Denny Daniels RIP
Denny Daniels, R.I.P.
Dennis “Denny” Daniels, 60, a longtime member of local R&B outfit DeLuxury and occasional backing musician, died on June 15th in Naperville.
Daniels, who was born with the last name Skicewicz in Northlake, battled a number of maladies in his lifetime but always chased his musical dreams. Severely burned in a fire while in his 20s, he instituted keyboard playing into his physical therapy to keep his scar tissue from hardening.
An ex-wife told the Chicago Tribune and Daily Herald he had backed The Beach Boys, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bo Diddley, Buddy Rich, Muddy Waters, and Paul Shaffer early on, and spent portions of the ’80s and ’90s with DeLuxury. Daniels also booked the Race Mill Inn in Geneva, serving as its house pianist on Saturday nights. He wrote and recorded two albums of classical material, but an advanced form of dementia related to Alzheimer’s rapidly took hold of him beginning in 2003, and he never really recovered.
Anyone interested in Daniels’ music can visit www.fairwayrecords.com.
— Steve Forstneger
I so enjoyed hearing Denny play the piano. I looked him up after hearing him play at Von Maur and ordered two of his CD’s. They are full of haunting melodies and beautiful blues. I’m so sorry he is gone from us but so grateful I can still play his music as I’m doing now. I had no idea he had left us. When I first heard him play, I was transfixed and literally could not leave the store until he was done.
i feel the same way you do i heard him play in springfield il. how do get his music.
Denny was my step dad of two years, he died right after i got out of 7th grade, he was an amazing person and is dearly missed by many people. i loved hearing his music.
Denny was a good man and an awesome musician. I met him while he played with Deluxury and we all remained friends for some time. Denny used to come down to Florida and stay with us occasionally in the 90’s. I lost track of him and was very saddened to, just today, hear of his passing.
I would say Rest in Peace Denny, but he’s probably entertaining everyone within the Pearly Gates even now. God’s Blessings, Denny.
Denny was great to the day he died and he will always be remembered and thanked for the joy he gave to others. I spoke to him in 2004 and he was fine and he did not have Dementia. He died from a Stroke and he knew who he was and all his freinds. Larry