LearnGospelMusic.com Community

Please login or register.
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit  (Read 7248 times)

Offline malthumb

  • Moderator
  • LGM Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4646
  • Gender: Male
  • Praise Is What I Do
    • Your Car Does What?!?!?

Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« on: December 26, 2015, 02:30:29 PM »
This is by far the saddest post I have ever had to make on LGM.  I did not know this brother personally, but we were clearly brothers in spirit and direction.  He was very talented and had already amassed a long list of accomplishments.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/12/25/bass-player-killed-detroit-carjacking-christmas-eve/77910304/

Bass player killed in Detroit carjacking Christmas Eve
Daniel Bethencourt, Detroit Free Press 10:35 a.m. EST December 26, 2015



On Christmas Eve, Anthony Tolson had finished playing bass guitar at a church service and was driving to see his three kids on Detroit’s east side.

Yet Tolson never made it. He was shot and killed by multiple assailants who then stole his SUV that contained his bass and gifts for his kids: William, 7; Aaron, 12, and Amber, 13.

The tragedy has left his close friends struggling to understand how Tolson, 33, who friends say has toured with artists like Ne-Yo, Young Jeezy, Kelis and J. Moss, became the victim of violence.

“It’s just a shock, that somebody would do something like this, especially on a night like that,” said Tolson’s good friend, D.W. Bass.


Tolson’s music career started early, with the steel drums at around 8 years old, said his former music teacher, Chaz Russell. He would play the steel drums at Greater Christ Baptist in Detroit, where his father was a pastor.

He switched to the bass guitar in his teens and became successful locally at private parties and recording sessions. Eventually, he branched out into tours with prominent artists.

“He was a phenomenal bass player,” said Bass, who is also a musician and toured with Tolson a few years ago. “You could tell just from looking at him (that) this is not something he’s doing just to get money. He loved his job.”


Despite Tolson’s success, he remained noticeably humble about the groups he had played with, said another friend, Brent Easton.

“You wouldn’t even know what he did or who he played for unless you looked him up,” Easton added.

In the last six months, Tolson had taken a serious interest in the church and was training to become an ordained minister, said his ex-girlfriend and close friend, Karla Pace. He had also recently bought a house in Eastpointe, had just turned 33 on Sunday and had gone to see the new "Star Wars" film with his sons.


On Christmas Eve, Tolson finished performing at Central Baptist Church in Detroit. He was headed to his mother’s house on the east side, where his kids were staying and where he planned to open gifts with them in the morning.

Anthony Tolson, 33, of Eastpointe, was killed in a carjacking on Christmas Eve in 2015 while driving to his family in Detroit, friends say.
But at around 9:30 p.m., two assailants ordered Tolson out of his gray Chevrolet Trailblazer near Gratiot and State Fair Avenue before shots were fired, said Sgt. Cassandra Lewis, a Detroit Police spokeswoman. (Police did not identify Tolson by name.)

The suspects then drove away in the vehicle, Lewis added. No other details were released. Anyone with information about the shooting can call Detroit Police Homicide Division at 313-596-2260.

As a tribute to Tolson, Detroit bass players are holding a jam session in Southfield at Back Beat, 29555 Northwestern Hwy (near Guitar Center), at 8 p.m. on Sunday, said Kern Brantley, the current bassist for Lady Gaga. The proceeds from the concert will go to Tolson’s family.

“It’s horrible,” Pace said. “It’s so hard, because he’s such a good person. Things like this shouldn’t happen to people that have a good heart and care about people so much.”
FAITH unites people
RELIGION divides FAITH

Offline funkStrat_97

  • LGM Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5431
  • Gender: Male
  • Da' House Rocka' is in Da' House!
    • Facebook

Re: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2015, 02:15:50 PM »
And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

R.I.P. brother......
“Don't bother to give God instructions, just report for duty”
- Corrie Ten Boom

Offline malthumb

  • Moderator
  • LGM Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4646
  • Gender: Male
  • Praise Is What I Do
    • Your Car Does What?!?!?

Re: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2015, 07:57:01 PM »
I went to the tribute at Back Beat in Southfield.  The place was packed.  Glad there was no Fire Marshall on site.  Kern Brantley set the session up and pretty much drove the music.  A lot of the local heavy hitters (I am NOT in the class)showed up and showed out.  My oldest son Andrew did get to sit in for about a half our on guitar.  If your are on my Facebook friends list you can see the video I posted of him playing.  If you are not on my Facebook and want to be, just look for James Martin in Detroit on FB and I'll be more than happy to add you.

If warm bodies packed in a room means anything, the family likely collected a good number of contributions last night.  They also have a GoFundMe page set up for anyone who feels moved to contribute.

https://www.gofundme.com/cxghnvyc

Peace,

James
FAITH unites people
RELIGION divides FAITH

Offline DWBass

  • LGM Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2026
  • Gender: Male
  • Make A Joyful Noise!

Re: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2015, 03:02:08 PM »
This is sad. And so senseless. I don't understand how anyone can kill another human being with such callous! No respect for life. He had the car, did he have to shoot the guy??? He'll have to live with this for the rest of his life. I hope it burdens him to the point of confession!!

James, I sent you a FB request.
"Never Leave Home Without Your Groove On" :)

Offline malthumb

  • Moderator
  • LGM Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4646
  • Gender: Male
  • Praise Is What I Do
    • Your Car Does What?!?!?

Re: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2015, 03:09:51 PM »
Got it and accepted it. By the way, did you notice that one of the people interviewed in the original story identified himself as DW Bass. I thought "naw....couldn't be". 
FAITH unites people
RELIGION divides FAITH

Offline DWBass

  • LGM Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2026
  • Gender: Male
  • Make A Joyful Noise!

Re: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2016, 02:29:44 PM »
I did. Even had a guy on Talkbass say it was me. I didn't say anything but it is not me. I can't think of the kid's name but he's a young bassist who lives in that area. I want to say his parents were killed in a car crash a couple years back. Last name may be Wright.
"Never Leave Home Without Your Groove On" :)

Offline DWBass

  • LGM Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2026
  • Gender: Male
  • Make A Joyful Noise!

"Never Leave Home Without Your Groove On" :)

Offline malthumb

  • Moderator
  • LGM Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4646
  • Gender: Male
  • Praise Is What I Do
    • Your Car Does What?!?!?

Re: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« Reply #7 on: January 15, 2016, 03:50:53 PM »
Update on the Anthony Tolson situation...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/live-detroit-police-chief-updates-musician-anthony-tolsons-murder-case

2 charged in carjacking, slaying of Detroit church musician
2 arrested, 1 charged with murder in Anthony Tolson's death


By Local 4 - ClickOnDetroit news staff
Posted: 3:31 PM, January 14, 2016
Updated: 12:26 PM, January 15, 2016

DETROIT - After weeks of investigations by Detroit police and tips from the public, two men have been charged in the Christmas Eve carjacking and murder of a church musician.

Anthony Tolson, 33, was leaving a church service when he was fatally shot on Gratiot Avenue. His SUV, along with Christmas presents Tolson had for his three children and his bass were stolen. It was later found abandoned and torched on the city's west side.

Police announced the arrests of Charles Cox, 33, and Darnell Gene-Arthur Young, 18, on Thursday. They are charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, carjacking, robbery and weapons charges.

Allison Tolson, Anthony's mother, said she is relieved that Cox and Young were arrested, but is still grieving because nothing can bring her son back.

"It's overwhelming. It's horrific. It's heartbreaking," Allison Tolson said. "I don't know how else to describe the agony of it all."


Copyright 2016 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.
FAITH unites people
RELIGION divides FAITH

Offline malthumb

  • Moderator
  • LGM Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 4646
  • Gender: Male
  • Praise Is What I Do
    • Your Car Does What?!?!?

Re: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2016, 01:14:30 PM »
And now justice is done.  So sad that we ever had to deal with this.



Man sentenced to life in prison for muder of Detroit musician on Christmas Eve
1:35 PM, Aug 4, 2016
31 mins ago

DETROIT (WXYZ) - One of the men convicted in the Christmas Eve murder and carjacking of a musician in Detroit was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.

Charles Cox was sentenced to life in prison without parole on first degree felony murder and other charges, according to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

Cox and another man carjacked and killed Anthony Tolson on Christmas Eve outside of a party store in Detroit. Tolson had just left Central Baptist Church where he played bass in a holiday service.

He was on his way home to open gifts with his kids, but never made it there
FAITH unites people
RELIGION divides FAITH

Offline ssab

  • LGM Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 113
  • Gender: Male

Re: Gospel Bass Player Carjacked and Murdered in Detroit
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2016, 07:32:01 AM »
Thanks for the update Bro.
Pages: [1]   Go Up