Yes, I know Les Paul died, Willy DeVille too.

Actually, I was going to write about Willy, but I couldn’t find his song "Spanish Jack" online.  And you need to hear Willy to get him.  And then see him.  He was pure New York.  And even though he never broke through, he’s got fans, I know, because they e-mailed me, asking when I was going to write about him.

Even more than wrote to me about Les Paul.

A true loss.  But Les made it to 94.  And his achievements were well-documented, and the obits were exhaustive.  But how many people know Jim Dickinson?

Anybody can be a fan of the big bands.  But we musos have our own favorites, who we continue to testify about decades later, still hoping our spark can ignite a conflagration.

Ry Cooder eventually got some notice.  Albeit as a film composer and midwife to the Buena Vista Social Club.  But once upon a time, Ry was just like Jim Dickinson…  You had to be deep into it in order to know.

Ry was on "Memo From Turner".  His first album made no impact, but check it out, for his take on "One Meat Ball" if nothing else.  But it was the second album that was the artistic breakthrough, mining similar territory to the first, but sounding anything but slick, sounding positively alive.

If you don’t know it, I can’t explain "Into The Purple Valley" to you.  I can’t reference another act, another album, because there’s nothing like it.  It’s an amalgamation of songs from decades before, made palatable for a generation that not only grew up on the British Invasion, but underground FM radio.  We were open to the possibilities!

"Into The Purple Valley" was co-produced by Jim Dickinson.  I know, because I stared at that album cover numerous times, I read all the credits ad infinitum. Who had come up with this sound, who made it so perfect?

Jim Dickinson just died.

You’ll read that he worked with Big Star.

But that was not their best album.

He even played with the Flamin’ Groovies.

But his main credit is on the Stones’ "Wild Horses", the British band came to the south to get that sound.  Jim Dickinson provided it.

These guys are not going to last forever.  Those from the classic era who still survive are pushing seventy.  And many are barely remembered, on the cusp of being forgotten.  I was stunned Gordon Waller’s passing didn’t get more ink.

Jim Dickinson won’t get the obits of Les Paul.  Or even Willy DeVille.  But Mr. Dickinson was part of the fabric, part of the vibe, he was a key element of the sound.  He wasn’t Diane Warren, writing for a market.  He wasn’t a hack like Kara DioGuardi.  Hell, I’d be stunned if anybody trying out for "American Idol" knew who he was.

But we did.  And still do.