Post by Admin on Mar 10, 2007 15:16:36 GMT -5
"Bill had been suffering from Lyme Disease. His manager, Paul Pappas, told a tv station in Portland, Maine that the disease led to him ultimately committing suicide. It was the second time he had been afflicted with the disease. He was 59 years old."
RoseNote: This post contains several articles on the death of Bill Chinnock, who preceded Bruce Springsteen in the E-Street band and is an icon in the Rock 'n' Roll world.
Each article is unique, and offers something new. Please read all the articles, if interested.
=======
Portland Press Herald Portland ME March 9, 2007
Maine rock 'n' roll icon Bill Chinnock dies at 59
By DAVID HENCH, Staff Writer Friday, March 9, 2007
Bill Chinnock, a lifelong rock 'n' roller who was an icon of the Maine music scene, died Wednesday at his home in Yarmouth at age 59.
Chinnock's high-energy rock and passionate blues spanned five decades. He cut his teeth as a performer on the Jersey shore with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, played the club scene in New York City and created country albums in Nashville. But he remained devoted to his adopted state of Maine.
"Truthfully, he was one of the best singers I've ever played with, just a great voice," said John Kumnick, a Kennebunk bass player who joined Chinnock's band in New York City in 1982 and played with him on and off since then. "He knew how to connect with people."
Chinnock started playing clubs in Maine in the early 1970s and moved here full time in 1974. His shows drew throngs of dedicated fans and won respect from critics for their energy, showcasing his musical and songwriting talents.
One reviewer said Chinnock was "all energy. When he wails the blues, he does it with the conviction of a lifelong indigent."
In recent years Chinnock struggled with Lyme disease, a chronic condition that ultimately attacked his immune system and left him in severe pain. He took his own life Wednesday, friends said.
Chinnock was a self-taught innovator who, besides mastering the guitar and the harmonica, also made films and dabbled in computer graphics. He had his own studio and also worked as a producer.
His sister, Caroline Payne of Yarmouth, recalled an older brother who used to playfully give her noogies and who took care of their parents as they aged.
"He was such an incredibly talented person, and a great brother, a beautiful brother," she said. "He was a funny, wonderful, entertaining guy."
She remembers growing up in the Jersey shore music scene when Springsteen used to be the opening act for her brother's band. It was a heady time. The band practiced in the basement while her mother cooked up plates of food for the musicians.
Eventually, Chinnock left his band and his place was taken by Springsteen. The band went on to superstardom as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Payne said her brother was never envious of the band's record- breaking success.
"I never saw him have any of that," she said. "I never saw any frustration in him, any jealousy like that. He thought Bruce Springsteen was phenomenal."
What was unfortunate, she said, was that her brother's music would sometimes be described as a Springsteen imitation, even though he was genuine and original.
"He was a tough taskmaster," said Steve Fazio, a sax player who was with Chinnock when he signed briefly with Atlantic Records in
1980. "He had this perfectionist streak in him, which is probably why didn't make it nationally real big. He stuck to his soul. He didn't sell out and get glitzy like the record companies wanted."
But he had the pipes, Fazio recalled.
"He was filling in for Michael McDonald with the Doobie Brothers when Michael couldn't make it," Fazio said.
Chinnock was not confined to a given musical style, playing blues, boogie, rock and country.
"I thought his best was blues, but he was very versatile," his sister said.
Chinnock married into one of the seminal country music families in Maine when he married Dick Curless' daughter, Terry.
The couple have been estranged for months, but Chinnock was close to the elder Curless and they often played together.
"He was a real inspiration to my brother," Caroline Payne said.
Chinnock, who also had a home and studio in Fairfield, came down with Lyme disease eight years ago, she said.
"It just took a bad course for him, branched into other areas and it really took him," she said. "I think he suffered a lot of pain. It affected his nerves."
Despite the pain, he continued playing throughout his struggle with the disease. "He fought a courageous battle," his sister said.
Their mother, who had lived with Chinnock and with whom he was very close, died about 10 days ago.
Kumnick said he talked to Chinnock last week. Chinnock complained of pain, and he wasn't one to complain.
"Physically, I always thought he was very strong, and he had a tremendous amount of energy. Lyme changed that. It became a very pervasive thing in his life the last six or seven years," Kumnick said.
The nature of his friend's death is puzzling, he said.
"It really seemed the opposite of the Bill that I know," he said. "I don't know if 'indomitable' is the word, but he was always up, always energetic, always doing something."
Chinnock's wife also suffered from a milder form of the condition years ago, but she recovered.
Chinnock made 13 albums and in 1987 won an Emmy for his song, "Somewhere in the Night." A duet he later recorded with Roberta Flack became a theme song for the soap opera "Guiding Light."
His albums include "Blues," "Badlands," "Alive at the Loft," "Dime Store Heroes," "Livin' in the Promised Land" and "Out on the Borderline."
In addition to performing at venues in Maine and around the country, Chinnock wrote music for films and television.
Chinnock is survived by his 9-year-old son William in Bangor and his
32-year-old son John, who lives in New Jersey and plays rhythm guitar.
Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:
dhench@pressherald.com
View reader comments at pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/070309chinnock.html#begi n or go to URL at top of article and scroll down to end.
****
www.sunjournal.com/story/202468-
3/LewistonAuburn/Legend_of_North_Country_Bill_Chinnock_dies_at_59/
Sun Journal, ME
'Legend of North Country' Bill Chinnock dies at 59
By Emily Burnham , Bangor Daily News staff Friday, March 9, 2007
YARMOUTH - Bill Chinnock, a songwriter, guitarist, Emmy-award- winning composer and longtime Maine resident, died Thursday. He was
59.
Chinnock had been suffering from Lyme disease, and police said they were called to his home by his live-in caregiver. Lt. Dean Perry would not comment on the cause of death but said, "It is not of a suspicious nature."
Chinnock's manager, Paul Pappas, told WCSH-TV, Portland, that he had committed suicide.
"He fought a hard battle with his disease," said Chinnock's sister, Caroline Payne of Yarmouth.
Chinnock was born and raised in Newark, N.J., and as a young musician became involved in the Asbury Park music scene that fostered stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Chinnock regularly performed in the same nightclubs as Springsteen, and several of his former band mates later became part of Springsteen's E Street Band.
Legendary Columbia Records producer John Hammond Sr. took Chinnock under his wing, and encouraged him to get away from New Jersey and to focus on his songwriting and guitar playing. At the age of 20, Chinnock moved to Maine, where he remained for most of the rest of his life.
Chinnock released 10 albums over the course of 30 years, from the hard-edged R&B of 1978's "Badlands," released on Atlantic Records, to the rootsy, more blues-influenced sound of his most recent release, 2002's "Livin' In the Promised Land."
Chinnock toured and performed with the likes of Albert King, John Lee Hooker and the Doobie Brothers during his long career.
Until recent years, Chinnock was a fixture on the Maine music scene, performing throughout the state in venues as small as the now- defunct Ram's Horn at the University of Maine, to ones as large as the Bangor Auditorium and Merrill Auditorium in Portland, as well as the Bangor State Fair. His devotion to the Maine music scene earned him the nickname "The Legend of the North Country."
In the mid-1990s Chinnock formed The Artist Group, a business devoted to filmmaking, graphic design, computer animation, Web site design and music composition.
He also was a prolific composer for film and television, and received an Emmy Award in 1987 for Musical Direction and Composition for his song "Somewhere in the Night." He was nominated for a composing Emmy again the following year, and in 1992 recorded a duet with Roberta Flack that became a theme song for the soap opera "Guiding Light."
In addition to composing for film, Chinnock directed several features, including "Forgotten Maine," a documentary that explored Maine's changing face in a corporate world, and a documentary profile of the Cianbro construction company.
Chinnock is survived by his wife, Terry, and sons William and John. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
RoseNote: This article also has reader comments at the end of the post.
*****
www.upstagemagazine.com/articles/getarticle-new.php? ID=4787&wherefrom=mainpage
Upstage Magazine March 8, 2007
Bill Chinnock Passes Away at Age 59
(MARCH 8, 2007) -- The Associated Press has reported that Bill Chinnock passed away yesterday in his home. Bill was one of the founding members of the Asbury Park rock and roll scene and went on to become one of the biggest artists in Maine. Upstage Magazine has set up a tribute to Bill on our AsburyMusic.com website and we're seeking any photos or comments from fans for a future article.
The tribute is located at www.asburymusic.com/billchinnock - fans and friends of Chinnock may post comments or memories about him there.
Chinnock was a native of Newark, New Jersey and had bands featuring many musicians who would go on to play in the E Street Band with Bruce Springsteen. He moved to Maine in the seventies and recorded 13 albums. Career highlights include winning an Emmy for the song "Somewhere in the Night" and recording a duet with Roberta Flack which became a theme song for "Guiding Light" soap opera.
Bill had been suffering from Lyme Disease. His manager, Paul Pappas, told a tv station in Portland, Maine that the disease led to him ultimately committing suicide. It was the second time he had been afflicted with the disease. He was 59 years old.
RoseNote: This post contains several articles on the death of Bill Chinnock, who preceded Bruce Springsteen in the E-Street band and is an icon in the Rock 'n' Roll world.
Each article is unique, and offers something new. Please read all the articles, if interested.
=======
Portland Press Herald Portland ME March 9, 2007
Maine rock 'n' roll icon Bill Chinnock dies at 59
By DAVID HENCH, Staff Writer Friday, March 9, 2007
Bill Chinnock, a lifelong rock 'n' roller who was an icon of the Maine music scene, died Wednesday at his home in Yarmouth at age 59.
Chinnock's high-energy rock and passionate blues spanned five decades. He cut his teeth as a performer on the Jersey shore with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, played the club scene in New York City and created country albums in Nashville. But he remained devoted to his adopted state of Maine.
"Truthfully, he was one of the best singers I've ever played with, just a great voice," said John Kumnick, a Kennebunk bass player who joined Chinnock's band in New York City in 1982 and played with him on and off since then. "He knew how to connect with people."
Chinnock started playing clubs in Maine in the early 1970s and moved here full time in 1974. His shows drew throngs of dedicated fans and won respect from critics for their energy, showcasing his musical and songwriting talents.
One reviewer said Chinnock was "all energy. When he wails the blues, he does it with the conviction of a lifelong indigent."
In recent years Chinnock struggled with Lyme disease, a chronic condition that ultimately attacked his immune system and left him in severe pain. He took his own life Wednesday, friends said.
Chinnock was a self-taught innovator who, besides mastering the guitar and the harmonica, also made films and dabbled in computer graphics. He had his own studio and also worked as a producer.
His sister, Caroline Payne of Yarmouth, recalled an older brother who used to playfully give her noogies and who took care of their parents as they aged.
"He was such an incredibly talented person, and a great brother, a beautiful brother," she said. "He was a funny, wonderful, entertaining guy."
She remembers growing up in the Jersey shore music scene when Springsteen used to be the opening act for her brother's band. It was a heady time. The band practiced in the basement while her mother cooked up plates of food for the musicians.
Eventually, Chinnock left his band and his place was taken by Springsteen. The band went on to superstardom as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Payne said her brother was never envious of the band's record- breaking success.
"I never saw him have any of that," she said. "I never saw any frustration in him, any jealousy like that. He thought Bruce Springsteen was phenomenal."
What was unfortunate, she said, was that her brother's music would sometimes be described as a Springsteen imitation, even though he was genuine and original.
"He was a tough taskmaster," said Steve Fazio, a sax player who was with Chinnock when he signed briefly with Atlantic Records in
1980. "He had this perfectionist streak in him, which is probably why didn't make it nationally real big. He stuck to his soul. He didn't sell out and get glitzy like the record companies wanted."
But he had the pipes, Fazio recalled.
"He was filling in for Michael McDonald with the Doobie Brothers when Michael couldn't make it," Fazio said.
Chinnock was not confined to a given musical style, playing blues, boogie, rock and country.
"I thought his best was blues, but he was very versatile," his sister said.
Chinnock married into one of the seminal country music families in Maine when he married Dick Curless' daughter, Terry.
The couple have been estranged for months, but Chinnock was close to the elder Curless and they often played together.
"He was a real inspiration to my brother," Caroline Payne said.
Chinnock, who also had a home and studio in Fairfield, came down with Lyme disease eight years ago, she said.
"It just took a bad course for him, branched into other areas and it really took him," she said. "I think he suffered a lot of pain. It affected his nerves."
Despite the pain, he continued playing throughout his struggle with the disease. "He fought a courageous battle," his sister said.
Their mother, who had lived with Chinnock and with whom he was very close, died about 10 days ago.
Kumnick said he talked to Chinnock last week. Chinnock complained of pain, and he wasn't one to complain.
"Physically, I always thought he was very strong, and he had a tremendous amount of energy. Lyme changed that. It became a very pervasive thing in his life the last six or seven years," Kumnick said.
The nature of his friend's death is puzzling, he said.
"It really seemed the opposite of the Bill that I know," he said. "I don't know if 'indomitable' is the word, but he was always up, always energetic, always doing something."
Chinnock's wife also suffered from a milder form of the condition years ago, but she recovered.
Chinnock made 13 albums and in 1987 won an Emmy for his song, "Somewhere in the Night." A duet he later recorded with Roberta Flack became a theme song for the soap opera "Guiding Light."
His albums include "Blues," "Badlands," "Alive at the Loft," "Dime Store Heroes," "Livin' in the Promised Land" and "Out on the Borderline."
In addition to performing at venues in Maine and around the country, Chinnock wrote music for films and television.
Chinnock is survived by his 9-year-old son William in Bangor and his
32-year-old son John, who lives in New Jersey and plays rhythm guitar.
Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:
dhench@pressherald.com
View reader comments at pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/070309chinnock.html#begi n or go to URL at top of article and scroll down to end.
****
www.sunjournal.com/story/202468-
3/LewistonAuburn/Legend_of_North_Country_Bill_Chinnock_dies_at_59/
Sun Journal, ME
'Legend of North Country' Bill Chinnock dies at 59
By Emily Burnham , Bangor Daily News staff Friday, March 9, 2007
YARMOUTH - Bill Chinnock, a songwriter, guitarist, Emmy-award- winning composer and longtime Maine resident, died Thursday. He was
59.
Chinnock had been suffering from Lyme disease, and police said they were called to his home by his live-in caregiver. Lt. Dean Perry would not comment on the cause of death but said, "It is not of a suspicious nature."
Chinnock's manager, Paul Pappas, told WCSH-TV, Portland, that he had committed suicide.
"He fought a hard battle with his disease," said Chinnock's sister, Caroline Payne of Yarmouth.
Chinnock was born and raised in Newark, N.J., and as a young musician became involved in the Asbury Park music scene that fostered stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Chinnock regularly performed in the same nightclubs as Springsteen, and several of his former band mates later became part of Springsteen's E Street Band.
Legendary Columbia Records producer John Hammond Sr. took Chinnock under his wing, and encouraged him to get away from New Jersey and to focus on his songwriting and guitar playing. At the age of 20, Chinnock moved to Maine, where he remained for most of the rest of his life.
Chinnock released 10 albums over the course of 30 years, from the hard-edged R&B of 1978's "Badlands," released on Atlantic Records, to the rootsy, more blues-influenced sound of his most recent release, 2002's "Livin' In the Promised Land."
Chinnock toured and performed with the likes of Albert King, John Lee Hooker and the Doobie Brothers during his long career.
Until recent years, Chinnock was a fixture on the Maine music scene, performing throughout the state in venues as small as the now- defunct Ram's Horn at the University of Maine, to ones as large as the Bangor Auditorium and Merrill Auditorium in Portland, as well as the Bangor State Fair. His devotion to the Maine music scene earned him the nickname "The Legend of the North Country."
In the mid-1990s Chinnock formed The Artist Group, a business devoted to filmmaking, graphic design, computer animation, Web site design and music composition.
He also was a prolific composer for film and television, and received an Emmy Award in 1987 for Musical Direction and Composition for his song "Somewhere in the Night." He was nominated for a composing Emmy again the following year, and in 1992 recorded a duet with Roberta Flack that became a theme song for the soap opera "Guiding Light."
In addition to composing for film, Chinnock directed several features, including "Forgotten Maine," a documentary that explored Maine's changing face in a corporate world, and a documentary profile of the Cianbro construction company.
Chinnock is survived by his wife, Terry, and sons William and John. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
RoseNote: This article also has reader comments at the end of the post.
*****
www.upstagemagazine.com/articles/getarticle-new.php? ID=4787&wherefrom=mainpage
Upstage Magazine March 8, 2007
Bill Chinnock Passes Away at Age 59
(MARCH 8, 2007) -- The Associated Press has reported that Bill Chinnock passed away yesterday in his home. Bill was one of the founding members of the Asbury Park rock and roll scene and went on to become one of the biggest artists in Maine. Upstage Magazine has set up a tribute to Bill on our AsburyMusic.com website and we're seeking any photos or comments from fans for a future article.
The tribute is located at www.asburymusic.com/billchinnock - fans and friends of Chinnock may post comments or memories about him there.
Chinnock was a native of Newark, New Jersey and had bands featuring many musicians who would go on to play in the E Street Band with Bruce Springsteen. He moved to Maine in the seventies and recorded 13 albums. Career highlights include winning an Emmy for the song "Somewhere in the Night" and recording a duet with Roberta Flack which became a theme song for "Guiding Light" soap opera.
Bill had been suffering from Lyme Disease. His manager, Paul Pappas, told a tv station in Portland, Maine that the disease led to him ultimately committing suicide. It was the second time he had been afflicted with the disease. He was 59 years old.