Gone but not forgotten

All Saints Day on Nov. 1 is the time when we remember the extraordinary human beings who became saints of the Catholic Church and who, we hope by their closeness to God, will intercede in heaven for our petitions.

Then on Nov. 2, we celebrate All Souls Day. It is the time when we remember our dear departed and all those who have gone ahead of us. And we hope, that although they may not be saints, they are also in heaven.

Here, from the field of music are some of them, who left us this year:

• Ben Delgado, 80, on Sept. 12. He was known as the Harry Belafonte of the Philippines but he was better known as one of the first Filipino singers to make a name overseas. The charismatic crooner performed in the finest places in Las Vegas and Australia and later also in Abu Dhabi and other venues in the Middle East. In the Philippines, he was a big draw at the Fisherman’s Wharf, Amihan and other top clubs. He also appeared in local television shows like Eat, Bulaga!, Tayo’y Maghapi-hapi and 9Teeners. He was also in some movies directed by Danny Zialcita. Among his contemporaries were Bert Nievera, Dale Adriatico and Dulce Din.

• AMB Junior, 70, on April 15. Philippine-born Antonio Barretto Morales Jr. was a famous pop singer in Spain, when he was enticed to record and make movies in the Philippines in the late ’70s. He had two big hit songs, But If You Leave Me and Yakap. He also appeared in the movies, most notably the box-office hits Good Morning Sunshine, Bongga Ka Day and Disco Madhouse with Vilma Santos as his leading lady.

• Francisco Feliciano, on Sept. 19, Filipino National Artist for Music, 2014. He was a composer and conductor. He went to the University of the Philippines and later studied at the Yale University School of Music for his Masters and Doctorate in Musical Arts, Composition. While at Yale, he was conductor of the avant-garde group Yale Contemporary Ensemble. Among his works were the opera La Loba Negra; the choral work Pokpok Alimpako, which won at the 1981 International Choral Festival in Arrezo, Italy; and Salimbayan for Woodwind Quartet, second prize winner at the 1976 International Composition Contest in Hitzacker, Germany.

• Phil Everly, 74, on Jan. 3. Phil was half of The Everly Brothers, which along with his brother Don, was one of the greatest duos ever in pop music history. Among their hits were Wake Up Little Susie, Walk Right Back, Let It Be Me, Devoted To You, Bird Dog and Ebony Eyes.

• Pete Seeger, 94, on Jan. 28. He was a major force in the popularity of folk music in the ’60s and ’70s. It was folk singer Seeger who composed and popularized classics like Where Have All The Flowers Gone, Turn Turn Turn, If I Had A Hammer and many others.

• Mickey Rooney, 93, on April 16.  Actor, star of Hollywood musicals and of Broadway. As Andy Hardy, Rooney sang and danced with Judy Garland in several films. He also acted opposite Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet, with Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum.

• Jerry Vale, 83, on May 18. The Italian American balladeer was one of the biggest-selling balladeers in the ’50s and ’60s eras. Among his hits were Have You Looked Into Your Heart, Two Purple Shadows, You Don’t Know Me, Pretend You Don’t See Her, Go Chase A Moonbeam and There Goes My Heart.

• Casey Kasem, 82, on June 15. The man who invented the radio top tunes countdown and brought American Top 40 to millions of homes all over the world. He certainly helped make hits out of thousands of songs. He was also the voice of Shaggy in the animated series Scooby-Doo.

• Bob Crewe, 82, on Sept. 11. The songwriter and record producer co-wrote pop classics like Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You, My Eyes Adored You, Rag Doll, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Let’s Hang On, The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore, Lady Marmalade and many others, most of them for his friends Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

• Joe Sample of the Crusaders, on Sept. 12. He was the pianist and keyboardist and one of the founding members of the jazz group, The Crusaders. He also composed songs. Among his works were the wildly-popular Streetlife and One Day I’ll Fly Away which was used beautifully in the movie Moulin Rouge.

• George Hamilton IV, 77, on Sept. 17. He was a country singer with a sweet voice and easy style I enjoyed listening to as a kid. Among his hits were Why Don’t They Understand, Your Cheating Heart and Girl Of My Dreams.

• Tim Hauser, 72, on Oct. 16. Tim along with Alan Paul, Janis Siegel and Cheryl Bentyne comprised the great jazz fusion a cappella group called the Manhattan Transfer. Among the group’s big hits were The Boy From New York City, Spices of Life and Mystery.