Thank you and good night.

Glenn Snoddy May 4, 1922 – May 21, 2018

Glenn Snoddy, hailed as the unwitting inventor of guitar distortion, has died at his home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The studio engineer found a way of channelling a fuzzy tone heard during a recording session for country star Marty Robbins in 1960. His effect, the Maestro Fuzz-Tone, became a key part of the arsenal of guitarists across all genres. Snoddy was 96 years old.

Ben Graves Died May 8, 2018

Nicknamed The Ghoul, the drummer for US shock-rockers Murderdolls, industrial metal band Dope, transatlantic rockers AntiProduct and, most recently, Pretty Boy Floyd, Ben Graves has lost an 11-month battle with cancer. He was 46 years old.

Mikael Fässberg Died May 13, 2018

The former guitarist of Swedish hard rockers Bonafide has succumbed to cancer, aged 49. Malmö-based Fässberg played with Bonafide from 2006 to 2013, and worked with Warner E Hodges, Paul Di’Anno, Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell, Manny Charlton and Nicky Moore in From Behind.

Phil Emmanuel July 6, 1952 – May 24, 2018

A staple of the Australian rock scene and the elder brother of fellow musician Tommy Emmanuel, Phil Emmanuel played guitar for the INXS, Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham and others, as well as his own band The Trailblazers. The 65-year-old died from a sudden asthma attack.

Reggie Lucas February 25, 1953 – May 19, 2018

Reggie Lucas was a musician, songwriter and record producer best known for having produced the majority of Madonna’s self-titled debut album. He was 65 years old at the time of his death due to heart disease.

Mike Oberman September 1, 1945 – May 7, 2018

Having cut his teeth with glam-rock in the 70s, the following decade Mike Oberman became the booking agent for Tigertailz, Wolfsbane and Shy, among many others, before relocating to New York to work with Warrant, Slaughter, Tyketto and more. The 72-year-old died of a heart attack.