Marty, the inspiration behind Nyan Cat, passed away last night after being diagnosed with Feline infectious peritonitis only a week ago, according to Chris Torres. In remembering his passing, Torres shared the story of Marty's life via his Twitter account and the homepage of Nyan.cat has been swapped with Sad Nyan Cat. Rest in peace, Marty.
Jon Lord, former keyboardist for Deep Purple, passed away today after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 71.
Lord is best known among classic rock fans for co-founding Deep Purple in 1968 and co-writing such hits as "Smoke on the Water." He also recorded with The Kinks and joined other bands, including Whitesnake, after Deep Purple broke up in 1976.
Besides writing your dad's favorite radio-ready riffs, Lord also enjoyed a thriving career in classical music. Originally trained as a classical pianist, Lord began composing and recording classical works during his time with Deep Purple and continued for the duration of his life. Check out the performance of his first composition, Concerto for Group and Orchestra, with Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969.
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Soul fans are mourning today as Donald "Duck" Dunn, a staple of the southern soul scene passed away at the age of 70.
Dunn was most notably the bassist in Booker T & the M.G.'s, as well as a highly regarded session player for Stax Records. During his time as a session bassist, Dunn played on recordings by Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and the Blues Brothers. He also appeared in The Blues Brothers film.
Dunn leaves behind a legacy that's still echoed in today's contemporary music, reflected in acts as diverse as Lucero and Ludacris.
