Artist News: More Passings... John "Bobo" Bollenberg, Vitaly Menshikov

I have been working on a refresh of the site (all behind the scenes at present*) and as part of that, updating links.

In doing this search I learned that two of ProgressiveWorld's past contributors have passed away: John "Bobo" Bollenberg in January 2024 and Vitaly Menshikov in July 2017.

I had lost touch with both gentlemen over the years as their focuses shifted to other things (or sites) and as my focus shifted as well.

Although the basis for ProgressiveWorld.net started in 1997, it was in late 1999/early 2000 that I was introduced -- via email -- to John "Bobo" Bollenberg (through John Gabbard). From then, Bobo contributed more than just hundreds of reviews, interviews and articles to this site, as many of his suggestions were incorporated over the years in terms of content and layout. I would honestly say there'd be no ProgressiveWorld.net without his contributions. We even featured a "making-of"-type article from him on his The Bollenberg Experience release If Stones Could Speak. So in seeing what he was up to lately, I was shocked to read (in two sources, thus far) that he had passed away suddenly in January. I am, in fact, still shaken by the news....

Bobo was a well-known journalist in his home country of Belgium - his reviews and interviews can also be found on other review sites and print publications -- IOPages, Progression (which I see ceased publication in 2018), and Melltron, among others.

Vitaly contributed only a few reviews to Progressiveworld.net in 1999/2000, but I was still shocked to read that he had passed away nearly 7 years ago today. Like Bobo, Vitaly's passing was sudden, though I know he had had some health issues even at the time he and I had last communicated. Vitaly was a reviewer for his own website, Progressor.net, based in Uzbekistan. The site lives on with his co-creator Olav Martin Bjornsen and Vitaly's son Dmitriy (among others).

Vitaly was also a musician and music producer; as musician, you'll find him on X-Religion's >Dances With Gobelins and Al-Bird's >Sodom And Gomorrah XXI; as producer, he's credited with both Flight 09's releases -- Rifflections and Forbidden Lullabies.

Both their voices will live on here at ProgressiveWorld.net as well.