Moshe Yess

Moshe Yess
Birth name Morris Arthur Yess[1]
Born April 18, 1945
Died January 8, 2011 (age 65)
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Genres Country, Contemporary Jewish
Occupation(s) Composer, singer-songwriter
Labels CBS Records International
Associated acts Megama
Website Official website

Moshe Aaron Yess (April 18, 1945 – January 8, 2011) was an Orthodox Jewish musician, composer and entertainer from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[2] A member of the Chabad community in Montreal, Yess was a regular performer at Chabad House events and shows, together with general music festivals and the annual A Time for Music concert.

In the 1960s, Yess shared stages with David Crosby, Jefferson Airplane, and The Association. For a time he was part of a psychedelic music group named Research 1-6-12 which produced one album in 1968. As a solo performer he played in Las Vegas, Reno, and other hot spots. In 1978 he moved from Hollywood, California to Jerusalem, Israel, where he enrolled in the Dvar Yerushalayim Yeshiva. There he met Rabbi Shalom Levine, who became his mentor in Halacha and his musical partner in Megama. They spoke about harnessing American-style music to communicate the beauty and values of Judaism. Thus was Megama (Hebrew for "trend") born.[3]

One of Yess's biggest hit songs was "My Zaidy," in which the speaker remembers his grandfather, who was his last link to Judaism. "My Zaidy" — "zaidy" is the Yiddish word for grandpa — touched several generations of American and Canadian Jews. Other hits by Megama included "Ain't Gonna Work on Saturday" and "Not Ashamed," and one of their successful children's shows was called "Judeo Rodeo". Another huge hit was the song "the Rebbe of Lubavitch is Messiah", composed in 1991.[4]

Yess collaborated with Abie Rotenberg to produce the children's audio series called The Marvelous Midos Machine composed of three volumes, with all-original material. When Rotenberg produced the 4th volume in December 2011, he made the album in tribute to Yess. In the 1990s, Yess started a rock band called Burnt Offering with the blessing of The Lubavitcher Rebbe. He eventually became a follower of Lubavitch Messianism, creating a website promoting his views.[5]

Last years and death

Yess retired from music in his later years when his health began to decline.[6] Moshe Yess died of cancer on January 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona. He was 65 years old.[7]

Discography

  • The Amazing Torah Bike 1-3
  • Art Imitates Life [8]
  • Jerusalem Echoes
  • The Jewish Kids Show
  • With Abie Rotenberg: Journeys Volumes 1-3
  • Kein Yevarech featuring songs by Baruch Chait
  • With Abie Rotenberg: The Marvelous Middos Machine: Volumes 1-3
  • Megama[9]
  • Megama - Farewell Concert
  • Megama - G-d is Alive and Well in Jerusalem[10]
  • Megama Greatest Hits Plus
  • No Limitations[11]
  • Pintele Yid[12]
  • Project Majestic - A Purim Story
  • Roburg[13]
  • Rock for the Redemption[14]
  • Songs about Safety[15]
  • Shabbos on My Mind
  • Silly Tales of Chelm and other Stories
  • Stories My Zaide Told Me 1-3
  • Story of Noah's Ark
  • Story of Yonah & the Big Fish
  • משיח featuring Avi Piamenta
  • The Yess Legacy - A Tribute to the Music of Moshe Yess[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Copyright registration PAu000147616 / 1979-08-29". Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  2. ↑ Line, Chabad On. "Musician Moshe Yess, 65, OBM". collive. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  3. ↑ The Greatest Hits of Megama... Plus!, album description on jewishjukebox.com Archived 2010-02-10 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ mmrutman (2015-11-02), Reb Moshe Yess OB"M - The Rebbe Of Lubavitch IS Messiah "Moshiach" 432Hz, retrieved 2016-12-28
  5. ↑ "Rabbi Yess". Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved 2013-01-23.
  6. ↑ http://chabad.info/index.php?url=article_en&id=21746 Rabbi Moshe Yess OBM
  7. ↑ Moshe Yess, Noted Composer and Singer Passes Away, crownheights.info; accessed January 12, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Art Imitates Life". Mosheyess.ca. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Megama Album (1980)". Mosheyess.ca. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  10. ↑ "God is alive and well - MosheYess.ca". Mosheyess.ca. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  11. ↑ "MosheYess.ca - No Limitations Album by Moshe Yess". Mosheyess.ca. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  12. ↑ "Moshe Yess - Pintele Yid Album - Moshe Yess.ca". Mosheyess.ca. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  13. ↑ Moshe Yess on Mostly Music Archived 2011-01-13 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ↑ "MosheYess.ca - Rock for The Redemption - Album by Moshe Yess". Mosheyess.ca. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  15. ↑ "Safety Album by Moshe Yess". Mosheyess.ca. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  16. ↑ "♫ - Various Artists. Listen @cdbaby". Store.cdbaby.com. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
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