Stereolab’s tribute to Brigitte Fontaine:
The Fall - I Am Damo Suzuki (Krautrock band Can’s lead singer)
I just remembered another one:
Tocotronic - Ich habe geträumt, ich wäre Pizza essen mit Mark E. Smith (I dreamed I was eating pizza with Mark E. Smith). Smith is the lead singer of the Fall (in fact, Mark E. Smith WAS the Fall)
Lucinda Williams wrote Drunken Angel about Blaze Foley.
Pink Floyd, “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” is about former band member Syd Barrett.
Bach is dead!
Steely Dan - Mr. Parker’s Band (Charlie Parker)
ABC’s “When Smokey Sings” about Smokey Robinson:
Weird Al-Smells Like Nirvana
Reminded me of another British tribute to an American soul singer from the same time: Paul Young - Now I Know What Made Otis Blue (of course about Otis Redding, “Otis Blue” is the name of maybe his best album).
Weird Al - My Baby’s In Love With Eddie Vedder
Weird Al -Velvet Elvis
This is almost a cottage industry in country music.
Hank
Bob Wills
Patsy & Emmylou
Townes Van Zandt and Tom Waits
Elvis
Another one:
The Commodores’ 1985 hit “Nightshift”, commemorating the 1984 passings of Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson.
