J. Geils found dead in Massachusetts home

[Cooley Hurd]

http://www.wcvb.com/article/guitarist-known-as-j-geils-found-dead-in-massachusetts-home/9263211

GROTON, Massachusetts —
5 Investigates has learned John Warren Geils Jr., the artist known professionally as J. Geils and part of the rock group The J. Geils Band, was found dead in his Groton, Massachusetts home.

He was 71.

Geils and the band are best known for their album, "Freeze Frame" and the song "Centerfold," which hit No. 1 for six weeks.

Geils formed the band during his time at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he studied mechanical engineering.

At Worcester, he formed J. Geils Blues Band with Danny Klein, Magic Dick Salwitz, Stephen Jo Bladd, and Peter Wolf, with Seth Justman becoming the last member before the band released its debut album in 1970.

Love Stinks and Centerfold alone would be a career! Cross gently, J...

[shenmue]

1. ...

[voteearlyvoteoften]

2. Voted for them last Rock n Roll Hall of fame contest

My first time I went there ...just to vote for my fave Boston band. RIP

[Miles Archer]

3. I was in a Banana Records store in California in the 70s...

...they were playing the J Geils album "Full House." I was browsing the racks, and it got to "Serves You Right To Suffer," and the part where Geils is doing the hammer-on notes and then this huge bend and everything blows up and I walked up to the counter and said "What the HELL is THAT? I want a copy!"

Years later, I handled the Website for a small California CD chain store. I decided to take advantage of the supermarket ploy where people buy candy bars and gum and such on impulse while standing in line. I had them put a rack between the two registers and put a sign on it called "Managers' Picks." I filled the rack with as many forgotten "classic rock" albums as I could, and "Full House" was one of them. For two straight months they sold out every copy and had to keep re-ordering. We had all of the "Managers' Picks" CDs at the listening stations, so whoever remembered the album bought it, and those who had never heard of it soon found out.

R.I.P., John.

[Midnight Writer]

5. "Full House" is an excellent album.

[WinkyDink]

28. It is a SPECTACULAR album! Personally, I'd rank it the best live Rock album.

[turbinetree]

52. Saw them in 1973 and the place was just Rockin along with Mason Proffit

Just amazing......................

[WinkyDink]

60. Saw them in 2012 and 2014, but both times without J. Geils himself. Still awesome!

Last edited Wed Apr 12, 2017, 12:22 PM - Edit history (1)

[turbinetree]

69. Mason Proffit had a song that was and still amazing

[Leghorn21]

16. Oh brilliant, Miles! "Manager's Picks" - genius!

- - and aren't they among our favorite, best, life-altering moments, hearing "our" music for the very first time!? - - - "What the HELL is THAT? I want a copy!" - nothing compares!

[Glimmer of Hope]

4. Rip Mr. Geils. Thanks for the tunes.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Wow.

That was like a punch in the gut. I went to UMASS in the late '70s/early '80s and that band was a Massachusetts favorite.

R.I.P.

[Squinch]

21. I was in Worcester at the same time. This is sad.

[jpak]

7. Saw them many times in the early '70's

RIP

[Botany]

8. Damn! Love Stinks.

[progressoid]

57. That's the first J Geils song I ever heard.

Thanks to my older brother (may he also rest in peace).

[DarthDem]

9. Aw. RIP.

Loved those songs and still do!

[kentuck]

10. This was my favorite J. Geils song:

[ornotna]

38. This is wooba gooba with the green teeth, let me in!

Yeah, that's a great song.

[MrPurple]

39. mine too

[FailureToCommunicate]

44. My all time fav of theirs as well !!

Thanks for finding it.

Another show:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

11. ☹️

[colsohlibgal]

12. Ouch

Saw them live, they were a party and a half, they rocked the house. Time marches on and it can suck at times.

[madinmaryland]

13. Rest in Peace, Sir.

[Scalded Nun]

14. Saw them in the early 70s opening for ELP

Lots of fun.

RIP

[Leghorn21]

15. Aw, man. Rock steady, good sir. Damn.

For me? "Whammer Jammer" - oh HELL yeah

[spanone]

17. K&R...

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

18. Bummer

My brother took me to see them when I was about 10 or 11. To this day, that concert stands as one of the best ever, that I've attended.

[redwitch]

19. J Geils Fuckin' A! That's what the banner read when I saw them in the 70's. Great show!

[redwitch]

23. Just reminded Hubby of this concert years ago.

He said the warm up act didn't get there in time. We had tickets for the first show. Apparently friends who went to the second show also raved about the warm up act who finally showed. It was Billy Joel. This would have been just after his first album came out and he was still relatively unknown.

[Squinch]

20. Oh, no!

Rotumba, Raputa, Raputa the Beauta says rest in peace!

[2naSalit]

22. Oohhhh!

I was just listening to some J. Geils a couple days ago.

I lived near Groton when I was in my early teens, one of my best friends lived in Groton. The kids from that town were bused in to my town to attend Jr. High and High School.

My favorites:

[redwitch]

24. My favorites too!

[2naSalit]

25. I also like...

Their version of "I Can't Do My Homework Anymore". I was in a garage band back then and we stole the crap out of their songs.

[redwitch]

26. Ah garage bands!

Those were the days!

[anneboleyn]

27. Peter Wolf (lead singer) and David Lynch were college roommates. J Geils was awesome and yet

another massive fail by the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. They just inducted Yes, ELO, and Journey THIS YEAR. Ridiculous. I still haven't recovered from Bowie's death. We are going to start losing these guys at an epic rate and it's so tragic.

[ProfessorGAC]

63. Not Clear On Where You're Going Anne

Yes, ELO and Journey got inducted, and that's a problem? OK, i'll give you Journey, since much of there stuff was pedestrian.

But, Yes and ELO needed to be in the HoF. And, i don't mean that as a knock of JGB. Just seems like you were saying all 3 of those bands didn't deserve the HoF.

Did i read that wrongly?

[Locrian]

64. They just inducted Yes, ELO, and Journey THIS YEAR.

I think you read it wrong: I think the poster meant it's taking too LONG to induct them, should have happened years ago.

[ProfessorGAC]

66. Well, I Was Hoping That

And, i admit it easily could have been a misread. BTW: I'm the master of the Locrian mode on rock guitar. Not too many rock guitar players use that and i really love the middle eastern flavor it brings to lines especially when playing fast and on long runs. All those flatted tones just flip me out.

[hurple]

67. but...

They only induct 7 or 8 acts per year, 25 years after the acts first release, and there's a LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG list of acts that belong in before any of those three, so I'm shocked they were inducted, already.

Just sayin'

[ismnotwasm]

29. Nooo!

Dammit.

[Warpy]

30. One of the best live bands out there

and the closest thing to a house band at the old Boston Tea Party on Berkeley Street, playing there often during the early days.

And yes, I do vaguely remember Snoopy & the Sopwith Camels and ye gawds, that dates me.

That J. Geils himself was in need of wellness checks saddens me. Getting old is horrible.

[skylucy]

31. Ah man. I played the heck out of Centerfold. I still like it and it sure brings back memories.

I'm bummed out...again.Too many of my favorite musicians are going to that big rock festival in the sky. RIP J. You brought a lot of fun to a lot of lives.

[sheshe2]

32. Rest in peace J.

[aikoaiko]

33. You love her, but she loves him, he loves someone else, you just can't win....

....Love Stinks, yeah yeah.

RIP J. Geils.

[LakeArenal]

34. Rock'N'Roll heaven, Man.

Rock'N'Roll heaven.

[Eugene]

35. The memories.

Loved Centerfold. R.I.P.

[ornotna]

36. Saw them once in the early seventies

at SPAC. They played for about half an hour and then walked off the stage. Within 15 minutes the place went nuts and stormed the stage and destroyed the bands equipment. I was way in the back up on the grass and don't know what it was all about and did not participate in the craziness. I enjoyed it while it lasted. RIP John.

[Bob Loblaw]

37. Bloodshot

on red vinyl. My sister owned that album and we wore it out. In college I never threw a bash that didn't start with (Ain't Nothin' but a) House Party.

[Bob Loblaw]

41. Additionally,

Centerfold came out during my freshman year. Incidentally at the same time that Playboy published an issue featuring the "girls" of my hometown. I was frequently shown a picture of one of the "models" and was asked, "Do you know her?" To which I usually replied, "Define know."

[blue neen]

46. Yep.

Bloodshot is the best party music album ever!

RIP, J. Geils!

[LeftInTX]

40. I just left the grocery store. While I was in the check-out they played Freeze Frame

I told the cashier I just heard on the radio that the guy who sings this was found dead and she gave me a blank stare. I'm sure she was no older than 19.

[johnp3907]

43. Well, to be fair, Peter Wolf is still alive.

Maybe she was a musical pedant like me.

[melman]

45. And speaking of Peter Wolf and grocery stores

I used to see Peter Wolf at the grocery store when I lived in Boston.

The Shaw's by the Prudential in case anyone's wondering. He lives right by there.

[world wide wally]

42. Duane Allman once called J Geils his favorite band

That was good enough for me.
Became an instant fan.

[yuiyoshida]

47. J.Geils Band

[kentuck]

54. Thanks for this one!

[malchickiwick]

48. (ain't nothin' but a) house party behind the pearly gates tonight.

[BigmanPigman]

49. I nominated Love Stinks

for my high school prom song...classic.

[sobenji]

50. Saw them in Indianapolis on the freeze-frame tour

They had U2 opening for them.

[bluedigger]

51. They opened their Centerfield tour at UMaine when I was there.

You always remember the first time.

[peacebuzzard]

53. Thanks for the great music, J. R.I.P.

[BadGimp]

55. wow - I quoted him just last week here on DU...

So long Brother. You Rocked Us Good!

[burrowowl]

56. RIP

[calimary]

58. Aw crap.

&list=RDwfGvydxtc6Q

Crunchy 'n' grungy 'n' bluesy. Just the way I liked it. Used to play this song on my college radio show.

[SergeStorms]

59. Love stinks..........

was another of my favorites. All the groups I rocked to in the 60s and 70s are slowly fading away. It's hard to believe it's been that long.......it seems like yesterday. Of course this means that I'M getting close to an age where the grim reaper is gaining ground on me. Not pleasant to think about, so I guess I'll just stop thinking!

[7wo7rees]

61. Representin' Detroit (their second hometown)

Half of Blow Your Face Out was recorded live in Detroit, where the fans were more than enthusiastic to rock the funk out with J.
I was 16 and my only birthday wish was a ticket to the *6-NIGHT* SOLD OUT JGB show in 1982 at Pine Knob in Clarkston, Michigan. (Maybe Kid Rock was at the same show?) Joan Jett opened, which blew us all away, but when the crew hit the stage, the crowd absolutely lost their shit. No concert was as electric since then. So much power, you'da thought there was a locomotive coming off the stage. No drinking, no drugs, just face-melting funk-rock. The Detroit Demolition indeed.

Rest in power, J.

[orangecrush]

62. Damn

Good memories.

The early stuff was the best, IMO.

"Give It to Me" and "Detroit Shakedown", etc.

Gonna be missed.

[lark]

65. RIP J. Geils.

You made some kick ass music and many have had great times dancing to your rock anthems, Freeze Frame, Love Sucks, Centerfold.
Thank you for some great songs and good times.

[Martin Eden]

68. Why keep me cold, when it's so warm inside?

Come on baby, your love is too good to hide!

[Paladin]

70. RIP to one of my favorites. Great band. (nt)

[barbtries]

71. J Geils.

wow. back in the memory hole.

[bora13]

72. long live

repewta the bewta! (sic)