Dennis Flemion (June 6, 1955 – July 7, 2012) was a founding member, with his younger brother
Jimmy, of the controversial independent rock band
The Frogs
''The Frogs'' ( grc-gre, Βάτραχοι, Bátrakhoi, Frogs; la, Ranae, often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus in ...
.
He was the primary
percussionist
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
for the band and was also a temporary member of
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamb ...
from 1996 to 1997, filling in on live keyboards following the death of
Jonathan Melvoin
Jonathan David Melvoin (December 6, 1961 – July 12, 1996) was an American musician, active in the 1980s and 1990s.
Early life
He was the son of Constance (née Ives) and Mike Melvoin, keyboardist for The Wrecking Crew, and brother of ...
. The Flemion brothers also appeared on "Medellia of the Gray Skies" on the band's single for "
Tonight, Tonight". On ''
Adore'', the brothers backed vocals for "To Sheila" and "Behold! The Night-Mare".
On July 7, 2012, Flemion accidentally drowned while swimming in a lake in
Racine County, Wisconsin
Racine County (, sometimes also ) is a county in southeastern Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population was 197,727, making it Wisconsin's fifth-most populous county. Its county seat is Racine. The county was founded in 1836, then a part ...
.
He was 57. The 2013
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...
song "
Future Days
''Future Days'' is the fourth studio album by the German experimental rock group Can, released in 1973. It was the last Can album to feature Japanese vocalist Damo Suzuki, and sees the band exploring a more atmospheric sound than their previous ...
" was written by his friend
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest vocalist i ...
about his death.
External links
Frogs Archive''“20 Questions: Dennis Flemion of the Frogs” in the ''Washington City Paper'' (December 7–14, 2000)
References
1955 births
2012 deaths
American rock keyboardists
The Smashing Pumpkins members
Deaths by drowning in the United States
Accidental deaths in Wisconsin
Place of death missing
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