Kevin Coyne
Donut City
The late Brtish rocker/singer/songwriter Kevin Coyne was one of the singular artists of our time. A voice that's instantly recognizable whether he's rocking full-on, singing touching (and suitably odd) ballads or quirky musings.
British singer/songwriter, painter, writer and rock 'n' roller extraordinaire Kevin Coyne passed away Dec 2 at his home in Nuremberg, Germany, at the age of 60.
While Coyne remained a cult figure in the U.S., throughout Europe he was a revered, legendary and, with more than 40 releases, a wildly prolific artist. Coyne's music was rooted in the blues, but he used it as a jumping-off point to venture into nearly every genre imaginable, from sentimental love songs and full-on rockers to catchy pop songs and twisted ballads. His lyrics - always improvised on the spot - were full of vivid and wild imagery, and his voice was one of the most powerful and distinctive in all of rock. Coyne was "discovered" by the late John Peel and, in 1971, when Doors' frontman Jim Morrison died, Coyne was asked to fill his shoes.
Although Coyne was diagnosed with lung fibrosis two years ago, he continued to tour, record, paint and write. His most recent record, "Donut City," his best in years, was the first release on his own Turpentine Records.
Blues: English Style