The Los Angeles Times is reporting that James Van Doren, who co-founded the Van Doren Rubber Co., better known simply as Vans, has died. All quotes are taken from said article.

James Van Doren, who ran the company from 1976 to 1984, died Oct. 12 at his home in Fullerton after a long illness, said his wife, Char. He was 72.

"He was a mechanic, a chemist, the brains behind the early shoe," said his nephew, Steve Van Doren, one of several family members who still work for the company. "In his garage, he made all the molds for the very first soles," including the trademark waffle design.

Van Doren's waffle design allowed for a lightweight skate shoe that combined both grip and feel. Allowing the rider increased control, without sacrificing the skater's ability to feel the subtleties of the board beneath their feet, the waffle sole was a genuinely important shift in shoe design. The principle has been taken up, adapted, and arguably improved upon, often by Vans themselves, over the subsequent decades, but it began with Van Doren, and the influence of this innovation on skateboarding and it's surrounding culture is difficult to overstate.

However, James was a human being who existed in a fuller context.

"He was a very driven man, a hard worker, very giving, very funny," his son James said. "He could control a room with his stories." In addition to Char, his wife of 15 years, Van Doren is survived by his sons from a previous marriage, James, Mark and Eric; brothers Paul and Robert; sister Bernice; and five grandchildren.

MetalSucks is reporting, in a statement from Dave Brockie, that GWAR guitarist Cory Smoot-- a.k.a. Flattus Maximus-- was found dead this morning, as the band prepared to cross into Canada on their current tour. Brockie says:

It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of GWAR must announce the passing of their long time guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death and the members of GWAR are completely shocked and devastated that this has occurred.

Cory joined GWAR in 2002, taking up the mantle of Flattus Maximus, and was the longest-serving member to portray that character. In addition to playing guitar, he co-produced GWAR's 2006 album Beyond Hell and its follow-up, Lust in Space, as well as serving as producer for their latest album, 2010's Bloody Pit of Horror. In addition to his work with GWAR, Cory also played in the bands Mensrea and Locus Factor.

Our deepest condolences to Cory's friends and family.

Former Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh has died. The 40 year old musician and visual artist was found dead on Saturday afternoon in a Chicago hotel room. A report in the Chicago Tribune has suggested that a drug overdose was the cause.

Welsh played bass for Weezer from 1998 until 2001, when he suffered a nervous breakdown and left the band. He appeared on the band's Green Album. Welsh also performed with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones related band The Kickovers for a short period before refocusing on his art.

Following the news of Welsh's death Weezer's website posted the following:

It saddens me and the guys in Weezer so much to say that our beautiful, creative, hilarious and sweet friend Mikey Welsh has passed away at the very young age of 40. A unique talent, a deeply loving friend and father, and a great artist is gone, but we will never forget him. His chapter in the weezer story ('98 - '01) was vital, essential, wild, and amazing.

Mikey was never one to shy away from the absurd, dangerous or strange, and he did so with a gusto few others had. No one had quite the stage presence of Mikey, nor have there been many who pulled the types of shenanigans he did at shows. If it rocked, he had to try it - and he always found a way to pull it off.

You can read more on Weezer.com. Our deepest condolences go out to Mikey's friends and family.

Redson Pozzi, founding vocalist and guitarist of one of Brazil's oldest punk bands, Cólera, has passed away at 49. the musician, who co-founded the band in 1979, recorded more than a dozen releases including albums, EPs and live sessions with the band over more than thirty years.

You can see him performing The Clash's "London's Burning" right here. A reader also noted this track, "Pela Paz," which can be found on YouTube.

Our condolences to his friends and family.

Clarence "The Big Man" Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's legendary E Street Band has passed away at the age of 69 from complications due to a June 12 stroke. A talented saxophone player who rose to fame with unforgettable solos on Springsteen songs such as "Jungleland" and "Born to Run," Clemons had undergone spinal and knee surgery in 2009 and 2010 respectively. His health seemed to be improving prior to the stroke however, having recently performed on three tracks of Lady Gaga's wildly popular new album, Born This Way. Springsteen had this to say about the loss:

"Clarence lived a wonderful life. He carried within him a love of people that made them love him. He created a wondrous and extended family. He loved the saxophone, loved our fans and gave everything he had every night he stepped on stage. His loss is immeasurable and we are honored and thankful to have known him and had the opportunity to stand beside him for nearly forty years. He was my great friend, my partner, and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music. His life, his memory, and his love will live on in that story and in our band."

Our deepest condolences go out to Clarence's friends, family and fans.

Seth Putnam, frontman of controversial grindcore act, Anal Cunt, has recently passed away from a heart attack. Previous medical problems with Putnam include an overdose on Ambien that led to a seizure and Putnam in a coma for two months back in 2004. Anal Cunt's publicist, Kim Kelly, had this to say:

Yes, it's true. Seth Putnam, one of the most infamous musicians that extreme metal has ever seen, the grindcore GG Allin, has passed away due to a heart attack. I handled all the promotion for Anal Cunt's last album, Fuckin' A, and Seth was always happy to oblige any request I sent his way. The band had been working on a new album before his passing, so chances are his musical career's epitaph has yet to be inscribed.

I want to remind everyone that no matter how outrageous and controversial his musical career has been, Seth was still a human being with friends and family that loved him. I'm hoping that the internet will remember that. This is a very sad and trying time for those that knew him, and the last thing they need to see is an outpouring of message board hate. The man lived and died by his own rules; if anything, respect him for that.

Our deepest condolences to Seth's friends and family.

Sad news out of Kingston, Jamaica today as original The Skatalites drummer Lloyd Knibb has passed away after a battle with liver cancer. He was 80.

In addition to his best-known position behind the kit for The Skatalites, Knibb was a Studio One session musician, which came to be colloquially known as the "Motown of Jamaica," and is largely credited with developing the rhythm of ska music. Knibb continued to perform with The Skatalites from their 1983 reformation right up until his death.

Our condolences go out to Knibb's family, friends and fans.

Marianne Joan Elliott-Said, better known as Poly Styrene of the classic punk band X-Ray Spex, passed away yesterday from an advanced form of cancer. She revealed her battle with the disease in February of this year. The Guardian published this about her:

She was also a feminist and "misfit superstar" who paved the way for everyone from Kim Gordon to Karen O. Beth Ditto credits her with "shaping my identity" and her fans include Boy George and David Baddiel. But for generations of followers, the unassuming singer was more than an icon: she was someone who felt like one of us, and who will be mourned like an absent friend. Poly taught me about subjects that school didn't: identity crises, genetic engineering, and consumer society.

Her most recent solo album, Generation Indigo, was released in March and her classic 1976 record, Germ Free Adolescents, celebrates 35 years in 2011. Our deepest condolences to her friends, family and fans.

A number of you wrote in with the news that TV On The Radio bassist Gerald Smith had sadly passed away from lung cancer. The bassist joined the critically acclaimed band in 2003, shortly after the release of Young Liars. His bandmates said this:

We are very sad to announce the death of our beloved friend and bandmate, Gerard Smith, following a courageous fight against lung cancer. Gerard passed away the morning of April 20th, 2011. We will miss him terribly.

The band has cancelled the remaining tour dates for April. The band was touring in support of their new album, Nine Types of Light.

Mitch Dubey of Swear Jar was shot and killed in his apartment in a home invasion this past Thursday. Articles about the news are available further here, here, here and here.

A benefit show for the Dubey family will take place on April 3 in Madison, Conn., with the Flaming Tsunamis, Call It Arson (reuniting for the event), My Heart to Joy, Slingshot Dakota and Brunt of It.

Our deepest condolences go out to Dubey's family, friends and fans.

Many of you wrote in with the sad news that Phil Vane, vocalist of pioneering hardcore/grind outfit Extreme Noise Terror (and briefly of Napalm Death), has passed away. The band posted the news on their official website but have not yet made a full statement. They said just this:

The rumours are true - we're sorry to announce that Phil passed away recently. The band will make a full statement soon but for now we need to take the time to come to terms with this terrible loss.

First formed in Ipswitch, UK in 1985, the band has been credited with being a significant influence in hardcore, grindcore and crust punk, defining many of the staples of those genres including political lyrics, fast tempos and very brief songs. The band was a favourite of late BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel who enlisted the band for several of his famous Peel Sessions. While they had many lineup changes over the years, the band continued to write and record with 2010 seeing the release of a split with Slang and their last album, Law of Retaliation , released in 2009.

Our deepest condolences to Phil's friends and family.

Many of you wrote in with the news that Don Van Vliet, better known to the world as avant-garde musician and painter Captain Beefheart, passed away this week after to complications from multiple sclerosis. He was 69.

Vilet was the creative mind behind the Magic Band and such acclaimed genre-bending albums as 1969's Trout Mask Replica and 1978's Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller). He was famous for his collaborations with Frank Zappa. The legacy of experimental albums like Trout Mask Replica can be heard throughout modern day punk and independent music, with artists like Johnny Rotten, The Clash, Tom Waits, Stiv Bators and the Pixies among its disciples.

Cartoonist Matt Groening of The Simpsons fame reminisced about listening to Trout Mask Replica at the age of 15 and thinking...

"that it was the worst thing I'd ever heard. I said to myself, they're not even trying! It was just a sloppy cacophony. Then I listened to it a couple more times, because I couldn't believe Frank Zappa could do this to me - and because a double album cost a lot of money. About the third time, I realized they were doing it on purpose; they meant it to sound exactly this way. About the sixth or seventh time, it clicked in, and I thought it was the greatest album I'd ever heard.

Our deepest condolences go out to the Captain's family, friends and fans.

Jesse "Jess the Mess" Rich of Orange County punk band Broken Bottles passed away last week from a drug overdose. Julia Smut, drummer for the Redondo Beach punk act Smut Peddlers had this to say:

Jess always kept you guessing. Onstage you might get silly string, some fireworks and sometimes some really stinky stink bombs! I know Jess battled some demons. I wish he had been able to beat them. I hope he is somewhere where they do not exist. He will live on forever in the music he created. It will be a while before I can listen to one of their records, but when I do, I will remember him fondly!

Some stories have been posted in The OC Register and OC Weekly about the sad news.

Our deepest condolences to Jesse's friends and family.

Musician, visual artist, designer and video director Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson has died at the age of 55. Christopherson, a veteran of bands such as Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV and Coil, passed away this past Wednesday at his home in Bangkok, Thailand.

As a member of the design agency Hipgnosis, Christopherson created record sleeve artwork in the 70s for Factory Records and bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. He took the first promotional photograph of the Sex Pistols and created window displays for Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's clothing shop, SEX. In `76 he helped form the band Throbbing Gristle and Industrial Records, later going on to play in Psychic TV and Coil. At his death Christopherson was working on a cover version of Nico's 1970 album Desertshore.

Our deepest condolences go out to Peter's family, friends and fans.

Jean Paul Toulon of pre-school punks Old Skull and later, crust-punk outfit Planned Collapse, has passed away sources report. Few details have been released about the cause of death, but the news has been confirmed through Scott Sturgeon of Star Fucking Hipsters. SFH previously includes J.P.'s brother, Jamie Toulan, also formerly of Old Skull.

Old Skull was formed when Toulon was 10 years old and featured his 9 year old brother. They released material on Restless Records and opened for bands such as GWAR, the The Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth. The band even earned notoriety from television programs like A Current Affair and publications such as Life, People and Newsweek. They split up after the release of their second album, 1992's C.I.A. Drug Fest .

Our deepest condolences to his friends and family.