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The 'Voice'
of Orleans
and their hits
"Dance with Me" and
"Still the One"
To
Larry's many fans around the globe, we are sad to inform you
that he passed away on July 24, 2012. Our thoughts and prayers
go to his family.
Larry possessed immense talents,
a deep sense of family and community and maintained a commitment
to many charitable endeavors.
His life is proof that we can
--
and will -- make a difference in the world.
RIP, Brother Larry.
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Vocalist, Songwriter,
Producer &
Recording Artist
1951- 2012
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Vocalist, Songwriter,
Producer &
Recording Artist
1951- 2012
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Summer 2008
Orleans on
TOUR to support their newest CD on the SONY Label
more
>> |
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Larry's charitable
work:
For
a number of years, Larry has run Sunshine for HIV Kids,
providing sunshine and warmth to children born with HIV.
more
>> |
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Visit Rock & Pop Masters!
The world's ultimate party band features the Original Singers,
the Original Voices, the Performance of a Lifetime!
more >> |
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Obituaries
FROM LARRY'S FRIENDS, FANS
AND FAMILY
ABC News Radio 7/25/12
ROLLING STONE
BILLBOARD
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Subject:
Larry Hoppen
Date: Wednesday, July 25,
2012 7:45 PM
From: Bob Lefsetz
Conversation: Larry
Hoppen
Once upon a time you had to
know how to sing.
This was before auto-tune,
before all the special
effects that allow poseurs
to fake it. When one's
personal goals included
buying a stereo so big and
powerful it could be heard
by your neighbors...the next
block over. I'm convinced a
whole genre of music,
acoustic-based rock, has
been relegated to also-ran
status by the compressed
music delivered to customers
today, who listen to it on
earbuds so lousy even dogs
would complain. But in the
seventies, the richness of
the sound coming out of your
speakers was enough to make
you happy in itself, you
needed no additional drugs,
it was an aural orgasm.
And one of the great sounds
emanating from the big rigs
was the voice of Larry
Hoppen. In such exquisite
productions as "Dance With
Me". If you think it sounds
good on Spotify, just
imagine it with all the
highs intact, filling up
your living room.
Larry didn't write the
songs. That was done by
Johanna Hall oftentimes in
partnership with her husband
John. But the vocalist
behind the Orleans hits was
Larry Hoppen. And maybe the
band is a minor footnote in
the history of rock, but you
can't find a baby boomer who
does not know "Dance With
Me" and...
"Still The One".
I know, I know, you're
burned out on it, it's
cheesy, it's overused. But
once upon a time, "Still The
One" was brand new. And when
it burst out of the radio
speakers, and that's where
we always heard things
first, it was beyond a
breath of fresh air, it was
a lightning bolt to the head
and heart, "Still The One"
made life worth living.
But now Larry Hoppen is
dead.
I don't know what happened.
The fact that future gigs
were booked suggests some
kind of misadventure. But
does it really matter, once
someone passes?
And they're dropping like
flies. You see being a
musician is a hard life. The
highs and lows of the road.
And the swings in
compensation. And we're
suddenly realizing that not
everybody can do it forever,
because health doesn't play
that way. Hell, in the last
six months seemingly
everybody I know has gotten
cancer. Sure, that's an
overstatement, but it seems
that way...that it's only a
matter of time before we're
all afflicted.
And what gets us through the
pain is music.
And when "Still The One"
breaks down just shy of
three minutes in, and Larry
Hoppen's voice floats over
the bass vocals and drums,
we revel in the wonderment
of being alive. Sure, nature
can overwhelm us, render us
speechless, but music can do
this too. It's almost
impossible to explain, it's
something you feel.
I heard from Larry
regularly. And my heart
always skipped a beat. Not
because he was famous, but
because he possessed that
voice, that emanated from
the radio, that made me feel
it was so great to be alive.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/P0Sqf6
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