Music

Beloved Musician Dies After Serious Fall: Wife of Sal Maida Confirms His Passing

Maida leaves behind a legacy spanning five decades of music.

 

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From art rock to punk revolution, Sal Maida’s bass lines helped shape the sound of underground music. The accomplished musician, who played with legendary acts including Roxy Music, Sparks, and Milk ‘N’ Cookies, died Saturday in New York following complications from a December fall, as announced by his wife, singer-songwriter Lisa Burns-Maida. He was 76.

Standing at 6-foot-6, Maida’s towering presence matched his outsized influence on rock music. Born Salvatore Maida on July 29, 1948, in Manhattan’s Little Italy, he grew up immersed in diverse musical influences. “I heard a multitude of sounds emanating from the jukebox below my window, from Sinatra to the Stones, Motown, Ray Charles, The Beatles and Dinah Washington,” he once recalled in his writings, per The Hollywood Reporter.

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After earning an economics degree from Fordham University, the devoted Anglophile’s musical journey began in earnest when he traveled to London. According to the outlet, while working at a record store, he connected with Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson, leading to his role in the band’s 1973 Stranded Tour. The following year, he joined Milk ‘N’ Cookies after they were signed to Island Records by label head Muff Winwood.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that while Milk ‘N’ Cookies was short-lived, their power-pop sound significantly influenced the emerging punk scene. The band briefly reformed when their debut album was reissued in the mid-2000s, continuing to play occasional shows through the 2010s. Maida, who chose a blue Rickenbacker bass early in his career inspired by Yes bassist Chris Squier, went on to perform with an impressive roster of artists, including Ronnie Spector, The Runaways, Annie Golden of The Shirts, Velveteen, and Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las.

His versatility extended into the alternative rock era, where he performed with Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, as well as Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate. Beyond performing, Maida hosted the radio show Spin Cycle and authored the 2017 memoir Four Strings, Phony Proof and 300 45s, the latter referencing his extensive vinyl collection. HoZac Books recently released an updated edition featuring Bottoms Up, where Maida analyzed his favorite bassists from 1960-70. He also co-authored and co-edited two volumes of the White Label Promo Preservation Society, collections of essays about under-achieving classic albums.

“Sal had such an incredible life that it just had to be made into a book,” HoZac posted on Facebook, “and we’re so glad we got to not only make that happen several times but also got to meet him in person, as he was like the cool older brother we’d never had.”

The loss follows another family tragedy: his son Dylan’s death from melanoma in December 2019. Maida is survived by his wife, singer-songwriter Lisa Burns-Maida, his son’s godparents, Anthony and Kathleen Lifrieri, and what his family describes as “countless friends who loved him dearly.”