 07-09-18, 12:48 PM
  #47  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,435
Received 32 Likes on 26 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Oh, and Rush as always are the Rodney Dangerfield of rock music (even though now they have actually retired). 1974-2015 with the same lineup. They never get/got any respect.
Old 07-09-18, 05:28 PM
  #48  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,983
Likes: 0
Received 246 Likes on 175 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Molly Hatchet continued on for awhile without a single original member.

Jimmy Page was not an original Yardbird but ended up being the last Yardbird standing. By default he inherited sole ownership of the Yardbirds name.
Originally he hired Plant, Bonham and Jones as replacements and they did some very early shows billed as The Yardbirds.
Old 07-09-18, 10:39 PM
  #49  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: MA
Posts: 7,668
Received 154 Likes on 124 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

These guys have been together since 1977.

Old 07-10-18, 04:33 AM
  #50  
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 8,983
Likes: 0
Received 246 Likes on 175 Posts
Re: Bands whose founding members are all dead

Originally Posted by Deadman31
These guys have been together since 1977.

A lot longer than that. Even in 1977 it was "a long, long time ago..."


Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.