Looks like Anno Domine 2017 also are going to be a year of great culling. 
John Wetton has died at the age of 67.
The news was confirmed by his manager Martin Darvill, who said that the cause had been colon cancer. Wetton had undergone major surgery in 2015 to have a one-kilo malignant mass removed from his abdomen.
Wetton was born in 1949 and played with a variety of bands including Family, Mogul Thrash, Uriah Heep, Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash and King Crimson.
He went on to form prog supergroup UK and following their split in 1980, he teamed up with Geoff Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer in Asia. They released their self-titled debut album in 1982, with Wetton becoming the band’s principal songwriter.
Wetton would later team up with Downes in Icon and along with playing with artists including Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera, David Cross, Ayreon and District 97, he also enjoyed a successful solo career.
Carl Palmer was one of the first to pay tribute to Wetton, calling him "brave and innovative" and a "musical giant."
http://teamrock.com/news/2017-01-31/joh ... es-aged-67
Mott the Hoople bassist Peter Overend Watts has died at the age of 69. He had been suffering from throat cancer.
His Mott bandmate, Ian Hunter – the group’s singer – tweeted: “Oh dear. My extremely eccentric, lovely mate – Peter Overend Watts – has left the building. Devastated.”
Mott the Hoople: The dudes abide
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Watts had been inspired as a teenager by the guitar playing of Hank Marvin, and took up the guitar aged 13. He switched to bass in 1965, playing in a series of groups that eventually merged into Mott the Hoople.
Watts stopped being Peter and became Overend at the bidding of Mott’s manager, Guy Stevens, who felt Peter Watts was too commonplace a name, whereas his middle name had glamour and mystery.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/ ... watts-dies
Statistics: Posted by Robin_Shadowes — Wed Feb 01, 2017 3:08 pm