Ultimate Classic Rock is honoring those musicians, producers, executives and other industry figures who passed away in 2018.

The year had barely begun when we learned of the death of Rick Hall. As the founder of FAME Studios, Rick Hall was responsible for creating the "Muscle Shoals Sound" that turned the small Northern Alabama town into one of the one of the most homes of soul music in the '60s. Shortly thereafter, the Moody Blues' Ray Thomas died only a few months before he and his band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and "Fast" Eddie Clarke, who played guitar in Motorhead's classic lineup, passed away at the age of 67 from pneumonia.

As 2018 progressed, Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries passed away, as did Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Ed King, Jefferson Airplane's Marty Balin, the legendary Queen of Soul Aretha FranklinFleetwood Mac's Danny Kirwan and a pair of blues guitar greats in Otis Rush and Matt "Guitar" Murphy.

The death of former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul on June 22 at his home in Las Vegas sent shockwaves throughout the rock world. As had been done for his brother Dimebag Darrell, Paul, 54, was buried in a Kiss Kasket that was donated by the band. Two months later, the Clark County Coroner revealed that the cause of death was an enlarged heart and severe coronary artery disease.

We also lost many people who weren't musicians but had gained fame within the music industry, including Tower Records founder Russ Solomon, album cover designers Gary Burden and Andie Airfax, Schoolhouse Rock creator Bob Dorough, distortion pedal inventor Glenn Snoddy, Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson and Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick.

Read more about their lives and others below.

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