I've read and enjoyed the other books with Detective Kubu. ", "Somebody once said that if you love your job then it's not really work," he said. Cleveland rock and roll legend Michael Stanley died Friday at the age of 72 following a months-long battle with lung cancer. This mystery, #5 in the series featuring Botswana policeman David "Kubu" Bengu, was just plain excellent. MICHAEL STANLEY OBITUARY. In 1981, MSB received national attention when the song "He Can't Love You" cracked the Billboard Top 40, getting as high as No. Details! Peace., Joe Walsh, another Cleveland rock hero and a player on Stanleys second album in the 1970s paid homage. Most of the early records by Stanley and his group were produced by Bill Szymczyk, best known as the Eagles producer. That song and a 1983 follow-up, the Cleveland-inspired My Town, which also cracked the top 40, were early staples of a nascent MTV. Stanleys illness became known when he took leave of his usual afternoon radio shift at Clevelands 98.5 WNCX in late February and the station released a statement requesting prayers for his family. John himself was behind the microphone in the 1970s and 80s as the afternoon drive disc jockey on then-radio station WSRD, nicknamed The Wizzard.. Did we reach the level that we wanted to, or that the fans wanted us to? I was literally stunned, said John, upon learning that legendary Cleveland rock and roll star Michael Stanley died Friday of lung cancer. Michael Stanley.. Michael Stanley's passing at the age of 64 on Thursday, June 30, 2022 has been publicly announced by Jones-Walton-Sheridan Funeral Home in Cranston, RI. John mentioned that the Michael Stanley Band broke the record at the Blossom Music Center for a three nightstand: 64,965 on August 23, 24, and 26, 1982. But before and after that, the band was disproportionately huge in Ohio and surrounding states, which took their song Midwest Midnight (introduced on the live album Stage Pass, with its famous cleavage-baring cover) to heart as a statement of regional pride. The different strands of the same story come together at the end. I probably will try another of these books at some time but better ones are calling me now. WNCX later wrote that Stanley had been battling lung cancer for the past seven months "with the same strength and dignity he carried throughout his life.". The energy of his music and its ability to bring people together helped to make Cleveland the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, and it galvanized the community to rally together and make our city the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Of course not. I think that some good edits wouldn't have hurt the story in the least, and could have saved the reader from feeling bogged down midway through the mystery. On Wednesday, the WNCX-FM radio station in Cleveland announced I adored the idea of a Botswanaian police procedural that steps away from the philosophical Mma Ramotswe mysteries. Michael Stanley April 29, 1968 - November 10, 2021 Raleigh, North Carolina - Michael Stanley, 53, of Raleigh, formerly of Dunn, died Wednesday, November 10, Hardly a day went by when John didn't play a Michael Stanley song - or two, or three. Monthly Listeners! Cleveland rocker Stanley has died at age 72 after battling lung cancer. Johns ultimate tribute to Michael Stanley can be heard through his earphones during his daily walks in Poland Woods. But that was hardly the extent of his TV credits. Rabbi Karen Companez officiating. 3News spoke with David Spero about the life and career of Michael Stanley. WebMichael Paul Stanley was born January 27, 1980 in Freehold, New Jersey to Paul and Eileen Stanley. Our readers left thousands of comments on our social media I was so disappointed that this was the last book in the series, but when I wrote the authors on another matter, they said that there was a new one in the works and it would be out in July in the UK and in October in the US. His songs have a way of getting in your head and became songs you end up singing to yourself over and over from then on His music will always be part of me., Tweeted KISS Paul Stanley: RIP MICHAEL STANLEY No relation to me, was a Cleveland legend. Michael has always been a master at the craft of songwriting. Stanley age of Saginaw, Michigan, born February 3rd, 1928 passed away on February 23rd, 2023 ;Surviving Stanley:Surviving besides his wife Bernice are two sons As an early reviewer I had the pleasure of reading my first Detective Kubu Mystery. Stanley did his final afternoon drive shift on WNCX on Feb. 19. I'm generally not a fan of authors killing of family members of the protagonist. This one is a very heart-rending and personal story for Assistant Superintendent David "Kubu" Bengu, who works in CID out of Gabarone, Botswana, in which he is awakened in the middle of the night to be told that his father has died--and worse, has been brutally murdered. Michael was our citys most beloved musician, songwriter and rocker. He played in a band called The Tree Stumps, then Silk, and was able to secure his first record contract in 1969. Stanley was deeply involved in the local Cleveland community, so much so that a section of Clevelands Huron Avenue was renamed Michael Stanley Way in 2019. My sincere condolences go out to the Stanley family on the passing of Michael. At the start, his father is killed by a lethal knife wound, and Kubu is told by his boss to take a week off and stay away completely from the investigation. Stanley will be buried in a private ceremony at Lake View Cemetery. A good mystery set in Botswana. In its late 70s/early 80s heyday, the Michael Stanley Band would sell out multiple nights at the Richfield Coliseum and Blossom Music Center. The group scored in 1981 when the song He Cant Love You cracked the Billboard Top 40, getting as high as No. We want to hear from you! When the #2 government mining official ends up dead, an apparent suicide, Kubu finally finds a distraction from his misery, and quickly determines the death was not accidental, and he sets off the find the murderer. 07, 2021, 12:57 p.m. Cleveland music icon Michael Stanley died Friday at the age of 72. Stanleys rock career was solid in Ohio and the Midwest, but never quite broke through nationally, save for his hit song He Cant Love You. He later was an afternoon drive DJ and Saturday mornings host playing classic rock on radio station 98.5 WNCX. Michael Stanley, who parlayed rocker stardom in the 70s and 80s into successful stints in radio and television in his later years, died Friday of lung cancer at his home. I really, REALLY hope this is not the last in the Detective Kubu series! One evening Kuku's world is turned upside down when he, the detective, gets the call he himself so often had to make to the family of victims his gentle father has been stabbed to death in a deserted road. You are a rocker! After the breakup, Stanley returned to solo albums and also hooked up with the bands the Resonators and the Ghost Poets, releasing work on Razor & Tie or his own labels. Sure it would have been nice if this had all lasted a bit longer but my time on this mortal coil has been blessed with great family, friends and coworkers and you cant ask for much more than that! Take care of yourself and each other and remember, now more than ever: Its your world pay attention! But before the bus pulls out I wanted to thank all of you for being a part of my musical journey. Plus, weekly show download! The band would break up in 1987, playing a dozen farewell shows at the Front Row Theater. Michael Stanley is the writing partnership of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Less than two hours after Stanley's death was announced, the radio station shared a letter he wrote to fans in his final days, beginning with him saying, "If you're reading this then I am off to catch up with that big club tour in the sky." Michael Stanley, who became known nationally for a radio hit in 1981 but was the very symbol of rock n roll for decades in the city of Cleveland, died Friday at age 72. While it was quite an involved mystery and the characters were interesting, I had expected a different approach to crime solving more in touch with the community and more charismatic detective. Two years later, My Town became the bands second Top 40 hit, peaking at No. Michael was the king of Cleveland, and of course the Michael Stanley Band became a Midwest powerhouse, Walsh said in a statement published at Cleveland.com. 39. Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 16th 2023 from 10:00 AM to The chief is murdered and some elders. He also won 11 local Emmy Awards as co-host of WJW Channel 8s PM Magazine from 1987-90, and then spent another year on the stations Cleveland Tonight. The timing was awful because Stanleys wife, Libby, had recently given birth to twin daughters, Sarah and Anna. But Stanley, a guitarist and songwriter, still dreamed of a career in music. Your father's dead. This time, tragedy strikes Asst. And if thats true (and I definitely think it is) then I have been happily out of work for over 50 years! (As a solo artist, Stanley recorded for MCA and Tumbleweed, and his first band, Silk, released an album for ABC in 1969, also produced by Szymczyk.) It was a well-plotted police procedural that allowed the reader to fully follow the Botswana crime-solving process, which is similar to that in the US. He thanked his family, friends, co-workers, and supporters "for being a part of my musical journey" and ended with his famous catchphrase: "It's your worldpay attention! I received an advance e-book copy of A Death in the Family by Michael Stanley directly from the author in exchange for an honest review. The rocker was most recognized in the post-Michael Stanley Band years as a local TV and radio broadcaster. Published: Mar. The funeral service will be private, and Stanley will be buried at Lake View Cemetery, the family said. He does and keeps getting reprimanded. Michael Stanley, who became known nationally for a radio hit in 1981 but was the very symbol of rock n roll for decades in the city of Cleveland, died Friday at age 72. I hoped to enjoy this because of the setting of Botswana. Thats what I wanted to do.. The Rocky River High School and Hiram Kubu is such a lovely character. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Born Michael Stanley Gee, Stanley grew up in Northeast Ohio, graduating first from Rocky River High School and then Hiram College. John called the Michael Stanley song Midwest, Midnight the greatest song about the music industry. He says the song explains why the Michael Stanley Band was a major regional band, but never huge nationally. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you grew up in the Rust Belt in the 1970's and 1980's, chances are you heard Michael Stanley on your radio at some point. John was close personal friends with Stanley and the other band members, three of whom Gary Markasky, Michael Gismondi and Dan Pecchio were from Youngstown. WebA Death in the Family is the fifth outing for Detective Kubu and is written by Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip (known together as Michael Stanley). Stanley told Monica Robins. All the way through the entire career, I could never get him a monster hit record that always pissed me off, Szymczyk told the Plain Dealer. He passed away August 18, 2020 following a brief battle with cancer. The author Michael Stanley (South African born writing duo Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip) have created a top notch and totally compelling Botswana police series, that is both atmospheric, gripping and utterly loveable. Already a member, log in! We are sad to announce that on February 24, 2023, at the age of 66, Stanley Michael Black of Etters, Pennsylvania passed away. This is not a terribly bleak depiction of this sunny land, but a reminder that even a country full of good people can fall prey to bad influences. Detective novel set in Botswana but for Kudu, this time it's personal! Show your support Send a Gift Send a gift to a service or familys home. No, we didn't.". They were a band and they got signed and everything was great, said John. Kubu's focus is all about improving the lives of his fellow natives and the inherent good of the man ensures he is excellent company! I was like, Damn, Bob (Seger) sure busted out. Stanley's family says in a statement he died Thursday, March 4, 2021, in Cleveland, Greg Harris, president/CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, released a statement saying: It is with a heavy heart that we share that Clevelands native son and local treasure Michael Stanley has passed away. Stanley age of Saginaw, Michigan, born February 3rd, 1928 passed away on February 23rd, 2023 ;Surviving Stanley:Surviving besides his wife Bernice are two sons and one daughter, Gary Witkowski, Saginaw; Gail (John) Dumbra, Lewiston; Michael Witkowski, Saginaw; six grandchildren, Kirk, Jeffrey (Lauren), Brandon (Crystal), Jeremy, Justin and John himself was behind Hardly a day went by when John didnt play a Michael Stanley song or two, or three. It starts with a family tragedy and ends up as a much more entangled, complicated tale of international corporate interests and corruption.