a Phil Brodie Band Info Page
"Births & Deaths"
These birthdates and death dates are unique to this site,
I have been working on them for over 10 years now.
PLEASE give credit or link if copied
PAGES UPDATED DAILY
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
AUGUST: Charts ~ AUGUST: On This Day ~ AUGUST: Quiz
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
AUGUST
SADLY DEPARTED
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
RESPECT - OBITUARIES
.. 2013 .. 2012 .. 2011 .. 2010 .. 2009 .. 2008 .. 2007 .. 2006 .. 2005 .. 2004 .. REQUESTS
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MORE BIRTHDATES & PASSINGS & TRIBUTES
January . February . March . April . May . June . July
August . September . October . November . December
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
AUGUST BIRTHDAYS

Born ~ August 1st ..
1996: Cymphonique Miller (US actress, singer)
1995: Derrick Monasterio (Filipino actor, singer)
1994: Ayaka Wada (Japanese singer; S-mileage/Shugo Chara Egg!)
1993: Leon Thomas III (US actor, singer)
1989: Tiffany/Stephanie Hwang (American-born South Korean singer; Girls' Generation).
1985: Hyun Jyu-ni (South Korean singer, actress).
1981: Ashley Parker Angel (US singer; O-Town/musicals).
1978: Jonathan Wilkes (UK singer, songwriter, actor).
1978: Dhani Harrison (UK singer, guitarist, synthesizer, piano; thenewno2/son of George Harrison)
1977: Damien Saez (French musician, songwriter, author).
1972: Nicke Royale/Niklas Andersson (Swedish multi-musician; The Hellacopters).
1970: Kenwyn House (UK guitarist; Reef).
1968: Dan Donegan (US guitarist; Vandal/Disturbed).
1964: Nick Christian Sayer (UK guitarist; Transvision Vamp).
1964: Adam Duritz (US vocals, piano; Counting Crows).
1963: Coolio/Artis Ivey Jr (US Rapper).
1963: Dean Wareham (New Zealand singer, guitarist; Galaxie 500, Luna, Dean and Britta).
1960: Chuck D/Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (US vocalist, rapper; Public Enemy).
1960: Suzi Gardner (US guitarist, vocalists; L7).
1959: Otomo Yoshihide (Japanese multi-musician; Ground Zero).
1959: Joe Elliot (UK lead singer; Def Leppard).
1958: Robert Buck (US lead guitarist;10,000 Maniacs/League of Blind Women)*19.Dec.2000..
1958: Michael Penn (US singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer).
1953: Robert Cray (US singer, blues guitarist).
1951: Tommy Bolin (US guitarist; Zephyr/James Gang/Deep Purple/sessionist)*04.Dec1976..
1951: Tim Bachman (US guitarist, vocalist; Bachman-Turner Overdrive).
1947: Rick Anderson (US bassist; The Tubes)?
1946: Rick Coonce/Erik Michael Coonce (US drummer, songwriter; Grass Roots/solo)*25.Feb.2011.
1946: Boz/Raymond Burrell (UK singer, bassist; Bad Company/King Crimson)*21.Sept.2006..
1945: Sandi Griffiths (American singer, TV personality).
1943: Geoffrey ''Geoff'' Britton (UK drummer; East of Eden/Wings/Manfred Mann's Earth Band).
1942: Jerry Garcia (US guitar, vocals, Grateful Dead)*9.Aug.1995..
1942: André Gagnon (French Canadian pianist and composer).
1941: Étienne Roda-Gil (French songwriter and screenwriter)*31.May.2004..
1931: Lloyd Brevett (Jamaican double bassist, founding member;The Skatalites)*03.May.2012.
1931: Ramblin' Jack Elliott/Elliott Charles Adnopoz (US blues singer, guitar, harmonica).
1930: Lionel Bart (UK composer of songs, musicals, eg. Oliver!)*03.April.1999..
1926: Theo Adam (German bass-baritone opera singer).
1922: Maria Hawkins Cole (US jazz singer, widow of Nat King Cole)*10.July.2012.
1910: Walter Scharf (US composer)*21.Feb.2003..
1879: Eva Tanguay (Canadian-born singer, entertainer)*11.Jan.1947..

August 2nd.
1988: Brittany Hargest (US singer; Jump5).
1985: Britt Nicole (US Christian pop artist)
1972: Chris Bender (US R&B singer)*03.Nov.1991.
1972: Justyna Steczkowska (Polish singer).
1970: Zelma Davis (vocals; C+C Music Factory)?
1969: Hellhammer/Jan Axel Blomberg (Norwegian drummer; Dimmu Borgir, Winds, Mayhem).
1969: Richard Hallebeek (Dutch jazz fusion guitarist).
1968: John Stanier (US drummer; Helmet).
1965: Alasdiar MaCaulay (drums, percussion, trumpet; Tindersticks).
1962: Lee Mavers (rhythm guitar, lead vocals; La's).
1961: Graham Dye (UK singer/songwriter, guitarist; Scarlet Party; The Alan Parsons Project).
1961: Cold 187um/Gregory Fernan Hutchinson (American rapper; Above the Law).
1961: Pete De Freitas (Spanish drummer; Echo And The Bunnymen)*14.June.1989.
1961: Graham Dye (UK singer, songwriter, guitarist; Scarlet Party/The Alan Parsons Project)
1960: Neal Morse (US multi-instrumentalist, prog rock composer; Spock's Beard/Transatlantic)
1960: David Yow (US singer; Scratch Acid/The Jesus Lizard)
1959: Apollonia Kotero (US singer, actress)
1957: Mojo Nixon/Neill Kirby McMillan, Jr (US singer, guitarist).
1956: Isabel Pantoja (Spanish singer)
1955: Butch Vig/Bryan David Vig (US record producer, drummer; Garbage)
1953: Donnie Munro/Donaidh Rothach (Scottish lead singer; Runrig).
1953: Marjo/Marjolène Morin (Quebec singer)
1951: Andrew Gold (US singer, songwriter, composer, multi-musician)*03.June.2011.
1951: Joe Lynn Turner (US singer; Deep Purple/Rainbow/Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force)
1951: Freddie Wadling (Swedish singer, actor, composer; The Leather Nun, Fleshquartet)
1949: Fat Larry James (US drummer, singer; Fat Larry's Band)*05.Dec.1987.
1948: Andy Fairweather-Low (Welsh vocalist, guitar; Amen Corner/solo).
1947: Massiel/María de los Ángeles Felisa Santamaría Espinosa (Spanish singer)
1945: Georgi Movsesyan (Russian composer)*07.Nov.2011.
1944: Jim Capaldi (UK drummer, songwriter; Traffic/many sessions)*28.Jan.2005.
1944: Naná Vasconcelos (Brazilian Latin jazz percussionist, vocalist, berimbau player)
1941: Homer Banks (US songwriter, singer, record produce with Stax)*03.April.2003.
1941: Doris Coley (US vocalist; The Shirelles)*04.Feb.2000.
1941: Andrew Roy Malcolm Steele (UK drums; The Herd).
1940: Will Tura/Arthur Knight Blanckaert (Belgian singer).
1939: Edward Patten (US vocals; Gladys Knight & The Pips)*25.Feb.2005.
1937: Garth 'Eric' Hudson (Canadian saxophone, keyboards; The Band/others).
1935: Hank Cochran (US country music singer and songwriter)*15.July.2010.
1924: Joe Harnell (US musician, composer, arranger)*14.July.2005.
1914: Félix Leclerc (Canadian singer, songwriter, writer)*08.Aug.1988.
1905: Karl Amadeus Hartmann (German composer)*05.Dec.1963.
1900: Helen Morgan (US singer and actress)*08.Oct.1941.
1896: Lorenzo Herrera (Venezuelan singer and composer)*1960

August 3rd.
1993: Yurina Kumai (Japanese singer)
1987: Kim Hyung Joon (Korean singer; SS501)
1985: Holly Blake-Arnstein (US vocalist; Dream)
1984: Chris Maurer (US bass player; Suburban Legends)
1980: Brandan Schieppati (US singer; Bleeding Through)
1978: Joi Chua (Singaporean singer)
1970: Stephen Carpenter (US lead guitarist, Deftones).
1970: Spinderella/Deirdre Roper (US DJ, rapper for the group Salt-N-Pepa).
1970: Manmohan Waris (Indian Punjabi folk, pop singer)
1967: Skin/Pea Narni/Deborah Anne Dyer (UK vocals; Skunk Anansie/solo).
1966: Dean Sams (US keyboardist, melodica; Lonestar).
1964: Lucky Philip Dube (South African reggae legend)*18.Oct.2007.
1963: James Hetfield (US vocals, producer, guitar; Metallica).
1963: Ed Roland (US guitar, vocals, Collective Soul).
1961: Lee Rocker/Leon Drucker (US double bassist; Stray Cats/many sessions)
1961: Art Porter Jr (US jazz saxophonist; Art Porter Sr/Art Porter Quartet)*23.Nov.1996.
1959: Martin Atkins (UK drummer; Public Image Ltd/Ministry, Pigface/Killing Joke/sessionist).
1956: Kirk Brandon (UK singer, guitarist; Spear Of Destiny/solo).
1953: Ian Brainson (Scottish guitar; Pilot).
1951: John Graham (guitar; Earth, Wind & Fire).
1949: Morris “B.B” Dickerson (bass; War).
1948: Ray Reach (American jazz pianist, vocalist).
1946: Syreeta Wright (US singer, songwriter)*06.July.2004.
1946: John York (US bassist, 12-string guitar, oud; Byrds/sessionist/guest).
1944: Nino Bravo/Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis (Spanish singer)*16.April.1973.
1941: Rudy Balliu (Belgian clarinetist).
1941: Beverly Lee (US vocalist; Shirelles).
1940: James Tyler (US lutenist, banjoist, guitarist, composer, musicologist)*23.Nov.2010.
1939: Jimmie Nicol (UK drummer; Spotnicks/Beatles/Colin Hicks/many others).
1938: Terry Wogan (Irish DJ, TV presenter; European Song Contest).
1936: Kenny Hodges (US bassist, vocals; Spanky And Our Gang)*29.Jan.2013.
1936: Vice Vukov (Croatian popular singer and politician)*24.Sept.2008.
1935: Vic Vogel (Canadian Jazz pianist, arranger, composer).
1935: Gordon Stoker (US vocals; Jordanaires)?
1935: Maria Biesu (Moldovan opera soprano)*16.May.2012.
1934: Michael Chapman (British classical bassoonist)*21.July.2005.
1929: Arthur Wood (original keyboardist; Climax Blues Band).
1926: Tony Bennett (US singer).
1923: Gordon Stoker (US singer, pianist; The Jordonaires)*27.March.2013.
1921: Richard Adler (US pianist, lyricist, composer and producer)*21.June.2012.
1920: Charlie Shavers (US trumpet player)*08.July.1971.
1917: Les Elgart (US jazz trumpeter and bandleader)*29.July.1995.
1916: Shakeel Badayuni (Indian poet, lyricist)*20.April.1970.
1913: Sripada Pinakapani (Indian classical singer)*11.March.2013.
1911: Manuel Esperón González (Mexican songwriter, composer)*13.Feb.2011.

August 4th.
1992: Tiffany Evans (US vocalist; American Idol contestant/solo).
1989: Jessica Mauboy (Australian singer; Young Divas).
1985: Kina Grannis (US singer-songwriter, guitarist)
1985: Crystal Bowersox (US singer)
1981: Marques Houston (US vocals; IMx/solo).
1975: Andy Hallett (US actor, singer)*29.March.2009.
1973: Eva Amaral (Spanish singer, songwriter)
1969: Max Cavalera (Italian-Brazilian guitarist, vocals; Sepultura/Soulfly).
1968: Rob Cieka (UK drummer; Boo Radleys).
1966: Andy Henderson (UK drummer; Echobelly)?
1965: Terry Lyne Carrington (US jazz drummer).
1963: Sami Yaffa (US bassist, guitar; New York Dolls/Hanoi Rocks/Jetboy).
1962: Paul Reynolds (UK guitarist; A Flock Of Seagulls).
1960: Graham Massey (UK keyboards, 808 State).
1959: Robbin Crosby (US guitarist; Ratt)*06.June.2002.
1958: Ian Broudie (UK frontman; Lightning Seeds /producer).
1956: Professor X/Lumumba Robert Carson (US rapper with X-Clan)*17.March.2006.
1954: François Valéry (French singer-songwriter, composer)
1952: Moya Brennan/Maire Ni Bhraonian (Irish vocals, harp; Clannad).
1951: Roy Flowers (Jamaican drummer; Sweet Sensation).
1947: Paul Layton (UK guitarist, vocals; New Seekers).
1947: Klaus Schultze (German electronic music composer, multi-musician; Tangerine Dream/Ash Ra Tempel).
1943: David Carr (UK keyboardist; Fortunes).
1940: Timi Yuro/Rosemary Timothy Yuro (US soul and R&B singer)*30.March.2004.
1940: Larry Knechtel (US guitar, keyboards; sessionist with Bread dozens more)*20.Aug.2009.
1939: Frankie Ford (US singer).
1937: David Bedford (UK keyboardist, composer, educator)*01.Oct.2011.
1936: Elsberry Hobbs (US bass vocalist; Drifters).
1929: Kishore Kumar (Indian singer, actor)*13.Oct.1987.
1927: Jess Thomas (US operatic tenor)*11.Oct.1993.
1924: Izhak Graziani (Bulgarian-born conductor)*07.July.2003.
1921: Herbert "Herb" Ellis (American jazz guitarist)*28.March.2010.
1919: James Blackwood (US gospel singer; The Blackwood Brothers)*03.Feb.2002.
1912: David Raksin (US composer of film and TV music)*09.Aug.2004.
1910: William Schuman (US composer)*15.Feb.1992.
1908: Kurt Peter Eichhorn (German conductor)*29.June.1994.
1904: Helen Kane (US singer, dancer, actress)*26.Sept.1966.
1901: Louis Armstrong (US singer, trumpet, bandleader)*06.July.1971.

August 5th.
2000: Maya Bond (Japanese-born, US experimental singer-songwriter, drummer).
1986: Cassie Davis (Australian singer)
1985: Megan Joy Corkrey/Knudsen (US singer; 8th season American Idol).
1987: Stephanie Edwards (US singer; 6th season American Idol).
1983: Dawn Angeliqué Richard (US singer, songwriter, dancer; Danity Kane/Dirty Money/solo).
1982: Tobias Regner (Austro-German singer, songwriter, musician; winner of 3rd German Pop Idol).
1981: Ko Shibasaki/Yukie Yamamura (Japanese singer, actress).
1978: Nektaria Karantzi (Greek Byzantine and traditional singer).
1975: Eicca Toppinen (Finnish cellist, songwriter, producer, arranger; Apocalyptica/others).
1975: Dan Hipgrave (UK guitarist, vocals, TV presenter;Toploader).
1974: Spike Dawbarn/Simon Dawbarn (UK singer, dancer; 911).
1972: Christian Olde Wolbers (Belgian bassist, guitar, cello, programmer, producer; Fear Factory).
1971: Evil Jared Hasselhoff/Jared Hennegan (US bassist, vocals; The Bloodhound Gang).
1970: Hype Williams/Harold Williams (US music video-turned-film director)
1968: Terri Clark (Canadian country music vocalist).
1968: Funkmaster Flex/Aston George Taylor Jr (US hip hop DJ).
1967: Thomas Lang (Austrian drummer; international sessionist/tutor/clinician/producer).
1967: Matthew Caws (US singer, guitarist; Nada Surf)
1966: Jennifer Finch (US bassist, photographer; Sugar Baby Doll/The Pandoras/L7).
1965: Motoi Sakuraba (Japanese keyboardist, composer)
1964: Adam Yauch aka M.C.A. (US bassist; Beastie Boys)*04.May.2012.
1963: Steve Lee (Swiss lead singer, founder member; Gotthard)*05.Oct.2010.
1961: Mark O'Connor (US violinist, guitar, mandolin; New Nashville Cats/guest/sessions).
1960: Mike Nocito (US guitarist, based in Europe; Johnny Hates Jazz Band).
1960: Stuart Croxford Neale (UK singer, pianist, guitarist, cello player; Kajagoogoo).
1960: Seth Swirsky (US songwriter, singer, guitarist).
1959: Pete Burns (UK singer; Dead Or Alive).
1959: Pat Smear (US guitar; Germs, Nirvana, Foo Fighters).
1957: Louis Walsh (Irish manager in the music industry).
1953: Samantha Sang (Australian singer).
1952: Louis Walsh (Irish Music Manager, X Factor Judge).
1951: Jemeel Moondoc (US avant-garde jazz alto saxophonist, flautist).
1947: Rick Derringer/Richard Zehringer (US guitarist, vocals; solo/sessions/'Weird Al'Yankovic/McCoys).
1947: Greg Leskiw (Canadian vocalist, guitarist; Guess Who/Mood Jga Jga).
1947: Gary "Angry" Anderson (Australian rock singer, TV presenter, reporter, actor).
1943: Jewel "Sammi" Smith (US country singer)*12.Feb.2005.
1942: Charles "Chuck" Day (US multi-musician; Johnny River/Mamas & Papas/own)*10.March.2008
1942: Rick Huxley (UK guitarist; Dave Clark Five).
1941: Airto Moreira (Brazilian drummer; Weather Report/freelance).
1941: Lenny Breau (US guitar player, singer, music educator)*12.Aug.1984.
1934: Vern Gosdin (US award winning country music singer)*28.April.2009.
1910: Bruno Coquatrix (French songwriter, music impresario)*01.April.1979.

August 6th.
1980: Wilber Pan (US-Taiwanese singer)
1978: Brian Maillard (Swiss guitarist; Dominici).
1972: Geri Halliwell/Ginger Spice (UK vocals; Spice Girls/solo).
1969: Elliot Smith (Folk-punk singer, songwriter; Heatmiser/solo)*21.Oct.2003.
1969: Martin Hathaway (British tenor saxophone player).
1965: Yuki Kajiura (Japanese composer)
1964: Gary Valenciano (Filipino singer)
1964: Patsy Lynn (US country western singer).
1964: Peggy Lynn (US country western singer).
1963: Jamie Kensit (UK keyboardist; Eighth Wonder).
1962: Marc Lavoine (French singer, actor).
1959: Sigurd Køhn (Norwegian jazz saxophonist, composer)*26.Dec.2004.
1959: Ferdinando Farao (Italian percussionist).
1958: Randy DeBarge (US vocalist, bassist; DeBarge).
1957: Eddie Mooney (UK lead vocalist, bassist; Fortunes).
1957: Hendrik Meurkins (German vibraphonist, harmonica player).
1955: Benjamin "Rusty" Magee (US composer-lyricist for theatre, TV, film, commercials)*16.Feb.2003.
1952: Vinnie Vincent/Vincent John Cusano (US guitarist, songwriter; Kiss/Vinnie Vincent Invasion).
1952: Pat McDonald (vocals, guitar; Timbuk 3).
1949: Carol Pope (Canadian singer-songwriter).
1946: Allan Holdsworth (UK guitarist; Soft Machine/solo).
1945: Micky Cooke (UK trombone player).
1942: Byard Lancaster (US jazz saxophonist, flutist)*23.Aug.2012.
1937: Baden Powell de Aquino (Brazilian guitar virtuoso)*26.Sept.2000.
1931: Jean Louis Chautemps (French tenor saxophone player).
1930: Abbey Lincoln/Anna Marie Wooldridge (US jazz singer)*14.Aug.2010.
1929: Mike Elliot (UK tenor saxophone; The Foundations).
1928: Andy Warhol (US pop artist, producer, manager of Velvet Underground)*22.Feb.1987.
1923: Jack Parnell/John Russell Parnell (UK bandleader, drummer, pianist, music director)*08.Aug.2010.
1919: Hugh Mendl (UK record producer, A&R representative, and manager)*07.July.2008.
1918: Norman Granz (US record producer)*22.Nov.2001.
1906: Vic Dickenson (African-American jazz trombonist)*16.Nov.1984.
1900: Willie Brown (US delta blues guitarist, singer)*30.Dec.1952.
1895: Ernesto Lecuona (Cuban pianist, composer)*29.Nov.1963.
1888: Heinrich Schlusnus (German baritone)*18.June.1952.

August 7th.
1983: Christian Chavez (Mexican singer, actor; RBD)
1980: Anomie Belle/Toby Campbell (US multi-musician, producer)
1978: Vanness Wu (Taiwanese singer)
1978: Jamey Jasta (US frontman; Hatebreed)
1977: Samantha Ronson (British DJ)
1975: Gaahl/Kristian Eivind Espedal (Norwegian frontman; Gorgoroth/Trelldom/Gaahlskagg).
1975: Koray Candemir (Turkish singer)
1974: Sek Loso (Thai singer)
1974: Dana Dawson (US singer and actress)*10.Aug.2010.
1973: Zane Lowe (New Zealander DJ, Radio, TV, presenter)
1972: Leo Mattioli (Argentine cumbia singer; Trinidad/solo)*07.Aug.2011.
1971: Rachel York (US actress, singer)
1968: Lynn Strait (US singer; Snot)
1968: James Lynn Strait (US singer, lyricist; metal/punk band Snot)*11.Dec.1998.
1966: Kristen Herch (US singer, guitarist; Throwing Muses/solo).
1965: Raul Malo (US singer, songwriter, producer; The Mavericks/solo).
1964: Ian Dench (UK guitar, keyboard, EMF).
1962: Bruno Pelletier (Québécois singer)
1960: Jacquie O'Sullivan (UK singer, Bananarama).
1958: Bruce Dickenson (UK vocalist; Iron Maiden).
1952: Alexei Sayle (US actor, comedian, comedy singer).
1952: Andy Fraser (UK bassist, songwriter; Free/Andy Fraser Band/guest).
1950: Rodney Crowell (US country guitarist, singer, songwriter).
1949: Carlo Novi (US vocals, saxophone; Asbury Jukes/freelance).
1946: Gail Robinson (US operatic soprano)*19.Oct.2008.
1945: Kerry Chater (US bassist,rhythm guitar,songwriter; Gary Puckett & the Union Gap)?
1943: Dino Valenti/Chester "Chet" Powers (US musician; Quicksilver Messenger Service)*16.Nov.1994.
1943: Lana Cantrell (Australian pop vocalist).
1942: B.J. Thomas/Billy Joe Thomas (US country singer).
1942: Caetano Veloso (Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer).
1939: Ron Holden (US pop singer)*22.Jan.1997.
1937: Magic Slim/Morris Holt (US blues singer, guitarist; Magic Slim+Teardrops)*20.Feb.2013.
1936: Charles Pope (US vocalist; The Tams).
1935: Rahsaan Roland Kirk (US saxophonist)*05.Dec.1977.
1928: Herb Reed (US bass singer; founder of the Platters)*04.June.2012.
1925: Felice Bryant (US songwriter)*22.April.2003
1923: Idrees Sulieman (US jazz musician, flugelhorn, trumpet)*23.July.2002.
1921: Warren Covington (US trombone player, bandleader)*24.Aug.1999.
1921: Manitas de Plata/Ricardo Baliardo (French gypsy guitarist)
1913: George Van Eps (US guitarist)*29.Nov.1998.
1887: Luckeyeth Roberts (US jazz/ragtime/blues composer and pianist)*05.Feb.1968.

August 8th.
1995: Malin Reitan (Norwegian singer)
1994: Crystal Evans (US vocalist; Girl Authority).
1981: Bradley McIntosh (UK vocalist; S Club 7).
1981: Harel Skaat (Israeli singer)
1981: Vanessa Amorosi (Australian singer, songwriter)
1981: Kaori Iida (Japanese singer, actress)
1980: Denisse Guerrero (Mexican singer; Belanova)
1980: Mike "Dirt" Hindert (US bassist; Bravery)
1979: Richard Harwood (UK cellist)
1979: Sam Totman (UK guitarist, songwriter; Dragonforce)
1979: Dan Smith (UK guitarist, vocals; Noisettes)
1978: Countess Danielle Vaughn (US actress, singer)
1976: Andrew 'Drew' Lachey (US baritone singer, 98 Degrees).
1976: JC Chasez/Joshua Scott Chasez (US vocals; 'N Sync).
1974: Brian Harvey (UK singer; East 17).
1973: Scott Stapp/Anthony Scott Flippen (US vocalist; Creed).
1973: Toby Allen (Australian singer; Human Nature)
1972: Lüpüs Thünder (US lead guitarist; The Bloodhound Gang)
1969: Faye Wong (Hong Kong singer, actress)
1968: Huey Morgan (US singer, guitarist; Fun Lovin' Criminals)
1965: El Hefe/Aaron Abeyta (US guitarist, vocals, multi-musician; NOFX)
1962: Kool Moe Dee/Mohandas DeWese (US hip hop & rap artist).
1961: The Edge/David Howell Evans (Irish lead guitar; U2).
1961: Paul Jackson (UK bassist; T'Pau).
1961: Daniel House (US bassist; Skin Yard/owner of C/Z Records)
1961: Rikki Rockett/Richard Allan Ream (US drummer; Poison).
1957: Dennis Drew (US keyboardist; 10,000 Maniacs).
1956: Chris Foreman (UK guitarist, Madness).
1956: David Grant (UK singer, voice coach; Linx/sessions/solo).
1955: Ali Score (UK drummer, vocals; A Flock of Seagulls).
1955: Diddú/Sigrún Hjálmtýsdóttir (Icelandic soprano, songwriter).
1953: Todd Cerney (US songwriter of rock, country, blues; multi-musician)*14.March.2011.
1952: Anton Fig (Sth African drummer; David Letterman Band/top sessionist)
1950: Sandy Pearlman (US poet and songwriter, music producer).
1950: Willie Hall (US drummer; Bar-Kays/the MGs/Isaac Hayes's band/The Blues Brothers/many others)
1949: Airrion Love (US baritone singer; Stylistics).
1948: Lanier Greig (US rock keyboardist, bassist; ZZ Top/sessionist)*15.Feb.2013.
1946: Pete Rowney (UK drummer; Johnny Mike and the Shades)
1944: Robin Calville (UK vocalist; The Grumbleweeds).
1944: John Renbourn (UK singer, songwriter, guitarist)
1942: John David (US drummer; Dr. Hook).
1942: John "Gus" Gustafson (UK singer, bassist; Big Three/Merseybeats/Roxy Music/Ian Gillan/others)
1940: M. G. Radhakrishnan (Indian music director)*02.July.2010.
1938: Connie Stevens (US actress, singer).
1938: Marcia Lewis (US musical theatre actress and singer)*21.Dec.2010.
1935: Janos Furst (Hungarian orchestral conductor)*03.Jan.2007.
1933: Joe Tex/Joseph Arrington (US southern soul singer)*13.Aug.1982.
1932: Mel Tillis (US country artist, singer, guitarist).
1929: Josef Suk (Czech violinist, violist, chamber musician, conductor)*06.July.2011.
1928: Don Burrows (Australian jazz-swing clarinet, saxophone, flute).
1927: Frank Traynor (Australian trombonist)*1985.
1921: Webb Pierce (US singer)*24.Feb.1991.
1920: Leo Chiosso (Italian lyricist)*26.Nov.2006.
1920: Jimmy Witherspoon (US singer)*18.Sept.1997.
1907: Benny Carter (US jazz alto saxophone player)*12.July.2003.
1905: André Jolivet (French composer)*20.Dec.1974.
1891: Adolf Busch (German violinist, composer)*09.June.1952.

August 9th.
1986: Telle/Tyler Smith (US singer; The Word Alive/Greeley Estates/n Fear and Faith)
1983: Alicja Smietana (Polish violinist)
1972: Juanes/Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez (Colombian singer-songwriter-guitarist).
1972: A-Mei (Taiwanese pop singer).
1971: Mack 10/Dedrick Rolison (US gangsta rapper, actor; Westside Connection/solo).
1971: Tash/Rico Smith (American rapper;Tha Alkaholiks).
1970: Arion Salazar (US bassist; Third Eye Blind).
1969: Smaragda Karydi (Greek singer)
1968: Sam Fogarino (US drummer; Interpol).
1963: Whitney Houston (US singer, pop diva, model, actress)*11.Feb.2012.
1959: Kurtis Blow/Kool DJ Kurt/Curtis Walker (vocals, keyboards, rap artist).
1954: Pete Thomas (UK composer, music producer, drummer; Elvis Costello/sessionist).
1947: Barbara Mason (US soul singer)
1946: Marinus Gerritsen (bass, keyboards; Golden Earring).
1946: John Parry (trombonist; Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band)?
1944: Vic Prince (UK drummer; Pretty Things).
1934: Robert Arthur Hales (Canadian bandleader, trumpet player).
1939: Billy Henderson (US singer; Detroit Spinners)*02.Feb.2007.
1928: Dolores Wilson (US opera singer)*28.Sept.2010.
1923: Adrian Foley, 8th Baron Foley (British peer, composer, pianist)*12.Feb.2012.
1922: Philip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL (UK poet, music column writer and music critic)*02.Dec.1985.
1920: Marjorie "Margie" Hyams (US jazz vibraphonist, pianist, arranger)*14.June.2012.
1919: Edmund Hockridge (Canadian singer and actor)*15.March.2009.
1914: Ferenc Fricsay (Hungarian conductor)*20.Feb.1963.
1875: Albert William Ketèlbey (UK composer, conductor, pianist)*26.Nov.1959.

August 10th.
1993: Yuto Nakajima (Japanese actor, singer)
1981: Natsumi Abe (Japanese singer, actress).
1980: Lydia Salnikova (Russian C&W vocalist; Bering Strait).
1977: Aaron Kamin (US guitarist, song writer; The Calling).
1973: Jennifer Hanson (US country music singer-songwriter).
1972: Christofer Johnsson (Swedish guitarist, vocals; Therion).
1971: Stephan Groth (Danish-born Norwegian vocalist; Apoptygma Berzerk)
1968: Kangol Kid (US rapper; UTFO).
1968: Michael Bivins (US singer, manager; New Edition & Bell Biv DeVoe)
1968: Leigh Marklew (UK bassist; Terrorvision).
1968: Salvatore Licitra (Italian operatic tenor)*05.Sept.2011.
1967: Todd Nichols (US guitarist; Toad The Wet Sprocket).
1967: Lorraine Pearson (UK vocals; 5 star).
1967: Mart Sander (Estonian singer, actor, TV host).
1966: Hansi Kürsch (German singer).
1964: Aaron Hall (US R&B singer, songwriter).
1962: Julia Fordham (singer, songwriter).
1961: Jon Farriss (Australian drummer;INXS).
1959: Florent Vollant (Innu-Canadian singer, percussionist, musician; Kashtin)
1959: Mark Price (UK drummer; All About Eve/Del Amitri/Mice).
1956: Charlie Peacock (US record producer, singer-songwriter)
1950: Patti Austin (US R&B and jazz music singer).
1949: Gene Johnson (US mandolinist, banjo, fiddle, guitar, tenor vocals; Diamond Rio).
1949: Andy Cresswell-Davis (vocals, keyboards, guitar; Korgis).
1947: Ian Anderson (Scottish vocals, guitar, flute, acoustic guitar; Leader of Jethro Tull).
1946: Mick Clarke (US bassist; Rubettes).
1945: Steve Perry (UK 60's singer) not to be confused with Steve Perry of Journey fame.
1945: Dickie Pride/Richard Charles Kneller (UK rock and roll singer)
1943: Ronnie Spector/Veronica Yvette Bennett (US singer; Ronettes).
1943: Michael Mantler (US trumpeter, composer)
1943: James Griffin (US guitar, vocals, engineer; Bread)*11.Jan.2005.
1943: Louise Forestier (French-Canadian singer, songwriter, actress).
1940: Daddy Dewdrop/Dick Monda (American songwriter).
1940: Michael "Tunes" Antunes (US saxophonist; John Cafferty&Beaver Brown Band/Eddie&The Cruisers).
1940: Robert Lee "Bobby" Hatfield (US singer; Righteous Brothers)*05.Nov.2003.
1928: Eddie Fisher (US singer, entertainer).
1928: Jimmy Dean (US country music singer, actor, TV host, businessman)*13.June.2010.
1922: Al Alberts/Al Albertini (US singer, composer, TV personality; Four Aces/solo)*27.Nov.2009.
1909: Leo Fender (US inventor of The Telecaster and Stratocaster)*21.March.1991.
1872: Bill Johnson (US jazz bassist, the father of the "slap" style, sessionist)*03.Dec.1972.
1865: Alexander Glazunov (Russian composer)*21.March.1936.

August 11th.
1993: Alyson Stoner (US actress, model, singer, dancer)
1985: J-Boog/Jarell Damonte Houston (US singer; B2K/solo).
1985: Asher Roth (US rapper)
1981: Fiona Sit (Hong Kong singer, actress)
1981: Sandi Thom (Scottish singer)
1978: Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly (US hip hop, rapper; Kris Kross)*May 1st 2013.
1977: Gemma Hayes (Irish singer)
1976: Benjamin Gibbard (US singer, songwriter, guitarist; Death Cab for Cutie/The Postal Service)
1975: Davey von Bohlen (US guitarist, vocalist; The Promise Ring/Maritime)
1974: Hadiqa Kiyani (Pakistani singer)
1970: Ali Shaheed Muhammad (rapper, hip hop DJ; A Tribe Called Quest).
1970: Andy Bell (Welsh bassist, vocals; Beady Eye/Ride/Oasis)...not Andy Bell of Erasure
1968: Charlie Sexton (US guitarist, singer, songwriter; Charlie Sexton Sextet/Bob Dylan).
1967: Enrique Bunbury (Spanish singer)
1964: Hamish Seelochan (UK vocalist; Pasadenas).
1962: Bragi Ólafsson (Iclandic bassist; The Sugarcubes).
1960: Paul Gendler (UK guitarist; Modern Romance).
1959: Gustavo Cerati (Argentinian singer, songwriter, guitar; Soda Stereo)
1958: Jah Wobble/John Joseph Wardle (UK bass guitarist, singer, poet, composer).
1957: Ian Stuart Donaldson (British singer; Skrewdriver)*24.Sept.1993.
1957: Richard Reinhardt/Richie Beau/Richie Ramone (US drummer; The Ramones/Velveteen).
1954: Joe Jackson/David Ian Jackson (UK singer, sax, keyboards, piano; Joe Jackson Band).
1954: Bryan Bassett (US guitarist, slide guitar, vocals; Wild Cherry/Foghat)?
1953: Amy Holland (US Pop Rock singer)
1952: Bob Mothersbaugh (US guitarist, vocals; Devo/The Bob I Band).
1950: Erik Braunn (US lead guitar; Iron Butterfly)*25.July.2004.
1949: Eric Carmen (US singer, keyboard, piano, guitar; Raspberries/solo).
1948: Bill Hurd (UK keyboardist; Rubettes).
1946: John Conlee (US country music singer)
1943: Jim Kale (Canadian bassist; The Guess Who).
1943: Stefania Toczyska (Polish mezzo-soprano).
1943: Harold "David" Box (US singer; Buddy and the Kings/sessioned with The Crickets)*23.Oct.1964.
1943: Denis Payton (UK saxophone, multi-musician; Dave Clark Five)*17.Dec.2006.
1942: Mike Hugg (UK drummmer, composer; Manfred Mann).
1940: Peter King (English jazz saxophonist, composer, and clarinettist).
1939: Ronnie Dawson (US rockabilly singer, guitarist)*23.Sept.2003.
1927: Raymond Leppard (English conductor)
1925: Mike Douglas/Michael Delaney Dowd Jr. (US singer, TV Host)*11.Aug.2006.
1922: Ronald Erle “Ron” Grainer (Australian-born composer)*21.Feb.1981.
1919: Ginette Neveu (French violinist; a violin virtuoso)*28.Oct.1949.
1914: Hugh Martin (US musical theatre-film composer, arranger, vocal coach)*11.March.2011.
1913: Franck Pourcel (French orchestra leader and violinist)*12.Nov.2000.
1909: Yuji Koseki (Japanese ryukoka, gunka, march, fight song and film score composer)*18.Aug.1989.

August 12th.
1988: Justin Gaston (US actor, model, singer)
1980: Jade Valerie/Jade Villalon (US singer/songwriter; Sweetbox).
1980: Matt Thiessen (Canadian lead singer, rhythm guitarist, pianist; Relient K).
1977: Park Yong-ha (Korean actor, singer)*30.June.2010.
1976: Wednesday 13/Joseph Poole (US singer, multi-musician; Wednesday 13, Murderdolls).
1976: Mikko Viljami "Linde" Lindström (Finnish guitarist)
1975: Robert Burås (Norwegian guitarist; Madrugada/My Midnight Creeps)*12.July.2007.
1972: Del tha Funkee Homosapien/Teren Delvon Jones (US hip hop artist; Deltron 3030).
1972: Grey DeLisle/Erin Grey Van Oosbree (US singer, voice actress, song-writer)
1970: Sharam Tayebi (Iranian DJ, music producer; one-half of Deep Dish).
1969: Tanita Tikaram (UK- German born singer, songwriter).
1968: Paul Tucker (UK keyboardist, piano, producer; Lighthouse Family/The Orange Lights).
1967: Andy Hui (Hong Kong actor, singer).
1965: Bon Harris (UK percussionist; Nitzer Ebb).
1963: Sir Mix-A-Lot/Anthony Ray (US rapper).
1961: Roy Hay (UK guitarist, vocals; Culture Club).
1961: Lawrence Hayward (UK singer; Felt, Denim, Go Kart Mozart)
1960: Morty Black/Morten Skaget (Norwegian bassist, drums; TNT/solo/guest).
1958: Jurgen Dehmel (German bassist, songwriter; Nena).
1954: Patrick 'Pat' Metheny (US jazz rock guitarist; Pat Metheny Group/solo/session/guest).
1956: Danny Shirley (US country music singer)
1953: Jerry Speiser (Australian drummer, vocals; Men At Work).
1950: August Darnell/Thomas August Darnell Browder(singer; Kid Creole & the Coconuts).
1949: Louis Martin (Nth Irish pianist, organ player; Rory Gallagher/Killing Floor)*17.Aug.2012.
1949: Mark Knopfler (UK guitar, vocals; Dire Straits/solo/guest).
1948: Cliff Fish (UK bassist; Paper Lace).
1947: Ozzie Yue/Austin J. Yue (UK actor, guitarist, singer; Hideaways/Supercharge/Yue Hoo)
1945: Ronald David Mael (US keyboardist; Bijou/Sparks/freelance).
1944: Larry Troutman (US percussionist; Zapp)*25.April.1999.
1943: Lesley Duncan (English singer-songwriter)*12.March.2010.
1941: Craig Douglas/Terence Perkins (UK pop singer).
1940: Tony Allen (Nigerian drummer instrumental in creation of the Afrobeat).
1937: Jimmy Norman (US singer, songwriter; The Coasters/Harlem River Drive)*08.Nov.2011.
1929: Alvis Edgar "Buck" Owens Jr (American singer and guitarist; the Buckaroos)*25.March.2006
1929: Peter Greenwell (composer, pianist; Noel Coward/Own Band)*04.June.2006.
1927: Porter Wagoner (UK country music singer)*28.Oct.2007.
1926: Joe Jones (US R&B singer)*27.Nov.2005.
1915: Sickan Carlsson/Anna-Greta Carlsson Adamson (Swedish actress and singer)*02.Nov.2011.
1914: Ruth Lowe (Canadian songwriter, pianist)*04.Jan.1981.
1912: Billy Douglas (American trumpeter, vocalist)*1978
1910: Joseph Spence (Bahamian fisherman-turned-guitarist)*18.March.1984.
1890: Al Goodman (Russian composer, musical director, conductor, pianist)*10.Jan.1972.

August 13th.
1984: James Morrison (UK singer)
1982: Kalenna Harper (US singer-songwriter; Dirty Money)
1974: Sam Endicott (US singer; The Bravery)
1965: Hayato Matsuo (Japanese composer)
1962: Nick Savage (US saxophonist; Bo Diddley Band/guest/sessions).
1962: Thanos Kalliris (Greek singer)
1961: Stuart Maconie (English music writer, broadcaster)
1960: Koji Kondo (Japanese composer)
1959: Mark E. Nevin (Welsh singer, songwriter; Fairground Attraction).
1959: Michael Bradley (Nth. Irish bass player; Undertones).
1958: Sean Feargal Sharkey (Nth. Irish singer; Undertones).
1954: Nico Assumpção (Brazilian pioneering bassist)*20.Jan.2001.
1952: Hughie Thomasson (US guitarist, vocals; Outlaws/Lynyrd Skynyrd.)*09.Sept.2007.
1952: Dave Carter (US folk singer-songwriter, guitarist)*19.July.2002.
1951: Dan Fogelberg (US singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist)*16.Dec.2007.
1950: Pluto Shervington (reggae musician, vocalist, engineer and producer).
1949: Jonathan Arendt (Japanese born bassist; Paper Lace/M.D. of Planet Rock radio).
1948: Kathleen Battle (US soprano)
1943: Mississippi Slim/Walter Horn Jr (American blues singer)*14.April.2010.
1940: John Stokes (Irish singer, harmonica; The Bachelors).
1939: Howard Tate (US soul singer and songwriter)*02.Dec.2011.
1938: Michael Joseph Smith (Chicago jazz sax player).
1938: Dave "Baby" Cortez (US pop keyboardist)
1930: Don Ho/Donald Ho Tai Loy (Hawaiin pop singer, keyboardist)*14.April.2007.
1929: Augustyn Bloch (composer, member of the Polish Composers Union)*06.April.2006.
1927: Joe Puma (US jazz guitarist; session/bandleader)*31.May.2000.
1925: Benny Bailey/Ernest Harold Bailey (American bop trumpeter)*14.April.2005.
1921: Jimmy McCracklin/James David Walker (US pianist, vocalist, songwriter)*20.Dec.2012.
1920: Elizabeth Fretwell OBE (Australian prima donna operatic singer)*05.June.2006.
1914: Luis Mariano/Mariano Eusebio González y García (Spanish Basque operetta singer)*14.July.1970.
1919: Sir George Shearing OBE (UK jazz pianist)*14.Feb.2011.
1908: Tau Moe (Samoan pioneer Hawaiian steel guitarist)*24.June.2004.
1904: Charles "Buddy" Rogers (American actor and jazz musician)*21.April.1999.
1902: Karl "Charlie" Schwedler (German jazz singer; Nazi propaganda Charlie and His Orchestra)*1973.
1879: John Ireland (UK composer)*12.June.1962.

August 14th.
1990: Jaydee Bixby (Canadian singer)
1988: Shahd Barmada (Syrian singer)
1987: Chrystina Sayers (US singer, dancer; Girlicious)
1984: Nick Grimshaw (UK radio DJ, television presenter)
1980: Estrella Morente (Spanish flamenco singer)
1976: Maya Nasri (Lebanese actress, singer)
1974: Ana Matronic/Ana Lynch (US vocals; Scissor Sisters).
1974: Martin Bulloch (Scottish drummer; Mogwai)
1971: Walter Blanding (US tenor saxophonist).
1970: Kevin Cadogan (lead guitarist; Third Eye Blind).
1969: Johnny G/Johnny Giosa (US drummer; BulletBoys)*28.Aug.2011.
1969: DJ Uncle Al/Albert Moss (US hip-hop DJ)*10.Sept.2001.
1968: Jez Willis (UK member of British electronic band, Utah Saints).
1965: Mark Collins (UK guitarist; Charlatans UK/Starsailor).
1960: Sarah Brightman (English soprano singer, actress).
1960: Cecilia Gasdia (Italian soprano)
1956: Jerry Underwood (UK saxophone player; Pentangle/John Martyn/Spirit Level/Bullet)*03.Aug.2002.
1956: Sharon Bryant (US lead singer; Atlantic Starr/solo).
1953: James Horner (US composer)
1952 John McCutcheon (US folk singer, multi-instrumentalist)
1951: Peter Blegvad (US singer-songwriter, guitarist, cartoonist; Slapp Happy)
1951: Bob "Slim" Dunlap (US singer, songwriter, lead guitarist; the Replacements/solo).
1948: Terry Adams (US pianist, composer; NRBQ)
1947: George Ewart Newsome (UK drummer; Climax Blues Band).
1947: Maddy Prior (UK singer; Steeleye Span/Silly Sisters).
1946: Yabby You/Vivian Jackson (Jamaican reggae singer, producer)*12.Jan.2010.
1946: Larry Graham (US baritone singer, bassist; Sly and The Family Stone).
1946: Alexander Curly/Harm Douwe Breemer (Dutch singer)*04.June.2012.
1942: Frank "Son" Seals (US blues guitarist/singer)*20.Dec.2004.
1942: Lionel Morton (vocalist, rhythm guitarist, television presenter; Four Pennies).
1941: David Crosby (US singer, guitarist; Crosby, Stills & Nash/solo/guest).
1941: Don Bennett (US jazz pianist).
1941: Connie Smith (US singer)
1940: Dash Crofts (drums, mandolin, keyboards, guitar; Seals & Crofts).
1930: Eddie Costa (US jazz pianist, vibraphonist)*28.July.1962.
1926: Buddy Greco (American pianist, vocalist; Benny Goodman/solo/freelance).
1926: Johnny Rogers (British jazz clarinetist, saxophonist).
1924: Georges Prêtre (French conductor)
1910: Pierre Schaeffer (French composer)*19.Aug.1995.
1910: John Gerrish (American composer)*29.Nov.2010.

August 15th.
1989: Carlos Pena Jr (US actor, singer; Big Time Rush).
1989: Joseph Adam "Joe" Jonas (American singer; Jonas Brothers).
1989: Belinda/Belinda Peregrín Schüll (Spanish-born Mexican singer, songwriter, actress).
1988: Tiffanie Anderson (US singer, dancer; Girlicious).
1978: Tim Foreman (American bassist; Switchfoot).
1973: Adnan Sami/Adnan Sami Khan (UK born music composer, singer, pianist).
1972: Mikey Graham (Irish vocalist, actor; Boyzone).
1969: Bernard Fanning (Australian lead singer, songwriter; Award winning Powderfinger).
1969: Kevin Cheng (Hong Kong actor, singer).
1966: Shirley Kwan/Kwan Suk Yee (Hong Kong singer, dancer, actress).
1963: Lady Miss Kier/Kierin Magenta Kirby (US singer, DJ).
1962: Marcia Schofield (UK keyboardist; Fall)?
1961: Matt Johnson (UK singer, songwriter; The The).
1956: Lorraine Desmarais (French-Canadian jazz pianist, musical director, composer).
1951: Bobby Caldwell (American singer, multi-musician).
1958: Neil Arthur (UK vocalist, Blancmange).
1950: Tommy Aldridge (US drummer; Black Oak Arkansas/Ozzie/Whitesnake/others/session).
1948: Patsy Gallant (Canadian pop singer, musical theatre actress).
1946: Jimmy Webb (US singer, keyboards, US popular music composer; Strawberry Children).
1945: Eddie Phillips (British lead guitarist; The Creation).
1944: Sylvie Vartan (Bulgarian pop singer).
1942: Pete York (UK drums; Spencer Davis Group).
1942: Bill Brown (US disc jockey; CBS-FM)*09.Oct.2011.
1942: Edwin Michael "Eddie" Phillips (UK guitarist, songwriter; The Mark Four/Creation/others)
1940: Rita Shane (American soprano).
1938: Shirley "Shan" Palmer (singer; Kaye sisters).
1938: Nesbert "Stix" Hooper (drums; Crusaders/sessionist/guest).
1934: Nino Ferrer/Nino Agostino Arturo Maria Ferrari (French-Italian singer)*13.Aug.1998.
1934: Bobby Byrd (US soul/funk singer)*12.Sept.2007.
1934: Georgy Garanyan (Russian alto saxophone player; Melodia/Moscow Big Band)*11.Jan.2010.
1933: Bobby Helms (US pop singer)*June 19th 1997.
1933: Mike Seeger (US folk multi-musician, singer, folklorist; New Lost City Ramblers)*07.Aug.2009.
1930: Jackie Brenston (US R&B singer, saxophonist)*15.Dec.1979.
1933: Floyd Ashman (US vocalist; Tams).
1925: Bill Pinkney (US bass singer; Drifters/Original Drifters)*04.July.2007.
1925: Rose Maddox (US country & blues singer-songwriter; solo/Maddox Brothers & Rose)*15.April.1998.
1925: Oscar Peterson (Legendary Canadian jazz pianist)*23.Dec.2007.
1922: Giorgos Mouzakis (Greek songwriter, trumpet player)*27.Aug.2005.
1922: Lukas Foss (German-born composer)*01.Feb.2009.
1919: Victor Merzhanov (Russian classical pianist)*20.Dec.2012.
1912: Ustad Amir Khan (Indian classical singer, composer, musician)*13.Feb.1974.
1909: Hugo Winterhalter (violin, reed instruments, arranger, composer)*17.Sept.1973.
1893: Aleksandr Gauk (Russian conductor, composer)*30.March.1963.
1858: Emma Calvé/Rosa Emma Calvet (French soprano singer)*06.Jan.1942.

August 16th.
1997: Greyson Chance (US singer)
1991: G.E.M/Gloria Tang Zhi-Kei (Hong Kong singer)
1986: Chris Reynolds (Welsh DJ)
1983: Colin Griffiths (English TV presenter and DJ).
1980: Venessa Carlton (US singer, songwriter, piano).
1980: Robert Hardy (UK bassist; Franz Ferdinand).
1980: Hwangbo Hyejeong (Korean singer, rapper).
1977: Tamer Hosny (Egyptian singer/actor).
1976: Dave Ockun (American concert producer).
1975: Magic/Awood Johnson (American rappper)*01.March.2013.
1972: Emily Erwin (US singer, songwriter; Dixie Chicks).
1970: Killah Priest/Walter Reed (American rapper).
1967: MC Remedee/Debbie Pryce (UK hip hop, rap artist; Cookie Crew)?
1966: Barry Lather (US choreographer, musician and actor).
1964: Matt Lukin (US bassist; The Melvins/Mudhoney).
1961: De la Cour/Maria Susanna Michaela Dornonville de la Cour (Swedish singer; Army of Lovers).
1960: Chris Pedersen (US drummer; Camper Van Beethoven/Monks Of Doom).
1958: Madonna/Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone (US singer, actress).
1958: Angela Bassett (portrayed Tina Turner in the film What's Love Got to Do with It?).
1957: Tim Farriss (Australian lead guitar; INXS).
1953: James "J.T." Taylor (US lead singer; Kool & The Gang).
1953: Franky Sahilatua (Indonesian singer; Franky & Jane/solo)*20.April.2011.
1953: Kathie Lee Gifford (US singer and actress).
1949: William "Sputnik" Spooner (US guitarist, singer, songwriter; The Tubes/Folks-Up).
1949: Scott Asheton (US drummer; Iggy Pop's Stooges/Scots Pirates).
1948: Barry Hay (Indian-born Dutch singer, guitar, flute, saxophone; Golden Earring).
1945: Gordon "Snowy" Fleet (drummer; Easybeats)?
1945: Kevin Ayers (UK singer, songwriter; The Wilde Flowers/Soft Machine)*18.Feb.2013.
1945: Gary Loizzo (singer; American Breed).
1942: Robert 'Squirrel' Lester (US second tenor, founder member; Chi-Lites)*22.Jan.2010.
1942: Barbara George/Barbara Ann Smith (American singer and songwriter)*10.Aug.2006.
1942: Florin Amedeo Bogardo (Romanian composer and singer)*15.Aug.2009.
1934: Ketty Lester (American singer).
1931: Eydie Gormé (American latin pop artist, bolero performer).
1929: Bill Evans (US jazz pianist, bandleader)*15.Sept.1980.
1928: Carl Perkins (US jazz pianist; Max Roach-Clifford Brown/CurtisCounce)*17.March.1958.
1923: Eddie Kirkland (US blues guitarist, harmonicist, singer, songwriter)*27.Feb.2011.
1922: Ernie Freeman (US session pianist)*16.May.1981.
1921: Imants Kokars (Latvian conductor)*24.Nov.2011.
1917: Dorothy Taubman (US music teacher, lecturer)*03.April.2013.
1915: Al Hibbler (US Jazz, pop, r&b singer; Duke Ellington's band/solo)*24.April.2001.
1915: Melvin 'Lil Son' Jackson (US electric blues guitarist)*30.May.1976.
1915: Murray McEachern (US jazz and swing trombonist)*28.April.1982.
1908: Orlando Cole (US classical cellist, educator)*25.Jan.2010.
1888: Armand J. Piron (US jazz violinist, composer, bandleader)*17.Feb.1943.

August 17th.
1988: Nichole Marie Cordova (US singer, songwriter, dancer; Girlicious).
1986: Bryton McClure (US actor, singer)
1980: Lene Marlin (Norwegian singer)
1980: Rana Hasan Manzoor (Pakistani shred guitarist; sessionist/solo/Rana Hasan Proctect).
1978: Vibeke Stene (Norwegian singer; Tristania)
1977: Claire Richards (UK vocals; Steps).
1977: Tarja Turunen (Finnish singer)
1974: Tony Hajjar (Lebanese-US drummer; At the Drive-In/Sparta)
1971: Uhm Jung-hwa (South Korean singer, actress)
1970: Steve Cole (US award winning tenor saxophonist).
1969: Posdnuous/Kelvin Mercer (US hip-hop, rapper; De La Soul).
1969: Donnie Wahlberg (US vocals, producer; New Kids On The Block).
1967: Kevin Max (US singer; dc talk)
1966: Jill Cunniff (US bassist, vocalist; Luscious Jackson).
1966: Maysa Leak (US jazz singer)
1965: Steve Gorman (US drummer; Black Crowes).
1964: Colin James/Colin James Munn (Canadian composer, rock-swing-blues guitarist).
1964: Maria McKee (singer, guitar; Lone Justice).
1962: Gilby Clarke (US guitarist; Guns N' Roses/others)
1961: Everette Harp (African American blues, jazz and gospel saxophonist).
1960: Stephan Eicher (Swiss singer)
1960: Lisa Coleman (US piano, keyboards; Prince's band The Revolution).
1959: Chika Sakamoto (Japanese voice actress, singer)
1958: Belinda Carlisle aka Belinda Kurczeski (US singer; The Go-Go's/solo).
1955: Colin Moulding (bass, vocals, songwriter; XTC).
1954: Eric Johnson (US guitar virtuoso).
1953: Kevin Rowland (UK singer, songwriter; Dexy's Midnight Runners).
1949: Sib Hashian (US drummer; Boston)
1948: Rod MacDonald (US vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica)
1947: Gary Talley (US guitar; Box Tops).
1946: Drake Levin/ Levinshefski (US guitarist; Paul Revere & the Raiders/Brotherhood)*04.July.2009.
1944: John "The Chief" Seiter (US drums, vocals; Spanky And Our Gang).
1943: Dave "Snaker" Ray (US blues singer, guitarist; John Koerner/Tony Glover)*28.Nov.2002.
1942: Steve Day/Roderick Pont (UK lead vocalist; Wump+Werbles/Steve Day+Drifters)*??Sept 2002??
1942: Muslim Magomayev (Azerbaijani operatic and pop singer)*25.Oct.2008.
1941: Ferdi Özbegen (Turkish singer, keyboardist, actor)*28.Jan.2013.
1939: Luther Allison (American blues guitarist)*12.Aug.1997.
1937: Manfred Schulze (German jazz baritone saxophonist, clarinettist, tromponist)*25.July.2010.
1937: Ronnie Butler (Bahamian calypso and rake n scrape entertainer, singer).
1933: Mark Dinning (US singer)*22.March.1986.
1931: Derek Smith (UK jazz pianist; freelance/Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show Orchestra).
1929: Jimmy Donley (US singer)*20.March.1963.
1927: Sam Butera (US saxophonist, bandleader)*03.June.2009.
1926: George Melly (British jazz pianist, blues singer, Film and TV critic)*05.July.2007.
1922: Jack Sperling (big band drummer).
1921: Betty Cody (US country music singer).
1921: Wayne Raney (US country music singer, harmonica player)*23.Jan.1993.
1920: George Duvivier (jazz double-bass player; major sessionist)*11.July.1985.
1919: Georgia Gibbs/Frieda Lipschitz (US singer)*09.Dec.2006.
1918: Ike Quebec (American tenor saxophone player)*16.Jan.1963.
1909: Larry Clinton (US big band composer, bandleader, trumpeter)*02.May.1985.
1904: Leopold Nowak (Austrian musicologist)*27.May.1991.
1903: Abram Chasins (classical music composer, pianist)*21.June.1987.

August 18th.
1988: G-Dragon/Kwon Jiyong (South Korean rapper, singer dancer; Big Bang).
1983: Mika/Michael Holbrook Penniman (Lebanese/British singer, keyboardist, songwriter).
1983: Danny!/Daniel Keith Swain (US record producer/hip-hop artist).
1981: Frodo/Jon Schneck (US guitarist, banjo player, bell player; Relient K/Audio Adrenaline).
1978: Luke Williams/Quinoline Yellow/Tatamax (Welsh creator of electronic music)
1977: Régine Chassagne (Canadian multi-instrumentalist, singer; Arcade Fire)
1972: Leo Ku (Hong Kong singer)
1972: Masahiro Nakai (Japanese singer)
1972: Keiko Yamada (Japanese singer)
1971: Tom Middleton (British recording artist, music producer, remixer, DJ).
1971: Richard D. James/Aphex Twine/Powerpill (Irish electronic music artist).
1969: Masta Killa/Elgin Turner (American rapper)
1967: Dan Peters (US drummer; Mudhoney/Nirvana/Screaming Trees)
1965: Steely/Wycliffe Johnson (Jamaican Reggae musician, singer, producer)*01.Sept.2009.
1964: Edith Frost (US singer/songwriter)
1969: Masta Killa/Elgin Turner (US rap artist; Wu-Tang Clan).
1969: Everlast/Erik Schrody (guiatar,songwriter;Rhyme Syndicate/House Of Pain/freelance).
1967: Dan Peters (US drummer; Mudhoney/Nirvana/Screaming Trees/Love Battery).
1967: Tracy Tracy/Tracy Cattell (UK vocals; Primitives).
1965: Koji Kikkawa (Japanese singer)
1964: Edith Frost (US singer, songwriter)
1957: Ron Stryker (Australian guitarist, vocals; Men At Work).
1956: Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz (US drummer; sessionist/freelance/Neil Diamond/Mark Knopfler)
1956: John Debney (US composer).
1954: Angela Dimitriou (Greek singer).
1953: David Benoit (US jazz fusion/smooth jazz pianist, composer, producer)
1953: Marvin Isley (US bassist; Isley Brothers/Isley-Jasper-Isley)*06.June.2010.
1952: Patrick Swayze (US actor, dancer, singer, song writer).
1951: John Rees (Australian bassist; Men At Work)?
1950: Dennis Elliot (UK drummer; If / Foreigner).
1949: Nigel Griggs (UK bassist; Split Enz).
1946: Irena Jarocka (Polish pop singer)*21.Jan.2012.
1945: Vince Melouney (Australian guitarist; Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs/BeeGee's Band/Fanny Adams).
1945: Barbara Harris (US R&B singer; The Toys).
1944: Godfrey "Goff" Richards (English brass band arranger, composer, musical director)*25.June.2011.
1943: Karin Stanek (Polish singer; Red-Black/The Samuels/others/solo)*15.Feb.2011.
1943: Carl Wayne/Colin David Tooley (UK vocals, bassist; The Move)*31.Aug.2004.
1935: Sir Howard Morrison (New Zealand singer)*24.Sept.2009.
1939: Johnny Preston/John Preston Courville (US pop singer)*04.March.2011.
1939: Molly Bee/Mollie Gene Beachboard (US country music vocalist)*07.Feb.2009.
1934: Ronnie Carroll/Ronald Cleghorn (British singer)
1929: Hugues Aufray (French singer)
1918: Cisco Houston/Gilbert Vandine Houston (US folk singer)*29.April.1961.
1916: Dame Moura Lympany (British pianist)*28.March.2005.
1906: Curtis Jones (American blues pianist)*11.Sept.1971.
1905: Enoch Light (US classical violinist, bandleader, recording engineer)*31.July.1978.
1903: Lucienne Boyer (French singer)*06.Dec.1983.
1893: Sir Ernest MacMillan CC (Canadian orchestral conductor, composer,)*06.May.1973.
1973: Otto Harbach/Otto Abels Hauerbach (US lyricist)*24.Jan.1963.

August 19th.
1989: Lil' Romeo/Percy Romeo Miller (US rapper, actor).
1987: Anaïs Lameche (Swedish singer; Play)
1985: Megan Rochell (US singer)
1983: Melissa 'Missy' Higgins (Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist)
1983: Tammin Sursok (South African-born Australian singer, guitarist, composer, actress)
1982: Willy Denzey (French singer)
1980: Michael Todd (US bassist; Coheed and Cambria)
1980: Darius/Darius Danesh (Scottish/Persian singer).
1980: Jun Jin (Korean rapper; Shinhwa)
1980: Houcine Camara (French singer)
1979: Dave Douglas (US drummer, mult-musician; Relient K/Attack Cat)
1978: Natasha Borzilova (Russian country vocalist; Bering Strait).
1977: Takahiro Yamada (Japanese bassist; Asian Kung-Fu Generation)
1975: Marco Coti Zelati (Italian bassist; Lacuna Coil)
1974: Tim Kasher (US singer, frontman; Cursive/The Good Life)
1973: Aaron-Carl Ragland (US deejay, electronic dance musician, techno composer)*30.Sept.2010.
1973: Lilian Garcia (Spanish-American singer, former WWE ring announcer)
1972: Chihiro Yonekura (Japanese singer)
1972: Sammi Cheng Sau Man (Hong Kong singer, actress)
1970: Me One/MC Eric/Eric Martin (Welsh rapper;Technotronic).
1970: Fat Joe/Joseph Antonio Cartagena (US rapper; Terror Squad).
1969: Clay Walker (US singer)
1969: Nate Dogg/Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (US rapper, R&B artist)*15.March.2011.
1968: Mark McGuinn (US country music singer)
1966: Lee Ann Womack (US country music singer).
1963: Joey Tempest/Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson (Swedish singer, songwriter; Europe).
1963: Yip Sai Wing (Hong Kong singer, composer; Beyond)
1959: Steve Grimmett (UK heavy metal vocalist; Onslaught/Grim Reaper)
1959: Ivan Neville (US keyboardist, multi-musician; Bonnie Raitt/Spin Doctors/many top sessions).
1957: Gary Chapman (US singer, songwriter, TV presenter).
1953: Lynwood Slim/Richard Dennis Duran (US blues harmonica player, singer).
1951: John Deacon (UK bassist, songwriter; Queen).
1951: Stuart Laughton (Canadian trumpeter; Canadian Brass).
1948: Susan Jacks/Susan Pesklevits (Canadian singer/songwriter; Poppy Family/solo).
1947: John Cuffley (US drummer; Climax Blues Band).
1947: Gerard Schwarz (US conductor)
1946: Beat Raaflaub (Swiss conductor)
1945: Ian Gillan (UK lead singer, harmonica; Deep Purple).
1945: Brian Godding (UK guitarist; Blossom Toes/B.B.Blunder/sessionist/guest).
1945: Sandro de América/Roberto Sánchez (Argentinian singer)*04.Jan.2010.
1943: Billy J Kramer/William Howard Ashton (UK singer; The Dakotas).
1940: Johnny Nash (US singer, songwriter).
1940: Roger Cook (vocals, songwriter; Blue Mink).
1940: Don Fardon/Donald Maughn (UK vocalist; The Sorrows).
1939: Ginger Baker/Peter Edward Baker (UK drummer; Cream/Blind Faith/solo/guest).
1928: Norman Brooks (Canadian singer)*14.Sept.2006.
1923: Dill Jones (British jazz pianist; Harry Parry Quartet/solo/freelance)*22.June.1984.
1918: Dilys Elwyn-Edwards (Welsh-language composer, lecturer, accompanist)*13.Jan.2012.
1886: Robert Heger (German conductor and composer)*14.Jan.1978.
1881: George Enescu (Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, teacher)*04.May.1955.

August 20th.
1992: Demi Lovato (US actress, singer)
1980: Langhorne Slim (US folk singer, guitarist; War Eagles).
1979: Jamie Cullum (UK Jazz pianist, singer, songwriter).
1974: Andy Strachan (Australian musician; The Living End)
1974: Maxim Vengerov (Russian violinist)
1974: Big Moe/Kenneth Moore (American rapper)*14.Oct.2007.
1970: Fred Durst (US lead singer; Limp Bizkit).
1970: Scott Gottlieb (US drummer; Bleed the Dream)*10.April.2005.
1968: Yuri Shiratori (Japanese voice actress, singer)
1967: Richard Zatorski (Australian keyboardist; Real Life).
1966: Dimebag Darrell/Darrell Abbott (US guitarist; Pantera/Damageplan)*08.Dec.2004.
1965: KRS-One/Lawrence Parker (US rapper)
1964: Dino Dvornik (Croatian singer, songwriter, music producer, actor)*07.Sept.2008.
1955: Gary Lalonde (Canadian bassist; Honeymoon Suite).
1955: Agnes Chan (Hong Kong singer, writer)
1954: Tawn Mastrey (US disc jockey)*02.Oct.2007.
1952: Doug Fieger (US vocalist, guitar rhythm; The Knack)*14.Feb.2010.
1952: John Hiatt (US slide guitar, vocals, piano, guitar; solo/guest).
1952: John Clayton Jr (US jazz & classical double bassist).
1949: Phil Lynott (Irish singer-songwriter, bassist; Thin Lizzy/Grand Slam/Solo)*04.Jan.1986.
1949: Nikolas Asimos (Greek composer and singer)*17.March.1988.
1948: Robert Plant (UK lead singer, harmonica, songwriter; Led Zeppelin/solo/guest).
1948: Paul Hooper (UK drummer; Fortunes).
1947: James Pankow (trombone, songwriter; Chicago).
1946: Ralf Hutter (German lead singer; Kraftwerk).
1944: "Uncle John" Turner (US legendary drummer; Johnny Winter Band/many sessions)*26.July.2007.
1944: Terry Clarke (Canadian session drummer).
1944: Jon Povey (UK bassist; Pretty Things).
1942: Isaac Hayes (US soul/funk singer, songwriter, musician, producer, aactor)*10.Aug.2008.
1941: Dave Brock (vocals, keyboards, harmonica, guitar; Hawkwind).
1940: John David Lantree (bass; Honeycombs).
1937: Sky Saxon/Sunlight/Richard Marsh (US singer-songwriter, guitarist;The Seeds/others)*25.June.2009.
1937: El Fary/José Luis Cantero Rada (Spanish singer, actor)*19.June.2007.
1934: Pete "Sneaky" Kleinow (US pedal steel guitarist; Flying Burrito Brothers/others)*06.Jan.2007.
1931: Paul Robi/Paul Irvin Roby (US lead singer; The Platters)*01.Feb.1989.
1930: Mario Bernardi (Canadian conductor)
1926: Frank Rosolino (American jazz trombonist)*26.Nov.1978.
1923: Jim Reeves (US country singer)*31.July.1964.
1911: Billy Amstell (British clarinetist, alto and tenor saxophonist)*19.Dec.2005.
1905: Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (US jazz trombonist, vocalist)*15.Jan.1964.

August 21st.
1996: Jamia Simone Nash (American singer and actress).
1992: Brad Kavanagh (UK songwriter, actor)
1990: Robert "Bo" Burnham (US comedic singer-songwriter, Internet Celebrity)
1990: Cameron Argon (US electronic and death metal musician)
1989: Hayden Panettiere (American actress, model and singer).
1988: Louise Setara (UK singer-songwriter)
1988: Paris Bennett (US singer; finalist on American Idol season 5)
1987: Kim Kibum (Korean actor, singer; Super junior.
1985: Melissa M (French singer)
1984: Alizée Jacotey (French singer)
1984: Melissa Schuman (US vocalist; Dream).
1981: Collie Buddz/Colin Harper (US reggae & Dancehall artist)
1979: Kelis Rogers (US singer, songwriter).
1976: Nikos Vertis (Greek singer)
1971: Liam Paris Howlett aka Mr H (UK composer, keyboards; Prodigy).
1968: Dina Carroll (UK soul singer)
1967: Serj Tankian (US-born singer; System of a Down)
1961: David Morales (US DJ, producer).
1957: Budgie/Peter Clarke (drummer; Siouxsie and the Banshees/Creatures).
1957: Kim Sledge (US vocalist; Sister Sledge).
1954: Nick Kane (US guitarist, 12 string guitar; The Mavericks).
1954: Steve Smith (US drummer; Focus/Steps Ahead/The Storm/Journey/guest/session).
1953: Douglas James Schlecht (US baritone saxophonist; Roomful of Blues/others)
1952: Glenn Hughes (UK bassist, vocals; Deep Purple/Black Sabbath/solo/guest).
1952: Joe Strummer/John Mellor (UK-Turkish singer, guitar, lyricist; Clash/The Mescaleros)*22.Dec.2002.
1950: Patrick Juvet (Swiss singer)
1949: Malachi Thompson (American jazz trumpeter)*16.July.2006
1948: Robert Hazard/Robert Rimato (American musician, songwriter)*05.Aug.2008.
1947: Carl Giammarese (singer, guitar; The Buckinghams).
1946: Claire Frances Stroface (US singer, songwriter, producer)*25.July.2008.
1945: Basil Poledouris (Greek-American film score composer)*08.Nov.2006.
1944: Jackie DeShannon (singer, guitarist).
1941: Tom Coster (US keyboards; Santana/guest/solo).
1939: James Burton (US guitarist)
1938: Kenny Rogers (country singer, photographer, producer, songwriter, actor).
1934: Paul Panhuysen (Dutch composer, visual, sound artist)
1933: Janet Baker (UK mezzo-soprano)
1928: Art Farmer (US trumpet player)*04.Oct.1999.
1916: Consuelo Velázquez (Mexican songwriter)*22.Jan.2005. some sourses give Aug 29 1924 as birthdate
1915: Raquel Rastenni/Anna Rachel Rastén (Danish singer)*20.Aug.1998.
1907: Hy Zaret/Hyman Harry Zaritsky (US lyricist and composer)*02.July.2007.
1904: Count Basie/William Basie (US jazz pianist, organist, and bandleader)*26.April.1984.

August 22nd.
1978: Jeff Stinco (Canadian lead guitar; Simple Plan).
1974: Stefano Verderi (Italian guitarist)
1973: Beenie Man/Moses Davis (Jamaican DJ, reggae artist).
1973: Howie Dorough (US guitarist, vocals; Backstreet Boys).
1972: Paul Douchette (US drummer; Matchbox 20).
1971: Craig Finn (US vocalist; The Hold Steady)
1969: Steve Cradock (UK guitarist; Ocean Colour Scene).
1968: Paul Colman (Australian guitarist; Newsboys).
1967: Yukiko Okada (Japanese singer)*08.April.1986.
1967: Layne Staley (US lead guitarist, singer; Mad Season/Alice In Chains)*05.April.2002.
1966: GZA/The Genius/Gary Grice (US rapper, music producer; Wu-Tang Clan).
1963: James DeBarge (US singer; DeBarge).
1963: Tori Amos (US singer, songwriter, pianist).
1961: Roland Orzabal (UK singer, songwriter, guitarist,Tears For Fears).
1961: Debbi Peterson (US drummer, vocals; The Bangles).
1961: Andres Calamaro (Argentine vocalist, composer, multi-musician; Los Rodríguez/solo)
1959: Juan Croucier (Cuban-US bassist, singer-songwriter; Dokken/Ratt/solo/sessions)
1958: Ian Mitchell (UK guitarist; Bay City Rollers/solo).
1958: Vernon Reid (English-born American lead guitar; Living Colour/Black Rock Coalition).
1957: Duane Jarvis (US guitarist, singer-songwriter; solo/sessionist)*01.April 2009.
1957: Holly Dunn (US country music artist).
1956: Chris Biondo (US bassist, producer; Chuck Brown, Eva Cassidy, Sadat X).
1952: Peter Laughner (US guitarist, songwriter and singer; Rocket From the Tombs/Pere Ubu)*22.June.1977.
1948: David Lee Marks (US songwriter, rhythm guitar; Beach Boys/Dave & the Marksmen).
1948: Sam Neely (Country and western artist; singer-songwriter)*19.July.2006.
1947: Donna Godchaux (US singer; Grateful Dead/session/guest).
1946: Gary "Mutha" Withem (US keyboardist, woodwinds; Gary Puckett & the Union Gap).
1945: Ron Dante (US singer, songwriter, record producer; Archies).
1944: Peter Hofmann (German tenor)*30.Nov.2010.
1939: Fred Milano (US second tenor vocalist; The Belmonts)*01.Jan.2012.
1937: Malachi Favors/Malachi Favors Maghostut (US jazz sessionist, double bass player)*30.Jan.2004.
1936: Dale Hawkins (US rockabilly singer, guitarist).
1934: Sir Donald McIntyre (UK operatic bass-baritone singer)
1928: Karlheinz Stockhausen (German composer)*05.Dec.2007.
1926: Bob Flanagan (US tenor singer, The Four Freshmen)*15.May.2011.
1921: Sotiria Bellou (Greek singer)*27.Aug.1997.
1917: John Lee Hooker (US blues guitarist/singer/songwriter)*21.June.2001.
1862: Claude Debussy (French composer)*25.March.1918.

August 23rd.
1986: Neil Cicierega aka Lemon Demon (US comedian, filmmaker, musician).
1982: YTCracker/Bryce Case Jr (US nerdcore hip-hop MC-DJ, computer hacker)
1980: Diamondog/Diamantino Edgar Capacassa Feijó (Angolan rapper)
1979: Richard Neville/Richard Neville Dobson (UK vocalist, Five).
1978: Julian Casablancas (US vocalist, songwriter; Strokes).
1977: Shelly Fairchild (US country singer).
1975: Eliza Carthy (US singer, fiddler)
1974: Shifty Shellshock/Seth Binzer (US singer; Crazy Town/solo)
1971: Bone Crusher/Wayne Hardnett Jr (US rapper/singer)
1970: Brad Mehldau (US jazz pianist; many sessions)
1970: KK/Krishnakumar Kunnath (Indian singer)
1969: Ira Dean (US bassist; Trick Pony)?
1968: Laura Claycomb (US operatic soprano)
1967: Cedella Marley (Jamaican vocalist; Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers).
1965: Dean DeLeo (US guitar, Stone Temple Pilots).
1962: Shaun Ryder (UK vocals; Happy Mondays/Black Grape).
1961: Dean DeLeo (US guitarist; Stone Temple Pilots)
1960: Gary Hoey (US guitarist; Heavy Bones/solo/sessions.
1959: Edwyn Collins (Scottish singer, songwriter, producer; Orange Juice).
1959: Bruno Chevillon (French jazz musician, double bass).
1953: Bobby Watson (US jazz alto saxophonist, composer, producer, educator; many sessions).
1953: Bobby G/Robert Alan Gubby (vocals; Bucks Fizz).
1952: Vicky Leandros (Greek singer, politician)
1951: Jimi Jamison (US vocals; Cobra/Survivor/solo).
1949: Katiana Balanika (Greek actress, singer).
1949: Woody Paul (US country singer-musician; Riders in the Sky)?
1949: Rick Springfield/Richard Springthorpe (Australian singer, songwriter, guitar; Rock House/solo).
1947: William Covington (UK drummer; The Big E Combo/The Statesmen/The Rustiks/others)
1947: Linda Thompson (UK singer; Richard and Linda Thompson/solo)
1947: George McCorkle (US guitarist; Marshall Tucker Band)*29.June.2007.
1946: Keith Moon (UK drummer; The Who)*07.Sept.1978.
1945: Pete Fornatale (US radio disc jockey; WNEW-FM, WFUV)*26.April.2012.
1941: Pete Shannon (bassist; Nashville Teens).
1941: Bunny "Striker" Lee/Edward O'Sullivan Lee (Jamaican record producer).
1938: Roger Greenaway (songwriter, singer; The Kestrels/Blue Mink).
1938: Mike Burt (UK drummer; Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers/Chas & Dave).
1935: Ruby Lewis (US lead vocals, programming, tenor; The Drifters)*20.May.1964.
1934: Raul de Souza (Brazillian trombone player; sessionist).
1934: Barbara Eden (US actress, singer)
1930: Christiane Legrand (French jazz singer)*01.Nov.2011.
1929: Pete King (UK jazz saxophonist; many bands/co-owner of Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club)*21.Dec.2009.
1927: Martial Solal (French jazz pianist, composer)
1921: Eadie Del Rubio/Edith Boyd (Panamanian-born US singer; The Del Rubio Triplets)*16.Dec.1996.
1921: Elena Del Rubio/Elena Boyd (Panamanian-born US singer; The Del Rubio Triplets)*19.March.2001.
1921: Milly Del Rubio/Mildred Boyd (Panamanian-born US singer; The Del Rubio Triplets)*21.July.2011.
1915: Graciela Grillo-Perez (Cuban latin jazz singer)*07.April.2010.
1917: Tex Williams/Sollie Paul Williams (US singer)*11.Oct.1985.
1913: Bob Crosby (US dixieland bandleader, vocalist; Crosby & the Bob-Cats)*09.March.1993.
1908: Natalie Bodanya (American operatic soprano)*04.March.2007.
1905: Constant Lambert (UK composer, conductor)*21 August 1951.
1903: William Primrose (Scottish violist)*01.May.1982.
1900: Malvina Reynolds (US folk singer, songwriter, guitarist)*17.March.1978.
1900: Ernst Krenek (Austrian-born composer)*22.Dec.1991.

August 24th.
1984: Yesung/Kim Jong-woon (Korean singer; Super Junior)
1981: Jiro Wang (Taiwanese singer, actor, model)
1979: Elva Hsiao (Taiwanese singer)
1970: Kristyn Osborn (US country singer; SheDaisy).
1968: Andreas Kisser (Brazilian guitarist; Sepultura).
1963: John Bush (US vocals; Anthrax/Armored Saint).
1961: Colin Angus (Scottish member of electronic band Shamen).
1961: Mark 'Bedders' Bedford (UK bassist; Madness).
1956: Dick Lee (Singaporean singer-songwriter)
1955: Jeffrey Daniel (US dancer, vocals; Shalamar).
1954: Philippe Cataldo (French singer)
1953: Ron Holloway (US tenor saxophonist)
1952: Carlo Curley (US classical organist)*11.Aug.2012.
1951: Mike Derosier (US drummer; Heart).
1951: Danny Joe Brown (US singer; Molly Hatchet/own band)*10.March.2005.
1948: Jean-Michel Jarre (French singer, Keyboards, Synthesizer; Solo).
1945: Ken Hensley (UK vocals, keyboards, piano, guitar; Uriah Heep/The Gods/guest).
1945: Malcolm Duncan (Scottish tenor saxophone, Average White Band).
1944: Jim Capaldi (UK drummer, singer, songwriter; Traffic/guest/solo)*28.Jan.2005.
1943: John Cipollina/John Holland Mallet III (US guitarist, Quicksilver Messenger Service)*29.May.1989.
1943: Bob Sedergreen (Palestinian jazz pianist; freelance/solo).
1943: Dafydd Iwan (Welsh folk singer and politician).
1942: Marshall Donald Thompson (US vocals; Chi-Lites).
1941: Ernest Wright Jr (US vocals; Little Anthony & the Imperials).
1939: John Cochrane (UK drummer; Wump & His Werbles/others)
1938: David Frieberg (US bassist; Jefferson Airplane & Starship/Quicksilver Messenger Service).
1938: Mason Williams (US guitarist, composer).
1934: Jesus Caunedo (Cuban jazz clarinetist).
1932: Richard Meale (Australian composer)*23.Nov.2009.
1927: Keno Duke (Carribean jazz drummer).
1924: Alyn Ainsworth (British bandleader)*04.Oct.1990.
1916: Léo Ferré (French composer, singer)*14.July.1993.
1912: Fritz "Freddy" Brocksieper (German jazz drummer, percussionist)*16.Jan.1990.
1915: Wynonie Harris (US blues shouter and rhythm and blues singer)*14.June.1969.
1905: Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (US delta blues guitarist, singer, songwriter)*28.March.1976.
1905: Alphonse Trent (US jazz pianist; Alphonse Trent's Orchestra)*14.Oct.1959.
1897: Fred Rose (US songwriter, record publishing executive)*01.Dec.1954.
1837: Théodore Dubois (French composer, teacher)*11.June.1837.

August 25th.
1992: Miyabi Natsuyaki (Japanese singer)
1988: Alexandra Burke (UK singer; X Factor winner)
1988: Raymond Arthur Quinn (UK singer, actor; 2006 X Factor finalist).
1987: Amy Macdonald (Scottish singer, songwriter)
1987: Liu Yifei (Chinese actress, singer)
1977: Cory Smoot aka Flattus Maximus (US metal guitarist; Gwar/Mensrea/solo)*03.Nov.2011.
1971: Brice Long (US country music singer)?
1971: Thalia Sodi (Mexican actress, singer)
1970: Jo Dee Messina (US country singer).
1969: Luke Scott (UK guitar; Babybird).
1968: Spider One/Michael David Cummings (US vocalist, Powerman 5000).
1968: Stuart Murdoch (Scottish lead singer; Belle & Sebastian).
1968: Rafet El Roman (Turkish pop singer, composer).
1968: Takeshi Ueda (Japanese singer, composer)
1967: Jeff Tweedy (US bassist, singer-songwriter; Wilco/Uncle Tupelo).
1966: DJ Terminator X /Norman Rogers (US rapper; Public Enemy).
1966: Colleen Browne (Canadian vocalist; Pale Saints/Heart Throbs/Parachute Men).
1966: Derek Sherinian (US keyboardist; Dream Theater/many others)
1965: Mia Zapata (US vocalist; The Gits)*07.July.1994.
1965: Erik Dahlgren (Swedish drummer; Wannadies).
1965: Nigel Durham (UK drummer; Saxon/Oliver-Dawson Saxon)?
1963: Candida Doyle (UK keyboards; Pulp).
1963: Shock G/Gregory E. Jacobs (US singer, rapper; Digital Underground)
1962: Vivian Campbell (Irish guitarist; Def Leppard/Whitesnake/Sweet Savage/Duo).
1961: Billy Ray Cyrus (US country singer).
1960: Cath Caroll (UK vocalist; Miaow).
1959: Mike Freeman (US marimba and vibraphone player)?
1959: Ruth Ann Swenson (US operatic soprano)
1958: Damian McKee (UK guitarist, vocalist; Albatross/Rosetta Stone).
1956: Matt Aitken (producer; Stock, Aitken & Waterman production team).
1955: Frank Sidebottom/Chris Sievey (British comedian, musician)*21.June.2010.
1955: John McGeoch (Scottish guitarist; Magazine/the Banshees/Public Image Ltd/Visage)*04.March.2004.
1954: Martin Jourard (US keyboardist; vocals; The Motels).
1954: Elvis Costello/Declan Patrick MacManus (singer, songwriter; The Attractions).
1952: Geoff Downes (UK keyboardist; The Buggles/Yes/Asia)
1951: Rob Halford (lead singer; Judas Priest).
1951: James Warren (vocals, bassist; Korgis).
1950: Charles Fambrough (US jazz bass player; sessionist/freelance).
1950: Willy DeVille/William Borsey Jr (US singer, songwriter, multi-musician; Mink DeVille)*06.Aug.2009.
1949: Gene Simmons/Chaim Witz (US lead singer, frontman, bassist; Kiss).
1949: Fariborz Lachini (Canadian/Iranian film composer).
1947: Keith Tippett (UK jazz pianist, composer; Stan Tracey?freelance/sessionist).
1942: Walter Williams (US vocalist; O'Jays).
1940: José van Dam (Belgian baritone vocalist; operatic/classical).
1934: Eddie Ilarde (Filipino disk jockey, television host, Senator)
1933: Wayne Shorter (saxophonist, Weather Report).
1933: Rune Urban Gustafsson (Swedish jazz guitarist composer)*15.June.2012.
1919: William Patrick Foster (US band director, conductor)*28.Aug.2010.
1918: Leonard Bernstein (US composer, pianist, conductor)*14.Oct.1990.
1915: Walter Trampler (US violist)*27.Sept.1997.
1905: Louis "King" Garcia (Puerto Rican trumpeter; Dorsey Brothers)*04.Sept.1983.

August 26th.
1990: Lil' Chris/Christopher James Hardman (UK singer-songwriter, TV personality).
1986: Cassie/Casandra Ventura (US R&B singer).
1986: Mario/Mario Dewar Barrett (US R&B artist).
1982: David Long (New Zealand vocals, guitarist, composer; Six Volts/ The Mutton Birds)
1979: Yagmur Sarigül (Turkish guitarist, songwriter; maNga)
1979: Allison Robertson (US guitarist;The Donnas)
1978: Raja Kashif (Pakistani singer)
1976: Amaia Montero (Spanish singer; La Oreja de Van Gogh/solo)
1976: Zemfira Talgatovna Ramazanova (Russian singer)
1975: Tyler Connolly (Canadian singer)
1971: Thalía/Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (Mexican singer, actress).
1969: Adrian Young (US drummer; No Doubt).
1966: Shirley Manson (Scottish singer; Garbage).
1966: Dan Vickrey (US guitarist; Counting Crows).
1965: Annie Holland (UK bassist; Elastica).
1961: Daniel Lévi (French singer-songwriter, composer, pianist)
1960: Nancy Martinez (Canadian-born singer)
1960: Branford Marsalis (US jazz saxophonist; own band).
1957: John O'Neill (Irish guitarist; Undertones/That Petrol Emotion ).
1957: Dr. Alban/Alban Nwapa (Swedish based, Nigerian singer).
1954: Scott Henderson (US jazz fusion/blues guitarist; Tribal Tech).
1954: Michael Chetwood (UK keyboardist; T'Pau).
1954: Steve Wright [UK BBC radio DJ and TV presenter).
1952: Billy Rush (US guitarist; Asbury Jukes)?
1952: Mark Craney (US drummer; Jethro Tull/others)*26.Nov.2006.
1950: Charles Fambrough (US jazz bassist, composer)*01.Jan.2011.
1949: Bob Cowsill (US singer; The Cowsills).
1946: Mark Snow/Martin Fulterman (US prolific composer for film and television).
1946: Valerie Simpson (one half of Ashford and Simpson US songwriting/production team).
1946: Chantal Renaud (Quebec singer, actress)
1944: Maureen "Moe" Tucker (US drummer; Velvet Underground).
1942: Vic Dana (US singer, dancer).
1941: Betty McQuade (Scottish-born Australian singer, rock n roll pioneer*26.Dec.2011.
1941: Chris Curtis (UK drummer, vocals; Searchers/solo)*28.Feb.2005.
1940: Nik Turner (UK saxophones, flute, vocals, composer; Hawkwind).
1938: Alan Le Clare/Alan Cocks (UK pianist; Vince Taylor-Playboys/Screaming Lord Sutch/others).
1938: Jet Black/Brian Duffy (UK drummer; Stranglers).
1928: Peter Appleyard (Canadian jazz vibraphonist).
1926: Anahit Tsitsikian (Armenian violinist)
1925: Gustavo Becerra-Schmidt (Chilean composer)*03.Jan.2010.
1923: Wolfgang Sawallisch (German conductor, pianist)
1907: Lester Lanin (US bandleader)*27.Oct.2004.
1901: Jimmy Rushing (US blues shouter, swing jazz singer)*June 8th 1972.

August 27th.
1990: Taylor Mitchell/Taylor Josephine Stephanie Luciow (Canadian folk singer)*28.Oct.2009.
1986: Mario/Mario Dewar Barrett (American R&B-pop singer, actor, model, dancer).
1979: Sarah Neufeld (Canadian violinist; Arcade Fire).
1979: Jon Siebles (American guitarist, vocals; Eve 6).
1975: Mase/Mason Durrell Betha (US rapper, songwriter, TV personality)-{NOT Vincent Mason}
1975: Björn Gelotte (Swedish singer, guitarist, drums; Sight/In Flames).
1973: Burak Kut (Turkish pop singer, flutist, pianist).
1972: Felix da Housecat/Felix Stallings Jr (US DJ, record producer)
1972: Jimmy Pop "Ali"/James Moyer Franks (US lead singer, guitar, piano; Bloodhound Gang).
1971: Chilam/Julian Cheung (Hong Kong actor and singer).
1970: Park Myeong-su (Korean comedian, MC, singer)
1970: Tony Kanal (British bassist; No Doubt).
1967: Bob Nastanovich (US percussionist; Pavement/Silver Jews).
1967: Ogie Alcasid/Herminio Alcasid Jr (Filipino singer, TV host, actor).
1961: Jeffrey Steele/Jeffrey LeVasseur (Award-winning US country singer, guitarist).
1961: Yolanda Adams (US gospel singer).
1956: Glen Matlock (UK bassist; Sex Pistols).
1955: Laura Fygi (Dutch singer; Centerfold/solo).
1953: Alex Lifeson/Aleksandar Živojinovic (Canadian guitarist; Rush).
1951: Kevin Kavanaugh (US keyboards; Asbury Jukes).
1950: John Turnbull (UK guitarist; Skip Bifferty/Chosen Few/Loving Awarness/the Blockheads).
1949: Jeff Cook (US lead guitar, vocals, keyboards, fiddle; Alabama).
1948: Pavlos Sidiropoulos (Greek singer; Damon & Phidias/Spiridoula/Oi Aprosarmostoi)*06.Dec.1990.
1947: David Leon 'Billy' Knight (US percussionist: The Pips/resident player in Vegas).
1945: Malcolm Allured (UK drums; Showaddywaddy).
1944: Tim Bogert (UK bassist; Vanilla Fudge/Cactus/Beck, Bogert & Appice).
1942: Daryl Dragon (US keyboardist; Captain & Tennille).
1941: Cesária Évora (Capeverdean singer)*17.Dec.2011.
1940: Warren "Sonny" Sharrock (US jazz free playing guitarist)*25.May.1994.
1937: Alice Coltrane née McLeod (US Harp, Piano, Organ; jazz musician)*12.Jan.2007.
1937: Tommy Sands (US actor, pop singer).
1937: Phil Shulman (Scottish vocalist,saxophone,trumpet,clarinet,percussion; Gentle Giants).
1934: Joe Weaver (US Detroit blues, electric blues and R&B pianist, singer, bandleader)*05.July.2006.
1933: Rudolf Dašek (Czech jazz guitarist; own band/others)*01.Feb.2013.
1927: Jimmy C. Newman (American singer).
1923: Idrees Sulieman (US bop and hard bop trumpeter)*23.July.2002.
1919: Murray Grand (US songwriter, singer, pianist)*07.March.2007.
1909: Lester "Prez" Young (US saxophone, clarinet, drums; Jazz musician)*15.March.1959.
1886: Eric Coates (English composer)*12.Dec.1957.

August 28th.
1994: Skylar Thomas (US multi-genre keyboardist, pianist; sessions/own band)
1991: Sarah Jane Santos (Filipina singer, actress).
1991: Kyle Massey (US actor, rapper)
1989: Cassadee Pope (US lead singer, songwriter; Hey Monday)
1989: Jo Kwon (South Korean singer; 2AM)
1986: Florence Welch (British singer; Florence & the Machine)
1986: Mohombi Moupondo (Swedish-Colognese R&B singer-songwriter)
1985: Cove Reber (US lead vocalist; Saosin).
1983: Alfonso Herrera (Mexican actor, singer; RBD).
1982: LeAnn Rimes (US country singer).
1981: Joshua Ryan "Jake" Owen (US country music artist)
1979: Shaila Durcal (Spanish singer).
1978: James Maxwell Collins (US lead singer, bassist; Eve 6).
1978: Jess Margera (American drummer; CKY).
1974: Takahito Eguchi (Japanese pianist, video game music composer).
1970: Rick Recht (US Jewish singer).
1970: Sherrié Austin (Australian actress, singer)
1965: Shania Twain (Canadian singer).
1962: David Fincher (US video music and film director).
1961: Kim Appleby (UK singer songwriter; Mel and Kim).
1960: Dinah Cancer/Mary Simms (US singer; Castration Squad/45 Grave)
1959: Eddi Reader/Sadenia Reader (Scottish singer; Fairground Attraction/solo).
1955: Beresford Hammond (Jamaican reggae singer; Zap Pow/solo).
1953: Michael Gregory Jackson (US jazz, blues, rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer)
1951: Wayne Osmond (US singer; The Osmonds - the eldest in the group).
1951: Keiichi Suzuki (Japanese composer, singer; Moon Riders).
1950: Martin Lamble (UK drummer, violinist; Fairport Convention)*12.May.1969.
1949: Hugh Cornwell (UK guitar, vocals; Stranglers).
1948: Danny Seraphine (US drummer; Chicago).
1946: Ken Andrews/Kenneth Andrew Doty (US drummer; Failure/Middle Of The Road).
1945: Bob Segarini (US singer, song writer; The Wankers/The Dudes/solo)
1943: David Soul (US actor, singer).
1943: Honey Lantree/Ann Margot Lantree (UK drums; Honeycombs).
1942: Sterling Morrison (US guitarist and bassist, Velvet Underground)*30.Aug.1995.
1941: John Stanley Marshall (UK drummer; Nucleus).
1941: Paul Plishka (US opera singer).
1940: Nik Turner (UK saxophonist, flute, composer; Hawkwind).
1940: Walter Ward (US R&B singer, lead vocalist; The Olympics)*11.Dec.2006.
1937: Clem Cattini (UK drummer; The Blue Flames/The Tornados/UK's top sessionist).
1931: John Shirley-Quirk CBE (UK bass-baritone operatic singer).
1929: Sølvi Wang (Norwegian singer, actress)*31.May.2011.
1929: István Kertész (Hungarian conductor)*16.April.1973.
1927: Rowland Greenberg (Norwegian trumpeter).
1925: Francisco Aguabella (Cuban-American jazz percussionist)*07.May.2010.
1925: Donald O'Connor (UK singer, dancer, actor)*27.Sept.2003.
1925: Billy Grammer (US country music singer, guitarist; The Travel On Boys)*10.Aug.2011.
1917: Jayne Walton Rosen/Dorothy Jayne Flanagan (US singer; Lawrence Welk Orchestra)*10.Jan.2010.
1916: Hélène Baillargeon (Canadian singer and folklorist)*25.Sept.1997.
1913: Richard Tucker/Rubin Ticker (American operatic tenor)*08.Jan.1975.

August 29th.
1992: Mallu Magalhães (Brazilian singer-songwriter)
1986: Lea Michele (US actress, singer)
1985: Pouyan Afkary (Iranian-American keyboardist; Scary Kids Scaring Kids).
1982: A+/Andre Levins (American rapper).
1980: David Desrosiers (Canadian bassist; Simple Plan).
1980: Nicholas Tse (Hong Kong singer and actor).
1975: Kyle Cook (US lead guitar, banjo; Matchbox 20).
1974: Kumi Tanioka (Japanese composer)
1971: Alex Griffin (UK bassist; Ned's Atomic Dustbin).
1970: Carl "Groove" Martin (US vocals; R&B band Shai).
1968: Me'Shell NdegéOcello/Mary Johnson (US singer, songwriter, bassist; solo/session).
1967: Chris Gorman (US drummer; Belly).
1967: Anton Newcombe (US singer, guitarist, multi-musician; Brian Jonestown Massacre)
1963: Jerry Fehily (Irish drummer; Hothouse Flowers).
1963: Elizabeth Fraser (Scottish singer; Cocteau Twins).
1962: Hiroki Kikuta (Japanese composer)
1960: Tony Jeff MacAlpine (US lead guitarist, keyboards; Planet X/solo).
1958: Michael Jackson (US singer, songwriter, arranger, dancer; Jackson 5/solo)*25.June.2009.
1959: Kevin 'GG' Allin/Jesus Christ Allin (US punk rock singer)*28.June.1993.
1959: Ernesto Rodrigues (Portuguese composer)
1956: GG Allin/Jesus Christ Allin (US punk rock singer-songwriter)*
1955: Diamanda Galas (US singer).
1953: Rick Downey (US drummer; Blue Oyster Cult).
1952: Dave Malone (US rock guitarist)
1945: Chris Copping (UK organist, bass; Procol Harum).
1943: Dick Halligan (US keyboards, flute; Blood Sweat & Tears).
1941: Matthew "Dutch" Tilders (Netherlands-Australian blues singer-songwriter, guitarist)*23.April.2011.
1940: Johnny Paris/John Pocisk (US sax player, leader; Johnny & the Hurricanes)*01.May.2006.
1933: Ramses Shaffy (Dutch singer, chansonnier, actor; Shaffy Chantant)*01.Dec.2009.
1931: Stelios Kazantzidis (Greek singer)*14.Sept.2001.
1929: Albertina Walker (US gospel music singer; The Caravans)*08.Oct.2010.
1926: María Dolores Pradera (Spanish melodic singer)
1924: Dinah Washington/Ruth Lee Jones (US jazz singer)*14.Dec.1963.
1920: Charlie Parker (American saxophonist)*12.March.1955.
1905: Jack Teagarden (US bandleader, trombonist, dixieland vocalist)*15.Jan.1964.

August 30th.
2001: Emily Bear (US child pianist, composer).
1988: Laura Põldvere (Estonian singer).
1986: Ryan Ross (US musician; Panic! at the Disco)
1983: Jun Matsumoto (Japanese singer and actor)
1979: Niki Chow (Hong Kong actress and singer)
1978: Swizz Beatz/Kasseem Dean (US record producer, rapper)
1977: Jens Ludwig (German guitarist)
1975: Rich Cronin (US singer, songwriter; Lyte Funky Ones-LFO/Loose Cannons/solo)*08.Sept.2010.
1974: Aaron Barrett (US singer, guitarist, tromboneist; The Scholars/Reel Big Fish/Forces of Evil/others)
1973: Leon Caffrey (UK drummer; Space).
1973: Abram Wilson (US jazz trumpeter)*09.June.2012.
1971: Lars Frederiksen (US guitarist; Rancid and UK Subs)
1970: Michael Wong Guang Liang (Chinese Malaysian singer)
1969: Dimitris Sgouros (Greek pianist)
1966: Peter Cunnah (Nth.Irish lead singer, songwriter; D:Ream).
1964: Robert Clivilles (US producer; C & C Music Factory)
1963: Oderus Urungus/Dave Brockie (US vocalist; GWAR)
1963: Paul Oakenfold (UK remixer, DJ).
1961: Keith McKenzie (Scottish member of the electronic band Shamen).
1960: Chalino Sanchez (Mexican singer-songwriter)*16.May.1992.
1958: Martin Jackson (UK drummer, Magazine/The Chameleons).
1957: Gerald Albright (American jazz saxophonist, multi musician).
1954: Ronald Beitle (US drummer; Wild Cherry).
1953: Horace Panter (UK bassist; The Specials/General Public).
1952: Kenny Andrews (UK guitarist, vocals; Darts).
1951: Dana Rosemary Scallon (Irish singer)
1950: Micky Moody (UK guitarist; Juicy Lucy, Whitesnake).
1949: Peter Maffay/Peter Alexander Makkay (German rock vocalist; The Dukes/own bands).
1946: Jim Hager (US country singer, television actor; The Hager Twins)*01.May.2008.
1946: Jon Hager (US country singer, television actor; The Hager Twins)*09.Jan.2009.
1944: Charles Colbert (US bassist; American Breed).
1941: John McNally (UK guitarist, vocals; Searchers).
1939: John Peel/John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (British DJ; BBC's longest serving radio DJ)*25.Oct.2004.
1935: John Phillips (US vocals, guitar; Mamas and the Papas)*18.March.2001.
1934: Luther "Snake Boy" Johnson/Lucius Johnson (US blues guitarist)*18.March.1976.
1933: Michael Garrick MBE (UK jazz pianist, composer; Michael Garrick Jazz Orchestra)*11.Nov.2011.
1931: Jacques Braunstein (Romanian-born Venezuelan publicist, jazz disc jockey)*27.Nov.2009.
1928: Peter Appleyard (UK/Canadian jazz vibraphone player; all the greats).
1928: Johnny Mann (US arranger, composer, conductor, recording artist, band leader).
1924: Kenny Dorham/McKinley Dorham (US jazz trumpeter;many bands/own bands)*05.Dec.1972.
1922: Regina Resnik (US mezzo-soprano)
1919: Kitty Wells/Ellen Muriel Deason (US country singer)*16.July.2012.
1919: Wolfgang Wagner (German opera director)*21.March.2010.
1915: Robert Strassburg (US composer)*25.Oct.2003.

August 31st.
1982: Patrick Nuo (Swiss singer).
1980: Joe Budden (US rapper).
1979: Simon Neil (Scottish singer, guitarist; Biffy Clyro/ Marmaduke Duke).
1979: Yuvan Shankar Raja (Indian film music composer)
1979: Del Marquis/Derek Gruen (US lead guitar; Scissor Sisters).
1977: Craig Nicholls (Australian singer, songwriter, guitarist; Vines).
1976: Vincent Delerm (French singer-songwriter, pianist, composer)
1975: Daniel Harding (British conductor)
1970: Debbie Gibson (US singer, pianist)
1969: Jeff Russo (US guitar, background vocals; Tonic/Low Stars/solo).
1967: Gene Hoglan (US drummer, guitar; War God/Dark Angel/Fear Factory/many others).
1967: Gerard Love (Scottish bassist; somgwriter; Teenage Fanclub).
1963: Larry Waddell (US keyboardist; Mint Condition)?
1963: Reb Beach/Richard Earl Beach Jr (US guitarist; Winger, Whitesnake).
1962: Joanna Connor (US power-blues guitarist; The Joanna Connor Band).
1962: John O.Reilly (Irish drummer; Rainbow/Blue Öyster Cult/sessionist).
1960: Chris Whitley (US blues/rock-blues guitarist)*20.Nov.2005.
1959: Tony DeFranco (Canadian vocalist, production; DeFranco Family).
1957: Glenn Tilbrook (UK guitarist, vocals; Squeeze).
1957: Gina Schock (US drummer; The Go-Go's).
1955: Anthony Thistlethwaite (saxophone, Mandolin; Waterboys).
1954: Julie Brown (US actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter)
1948: Rudolf Schenker (German rhythm/2nd guitarist; Scorpions).
1947: John Donaldson (UK drummer; The Hideaways).
1945: Bob Welch (US guitarist, singer; Fleetwood Mac/Paris/solo)*07.June.2012.
1945: Itzhak Perlman (Israeli-American virtuoso violinist).
1945: Van Morrison (Irish singer, songwriter; Them/solo).
1944: Roger Dean (UK contemporary artist; album covers).
1942: Coyote McCloud (US legendary disc jockey)*06.April.2011.
1941: Emmanuel Nunes (Portuguese composer)*02.Sept.2012.
1940: Wilton Felder (Tenor Sax, Bass; Crusaders).
1939: Jerry Allison (US drummer; Crickets).
1937: Gunter Hampel (German flautist, piano, clarinet, composer, vibraphone).
1937: Bobby Parker (US blues-rock guitarist)
1932: Roy Castle (UK singer, talented jazz trumpet player, TV presenter)*02.Sept.1994.
1928: Leroy "Hog" Cooper (US saxophonist; Ray Charles/Disney World/Smokin’ Torpedoes)*15.Jan.2009
1920: Gustavo Adolfo Palma (Guatemalan singer)*01.Dec.2009.
1918: Alan Jay Lerner (US lyricist)*14.June.1986.
1911: Ramón Vinay (Chilean operatic tenor)*04.Jan.1996. NOTE:some sources give YOB 1912.
1886: Louis Wolfe Gilbert (Russian-born American Tin Pan Alley songwriter)*12.July.1970.
1893: Lily Laskine (French harpist)*04.Jan.1988.

Back to Top

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
LOST THIS MONTH

August ??
1986: Richard E Holz (72) American brass band composer, served as Chaplain to the U.S. Air Force in New Guinea, Philippines and Japan. The Richard E. Holz Conference Center at the Salvation Army's Crestmont College is named for him (?) b. October 30th 1914.
1991: Vaughan Toulouse/Vaughan Cotillard (31) English singer and frontman of new wave band Department S, which evolved from a previous punk/ska combo, Guns For Hire, and featured former Madness drummer John Hasler. After releasing their only single "I'm Gonna Rough My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Up Tonight", the group became Department S, making their live debut at the Rock Garden, London, on Sept 24 1980. The group recorded a session for the BBC Radio DJ John Peel on 3 Dec 80, with tracks 'Is Vic There?'; 'Age Concern'; 'Ode To Cologne (Stench Of War)'; and "Clap Now". After the group split in '82 Vaughan worked as a DJ under the name Main T, before recording as a solo artist recording the 1985 single "Cruisin' the Serpentine", and as part of The Style Council's miner's charity project the Council Collective (Sadly, he died of AIDS-related illness) b. July 30th 1959.
1994: Rena Kyriakou (77) Greek pianist and composer born in Herakleion, Crete; her recorded legacy includes the complete piano music of Emmanuel Chabrier, whose works she played with idiomatic flair, and recitals of works by John Field, Joseph Haydn, Enrique Granados and Isaac Albéniz. She recorded a major survey of the piano music of Felix Mendelssohn. Her sound, both in recordings and in concert, was characterised by a wide palette of tone colour, as might be expected of a Philippe pupil. Some of the characteristic tone colour of her recordings is due to her use of a Bösendorfer Imperial Concert grand piano for at least some of them, including her Mendelssohn recordings (?) b. February 25th 1917.

August 1st ..
1973: Gian Francesco Malipiero (91) Italian composer, his orchestral works include seventeen compositions he called symphonies, of which however only eleven are numbered. The first was composed in 1933, when Gian was already over fifty years old. Prior to that, he had written several important orchestral pieces including Pause del Silenzio for the orchestra, composed in 1917; Rispetti e Strambotti for the chamber music, composed in 1920; L'Orfeide for the stage, composed between 1918 and 1922, and first performed in 1924; La Passione, a mystery play composed in 1935 (?) b. April 18th 1882.
1989: John Ogdon (52) English pianist; he studied at the Royal Northern College of Music between 1953 and 1957, where his fellow students Harrison Birtwistle, Alexander Goehr, Elgar Howarth and Peter Maxwell Davies formed New Music Manchester, a group dedicated to the performances of serial and other modern works. His own compositions number more than 200, and include 4 operas, 2 large works for orchestra, 3 cantatas, songs, chamber music, a substantial amount of music for solo piano, and 2 piano concertos, the first of which he recorded. The majority of his music was composed for the piano. These include 50 transcriptions of works by composers as diverse as Stravinsky, Palestrina, Mozart, Satie and Wagner. He also made piano arrangements of songs by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and George Gershwin. He also wrote sonatas for violin, flute and cello, all unaccompanied. A planned symphony based on the works of Herman Melville, and a comic opera, were left unfinished. The original manuscripts of many of John's compositions now reside at the Royal Northern College of Music Library Catalogue. The BBC made a film about his life titled Virtuoso, based on his biography written by his wife and fellow-pianist, Brenda Lucas Ogdon. John Ogdon was played by Alfred Molina, who won a Best Actor award from the Royal Television Society for his performance (he died of pneumonia, brought on by undiagnosed diabetes) b. January 27th 1937.
1996: Frida Boccara (55) French singer; born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1964 she submitted the song "Autrefois" to the French Eurovision Song Contest selection panel but she was unsuccessful. At the Eurovision Song Contest held in Madrid, Spain in 1969 she represented France and performed "Un jour, un enfant" (One day a child) by Emile Stern and Eddy Marnay. Her song along with the entries from UK, Netherlands and Spain shared first place. (Frida died of a pulmonary infection) b. October 29th 1940.
1997: Sviatoslav Richter (82) Ukrainian pianist, widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth centuryand was well known for the depth of his interpretations, virtuoso technique and vast repertoire. His repertory ran to around eighty different programs, not counting chamber works, ranging from Handel and Bach to Karol Szymanowski, Alban Berg, Anton Webern, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Paul Hindemith, Benjamin Britten and George Gershwin (heart attack) b. March 20th 1915.
2007: Tommy Makem (74) Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller, best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, bagpipes and sang in a distinctive baritone. He was sometimes known as "The Bard of Armagh" and "The Godfather of Irish Music". Taking his bagpipes, he emigrated to the America in 1955, after crushing his hand in a mill accident in 1956, he started work with the Clancy Brothers in New York. During the 1960s, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy performed sellout concerts at such venues as Carnegie Hall, and made TV appearances on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. In 1969, he started his solo career. He recorded around 18 solo albums and guested on many others and made 13 videos. His best known songs include "Four Green Fields", "Gentle Annie", "Red is the Rose", "The Rambles of Spring", "The Winds Are Singing Freedom", "Winds of the Morning", "Mary Mack", and "Farewell to Carlingford". In 1997 he wrote a book, Tommy Makem's Secret Ireland, and in 1999 premiered his own one-man theatre show, Invasions and Legacies, in New York. That same year he was awarded the World Folk Music Association's Lifetime Achievement (sadly lung cancer) b. November 4th 1932.
2009: Andy Parle (42) British drummer of the Liverpudlian indie rock band Space; he co-formed the Who-influenced Space in 1993 along with his friends.. vocalist Tommy Scott and guitarist Jamie Murphy. They released their first single "Neighbourhood" in 1996; their second single "Female of the Species", was used for the theme song to the UK television series Cold Feet. Their debut album Spiders, released in September 1996, went platinum in the UK. "Female of the Species" also gained moderate airplay on college radio and MTV in America. It was followed by an American tour. Andy left the band in 1998 to pursue (he tripped and fell after trying to run across a road in Liverpool at around 11.30pm, he was later declared dead at hospital) b.October 4th 1970
2010: George Shangrow (59) American conductor, pianist, teacher and radio personality; he received his musical training at the University of Washington, where he studied conducting, Baroque performance practice, harpsichord, and composition. George began his professional conducting career at 18 and in 1969 he founded the Seattle Chamber Singers, then in 1979 he founded Orchestra Seattle, formerly the Broadway Symphony, he concentrated his musical efforts with these two ensembles. He had also hosted the nightly radio program "Live, by George" on KING FM, which featured live classical performances by local musicians. He had a huge influence on the local classical-music community. He also toured and performed on piano and conducted operas in the U.S. and abroad (George was on his way to lecture at the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival on Highway 20 when an oncoming car crossed the centre line and struck his car head on. He died at the scene) b. 1951


August 2nd.
1921: The Great Caruso/Enrico Caruso (48) Italian opera singer and actor born in Naples; he was the most famous tenors in the history of opera, also the most popular singer in any genre in the first twenty years of the 20th century and one of the pioneers of recorded music. He sang to great acclaim at all major opera houses of Europe and North and South America. Over his 25-year career, stretching from 1895 to 1920, included 863 appearances at the New York Metropolitan Opera alone. He also made approximately 290 commercial recordings of his voice, beginning as early as 1902 in Italy and continuing from 1904 until 1920 in the United States. All of his known surviving recordings are available today on remastered CDs (so sadly The Great Caruso died of absesses from pleurisy of the lungs) b. February 25th 1873.
1945: Pietro Mascagni (81) Italian composer noted for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria rusticana caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the Verismo movement in Italian dramatic music. He wrote a total of seventeen operas and operetta, several orchestral and vocal works, as well as songs and piano music. He enjoyed immense success during his lifetime, both as a composer and conductor of his own and other people's music. The variety of styles in his operas.. the Sicilian passion and warmth of Cavalleria, the exotic flavor of Iris, the idyllic breeze that ventilates the charming L'amico Fritz and Lodoletta, the Gallic chiaroscuro of Isabeau, the steely, Veristic power of Il piccolo Marat, the overripe postromanticism of the lush Parisina, demonstrate a versatility that surpasses even that of Puccini. In April of 1943, Pietro appeared for the last time at La Scala to conduct L'amico Fritz, by that time he had to conduct sitting on a chair (?) b. December 7th 1863.
1972: Brian Cole (29) American bass player, clarinet and founder member the 1960s folk rock band The Association, the band who opened the 1967's Monterey Pop Festival. The band got their break with their second single "Along Comes Mary" in 1966 which reached No. 7 in the Hot 100, this was followed with a No. 1 hit "Cherish" in 1967, "Never My Love" at No. 2 and another chart topped in with "Windy". (sadly Brian died from a heroin overdose) b. September 8th 1942.
1972: Rudolph Ganz (95) Swiss pianist, conductor, composer born in Zurich, but moved to America where he became head of piano studies at the Chicago Musical College in 1901. From 1921 to 1927 he was the conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and did much to raise it to the top rank of orchestras. From 1928 he returned to teach at the Chicago Musical College, serving as its president from 1934 to 1958. In 1923 he received the Légion d'honneur of France for his introduction of the works of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel to American audiences, and in later years he performed and conducted pieces by Pierre Boulez, John Cage and Arthur Honegger (?) b. February 24th 1877.
1976: Cecilia/Evangelina Sobredo Galanes (27) Spanish singer-songwriter born in Madrid; she attained a bachelor's degree in law in Spain before dedicating herself to music and composition. In the 60s & 70s, she contributed to the existentialist and feminist movements of Spanish canción protesta with her protest songs. In 1975 she represented Spain in the OTI Festival with the song "Amor de medianoche" (Love of Midnight). She had been working on several projects, such as a tribute to Ramón del Valle-Inclán, before she died. Since her death many artists have recorded her work including Merche Corisco, Miguel Bosé, Ana Belén and Julio Iglesias (Tragically Cecilla died in a road accident) b. October 11th 1948.
1978: Carlos Chávez (79) Mexican composer, conductor, teacher, journalist, and the founder and director of the Mexican Symphonic Orchestra. He was influenced by native Mexican cultures. Of his six Symphonies, his Symphony No. 2, which uses native Yaqui percussion instruments, is probably the most popular. He had his first piano lessons from his brother Manuel, and later on he was taught by Asunción Parra, Manuel Ponce and Pedro Luis Ozagón, for piano, and later Juan Fuentes for harmony. In 1916, Carlos and friends started a cultural journal, Gladios, and this led to him joining the staff of the Mexico City newspaper El Universal in 1924. In 1926 he became director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Mexicana, later renamed Orquesta Sinfónica de Mexico, Mexico's first permanent orchestra, started by a musicians' labor union and he was instrumental in taking the orchestra on tour through Mexico's rural areas. By 1945, he had come to be regarded as the foremost Mexican composer and conductor and from 1947 to 1952, he was director general of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. It was also in 1947, when he formed the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, which supplanted the older OSM as Mexico's premier orchestra and led to the disbanding of the older ensemble. (died quietly at his daughter's home in Coyoacán outside of Mexico City) b. June 13th 1899.
1983: James Jamerson (45) American Bass Player, the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s; he has become regarded as one of the most influential bassists & the father of modern bass guitar players in modern music history. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Born at Edisto Island, near Charleston, South Carolina, and moved with his mother to Detroit, Michigan in 1954. He learned to play the double bass at Northwestern High School, and he soon began playing in Detroit area blues and jazz clubs >>> Read Much More <<< (tragically James died of a heart attack) b. January 29th 1936
1992: Michel Berger (45) French singer-songwriter, composer, and producer born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, he was a central figure of France's pop music scene for two decades both as a singer and as a songwriter for well-known French artists like his wife France Gall, Françoise Hardy and Johnny Hallyday. He first became known to the French public in the 1960s as singer of hit song Salut les copains, after which he became record producer and songwriter for EMI In 1978, he composed the musical: Starmania, with lyrics by Luc Plamondon. His next musical project, Dreams in Stone, was conceived as an American musical, co-arranged with Michel Bernholc, and recorded in the US. He also scored several film projects over the years, which included Mektoub, a 1970 film by Algerian Director Ali Ghalem, Robert Benayoun's Sérieux comme le plaisir in 1975, Jean-Paul Rappeneau's Tout feu, tout flamme in 1982 and Rive droite, rive gauche the 1984 film by Philippe Labro. He is also known for his Orangina advert jingle (a few weeks after the release of his first album of duets with France Gall, Michel Berger suffered a fatal heart attack in the middle of a tennis match at Ramatuelle) b. November 28th 1947.
1997: Fela Anikulapo Kuti/Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti (58) Nigerian multi-musician, composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist and political maverick. Born in Abeokuta, Nigeriae, he played saxophone, vocals, keyboards, trumpet, guitar and drums. Fela was sent to London in 1958 to study medicine but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music. While there he formed the band Koola Lobitos, playing a style of music that he would later call afrobeat. The style was a fusion of African jazz and funk with West African highlife. In 1963, he moved back to Nigeria, re-formed Koola Lobitos and trained as a radio producer for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1969, Fela took the band to the U.S. It was here he discovered the Black Power movement through Sandra Smith (now Izsadore)—a partisan of the Black Panther Party—which would heavily influence his music and political views and renamed the band Nigeria ’70. Soon, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was tipped off by a promoter that Fela and his band were in the US without work permits. The band then performed a quick, but remarkable recording session in L.A that would later be released as The ’69 Los Angeles Sessions. Back in Africa Fela's music became very popular among the Nigerian public and Africans in general, but it was also very unpopular with the ruling government, and raids on Fela's commune, the Kalakuta Republic were frequent. During 1972 Ginger Baker recorded Stratavarious with Fela appearing alongside Bobby Gass. In the '80s with his new band Egypt 80, Fela made a number of successful tours of the United States and Europe and also continued to be politically active. In 1986, Fela performed in Giants Stadium in New Jersey as part of the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope concert, sharing the bill with Bono, Carlos Santana, and the Neville Brothers. In 1989, Fela & Egypt 80 released the anti-apartheid "Beasts of No Nation" album that depicts on its cover U.S. President Ronald Reagan, UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South African Prime Minister P.W. Botha with fangs dripping blood. Over the years he recorded and/or appeared on over 50 albums, "The Underground Spiritual Game" was the last to be released in 2004 (died of AIDS-related heart failure; more than a million people attended Fela's funeral) b. October 15th 1938.
2001: Ron Townson (68) American singer and original member of the Grammy-winning The 5th Dimension. Born in St. Louis he started singing at the age of 6 and was a featured soloist on various choirs throughout his years in school, touring with Wings Over Jordan for 8 years while still in school. He was also their choir director for two years. Later he entered Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, after which he went to L.A. touring with Dorothy Dandridge for 2 years, took part in the Samuel Goldwyn motion picture production of Porgy & Bess and then later toured with Nat King Cole, as well as organizing and conducting his own 35 voice a cappella choir in LA. In 1966, Ron, Billy Davis, Jr, Lamonte McLemore, Marilyn McCoo and Florence LaRue formed The Versatiles, but soon changed their name to "The 5th Dimension". After ten successful years with the 5th Dimension, Ron left the group, he made a guest appearance on the TV series Switch, cut records, performed solo, and formed his own group, Ron Townson and Wild Honey. In 1980, he decided to reunite with the 5th Dimension. In 1991, the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1992, Ron appeared in the Warner Brothers film The Mambo Kings. Then in 1997, he left the 5th Dimension for good. He served on the board of directors of the Cambridge-Kilpatrick Acting School. He was honored at Lincoln University with the school's Distinguished Alumni Award (died of renal failure, after a four-year battle with kidney disease) b. January 20th 1933.
2004: Don Tosti/Edmundo Martinez Tostado (81) American upright bass player, composer and bandleader; Born in El Paso, Texas, he forged a career spanning several decades and styles, from classical to jazz and rhythm and blues. He was best remembered for his Pachuco-style compositions like the hit "Pachuco Boogie". Recorded in 1948, it was the first million-selling Latin song. By the age of seven he already played many instruments, but at 19, he adopted the the upright bass and began studying jazz under the tutelage of Arthur Pabst, taking the stage name Don Tosti, a nickname dating back to his childhood. Moving to LA he joined jazz trombonist Jack Teagarden's band. Over the next several years Don went on to play with Charlie Barnet, Les Brown, and Jimmy Dorsey, the latter serving as best man at his first wedding. He was one of just a handful of Mexican-American musicians who played professionally at the peak of the big-band era (?) b. 1923
2009: Billy Lee Riley (75) American rockabilly guitarist, singer, record producer and songwriter; born in Pocahontas, Arkansas, and taught to play guitar by black farm workers. He first recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1955 before joining Sam Phillips at Sun Studios. His first hit was "Flyin' Saucers Rock and Roll" / "I Want You Baby" in early 1957 after which he recorded "Red Hot" /"Pearly Lee" released in September 1957 both backed by Jerry Lee Lewis on piano. Billy Lee and his backing band... his Little Green Men, which included himself, Roland Janes, J.M. Van Eaton, Marvin Pepper, and Jimmy Wilson, later joined by Martin Willis. In 1960, he left Sun, and started Rita Record label with Roland Janes. They produced the national hit record "Mountain Of Love" by Harold Dorman. He later started two other labels Nita and Mojo. In 1962, he moved to L.A. and worked as a session musician with Dean Martin, the Beach Boys, Herb Alpert, Sammy Davis Jr. and many others. But in the early seventies, Billy quit music to return to Arkansas to begin his own construction business. In 1992, he was rediscovered by Bob Dylan who had been a fan since 1956, Billy started to play again, rock 'n' roll, blues and country-blues, his 1997 album Hot Damn! was nominated for the Grammy. In 2006, he released a country CD, Hillbilly Rockin' Man (sadly Billy died while battling cancer) b. October 5th 1933.
2009: Stanley Robertson (68) Scottish folk singer and storyteller, born into a Traveller family who eventually settled in Aberdeen. As a teenager he learned from his father to play the pipes, and picked up a more military repertoire while playing in a local cadet band. He left school at 14, and was to spend most of his working life in the fish filleting industry. His family background was rich in tradition, and from his aunt, folk singer Jeannie Robertson, he inherited a huge repertoire of north east ballads. As well as his folk music and songs, he has been recognised at home and abroad as a master storyteller, he could recall ballads and stories dating back through 500 years of oral history, and his ability to hold audiences spellbound with lengthy tales was unrivalled. He was a frequent broadcaster and appeared regularly at storytelling festivals. He was an Honorary Founder of the Scottish Storytelling Forum. In 2007 he suffered a stroke and a heart attack, but made a good recovery, and was once again in fine voice last September on a short tour of several English folk clubs (?) b. June 8th 1940.
2010: Makh Daniels (28) American lead singer of the Californian heavy metal band Early Graves (Died in a horrific auto accident when the band's driver fell asleep at the wheel) b. ????
2010: Mitch Jayne (80) American bassist, best known as bass player & MC with "The Dillards". He was also a member of the "Darlin' Family", a fictional hillbilly family band on the Andy Griffith Show in the 1960s. Mitch was the host of a popular bluegrass radio show, "Hickory Hollow", in Salem, MO, when he invited a local band, the Ozark Mountain Boys, featuring banjo player Doug Dillard and his brother Rodney, to be musical guests. In 1960, Mitch was invited to join Doug & Rodney as their bass player. After quickly teaching himself to play the bass, he accepted the invitation. As The Dillards bass player, Mitch recorded 15 albums, for which he wrote many of their songs. They may be the only folk-bluegrass band to tour as an opener for Elton John, on John's 1972 USA tour. They also traveled on tour with "The Byrds" and often appeared on American television, including The Merv Griffith Show, The Judy Garland Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, Playboy After Dark, Shindig, Hullabaloo and The Smothers Brothers Show. The Dillards made many successful tours of Europe and Japan as well. They performed at the 1999 Tonder Festival in Denmark (sadly died fighting cancer) b. July 5th 1930.
2011: Nikolay Kutuzov (85) Russian conductor, he was awarded the People's Artist of the USSR (?) b.????
2011: Ralph Berkowitz (100) American composer and pianist, born in New York City, and grew up in Brooklyn. In 1927, he enrolled at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia where he later became a member of the teaching staff. In 1940, he became accompanist for Gregor Piatigorsky, with whom he appeared until the cellist's death in 1976. Other musical partners included the tenor Jan Peerce, cellist Felix Salmond, and violinist and composer George Enesco. He recorded extensively with Piatigorsky and others, including the violinist Eudice Shapiro. From 1946 to 1951, Berkowitz served as an executive assistant to Serge Koussevitzky at Tanglewood and later became Dean of the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood in 1951, a position he held until 1961, and was largely instrumental in keeping the Tanglewood Festival alive following Koussevitsky's death. In 1961 Berkowitz moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he lived until his death in 2011. He first came to Albuquerque in 1940 to serve as a guest artist with a chamber music series called The June Music Festival. He remained active as an artist for the Festival into the 1980s. He also became manager of the then Albuquerque Civic Orchestra/New Mexico Symphony Orchestra (?) b. September 5th 1910.
2011: DeLois Barrett Campbell (85) American gospel singer and a member of the American award-winning gospel trio The Barrett Sisters from Chicago. She started her career as the lead singer of the world famous Roberta Martin Singers while still in high school. As a member of Roberta Martin Singers, DeLois traveled around the United States and the world singing for the Lord. After which she began the trio The Barrett Sisters consisted of DeLois and her sisters Billie Barrett GreenBey and Rodessa Barrett Porter, and they sang together for more than 40 years. In the mid-1960s, the sisters recorded their first album "Jesus Loves Me," on which they recorded Sam Cooke's "Wonderful". They followed with "I'll Fly Away" and "Carry Me Back" where they were joined with Roberta Martin on "I Hear God". The Barrett Sisters made their first appearance on radio and television in the 1960s. They have appeared on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson", "The Oprah Winfrey Show", "Bobby Jones Show", "Living the Dream", a television tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, PBS special "Going Home to Gospel with Patti LaBelle", and the "PTL Club". They've been featured several times on the locally produced Emmy Award winning "Jubilee Showcase" and have appeared on The Stellar Awards, which included accepting 2009 Walgreens' Ambassador Bobby Jones Legend Award (?) b. March 12th 1926.
2012: Mihaela Ursuleasa (33) Romanian pianist born in Brasov. In 1990, at the age of 12, she obtained a grant to study in Vienna and in 1995 she won the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition. She went on to perform at Carnegie Hall, with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester in Berlin, with the Orchestre National de France, as well as with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2010, she was awarded the Echo Klassik award for her debut album Piano & Forte and she released her second album, Romanian Rhapsody in 2011 (sadly Mihaela died from a cerebral hemorrhage) b. September 27th 1978.
2012: Marguerite Piazza (86) American singer, In 1935, Marguerite Luft was the first Queen of the Krewe of Virgilians, during Mardi Gras, in New Orleans (sadly died of heart failure) b. September 23rd 1921
2012: Jimmy Jones (82) American pop singer-songwriter born in Birmingham, Alabama, and moved to New York City while a teenager. He started his career as a tap dancer, and joined a doo-wop group The Berliners in 1954. They later changed their name to Sparks Of Rhythm. In 1955 he co-wrote "Handy Man", which was recorded by the Sparks Of Rhythm in 1956. After recording with other groups, he went solo and in 1959, teamed up with Otis Blackwell who reworked "Handy Man" which Jimmy recorded on the subsidiary MGM record label, Cub; released in 1959, it went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960, and peaked at No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart. Later in that same year, his recording of "Good Timin'" climbed to No.1 in the UK, and No.3 in the US. Both "Handy Man" and "Good Timin'" were million sellers, earning Jones two gold discs (?) b. June 2nd 1930.

August 3rd.
1972: Giannis Papaioannou (59) Greek musician and composer born in Kios, Turkey. He was most active in the 1940s, he wrote many songs, some of which are today considered classics of the rebetiko folk music style. These include: Pente Ellines Ston Adi, Kapetan Andreas Zeppo, Modistroula, Prin To Charama Monachos, and Fovamai Mi Se Chaso. His style retains much of the musical quality of the classical rebetika, although the thematic content of the lyrics tends not to focus as much on the typically dark topics - drugs, death and prison, of earlier rebetika (tragically he died in a road accident) b. January 18th 1913
1986: Joe Thomas (77) American jazz tenor saxophonist, born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He played alto sax under Horace Henderson, but played tenor from the time he joined Stuff Smith's band onward. He played with Jimmie Lunceford's band from 1933 until Lunceford's death in '47, where he soloed and occasionally sang. After Lunceford died, Joe and Ed Wilcox co-led his ghost band for a year. He played R&B in the early 1950s, but left the music industry to work in the family undertaking business in the mid 50s. In the 1960s he started playing again, and recorded again under his own name in the late 1970s and early 1980s (?) b. June 19th 1909.
1987: David A. Martin (50) American bass player; born Dallas, Texas, he started his musical career in 1959 with a band called Tommy & the Tom Toms which became The Bill Smith Combo in 1960 and recorded several singles for Chess Records. He also worked with Gene Summers, Freddy Fender, Scotty McKay, and other notable performers before finally hitting the big-time when he co-founded the rock group Sam the Sham and recorded all their early hits and also co-wrote the group's No.1 hit "Wooly Bully" which sold over 3-million records. After leaving the group in late 1965 over management conflicts he returned to Garland, Texas, where he operated a television and video repair shop, located on Lavon Drive, until his death (sadly died of a heart attack) b. 1937?
1992: Don Lang/Gordon Langhorn (67) English trombone player and singer born in Halifax, Yorkshire; he led his own band, Don Lang & his Frantic Five. They appeared on the first BBC Television show for teenagers called Six-Five Special, for which he recorded the theme tune. In 1958 his cover version of "Witch Doctor" reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, and played trombone on the song "Revolution 1" on The Beatles' White Album. He retired at the end of the 1980s (Don sadly died after a long battle with cancer) b. January 19th 1925.
1999: Leroy Vinnegar (71)American jazz bassist; born in Indianapolis, self-taught he gained his reputation in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademark was the rhythmic "walking" bass line, a steady series of ascending or descending notes, and it brought him the nickname "The Walker". Besides his jazz work, he appeared on a number of soundtracks and pop albums, notably Van Morrison's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview. He recorded extensively as both a leader and sideman. He recorded with many greats, in the 50s including Lee Konitz André Previn, Stan Getz, Shorty Rogers, Chet Baker, Shelly Manne, Joe Castro and Serge Chaloff. He played bass on Previn and Manne's My Fair Lady album, one of the most successful jazz records ever produced. He also performed on another of jazz's biggest hit albums, Eddie Harris and Les McCann's Swiss Movement, released in 1969. He moved to Portland, Oregon in 1986, where in 1995, the Oregon State Legislature honored him by proclaiming May 1st, Leroy Vinnegar Day. Leroy was a much in-demand musician and was among the top recorded bassists of his time (heart attack) b. July 13th 1928.
1998: Alfred Schnittke (63) Russian composer; he wrote nine symphonies, six concerti grossi, many concertos, four string quartets, and the operas Life with an Idiot, Gesualdo, and Historia von D. Johann Fausten (Alfrd sadly died from a heart related illness) b. November 24th 1934.
2000: Maurice Kinn (76) English promoter, manager, journalist and publisher; owner of The New Musical Express, now shortened to NME, instigating the first UK charts based on record sales. The paper's first issue was published on the 7 March 1952 after he bought the paper then known as Music and Accordion Weekly. He was born in Poplar and educated at the now defunct Kent Coast College. He became a teaboy on the Irish Times in Fleet Street and sports reporter on the local Watford newspaper, but left at the age of 22 to manage several bands, including those of Joe Loss and Cyril Stapleton. His inborn sense of honesty gave him a dislike for his fellow agents, and he folded that business to become a concert promoter, which he did with great success right up to the time he bought the New Musical Express. (died fighting cancer) b. June 2nd 1924.
2002: Jerry Underwood (45) British saxophone player; his contribution to the development of jazz in Bristol for over twenty years was by no means small, and his overall body of work was from the top bracket of UK and European jazz. His work with Bristol jazz-rock outfit Tao established him as a saxophone player of note. His real passion for jazz emerged through bands such as the cutting edged group, Klaunstance, Bullet, his own quartet co-led with Geoff Williams, and later Spirit Level. Jerry had moved to London in the early 90’s and was working with a variety of top UK based players including Mervyn Africa, Gail Thompson’s Jazz Africa and Elton Dean. He toured and recorded with Carla Bley’s big band in 1997 and joined Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle in 1998. Jerry moved to France in 1999, where he played with many French musicians and came back to the UK often with his own groups and with the Dave Gordon Quartet. (brain tumour) b. August 14th 1956.
2003: Roger Voudouris (48) American singer, songwriter, guitarist; born in Sacramento, he formed Roger Voudouris Loud as Hell Rockers while still in high school. The band enjoyed some success while performing as an opener for The Doobie Brothers, Stephen Stills and John Mayall. He released his first solo album Roger Voudouris in 1978. His second album Radio Dream contained the pop smash hit "Get Used To It" which became one of the highest selling singles in the U.S. for 1979, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. After the decline of his solo career Roger returned to writing music and lyrics for various projects including the movie The Lonely Lady starring Pia Zadora, and a documentary on the life of Elvis Presley (liver disease) b. December 29th 1954.
2006: Arthur Lee/Arthur Taylor Porter (61) American enigmatic and volatile frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of the legendary Los Angeles psychedelic band "Love". In the early mid-'60s, Arthur recorded some unsuccessful singles including one as the American Four, and also recorded a session for Rosa Lee Brooks that featured Jimi Hendrix as a session guitarist. Lee found his niche when he founded one of the '60s seminal garage/folk/psychedelic bands, Love, in 1965. The multiracial band recorded three groundbreaking albums that fused rock, blues and psychedelia, the self-titled Love, Da Capo and Forever Changes. In the 1990s Arthur spent time in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. But the he made a triumphant comeback in 2002, touring the US and Europe with a new version of his classic band. His live performances of Forever Changes receiving glowing reviews (he died peacefully in his sleep from complications arising from leukaemia) b. March 7th 1945.
2006: Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf DBE (90) German-born Austrian-British opera singer; she was among the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century, much admired for her performances of Mozart, Schubert, Strauss and Wolf. She made her professional debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 15 April 1938, as the Second Flower Maiden in Act II of Richard Wagner's Parsifal. In 1942, she joined the Vienna State Opera, with roles included Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Musetta and later Mimì in Puccini's La bohème and Violetta in Verdi's La traviata. She went on to perform at most top opera houses. Her last operatic performance was as the Marschallin on 31 December 1971, in the theatre of La Monnaie in Brussels. For the next several years, she devoted herself exclusively to lieder recitals, after which taught and gave master classes around the world, notably at the Juilliard School in New York City (natural causes) b. December 9th 1915.
2008: Erik Darling (74) American songwriter, folk musician; he was an important influence on the folk scene in 50s and early 60s. He the Folksay Trio, recording an album in 1951 that included Darling's arrangement of "Tom Dooley". He next formed The Tarriers, recording his rendition of "The Banana Boat Song". After which he joined The Weavers in 1958. He left the Weavers in 1962 to form the Rooftop Singers, who became his most popular group with the single "Walk Right In," a No.1 that became one of the biggest folk hits of the era. He released a solo album, "The Possible Dream" on Elektra in 1975. He returned to recording in the 1990s, cutting several albums , including one of Christmas songs (sadly died from lymphoma) b. September 25th 1933.
2010: Bobby Hebb (72) African American singer, songwriter, spoons and multi-musician, best known maybe, for his writing and recording of "Sunny". A young Bobby performed on a TV show hosted by country music record producer Owen Bradley, which earned him a place with Grand Ole Opry star Roy Acuff, where he played spoons and other instruments in Acuff's band. Bobby Hebb sang backup on Bo Diddley's "Diddley Daddy" and played "West-coast-style" trumpet in a US Navy jazz band, and replaced Mickey Baker in Mickey and Sylvia. In 1960 he reached the New York Top 50 with a remake of Roy Acuff's "Night Train To Memphis". In 1966 Bobby recorded his self penned "Sunny" in New York City, that same year he toured with The Beatles. BMI rates "Sunny" number 25 in its Top 100 songs of the century, it sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It is also one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released, by the likes of Cher, Boney M, Georgie Fame, Johnny Rivers, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, The Four Seasons, the Four Tops, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, and Dusty Springfield. Bobby also had hits with his "A Satisfied Mind" in 1966 and "Love Me" in 1967, and has written many other songs, including Lou Rawls' 1971 hit "A Natural Man. After a recording gap of thirty five years he recorded a new album; That's All I Wanna Know was his first commercial release since Love Games in 1970. It was released in Europe in late 2005 by Tuition, a new pop indie label. New versions of "Sunny" were also issued two duets: one with Astrid North, and one with Pat Appleton. Also in October 2008 Bobby toured and played in Osaka and Tokyo in Japan. (Sadly Bobby lost his battle with lung cancer) b. July 26th 1938.
2011: Jorge Neri (67) Mexican composer born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and recently celebrated 50 years in the music business. In the theatre, he has arranged around 80 works, including "Evita", "La Donna", "Little Orphan Annie", " Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", "Mame", "La cage aux folles", " Sugar", "The locker room", "Gypsy", "The Thousand and One Nights", "The Dreamer navigator", "The Nutcracker", "Cinderella 2000" and many others. He was also musical director of great singers like José José, Silvia Pinal, Lupita D'Alessio and Ana Gabriel (sadly Jorge died fighting liver cancer) b. June 21st 1944.
2011: Nikolay Petrov (68) Russian pianist, born in Moscow and started playing piano at the age of 3. He went on to win 2nd prize at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas and won 2nd prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition in Brussels. He gave regular performances in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory as well as touring widely and appearing at major world venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, London; Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, and the Teatro Colón. His repertoire included more than 50 concertos and he worked with many prominent conductors, including Kirill Kondrashin, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Mariss Jansons, Yevgeny Svetlanov and Yuri Temirkanov. His awards included the Grande Médaille d'Or of the Académie Balzac, People's Artist of the USSR, the Russian State Prize and in 1998, he founded the Nikolai Petrov International Philanthropic Foundation (sadly died of a stroke) b. April 14th 1943.
2011: Andrew McDermott (45) British singer, mostly known for his work in the progressive metal band Threshold. He was also lead singer of Swampfreaks and the German group Sargant Fury. He joined Threshold in 1998 as lead singer, replacing Damian Wilson. In 2003, Andrew joined Yargos, they released their first album in 2005 and a second one in 2009. He was also a member of the band Powerworld. In 2007, days before the "Live Reckoning" tour with Threshold, Andrew suddenly left the band, Damian Wilson came back to replace him (sadly Andrew died from complications of kidney failure) b. January 26th 1966.

August 4th.
1973: Eddie Condon (67) American jazz banjoist, guitarist, bandleader, born in Goodland, Indiana; after some time playing ukulele, he switched to banjo becoming professional by 1921. He was based in Chicago for most of the 1920s, and played with jazz greats such as Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden and Frank Teschemacher. In '28 he moved to New York, where he frequently arranged jazz sessions for various record labels, sometimes playing with the artists he brought to the recording studios, including Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. He organised racially-integrated recording sessions, when these were still rare, with Armstrong, Waller and Henry 'Red' Allen. He played in Red Nichols band of for a time. Later, from 1938 he had a long association with Milt Gabler's Commodore Records. By the late 1930s and onwards he was a regular at the Manhattan jazz club Nick's. The sophisticated variation on Dixieland music which he and his colleagues created there came to be nicknamed "Nicksieland." By this time, his regular circle of musical associates included Wild Bill Davison, Bobby Hackett, Edmond Hall and Pee Wee Russell. Eddie did a series of jazz radio broadcasts from New York's Town Hall during 1944-45 which were nationally popular. These recordings survive, and have been issued on the Jazzology label. From 1945 through 1967 he ran his own New York jazz club, after which he toured and played the festivals through to 1972 (?) b. November 16th 1905.
1975: Fumio Nanri (64) Japanese jazz trumpeter nicknamed the "Satchmo of Japan" by Louis Armstrong, he was one of Japan's first jazz musicians to become known outside his native country. In 1925 after he graduated from a senior high school he played in the band Takashimayain and played at dance halls before moving to Tokyo in 1928 working in Ichiro Ida's band, but after a few months he formed his own band. The following year he moved to Shanghai and studied the piano with Teddy Weatherford. 1932 sees him in San Francisco and Florida. Back in Japan in 1934 he formed his own band "Fumio Nanri and Hot Peppers", accompaning the singer Dick Mine and from 1937 to 1940 he lived in Dalian, China, returning frequently to Tokyo for recordings. After the war in 1948 he reformed the Hot Peppers which included Hana Hajime, Toshiyuki Ichimura and other musicians. He went on to play with many of the greats including Bobby Hackett and Clark Terry. A long-standing Japanese jazz award "The Fumio Nanri" was named after him (?) b. December 24th 1910.
1996: James Hunter (?) English roadie for the British rock band Oasis (James was crushed to death between a fork-lift truck and a lorry during the bands two day shows at Balloch Country Park, Scotland) b. ????
2005: Nick Perito (81) American composer, arranger and for 40 years, the closest collaborator of singer Perry Como. He started out at Denver's KOA with his own weekday radio program in 1946, before settling in New York, where he worked as a songwriter, arranger, and accordion/piano session musician. He also had his own band that had a permanent spot at Jack Dempsey's Broadway Restaurant. His first association with Perry Como came through Como's arranger, Ray Charles, in the early 1950s. Como had recorded a novelty song, "Hoop-De-Doo", and Nick was hired to accompany him on accordion for television performances of the song. He became the musical director of United Artists Records and in 1963 he became the Como''s music director and conductor. Perry credited Nick with the the idea of making his 198 7 album, Today. He worked with Como through his last performance: his Irish Christmas special in 1994. He also became the musical director for Bob Hope in 1993, and worked with Hope's wife, Dolores, when she decided to pick up her singing career after 60 years (sadly Nick died of pulmonary fibrosis) b. April 7th 1924.
2005: Little Milton/James Milton Campbell Jr (70) US blues singer and guitarist; born in the Mississippi Delta town of Inverness and raised in Greenville by a farmer and local blues musician. By the age of 12 he had learned the guitar and was a street musician, chiefly influenced by T-Bone Walker. As a record producer, Milton helped bring artists such as Albert King and Fontella Bass to fame, while experiencing his own success for the first time. After a number of small format and regional hits, his 1962 single, "So Mean to Me," broke onto the Billboard R&B chart, eventually peaking at No.14. In the late 1960s he released a number of singles, but did not issue a further album until 1969, with Grits Ain't Groceries featuring his hit of the same name, as well as "Just a Little Bit" and "Baby, I Love You". After which he joined the Stax Label scoring hits with "That's What Love Will Make You Do" and "What It Is" from his live album, What It Is: Live at Montreux. In 1988, Milton was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and won a W.C. Handy Award. His final album, Think of Me, was released in May of 2005 (complications following a stroke) b. September 7th 1934.
2006: John Locke (62) American songwriter, keyboard player; born in L.A.; he was the original keyboardist in the jazz/hard rock/progressive rock/psychedelic band Spirit formed in 1967 under the name Spirits Rebellious. The group's first album, Spirit, was released in 1968 and "Mechanical World" was released as a single. John appeared on their next eight albums. When Randy Californa went solo, Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes formed Jo Jo Gunne, while Ed Cassidy and John briefly led a new Spirit, recording the album Feedback in 1972 with Al and Chris Staehely. California subsequently took on the Spirit mantle, in partnership with Cassidy, and Locke contributed to the album Farther Along in 1976. Between 1980 and late '82, John played keyboard for the Scottish rock band Nazareth appearing on albums The Fool Circle-1981, Snaz-1981, and 2XS-1983. In December 1982, the original Spirit line-up reformed and recorded several songs from their first four albums, and a few new tracks, released 2 years later as as Spirit of '84. John re-joined the band in 1988, they recorded the album Rapture in the Chambers. The band self-released Tent Of Miracles in 1990 and set off on almost continually working for the next six years. Spirit split with the death of Randy. John went on to live a quieter life in Ojai, a small town in California, where he ran a recording studio (died from complications due to lymphoma, some sources give the date as Aug 9th) b. September 25 1943.
2007: Lee Hazlewood (78) American country and pop singer, songwriter and record producer, born in Mannford, Oklahoma. His first hit as a producer and songwriter was "The Fool", recorded by rockabilly artist Sanford Clark in 1956. He partnered with pioneering rock guitarist Duane Eddy, producing and cowriting an unprecedented string of hit instrumental records, including "Peter Gunn", "Boss Guitar", "40 Miles Of Bad Road", "Shazam!", "Rebel Rouser" and "[Dance With The] Guitar Man". Perhaps he was best known for having written and produced the 1966 Nancy Sinatra U.S./UK No.1 hit, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and "Summer Wine". He also wrote "How Does That Grab Ya, Darlin'", "Friday's Child", "So Long, Babe, "Sugar Town" and many others for Sinatra. In the 1970s Lee moved to Stockholm, Sweden, where he wrote and produced the one-hour television show Cowboy in Sweden together with friend and Director Torbjörn Axelman, which later emerged as an album. His last recording was for the vocals of Icelandic quartet Amiina's single "Hilli (At The Top Of The World)" (sadly Lee lost his life to renal cancer) b. July 9th 1929.
2008: Eri Kawai (43) Japanese singer; she both composed and sung not only classic, but also pop and world music. She released 11 albums, debuting with Wazu Wasu no Boken in May of 1996. Her last album Oriental Green, was released August 26th 2009 (sadly Eri died of liver cancer) b. May 8th 1965.
2009: Mbah Surip/Urip Achmad Ariyanto (60) Indonesian reggae singer, nearly all his life he had lived in poverty, earning what money he could as a street performer. But earlier this year, 2009, over night he became famous and a mush beloved star in Indonesia when he released a single "Tak Gendong"/"I will carry you"... it became an instant hit. Mbah was recognizable by his braided hair and hearty laugh. His signature greeting was “I love you full, I love you full” which he would say over and over to everyone he met. “I love singing and I don’t mind doing it non-stop, once I sang for 60 hours with only a little sleep, but I’m happy,” he said in a recent interview with SCTV. Before the funeral, Mbah’s daughter, Resia Tri Kresnawati, held her wedding ceremony in front of her father’s remains. Resia’s wedding was originally planned to be held on August 16 in Mojokerto, East Java, but the wedding was brought forward because of Mbah’s death and a quick funeral is in accordance with Islamic teachings (sadly heart failure) b. May 6th 1949.
2009: Ole A. Sørli (63) Norwegian musician and writer as well as a music industry manager and record producer. He first gained fame as a musician and leader of the band The Cool Cats from 1961 to 1967 and worked throughout the rest of his life producing and managing western music. One of his greatest achievements was as the managing director of the opera/musical "Which Witch", for which he also co-wrote the book with Piers Haggard (sadly died after half a year of illness) b. 1946.
2011: Henk Alkema (66) Dutch composer, music arranger and pianist; born in Harlingen, while working as a jazz pianist and improviser as active, he studied at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, then at Deaky Zolt and Huub Kerstens. Henk is well known as the composer of the opera "Rixt" which he made for the Frysk Festival 1990. He conducted the Cantata Choir in Friesland, Concordia in Leeuwarden and was for some years the conductor of the Frysk Wind Ensemble (sadly Henk had been ill for some time) b. November 20th 1944.
2011: Conrad Schnitzler (74) German keyboard player, pianist and synthesizer, born in Düsseldorf. He was an early member of Tangerine Dream frm 1969–1970 and a founder of the band Kluster. He left Kluster in 1971, first working with his group Eruption and then focusing on solo works. He continued to record from his home studio in Dallgow, Germany, creating CD-Rs which he sold independently and participated in several collaborations with other electronic musicians (sadly died fighting stomach cancer) b. 1937

August 5th.
1955: Carmen Miranda, GCIH (46) Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, Broadway actress and Hollywood film star popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She was, by some accounts, the highest-earning woman in the United States and noted for her signature fruit hat outfit she wore in the 1943 movie The Gang's All Here. She is considered the precursor of Brazil's Tropicalismo (On August 4th 1955 Miranda suffered a heart attack during a segment of the live NBC television series, The Jimmy Durante Show. She sadly died of a second heart attack later in the night at her Beverly Hills home) b. February 9th 1909.
1963: Salvador Bacarisse (64) Spanish composer born in Madrid, he was a member of the Grupo de los Ocho, founded in the spirit of Les Six to combat musical conservatism and helped to promote new music as the artistic director of Unión Radio until 1936. At the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939, he exiled himself to Paris after rejecting the militarist regime of Francisco Franco. From 1945 until his death, he worked for Radio-Télévision Française as a broadcaster of Spanish-language programs. He composed for mixed chamber ensembles, the piano, operas including El tesoro de Boabdil which won a French radio award in 1958, and orchestral works including four piano concertos and a violin concerto. His most famous work today is his 1952's Concertino for Guitar and Orchestra in A minor Op. 72 in a neo-romantic style (?) b. September 12th 1898
1968: Luther Perkins (40) American country music guitarist and a member of the Tennessee Three, the backup band for singer Johnny Cash. He was an iconic figure in what would become known as rockabilly music. His creatively simple, sparsely-embellished, rhythmic use of Fender Esquire and Jazzmaster guitars is credited for creating Cash's signature "boom-chicka-boom" style. Luther was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, also he and Marshall Grant, as The Tennessee Two, were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame (He went to sleep in the living room while holding a lit cigarette. His daughter awoke around 6:00 am to find the living room in flames and Luther collapsed near the door. An emergency crew rushed him to Vanderbilt University Hospital, where he was kept in intensive care, but he later died) b. January 8th 1928.
1986: Michael Rudetsky (27) American keyboardist, guitarist and writer, he had worked with Cyndi Lauper, Kool & the Gang and Joan Jett and credited on Culture Club's From Luxury to Heartache album, for co-writing the song " Sexuality" (found dead of a drug overdose at Boy George's London Hampstead home) b. ????
1992: Jeff Porcaro (38) American drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. ; one of the top studio drummers in pop music during the 1970s and 1980s. While still a teenager he began playing with Sonny and Cher, and during the next two decades he played behind acts ranging from Barbra Streisand to Steely Dan to Warren Zevon. While already an established studio player in the 1970s, he shot to prominence in the US as the drummer on the Steely Dan album Katy Lied. His other studio credits include Michael Jackson's "Beat It" and "Heal The World"; Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)"; John Sebastian's "Welcome Back"; Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" and "New York Minute"; Elton John's "Jump Up!"; Randy Newman's "I Love L.A."; Eric Clapton's "Forever Man", and many others. He is also famous for his performance on the Toto song, "Rosanna". He toured with Boz Scaggs, before co-founding Toto with his brother Steve and childhood friends Steve Lukather and David Paich. Besides his work with Toto, he also performed as a session musician with artists such as Paul McCartney, Dire Straits, Willy DeVille, Jackson Browne, Donald Fagen, Rickie Lee Jones, Michael Jackson, Go West, Nik Kershaw, Love and Money, Paul Simon, Don Henley, Madonna, Airplay, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Manhattan Transfer, America, Peter Frampton, Bee Gees, Clair Marlo, Tom Scott, Michael McDonald, Amy Holland, Joe Cocker, Stan Getz, Sergio Mendez, Lee Ritenour, Christopher Cross, James Newton-Howard, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, Jim Messina, Four Tops, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, Les Dudek, Warren Zevon, Bonnie Raitt, Dire Straits, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, Roger Hodgson; Paul Anka, Eric Carmen, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Tommy Bolin and Larry Carlton to mention some. Richard Marx dedicated the song "One Man" to him and said Porcaro was the best drummer he had ever worked with. (Tragically died in a gardening accident, from heart attack caused by an allergic re-action to lawn pesticides)b. April 1st 1954.
1993: Randy Jo Hobbs (45) American bass player born in Winchester, Indiana. Randy played bass for The McCoys from 1965 to 1969, after which he played in the bands of the brothers Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter during 1970-1976. He played with a later version of Montrose, appearing on the 'Jump on It' album, released in 1976. That same year, he also played bass on Rick Derringer's album with Dick Glass, Glass Derringer. Earlier Randy had played bass with Jimi Hendrix on some 1968 live sessions which were later released unofficially as Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead in 1980 and New York Sessions in 1998, and officially as Bleeding Heart in 1994. (Randy died from heart failure in a hotel room at Dayton Ohio) b. March 22nd 1948
1993: Bob "Coop" Cooper (67) American jazz saxophone player born in Pittsburgh, and known primarily for playing tenor saxophone. He studied the clarinet in high school, took up the tenor saxophone in 1941, and was soon operating under the influence of Don Byas and Lucky Thompson. He became a member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra in 1945 and added the oboe to his musical equipage and in 1947 Coop married June Christy, one of Kenton's most accomplished vocalists. While with Kenton he played behind Nat King Cole and alongside Art Pepper. In 1951, Cooper he became a West Coast session man, absorbing fresh new currents of bop while refining and updating his musicianship. He added the English horn and bass clarinet to his arsenal of wind instruments, as well as the flute and both baritone and soprano saxes. By 1954 he had joined forces with Pete Rugolo and Shorty Rogers, was sitting in with mambo king Perez Prado and leading his first recording sessions on Capitol. During the second half of the decade he gigged with Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars in Hermosa Beach, accompanied June Christy on numerous recordings and toured with her through Japan, South Africa and Europe. In 1956 he collaborated Buddy Rich, Bud Shank, Bill Perkins and Jimmy Giuffre, who also joined Coop and Shelly Manne in a group backing the R&B vocal group known as the Treniers. He also recorded extensively with the Buddy Bregman and Russ Garcia Orchestras backing vocalists Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby and Anita O'Day; with the Marty Paich Dek-tette behind Mel Tormé and in the Pete Rugolo Orchestra with Patti Page. In 1957 he recorded with Max Roach and John Graas, and went on over the next 36 years to play with many greats from The Monkees, the Frank Capp-Nat Pierce Juggernaut band, pop singer Paul Williams, the Michel Legrand Orchestra backing jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan, Ernestine Anderson to Madonna's Dick Tracy-inspired album I'm Breathless, followed by recording with Sue Raney, Doc Severinsen's featured tenor Pete Christlieb. He was heard on the soundtrack to Neil Simon's racy romantic comedy The Marrying Man, and in studio bands backing vocalists Manhattan Transfer, Rosemary Clooney, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral. Bob's last studio recording was on Karrin Allyson's album Sweet Home Cookin in 1993 on which he played tenor saxophone. (Sadly Bob died from a heart attack) b. December 6th 1925.
1995: Menachem Avidom (87) Israeli composer born in Stanislaviv, Austria-Hungary; he emigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1925 and, soon after went to study at the American University of Beirut from 1926-28. After further studies at the Paris Conservatory 1928-31, after which he moved to Tel Aviv, where he taught music theory. From 1945, he served as general secretary of the Israeli Philharmonic; in 1955 he was named director of ACUM, the Israeli Performing Rights Society. In 1961, Menacham was awarded the Israel Prize for music, in recognition of his opera Alexandra ha'Hashmonait (?) b. January 6th 1908.
2007: Florian Pittis (63) Romanian stage and television actor, folk music singer and radio producer;
he attended the Gheorghe Lazar High School in Bucharest and in 1968 he graduated from the Institute of Theatre. As a young actor he was hired at one of the best theatres in Bucharest, the Bulandra Theatre. In 1992, he was one of the founding members of the Romanian folk rock band Pasarea Colibri and appeared on 3 of thier 5 albums before he left the band in 2000. In 1998 he became the director of Radio Romania Tineret, known as Radio3Net since 2001, the only Romanian radio station that broadcasts exclusively on the Internet. Florian's songs were usually his own compositions, but being a great admirer of Bob Dylan, he had masterfully translated and adapted some of Dylan's songs: A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Death is Not the End, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right, Mr. Tambourine Man, Rainy Day Women #12 & 35, She Belongs to Me, Silvio (sadly died after his struggle with prostate cancer) b. October 4th 1943.
2007: Paul Rutherford (67) British trombonist with the band Iskra 1912, one of the earliest free improvising groups to omit a drummer/percussionist. Famous for solo trombone improvisations, he also played with Globe Unity Orchestra, London Jazz Composer's Orchestra, the Mike Westbrook Orchestra, Soft Machine and more (sadly died from cirrhosis of the liver and a ruptured aorta) b. February 29th 1940.
2008: Robert Hazard/Robert Rimato (59) American musician and songwriter probably best known for composing and recording the song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", which Cyndi Lauper covered, he also composed the 1980s New Wave and MTV hits, "Escalator of Life" and "Change Reaction", which he performed with his band, Robert Hazard and the Heroes, (pancreatic cancer) b. August 21st 1948.
2008: Reg Lindsay OAM (79) Australian country and western singer who won three Golden Guitar Awards and wrote more than five hundred songs in his fifty-year music career. Born in the Sydney, Reg was two years of age when his father gave him a harmonica which he quickly mastered. He then learned how to play the banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle. In 1951 he won a Sydney radio talent quest which launched his career as a singer-songwriter. In a music career of over 50 years he wrote more than 500 songs and hosted various TV shows including The Reg Lindsay Country Hour in 1964 which ran for eight years, followed by his own TV program, Country Homestead, which ran for four years and earned him four Logie Awards. He became the first Australian to appear at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in 1974 and is officially recognised with a plaque on Nashville's Walkway of Stars. He was winner of three Golden Guitar Awards and was inducted into Australia's Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977. In 1989 he was honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to Australian music (sadly died of pneumonia) b. August 5th 1929
2012: Stephen Hill (55) American gospel singer-songwriter; raised in upstate South Carolina, he regularly appeared in Bill & Gloria Gaither’s popular “Homecoming” series of videos, CDs and concerts. Over three decades in music, he collaborated with notables including Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Vern Gosdin, Charlie Louvin, Dottie Rambo, Sam Moore, Marie Osmond and Nancy Sinatra (sadly died from a heart attack) b. 1957
2012: Chavela Vargas/Isabel Vargas Lizano (93) Costa Rican-born Mexican singer-songwriter, born in San Joaquín de Flores. In her youth, she dressed as a man, smoked cigars, drank heavily, carried a gun and was known for her characteristic red jorongo, which she still dons in performances. She sang in the streets as a teenager until she ventured into a professional career in the 1930sShe was especially known for her rendition of Mexican canción ranchera, but she is also recognized for her contribution to other genres of popular Latin American music. She has been an influential interpreter in Europe, muse to figures such as Pedro Almodóvar, hailed for her haunting performances, and called "la voz áspera de la ternura", the rough voice of tenderness (sadly died from respiratory arrest) b. April 17th 1919.

August 6th.
1931: Leon 'Bix' Beiderbecke (28) American jazz cornetist and composer; he developed a style independent of the influence of Louis Armstrong and became the leading player of the Chicago style of jazz in the 1920s, noted for his gentle, clear tone and introspective approach. He played cornet on four number one hit records in 1928 recorded with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra: "Together", No.1 for two weeks, "Ramona", No.1 for three weeks, "My Angel", for six weeks, and "Ol' Man River", with Bing Crosby on vocals, was No.1 for one week. He recorded many jazz standards during his career in the 1920s and early 1930s, including "Riverboat Shuffle", "Copenhagen", "Davenport Blues", "Singin' the Blues", "In a Mist", "Mississippi Mud", "I'm Coming, and "Virginia", on his last recording session, in New York, on September 15, 1930, Bix recorded the original version of the jazz and pop standard "Georgia on My Mind" with Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra (pneumonia; his alcoholism and early death contributed to his status as one of the early romantic legends of jazz). b. March 10th 1903.
1970: Ingolf Dahl (58) German-born American composer, pianist, conductor, and educator born in Hamburg, Germany. After Switzerland became hostile to Jewish refugees and his role at the Opera was restricted to playing in the orchestra, he emigrated to the United States in 1939. Settling in he had a varied musical career as a solo pianist, keyboard, piano and harpsichordperformer, accompanist, conductor, coach, composer, and critic. He also worked in the entertainment industry, touring as pianist to Edgar Bergen and his puppets in 1941 and later for comedian Gracie Fields in 1942 and 1956. He produced musical arrangements for Tommy Dorsey and served as arranger/conductor to Victor Borge. He gave private lessons in the classical repertoire to Benny Goodman. He performed on keyboard instruments in the soundtrack orchestras for many films at Fox, Goldwyn Studios, Columbia, Universal, MGM, and Warner Bros, as well as the post-production company Todd-AO. He also worked on the television show The Twilight Zone. He conducted the soundtrack to The Abductors-1957 by his pupil Paul Glass and performed the second movement of Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata in the 1969 animated film A Boy Named Charlie Brown. The West Coast chapters of the American Musicological Society present the Ingolf Dahl Memorial Award in Musicology annually (?) b. June 9th 1912.
1973: Memphis Minnie/Lizzie Douglas (76) American blues singer, songwriter and guitar virtuoso, born in Algiers, Louisiana; Minnie was one of the most influential and pioneering female blues musicians and guitarists of all time. She recorded for forty years, almost unheard of for any woman in show business at the time and unique among female blues artists. A flamboyant character who wore bracelets made of silver dollars, she was a very popular blues recording artist from the early Depression years through World War II. One of the first generation of blues artists to take up the electric guitar, in 1942, she combined her Louisiana-country roots with Memphis blues to produce her own unique country-blues sound; along with Big Bill Broonzy and Tampa Red, she took country blues into electric urban blues, paving the way for Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, and Jimmy Rogers to travel from the small towns of the south to the big cities of the north. Some of her many songs include "When the Levee Breaks", "Bumble Bee Blues", "Hoodoo Lady", "I'm Gonna Bake My Biscuit" and "I Want Something For You" (Minnie sadly died from a stroke in a Memphis nursing home. A headstone paid for by Bonnie Raitt was erected by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund on 13 October 1996) b. June 3rd 1897.
1974: Eugene "Jug" Ammons (49) American jazz tenor saxophone player, and the son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammon. He began to gain recognition when he went on the road with trumpeter King Kolax in '43, at the age of 18. He became a member of the Billy Eckstine and Woody Herman bands in 1944 and 1949, and in 1950 formed a duet with Sonny Stitt. His later career was interrupted by two prison sentences for narcotics possession, the first from 1958 to 1960, the second from 1962 to 1969. He and Von Freeman were the founders of the Chicago School of tenor saxophone. The "Soul Jazz" movement of the mid-1950s, often using the combination of tenor saxophone and Hammond B3 electric organ, counts him as a founder. He used a thinner, drier tone and could exploit a vast range of textures on the instrument (died of pneumonia) b. April 14th 1925.
1976: Gregor Piatigorsky (73) Russian naturalized American cellist, born in Ekaterinoslav, now in Ukraine; he studied violin and piano before given his first cello when he was seven. He won a scholarship to the Moscow Conservatory, and playing in the Lenin Quartet. At 15, he was hired as the principal cellist for the Bolshoi Theatre. At 18 he smuggled himself out of Russia and soon after Wilhelm Furtwängler hired him as the principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic. In 1929, he first visited the US, playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski and the New York Philharmonic under Willem Mengelberg. From 1941 to 1949, he was head of the cello department at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and he also taught at Tanglewood, Boston University, and the University of Southern California, where he remained until his death. Gregor among many other projects and engagements participated in a chamber group along with Artur Rubinstein on piano, William Primrose playing viola and violinist Jascha Heifetz, referred to in some circles as the "Million Dollar Trio" (sadly died of lung cancer at his home in Los Angeles) b. April 17th 1903.
1983: Klaus Nomi/Klaus Sperber (38) German countertenor noted for his vocal performances and an unusual, otherworldly, elfin stage persona. He is remembered for bizarrely theatrical live performances, heavy make-up, unusual costumes, and a highly stylized signature hairdo which flaunted a receding hairline. (one of the first celebrities to die of an illness complicated by AIDS). b. January 24th 1944.
1989: Billy Bowman (60) American steel guitar player in Bob Wills's Texas Playboys in 1950 and then again, from 1953 to 1956. His clear, light touch on his pedal steel can be heard on such tracks as 'Jolie Blond Likes To Boogie', 'Bottle Baby Boogie', 'St-Louis Blues', 'Cadillac In Model A' and, his own 'B. Bowman Hop'. After he left Wills, Billy cut two instrumental singles for Decca, most notably the one coupling 'New Roadside Rag' with his composition, 'Billy's Bounce'. His other Decca '45 coupled 'Midnight in Old Amarillo' with 'Coquette', both discs released in 1957. Billy was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1984 (?) b. October 30th 1928.
1992: Fereydoun Farrokhzad (55) Iranian singer, actor, poet, TV and radio host, and writer, born in Tehran; He was one of the Great Iranian Entertainers of his time who truly revolutionized the Iranian Entertainment Scene and Television Shows. Deeply attached to his country and countrymen maybe more than any other artist and compatriot of his generation, he spent his personal fortune and energy to rally Iranians against the Islamic Republic by performing worldwide in any major European or American place where there was an Iranian community, be it London, Toronto, LA, New York or Paris. Fereydoun was quite openly a Constitutional Monarchist when singing in London to honor the death of the Imperial Army officers who died during the failed Nojeh Coup, that ultimately set him on the Top of the Blacklist of the Islamic Republic’s Death Squads. He made his home in Germany and had been involved in producing a radio programme critical of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its founder and reportedly he had received death threats (brutally murdered, Fereydoun was stabbed 40 times and had been beheaded at his home in Bonn, Germany) b. October 7th 1936
1994: Domenico Modugno (66) Italian singer, songwriter, actor; he became one of the first Italian artists in the popular music field able to achieve an international star status, touring worldwide and selling a million records released in different languages. Self taught guitarist, he began composing at the age of 15, starting a career devoted to acting, singing and songwriting. He made his debut in 1951 playing a role in Eduardo de Filippo's Filomena Marturano. In 1958, Domenico joined San Remo's Festival with a song called "Nel Blue Dipinto Di Blu," also known as "Volare." that song allowed him to achieve two Grammy awards for Album of the Year and Song of the Year. In 1959, Modugno won the Sanremo Music Festival for the second time in a row, with "Piove" (also known as "Ciao, ciao bambina"), and received second place in 1960 with "Libero." This was a successful period of time for Modugno who again represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1959. Later his hit song "Io" was sung by Elvis Presley in English with the title "Ask Me." In 1962, Domenico won the Sanremo Music Festival a third time with "Addio, addio.". Then in 1966, he again represents Italy at Eurovision with "Dio, come ti amo". After acting on television and in lead singing roles of modern operas Domenico pursued a career in politics (died from a heart attack) b. January 9th 1928.
1999: Rita Sakellariou (64) Greek singer, from the most impoverish beginnings on the streets of Crete, to shimmering success of the world. Rita is regarded as one of the most prominent singers of the 'laika' music genre. Amongst her fans were Andreas Papandreou, Melina Merkouri, Aristotle Onasis, Anthony Quinn and others and she worked with some of the greater Greek musicians like Vassilis Tsitsanis and Giannis Papaioannou. She had numerous hits, including, Istoria mou, amartia mou, An kano atakti zoi, Aftos o anthropos, Paranomi mou agapi, Ena tragoudi (sadly lost to cancer) b. November 22nd 1934.
2004: Rick James/James Ambrose Johnson, Jr (56) American funk singer, bassist, keyboards, songwriter born in Buffalo, New York, U.S.; Rick was one of the most popular artists on the Motown label during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the fortunes of Motown Records seemed to be flagging, scoring 4 No.1 hits on the U.S. R&B charts. Among his best-known songs are "Super Freak" and "You and I" >>> read more <<< (sadly Rick died of a heart attack) b. February 1st 1948...
2004: Pete Strange (66) English jazz trombonist; his first major gig was with Eric Silk when he was 18 years old. In 1957, Silk's clarinetist Teddy Layton split off and formed his own band, and Pete went with him. Following this he played with Sonny Morris, Charlie Gall, and Ken Sims, then joined Bruce Turner from '61-'64. He returned to play with Turner again in '74, and in 1978 co-founded the Midnite Follies Orchestra with Alan Elsdon. In 1980 he founded the five-trombone ensemble Five-A-Slide which featured Roy Williams and Campbell Burnap. Pete joined Humphrey Lyttelton's band in 1983, and remained with him up until his death. He also played with his own side group, the Great British Jazz Band, alongside his time with Lyttelton (?) b. December 19th 1938.
2005: William "Keter" Betts (77) American jazz double bassist, born in Port Chester, New York; early in his career he had played with Earl Bostic's rhythm and blues band. In 1962, together with Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, he was instrumental in introducing the bossa nova style to American audiences via their Jazz Samba recording. In the mid-1960s, Keter began a nearly quarter-century relationship, as a bassist, with Ella Fitzgerald. Over his career he also played with Dinah Washington, Oscar Peterson, Nat Adderley, Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd and among others (?) b. July 22nd 1928.
2005: Ibrahim Ferrer (78) Cuban singer; he performed with many musical groups including the Afro-Cuban All Stars. A veteran Cuban soneros whose music career had languished for 30 years when he was invited to perform on the 1997 album Buena Vista Social Club and found himself rediscovered by a whole new generation of music lovers around the world (died of multiple organ failure). b. February 20th 1927.
2005: Carlo Little/Carl O'Neil Little (66) English drummer; an influential rock n roll drummer based on the London scene in the 60s. After being demobbed from British National service in 1960, he met David Sutch and formed The Savages with amongst others Nicky Hopkins. Screaming Lord Sutch and The Savages toured the UK and became known for their unique British rock and roll shows. After which in 1962 he joined the Cyril Davies All Stars and cut a single 'Country Line Special', an instrumental track which influenced Keith Richard and Ray Davies. He played a few gigs with the young Rolling Stones and was asked by Brian Jones to join permanently before they hired Charlie Watts as their official drummer in January 1963. Carlo continued to work as a session drummer throughout the 1960s having further success with The Flowerpot Men, as drummer on their hit single, 'Let's Go To San Francisco'. Carlo played in pub bands throughout the 1970s and 1980s, until he reformed the All Stars in 2000 (sadly died after his battle with lung cancer) b. December 17th 1938.
2005: Keter Betts/William Thomas Betts (77) American jazz double bassist, born in Port Chester, he was nicknamed "Keter", a short form of the word mosquito. Early in his career he played with Earl Bostic's R&B band. In 1962, together with Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, he was instrumental in introducing the bossa nova style to American audiences via their Jazz Samba recording. He went on to play with musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Oscar Peterson, Nat Adderley, Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, and others (?) b. July 25th 1928
2007: Zsolt Daczi (38) Hungarian guitarist, born in Kiskunhalas; he was a member of Hungarian rock band Bikini and heavy metal band Omen. He also founded the project Carpathia Project, and he also played in a heavy metal band called Tirana Rockers. Zsolt carried on playing until until he became too ill to perform (sadly lost his life after a brave battle with cancer) b. June 12th 1969.
2009: Willy DeVille/William Borsey Jr (58) American singer–songwriter; in his 35-year career he created songs that are wholly original yet rooted in traditional American musical styles. Willy worked with collaborators from across the spectrum of contemporary music, including Jack Nitzsche, Doc Pomus, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Allen Toussaint, and Eddie Bo. Latin rhythms, blues riffs, doo-wop, Cajun music, strains of French cabaret, and echoes of early-1960s uptown soul can be heard in DeVille's work. He founded the rock band Mink DeVille in 1974 and they recorded six albums in the years 1977 to 1985. Over the next decades he worked out of New Orleans, LA and New Mexico, soaking up the local culture in each location. He also toured Europe frequently. In the summer of 1992, he toured Europe with Dr John, Johnny Adams, Zachary Richard, and The Wild Magnolias as part of his "New Orleans Revue" tour. Willy released 10 solo albums the last to be released being Pistola in 2008. (sadly died battling pancreatic cancer) b. August 25th 1950.
2009: Bahadir Akkuzu (54) Turkish guitarist and singer; he began gigging at the age of 15 and at of 17 joined the rock and roll group "4 Adam". This was followed by a stint in "The Signal" and then a long career as a member of the Turkish/Anatolian psychedelic-progressive rock band Kurtalan Ekspres, which he joined in 1980. He was a contemporary of and worked with the famous Turkish musicians Edip Akbayram, Cem Karaca and Erkin Koray (sadly died of a heart attack) b. 1955.
2009: Otha Young/Robert O. Young (66) American singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer and the very longtime musical partner of Grammy-Award winning country-pop artist Juice Newton. The two first teamed as the folk duo Sweet Jubal and later called themselves Dixie Peach. Their brand of progressive country rock developed as they went on to form the band Juice Newton and Silver Spur. Otha wrote, played and produced primarily for Juice, although other artists recorded his songs. He worked with her regularly until his death. As a songwriter, he was best known for Juice's 1982 hit, "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)", which reached #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary and Country charts as well as reaching #7 on the Hot 100. Other Young-penned top-ten hits include: 1978's "Sweet, Sweet Smile" (The Carpenters), 1987's "Don't You" (Forrester Sisters) and Juice's 1986 hit "What Can I Do With My Heart?". A Christmas album of standards and originals recently was completed on which Otha served as lead guitarist, writer, producer and vocalist. He was touring until March this year 2009 (cancer) b. May 10th 1943.
2010: Catfish Collins/Phelps Collins (66) American rhythm guitarist known mostly for his work in the P-Funk collective. Although frequently overshadowed by his younger brother, Bootsy Collins, Catfish played on many important and influential records by Parliament, Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band and James Brown, Catfish was the jovial guitar player with a huge smile, a mentor who helped shape his brother’s musical career as well as his life. On his early work with James Brown and Funkadelic, Catfish played a Vox Ultrasonic guitar with built-in effects. In 1968, the Collins brothers, along with Kash Waddy and Philippe Wynne, formed a group called The Pacemakers. Later the Pacemakers were hired by James Brown to accompany his vocals, at this they became known as The J.B.'s. During their tenure in the J.B.'s, they recorded such classics as "Super Bad", "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose". By 1971, Catfish and the rest of the J.B.'s had left James Brown. The Collins brothers and Kash Waddy formed House Guests and shortly after joined Funkadelic and contributed to the Funkadelic album America Eats Its Young. Four years later, he joined Bootsy's Rubber Band, which included Waddy, Joel "Razor Sharp" Johnson, Gary "Muddbone" Cooper, and Robert "P-Nut" Johnson, along with The Horny Horns. Catfish is credited with playing the most widely known rhythm guitar part in R&B with his work on the 1978 Parliament classic "Flash Light". He has also played on albums by Deee-Lite, Freekbass, and H-Bomb. Bernie Worrell - “He was a hell of a musician. He taught me a lot about rhythms. People seem to forget that the rhythm guitar behind James Brown was Catfish’s creative genius, and that was the rhythm besides Bootsy’s bass.” (sadly Catfish lost his fight with cancer) b. 1944.
2012: Celso Blues Boy/Ricardo Celso Furtado de Carvalho (56) Brizilian singer, songwriter and guitarist born in Rio de Janeiro. He began playing professionally in the 1970s , following Raul Seixas and Sa & Guarabyra. He assembled the band Foreign Legion in 1976, with whom he had in bars and nightclubs. Became more known from 1980 , when he sent a tape to the Radio Fluminense in Rio, facing the repertoire rocker . Recorded the first album in 1984 , "Sound on Guitar," which included his biggest hit: "Here's That Increases to Rock'n Roll". One of the first blues singers singing in Portuguese , he chose the stage name in homage to the idol BB King , one of the fathers of the genre (sadly died of cancer in the throat) b. January 5th 1956.
2012: Ruggiero Ricci (94) American violinist, teacher and author born in San Bruno, California; he gave his first public performance in 1928 at the age of 10 in San Francisco where he played works by Wieniawski and Vieuxtemps. He performed over 6,000 concerts in 65 countries during his 70 year solo career and made over 500 recordings on every major label and taught violin at Indiana University, the Juilliard School and the University of Michigan. He also taught at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, as well as holding master classes in the United States and Europe. He also wrote Left Hand Technique, a pedagogical volume for violin published by G. Schirmer (sadly he died from heart failure) b. July 24th 1918.
2012: Marvin Hamlisch (68) American composer, born in New York City; his first job was as a rehearsal pianist for Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand. Shortly after that, he was hired by producer Sam Spiegel to play piano at Spiegel's parties, which led to his first film score, The Swimmer. He was the composer of many motion picture scores, including his Oscar-winning score and song for The Way We Were and his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s music for The Sting, for which he received a third Oscar. His prolific output of scores for 45 films include original compositions and/or musical adaptations for Sophie's Choice, Ordinary People, The Swimmer, Three Men And A Baby, Ice Castles, Take The Money And Run, Bananas, Save The Tiger and his latest effort The Informant! He held the position of Principal Pops Conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and The Pasadena Symphony and Pops. He is one of only eleven people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony. He is also one of only two people to have won those four prizes and also a Pulitzer Prize, he also won two Golden Globes (sadly Marvin died after a breif illness) b. June 2nd 1944.

August 7th.
1893: Alfredo Catalani (39) Italian operatic composer born in Lucca and trained at the Conservatory of Milan under Antonio Bazzini. He is best remembered for his operas Loreley-1890 and La Wally-1892. La Wally was composed for a libretto by Luigi Illica, and features Alfredo's most famous aria "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana". His symphonies included ''Sinfonia a piena orchestra'', ''Il Mattino, sinfonia romantica'' and ''Ero e Leandro, poema sinfonico'' (sadly died from tuberculosis) b. June 19th 1854.
1944: Agustín Pío Barrios (59) Paraguayan guitarist and composer born in Misiones; he was famed for his phenomenal performances, both live and on gramophone recordings and for some years, it was his habit to perform in concert in traditional Paraguayan dress. His works were largely late-Romantic in character, despite his having lived well into the 20 century. Many of them are also adaptations of, or are influenced by, South American and Central American folk music. Very many of them are of a virtuosic nature. The Bach-inspired La Catedral-1921 is often considered to be his most impressive work, Agustin is still revered in Paraguay, where he is seen as one of the greatest musicians of all time by many (?) b. May 5th 1885.
1969: Joseph Kosma (63) French composer; he started to play the piano at age 5, and later took piano lessons. At the age of 11, he wrote his first opera, Christmas in the Trenches. During World War II and the Occupation of France, he was placed under house arrest in the Alpes-Maritimes region, and was banned from composition. However, Jacques Prévert, managed to arrange for him to contribute music for films, with other composers fronting for him. Under this arrangement he wrote the music for Les Enfants du Paradis-1945, made under the occupation, but released after the liberation. Among his other credits are the scores to La Grande Illusion-1937), The Rules of the Game-1939) and Le Testament du docteur Cordelier/The Doctor's Horrible Experiment; telefilm, 1959. He was also known for writing the standard classical-jazz piece "Les feuilles mortes" /"Autumn Leaves", with French lyrics by Jacques Prévert, and later English lyrics by Johnny Mercer, which was derived from music in Marcel Carné's film Les Portes de la Nuit-1946 (?) b. October 22nd 1905.
1978: Eddie Calvert (56) British trumpet player born in Preston, Lancashire. Following his exposure on television with the Stanley Black Orchestra, an enthusiastic announcer introduced him as the 'Man With The Golden Trumpet' - an apt description that remained with him for the rest of his musical career. He went on to have a very busy solo career. He was the first British instrumentalist to achieve two No.1's. The magnificent 'Oh Mein Papa', which also sold well in the USA, topped the UK singles chart for no less than nine weeks, a then British chart record, and was successful enough to provide him with the first ever 'gold disc' awarded for a UK instrumental track. His other No.1 the following year was "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White". Further chart entries were "John And Julie", taken from the soundtrack of the movie John and Juliet, and "Mandy", his last major hit. Other recordings included "Stranger In Paradise", "The Man with the Golden Arm" and "Jealousy". He also co-wrote "My Son, My Son" in '54, a chart-topper for Vera Lynn. His theme to the film, The Man with the Golden Arm was banned by the BBC, despite this was an instrumental disc, a BBC spokesman said "The ban is due to its connection with a film about drugs" (sadly died from a heart attack) b. March 15th 1922
1984: Esther Phillips/Esther Mae Jones (50) American R&B, jazz, and soul singer; A remarkably mature singer at age fourteen, she won the amateur talent contest in 1949 at the Barrelhouse Club owned by Johnny Otis. This was followed by many hits in the 50's, including "Mistrusting Blues", "Cupid Boogie", "Misery", "Deceivin' Blues", "Wedding Boogie", and "Faraway Blues". Few female artists, R&B or otherwise, had ever enjoyed such success in their debut year. One of her greatest post-1950s vocal triumphs was in 1972 with the song "Home Is Where the Hatred Is" a haunting account of drug use. (sadly lost to liver failure) b. December 23rd 1935.
2001: Lawrence "Larry" Adler (87) American harmonica virtuoso; maybe the most renowned and most respected harmonica players of all time. After teaching himself the instrument, he began to play in front of audiences by the age of 14. He was one of the first harmonica players to perform major works written for the instrument, often written expressly for him: Vaughan Williams' Romance for Harmonica and Orchestra, Milhaud's Suite Anglais, and Malcolm Arnold's Concerto for Harmonica and Orchestra were all composed for him (died peacefully from pneumonia) b. February 10th 1914
2009: Gulshan Bawra/Gulshan Kumar Mehta (72) Indian songwriter, born in Sheikhupura he then moved to Delhi (after witnessing his parents death), where he graduated from the Delhi University; during these days he began to write poetry. In 1955, he took a job as a clerk at Mumbai and struggled to get a film break with his song writing. Kalyanji Virji Shah, gave him his first opening in Chandrasena in 1959 with the song ‘Main kya jaanu kahan laage yeh saawan matwala re’ sung by Lata Mangeshkar. He went on to write around 240 songs in a 42-year career (heart failure) b. April 12th 1937.
2009: Tatiana Stepa (46) Romanian folk singer (cancer) b.????
2009: Tamás Cseh (66) Hungarian singer and songwriter (cancer) b.????
2009: Mike Seeger (75) American folk multi-musician, singer, folklorist and banjo player; born in New York he was influenced throughout his early life by his mother, the modernist composer and folk music specialist Ruth Crawford-Seeger and his father Charles Seeger, who worked with musicologists John and Alan Lomax. Mike was a self-taught musician playing autoharp, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, guitar, mouth harp, mandolin and dobro. In 1958 at 25 years of of age he became a founding member of the highly influencial string band New Lost City Ramblers along with friends John Cohen and Tom Paley. They distinguished themselves by focusing on the traditional playing styles they heard on the old 78rpm records of musicians recorded during the 1920s and 1930s, many of whom would later appear on the Anthology of American Folk Music. They debuted on Folkways Records with a self titles album The New Lost City Ramblers in 1958, which was followed by a volume 2 the following year. Mike and the band released 29 albums over their very long career, the last to date being "40 Years of Concert Performances" released in 2001. The Ramblers also pioneered the practice of bringing many older rural musicians onstage with them for collaborative concerts, bridging gaps of culture and time for new audiences. Mike also had a busy solo career, touring the world and guesting with many musicians. He has recorded and/or appeared on dozens of albums, including more recently Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's 2007 album Raising Sand and Ry Cooder's 2007 album My Name Is Buddy. His influence on the folk scene is described at some length by Bob Dylan in his autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One, and his dedication and great love for the old time music has been rewarded with six Grammy nominations and he was the recipient of four grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and numerous other awards. The New Lost City Ramblers's final concert, will be held in West Virginia on August 30th 2009, so sadly without this great and highly respected musician, Mike Seeger (sadly died after a fight with cancer) b. August 15th 1933.
2011: Leo Mattioli (39) Argentine cumbia singer, born in Santo Tomé, he began his carreer in music in 1992, when he was the lead singer of Trinidad, a popular cumbia group. In 1999 he began his solo career, which quickly established him as one of the most popular cumbia musicians in Argentina (Leo was found dead in his hotel bedroom at the seaside resort of Necochea. He sadly had died of a cardiac arrest) b. August 13th 1972.
2011: Jirí Traxler (99) Czech-born Canadian jazz and swing composer, arranger and pianist, born in Tábor, Bohemia; as a high school student he joined his brother's dance orchestra, The Red Ace Players and from 1935 to 1937, he performed and recorded as a member of the Gramoklub Orchestra in Prague. In the late 1930s, he co-worked with Blue Music 1938–39 and Elit Club in 1942. Also, he was engaged as a composer of modern dance music at the Prague's publishing house Mojmír Urbánek. In 1939 he signed a five year contract with a prominent publishing house led by singer and bandleader R. A. Dvorský. In 1949, a year after communist coup d'état, Jiri composed music for the comedy play Moje žena Penelopa. The play was banned by communists after the premiére as "politically undesirable". That same year, he decided to flee the country. In Canada he gradually ended up finding fulfilment as a composer and arranger. In Montreal he worked as a drafter in the company Canadair Ltd, before moving to Edmonton, Alberta. Jiri published his memoires "Já nic, já muzikant" (Don't Blame Me, I'm Just a Musician, 1982) in the Czech Canadian exile publishing house Sixty-Eight Publishers, led by Josef Škvorecký. In 2009, Czech musician Ondrej Havelka made a documentary Poslední mohykán/The Last of the Mohicans, mapping the life story of Jirí Traxler (?) b. March 12th 1912.
2011: Joe Yamanaka/Akira Yamanaka (64) Japanese rock singer, known both for his work with Flower Travellin' Band and as a solo musician. His best known song is "Proof of the Man", which sold more than 500,000 copies in 2 weeks and is a household name throughout Asian countries, it is often called "Old Straw Hat" in Chinese areas. He and his friend Amália Rodrigues composed the song "Sorrow of Florence". He was also close friends with Bob Marley, and later became the lead singer for The Wailers for around 5 years after Marley died. Joe was also an actor appearing in many movies, such as Takashi Miike's Deadly Outlaw: Rekka and the 1989 version of Zatoichi. He was known as one of the three "real tough guys" in the Japanese movie industry, along with Tsunehiko Watase and Jerry Fujio. The trio were known for being good-natured and kind, but with a rebellious past and noted fighting prowess (sadly Joe died fighting lung cancer) b. September 2nd 1946.
2011: Marshall Grant (83) American upright bassist and electric bassist of singer Johnny Cash's original backing duo, the Tennessee Two, along with electric guitarist Luther Perkins. The group became known as The Tennessee Three in 1960, with drummer W. S. Holland. Marshall also served as road manager for Cash and his touring show company. Following his career with Cash, he managed the Statler Brothers until their retirement in 2002. His autobiograpical book I Was There When It Happened: My Life With Johnny Cash was published in October, 2006. It is a behind-the-scenes story of their beginnings and rise to fame. In the 2005 biographical drama film Walk the Line, Marshall is played by Larry Bagby. Marshall "laid down bass for the last time" at the Brooks Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, in August, 2010. Luther Perkins and Marshall, as The Tennessee Two, were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame (?) b. May 5th 1928.
2012: Ranking Trevor/Maxwell Grant (60) Jamaican pioneer of rap reggae during the 1970s, he was one of the leading "toasters" in Jamaica during the 1970s, recording mainly for the Channel One studio. Toasting is a form of Jamaican rapping that directly inspired hip-hop. Songs like "Caveman Skank" and "Three Piece Chicken and Chips" made the charts in England, where he lived more than 20 years. His career declined in the 1980s and he returned to Jamaica a decade later. (tragically crushed by a car after being knocked off his motorcycle; police did not respond to calls about the fatality) b. May 10th 1952.

August 8th.
1940: Johnny Dodds (58) American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist; born in Waveland, Mississippi, he moved to New Orleans in his youth, known for his recordings under his own name and with bands such as Joe "King" Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Lovie Austin and Louis Armstrong, and was the older brother of drummer Warren "Baby" Dodds. The pair worked together in the New Orleans Bootblacks in 1926. He played with the bands of Frankie Duson, Kid Ory, and Joe "King" Oliver and went to Chicago to play with Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, with which he first recorded in 1923. He also worked frequently with his good friend Natty Dominique during this period, a professional relationship that would last a lifetime. After the breakup of Oliver's band in 1924, Johnny replaced Alcide Nunez as the house clarinetist and bandleader of Kelly's Stables. He recorded with many small groups in Chicago, most notably Louis Armstrong's Hot 5 and Hot 7, and Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers. He was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987 (sadly died of a heart attack) b. April 12th 1892.
1961: Mei Lanfang (66) Chinese opera singer, one of the most famous Beijing/Peking opera artists in modern history, exclusively known for his qingyi roles, a type of dan role. He, Shang Xiaoyun, Cheng Yanqiu and Xun Huisheng were known as the Four Great Dan in the golden era of Peking Opera. Méi was the first artist to spread Beijing Opera to foreign countries, participating in cultural exchanges with Japan, the USA and other regions. He toured the world, forming friendships with the western contemporaries of his day, including Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Recordings of his best performances have been published in A Selection of Beijing Operas Performed by Mei Lanfang. In 2000, the story of his life was filmed in a documentary entitled The Worlds of Mei Lanfang (?) b. October 22nd 1894.
1975: Cannonball Adderley/Julian Edwin Adderley (46) American jazz alto saxophonist of the small combo era of the 1950s and 1960s. Originally from Tampa, Florida, he played with Ray Charles when Charles lived in Tallahassee during the early 1940s. Cannonball was a local legend in Florida before he moved to New York City in 1955. He visited the Cafe Bohemia to watch Oscar Pettiford's group, but was asked to sit in as the saxophone player was late, and in true Cannonball style, he soared through the changes, and became a sensation in the following weeks. He was then asked by Miles Davis to play with his sextet, recording 5 albums with them. After which he formed his own successful quintet, which included his brother Nat. It later became a sextet, the Cannonball Adderley Sextet. As a leader he released 44 albums between 1955 and 1976. A few songs made famous by Cannonball and his bands include "This Here", "The Jive Samba", "Work Song", "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", "Walk Tall" and "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)?" among many others. Cannonball can also be heard on Louis Smith's album Here Comes Louis Smith. In the early 60's he also produced David Newman's Wide Open Spaces and Bud Powell's A Portrait of Thelonious. Cannonball was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame a few months after his death (stroke) b. September 15th 1928.
1983: Wild Bill Moore (75) American R&B saxophone player with all the early greats including "We're Gonna Rock, We're Gonna Roll", remembered today as a candidates for “the first rock and roll record”. It was one of the first records played by Alan Freed on his "Moondog" radio shows in 1951. Other later hits include “The Hucklebuck”. Performed and recorded with Slim Gaillard, Jack McVea, Joe Turner, Dexter Gordon and others, including playing on Helen Humes’ hit “Be-Baba-Leba”. He was sort out by Marvin Gaye to play on "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me" and other Motown hits (?) b. June 13th 1918.
1988: Félix Leclerc (74) Canadian singer, songwriter, writer; he played a major role in revitalising the Quebec folk song, "chanson" tradition. Felix began working as a writer at Radio-Canada Montreal in 1939, developing scripts for radio dramas, where he also performed some of his earliest songs. He also acted in various dramas, including Un Homme et son péché. He published a number of his scripts and founded a performing company which presented his plays through Quebec. In 1950, he was discovered by Paris impresario, Jacques Canetti, and performed his songs in France with great success. He signed a recording contract with Polydor Records. He returned to Quebec in 1953. In 1958, he received the top award of the Académie Charles-Cros in France for his second album. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1971, the National Order of Quebec in 1985 and became a Chevalier of the French Légion d'honneur in 1986. The Félix Awards, given to Quebec recording artists, are named after him. In 2000, the Government of Canada honored him with his image on a postage stamp (died in his sleep on the Île d'Orléans where a monument in his memory has been constructed) b. August 2nd 1914
2002: Ronald ''Ronnie'' Stephenson (65) English jazz drummer, hailing from the Newcastle area. He started his musical journey at aged 14 as drummer in his elder brother Billy's band and then with the Ray Chester Sextet both based in his hometown. This led to the formation of the Em-Cee Five, one of the few provincial jazz groups to achieve a major label signing in 1961, before he moved to London in 1960. It was here where he went on to be a top percussionist, drummng with the likes of Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Wes Montgomery, Zoot Sims, Benny Golson, Paul Gonzalves, Johnny Griffin, Roland Kirk, Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Stitt, Barney Kessel, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Benny Goodman, Nelson Riddle, Mel Torme, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Stan Tracey, Tom Jones, Jack Parnell, Tubby Hayes, Victor Feldman, Ronnie Scott, Matt Monroe, Tony Bennett, Englebert Humperdinck, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey, and many others. Ronnie also played on the Bond themes Diamonds Are Forever and You Only Live Twice and on other film scores including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. (?) b. January 26th 1937.
2008: Joseph Gelineau (87) French Catholic Jesuit priest and composer, mainly of modern Christian liturgical music. Having entered the Society of Jesus in 1941, he studied theology at a Catholic seminary in Lyon and music in Paris. Heavily influenced by Gregorian chant, he developed his Gelineau psalmody which is used worldwide. Later he composed numerous chants for the ecumenical French Taizé Community. He was also associated with the Institut Catholique de Paris (?) b. October 31st 1920.
2009: Aram Tigran (75) Armenian contemporary singer; born in Al-Qamishli in northeastern Syria, his father's family were survivors of the Armenian Genocide. After finishing grade nine, he concentrated his efforts on learning music and playing Oud and by the age of twenty years old, he was singing languages: Zazaish, Kurdish, Arabic and Armenian. He is considered among the best of contemporary Kurdish singers and musicians (passed away in Athens) b.1934
2010: Jack Parnell/John Russell Parnell (87) English drummer, bandleader and composer; born in London, he was educated at Brighton and Hove Grammar School and studied piano from the age of five and drums for a year with Max Abrams. He made his debut as a teenager on the seafront at Scarborough in 1939. While serving in the RAF he became part of a band performing at the RAF Bomber Command HQ in High Wycombe. He went on to join Ted Heath, playing on dozens of recordings and Forces broadcasts, and occasionally adding his vocals. Others among the line-ups included eminent jazz players such as Kenny Ball and Ronnie Scott. Jack also led his own band during this time and from 1951 left Heath to lead 12-piece and then a 16-piece band. During the 1940s and 1950s, he was voted >>> READ MORE <<< (Sadly lost his battle with cancer) b. August 6th 1923.
2012: Jairo Varela (62) Colombian singer; he was bandleader and co-founder of the salsa band Grupo Niche, which he formed in 1978 in Bogotá. Grupo Niche is known for both its vigorous, uptempo dance music as well as slower-paced romantic numbers. Among its best known hits are "Cali Pachanguero", "Del Puente Pa'llá", "Sin Sentimientos", "Una Aventura", "Etnia", "Gotas de Lluvia", "Han Cogido la Cosa", "Mi Pueblo Natal", "Hagamos Lo Que Diga Corazon", "Duele Mas", "Nuestro Sueño", and the famous cumbia "Canoa Rancha". Their most famous song is "Cali Aji". Jairo's first contact with music occurred when he was eight years old in a "barrio" called Roma de Quibdo where he formed the group "La Timba", essentially composed of musicians playing only the flute, bongos, maracas and güiro (sadly Jairo died from a heart attack) b. December 9th 1949.

August 9th.
1974: Bill Chase/William Edward Chiaiese (39) American trumpet player and leader of a jazz-rock fusion band Chase. Bill played lead trumpet with Maynard Ferguson in 1958 and Stan Kenton in 1959, and during the 1960s, played lead trumpet in Woody Herman's Thundering Herd. Recordings of the Herman band from that time period, including Woody's Winners, Live in Antibes, Encore, 1963, My Kind of Broadway, Blue Flame, Live in Seattle, Somewhere, Live at Newport 1966, Heavy Exposure, Woody Herman & the Fourth Herd, and Jazz Hoot are considered some of the most exciting in the Herman discography. After forming his own band Chase he released their debut album Chase in April 1971. (While working on a 4th album, Bill died in a plane crash en route to a performance at the Jackson County Fair. Also killed, along with the pilot and a female companion, were keyboardist Wally Yohn, drummer Walter Clark, and guitarist John Emma) b. October 20th 1934.
1975: Dmitri Shostakovich (68) Russian composer born in St. Petersburg/Leningrad, he is best known for his 15 symphonies and for his chamber compositions; his entire musical career was spent within Russia's Communist system, and in many ways it is clear that he had to strike a balance between his own artistic inclinations and the demands of the state. He was taught by Glazunov among others, learning piano and composition and graduating from the St. Petersburg Conservatory at the age of 19 with his first symphony. Though this was an early success, his music didn't always enjoy the approval of the Soviet authorities. His opera "The Nose" received some criticism and "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" received oven more. In later years he was to enjoy more artistic freedom, but under Stalin composers and other artists ran the risk of their work being labelled anti-state "formalism". In some cases this could lead to "disappearances" so the threat was very real indeed and withdrew his 4th symphony before its premier for this reason and it wasn't performed until later under more liberal times (sadly died battling lung cancer) b. September 25th 1906.
1988: Giacinto Scelsi (83) Italian composer, best known for writing music based around only one pitch, altered in all manners through microtonal oscillations, harmonic allusions, and changes in timbre and dynamics, but has gone through four different creative periods. His musical output remained largely undiscovered even within contemporary musical circles during most of his life, until a series of concerts in the mid to late 1980s finally premiered many of his pieces to great acclaim. He has then been noted as a visionary of many avantgarde ideas that only later became known through the works of other composers (Died in Rome) b. January 8th 1905.
1995: Jerry Garcia (53) American guitarist, pedal steel guitarist, banjoist, vocalist, principal songwriter and main spokesman of the Grateful Dead for their entire career. In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him 13th in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. One of its original founders, Jerry performed with The Grateful Dead for their entire three-decade career, which spanned from 1965 to 1995. He also founded and participated in a variety of side projects, including the Jerry Garcia Band, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, Old and in the Way and Legion of Mary. Jerry also co-founded the New Riders of the Purple Sage with John Dawson and David Nelson. He released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists over the years as a session musician. Jerry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead in 1994. Guitar player Henry Kaiser, says Jerry Garcia is "the most recorded guitarist in history. With more than 2,200 Grateful Dead concerts, and 1,000 Jerry Garcia Band concerts captured on tape — as well as numerous studio sessions — there are about 15,000 hours of his guitar work preserved for the ages." (drugs-related heart attack). b. August 1st 1942
1999: Bob Herbert (56) British talent manager and was the original manager of the Spice Girls, Bros and 5ive. (tragically killed in a car crash in Windsor) b. February 7th 1942
2002: Paul Samson/Paul Sanson (49) English guitarist; he formed his own eponymous outfit, Samson, in 1978, which enjoyed a strong cult following in the best years of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal releasing the albums "Survivors", "Head On" and "Shock Tactics". In 1981 Thunderstick left, and Bruce Bruce, who changed his name back to, Bruce Dickinson, left to join Iron Maiden. Nicky Moore replaces Bruce and Mel Gaynor then Pete Jupp took over on drums, and this line-up released the albums "Before the Storm" and "Don't Get Mad Get Even", before he band spit in 1984. Paul spent the next 18 years in a variety of solo and group projects, including reformations of Samson, and had success as a producer, and as a blues player, spending a year in Chicago. Paul can also be heard on the recording of the Ram Jam 1977 rock hit Black Betty (died of cancer, whilst recording a new Samson album with Nicky Moore) b. June 4th 1953.
2003: Bill Perkins (79) American jazz saxophonist and flautist popular on the West Coast jazz scene; born in San Francisco, California, he went on to perform with Woody Herman, Jerry Wald, Stan Kenton, Art Pepper and Bud Shank to name just a few. He was also a member of The Tonight Show band from 1970–1992. He probably is most remembered, however, for playing tenor for The Lighthouse All-Stars (sadly cancer) b. July 22nd 1924.
2003: Chester Ludgin (78) American operatic baritone, born in Brooklyn, New York, he made his professional debut in 1956 with The Experimental Opera Theatre of America as Baron Scarpia in Giacomo Puccini's Tosca. He went on to play many of the major opera houses throughout the world. In 1982, he appeared at Carnegie Hall, in a concert version of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta, with Galina Vishnevskaya and Nicolai Gedda and in 1983, Chester finished his career with the last of his twelve world premieres, as Old Sam in Leonard Bernstein's A Quiet Place, the production was seen in Houston, Milan, Washington DC and Vienna, where the composer conducted his work after which he retired (sadly lost to cancer) b. May 20th 1925.
2004: Tony Mottola (86) American guitarist; born in Kearny, New Jersey, one of the most sought after and respected studio musicians in the recording and music industry. He worked extensively with Frank Sinatra and Perry Como, and orchestrated albums for Burl Ives. His working relationship both in the studio and touring with Sinatra continued until the Tony's retirement in 1988. He appeared on the DuMont Television Network program Melody Street. Tony also played with Doc Severinsen's Orchestra on The Tonight Show and composed music for the films Running on Empty and Violated as well as the 1950s television series Danger, which starred Yul Brynner. Several of his songs were heavily sampled by The Avalanches for their album Since I Left You. Tony's only charted single under his own name was "This Guy's In Love With You" which reached No.22 on Billboard's "Easy Listening Top 40" in the summer of 1968. (died in Denville, New Jersey) b. April 18th 1918.
2004: David Raksin (92) American composer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With over 100 film scores and 300 television scores to his credit, he became known as the "Grandfather of Film Music". One of his earliest film assignments was as assistant to Charlie Chaplin in the composition of the score to Modern Times-1936. He is perhaps best remembered for the haunting theme to the 1944 movie Laura, which became the 1945 song "Laura". Johnny Mercer put lyrics to this theme, and during Raksin's lifetime this was said to be the second most-recorded song in history following only Stardust by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish. Later in life, he taught at the University of Southern California and the University of California (?) b. August 4th 1912.
2009: Jasmine You/Kageyama Yuuichi (30) Japanese bassist and founder member of the power metal-neo, classical metal band the Versailles. With his richly designed costumes, teased hair and elaborate accessories, all of which he created himself, Jasmine has proved that beauty and fashion breaks the line which divides gender. After the demise of his indie band Jakura, he was invited by his long time friend Hizaki to join his solo project session band. During the next year, Jasmine not only performed with Hizaki grace project but participated in the recording for three of the project's releases. After which he helped form the band, Versailles, who have released one album "Noble", five singles, The Revenant Choir; A Noble Was Born In Chaos; Prince; Prince & Princess and Ascendead Master and appeared on 4 compilations over the last 2 years (?) b. March 8th 1979.
2012: Carl Davis (77) American record producer and music executive, he began working as an assistant to disc jockey Al Benson on radio station WGES in 1955, before joining a small record marketing company, the Nat record label, then the Columbia subsidiary label OKeh and Brunswick Records. He also formed the Dakar label and
Chi Sound Records. Carl was particularly active in Chicago in the 1960s and 1970s when he was responsible for hit R&B records by Gene Chandler, Major Lance, Jackie Wilson, The Chi-Lites, Barbara Acklin, Tyrone Davis and many others (sadly died while fighting lung cancer) b. September 19th 1934.

August 10th.
1985: Kenny Baker (72) American singer and actor who first gained notice as the featured singer on Jack Benny's radio shows during the '30s. At the height of his radio fame, in 1939, he appeared in 17 film musicals including: Mr Dodd Takes the Air in 1937, At the Circus, The Harvey Girls in 1946 and later co-starred with Mary Martin in the original Broadway production "One Touch of Venus". He returned to radio as a regular performer on Fred Allen's Texaco Star Theater program of 1940-1942. Kenny also recorded a number of hymn albums for his church. After retiring from performing in the early 1950s, he became a Christian Science practitioner and motivational speaker (Sadly, Kenny died of a heart attack in Solvang, California) b. September 30th 1912.
1993: Euronymous/Øystein Aarseth (25) Norwegian guitarist born in Egersund, he was guitarist and co-founder of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem he formed in 1984, he was also founder and owner of the extreme metal label Deathlike Silence Productions and the record shop Helvete/Hell. He recorded 2 albums with Mayhem before his death; Deathcrush released in '87 followed by De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas in 1994. (Øystein was murdered by fellow musician Varg Vikernes. His body was found outside his apartment with twenty three stab wounds, two to the head, five to the neck, and sixteen in his back. It has been speculated that the murder was the result of a power struggle, a financial dispute over Burzum records) b. March 22nd 1968.
1997: Conlon Nancarrow (84) American composer, but lived and worked in Mexico most of his life, and in 1955 became a Mexican citizen. He is best remembered for the pieces he wrote for the player piano. He was one of the first composers to use musical instruments as mechanical machines, making them play far beyond human performance ability. His first pieces combined the harmonic language and melodic motifs of early jazz pianists like Art Tatum with extraordinarily complicated metrical schemes. The first five rolls he made are called the Boogie-Woogie Suite. He lived most of his life in relative isolation, not becoming widely known until the 1980s. In 1976-77, Peter Garland began publishing Conlon's scores in his Soundings journal, and Charles Amirkhanian began releasing recordings of Conlon's player piano works. This led to him receiving a MacArthur Award in 1982 which paid him $300,000 over 5 years. This increased interest in his work prompted him to write for conventional instruments, and he also composed several works for small ensembles (?) b. October 27th 1912.
2002: Michael Houser (40) American guitarist and founder member of the band Widespread Panic; born in Boone, North Carolina, he graduated from Hixson High School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Michael was considered to be the "silent genius" of Widespread Panic and he wrote many of the band's most well known songs, such as Porch Song, Airplane, Ain't Life Grand, and Vacation. Among others artists Michael played with over his career were Carlos Santana, Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio, Bob Weir, and JJ Cale. (sadly Michael died battling pancreatic cancer) b. January 6th 1962.
2003: Carmita Jiménez (59) Puerto Rican singer born in San Lorenzo, she started her singing career at the young age of six, on the radio show named El Abuelito Welch. She was went on to be considered a diva in Puerto Rico (sadly died battling cancer) b. 1944
2006: Barbara George/Barbara Ann Smith (63) American singer-songwriter; raised in New Orleans and began singing in a church choir. She was discovered by singer Jessie Hill, and debuted with "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)", which she wrote, was released in late 1961, topping the R&B chart and it also made No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her song was later recorded by many other artistes, including the Merseybeats, Ike and Tina Turner, Fats Domino, and Bonnie Raitt. Two subsequent releases, "You Talk About Love" and "Send For Me (If You Need Some Lovin')", reached the Hot 100 later in 1962. She also sang on the Willy DeVille album Victory Mixture. Barbara largely retired from the music industry by the late 1960s, with a few comeback gigs. (a lung infection) b. August 16th 1942.
2007: Tony Wilson (57) British music mogul, born in Salford; he went on to become a renowned broadcast journalist, band manager, record label owner and nightclub owner. As the Factory Records boss, he was responsible for signing legendary bands including Joy Division and New Order to his label. Also, as owner of the renowned Hacienda nightclub in Manchester, he played a key role in the Madchester scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s that mixed indie rock and dance music and included artists such as Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses. The Hacienda, hosted Madonna's first UK television appearance in '83. He became involved in the Manchester music scene in the 1970s when hosting the culture and music programme 'So It Goes' on Granada Television. After covering a Sex Pistols performance at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall in June 1976, he described the experience as "nothing short of an epiphany" and booked the band for one of the first television broadcasts of British punk rock. These aspects of Wilson's life were later chronicled in the semi-fictional 2002 feature film '24 Hour Party People', in which he was portrayed by British actor Steve Coogan. More recently, Tony was involved in In The City, a yearly music festival and conference that takes place in Manchester and New York City, which he co-founded with his partner Yvette Livesey. In 2005 he launched F4, the fourth incarnation of the Factory Records label. (Tony sadly died of a heart attack) b. February 20th 1950.
2007: Mario Rivera (68) Dominican multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger, born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He played 13 instruments, which included piano, vibraphone, drums, trumpet, timbales, congas, flute, and piccolo. He arrived in NYC in 1961, he worked with Puerto Rican vocalist Joe Valle. His most significant musical associations through the years include Tito Rodriguez (1963-65), The Machito Orchestra, Sonny Stitt, Charlie Palmieri, Eddie Palmieri, Tipica 73, The George Coleman Octet, Dizzy Gillespie's United Nation Orchestra, Slide Hampton's Jazz Masters, the Afro Blue Band, Giovanni Hidalgo, Chico O'Farll's Orchestra and especially Tito Puente's Orchestra and Latin Jazz Ensemble with whom he worked for on and off for decades. Although having appeared on virtually hundreds of recording, Mario recorded only one disc as a leader named after his sobriquet, “El Comandante” (sadly died battling bone cancer) b. July 22nd 1939.
2008: Isaac Hayes (65) American soul n funk singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger, composer, and actor. He was a creative force behind southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served as both an in-house songwriter and producer with partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. In the late 1960s, he became a recording artist, and recorded successful soul albums such as Hot Buttered Soul and Black Moses as the Stax label's premier artist >>> READ MORE <<< (sadly Isaac died of a heart attack) b. Aug 20th 1942.
2010: Dana Dawson (36) American singer and actress, making her acting debut at the age of 7 in a national tour of Annie. She was an understudy of the character Mimi, in the national tour of Rent in 2000 and joined the Broadway cast in 2001 as an understudy/swing. As a singer, Dana released her first single in 1988 at the age of only 14. In 1993 she signed with EMI and was now musically based in the UK. Her second album, Black Butterfly, was released in October 1995 and included three singles that made the UK singles chart: "3 Is Family", "Got to Give Me Love" and "Show Me". In 1997, Dana collaborated on the Dolce & Gabbana single "More, more, more" provided the vocals on this dance remake of the Andrea True Connection hit single. Several multi-track "singles" of her music have been released in the UK, including 3 Is Family, Got To Give Me Love, and How I Wanna Be Loved. Her songs are included on many other albums, including EMI's Music of the Twentieth Century: 1980-1999 and Virgin's Best Dance Album 1995; Dana also performed on the Michael W. Smith 1989 Gospel album I 2 Eye (Sadly Dana lost her brave battle with cancer) b. August 7th 1974.
2010: Billy Grammer (85) American country singer and guitarist; after serving in WW11 he was signed by Monument Records in Nashville, he scored with "Gotta Travel On", which peaked at No.4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and peaked at number 5 on the country chart in 1959. That same year, he became a regular cast member on the Grand Ole Opry. Billy named his band after his most notable hit as The Travel On Boys. "Gotta Travel On" was used as the opening song by Buddy Holly on his final tour in January and February 1959. Billy founded RG&G Company in 1965, RG&G made the Grammer guitar from 1965 until 1968, when a fire consumed the factory in downtown Nashville. The company was then sold to Ampeg, and when a new factory was erected the company was renamed Grammer Guitar, Inc. GGI produced the Grammer guitar until 1970. Billy's guitar was installed into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville on March 1st 1969. In 1990, Billy was inducted into the Illinois Country Music Hall of Fame, and on February 27th 2009, he was honored by the Grand Ole Opry for his 50 years as a member (sadly he died after a long illness) b. August 28th 1925.

August 11th.
1962: Israel Crosby (42) African-American jazz double-bassist; born in Chicago, best known as member of the Ahmad Jamal trio from 1957-1962. Also notable for his work done with Gene Ammons, Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson, Fletcher Henderson, Horace Henderson, Raymond Scott, and George Shearing. He is credited with taking the first recorded bass solo on his 1935 recording of 'Blues for Israel' with drummer Gene Krupa when he was only 16. (sadly died of a heart attack two months after joining the George Shearing Quintet) b. January 19th 1919.
1971: Lefty Baker/Eustace Britchforth (32) American lead guitarist, banjo player, vocals, for the folk-rock band, Spanky And Our Gang, joining in 1968 and he can be heard on hits including "Sunday Will Never Be the Same", "Lazy Day", "Three Ways From Tomorrow,"" and "Give a Damn", in the late 60s. He would often perform in long flowing robes. (liver problems) b. January 7th 1939.
1974: Vicente Emilio Sojo (86) Venezuelan musicologist, composer and composer born in Guatire, Miranda. By 1930 he already was Conductor of the Orfeón Lamas and had founded the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra, of which he was not only conductor-founder, but a resolute and constant driving force. In 1940, together with other composers he prepared the first song book for Venezuelan children. In 1944, the first promotion of composers graduated under Vicente in the Jose Angel Lamas school of music. Vicente can be regarded as one of the main creators of the modern school of Venezuelan music. For the Orfeón Lamas he compiled and harmonized more than 200 songs of popular and national folklore, achieving a significant rescue of the Venezuelan musical tradition of the last centuries. Among his most important works are: Chromatic Mass and Hodie Super Nos Fulgebit Lux. In 1951 was granted the National Music award as recognition for his work. He was also involved himself in domestic politics: he was one of the founders of the Accion Democratica Party in 1941. In 1958 he was elected senator of the Republic by the Miranda state and was re-elected in 1963. In 1951 was granted the National Music award as recognition for his work (?) b. December 8th 1887.
1984: Patrick John 'Pat' McAuley (40) Irish organist and drummer; born in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Nth Ireland. He was a member of The Blue Angles, The Yaks, The Belfast Gypsies and Them, playing on all their hits including "Gloria", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Mystic Eyes" and "Here Comes The Night". The group was marketed in the US as part of the British Invasion and they began a tour in May 1966. From May 30 to June 18, Them had a residency at the famous Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. For the final week The Doors opened for Them and on the last night the two bands jammed a twenty-minute version of "Gloria" and a twenty-five minute version of "In the Midnight Hour". Them went on to headline at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California and then to Hawaii, after which the band split. Pat and his brother Jackie formed The Other Them, then, The Belfast Gypsies. They also later toured Europe as Them. (?) b. March 17th 1944.
1985: Nick Ceroli (45) American international session drummer, born in Warren, Ohio; he spent '65-'69 playing in Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass. Recorded and played with Ray Anthony, Jack Teagarden, Gerald Wilson, Stan Kenton, Pete Jolly, Zoot Sims, Richie Kamuca, Warne Marsh , Ross Tompkins, Bill Berry, Dave Frishberg, Pete Christlieb, Bob Florence, Milt Jackson and others (?) b. December 22nd 1939
1995: Phil ' Wonga' Harris (91) American singer, songwriter, jazz musician, comedian, and bandleader; longtime actor, but was also a successful drummer and singer. He played drums with Francis Craig and led his own groups during the 30s, using the song "Rose Room" as a theme. Phil was a regular on Jack Benny's radio show for a decade from 1936-1946 and had his own show with Alice Faye (heart attack) b. June 24th 1904.
1996: Mel Taylor (62) American long time drummer in The Ventures; having drummed for both Boris Pickett and Herb Alpert, he joined the Ventures in 1962 to fill in for Howie Johnson; his distinct, harder-edged rock style so impressed the members of the band, they asked him to become a member of the group. Mel stayed with the band until his death. He released a solo album in the late 1960s and formed his own band called Mel Taylor & The Dynamics in the late 1970s (cancer) b. September 24th 1933.
1996: Rafael Jeroným Kubelík (82) Czech conductor and composer; in 1939, he became music director of the Brno Opera, a position he held until the Nazis shut the company down on 12 November 1941. The Nazis allowed the Czech Philharmonic to continue operating, and Kubelík became its principal conductor. (He first conducted the Czech Philharmonic in 1934 when he was 20 years old) In 1944, after various incidents, including one in which he declined to greet the Nazi Reichsprotektor Karl Hermann Frank with a Hitler salute — along with his refusal to conduct Wagner during the War — he to spend a few months undercover in the countryside so as not to fall into the clutches of the SS or Gestapo. He conducted the orchestra's first post-war concert in May, 1945. In 1946, he helped found the Prague Spring Festival, and conducted its opening concert. But after the Communist coup of February 1948, Rafael left Czechoslovakia, for the UK. He worked in the America-director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and UK-music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, among other positions, but eventually he did return to Prague after the fall of Communism, leading the Czech Philharmonic in the Prague Spring Festival in 1990 (?) b. June 29th 1914.
1997: Harold Spina (91) American composer of popular songs. His best-known work happened in the early 1930s, when he collaborated with lyricists Johnny Burke and Joe Young on songs such as "Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore", "You're Not the Only Oyster in the Stew", "My Very Good Friend the Milkman" two hits for Fats Waller, "Shadows on the Swanee", "The Beat of My Heart", "Now You've Got Me Doing It", and "I've Got a Warm Spot in My Heart for You". He also collaborated with lyricist John Elliot for several songs, including "It's So Nice To Have A Man Around The House", made famous by Dinah Shore (?) b. June 21st 1906.
2000: Jean Papineau-Couture, CC, GOQ (84) Canadian composer and academic, born in Montreal, he received a Bachelor of Arts from Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf in 1937. He then attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where he received a Bachelor of Music in 1941. He studied with Nadia Boulanger at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Returning to Quebec, his career started in 1946 with the Montreal Conservatory where he stayed until 1962. He also taught in the Faculty of Music at the Université de Montréal. He was named vice-dean in 1967 and dean from 1968 until 1973. In 1968, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1993. In 1989, he was made a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec (?) b November 12th 1916.
2006: Mike Douglas/Michael Delaney Dowd Jr (81) Amerian singer, TV host, born in Chicago, Illinois, and began singing as a choirboy. By his teens he was working as a singer on a Lake Michigan dinner cruise ship. After serving briefly in the US Navy near the end of World War II and as a "staff singer" for WMAQ-TV in Chicago, he moved to LA. He was on the Ginny Simms radio show. Then, he became a vocalist in the big band of Kay Kyser, with whom he was featured on two notable hits, "Ole [or Old] Buttermilk Sky" in 1946 and "The Old Lamplighter". In 1950, he provided the singing voice of Prince Charming in Walt Disney's Cinderella. He went on to host The Mike Douglas Show on US television from 1961 to 1981. Guests ranged from Truman Capote and Richard Nixon to The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits and Kiss (?) b. August 11th 1925.
2007: Irving Herbert "Herb" Pomeroy III (77) American influential swing and bebop jazz trumpeter and educator. He played with legends such as Charlie Parker, Lionel Hampton Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, and Serge Chaloff, among other jazz musicians as well as his own jazz bands for over half a century. (sadly died after a battle with cancer) b. April 15th 1930.
2008: Don Helms (81) American steel guitarist; best known as the steel guitar player of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys group. He played for all three Hank Williams.. Sr, Jr, & III, and played on many classic country hits, including Patsy Cline's “Walking After Midnight,” Stonewall Jackson’s “Waterloo,” the Louvin Brothers’ “Cash on the Barrelhead,” Lefty Frizzell’s “Long Black Veil” , Loretta Lynn’s “Blue Kentucky Girl.” too many to mention (complications of heart surgery and diabetes) b. February 28th 1927.
2011: Jani Lane/John Kennedy Oswald (47) American lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and songwriter for the glam metal rock band Warrant. With Warrant, Jani wrote 3 hit singles: "Heaven," "Down Boys" and "Sometimes She Cries" for thier debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich which peaked at number 10 on the billboard 200 and another 3 hit singles: "Cherry Pie," "I Saw Red," and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" for the second album Cherry Pie which peaked at No.7 on The Billboard 200 >>> READ MORE <<< (Jani was sadly found dead at the Comfort Inn Hotel in Woodland Hills, Calif. No cause of death has been determined) b. February 1st 1964.
2012: Carlo Curley (59) American classical organist, born in North Carolina, he was the first classical organist to perform a solo organ recital at the White House, played before several European heads of state and toured extensively throughout the world, and had a large and loyal following. The Carlo Curley Concert Circle, based in the UK, was formed in 1990 by Cherry Stevens and organized numerous trips with him throughout England and abroad. Carlo also served as patron for numerous music societies as well as for the newly formed British Academy of Music. He was a cosmopolitan, and referred to three places as ‘home’: England, Scandinavia and North Carolina (?) b. August 24th 1952.

August 12th.
1928: Leoš Janácek (74) Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and all Slavic folk music to create an original, modern musical style. Until 1895 he devoted himself mainly to folkloristic research and his early musical output was influenced by contemporaries such as Antonín Dvorák. His later, mature works incorporate his earlier studies of national folk music in a modern, highly original synthesis, first evident in the opera Jenufa, which was premiered in 1904 in Brno. The success of Jenufa, often called the "Moravian national opera" at Prague in 1916 gave him access to the world's great opera stages. His later works are his most celebrated. They include the symphonic poem Sinfonietta, the oratorial Glagolitic Mass, the rhapsody Taras Bulba, string quartets, other chamber works and operas (?) b. July 3rd 1854.
1984: Lenny Breau (43) American jazz guitarist, singer and educator, known for blending many styles of music including: jazz, country, classical and flamenco guitar. Inspired by country guitarists like Chet Atkins, he used fingerstyle techniques not often used in jazz guitar. Born in Auburn, Maine, he was twelve years old when he started a small band with friends, and by the age of fourteen he was the lead guitarist for his parents' band, billed as "Lone Pine Junior", and made his first professional recordings at the age of 15 while working as a studio musician. Many of these recordings were released posthumously on a CD appropriately titled Boy Wonder. His debut album "Guitar Sounds from Lenny Breau" was released in 1968. this has been followed by around 23 other albums including 1981's "Standard Brands" with Chet Atkins (Lenny's body was found in a swimming pool at his apartment complex in Los Angeles. The coroner reported that he had been strangled. His wife, Jewel, was the chief suspect but was never charged with his murder, the case is still unsolved) b. August 5th 1941.
1985: Kyu Sakamoto/Hisashi Oshima (43) Japanese singer and actor ranked at No.18 in a list of Japan's top 100 influential musicians by HMV; he holds the record for the first and only pop record performed entirely in Japanese to reach No.1 with his 1963's "Sukiyaki." Born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture, he sang at school and joined the Japanese pop-band "The Drifters" as a singer in 1958. In the summer of 1963 Kyu went out on a world tour that lasted to the beginning of 1964. He visited the US (including Hawaii), Germany, and Sweden. While visiting America he was a guest on The Tonight Show with Steve Allen. One of his best known and most beloved songs was "Ashita ga Aru Sa" ("There's Always Tomorrow"), covered by the band Ulfuls in 2001 (plane crash). b. December 10th 1941.
1992: John Milton Cage Jr (79) American composer, philosopher, poet, music theorist, artist, and amateur mycologist-mushroom collector. A pioneer of chance music, electronic music and non-standard use of musical instruments, he was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde. Critics lauded him as one of the most influential American composers of the 20th century. He was also instrumental in the development of modern dance, mostly through his association with choreographer Merce Cunningham, who was also Cage's romantic partner for most of their lives. John is perhaps best known for his 1952 composition 4'33", the three movements of which are performed without a single note being played. (died peacefully in his home, of natural causes) b. September 5th 1912.
1997: Luther Allison (57) American blues guitarist, played with all the blues greats. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2000, the Chicago Sun-Times called him "The Bruce Springsteen of the blues". He was born in Widener, Arkansas and moved with his family, at age twelve, to Chicago, Illinois in 1951. He had taught himself guitar while in Chicago and began listening to blues extensively. Three years later he began hanging outside blues nightclubs with the hopes of being invited to perform. His big break came in 1957 when Muddy Waters invited him to the stage. He worked the club circuit throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s and recorded his first single in 1965. He played with Howlin' Wolf's band and backed up James Cotton. In 1972, was signed to Motown Records, the first blues artists to do so. By the mid 1970s he began touring Europe, and moved to France in 1977. He would not return to the United States for another fifteen years. Luther was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1998.(he had a tumor on his lung that was about to metastasize to his spine. In and out of a coma, he died five days before his 58th birthday) b. August 17th 1939.
2008: Christie Allen (53) Australian pop singer, famed for her disco style No.3 hit "Goosebumps" in 1979, and "He's My Number One" which reached No.4 in 1980; she was also the voice and star of the commercials for the soft drink Tarino. She was born in the UK, but moved with her family to Perth, Western Australia. Whilst performing in a band, Pendulum, with her brothers in Perth she came to the attention of songwriter and record producer Terry Britten, impressed by her vocal ability and bubbly personality, he began working with her. She released her first single "You Know That I Love You" in 1979. In 1980 and 1981 Christie released the singles - "Switchboard", "Baby Get Away", and "Don't Put Out The Flame" - from her second and final album Detour. The 1990s saw performing as a vocalist with country music bands. In 1998 Michael Gudinski sought her out via an appeal on national radio to perform at a televised tribute concert for the 25th anniversary of Mushroom Records, she retired following that performance, singing her hit "Goosebumps", before a huge crowd at the MCG on 14 November 1998 (sadly died from pancreatic cancer) b. Sept 12th 1954.
2009: Rashied Ali/Robert Patterson (74) American free jazz and avant-garde jazz drummer best known for playing with John Coltrane in the last years of Coltrane's life. Rashied was born and grew up in Philadelphia, and moved to New York in 1963, where he worked in groups with Bill Dixon and Paul Bley and also recorded and/or performed with Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Arthur Rhames, James Blood Ulmer and many others. He began to record with John Coltrane from the album Meditations in November 1965 onwards. During the early 1970s, he ran an influential loft club in New York, called Ali's Alley. He briefly formed a non-jazz project called Purple Trap with Japanese experimental guitarist Keiji Haino and jazz-fusion bassist Bill Laswell. Their double-CD album, Decided...Already the Motionless Heart of Tranquility, Tangling the Prayer Called "I", was released on John Zorn's Tzadik label in March 1999. In the last years of his life, Rashied led his own Quintet. A double CD entitled Judgment Day was recorded in February 2005. In 2007, he recorded "Going to the Ritual" in duo with bassist / violinist Henry Grimes , with a second duo recording in post-production at the time of Ali's death. Ali and Grimes also played five duo concerts together between 2007 and 2009 (heart attack) b. July 1st 1935.
2010: Richie Hayward (64) American drummer best known to most as the long time drummer and founding member of the L.A. rock band Little Feat born in Clear Lake, Iowa, US; having acquired a set of real drums, he played his first gig at the Moose Lodge in Nevada, Iowa, on New Year's Eve 1959. Following his dreams Richie moved to L.A. and played with bands The Rebels and The Fraternity of Man around southern California before joining up with The Factory, which was where he first met Lowell George. In 1969, Lowell, Bill Payne, Roy Estrada, along with Richie founded Little Feat. Richie drummed and helped forge the sound of Little Feat for the next 40 years until August 2009. Richie and the band released their debut album 'Little Feat' in 1971, bristled with beefy rock epics such as Hamburger Midnight, driven from the back by Richie's piledriving beat. This was followed by 14 studuo albums and 11 live albums. After Lowell's untimely death in >>>READ MORE<<< (sadly lost his year long battle with liver cancer) b. February 6th 1946

August 13th.
1912: Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (70) French composer born in Montaud, then hamlet near Saint-Étienne, best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, his style went out of fashion, and many of his operas fell into almost total oblivion. However, since the mid-1970s, many operas of his have undergone periodic revivals. His first opera, La grand' tante, was a one-act production at the Opéra-Comique in 1867. Nevertheless it was his dramatic oratorio Marie-Magdeleine, first performed in 1873, that won him praise from the likes of Tchaikovsky, d'Indy-who afterwards turned against him, and Gounod. His greatest successes were Manon in 1884, Werther in 1892, and Thaïs in 1894. Notable later operas were Le jongleur de Notre-Dame, produced in 1902, and Don Quichotte, produced in Monte Carlo 1910, with the legendary Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin in the title-role (Jules sadly died after a long battle with cancer) b. May 12th 1842.
1974: Harold "Tina" Floyd Brooks (42) American tenor saxophonist born in Fayetteville, North Carolina; a short but important career, he began playing shortly after he moved to New York in 1944. His first professional work came in 1951 with R&B pianist Sonny Thompson, and in 1955, he played with vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. He is best known for his work for Blue Note Records between 1958 and 1961, recording primarily as a sideman with Kenny Burrell, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Freddie Redd, and Jimmy Smith. Around this time, Tina was McLean's understudy in The Connection, a play by Jack Gelber with music by Redd, and performed on an album of music from the play on the Felsted Label. He also recorded five sessions of his own for Blue Note, the first session was recorded on 16 March 1958, and featured promising young trumpeter Lee Morgan alongside seasoned professionals such as Sonny Clark, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey. Despite the calibre of the players and the quality of the output, Minor Move was not released for more than two decades, long after Tina had died. This started an unfortunate trend, as three of his four other sessions, Street Singer, Back to the Tracks and The Waiting Game did not appear during his lifetime. The exception was True Blue, a session recorded 25 June 1960 with Freddie Hubbard, Duke Jordan, Sam Jones and Art Taylor. The release of True Blue coincided with release of Hubbard's Blue Note debut, Open Sesame, which also featured Tina (plagued by a heroin dependency and gradual deteriorating health, Tina sadly died of liver failure) b. June 7th 1932.
1982: Joe Tex/Yusuf Hazziez/Joseph Arrington Jr (49) American singer born Baytown, Texas, he won first place in a 1954 talent contest and duly secured a record deal, but he kept on with his songwriting too, his "Baby You're Right" reached No.2 hit for James Brown in 1962. Joe made the first Southern soul hit, recorded at the FAME studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, distributed by Atlantic on Killen's Dial record label, "Hold What You've Got". It was a U.S. No.5 hit, and spent 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, selling a million copies by 1966. Other of his many hits include "A Woman Can Change a Man", "The Love You Save (May Be Your Own)", "S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song)" and "Show Me". His style of speaking over music, which he called "rap", made him a predecessor of the modern style of music. (sadly Joe died at his home in Navasota, Texas, following a heart attack) b. August 8th 1933.
1996: David Eugene Tudor (70) American pianist and composer of experimental music born in Philadelphia; he studied piano with Stefan Wolpe and became known as one of the leading performers of avant garde piano music. He wrote mostly electronic works, many commissioned by choreographer Merce Cunningham. His homemade musical circuits are considered landmarks in live electronic music and electrical instrument building as a form of composition. In his later years he took over as music director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company (died in Tompkins Cove, New York) b. January 20th 1926.
1998: Nino Ferrer/Nino Agostino Arturo Maria Ferrari (63) French-Italian singer and jazz musician; born in Genoa, Italy, then, the family moved to France in 1947. He was sent to the best colleges in Paris, earning a degree in ethnology and prehistoric archaeology. As a student, his free time was spent on archaeological digs and he learned to play several instruments piano, guitar, clarinet, trombone and trumpet, he composed, wrote lyrics and became a fervent jazz lover. His first musical job was accompanying jazz musicians, first of all Richard Bennett and the Dixiecats, then Bill Coleman. At the beginning of the 1960s, he worked for several years with American singer Nancy Holloway as her guitarist. At this time he continued to write gospel-inspired songs, but after listening to Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and the likes, it totally transformed his writing style. In 1965 he recorded "Mirza", an effective cocktail of rhythm ‘n’ blues and caustic lyrics, the song was immediately a huge hit. Nino followed this up with up with "Les Cornichons" and "Oh! Hé! Hein! Bon". In 1966, he gave 195 live performances and made nearly thirty TV appearances. He went on to record around 30 albums in both French and Italian (depressed after the death of his mother, Nino shot himself in the heart in the middle of a cornfield, a few miles from his home) b. August 15th 1934.
2000: Nazia Hassan (35) Pakistani pop singer born in Karachi; she began her singing career during the late 1970s, when she appeared on several television shows on PTV as a child artist. Her professional career started at the age of fifteen when she provided the lead vocals for the song Aap Jaisa Koi from the 1980 film Qurbani. The song made her a legend and pop icon in Pakistan and all of South Asia in the 1980s, where she is admired and loved even today, several years after her death. She released 7 albums before her death and sold over 100 million records worldwide (sadly Nazia died of lung cancer in London) b. April 3rd 1965.
2003: Ed Townsend (74) American attorney, singer, songwriter, and producer born in Fayetteville, Tennessee. He was best known for performing his composition, "For Your Love," a rhythm and blues doo wop classic, and as the co-writer of "Let's Get It On" with Marvin Gaye. One of his most memorable performances was on the PBS television special "Rock, Rhythm, and Doo Wop" filmed at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, on May 16 and 17, 2000. DVDs of the event were sold as fund raisers for PBS stations nationwide(?) b. April 16th 1929.
2006: Jon Nödtveidt (31) Swedish lead guitarist and vocalist; born in Strömstad he founded the Swedish black metal band Dissection in 1989. He also performed in several other projects, including The Black as Rietas, De Infernali, Nifelheim, Ophthalamia as Shadow, Satanized, Siren's Yell, and Terror, a grindcore band which featured members of At the Gates. Jon was convicted of being an accessory to the 1997 murder of a gay Algerian man called Josef Ben Meddour. He was released from prison in 2004, and restarted Dissection. He also appeared as a journalist in Metal Zone, where he was responsible for keeping track of the growing black metal scene (tragically Jon was found dead in his apartment in Hässelby, a suburb of Stockholm by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a circle of lit candles) b. June 28th 1975.
2007: Tim Royes (42) American music video director and editor; he produced videos for artists such as Faith No More-"Ashes to Ashes"; Elton John-"Something About the Way You Look Tonight"; Beverley Knight-"Not Too Late for Love"; Westlife-"Mandy"; Melanie C - "I Want Candy", "The Moment You Believe", and "Carolyna"; Emma Bunton-"Free Me"; the Sugababes "Easy" and "Red Dress", Rachel Stevens "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex"; Enya "Amarantine" and many others (Tim died after being struck by a vehicle in Manhattan in the early hours of the morning) b. December 25th 1964.
2009: Allen Shellenberger (39) American drummer and founder member of the alternative rock band Lit, based in Fullerton, CA. In 1990, Allen with friends Jeremy Popoff, A.Jay Popoff and Kevin Baldes formed a glam metal band, named Razzle. They released a demo tape in 1990 and an EP entitled "New Vibe Revolution" in 1993. A few years later, the group changed its name to Stain, but due to another band owning the name, they changed their name to Lit in 1996. They shot to fame in 1999 with their 4th album "A Place in the Sun" which went platinum and produced the hit single, "My Own Worst Enemy," which held the number one position for three months, and received a Billboard Music Award for the biggest modern rock song of 1999.They released several other singles in the 1990s and early 2000s including "Miserable", "Zip-Lock", "Over My Head", "Lipstick and Bruises", "Addicted", "Looks Like They Were Right" and "Times Like This". Their last of 7 released albums "Lit" was released in 2004. (Allen was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour in May of 2008) b. September 15th 1969.
2009: Les Paul/Red Hot Red/Lester William Polfus (94) American musician, and inventor; one of the most important figures in the development of the electric guitar and studio recording techniques. Born in Wankesha, Wisconsin, USA. Les began playing guitar and other instruments while still a child. In the early 30s he broadcast on the radio and in 1936 was leading his own trio. In the late 30s and early 40s he worked in New York, where he was featured on Fred Waring's radio show. He made records accompanying singers such as Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. Although his work was in the popular vein, with a strong country leaning, Les was highly adaptable and frequently sat in with jazz musicians. One of his favourites was Nat "King" Cole, whom he knew in Los Angeles, and the two men appeared >>>READ MORE<<< (complications from pneumonia) b. June 9th 1915.
2010: Esteban “Steve” Jordan (71) American conjunto legend and pioneer, known as the Jimi Hendrix of the accordion. Born in Texas, he started playing the guitar at age seven and the accordion a year later, after hearing a performance by the conjunto accordion pioneer Valerio Longoria. He later learned to play many other instruments, allegidly a total of 35, including several obscure ones used in older Latin and Latin American folk music. While in California in the late 1950s, that he won a prize in a contest for young conjunto performers and was given the chance to make a 78 rpm record. He didn't record officially until 1963, when he entered the studio with his wife, singer Virginia Martinez. He performed with jazz musician Willie Bobo and other jazz and rock musicians in the late 1960s; recorded for many south Texas labels in the 1970s and 1980s including The Return of El Parche in 1986 and El Huracán in 1987. Steve was inducted into Tejano Conjunto Music Hall of Fame in 1982. He appeared at many festivals such as the Berlin Jazz Festival. He absorbed jazz, rock and blues styles, his accordion rendering of the novelty 1950s hit "Yakety Yak" becoming one of his trademark numbers and he thrilled his fans with his accordian rendition of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze. (sadly died of complications from liver cancer) b. February 23rd 1939.
2011: Topi Sorsakoski (58) Finnish singer, he started his career with his brother Antti Tammilehto, who had played in various bands together with Juice Leskinen, in the Kalle Kiwes Blues Band and later had a solo career in the 1960s. After this, Topi has worked as guitarist in the band The Boys. In the 1980s, he started performing together with the band Agents, also singing songs earlier performed by Olavi Virta. He later returned to his solo career as well as working with the band Kulkukoirat, plus returning to Agents for a while in May 2007 (sadly Topi died while fighting lung cancer) b. October 27th 1952.
2012: Joan Roberts (95) American musical theatre actress born in New York City. She appeared in several stage productions, including Sunny River, Marinka, Are You With It?, High Button Shoes, but she is most famous for creating the role of Laurey in the original Broadway production of Oklahoma! in 1943. Over the years she appeared in documentaries about Oscar Hammerstein II, George Abbott and in the film Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There. Joan had been in retirement for many years on Long Island, New York when she appeared as Heidi Schiller in the 2001 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies. (sadly Joan died from heart failure) b. July 15th 1917.

August 14th.
1958: Gladys Love Presley (46) Elvis Presley's mother ().
1964: Johnny Burnette (30) American singer and rockabilly pioneer, born in Memphis, Tennessee. Along with his older brother Dorsey Burnette and friend Paul Burlison, he was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio in 1952. They appeared on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, Steve Allen's Tonight Show and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall, together with a summer tour with Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent. On Sunday September 9th 1956, they appeared as finalists in the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour at Madison Square Garden. Johnny and Dorsey relocated to California where they wrote songs for Ricky Nelson in the late 80s, including "Believe What You Say You Say", "It’s Late" and "Waitin' In School" amongst others. He also had a solo career at this tme too, with hits such as "Dreamin’", "You’re Sixteen", "Little Boy Sad", and "God, Country and My Baby". Ringo Starr released his version of “You’re Sixteen” in 1973, and Burnette Brother's contribution to music was recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. One of Johnny's songs, "Train Kept A-Rollin'" was later recorded by The Yardbirds and Aerosmith. (his tiny unlit fishing boat was struck by an unaware cabin cruiser on Clear Lake, California. The impact threw him off the boat, tragically he drowned) b. March 25th 1934.
1971: King Curtis/Curtis Ousley (37) American saxophone player, sessionist and band leader, his band The Kingpins also backed Aretha Franklin. He was also a musical director and record producer. He was best known for his distinctive sax riffs and solos such as on "Yakety Yak", which later became the inspiration for Boots Randolph's "Yakety Sax" and his own "Memphis Soul Stew". In 1970, King won the Best R&B Instrumental Performance Grammy for "Games People Play" and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 6th 2000. (tragically he was stabbed to death by Juan Montanez, a vagrant drug addict on the front steps of his New York home) b. February 7th 1934.
1972: Oscar Levant (65) American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor; he was more famous for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio, in movies and TV, than for his music. Born in Pittsburgh, in 1928, he traveled to Hollywood where his career took a turn for the better. He met and befriended George Gershwin. From 1929 to 1948 he composed the music for more than 20 movies. During this period, he also wrote or co-wrote numerous popular songs that made the Hit Parade, the most noteworthy being "Blame It on My Youth" in 1934, now considered to be a standard. From 1947 to 1949, he regularly appeared on NBC radio's Kraft Music Hall, starring Al Jolson, accompanying Jolson on the piano and played classical and popular solos, and often joked and ad-libbed with Jolson and his guests. Between 1958 and 1960, Oscar hosted a television talk show on KCOP-TV in LA, The Oscar Levant Show (heart attack) b. December 27th 1906.
1988: Robert Calvert (44) Sth African born-British writer, poet and singer, born in Pretoria, he moved to England when he was two years of age and attended school in London and Margate. He began his career by writing poetry and in 1967 formed a Street Theatre group Street Dada Nihilismus. He was best known as the lead singer, poet and frontman of Hawkwind intermittently from 1972-1979 during which time he co-wrote their hit single "Silver Machine" and directed their Space Ritual Tour. During periods away from Hawkwind duties, and after finally leaving the group in 1979, Robert worked on his solo career, his creative output including albums, stage plays, poetry, and a novel. His first solo album, Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters, attained mainstream success. His other musical collaborators include Michael Moorcock, Brian Eno, Arthur Brown, Jim Capaldi, Steve Pond, Inner City Unit, Vivian Stanshall, Nektar, John Greves, Adrian Wagner, Amon Düül II, and Spirits Burning (died of a heart attack in Ramsgate, England) b. April 9th 1944.
1988: Roy Buchanan (48) American guitar virtuoso, has long been considered one of the finest, yet criminally one of the most overlooked guitarists of the blues rock genre. Born in Ozark, Arkansas, he made his recording debut with Dale Hawkins, including playing the solo on "My Babe". Two years later, during a tour through Toronto, he left Dale Hawkins to play for his cousin Ronnie Hawkins and tutor Ronnie's guitar player, Robbie Robertson. He gained national notoriety as the result of an hour-long PBS television documentary. Entitled The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World, the show led to a contract with Polydor, for which he recorded five albums, one of which, Second Album, went gold, and after that another three for Atlantic Records, one of which, 1977's Loading Zone, also went gold. Roy quit recording in 1981, vowing never to enter a studio again unless he could record his own music his own way. Roy was coaxed back into the studio by Alligator Records. His first album, When a Guitar Plays The Blues, was released in the spring of 1985. It was the first time he was given total artistic freedom in the studio. The album entered Billboard's pop charts and remained on the charts for 13 weeks. His second Alligator LP, Dancing on the Edge, with vocals on three tracks by Delbert McClinton, was released in the fall of 1986. The album also charted, on the Billboard album chart for 8 weeks. He released the twelfth and final album of his career, Hot Wires, in 1987. Although playing a number of guitars, he was most often associated with a 1953 Fender Telecaster guitar nicknamed "Nancy", the one he used to produce his trebly signature tone (Roy hanged himself in a jail cell, while the police were doing a routine check after he had been arrested for drunkeness) b. September 23rd 1939.
1992: Tony Williams (64) American lead singer of The Platters from 1953 to 1960 born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1953, they recorded a series of singles backing Linda Hayes, Tony's sister. Linda introduced the group to Tony and he joined up lead singer that same year. Tony and the group went on to have many hits including "Only You", "The Great Pretender", "I'm Sorry", "He's Mine", "Enchanted", "The Magic Touch", "My Prayer", "Twilight Time", "Harbor Lights", "To Each His Own", "If I Didn't Care" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998. The Platters were also the first rock and roll group to have a Top Ten album in America (sadly Tony passed away from emphysema) b. April 5th 1928.
1996: Sergiu Celibidache (84) Romanian conductor, born in Roman, he began his musical studies with the piano, after which he studied music, philosophy and mathematics in Bucharest, Romania and then in Paris. One of the most important influences in his life was his introduction to Martin Steinke, who, being knowledgeable about Buddhism, heavily affected Celibidache's outlook for the rest of his life. He studied in Berlin and, from 1945 to 1952, he was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. He later worked with radio orchestras in Stockholm, Stuttgart and Paris. He also worked in Britain in the late 1940s and 1950s. In 1970 he was awarded Denmark's Sonning Award. From 1979 until his death he was music director of the Munich Philharmonic, with whom he released notable recordings of Beethoven, Johannes Brahms, Anton Bruckner, Robert Schumann, Johann Sebastian Bach, Gabriel Fauré and others of note include a series of live performances with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (?) b. June 28th 1912.
2002: Dave Williams (30) American singer, most notably the lead singer for the Alternative metal band Drowning Pool. He grew up in Princeton, Texas and during the 1990s he was a fixture in the Dallas music scene, often playing in well-known clubs. In 1999, he joined Drowning Pool. The band released the album Sinner in 2001 (Dave was found dead on the tour bus during Ozzy Osbourn Ozzfest tour in Manassas, tragically he had been suffering from an undiagnosed heart disease) b. February 29th 1972.
2004: Pete Strange (65) English trombonist; he played violin as a child before switching to trombone. His first major gig was with Eric Silk when he was 18. In 1957, Silk's clarinetist Teddy Layton left to form his own band, and Pete went with him. Following this he played with Sonny Morris, Charlie Gall, and Ken Sims, after which he joined Bruce Turner from 1961-64. Pete played off and on with Freddy Randall, Joe Daniels, and Ron Russell before returning to Turner again in 1974. Then in 1978 co-founded the Midnite Follies Orchestra with Alan Elsdon. In 1980 he founded the five-trombone ensemble Five-A-Slide which featured Roy Williams and Campbell Burnap. In 1983, Pete joined Humphrey Lyttelton's band and remained with him up until his death. He also played with his own group, the Great British Jazz Band, alongside his time with Lyttelton (?) b. December 19th 1938.
2006: Johnny Duncan (67) American country music singer and guitarist born in Dublin, Texas; over his career, he released 14 studio albums, which produced more than thirty chart singles, with three of those reaching No.1.. "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous"-1976 and "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better"-1977, and "She Can Put Her Shoes Under my Bed (Anytime)"-1978 and seven more of his singles were Top Ten hits. Many more of his songs were recorded by artists such as Charley Pride, Conway Twitty, Marty Robbins, Chet Atkins, and Jim Ed Brown. (sadly died from a heart attack at a Fort Worth Hospital) b. October 5th 1938.
2007: Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov (94) Soviet Russian composer, pianist, leader of the Union of Soviet Composers, and film actor, who was also known for his political activities. Born in the town of Yelets, Lipetsk Oblast in central Russia, he wrote three symphonies, four piano concertos, two violin concertos, two cello concertos, operas, operettas, ballets, chamber music, incidental music and film music (?) b. June 10th 1913
2008: Lita Roza (82) UK singer; her 1953 No.1 hit record "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" made her the first British female singer to top the UK Singles Chart, and the first Liverpudlian to do so from 57 Liverpudlian No.1 hits. She was voted the 'Top British Female Singer' in the New Musical Express poll winners' charts from 1951 to 1955. Melody Maker readers also voted her their 'Top Girl Singer' in the dance band section of their polls in 1951 and 1952. At the age of 12 she saw an advertisement in the local newspapers for juvenile dancers and passed the audition. She took to the stage at that age in a pantomime and by the time she was 15 was working with fellow Merseysider comedian, Ted Ray. Shortly afterwards signed up with the Harry Roy Orchestra in London. She moved on from this to work with other bands of the era including that of Edmundo Ros. Lita made three appearances in the UK heats for selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, in 1957, 1959 and 1960. On 28 November 2002 in Liverpool, she gave her last public performance on Radio Merseyside. A 22 track The Best Of Lita Roza was released in 2007 (died peacefully at home) b. March 14th 1926.
2009: Warren "Gates" Nichols (65) American steel guitarist; born in New York and founder member of Confederate Railroad, a country music band founded in 1984 in Marietta, Georgia by Gates on steel guitar, and his friends Danny Shirley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Lamb (lead guitar), Mark Dufresne (drums), Chris McDaniel (keyboards), and Wayne Secrest (bass guitar). After serving as a backing band for outlaw country act David Allan Coe, the band signed to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, releasing their self-titled debut album that year. The album produced six hit singles and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum in the U.S. In 1993, Confederate Railroad was awarded Best New Group at the ACM awards. More than twenty of their singles have entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts including "She Took It Like a Man", "Jesus and Mama", "Queen of Memphis" (their highest chart peak, at #2), "When You Leave That Way You Can Never Go Back", "Trashy Women" and "She Never Cried" and have released ten studio albums. The band's most recent compilation, a compilation of cover songs entitled Cheap Thrills, was issued on the independent Shanachie label in 2007. Gates retired from Confederate Railroad in December 2008, but sadly, the following July, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (cancer) b. May 26th 1944.
2009: Lawrence Lucie (101) American jazz guitarist; born in Emporia, Virginia, he learned banjo, mandolin, and violin as a child and played with his family at dances. He studied banjo in New York City at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, but switched to guitar when he started a professional career. He was the guitarist for orchestras led by Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, Fletcher Henderson, the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, Coleman Hawkins and Louis Armstrong; he was also the best man at Louis Armstrong's wedding. He recorded with all of them except Ellington. He can also be found on record with Teddy Wilson and Billie Holiday, Spike Hughes, Putney Dandridge, Big Joe Turner, Red Allen, and Jelly Roll Morton. After the big band era passed, he played in a quartet with his wife Nora Lee King. In the 1950s he played with Luis Russell, Louie Bellson, and Cozy Cole, in addition to a lot of session work. Lawrence continued to record with his wife for his own label, Toy Records, into the 1980s. He also taught at the Borough of Manhattan Community College for three decades, retiring in 2004 (He died in New York City) b. December 18th 1907.
2010: Abbey Lincoln/Anna Marie Wooldridge (80) American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. Abbey was unusual in that she wrote and performed her own compositions, expanding the expectations of jazz audiences. Influenced by Billie Holiday, she had a very long and productive career and continued to perform until the time of her death. She often could be found at the Blue Note in New York City. She worked with many jazz musicians like Sonny Rollins, Stanley Turrentine, Eric Dolphy, Jackie McLean, Clark Terry, Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, Ron Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Wynton Kelly, Cedar Walton, Joe Lovano, and made albums with Stan Getz, Mal Waldron and Archie Shepp. In 2003, she received the National Endowment for the Arts NEA Jazz Masters Award. As an actress, among other films she co-starred in Nothing But a Man; and with Sidney Poitier and Beau Bridges in 1968's For Love of Ivy, receiving a 1969 Golden Globe nomination for her appearance in the film and also appeared in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It, for which she wore a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in Gentleman Prefer Blondes and interpreted the theme song, working with Benny Carter. (?) b. August 6th 1930.

August 15th.
1951: Artur Schnabel (69) Austrian classical pianist and composer, among the 20th century's most respected and most important pianists, he displayed a vitality, profundity and spirituality in works by Beethoven and Schubert above all. His performances of these compositions have often been hailed as models of interpretative penetration; and his best-known recordings are those of the Beethoven piano sonatas. He moved to Berlin in 1898, making his debut there with a concert at the Bechstein-Saal. Following World War I, Schnabel also toured widely, visiting the United States, Russia and England. Being a Jew, he left Berlin in 1933 after the Nazi Party took control. He lived in England for a time while giving masterclasses at Tremezzo on Lake Como in Italy, before moving to the United States in 1939. In 1944, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. There he took a teaching post at the University of Michigan, returning to Europe at the end of World War II. He continued to give concerts on both sides of the Atlantic until the end of his life, as well as composing and making records although he was never very fond of the whole studio process (?) b. April 17th 1882.
1963: Wade Legge (29) American jazz pianist and bassist, born in Huntington, West Virginia; he played more bass than piano in his early years, and it was with the bass that he was first noticed by Milt Jackson, who recommended him to Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie hired him and shortly thereafter moved him to piano; he remained a member of Gillespie's ensemble until 1954, and during that time recorded a date in France as a trio session leader. Following his tenure with Gillespie, Wade moved to New York City and freelanced there. He played in Johnny Richards's orchestra, and did sessions with Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Bill Hardman, Pepper Adams, Joe Roland, Jimmy Knepper, and Jimmy Cleveland. He was one of three pianists recording as a member of the variously staffed Gryce/Byrd Jazz Lab Quintets in 1957 and appeared on more than 50 recordings in his short but impressive career, before retiring to Buffalo in 1959 where he played more locally. Wade was suffering from a bad painful stomach ulcer which also caused depression (tragically Wade shot himself) b. February 4th 1934.
1971: Thomas Wayne Perkins (29) American hillbillie singer; born in Batesville, Mississippi; he was cousin to Carl Perkins and his brother, Luther, played guitar for Johnnie Cash. Jim released several singles between 1958 and 1964, having a major U.S. hit with the song "Tragedy", credited to Thomas Wayne with the DeLons, which peaked at No.20 on the Black Singles chart and No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. It sold over one million copies, earning him gold disc status. He later worked as a sound engineer, before his tragic premature death (tragically died in a car crash) b. July 22nd 1940.
1978: Irene Kral (46) American jazz singer; inspired by Carmen McRae, Irene started singing professionally as a teenager. She sang in bands led by Woody Herman and Chubby Jackson, after which in the late 50s she joined Maynard Ferguson's band and sang with groups led by Stan Kenton and Shelly Manne. She then started a solo career until her death. Irene was made more famous posthumously when Clint Eastwood used her recordings in his 1995 movie, The Bridges of Madison County (sadly died after fighting breast cancer) b. January 18th 1932.
1984: Norman Petty (57) American pianist, songwriter, and an important pioneer record producer; born in Clovis, New Mexico, he began playing piano at aged 5, and as a young teenager he formed his first group, The Torchy Swingsters. Norman founded the Norman Petty Trio with his wife Vi and guitarist Jack Vaughn, and were voted Most Promising Group of 1954 by Cashbox Magazine. In 1956, their major hit "Mood Indigo" sold half a million copies and enabled Norman to expand his recording studio, considerably. In 1957, their song "Almost Paradise" reached No.18 and Norman won his first BMI writers award. Other of songs that won him BMI writer awards were "Everyday"-Buddy Holly, Norman Petty; "It's So Easy"-Buddy Holly, Norman Petty; "Peggy Sue"-Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly, Norman Petty; "That'll Be the Day"-Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly, Norman Petty; "True Love Ways"-Buddy Holly, Norman Petty; and "Wheels"-Norman Petty, Richard Stephens, Jimmy Torres. In his studio, he made 78 and 45 rpm singles for his own musical group and for then-unknown Texan singers Roy Orbison, Buddy Knox, Carolyn Hester, Waylon Jennings and Buddy Holly with whom he is most closely associated in the public mind. "Sugar Shack" and "Bottle Of Wine" by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs and "Wheels" by the String-A-Longs were recorded at The Norman Petty studio. He also had a number of Canadian groups record, including Gainsborough Gallery, Done On Bradstreet and the Happy Feeling, all having performed on the Festival Express. Norman continued recording all styles of groups throughout the 60s & 70s, and was working on a new Buddy overdub project at the time of his untimely death (sadly Norman died of leukemia) b. May 25th 1927.
1992: Jackie Edwards/Wilfred Gerald Edwards (54) Jamaican singer-song writer; he worked with Chris Blackwell from 1959 and when Blackwell set up Island Records in London in 1962, Jackie travelled with him. He worked as a singer and songwriter for Island as well as performing duties such as delivering records. He wrote "Keep On Running" that became a No.1 single in the UK for The Spencer Davis Group and was used in opening sequence in the 1988 film Buster. He also wrote "Somebody Help Me", another No.1 single for The Spencer Davis Group. He also worked as a producer, co-producing the 1977 album Move Up Starsky by The Mexicano. Jackie also recorded 20 solo albums between 1963 to the mid '80s, his final recording being Musical Treasures Disco Style (sadly died from a heart attack) b. 1938
1990: Viktor Robertovich Tsoi (28) Russian rock singer, songwriter and leader of the band Kino. Born in Leningrad, he is regarded as one of the pioneers of Russian rock and has many devoted fans across the countries of the former Soviet Union even today. Few musicians in the history of Russian music have been more popular or have had more impact on their genre than Viktor and his rock band Kino. He contributed a plethora of musical and artistic works, including ten albums (tragically died in a car accident) b. June 21st 1962.
2003: Gösta Sundqvist (46) Finnish songwriter, singer and radio personality. He was the lead singer for Leevi and the Leavings since the forming of the band 1978 to 2003. The name "Leevi" is often taken to mean Gösta personally, this is incorrect, "Leevi" refers to a late friend of the band members. Gösta kept himself almost completely hidden from publicity and Leevi and the Leavings never performed in front of a live audience, with only one exception under the name "Tarmo Dynamo". In the 1980s and 90s, Gösta and the band gave some interviews but after the year 2000 he became a total media hermit and is best remembered by the songs he wrote composed, and arranged. His lyrics were down-to-earth which was probably the key to success among the Finnish public. In 1990 Sundqvist expanded his work to include radio comedy. He wrote several humorous shows for the radio station formerly known as Radiomafia, including Tietokoneenkorjauskurssi/"Computer repair lesson" and Koe-eläinpuisto/"Test animal park" (Gösta sadly died from a heart attack) b. May 17th 1957.
2004: Semiha Berksoy (91) Turkish opera singer, born in Istanbul. She was cast in operettas in Istanbul theatres early in her career. She sang in the first Turkish opera Özsoy in 1934 and was honoured as the First Turkish Opera Singer and awarded with the opportunity to go to Berlin Music Academy for further training. She started her international singing career in 1934, performing in Turkey, Germany and Portugal, becoming known as a Wagnerian soprano. In 1939, for the 75th birthday of Richard Strauss in Berlin, she sang the role of Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos, becoming the first Turkish prima donna to perform on stage in Europe. Back in Turkey she worked with Carl Ebert helping him in his efforts to create the Turkish State Opera and Ballet. This initiative lead to the creation of the Experimental Stage of the Ankara State Conservatory 1940. She retired from the Istanbul Opera in 1972 and Semiha was decorated with the "Atatürk Opera Award" at the 50th anniversary ceremonies commemorating the introduction of women's rights to vote and to be elected. She received the title of "State Artist" in Turkey in 1998. Following her retirement, she remained active mostly as a theater artist (sadly Semiha died due to complications related with heart surgery) b. 1910
2007: Richard James Bradshaw, O.Ont (63) British opera conductor and the General Director of the Canadian Opera Company (COC) in Toronto. Born in Rugby, from 1975 to 1977, he was the Chorus Director at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. From 1977 to 1989, he was Resident Conductor at San Francisco Opera.In 1988, he was a guest conductor of the COC. In 1989, he was appointed Chief Conductor and Head of Music. In 1994, he was appointed Artistic Director and General Director in 1998. At the COC, he had conducted more than 60 operas. In 2004, Richard was made a member of the Order of Ontario for having "brought the COC international acclaim, including a first-ever invitation to the Edinburgh Festival, garnering two prestigious awards" and in 2006, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award. It was also that year that saw the opening of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, a 30-year dream that came to fruition for the Canadian Opera Company and for Richard himself (died of a massive heart attack) b. April 16th 1944.
2007: John Wallowitch (81) American composer, songwriter and cabaret performer. He wrote over 2,000 songs which have been recorded by Shirley Horn, Tony Bennett, Berri Blair, John Dubois, Marlene VerPlanck, Lynn Lobban and many others. For over 50 years he played and sang a catalogue of original songs at nightspots around the world. He is also known for his sophisticated takes on the songs of Irving Berlin. Born in in Sth Philadelphia, he moved to New York in his late teens to study classical piano at Juilliard. In order to survive, he played rehearsal piano for shows, among them Leonard Sillman's New Faces of '52, and began to play at the Duplex, a Greenwich Village saloon. His first professional appearance was on the Lithuanian Furniture Company Radio Hour, Station WHAT, on which he rendered Irving Berlin's "So Help Me". As a solo cabaret entertainer, John performed throughout the world and was famous for his long-running hit revue, The World of Wallowitch. He was the recipient of both the MAC and Bistro Awards for Composer of the Year. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, John was part of a popular cabaret act with his longtime partner, Bertram Ross. They sang in nightspots ranging from London's Pizza on the Park to the Ballroom in New York City. A CD of their performance cabaret, “Wallowitch and Ross” was released in 2003 to accompany the documentary film of the couple, "Wallowitch & Ross: This Moment" (bone cancer) b. February 11th 1926.
2008: Jerry Wexler (91) American music producer born in The Bronx; he was regarded as one of the major record industry players behind music from the 1950s through the 1980s. He became a partner in Atlantic Records in 1953. There followed classic recordings with Ray Charles, the Drifters and Ruth Brown. With Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün, he built Atlantic Records into a major force in the recording industry. In 1967 he was named Record Executive of the Year for turning Aretha Franklin's career around, he also coined the term "rhythm and blues". In 1975 he left Atlantic Records for Warner Bros Records. In his career Jerry was integral in signing and/or producing many of the biggest acts of the last 50 years, including Chris Connor, Ray Charles, Allman Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, George Michael and Bob Dylan. He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, one of the most highly-regarded A&R men in popular music history (sadly died from congestive heart failure) b. January 10th 1917.
2009: Florin Amedeo Bogardo (67) Romanian composer and singer born in Bucharest; her dozens of creations include Tu, aprinsa stea; Iarna; Cîndva o luntre alba; Cum e oare?; Ma uit la tine, toamna; Plop înfrînt; Iubirea cea mare; Ceramica; Izvorul noptii; Sa nu uitam trandafirii; Un vis romantic; Apa vietii; Într-o zi cînd m-am nascut; Tu esti primavara mea; Un fluture si o pasare; Luna pamînteana;Adevarul despre alchimie; Ceas de taina; E primavara profesor; Taci; and Între soare, între stele. Florin was married to Romanian singer Stela Enache (died after a long illness.) b. August 16th 1942.
2009: Jim Dickinson (67) American pianist, singer and record producer; after attending school at Baylor University, he returned to his hometown Memphis and played on recording sessions for Bill Justis and at Chips Moman's American Studios. He recorded what has been called the last great record on the Sun label, "Cadillac Man" / "My Babe" by the Jesters, although he was not an actual member of the group, Jim played piano and sang lead on both sides. In the late 1960s, he co-founded the "Dixie Flyers" and provided backup for musicians recording for Atlantic Records, including Aretha Franklin's Spirit in the Dark. Jim also played piano on The Rolling Stones' hit Wild Horses and on The Flamin Groovies' track Teenage Head. In 1972 he released his first solo album, "Dixie Fried". In the 1970s he became known as a producer, producing Willy DeVille, Green on Red, Mojo Nixon, The Replacements, Tav Falco's Panther Burns and Screamin' Jay Hawkins, among many others, as well as producing an aural documentary of Memphis' Beale Street, Beale Street Saturday Night, which featured performances by Sid Selvidge, Furry Lewis and Dickinson's band Mud Boy and the Neutrons. He has also worked with Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. In 1998, he produced Mudhoney's, Tomorrow Hit Today. In 2007 Jim played the Memphis-based rock band, Snake Eyes, although the band disbanded in October 2008, they did complete two full albums, not yet released (tragically died at Methodist Extended Care Hospital in Memphis, following triple bypass heart surgery) b. November 15th 1941
2010: Ahmad Alaadeen (76) American jazz saxophonist and educator native of Kansas City who had a career spanning over five decades. Since 1949, primarily known by his surname, Alaadeen, he played with many of the greatest names in music; starting with Jazz and Blues legends Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Jay McShann, Ella Fitzgerald, The Count Basie Orchestra, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Eddie Vinson, right up through Motown stars Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations and Sam Cooke. Along the way, he won awards including Billboard songwriting competitions for several of his original compositions. In 1996, his ensemble was picked as Musician Magazine's Best Unsigned Band. Earlier this year, Alaadeen was awarded the American Jazz Museum's Lifetime Achievement Award. He is recognized as a master jazz artist who performed on the highest level and a significant jazz educator for 35 years. (sadly died battling bladder cancer) b. July 24th 1934.
2010: Robert Wilson (53) American bassist and member of the funk and R&B group The Gap Band, an American funk band, who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. Comprising brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert the youngest of the Wilson brothers. The band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group shortened thier name to The Gap Band in 1973, later relocated to L. A., and rocketed to stardom in 1979 with their hit "Shake", followed by a string of hits in the 80s & 90s including "Outstanding," "You Dropped a Bomb On Me", "Big Fun", "Yearning for Your Love", "Oops Up Side Your Head", and "Party Lights". (sadly died of a heart attack) b. 1957
2012: Altamiro Carrilho (87) Brazilian musician and composer, born in Santo Antônio de Pádua, Rio de Janeiro, he is widely regarded as a master flutist and a major representative of the choro genre. He has released around 48 albums in his long career (sadly Altamiro died while fighting lung cancer) b. December 21st 1924.
2012: Bill Tillman (65) American saxophonist best known for his work with Blood, Sweat & Tears. He was named most outstanding musician in the Texas Public School Board system in 1965. Following a stint in the North Texas Lab Band he went on the road, touring with The Coasters, Chuck Berry, the late Roy Orbison and being the musical director for Gladys Knight. In 1973, he joined Blood, Sweat & Tears and remained with the band for eight studio albums and live releases up to 1978's Live in Scandinavia. From there he joined the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as a soloist and continued making music, releasing three solo albums in the 1980s. His last studio album was Altogether in 2000, but he continued performing with the Bill Tillman Band and playing an array of styles (tragically died in Houston after hitting his head in the bathroom during an early-morning fall. He was in Houston for medical treatment waiting for a kidney transplant) b. 1947
2012: Bob Birch (56) American bass player and multi-musician born in Detroit, Michigan into a musical family. He began his musical journey with the alto saxophone, inspired by Paul Desmond and Cannonball Adderley. He was soon recognized by the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association through his 1st place finishes at music festival competitions. Around 7th grade, he tried out the electric bass, from his fascination for the Motown sound, and while in high school, he played with many bands playing sax, bass, as well as bassoon, before making bass his instrument of choice. As a senior in high school, he won >>> READ MORE <<< (tragically death was an apparent suicide by gunshot) b. July 14th 1956.

August 16th.
1938: Robert Leroy Johnson (27) American guitar virtuoso, considered to be the "Grandfather of Rock 'n' Roll", who supposedly sold his soul to Satan "at the crossroads" in exchange for his remarkable talent on the guitar which he seemed to acheive in a couple of months; born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, he was influenced by the artist Eddie James "Son" House Jr, Robert would later record versions of "Preaching the Blues" and "Walking Blues" in Son's vocal and guitar style. When Johnson arrived in a new town, he would play for tips on street corners or in front of the local barbershop or a restaurant. Robert visited H. C. Speir in Jackson, Mississippi, who ran a general store and doubled as a talent scout, who put him in touch with Ernie Oertle. Ernie recorded Robert on November 23th 1936 in rooms at the Gunter Hotel, Brunswick Records studio in San Antonio. In the 3-day session, he recorded 16 songs including "Come On In My Kitchen," "Kind Hearted Woman Blues," "I Believe I'll Dust My Broom", "Cross Road Blues", "Terraplane Blues" and "Last Fair Deal Gone Down". In 1937, he traveled to Dallas, Texas, for another recording session in a makeshift studio at the Brunswick Record Building. Eleven records from this session would be released within the following year including "Stones In My Passway" "Hellhound On My Trail", and "Me And The Devil". Robert's life is sketchy and shroaded in myths and mystery, but in his very short life he became one of the most influential delta blues singer/guitarists in modern day music, influencing the likes of Bob Dylan, Hendrix, Clapton, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Elvis Presley and so many more musicians and singers. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an "Early Influence" in their first induction ceremony in 1986 and was ranked fifth in Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time (He died in mysterious circumstances; poisoned after drinking whiskey laced with strychnine. They say he recovered from the poisoning only to contract pneumonia, he died 3 days after the poisoning. Death certificate read "no doctor") b. May 8th 1911.
1977: Elvis Presley (42) American singer, musician and actor, The King of Rock 'n' Roll; the single most important figure in American 20th century popular music; besides pop and rock 'n roll, he brought the blues, black music and gospel to the world. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, he made his first public performance on October 3rd 1945, in a singing contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, dressed as a cowboy, Elvis had to stand on a chair to reach the microphone and sang Red Foley's "Old Shep." He came in fifth, winning $5 and a free ticket to all the Fair rides. He began his career as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of country and R&B with a strong back beat. On July 18, 1953, he went to Sun Records' Memphis Recording Service to record "My Happiness" with "That's When Your Heartaches Begin", then on January 4, 1954, he cut a second demo recording of "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" and "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You". His novel versions of existing songs, mixing "black" and "white" sounds, made him popular and controversial, as did his uninhibited stage and TV performances. With his versatile voice he covered many genres, including rock and roll, gospel, blues, country, ballads and pop. In the 1960s, he also made 31 movies. To date, he has been inducted into four music halls of fame. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and recordings sales. He is one of the best-selling solo artists in the history of music, selling over one billion records worldwide. Among his many awards and accolades are 14 Grammy nominations, with 3 wins, from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award which he received at the age of 36, and was named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees (found death lying on the floor in his bathroom where he had been reading 'The Scientific Search For Jesus'. He sadly died of heart failure) b. January 8th 1935.
1992: Mark Heard (40) American record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA. He released 16 records in his lifetime, and produced and performed with many other artists such as Sam Phillips aka Leslie Phillips, Pierce Pettis, Phil Keaggy, Vigilantes of Love, Peter Buck of R.E.M., who co-produced VOL's album Killing Floor with Mark, John Austin, The Choir, Randy Stonehill and Michael Been of The Call. He produced part of Olivia Newton-John's The Rumor, which also included a cover of Mark's own "Big and Strong", originally called "How to Grow Up Big and Strong" (Mark had a heart attack on stage while performing with Pierce Pettis and Kate Miner, at the Cornerstone Festival, near Chicago. He finished his set and went to the hospital immediately afterwards. Two weeks after being released from the hospital, He went again went into cardiac arrest and sadly died) b. December 16th 1951.
1997: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (49) World-renowned Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of Qawwali, the devotional music of the Sufis, a mystical sect of Islam. He featured in Time magazine's 2006 list of 'Asian Heroes'. Among other honorary titles bestowed upon him, Nusrat was called Shahenshah-e-Qawwali, meaning The Emperor of Qawwali. Nusrat reached out to Western audiences through his work with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ in 1985, his collaborations with Canadian musician Michael Brook, on the albums Mustt Mustt in 1990 and Night Song in 1996 and his work with Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder in 1995 on two songs for the soundtrack to Dead Man Walking. He also contributed to the soundtrack of Natural Born Killers. He also performed traditional Qawwali before international audiences at several WOMAD world music festivals and the single Dam Mast Qalandar was remixed by electronic trip hop group Massive Attack in 1998. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Nusrat holds the world record for the largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist, a total of 125 albums as of 2001, but many posthumous albums have been released since then (sudden cardiac arrest due to kidney and liver failure) b. October 13th 1948.
1999: Pee Wee King/Julius Frank Kuczynski (85) American country singer-songwriter, best known for co-writing "The Tennessee Waltz". Born in Milwaukee, he learned to play the fiddle from his father. In the 1930s, he toured and made cowboy movies with Gene Autry and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1937. In 1946, while he was the bandleader of the Golden West Cowboys, Pee Wee, together with the band's vocalist, Redd Stewart, composed "The Tennessee Waltz", inspired by "The Kentucky Waltz" by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe. They first recorded it in 1948, and it went on to become a country music standard. Pee Wee's other songs included "Slow Poke" and "You Belong to Me", both co-authored with Chilton Price and Redd Stewart. His songs introduced waltzes, polkas, and cowboy songs to country music. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974 (heart attack) b. February 18th 1914.
2000: Alan Caddy (60) UK guitarist; born in Chelsea, London he was educated at Emanuel School and the Royal Academy of Music. He was lead guitarist in Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and can be heard on hits such as "Shakin' All Over", "Please Don't Touch", "Growl", "Feelin'", "You Got What It Takes", "Restless", "Linda Lu" and "Weep No More Baby". After which he helped form The Tornados, having the Joe Meek produced huge hit single, "Telstar" in 1962 and the Tornados were also Billy Fury's backing band. Alan later worked as music director and arranger for Polydor Records, before switching to the Fontana record label where he produced and arranged material for Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. Alan also played on sessions and worked on arrangements for Tony Blackburn, Elkie Brooks, the Spencer Davis Group, Kiki Dee, Pretty Things and Dusty Springfield. His last public appearance was in 1991 at a memorable Joe Meek Reunion Concert at Lewisham where the original Tornados, played Telstar (?) b. February 2nd 1940.
2005: Vicky Moscholiou (62) Greek singer born in Metaxourgeio in Athens, she rose to fame in 1964 with Stavros Xarhakos' song "Hathike to feggari"/The Moon is Lost, which was composed for the movie Lola. She continued with collaborations with Giorgos Zambetas, Manos Eleutheriou, Giorgos Katsaros, Akis Panou, and Loukianos Kilaidonis, among other well-known composers and songwriters. Songs she is famous for include "Paei, paei", "Aliti", "Pou pas choris agapi", "Nautis bgike sti steria", "Ta deilina", "Oi metanastes", "Anthropoi monachoi", and many more. Two of her hits gave their names to night clubs in Athens, Ximeromata/ Daybreaks and Deilina/ Afternoons. Vicky was one of the first in Greece to sing both in night clubs and concerts, and she has also sung in the royal courts of Greece, Persia and Jordan, plus she was one of the first entertainers to sing in aid of Cyprus (sadly died following a two-year battle with cancer) b. May 23rd 1943.
2005: Vassar Clements (77) Grammy Award- winning American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler, born in Kinard, but grew up in Kissimmee, Florida. He taught himself to play the fiddle at age 7 . He has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and bluegrass along with roots also in country and other musical traditions. He first came to prominence as a member of Bill Monroe's band in the early '50s, but he never limited himself to traditional bluegrass. Over the next 4 decades, he distinguished himself by incorporating a number of different genres into his style. In the process, he became not only one of the most respected fiddlers in bluegrass, he also became a sought-after session musician, playing with artists as diverse as the Monkees, Hank Williams, Paul McCartney, Michelle Shocked, Vince Gill, and Bonnie Raittto mention a few. His 2005 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance was for "Earl's Breakdown" by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and featured Clements, Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs and Jerry Douglas. Vassar's last performance was February 4th 2005 in Jamestown, N.Y. (sadly he died while bravely battling lung cancer which had spread to his brain brain) b. April 25th 1928.
2007: Max Roach (83) American bebop/hard bop percussionist, drummer and composer, considered to be one of the most important drummers in history. His most significant innovations came in the 1940s, when he and jazz drummer Kenny Clarke devised a new concept of musical time. By playing the beat-by-beat pulse of standard 4/4 time on the "ride" cymbal instead of on the thudding bass drum, he and Clarke developed a flexible, flowing rhythmic pattern that allowed soloists to play freely. The new approach also left space for the drummer to insert dramatic accents on the snare drum, "crash" cymbal and other components of the trap set. He was one of the first drummers (along with Kenny Clarke) to play in the bebop style, and performed in bands led by Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Coleman Hawkins, Bud Powell, and Miles Davis. Roach played on many of Parker's most important records, including the Savoy 1945 session, a turning point in recorded jazz. In 1952, he co-founded Debut Records with bassist Charles Mingus. The label released a record of a concert, billed as "the greatest concert ever," called Jazz at Massey Hall, featuring Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Mingus and himself. Also released on this label >>> READ MORE <<< (?) b. January 10th 1924.
2008: Dorival Caymmi (94) Brazilian songwriter and singer, born in Salvador, Bahia; he had a distinctive style of his own and was the writer of many classic songs. The sambas, such as O Samba Da Minha Terra, have become standards of Música Popular Brasileira. He also wrote ballads celebrating the fearless fishermen of Bahia, including Promessa de Pescador and O Vento (sadly died of multiple organ failure) b. April 30th 1914.
2008: Ronnie Drew (73) Irish singer, he founded the Ronnie Drew Group with Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna and Ciaran Bourke which later became The Dubliners, and would become one of the best known Irish folk groups. He was a member of The Dubliners until 1995, when he pursued a solo career. He recorded with many artists, including the Dropkick Murphys, Christy Moore, The Pogues, Antonio Breschi, Eleanor Shanley and others (died after long illness) b. September 16th 1934.
2008: Johnny "Dizzy" Moore (70) Jamaican trumpeter, a main founding member of pioneering Jamaican ska and reggae act The Skatalites; he attended the Alpha Boys School, renowned for its strong musical programme, while at the school he took up the trumpet and studied musical composition under bandleader Ruben Delgado. On leaving the school, he joined the army, playing in the Jamaica Military Band. He then joined the Mapletoft Poulle Orchestra, and Eric Dean's band, but was thrown out for growing dreadlocks. He regularly visited the Rastafarian camp led by Count Ossie at Wareika Hill, and worked as a session musician in the early 1960s, and played in studio band The Cavaliers. He and other Cavaliers members Jackie Mittoo, Lloyd Brevett, and Lloyd Knibbs then joined with Tommy McCook in a new band The Skatalites in 1964. In October 2007, Dizzy was awarded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer for pioneering work in popularising Jamaican music (sadly died after a brave battle with colon cancer) b. October 5th 1938.
2011: Akiko Futaba/Yoshie Kato (96) Japanese popular music singer born in Hiroshima Prefecture and raised in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture. She graduated from the Tokyo Music School. One of her most noted songs "Furuki Hanazono" /"Old Flower Garden" was released in 1939, and by the end of the World War II, she was one of the most popular female singers in Japan. In addition, she had taken part in the Kohaku Uta Gassen, one of Japan's most famous year-end shows, 10 times (sadly died of heart failure) b. February 2nd 1915.

August 17th.
1954: Billy Murray (77) American recording artist born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his parents moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1882, where he grew up. He performed in minstrel shows early in his career and in 1897 Billy made his first recordings for Peter Bacigalupi, the owner of a phonograph company in San Francisco, and in 1903 he started recording regularly in the New York City and New Jersey area, when the nation's major record companies as well as the Tin Pan Alley music industry were concentrated there. Although he often performed romantic numbers and ballads which sold well, his comedy and novelty song recordings continue to be popular with later generations of record collectors. He recordedd 100's of songs including "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Oh By Jingo!", "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now", "Oh, You Beautiful Doll", "On Moonlight Bay" "In the Land of the Buffalo", "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" and "K-K-K-Katy". Billy made his last recordings for Beacon Records on February 11, 1943 with comedian Monroe Silver, after which he retired to Freeport, Long Island, because of heart problems (sadly died of a heart attack) b. May 25th 1877
1973: Clarence Eugene Shaw/Gene Shaw (47) American jazz trumpeter, he played piano and trombone as a child. He began playing trumpet around 1946 after hearing the Dizzy Gillespie's Hot House while recovering from injuries sustained in the Army. He attended Detroit Institute of Music and played locally with Lester Young, Wardell Gray, and Lucky Thompson. He moved to New York City in '56 and soon after began playing with Charles Mingus's Jazz Workshop in '57, among his credits is Tijuana Moods. Later that year he destroyed his instrument and quit music over a fight with Mingus. He did not return to playing until 1962, after which time he formed his own ensemble. He retired again in 1964 and returned to music once more in 1968 (?) b. June 16th 1926.
1973: Paul Williams (34) American tenor-baritone singer, the original lead singer of The Temptations. Along with David Ruffin, Otis Williams (no relation), Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin, he was a member of The Temptations during their most successful years in the 1960s, from its founding in 1960 until 1971, when personal problems and failing health forced him to retire. Paul and his bandmates finally hit the Billboard Top 20 in 1964 with "The Way You Do the Things You Do". More hits quickly followed, including "My Girl", "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" and "(I Know) I'm Losing You". He sang lead on several of the group's songs, and served as the main lead singer during the group's early years. His early leads include, "Your Wonderful Love", "Slow Down Heart", "I Want a Love I Can See", and "Oh, Mother of Mine" the group's first single, and "Farewell My Love".. Considered the Temptations' best dancer, he served as the group's original choreographer, devising routines for his group and The Supremes, most notably their trademark "Stop! In the Name of Love" routine, before Cholly Atkins took over that role for all of Motown's acts. Paul's late sing's lead on Temptations songs including , "Just Another Lonely Night"-1965, "No More Water in the Well"-1967, "Hey Girl"-1969, and his signature song "Don't Look Back" in 1965. One of his best-known lead performances is his stand out live performance of "For Once in My Life," from the television special TCB, originally broadcast on December 9th 1968 on NBC. The live version of the song "Don't Look Back" is also frequently cited as one of his standout performances (Paul owed $80,000 in taxes and his celebrity boutique business had failed, he allegidly shot himself in a deserted parking lot, but with very unusual evidence it could have been foul play) b. July 2nd 1939.
1973: Jean-Henri-Alphonse Barraqué (45) French composer and writer on music who developed an individual form of serialism which is displayed in a small output of highly complex but passionate works. As a composer he stated that he wrote about 30 works before those that he eventually acknowledged, which included Trois Mélodies for soprano and piano and Séquence for voice, percussion and chamber ensemble 1950-55; Piano Sonata 1950-52; he then produced his only electronic piece, the musique concrète Etude-1954; Le Temps Restitué for soprano, chorus and orchestra 1956-68, among others. His last completed work was Chant après Chant for six percussionists, voice and piano 1965-66 (He suffered from bad health for much of his life. Nevertheless his death in Paris was sudden and unexpected) b. January 17th 1928.
1982: Benjamin Ashburn (54) American manager of the Commodores (heart attack) b. ????
1983: Ira Gershwin/Israel Gershowitz (86) American lyricist born in New York City, US, who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century. They teamed up in 1924, and with George he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", "The Man I Love" and "Someone to Watch Over Me", and the opera Porgy and Bess. The success the brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. However, his mastery of songwriting continued after the early death of George. He wrote additional hit songs with composers Jerome Kern, "Long Ago (and Far Away)", Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen. His critically acclaimed book Lyrics on Several Occasions of 1959, an amalgam of autobiography and annotated anthology, is an important source for studying the art of the lyricist in the golden age of American popular song. As well as the joint awards with his brother, three of Ira's songs were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, "They Can't Take That Away From Me", "Long Ago and Far Away" and "The Man That Got Away". Ira, along with George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, received the 1932 Pulitzer Prize for "Drama for Of Thee I Sing" (died in Beverly Hills, California) b. December 6th 1896.
1983: Mikey Smith (27) Jamaica's best known dub poet; in 1978, he represented Jamaica at the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students in Cuba. He appeared on the BBC TV series Ebony and the BBC also broadcast a documentary based on his association with Linton Kwesi Johnson. "Mi Cyaan Believe It" is most remembered for Mikey’s heartfelt phrase "Laaawwwd - mi cyaan believe it - mi seh - mi cyaan believe it". In 1982, he released his debut album and performed extensively in Europe supporting such acts as Gregory Isaacs taking London by storm with performances at the Campden Centre for "International Book Fair of Radical Blacks and Third World books", and at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton for "Creation for Liberation". Also that year he worked on a session with John Peel (brutally murdered, stoned to death by political agitators) b. September 14th 1954.
1987: Gary Chester/Cesario Gurciullo (62) American-Italian session drummer born in Saracusa, Italy; Gary's ambidexterity allowed him focus on open drumming techniques, four-limb independence, cross-dominance, and also permitted him to switch the ostinato from right-to-left or vice versa. His first successful recording session was to replace a studio drummer. He repeated his success with artists on songs that are considered to be hits. Soon he became the top East Coast session drummer, and together with his West Coast counterpart, Hal Blaine, they played on a majority of the hits of the late fifties and early and mid-'60s. Gary went on to be one of the top session drummers ever, his work appears on thousands of tracks, including hundreds of hit records from the '50s, '60s and '70s. He has allegedly logged over 15,000 studio sessions over three decades and is on the short list of 20th Century Drummers' Hall of Fame. (sadly lost his battle with cancer) b. October 27th 1924.
1990: Grethe Ingmann (52) Danish singer She performed as a member of the duet, Grethe og Jørgen Ingmann, along with her husband, guitarist Jørgen. Together they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1963 representing Denmark with the song "Dansevise" (Dancing tune) with music by Otto Francker and lyrics by Sejr Volmer-Sørensen (?) b. 1938
1990: Pearl Mae Bailey (72) American actress and singer born in Southampton County, Virginia. After appearing in vaudeville. During World War II, she toured the country with the USO, performing for American troops. After the tour, she settled in New York. Her solo successes as a nightclub performer were followed by acts with such entertainers as Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. In 1946, Pearl made her Broadway debut in St. Louis Woman. Pearl continued to tour and record albums in between her stage and screen performances. Her rendition of "Takes Two to Tango" hit the top ten in 1952. During the 1970s she had her own television show, and she also provided voices for animations such as Tubby the Tuba - 1976, and Disney's The Fox and the Hound in 1981. She returned to Broadway in 1975, playing the lead in an all-black production of Hello, Dolly! for which she won a Tony Award. Pearl earned a B.A. in theology from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in 1985. In 1986, she won a Daytime Emmy award for her performance as a fairy godmother in the ABC Afterschool Special, Cindy Eller: A Modern Fairy Tale. Pearl was also awarded the Bronze Medallion, in 1968 and a Presidential Medal of Freedom 1988 (arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease) b. March 29th 1918.
1995: Wild Bill Davis/William Strethan Davis (76) American jazz organist, best known for his pioneering jazz electronic organ recordings and for his seminal four-year tenure with the Tympany Five, the legendary backing group for Louis Jordan. He originally played guitar and wrote arrangements for Milt Larkin's texas based big band during 1939–1942, after which he worked in Chicago as a pianist, recording with Buster Bennett in 1945. He played a crucial role as the pianist-arranger in Louis Jordan's Tympany Five at the peak of their success. After leaving Jordan. Bill switched from piano to organ, and moved to the East Coast. In 1950, he began leading an influential trio of organ, guitar, and drums, which recorded for OKeh. Bill was originally supposed to record "April in Paris" with Count Basie's Orchestra in 1955 but when he could not make the session, Basie used his arrangement for the full band and had a major hit. As well as working with his own groups in the 1960s, he made several albums with his friend Johnny Hodges, leading to tours during 1969–1971 with Duke Ellington. In the 1970s he recorded for the Black & Blue records label with a variety of swing all-stars, and he also played with Lionel Hampton, appearing at festivals through the early 1990s (heart attack) b. November 24th 1918.
2001: Flip Phillips/Joseph Edward Filipelli (86) American jazz tenor saxophone and clarinet player, born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a member of the Woody Herman band, prior to going out on his own and before joining Jazz at the Philharmonic from 1946 to 1957.. He also played with the Woodchoppers, a small spin-off group that Woody Herman led. He recorded extensively for Clef Records, now Verve, in the 1940s and 1950s, including a 1949 album of small-group tracks under his leadership, with Buddy Morrow, Tommy Turk, Kai Winding, Sonny Criss, Ray Brown and Shelly Manne. He accompanied Billie Holiday on her 1952 Billie Holiday Sings album. Flip was a frequent player at the Odessa Jazz Party in Odessa, Texas, from 1971 to 1991 before he retired to Florida, but came back to music to recorded a CD when he was in his 80s (?) b. March 26th 1915.
2004: Bertrand Odom (72) American bass guitar player in the James Brown Band for 40 years and also also performed in Maceo Parker's band for several years (died of kidney failure) b.????
2004: Gérard Souzay/Gérard Marcel Tisserand (83) French baritone singer, regarded as one of the best interpreters of mélodie since Charles Panzéra and Pierre Bernac. His appearances began in '45 with recitals and concerts, including a performance of Fauré's Requiem in a centenary tribute to the composer at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His operatic career began in '47 in Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto at the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, but it was not until the late '50s that he extended his stage work - though even then it did not take precedence over his recitals. His roles included Monteverdi's Orfeo, Mozart's Don Giovanni and Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Lescaut in Massenet's Manon, and Méphistophélès in Berlioz's La damnation de Faust. One of his favorite and most successful roles was Golaud in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande (?) b. December 8th 1918.
2004: D-Roc the Executioner/Dennis Miles (45) American musician who played rhythm guitar for the heavy metal band Body Count. He also played guitar for his own band, Pitch Blaack. He referred to his style as "ghetto metal". He performed wearing a goaltender mask, a trademark fellow Body Count bandmember Ernie C attributed to shyness, stating "He didn't want to be a star. He didn't want people to know his face. He just enjoyed playing the music (sadly died of lymphoma) b.1959.
2012: Louis 'Lou' Martin (63) Northern Irish pianist and organ player born in Belfast, most famous for his work with the London-based band Killing Floor and with fellow Irish musician, guitarist Rory Gallagher. His playing is featured on several of Gallagher's albums, including Blueprint, Irish Tour '74, Tattoo, Against the Grain, Calling Card, and Fresh Evidence. Killing Floor released a new album in 2004 named Zero Tolerance, on which Martin played. He also played in the Nickey Barclay band in London in the 1980s (sadly Louis died a fter a period of illness including a battle against cancer and a number of strokes) b. August 12th 1949.

August 18th.
1949: Paul Mares (49) American early dixieland jazz cornet & trumpet player from New Orleans. About 1919 cornetist Abbie Brunies was offered a job playing in Chicago, and passed the offer on to Paul. In Chicago he established himself as a respected bandleader over a group of wild and strong willed musicians, The New Orleans Rhythm Kings (N.O.R.K.) they became one of the best regarded bands in Chicago in the early 1920s. In 1924 he returned to New Orleans where he opened a restaurant in New Orleans "The Chicago Bar-B-Q". In the early 1930s he returned to Chicago where he opened up his The "P.M. New Orleans Bar-B-Q" became a gathering place for Chicago jazz musicians and home to numerous jam sessions, which Paul occasionally joined in. His last recording session show his style had not remained static; he sounds more under the influence of Henry "Red" Allen than Joe Oliver (sadly Paul died battling lung cancer) b. June 15th 1900.
1981: Robert Russell Bennett (87) American composer and arranger, born in Kansas City he is best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers, including Annie Get Your Gun, South Pacific, Anything Goes, Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Sound Of Music, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, just to mention a few. In 1957 and 2008, Bennett received Tony Awards recognizing his orchestrations for Broadway shows. As a composer his work includes compositions for Orchestra, Stage Works, Incidental Music, Concert Band or Wind Orchestra, Chamber Music and Keyboard Works. Early in his career he was often billed as Russell Bennett (sadly Robert died of liver cancer) b. June 15th 1894.
1989: Yuji Koseki (80) Japanese ryukoka, gunka, march, fight song and film score composer. He composed Hanshin Tigers' song "Rokko Oroshi" in 1936. His famous military song titled "Roei no Uta" / "The Song of The Camp") was released in 1937. Famous songs composed by him included "The Bells of Nagasaki" and "Mothra's song". Ichiro Fujiyama sang "The Bells of Nagasaki" in 1949. "Mothra's song", sung by The Peanuts, was used in the 1961 movie "Mothra" (?) b. August 11th 1909.
1991: Rick Griffin (47) American artist, the leading designer of psychedelic posters; he pushed the rock music art of the psychedelic era to new creative peaks and was closely identified with the Grateful Dead, having designed some of their best known posters and record jackets. He was also known for his work within the surfing subculture, including his comic strip about a surfer named "Murphy" (died in a fatal motorcycle accident, ironically, his last published work, was a self-portrait depicting himself entering heaven's gates, pen and ink clutched firmly in hand) b. June 18tth 1944.
1994: Charles Redland (82) Swedish jazz musician playing saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, accordion, vibes, and leader of many bands (?) b. July 7th 1911.
1999: Johnny Byrne (60) English rhythm guitarist and founder member of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. The band entered a competition managed by Carrol Levis called, 'Search For Stars', at the Liverpool Empire Theatre reaching second place ahead of 150 acts. The Hurricanes performed at the Liverpool Stadium on 3 May 1960, on the same bill as Gene Vincent. (?) b. ????
2003: Tony Jackson (63) English bass player, singer, born in Dingle, Liverpool. Nicknamed Black Jake, he joined the guitar duo The Searchers, which had been formed by John McNally and Mike Pender in 1959. The band soon expanded with the addition of drummer Chris Curtis. They played in Liverpool's nightclubs and the beer bars of Hamburg, Germany. Brian Epstein considered signing them but he lost interest after seeing a drunken Tony fall off the stage at the Cavern Club. They were signed by Pye in 1963. Tony was lead singer and played bass on the band's first two UK hits, "Sweets for My Sweet" and "Sugar and Spice", but was not the vocalist on "Needles and Pins", "Don't Throw Your Love Away" and "Love Potion No.9". In 1964 the band toured the US, including an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. He left The Searchers in July 1964 and formed The Vibrations, which had an organ-based sound instead of the Searchers' twelve-string guitars, after which Tony left the music business. He took a variety of jobs including Spanish night club manager, entertainments representative, furniture salesman, disc jockey, and golf club manager (cirrhosis of the liver) b. July 16th 1938.
2004: Elmer Bernstein (82) American composer and conductor born in New York City and best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions. His most popular works include the scores to The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments, The Great Escape, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Ghostbusters. Elmer won an Oscar for his score to "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in 1967 and was nominated for 14 Oscars in total. He also won two Golden Globes and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. In 1996, Elmer was honored with a star on Hollywood Boulevard. In 1999, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Five Towns College in New York and was honored by the American Film Institute in Los Angeles and again was honored by ASCAP with its marquee Founders Award in 2001 and with the NARAS Governors Award in June 2004 (sadly died of cancer in his sleep) b. April 4th 1922.
2006: Fernand Gignac (72) French Canadian singer and actor. Beside his music career under the label Fleur-de-Lis, Fernand also starred in several television series, including Symphorien in 1968 (died of complications due to hepatitis) b. March 23rd 1934.
2007: Jon Lucien/Lucien Harrigan (65) American smooth jazz singer-songwriter born on the island of Tortola, the main island of the British Virgin Islands; probably best known for his song "Rashida", the title track of an album released in 1973, and one of two Grammy nominated songs on that album. He was also known for his cover of "Dindi" by Antonio Carlos Jobim. His smooth baritone drew comparisons with Nat King Cole and Lou Rawls. He was often heard on traditional jazz stations in the United States such as WJZZ in Detroit, Michigan (now WDMK). His smooth baritone drew comparisons with Nat King Cole and Lou Rawls. (respiratory failure and complications of kidney surgery) b. January 8th 1942.
2008: Pervis Jackson (70) American R&B bass singer for The Spinners; born in New Orleans he was one of the group's original members in 1957 and sang with the group for 51 years, until his death. His deep, rolling bass voice can be heard on hits such as “Mighty Love,” “I’ll Be Around,” “One of a Kind (Love Affair)”, “Then Came You”, "It's a Shame", "I'll Be Around", "Working My Way Back to You", "Cupid" and "Right or Wrong". The Spinners, sometimes billed as the Motown Spinners or later The Detroit Spinners were a constant on the R&B and pop charts in the 1970s, compiling 12 gold records. They were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. Pervis was still touring as a member of the group until his death, his last performance on July 19th was in California with the remaining original members of the group, Bobbie Smith and Henry Fambrough, and two new members (sadly he lost his battle with cancer) b. May 17th 1938.
2009: Hildegard Behrens (72) German soprano with a wide repertory including Wagner, Weber, Mozart, Richard Strauss and Alban Berg roles. She began her musical career singing small roles at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf where she stayed for six years. Then in the 1975-76 season, while rehearsing Wozzeck, she was "discovered" by Herbert von Karajan, who was then looking for his new Salome. She was summoned to Berlin to audition for the role. Karajan liked what he heard and invited her to portray the role at the 1977 Salzburg Festival. She was the recipient of many awards - among them the highest civilian honors given by the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz or Order of the Merit Cross of the Federal Republic) and by the state of Bavaria (the Bayerischer Verdienstorden), and the titles of Bayerische Kammersängerin and Österreichische Kammersängerin bestowed by the Bavarian State Opera and the Vienna State Opera respectively. In 1990 she won the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording: Richard Wagner's Die Walküre, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. In 1998, she received Denmark's most prestigious Leonie Sonning Music Prize and in 1999 the Vienna State Opera honored her with the Lotte Lehmann Ring, bequeathed to her by the late dramatic soprano Leonie Rysanek (sadly an aortic aneurysm) b. February 9th 1937.
2010: Kenny Edwards (64) American singer, songwriter, guitarist and session musician. He was in 1964 a founding member of folk-rock trio formed in L.A, The Stone Poneys and a long time collaborator with both Karla Bonoff and Linda Ronstadt, which included working with her on her album, Heart Like A Wheel. His session work has seen Kenny work either live or in the studio with acts such as Emmylou Harris, Stevie Nicks, Vince Gill, J.D. Souther, Don Henley, Brian Wilson, Warren Zevon, Art Garfunkel, Mac McAnally, David Lee Murphy, Jennifer Warnes, Danny Kortchmar, Lowell George, as well as a younger generation of artists including Glen Phillips and Natalie D-Napoleon. Kenny released his first, self-titled solo album in 2002. In his later years, he performed as a singer-songwriter, often with Nina Gerber accompanying, while completing the recording of a second solo release (Kenny sadly lost his battle with prostate cancer) b. February 10th 1946.
2011: Johnson (58) Indian film score composer and music director born in Thrissur, Kerala, who has given music to some of the most important motion pictures of Malayalam cinema, including those for Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal, Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam, Vadakkunokkiyantram, Perumthachan, Amaram(BGM), Njan Gandharvan, Ponthan Mada, and Bhoothakkannadi. He was noted for his lyrical and expressive melodies together with simple but rich tonal compositions of thematic music. In his long career Johnson worked in more than 300 Malayalam films and is a recipient of National Film Awards twice and Kerala State Film Awards five times (sadly died of a cardiac arrest) b. March 26th 1953.

August 19th.
1959: Blind Willie McTell/William Samuel McTier (61) American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, born in Thomson, Georgia. He was an influential twelve-string finger picking blues guitarist, and recorded 149 songs between '27 and '56. One of his most famous songs, "Statesboro Blues", has been covered by artists such as Taj Mahal, David Bromberg, The Allman Brothers Band and Ralph McTell, who changed his name on account of liking the song. Jack White of The White Stripes considers him an influence, their 2000 album De Stijl was dedicated to him and featured a cover of his song "Your Southern Can Is Mine", as did Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Bob Dylan has paid tribute to Willie on at least four occasions: Firstly in his 1965 song "Highway 61 Revisited" in the second verse, which begins, "Georgia Sam he had a bloody nose," referring to one of Blind Willie's many recording names; later in "Blind Willie McTell", recorded in 1983, released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 in 1991; then with covers of McTell's "Broke Down Engine" and "Delia" on his 1993 album World Gone Wrong. In his song "Po'Boy", off the 2001 album Love & Theft, Dylan again paid homage to him by appropriating the line "had to go to Florida dodging them Georgia laws" directly from the latter's "Kill It Kid". Willie was inducted posthumously into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1981 and a blues festival held annually in his birthplace, Thomson, Georgia in honor of him. (Sadly Willie died of a stroke) b. May 5th 1898
1963: Kathleen Parlow (72) Canadian violinist born in Fort Calgary; a child prodigy with her outstanding technique with a violin, which earned her the nickname "The lady of the golden bow". She left Canada aged 4 to live in San Francisco. She went on to perform in many top venues in America, Canada, Europe, and also toured Hawai'i, Indonesia, China, Singapore, Korea and Japan, making recordings for the Nipponophone Company while in Japan. In later years In Toronto, she organised the Canadian Trio, which she performed in with Zara Nelsova playing the cello, and Sir Ernest MacMillan playing piano. The trio debuted with a performance of Schubert's Trio in B-flat Major, and Haydn's Trio in A Major and Tchaikovsky's Trio in A minor. They received excellent reviews and the trio continued performing across southern Ontario, as well as on radio. In October 1959, she was appointed head of the College of Music of the University of Western Ontario (?) b. September 20th 1890.
1979: Dorsey Burnette (46) American rockabilly singer, bass, guitar born in Memphis, and the elder brother of Johnny Burnette. In 1953, he along with his brother Johnny and friend Paul Burlison formed a group, first called The Rhythm Rangers, then the Johnny Burnette Trio. After appearing in the film Rock, Rock, Rock in 1956, Dorsey left the trio to follow a solo career. He did record with Johnny as The Texans and wrote hits for Ricky Nelson including, It's Late and Waitin In School’. As a soloist, his two biggest hits were Tall Oak Tree and Hey Little One in 1960, both classics of their kind and both showcasing his deep rich country style voice. In the 1970s Dorsey had 15 Top 100 country hits (unexpectedly died of a heart attack) b. December 28th 1932.
1995: Pierre Henri Marie Schaeffer (85) French composer, writer, broadcaster, engineer, musicologist and acoustician of the 20th century. He is most widely and currently recognized for his work in electronic and experimental music, the epitome of which was his role as the chief developer of a unique and early form of avant-garde music known as musique concrète. The genre emerged out of Europe from the utilization of new music technology developed in the post-Nazi Germany era, following the advance of electroacoustic and acousmatic music. Today, Pierre is considered one of the most influential experimental, electroacoustic and subsequently electronic musicians, having been the first composer to utilize a number of contemporary recording and sampling techniques that are now used worldwide by nearly all record production companies. His collective endeavors are considered milestones in the histories of electronic and experimental music (cruelly taken by Alzheimer's disease) b. August 14th 1910.
2001: Betty Everett (61) American soul-R&B singer, born in Greenwood, MS; she began playing the piano and singing gospel music in church before relocating to Chicago were she began recording for Cobra in 1958, then joined Vee-Jay in the early '60s Her original version of "You're No Good", didn't make much impact, but her next single, "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)," was a major hit, peaking at No.6 in 1964. Her next success was the duet "Let It Be Me" with Jerry Butler, a soul version of the Everly Brothers tune that reached No.5 on the R&B chart that same year. Betty's finest song as a solo act was 69's "There'll Come a Time," which reached No.2 on the R&B charts and reached No.26 in the Hot 100. She continued recording until 1978. A comeback performance for the 2000 PBS special Doo Wop 51 was her last public appearance. Also from the 1980s until her death, Betty was involved in the Rhythm & Blues Foundation and the churches of the Fountain of Life and New Covenant (died from a heart attack) b .November 23rd 1939.
2008: LeRoi Moore (46) American saxophonist; he attended Charlottesville area public schools and graduated from the Western Albermarle High School. During this time he studied and mastered the saxophone. He was a founding member of the Charlottesville Swing Orchestra and the John D'earth Quintet, which played weekly at Millers. In 1991, he met Dave Matthews and agreed to record songs with him for a demo tape. Shortly after this partnership, he became a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band and played the flute, penny whistle, and a variety of saxophones. He was one of the few saxophonist to become a key member of a pop rock band. He often arranged the music and had co-writing credits on many DMB songs, most notably "Stay" and "Too Much". In addition to performing with the Dave Matthews Band, LeRoi appeared on Code Magenta's self-titled album and Soko's album In November Sunlight. His horn collection included a Buescher bass saxophone, Selmer Mark VI and Yamaha baritone saxophones, two Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophones, two Selmer Mark VI alto saxophones, a Yamaha soprano, and a Selmer Super-80 Series 3 soprano. (sadly LeRoi died of sudden complications from an all-terrain vehicle accident he had on his farm in June) b. September 7th 1961.
2010: Michael Been (60) American guitarist and vocalist; born in Oklahoma, he started his musical journey as a member of Chicago band Aorta, then, between '69 and '71, with Lovecraft, the successor band to the psychedelic rock group H.P. Lovecraft. After which, by 1980 in Northern California he had formed the rock band The Call with Tom Ferrier on guitar, bassist Greg Freeman and drummer Scott Musick. They first started getting national attention with “The Walls Came Down”, a track from their second album, Modern Romans. But it was their 3rd album, Reconciled >>> READ MORE <<< (died from a heart attack suffered while he was at Belgium’s Pukkelpop Festival) b. April 15th 1950.
2010: Dick Maloney (77) Canadian jazz singer and radio host; he started his career in radio and hosted a Saturday dance show on CJOH in the early '60s. He went on to become an Ottawa fixture, performing in clubs and hosting a Sunday morning radio show “Sentimental Journey,” later renamed “The Dick Maloney Show” on Oldies 1310. In the summer of 2006, he tripped on a sidewalk while going to meet his wife, Carrie, for lunch. The fall broke his neck and tragically left him a paraplegic (he died at St. Vincent Hospital in Ottawa, where he was residing following the accident) b. March 17th 1933.
2012: Donal Henahan (91) American music critic and journalist who had associations with the Chicago Daily News and The New York Times. After serving as a fighter pilot in the US Air Force from 1942–45 he entered Northwestern University where he graduated with bachelor's degree in 1948. In '49 he entered the University of Chicago to pursue postgraduate work and from 1951–58 he studied piano, singing, and classical guitar at the Chicago School of Music at Roosevelt University. He later pursued graduate studies in music at Columbia Uni and Yale University; earning a Master's degree from the latter institution. While a student at Northwestern, he joined the news staff of the Chicago Daily News in 1947, where he remained for the next two decades, becoming chief music critic of the Daily News in 1957. In 1967 Donal left the Chicago Daily News to join the music criticism staff at The New York Times. He became chief music critic of The Times in 1980 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism in 1986 (?) b. February 28th 1921.

August 20th.
1980: Joe Dassin (41) American-French singer having citizenship in both countries; after studying at the International School of Geneva and the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland, he moved back to the US to go to the University of Michigan, after which, he moved back to France where, while working at a radio station, a record label convinced him to begin to record his songs. By the early 1970s, Joe's songs were on the top of the charts in France, including his big hit Guantanamera. He was also a talented polyglot, recording songs in German, Russian, Spanish, Italian and Greek, as well as French and English. (died of a heart attack during a vacation to Tahiti) b. November 5th 1938.
1996: Rio Reiser/Ralph Christian Möbius (46) German rock musician and singer of the rock group Ton Steine Scherben. He taught himself to play cello, guitar, piano and other instruments, wrote lyrics and poetry and later also assumed jobs as actor in movies, TV shows and the theatre. While at school, he became singer in his first rock band The Beat Kings, but he dropped out of school to start an apprenticeship in a studio for photography, which he then quit in order to join a music conservatory. At 17 he followed his two older brothers to Berlin in order to write and compose the first "Beat-Opera" which in his own words was a flop. After a stint in theatrics in 1970 Rio recorded his first single with the band Ton Steine Scherben. They became a musical mouthpiece of new left movements, such as the squatting movement, during that time in Germany and their hometown of West Berlin in particular. After 15 years of touring, four more LPs and various film projects and collaborations with other musicians including the recording of two children's records. In 1985 Rio and the band finally split, and Rio pursued a successful solo career (circulatory collapse after internal bleeding) b. January 9th 1950
1998: Raquel Rastenni (82) Danish singer born in Copenhagen; she became Denmark's leading female ballad singer. Among her successes were Vovsen i vinduet/"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" in 1953 and Heksedansen ("The Witch Dance") in 1960. In addition to her Danish language recordings, she recorded also in Swedish, Yiddish and Hebrew. Her best-selling song was Hele ugen alene/"All week alone" in 1953 which sold over 120,000 copies. She was the first artist in Denmark to earn a gold record. She continued to garner awards throughout her career (?) b. August 21st 1915
1999: Bobby Sheehan (31) American bassist and songwriter, born in Summit, New Jersey; he a founding member of the rock band Blues Traveler. Bobby was not related to bass guitarists Billy Sheehan or Fran Sheehan. The band's fourth album, titled Four, was released in late 1994. The upbeat pop single "Run-Around" became a smash hit and was followed by the catchy "Hook". "Run-Around" won a Grammy Award and broke a record for most weeks on the chart. The group recorded the Johnny Rivers song "Secret Agent Man" for the film Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and the Bob Seger song "Get Out of Denver" for the film Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, as well as Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin'" for Rebel Highway: Cool and the Crazy. Several previously-recorded Blues Traveler songs were included on film soundtracks, including The Last Seduction, Speed, Very Bad Things, White Man's Burden, and The Truth About Cats & Dogs. The band also appeared in the 1998 film Blues Brothers 2000 and on its soundtrack, playing "Maybe I'm Wrong". (Bobby tragically died of an accidental drug overdose) b. June 12th 1968.
2005: Krzysztof Raczkowski/Docent/Doc (34) Polish drummer; member of Death metal bands Vader and Dies Irae. He joined Vader in 1988, their 1990 demo 'Morbid Reich' became a huge hit in the underground, leading to a record deal with Earache in 1992. This made them the first death metal band from behind the Iron Curtain to sign a record deal outside of their native Poland. He also appears as a guest and/or temporary musician in the bands Sweet Noise, Hunter, Slashing Death, Unborn, Moon, Overdub Trio bands (Doc sadly had drug problems, cause of death is unknown) b. Oct 29th 1970.
2006: Claude Blanchard (74) French-Canadian pop singer, comic and actor best known for his starring role as a nightclub owner trying to break his mob connections in the CBC-TV miniseries "Music Hall", which was inspired by his life story. As a youth, he delivered groceries in the neighborhood that was home to the Cotroni crime family. In 1988, he was among several entertainers who performed at the maximum-security prison where Frank Cotroni was serving time for manslaughter. He got started in show business in 1946, when he and his sister Claudette teamed up in a vaudeville tap-dance act. He became a stand-up comic, produced cabaret shows, and managed a casino. (?) b. May 19th 1932.
2008: Phil Guy (68) American blues guitarist, born in Lettsworth, Louisiana and brother of Buddy Guy. He played with the harmonica player Raful Neal for ten years in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area before relocating to Chicago in 1969, and played with Junior Wells in the 1970s, and recorded extensively under his own name in the 1980s and 1990s. Phil released his debut solo album 'Bad Luck Boy' in 1983 which was followed by eight more albums, the last being "He's My Blues Brother" recorded with his brother, Buddy, in 2008 (sadly died from pancreatic cancer) b. April 28th 1940
2009: Larry Knechtel (69) American keyboardist and session musician; born in Bell, California, he learnt the piano as a child. In 1957, he joined the LA based rock and roll band Kip Tyler and the Flips, followed in 1959 by four years with Duane Eddy's touring group, The Rebels. Larry continued to work with Duane in the recording studio, where he became part of the Hollywood session musician scene, working with the likes of The Beach Boys, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Randy Newman, Simon and Garfunkel, The 5th Dimension, Dolly Parton, Steppenwolf, The Doors, The Byrds, The Mammas and Pappas, Harry Nilsson, Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr., David Gates, Neil Diamond, Dave Mason, Poco, Johnny Rivers, Tim Weisberg, and he worked with Phil Spector as a pianist to help create the famous Wall of Sound effect. His most famous piano work is his 1971 Grammy Award winning contribution to "Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel. Like many session musicians, Larry plays other instruments, notably the harmonica and the electric bass guitar, which can be heard on The Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man" and on tracks by The Doors who did not have their own bass guitarist. In 1971, he joined Bread, where his many contributions include the memorable guitar solo on the hit single "The Guitar Man". Larry lived in semi-retirement on his large farm property in Maple Falls, Washington until his death. He had, however, worked with record producer Rick Rubin, contributing with the keyboards to albums by Neil Diamond and the Dixie Chicks, and touring with the Dixie Chicks in support of their Grammy Award winning album Taking the Long Way (died in Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital, Washington) b. August 4th 1940.
2010: Charles Haddon (22) British lead singer the Camden, London based synthpop group Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. In 2009 the band released their debut single, "Dance the Way I Feel" which peaked at No.10 in the UK indie and 16 in the Australian charts, after which the supported La Roux on their UK tour. In 2010 they released their second single, "These New Knights", and a third, "Jackson's Last Stand". The band played at Glastonbury Festival and Bestival in 2009, and supported La Roux on their tour in early 2010. In May they played at Evolution Festival and Global Gathering in July 2010, along with a series of festivals all over Europe and Australia throughout the summer of 2010 (tragically Charles took his life after a performance at Pukkelpop, Belgium. He jumped from a telecommunications mast in the backstage artists' parking area) b. 1988.

August 21st.
1951: Constant Lambert (45) British composer and conductor; during the 1930s, his career as a conductor took off with his appointment with the Vic-Wells ballet, but his career as a composer stagnated. His major choral work Summer's Last Will and Testament, one of his most emotionally dark works, proved unfashionable in the mood following the death of George V, but Alan Frank hailed it at the time as Constant's "finest work". Constant himself considered he had failed as a composer, and completed only two major works in the remaining sixteen years of his life. Instead he concentrated on conducting, and appeared at Covent Garden and in BBC radio broadcasts, and accompanied the ballet in European and American tours. The war took its toll of his vitality and creativity, and his health declined (died from pneumonia and diabetes) b. August 23rd 1905.
1988: Teddy Diaz (25) Filipino rock guitarist and founding member of The Dawn formed in 1985. In 1987, they released their self titled debut album, which gained commercial success. Their second album was due for release just after Teddy's tragic death. In spite of his early demise, his influence is still felt among many guitarists in the Philippines today and he has become a legend among many Filipino musicians. The Dawn, and the Filipino music industry also consider Teddy to be the band's driving force until today. In memory of Teddy, The Dawn recorded a song that pays tribute to him: I Stand With You. (Teddy was brutally stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend's house by two bystanders allegedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol.) b. April 1st 1963.
1989: Raul Seixas (44) Brazilian rock composer, singer, songwriter, pioneer and producer, born in Salvador, at aged 12 he formed his first group, The Panthers, later changing their name to Raulzito e os Panteras /"Little Raul and The Panthers". They appeared on TV Salvador and in the mid-1960s, started backing some of Brazil's most famous pop singers of the time, such as Roberto Carlos and Jerry Adriani whenever they went to Salvador. Following the promises of fame and fortune, the band moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1967 and released their first and only album Raulzito e os Panteras, which included a Portuguese language version of the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds among many original numbers. Without any publicity, the record sunk and the band disbanded. 1970 marked the beginning of a very active phase of Raulzito career as a producer at CBS. First, his compositions began to be recorded by artists from the label's cast. He spent the year producing albums for Tony & Frankie, Osvaldo Nunez, and Jerry Adriani. In 1973 Raul had a big hit with the song "Golden Fool" on the album Krig-ha, Bandolo!, and became an idol. He went ont to release 21 albums. Every year on the anniverary of his birthday, legions of fans, including hundreds of impersonators throw a parade as a homage to him in downtown São Paulo (sadly died Raul died of pancreatitis) b. June 28th 1945
2000: Tomata du Plenty/David Xavier Harrigan (52) American lead singer of The Screamers, from 1977-81 The Screamers were L.A.'s leading punk band, and played consecutive sold-out performances at L.A.'s top music venues. Their song '122 Hours of Fear' recorded in 1978 was inspired by the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 181. He was also founder of Seattle's counterculture troupe Ze Whiz Kidz. During the latter part of his life he focused on painting (sadly died battling cancer) b. May 28th 1948.
2003: Wesley Willis (40) US singer, keyboardist; he joined musicians from the city's alternative rock scene to form the hard rock band The Wesley Willis Fiasco, which produced such future file sharing favorites as "Jesus is the Answer" and "Casper the Homosexual Friendly Ghost". He created a fervor in the Chicago music scene and soon caught the attention of American Recordings, an independent label distributed by The Warner Group. In 1989, Wesley began hearing what he called "demon mullets" and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He was institutionalized for two months after his diagnosis. He often mentioned that his demons were named "Heartbreaker," "Nervewrecker," and "Meansucker". He called his psychotic episodes "hell rides", and alternatively, he declared rock and roll to be "the joy ride music". In early 1994, Wesley recorded with the Canadian industrial-metal band Monster Voodoo Machine and appeared on their Juno Award winning debut album Suffersystem. In 1995 without his band, he was signed to American Recordings and went on to record two albums while producing dozens of other albums independently, becoming a minor novelty rock sensation. He toured frequently, was profiled on MTV and was a guest on The Howard Stern Show on September 26, 1996 where he played nearly-identical songs about Baba Booey and Stern. At the time of his death, he had recorded over 1,000 songs but his total life savings were less than $300. Having played hundreds of sold out venues across the country, the question still remains where all of Wesley's money went (complications from chronic myelogenous leukemia). b. May 31st 1963.
2005: Robert Moog (71) American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer. Born in New York City, he earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Queens College, New York in '57, another in electrical engineering from Columbia Uni, and a Ph.D. in engineering physics from Cornell Uni. His awards include honorary doctorates from Polytechnic Institute of New York University and Lycoming College, Pennsylvania. He founded two companies for manufacturing electronic musical instruments and also worked as a consultant and vice president for new product research at Kurzweil Music Systems from 1984 to 1988, helping to develop the Kurzweil K2000. Robert received a Grammy Trustees Award for lifetime achievement in 1970 and in 2002, he was honored with a Grammy Tech Award, and an honorary doctorate degree from Berklee College of Music (brain tumor) b. May 23rd 1934.
2005: Martin Dillon (47) American musician, world renown operatic tenor and professor of music at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. He performed several times at the Carnegie Hall in New York and performed over 40 roles in the United States, Europe and Asia. He also very successfully revived German-Jewish composer and pianist, Robert Kahn's lost music. His efforts were internationally recognised by the musical and academic community. He made two acclaimed recordings dedicated to Kahn's music, Jungbrunnen - Fountain of Youth and Der Liebe Macht - The Power of Love. Both recordings were world premiers. Martin died before the recording of the third CD which was near completion. He was given the title of Honorary Captain of Police by the New Jersey Police Department in 2001 for his service to the community (Martin died unexpectedly, due to cardiac arrest, about 12 hours after his concert at the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival) b. June 17th 1957
2006: Ustad Bismillah Khan (90) Indian shehnai maestro. He was the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, in 2001, the highest civilian honour in India and gained worldwide acclaim for playing the shehnai for more than eight decades (Ustad sadly died due to a cardiac arrest) b. March 21st 1916.
2007: Rose Bampton (99) American opera singer; a mezzo-soprano, later a soprano, she made her debut as "Siebel" in Gounod's Faust in 1929. Rose sang primarily at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, but also made appearances at many major opera houses worldwide. Her greatest successes were from the dramatic soprano repertoire, particularly in operas by Richard Wagner. After her opera career ended, she started on a second career as a voice teacher, at Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Drake University and Adelphi University and was a member of the boards of the Metropolitan Opera and the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation. She was also an honorary chairman of the Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts (?) b. November 28th 1907.
2008: Jerry Finn (39) American record producer who worked on albums by popular bands such as AFI, Bad Religion, Blink-182, Alkaline Trio, MxPx, Rancid, Green Day, Sum 41, The Offspring and Morrissey (sadly died after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage) b. March 31st 1969.
2008: Buddy Harman (79) American session musician, the first regular drummer on the Grand Ole Opry. He played drums on 18,000 recordings for artists such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell, Eddy Arnold, Perry Como, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, and many more. His many awards include "Drummer of the Year" in 1981 from the Academy of Country Music and "Super Picker" Award for drums on the most No.1 recordings from the Nashville NARAS chapter in 1975 and 1976 (sadly died from congestive heart failure) b. December 23rd 1928.
2008: Ralph Young (90) American singer and actor, best known as the partner of Tony Sandler in the singing duo of Sandler and Young. From the 1960s through the early 90s, the tuxedo-clad duo released 22 albums, headlined major hotel and casino showrooms in both the U.S. and abroad, and made countless guest appearances on top-rated television variety shows (died of unspecified causes at his home in Palm Springs, C.A. after a brief illness) b. July 1st 1918.
2009: Johnny Carter (75) American singer; a founding member of The Flamingos and a member of The Dells. Both groups have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making Johnny one of the few multiple inductees. The Flamingos formed in 1952 in Chicago, they signed to the Chicago-based 'Chance' label in 1953. They recorded in a variety of styles, including midtempo ballads such as “Someday, Someway”, lowdown blues as with “Blues in a Letter”, pop standards “That’s My Desire” and jump tunes like “Jump Children”. Their third single released in 1953, “Golden Teardrops,” has been hailed as “the most perfect-sounding single of all time” and “a legendary masterpiece”, yet it failed to reach the national pop charts. “I’ve Only Got Eyes for You,” was the Flamingos’ biggest hit in 1959. Johnny left the Flamingoes joining The Dells replacing lead tenor Johnny Funches in 1960 and he remained an active member of the group until his death. Just after Johnny joined The Dells, they were successful in the audition as Dinah Washington’s backup group, and toured with Washington from 1961 to 1962 and went on to sing background for the likes of Ray Charles and Barbara Lewis. The group was also being vocally fine-tuned by Quincy Jones and began to include jazz and Broadway-styled show tunes as part of their live and recording acts. They charted with 43 hit singles including "Wear It On Our Face", "I Touched a Dream", "Learning to Love You Was Easy (It's So Hard Trying to Get Over You)", "Always Together", "I Can Sing A Rainbow/Love Is Blue" and their first number-one R&B hit and first top ten pop hit, 1968's "Stay in My Corner", which reached number ten on the pop chart. This showcased both Carter and Marvin in lead vocals. Their last 3 hit singles were "A Heart Is a House for Love", "Come and Get It" and "Oh My Love" in the early 90s. Their last album to date "Then and Now" was released in 2008 (lung cancer) b. June 2nd 1934.
2009: Dean Turner aka Dean Dirt (37) Australian rock musician and record producer, best known as a founding member of, and bass player for, Australian rock band, Magic Dirt. Born in Geelong he began playing the bass guitar as a career in 1989 and in 1990 along with Adalita Srsen he formed the band Deer Bubbles. Then in 1991 together with guitarist Daniel Herring, they started a new band, briefly known as The Jim Jims. With the addition of drummer Adam Robertson, they became known as Magic Dirt. The band relaesd 15 albums which producted many hits, including "Pace It", "City Trash", "Vulcanella", "Watch Out Boys","Bring Me The Head Of..." and "Plastic Loveless Letter". Under the name Dean Dirt, Dean also produced recordings for a number of Australian bands, including two albums for Theredsunband plus releases for Gersey and Sons Of The Sun. In the period up until his death, he was acting as the manager for Brisbane band, Violent Soho (sadly Dean died of a rare form of tissue cancer) b. January 6th 1972.
2012: Mihalis Menidiatis (80) Greek singer was born and raised in Menidi. (sadly Mihalis died while bravely fighting cancer) b. June 29th 1932.

August 22nd.
1976: Gina Bachauer (63) Greek classical pianist born in Athens, she gave her first recital in Athens at the age of eight and first concert with an orchestra was in 1932, when she was 19 years old. She recorded for the HMV, RCA Victor and Mercury labels. Gina gave hundreds of concerts, including 630 for the Allied troops in the Middle East during World War II and toured extensively in the United States and Europe. She was a close friend of Maurice Abravanel, and often appeared with the Utah Symphony Orchestra and was also the piano teacher of Princess Irene.The Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition was established in 1976 in her honour and in 1981 the Greek Post honored Bachauer by issuing a stamp in her honour (?) b. May 21st 1913.
1979: John Lee Granderson (66) American singer and guitarist, born in Ellendale, Tennessee and left home when he was in his teens, moving to Chicago in 1928, where he worked with John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson, among others. But he did not turn full-time musician until the 60s and was featured as sideman and leader on many anthologies, although he never made a full album in his own right. Granderson sang and played guitar close to the style of the Memphis musicians of his youth (sadly died of cancer) b. April 11th 1913.
2003: Magdalena Nile del Río/Imperio Argentina/Pettit Imperio (96) Argentinian singer and actress. Magdalena performed in Argentina's theatres, where she had a long and successful career. At that time, her stage name was Pettit Imperio. But her most successful moments came after she moved to Spain. It was there that she changed her name to Imperio Argentina, as a way to honor her "other country". While in Spain, del Río participated in many movies, and she participated frequently on television and radio. Imperio Argentina obtained Spanish citizenship in 1999 (?) b. December 26th 1906.
2005: Luc Ferrari (76) French composer born on in Paris, his musical education was with Cortot, Honegger, and Messiaen from 1946-1954, for whom he generated pieces in a free atonal style, such as the Antisonate for piano in 1953 and the Piano Quartet in 1954. In 1958 he helped found the Groupe de Recherches Musicales and began the composition of his many electronic works, such as the Etude des accidents in 1958, Tautologos I in 1961, and Composé-Composite for orchestra and tape in 1963. Luc later taught composition in Cologne from 1964 - 1966, and Montreal from 1966 - 1969. His later works expand further upon his love of natural sounds and complex response to human behavior, including sensuality such as Presque rien avec filles/Almost nothing with girls, in 1989. Luc also composed music for TV and films (?) February 5th 1929
2006: Bruce Gary (55) American drummer born in Burbank, California; Bruce had a tormented and horrid childhood, but in the 60's and early 70's he played and toured with bluesman Albert Collins. By the time he was twenty-four he was touring and recording with former Cream bassist Jack Bruce and guitarist Mick Taylor, who had just left the Rolling Stones. This stellar lineup also included jazz pianist Carla Bley. Gary also worked with Dr. John in the 70's. In 1978 along with singer Doug Fieger, guitarist Berton Averre, and bassist Prescott Niles, he founded the band The Knack. Their first single, "My Sharona", was an international No.1 hit that became the biggest hit song of 1979. In the early 80s Gary became an in-demand drummer for studio work and live performance with some of the premier musicians of the era including Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Stephen Stills, Rod Stewart, Sheryl Crow, Bette Midler, Yoko Ono, Harry Nilsson, and Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. He was nominated for two Grammy Awards as a stage performer, producer and recording artist. (sadly heBruce died from Non-Hodgkin lymphoma) b. April 7th 1951.
2008: Ralph Young (90) American singer and actor; one of the last great singers of the big band era and the first name star of “The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies”. He also starred in the Broadway musical, “Whoop-Up” , but best known as the partner of Tony Sandler in the singing duo of Sandler and Young (died at his Palm Springs home after a brief illness) b. July 1st 1918.
2010: Conny Stuart/Cornelia van Meijgaard (96) Dutch singer and actress, born in Wijhe and grew up in The Hague, near the Vredespaleis. In the Second World War, she met Wim Sonneveld, and began to perform in his ensemble. Sonneveld stimulated her comic qualities, for instance by letting his stage writer Hella Haasse write a farcical song like "Yvonne de spionne" for her. In the 1950s she became the leading lady of the show, and from the 1960s on, she became one of The Netherlands' greatest musical stars. She mainly acted in the musicals of Annie M.G. Schmidt and Harry Bannink, including their first, Heerlijk duurt het langst from 1965. The show was an incredible success, and Schmidt and Bannink wrote four more musicals for her. She ended her career in 1985 with her stage show De Stuart Story, accompanied by Louis van Dijk, where she performed old success songs and new songs written for her by M.G. Schmidt (?) b. September 5th 1913.
2011: Nickolas Ashford (70) American R&B singer-songwriter, along with his wife Valerie Simpson they were a husband and wife songwriting-production team and recording artists. Nickolas was born Fairfield, South Carolina, and Valerie in Bronx, New York. They met at Harlem's White Rock Baptist Church in 1963. After having recorded unsuccessfully as a duo, they joined aspiring solo artist and former member of the Ikettes, Joshie Jo Armstead, at the Scepter/Wand label where their compositions were recorded by Ronnie Milsap-"Never Had It So Good", Maxine Brown-"One Step At A Time", as well as the Shirelles and Chuck Jackson. Another of the trio's songs, "Let's Go Get Stoned", gave Ray Charles a No.1 U.S. R&B hit in 1966. That same year Ashford & Simpson joined Motown, where their best-known songs included "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "You're All I Need To Get By", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)". As performers, Ashford and Simpson's best-known song is "Solid", 1984 US and 1985 UK. The duo was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 (sadly Nickolas died fighting throat cancer) b. May 4th 1941.
2011: Tony Ruffino (74) American concert promoter (sadly died of a stroke) b.????
2011: Jerry Leiber (78) Influencial American lyricist, born in Baltimore, his family moved to L.A. when he was in his teens. At aged 17, as a senior at Fairfax High, Jerry met his composer-songwriting partner Mike Stoller in 1950, when they formed the legendary 6 decade+ partnership Leiber and Stoller. Together they played a key role in the birth of rock 'n' roll, writing and composing such iconic hits as "Hound Dog" which originally topped the "race" music charts as a rhythm and blues single by Big Mamma Thornton in 1953; "Jailhouse Rock", "Poison Ivy", "Charlie Brown", "Yakety Yak", "On Broadway" and the hit "Stand By Me," which they co-wrote with singer Ben E. King.. They went on to pen more than 200 tunes >>> READ MORE <<< (tragically Jerry died from heart failure in Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, LA) b. April 25th 1933.

August 23rd.
1960: Oscar Hammerstein II (65) American lyricist; he began his first professional collaboration, with Herbert Stothart, Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. He began as an apprentice and went on to form a 20 year collaboration with Harbach. Out of this collaboration came his first musical, Always You, for which he wrote the book and lyrics. It opened on Broadway in 1921. He next successfully collaborated with Jerome Kern, their biggest hit, Show Boat, is still considered one of the masterpieces of the American musical theatre. "Here we come to a completely new genre – the musical play as distinguished from musical comedy. Other Kern-Hammerstein musicals include Sweet Adeline, Music In the Air, Three Sisters, and Very Warm for May. Oscar also collaborated with Vincent Youmans with Wildflower, Rudolf Friml with Rose Marie and Sigmund Romberg with both The Desert Song and The New Moon. His most successful and long running collaboration began when he teamed up with Richard Rodgers to write a musical adaptation of the play Green Grow the Lilacs, which was entitled Oklahoma!. They went to produce such classic Broadway musicals as Carousel, Allegro, South Pacific, The King and I, Me & Juliet, Pipe Dream, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music as well as the musical film State Fair and its stage adaptation of the same name, and the television musical Cinderella, all of which were featured in the revue A Grand Night for Singing. Oscar also wrote the book and lyrics for Carmen Jones, an adaptation of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen with an all-black cast. The final song he wrote was "Edelweiss", which was added during rehearsals near the end of the second act. Oscar won eight Tony Awards and two Oscars for best original song—in 1941 for "The Last Time I Saw Paris" in the film Lady Be Good, and in 1945 for "It Might as Well Be Spring" in State Fair. In 1950, the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein received The Hundred Year Association of New York's Gold Medal Award "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York." The team also received a special Pulitzer Prize award for Oklahoma! in 1944. The Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theater Studies at Columbia University was established in 1981 with a $1 million gift from his family. The Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre is presented annually, The York Theatre Company in New York is the Administrator of the award (cancer) b. July 12th 1895.
1963: Glen Gray Knoblauch (63) American jazz saxophonist and leader of the Casa Loma Orchestra. He attended Illinois Wesleyan University but left to work for the Santa Fe Railroad. In 1927, his Orange Blossoms Band was renamed the Casa Loma Orchestra, after Casa Loma in Toronto, where the band played for eight months. Glen collaborated with the jazz musician Jean Goldkette and with trumpeter/arranger Salvador Camarata. He gave Betty George her first job as a soloist. Ill health forced Gray to retire from touring in 1950. In 1956, he went back into the studio to record the first of what became a series of LPs for Capitol Records, which recreated the sounds of the big band era in stereo. (?) b. June 7th 1900.
1983: Shawn Michelle Stevens (25) American cocktail waitress and fifth wife of Jerry Lee Lewis, they married in June of 1983 (She was found dead, brusied and bloodied, in the bedroom of their Nesbit home. The Coroner's report cited death by an overdose of amphetamines) b. ????.
1995: Dwayne Goettel aka aDuck (31) Canadian keyboardist, he played for an early incarnation of the Canadian gothic/synthpop band Psyche, as well as a band called Water, who opened for Skinny Puppy in 1985. He joined Skinny Puppy during the recording of Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse in mid-1986 when he was recruited to take Wilhelm Schroeder's place. Dwayne would come to be cEvin Key's primary partner in forming Skinny Puppy's music until the album The Process, as well as in their side projects Doubting Thomas, Cyberaktif, The Tear Garden and Hilt. He also formed Subconscious Records in 1993 to release a 12" single under the pseudonym Duck. (heroin overdose) b. February 1st 1964.
1998: Gene Page (68) American influential conductor, arranger and record producer most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s; his sound can be heard in the arrangements with Righteous Brothers, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Buffalo Springfield, Barbra Streisand, Martha and the Whitney Houston, Vandellas, Barry White, George Benson, Roberta Flack, Elton John and many more. He was one of the most prolific arrangers/conductors of popular music during his time and worked on more than 200 gold and platinum records. (died after a long illness) b. September 13th 1939.
1990: David Rose (80) British-born American songwriter, composer, arranger, and orchestra leader. In the early 1930s, he gained a reputation, while arranging for the Frank Trumbauer orchestra and later leading a house band at station WGN. He composed several early swing originals such as "Break It Down," "Transcontinental," "Plantation Moods," and a piece recorded under three different titles: "I've Got It", "Itchola", and "Jigsaw Rhythm". His most famous compositions were "The Stripper", "Holiday for Strings", and "Calypso Melody". In 1957 his rendition of Larry Clinton's "Calypso Melody" became Rose's second million selling record, and was awarded a gold disc. He also wrote music for the television series Little House on the Prairie, Highway To Heaven, and Bonanza. In addition, he was musical director for the Red Skelton show during its 21-year-run on the CBS and NBC networks, and was the recipient of four Emmy awards (?) b. June 15th 1910.
2000: Dindo Yogo/Théodore Dindo Mabeli (44) Congolese singer and musician. He started in Bakin and founded "etumba na ngwaka". In 1978, by the help of his friend Emeneya Mubyala, Dindo joined Papa Wemba's Viva La Musica. In 1981 he left the band for the Langa Langa Stars founded by Verckys Kiamuangana, and in 1984 he made another move, this time to Zaiko Langa Langa. During that time, he also recorded a number of solo albums. In 1991, he left Zaiko Langa Langa, and went solo until his death (?) b. December 30th 1955.
2001: Eric Allendale Dubussion (65) West Indian trombonist, bandleader, teacher, born in Dominica, West Indies. In 1954 while in his late teens he came to the UK to complete his education. He joined the Hammersmith Borough Brass Band as a trumpet player. After which he was a member of variuos jazz groups, as a trombonist, namely the Chris Barber Band, Terry Lightfoot Band, Alex Welsh band and Edmundo Ros's band before joining The Foundations in 1967. He played on their hits "Baby, Now That I've Found You", "Back On My Feet Again", "Build Me Up Buttercup" and "In The Bad Bad Old Days". He later taught music in Zambian schools for four years. Next he moved to Paris where helped found The St Andre Blues Band. He had a brain haemorrhage in 1989 but recovered enough to play the keyboard. (sadly suffered a stroke) b. March 4th 1936.
2004: Al Dvorin (81) American bandleader and talent agent, and who also 'popularised' the phrase "Elvis has left the building". He met Presley through Colonel Tom Parker in 1955, and organized Presley's concert tours for the next 22 years. (He was killed in an car accident on his way from a concert by Elvis impersonator Paul Casey) b. November 18th 1922.
2006: Maynard Ferguson (78) Canadian jazz trumpeter & leader. He came to prominence playing in Stan Kenton's orchestra, before forming his own band in 1957. He was noted for being able to play accurately in a remarkably high register. When he debuted with Stan Kenton's Orchestra in 1950, he could play higher than any other trumpeter up to that point in jazz history. In the 60s, feeling the need for spiritual exploration, he left the US and he moved with his family to India and taught at the Krishnamurtl based Rishi Valley School near Madras. In 1969, he relocated to Manchester, England, manufacturing personally-designed trumpets and mouthpieces and performing with a variety of ensembles in Europe. He returned to America and formed a new band in 1971. Maynard was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1992 (sadly he died of kidney and liver failure brought on by an abdominal infection) b. May 4th 1928.
2007: Martti Pokela (83) Finnish folk musician and composer born in Haapavesi; an expert with the kantele, Finland's national musical instrument. He and his wife, Marjatta, were widely credited with ushering in a revival of Finnish folk music beginning in the 1950s. Their daughter, Eveliina Pokela, began performing with them in the 1960s. Martti merged traditional Finnish folk music with contemporary sounds. He and his family's albums have been released outside of Finland. Martti taught the kantele at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and Kuopio until 1987 and was the founder of the academy's folk music department, where he was named a full professor in 1980 (?) b. January 23rd 1924.
2008: Steve Foley (49) American drummer who played for Curtiss A, Things That Fall Down, The Replacements, Bash & Pop, Wheelo and several other bands in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He played live for the most part but he recorded with songwriter Peter Lack and he appears in a Replacements video, "When It Began", nominated twice in the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. Steve toured Europe and the United States with The Replacements and played their final show at Grant Park in Chicago in 1991 (accidentally overdosing on prescription medication) b. 1959.
2010: George David Weiss (89) American singwriter and composer born in New York City, New York; very prolific during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and former President of the Songwriters Guild of America. Some of his film scores include Murder, Inc; Gidget Goes to Rome; Mediterranean Holiday; and Mademoiselle. He collaborated on three Broadway musicals Mr. Wonderful; First Impressions; and Maggie Flynn. In addition, George and Will Severin composed the family musical, A Tale of Cinderella. He wrote some beautiful classics including "What a Wonderful World", "Let's Put It All Together", "Can't Help Falling in Love", "Lullaby of Birdland", "Mr. Wonderful", and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". His music was recorded by singers such as Tom Jones, Mel Tormé, Elvis Presley, Dinah Washington, The Stylistics, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Sammy Davis Jr. In 1984 George was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. (natural causes) b. April 9th 1921.
2010: Bill Phillips (74) American country music singer born in Canton, Nth Carolina; his professional music career started with the Old Southern Jamboree on WMIL in Miami in 1955. He moved to Nashville in 1957 and worked with Johnny Wright and Kitty Wells until the late 1970s. His biggest recording "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" peaked on the country charts at No.6 in April of 1966 (?) b. January 28th 1936.
2010: Tito Burns/Nathan Bernstein (89) British accordionist and impresario, born in London, active in both jazz and rock and roll. His Tito Burns Septet, featured on the BBC's Accordion Club radio series. In 1947, they are thought to have been the first band to perform the new jazz idiom bebop on BBC Radio. When the show ended, the band went on tour and recorded a number of sides with various line-ups, including pianist and trumpeter Dennis Rose and saxophonist Johnny Dankworth. Tito married his longtime girlfriend and jazz singer, Terry Devon, in 1948, who also sang in his band. In 1949, they were recording as a septet, but went back to being a sextet shortly afterwards. By 1955, his career had taken a turn to the emerging rock and roll. In 1959, he became manager for Cliff Richard, and he soon gathered list of clients, including The Searchers. Among the new talents he discovered was singer Dusty Springfield. As an impresario, he first brought Cliff Richard to tailor Dougie Millings for a stage costume. The resulting outfit, with its unique style, was later emulated by other key performers of the time, and Millings went on to make costumes for The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and especially The Beatles. Tito also appeared in D. A. Pennebaker's 1965 film Don't Look Back. Toward the end of his career, he left managing bands for an executive position at London Weekend Television. Throughout his career he promoted concert tours for many US entertainers in Europe, such as Simon and Garfunkel, Tony Bennett, and Victor Borge (sadly died from prostate cancer) b. February 7th 1921.
2010: Natalie Nevins (85) American singer, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she began singing when she was five and later took flute and piano lessons. By 1950, she had her own television program on WCAU titled Notes From Natalie and years later, was asked by Ed Sullivan to appear on his show. In 1965, she was hired by Lawrence Welk as a vocalist on his weekly television program, where her pitch perfect singing voice earned Natalie nationwide fans and admirers. In addition to solo numbers, she sang in duets with Jimmy Roberts and Joe Feeney plus recorded a solo album titled Natalie Nevins Sings I Believe & Other Inspirational Songs which was released in 1968. She left the Welk organization in 1969, and later moved back to Philadelphia to care for her mother and to be near her brother John (sadly died due to complications from hip surgery) b. May 15th 1925.
2011: Glen Croker (77) American Cajun musician; born in Lake Charles, Louisiana he began playing steel guitar in the early 1950s with Eddie Shuler and the Reveliers. and went on to become electric guitarist and singer with the grammy nomited band Hackberry Ramblers. He joined the band in 1959, 26 years after the band was co-founded and his electric guitar helped evolve the band's string-band sound, by adding a "swaggering honky-tonk tinge" that included elements of the blues, R&B and rockabilly. Their 1997 release "Deep Water" garnered a Grammy nomination in the best traditional/folk album category. The bands farewell gig was held at LSU's Manship Theatre in 2005 (sadly Glen died from a heart attack) b. 1934.
2011: Cephas Mashakada (51) Zimbabwean singer born in Chinhoyi; at 17 he co-founded a group called the Wild Ten, in 1978, the group were invited to join up with Paul Mpofu’s World Tomorrow band in Harare. After joining up with Mpofu, the new band with Cephas was renamed Muddy Face. It went on to release hits such as Amai Mandigona, Rakabuda Zuva MuAfrica, Denga Rababa, PaInyanga, Kilimanjaro and Nherera. Mpofu quit the band in the 1990s to form the Zambuko Band, but Cephas remained in the now renamed Sounds of the Muddy Face. He leaves a musical legacy of 15 album recordings in a career spanning three decades. He released Nyaradzo Yakaitwa in 2004, his best selling album to date. Samson, a hit song off the album, won best song at the 2005 Zimbabwe Music Awards (sadly he died from complications due to diabetes) b. 1960.
2012: Byard Lancaster (70) American jazz saxophonist and flutist; after studying at the Berklee College of Music, he moved to New York where he participated in loft jam sessions which included saxophonist Archie Shepp and drummer Elvin Jones. In 1965, he recorded Sunny Murray Quintet with the album's eponymous musician in New York, performed in the Parisian Actuel festival with him in 1969, and continued to work in the drummer's groups throughout his career. By the 1970s, Byard had played with musicians such as McCoy Tyner, Khan Jamal and Sun Ra, as well as some outside of the jazz idiom, including Memphis Slim and Johnny Copeland. More recently, he has performed regularly with cellist David Eyges, and recorded as a leader and sideman for Creative Improvised Music Projects (sadly died fighting pancreatic cancer) b. August 6th 1942.

August 24th.
1978: Louis Prima (67) American jazz singer, trumpeter, and actor; born in New Orleans, USA, Louis studied violin for several years as a child. In his youth, he played trumpet with Irving Fazola, his brother's band, and the pit band of the Saenger Theater. In 1933 he began his busy recording career, as part of the David Rose orchestra at station WGN, Chicago; he was also part of the small recording group The Hotcha Trio, with Rose on piano and Norman Gast on violin. In 1934 he moved to New York, working regularly on 52nd Street with old New Orleans friends like Eddie Miller and George Brunies, and also new acquaintances like Pee Wee Russell. Louis's informal jazz group was known as Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang, and this band recorded prolifically. The 1950s, see's him and his wife Keely Smith Vegas lounge act in the 1950s helping to make The Sahara a hotspot; in 1959, they won the Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus for "That Old Black Magic". Among many other achievements Lous was the voice of King Louie in the '67 Disney animated feature The Jungle Book and in 2008, he was posthumously inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame (following headaches and problems with his memory, he sought medical attention. He went into a coma following surgery to remove a brain tumor. He never recovered, and sadly died three years later) b. December 7th 1910.
1985: Paul Creston/Giuseppe Guttoveggio (78) American composer born in New York City, self-taught as a composer. He was an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity, initiated into the national honorary Alpha Alpha chapter. His pieces include six symphonies, a number of concertos, including two for violin, one for marimba and orchestra, one for one piano, one for two pianos, one for accordion and one for alto saxophone, a fantasia for trombone and orchestra, and a Rapsodie again for alto saxophone - written for famous virtuoso Jean-Marie Londeix. He also wrote a suite -1935 and a sonata op. 19 -1939 for alto saxophone and piano, both dedicated to Cecil Leeson, as well as a suite for organ, Op. 70. Several of his works were inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman (?) b. October 10th 1906
1997: Tete Montoliu (64) Catalonian jazz pianist, after his studies in the 50s, he toured with Lionel Hampton through Spain and France and recorded Jazz flamenco, setting off a prolific international career. In the 1960s, Montoliu played in various concerts at New York and established collaborations with Elvin Jones and Richard Davis. During the 1970s, he travelled extensively throughout Europe, consolidating his reputation as a main referent in the Hard Bop movement. During the 1980s, he played in numerous concerts, collaborating with prominent jazz players such as Johnny Griffin, George Coleman, Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove , Jerry Tilitz and Jesse Davis, among others. In 1996, shortly before his death, Spain paid public tribute to Tete Montoliu for his outstanding fifty-year career in jazz (?) b. March 28th 1933.
1999: Warren Covington (78) American trombone player and bandleader born in Philadelphia; he played early on with Isham Jones; Les Brown and Gene Ames in the early 40s. Following this he became a staff musician for CBS radio. In 1946-47 he led The Commanders, after which he began playing with Tommy Dorsey in 1950. After Dorsey's death, he took the helm of his ensemble, touring with them from 1961 well into the 1970s. He also backed Charles Mingus, Randy Weston, Bobby Hackett, and George Benson on big band recordings, and did a number of film soundtracks (?) b. August 7th 1921.
1999: Alexandre Lagoya (70) Greek-Italian classical guitarist born in Alexandria; As well as a recording career, he taught at the Paris Conservatory, and in Canada, and developed a new method of hand positioning which helped people learn to play the guitar better. He also added the use of the little finger to plucking and claimed to have invented a method for maximizing the sound coming from the classical guitar (?) b. June 21st 1929
2005: Kaleth Miguel Morales (21) Colombian vallenato singer and songwriter, born in Valledupar, Cesar, he is best known as the leader of the "Nueva Ola"/"New Wave" movement in Vallenato. His most famous song, Vivo En El Limbo /"I Live in the Limbo", started as a simple tune he performed at parties, but quickly became popular when it received an official release in 2004, also the year he prepared his first album for Sony BMG Music Entertainment. The album, La Hora de la Verdad/"The Hour of Truth", was released in 2005. The album's singles, Vivo En El Limbo and La Hora de la Verdad, were sold around Ecuador and Venezuela, where they are still popular today (Kaleth died due to a marked brain edema, with a deep parietal contusion, after a drunken car accident in heavy rain) b. June 9th 1984.
2005: Harold "Hal" Kalin (71) American singer, one half of Kalin Twins; the Kalins grew up in Port Jervis, NY, and pursued music as a career while in their teens. They had a gold record in 1957 with thier release "When" which topped the UK charts and reach No.5 in the US. They where first set of twins to reach No.1 in the UK charts, followed years later by The Proclaimers. But despite further releases, the twins could not crack the top ten again. Sometimes they performed with their younger sibling, Jack, and thus appeared as the Kalin Brothers. The Kalins ceased recording after 1962, but three decades later, they were still performing as a pop-nostalgia act before audiences in their 50s (a result of injuries sustained in a car accident) b. February 16th 1934.
2006: Léopold Simoneau, CC, CQ (90) French-Canadian lyric tenor, one of the outstanding Mozarteans of his time. In 1959 he became the first recipient of the Calixa-Lavallée Award. He made his debut in 1949 at the Opéra-Comique of Paris as Vincent in Gounod's opera Mireille and at the Paris Opera as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. He made his debut at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 1950 singing Ottavio in Don Giovanni and Ferrando in Così fan tutte. The following year, 1951, he made his debut at the Glyndebourne Festival as Idamante in Idomeneo. In the 1950s he made several famous recordings, including one of the Mozart Requiem with Bruno Walter conducting. He also participated in two celebrated recordings with Philips Records, George Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles conducted by Jean Fournet, and Christoph Willibald Gluck's Orphée et Euridyce conducted by Hans Rosbaud, in which he gave what some critics feel are the definitive performances of the roles of Nadir and Orphée. He also sang the role of Belmonte in Sir Thomas Beecham's recording of Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio, and the role of Ferrando in Mozart's Così fan tutte opposite Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Nan Merriman, Rolando Panerai, Lisa Otto, Sesto Bruscantini, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, both considered classics (died at his home in Victoria, BC) b. May 3rd 1916.
2007: Chris Resch (48) Alaskan vocalist for metal band Pandemonium (?). b. 1958.
2009: Joe Maneri (82) American jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinet player; born in Brooklyn, NY, he made his professional debut on the Catskills society-band circuit at age 17. Three years later, he was introduced to the work of Arnold Schoenberg, the famed inventor of the 12-tone system, and immediately thereafter formed his own 12-tone jazz ensemble, as well as playing in a number of other music combos. After 10 years studying under composer Joseph Schmidt, Eric Leinsdorf, commissioned him to compose a piano concerto. He made his first recordings for Atlantic in 1962, which went unreleased, after which he dissappeared from the music scene. He resurfaced in 1970 teaching theory and composition at the New England Conservatory of Music. Maneri's first officially released recording, 1991's Kavalinka, found him joined by his violinist son, Mat, and percussionist Masashi Harada. This was followed by the Leo Lab session Get Ready to Receive Yourself, and Three Men Walking in 1995 (died from complications of heart surgery) b. February 9th 1927
2011: Janey Cutler (82) Scottish singer; she shot to fame in 2010 after wowing British X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan with her rendition of Edith Piaf's Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien and at one stage she was tipped to win the series. She eventually lost the competition to gymnastics group Spellbound. After Britain's Got Talent finished, despite health issues, Janey went on tour with the show's acts, before recording an album with the Chelsea Pensioners later in the year (?) b. 1929.
2011: Jack Hayes (92) American composer and orchestrator; he was twice nominated for an Academy Award, for The Unsinkable Molly Brown in 1964 and for The Color Purple in 1985 (natural causes) b. February 8th 1919.
2011: Esther Gordy Edwards (91) Motown executive, pioneer and elder sister of Berry Gordy; born in Oconee County she was 2 years old when her parents moved to Detroit. She went on to found the Gordy Printing Company with two of her brothers in the mid-1940s. With her husband, she created the Ber-Berry Co-Op, which provided loans to family members. Her brother Berry borrowed $800 to help start Motown Records in '59. When Motown became established, Esther took an active role in management and booking tours, including the legendary Motortown Revue in the early 1960s. While at Motown, she took on a motherly role towards some of the label's younger acts. Esther was especially active in Stevie Wonder's career when he was a minor, helping him set up tutors, manage his money and enroll in the Michigan School for the Blind. In the mid-1960s, she served as Motown's vice president and chief executive officer. She was succeeded in this role by Smokey Robinson in 1972. Esther later served on the board for the Detroit Bank of Commonwealth and the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce. In 1985, she became the director of the Motown Historical Museum (Hitsville U.S.A.) and has since been credited with carefully maintaining the original studios of Motown and is often described as "the pillar of Motown" (?) b. April 25th 1920
2011: Mason Thomas (85) American jazz multi-instrumentalist who was a stalwart of the Washington area jazz scene for a half-century. He mostly played reed instruments, including the saxophone and clarinet, but he also was proficient on piano, trumpet, trombone, tuba and upright bass. He performed at countless nightclubs, hotels and other venues in Washington. One of the groups he fronted was called the World’s Third Greatest Jazz Bandand. Mason also accompanied many visiting musicians, including trumpeter Louis Armstrong (sadly died from complications from a stroke) b. September 14th 1925.

August 25th.
1971: Ted Lewis (79) American entertainer, bandleader, singer, and clarinetist. He led a band presenting a combination of jazz, hokey comedy, and schmaltzy sentimentality that was a hit with the American public. He was known by the moniker "Mr. Entertainment" or Ted "Is Everybody Happy?" Lewis. Born in Circleville, Ohio, then moved up to New York where he first recorded in 1917 with Earl Fuller's Jass Band. By 1919 Ted was leading his own band, hiring musicians like Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, and Don Murray to play clarinet and had a recording contract with Columbia Records. Ted and his band appeared in a few early-talkie movie musicals in 1929, notably the Warner Brothers revue The Show of Shows. The first of several films titled with his catchphrase, Is Everybody Happy? also premiered in 1929, while 1935 saw Lewis and his band performing several numbers in the film Here Comes the Band. Lewis kept his band together through the 1950s, and continued to make appearances on television and in Las Vegas into the 1960s (?) b. June 6th 1892.
1979: Stan Kenton (67) American bandleader and pianist; he is regarded in the history of jazz as one of the pioneers of progressive jazz, with his orchestra and arranger Pete Rugolo. He started leading his own bands in the late 1930s and become famous in the mid-'40s with songs like "Painted Rhytmm", "Intermission Riff" and "Eager Beaver". He was leading his band until his death in 1979. In the 1970s he started his own record company, Creative Sounds, after finishing his contract with Capitol Records in the late 60s. In later years he was also widely active as an educator (stroke) b. December 15th 1911.
1979: Ray Eberle (59) American singer born in Mechanicville, New York, he started singing in his teens, with no formal training. He would go on to success with Glen Miller and sang lead on "Sometime", composed by Glenn Miller in 1939, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams", "At Last", a number 9 chart hit on Billboard in 1942, and "To You". Ray appeared in the 20th Century Fox movies Sun Valley Serenade in 1941 and Orchestra Wives in 1942, and later became a members of the group The Modernaires (died in Douglasville, Georgia) b. January 19th 1919.
1994: Creadel 'Red' Jones (53) American singer; an original member of the Chicago group The Chi-Lites. His distinctive bass voice was one of the group's trademarks, and was heard on many of their hits, such as "Are You My Woman", "I Like Your Lovin',(Do You Like Mine)", "(For God's Sake) Give More Power to the People," and "Oh Girl". He left the group in the mid-70s and made a return in 1980, but left for good in 1990. Posthumously, Red, as a member of The Chi-Lites was inducted into The R&B Hall Of Fame in 2000, and inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005 (?) b. September 26th 1940.
1995: Doug Stegmeyer (43) American bass player, born in Long Island, New York; Doug along with high school friend Russell Javors, Liberty DeVitto and Howard Emerson, formed the band Topper, performing songs that Russell wrote. The band Topper soon became noticed by Billy Joel, a recognizable fan. Soon, Joel found he needed a bassist on his Streetlife Serenade tour. From then on Doug played bass and backing vocals on every one of Joel's studio albums from Turnstiles through The Bridge and the live albums Songs in the Attic and Kohuept. Throughout his tenure with Joel, he was dubbed "The Sargeant Of The Billy Joel Band". Doug also performed as bassist for Debbie Gibson and Hall & Oates (suicide, he sadly shot himself) b. December 23rd 1951.
1999: Robert/Rob Fisher (39) British keyboardist and songwriter; he went to school at Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire where he was part of a band called Cirus. After which he was a key figure in the early days of synthpop, beginning with the duo Naked Eyes, with vocalist, Pete Byrne. Their biggest hits were "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me"; and the self-penned "Promises, Promises". In 1987, Rob re-emerged as one half of the pop duo, Climie Fisher, with singer-songwriter, Simon Climie. Together they took "Love Changes (Everything)" to the UK No.2 spot, and their hip-hop inspired "Rise To The Occasion" also made the UK Top Ten (died due to complications following stomach surgery for cancer) b. November 5th 1959.
2000: Jack Nitzche (63) American keyboards, piano, percussionist, composer, songwriter, producer, arranger, and studio musician; Jack is an Academy Award winning American motion picture composer, an important behind-the-scenes figure in popular music for 40 years. got his first film credit serving as musical director for The T.A.M.I. Show, a legendary concert movie filmed in November 1964 and released in January 1965. Also in 1965, he wrote his first film score, for the low-budget Village of the Giants, though it would be another five years before he really began to work in films consistently. In the meantime, he continued to produce, arrange, and record with a wide variety of musicians including Tim Buckley, Bobby Darin, Doris Day, Marianne Faithfull, Frankie Laine, and the Monkees. He began a long association with Neil Young when he wrote a string arrangement for Young's song "Expecting to Fly," which appeared on the Buffalo Springfield album Buffalo Springfield Again in 1967. When the Springfield broke up in 1968 and Young went solo, Nitzsche continued to work with him, co-producing and writing arrangements for his first solo album, Neil Young, in 1969. He also worked on Young's early '70s albums After the Gold Rush, Harvest, Time Fades Away, and Tonight's the Night, and returned for Life - 1987, and Harvest Moon - 1992. He returned to movie work in 1970 with Performance, starring Mick Jagger. It really launched his career as a composer of film scores. By 1973, he was working on major studio films like The Exorcist, and in 1975 he earned an Academy Award nomination for his music to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. But in the late '70s, he accepted a few production jobs involving new wave rock performers, producing the first three albums by Mink DeVille and Graham Parker and the Rumor's celebrated Squeezing out Sparks. By the 1980s, however, he was working full-time on film scores, averaging two a year during the decade. He got another Academy Award nomination for An Officer and a Gentleman in 1982, and, with Will Jennings and Buffy Sainte-Marie, he won the Oscar for best song for "Up Where We Belong," which had already become a number one hit for Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes. (died of cardiac arrest brought on by a bronchial infection) b. April 22nd 2000.
2001: Aaliyah/Aaliyah Haughton (22) US Grammy-nominated singer, actress and model born in Brooklyn but raised in Detroit; at 9, she successfully auditioned for the TV show Star Search, where she performed "My Funny Valentine". At 11, she spent 5 nights in Las Vegas performing in Gladys Knight's revue. Aaliyah became famous during the mid-1990s with several hit records from the songwriting production team of Missy Elliott and Timbaland, including several number one R&B hits, a number one pop hit, and nine top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. She played a major role in popularizing the stuttering, futuristic production style that consumed hip-hop and urban soul in the late '90s. (Sadly died in a small Cessna plane crashed a few minutes after take off in the Bahamas) b. January 16th 1979.
2007: Richard Cook (50) British jazz writer and magazine editor sometimes credited as R. D. Cook, he was born in Kew, Surrey and lived in West London as an adult. He was co-author, with Brian Morton, of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, now in its ninth edition. Richard Cook's Jazz Companion and It's About That Time: Miles Davis On and Off the Record were published in 2005. A writer on music from the late 1970s until his death, he was a prominent contributor to the NME, the jazz critic for The Sunday Times and more recently music writer for the New Statesman. Richard was formerly editor of The Wire, when it was a jazz centred periodical, and edited Jazz Review magazine from its foundation in 1998. He also presented a programme on jazz for BBC local radio GLR (sadly died fighting cancer) b. February 7th 1957
2011: Laurie McAllister/Laurie Hoyt (53) American bassist; she was the last in an illustrious line of foxy bass players to pass through the Runaways, the legendary all-girl band depicted in the 2010 movie “The Runaways.” She joined guitarists-vocalists Joan Jett and Lita Ford and drummer Sandy West in 1978 and performed with the band live, after which Laurie formed her own band The Orchids. When the Orchids broke up, she moved to Amsterdam and lived with Dutch rock star Herman Brood. She then moved back near her hometown of Eugene, living in the country (tragically Laurie died of complications from asthma) b. June 26th 1957.

August 26th.
1908: Antonio Pastor (71) American impresario, variety performer and theatre owner who became one of the founding forces behind American vaudeville in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. The strongest elements of his entertainments were an almost jingoistic brand of United States patriotism and a strong commitment to attracting a mixed-gender audience, the latter being something revolutionary in the male-oriented variety halls of the mid-century. He embarked on a show business career at a very young age, obtaining a job singing at P.T. Barnum's Scudder's American Museum. During the next few years he worked in minstrel shows, the circus business, and as a comic singer in variety revues. He established himself as a popular songwriter during a four-year run at Robert Butler's American Music Hall, a variety theatre located at 444 Broadway in what is now called Soho but was then the heart of the lower Manhattan theatre district. He also published "songsters", books of his lyrics which were sung to popular tunes. In 1881 Antonio took a lease on the former Germania Theatre on 14th Street in the same building that housed Tammany Hall. He alternated his theatre's presentations between operettas and family-oriented variety shows, creating what became known as vaudeville. His theatre featured performers such as Ben Harney presenting a new style called "ragtime" as well as other up-and-coming talents such as Lillian Russell, May Irwin and George M. Cohan. (?) b. May 28th 1837
1958: Ralph Vaughan Williams (87) English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song which influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, containing many folk song arrangements set as hymn tunes, in addition to several original compositions. (?) b. October 12th 1872.
1976: Lotte Lehmann (88) German soprano opera & actress singer, born in Perleberg. After studying in Berlin with Mathilde Mallinger, she made her debut in Hamburg Opera in 1910 as a Page in Wagner's Lohengrin. Lotte went on to appear at all the top opera houses around the world. In 1930, she made her US debut in Chicago as Sieglinde in Wagner's Die Walküre. In addition to her operatic work, she was a renowned singer of lieder, giving frequent recitals throughout her career. Beginning with her first recital tour to Australia in 1937, with her accompianist Paul Ulanowsky, who remained her primary accompianist for concerts and master classes up until her retirement. She was also famous for her interpretation of Leonore in Beethoven's Fidelio. Just before Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938, Lotte emigrated to the USA, where she sang at the San Francisco Opera and the Metropolitan Opera until 1945. After her retirement from the recital stage in 1951, Lotte taught master classes at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, which she helped found in 1947. She also gave master classes in Chicago, London, Vienna and others. The Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara was named in her honor (?) b. February 27th 1888.
1981: Lee Hays (67) American folk-singer-songwriter born in Little Rock, Arkansas, best known for singing bass with The Weavers. Throughout his life, he was concerned with overcoming racism, inequality, and violence in society. Hays wrote or co-wrote "Wasn't That a Time?", "If I Had a Hammer, "and "Kisses Sweeter than Wine", which became Weaver's staples. He also familiarized audiences with songs of the '30s labor movement, such as "We Shall Not be Moved" (died from diabetic cardiovascular disease at home in Croton) b. March 14th 1914
1988: Carlos Manuel de Marques Paião (30) Popular Portugese singer, accordionist and song-writer; He represented Portugal at the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Playback and he penned some 500 songs some of which became national hits. He was also a doctor, having graduated in Medicine in 1983, but his great passion, was music (killed in a car accident in Ponte Amieira, near the city of Rio Maior, while returning from a concert) b. November 1st 1957.
1995: Ronnie White (57) American producer, songwriter and singer with the Chimes, Miracles and very early on sang as a duo Ron & Bill with childhood friend William 'Smokey' Robinson. After which the pair founded the group the Miracles. He co-wrote with Smokey classics including, "Ain't That Peculiar", "My Girl", "Don't Look Back", and "You Beat Me to the Punch". He also played a key role in the career of Stevie Wonder, who was Ronnie's 11-year-old neighbor, and he brought him to the attention of Motown head, Berry Gordy Jr. Ronnie can be seen performing with the Miracles on the 2006 DVD release: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles:The Definitive Performances 1963-1987 and in The T.A.M.I. Show (1964). He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on March 20, 2009 along with the other original members of The Miracles (lost his battle with leukemia) b. April 5th 1939.
2000: Douglas Allen Woody (43) American bass guitarist best known for his work in the rock groups The Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, The Artimus Pyle Band, The Peter Criss Band, Blue Floyd, and Montage. He joined The Allman Brothers along with guitarist Warren Haynes upon the group's reunion in 1989. Douglas and Haynes formed side project Gov't Mule in 1994 with former Dicky Betts drummer Matt Abts. Haynes and Douglas decided to leave The Allman Brothers Band in 1997 to put a full-time effort into Gov't Mule (a chambermaid found Woody, lying dead inside a room at the Marriott Courtyard Motel on the Grand Central Parkway, an autopsy performed was inconclusive) b. October 3rd 1955.
2004: David Myers (80) American cinematographer born in Auburn, New York. During the 60's he traveled the world shooting documentaries for both National Geographic and the United Nations (he was a pioneer in the field of cinema verite). But it was his vital and substantial work on the classic Oscar-winning landmark rock concert documentary "Woodstock" that really cemented David's status as a top cinematographer of rock documentaries. Among the other rock documentaries he photographed are "Johnny Cash in San Quentin," "Elvis on Tour," "Mad Dogs and Englishmen," "Soul to Soul," "Wattstax," "Let the Good Times Roll," "Save the Children," "Cracked Actor: A Film About David Bowie", "The Grateful Dead," Martin Scorsese's "The Last Waltz," Neil Young's "Rust Never Sleeps," and Joni Mitchell's "Shadows and Light." David also shot the Oscar-winning documentary "Marjoe" and the speculative paranormal documentary "The Mysterious Monsters." Outside of his documentary credits, Myers was the cinematographer for such fiction pictures as George Lucas' debut feature "THX 1138," "Welcome to L.A.," Bob Dylan's "Renaldo and Clara," "FM," "Roadie," "Zoot Suit," and "UFOria" (sadly died from a stroke). (not to be confused with Dave Myers American music video director) b. May 8th 1914.
2004: Laura Branigan (47) American singer-songwriter and actress; she is best known in the US for her 1982 Platinum-certified hit "Gloria" and in Europe for the No.1 single "Self Control", Top 10 hit "Solitaire," and for the No.1 Adult Contemporary hit "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You." Laura also contributed songs to films and television soundtracks, including the Grammy- and Academy Award-winning Flashdance soundtrack, the Ghostbusters soundtrack, and the Baywatch soundtrack, as well as having songs featured in the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series. Her signature song "Gloria" stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 36 weeks, at the time a record for a female artist. The song holds a place in the top 100 singles of both 1982 and 1983. She also played Janis Joplin in the American musical "Love, Janis". (sadly died from a brain aneurysm) b. July 3rd 1957.
2005: Denis D'Amour aka Piggy (45) Canadian guitarist, he was trained in classical violin as a child, but influenced by progressive rock artists such as King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Rush he took up the electric guitar. In 1982 he became a founding member of the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod a band he played with until his untimely death. His approach to music was anarchic and experimental rather than strict and theoretical. Since their debut record in 1984, Voivod with Denis have released 10 studio albums as well as one EP, one live album, two compilations, seven demos and one DVD featuring a live concert. The band found mainstream success in the late 1980s with its most successful album Nothingface-1989, which was the first Voivod album to enter the Billboard 200 charts (sadly Denis died while battling colon cancer) b. September 24th 1959.
2007: Uncle John Turner (63) American drummer was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. He first played drums with Jerry LaCroix. Unc met the Winter brothers and performed with them a few times as a substitute. In 1968, Unc convinced Johnny to try a full blown blues band and sent for his friend Tommy Shannon to play bass. This group quickly got natonal recognition and began making records and shortly after that played Woodstock, with Edgar Winter as the fourth member. By late 1970, they had split up and Uncle John and Tommy moved to Austin and formed a band called Krackerjack, which had Stevie Ray Vaughan as one of the major guitarists, along with Jesse Taylor, John Stahely, and Robin Siler. Unc then moved to Houston for a while and made records with Isaac Payton Sweat, Ezra Charles, and Joey Long and played and recorded the next four years with Alan Haynes. Uncle John then joined Paul Orta and made three albums with him before he and Appa Perry began the Blues Power project, which was Uncle John and Appa and different artists, including Alan Haynes, Tony Redman, Mike Keller, Matt Farrell, Matthew Robinson, John McVey, Mark Goodwin, Erin "Icewater" James, Eve Moncees, Gary Clark Jr., Shawn Pittman, and Sweet Basil McJagger. Uncle John has jammed with B. B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Lightnin' Hopkins, to mention a few and has also recorded with Walter "Shakey" Horton, Willie Dixon, Albert Collins, Nuno Mindelis (the Blues King of Brazil), Benoît Blue Boy (the godfather of French blues), Lazy Lester, and many more (?) b. August 20th 1944.
2009: Ellie Gaye/Eleanor Greenwich (68) American singer and songwriter; born in Brooklyn, New York, at 17, under the name Ellie Gaye, she recorded her first single, the self-written "Silly Isn't It" b/w "Cha-Cha Charming" while attending Queens College, Greenwich. At this time she met up and coming songwriter Jeff Barry and soon the pair began writing songs together. Along with Jeff she was a co-writer of "Tell Laura I Love Her," in 1960. Soon after they were signed to the famed Brill Building and began writing and producing for Phil Spector's short-lived Philles label. In 1962 Ellie and Jeff married and decided to write songs exclusively with each other. Before the end of 1963, Barry-Greenwich had scored hits with songs such as "Be My Baby" and "Baby, I Love You" (The Ronettes), "Chapel Of Love" (The Dixie Cups), "Then He Kissed Me" and "Da Doo Ron Ron" (The Crystals), "Not Too Young To Get Married" (Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans), and "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love. Greenwich and Barry also recorded singles and an album under the name The Raindrops, with Ellie providing all the female vocals through overdubbing, and Jeff singing backgrounds in a bass voice. They wrote many hits at this time including "Hanky Panky", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Cherry Cherry", "Kentucky Woman", "I Can Hear Music", "River Deep, Mountain High" to mention a few. In 1967, Ellie formed Pineywood Music with Mike Rashkow, they worked with The Fuzzy Bunnies, Dusty Springfield, The Definitive Rock Chorale, The Other Voices, and The Hardy Boys. She went on to collaborate with other writers such as Ellen Foley and Jeff Kent as well as providing backing vocals on many hits over her long career. As well as the above she also worked with Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, Elton John, Cher, Tina Turner, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, Celine Dion, U2, Twisted Sister and Hanson and many others have recorded her songs. In 1984 she involved herself in a musical based on her life titled Leader of the Pack. In 1991, Ellie and Jeff Barry were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Ellie's songs have earned her over 25 gold and platinum records and sales in the tens of millions along with over 33 BMI Awards and numerous civic and Hofstra-Alumni citations (heart attack) b. October 23rd 1940.
2010: Néstor Zavarce (74) Venezuelan actor, composer and singer; he had many hits in the 50s and 60s including "El Pajaro Chogüi", "Amanecer a la Vida”, “Si Muero antes de Despertar”, “Tres Muchachos y una Chica” and “Armiño Negro”. He was also a popular big screen and soap opera actor who got his big break in "La Balandra Isabel Llego Esta Tarde", a joint Argentine-Venezuelan production that won the award for best photography at the the 1950 Cannes Film Festival. He retired from show business in 1974 and from public life in 1984. (heart attack) b. April 9th 1936.
2011: Lorenzo Morales (97) Colombian vallenato singer, composer, and musician; also known as “Moralito,” he first achieved recognition for his accordion playing at the age of 17. He went on to become famous for such songs as “La Gota Fria,” “El Errante,” “La Primavera,” and “La Carta y La Mala Situacion”. He is considered one of the great vallenato legends and The Festival Vallenato Legend in Valledupar honored him as "king for life" (sadly Lorenzo died from respiratory and kidney problems as well as chronic anaemia) b. June 14th 1914.
2011: Liz Meyer (59) American award winning bluegrass singer-songwriter, born in Washington DC, but has lived in the Netherlands since 1985. Her songs have been recorded by bluegrass and folk acts in the USA and Europe, including Del McCoury, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, Emmylou Harris, Kate MacKenzie, Acousticure, Red Wine and Nugget. During the past two decades Liz produced more than 30 albums, including CDs by singer-songwriters David Olney and Jonathan Edwards and those in the European World of Bluegrass series (sadly Liz died after a decade long, brave battle with cancer) b. March 7th 1952.
2011: B. Jeff Stone (75) American rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist, born in San Antonio, Texas. At the age of 18 he recorded his first self penned 45 "The Clown" / "Everybody Rock", for Charlie Fitch who owned a small record company (SARG) located in Luling, Texas. He has worked with the likes of Marty Robbins, Willie Nelson and Jim Ed Brown and headed up bands called The Westernaires and The Newsboys. His chart hits over the years include "Hey Little News Boy", "Everybody Loves Me", "Hello Mr. Heartache", "When it's Christmas Time in Texas" and "Mary Ann Regrets". He was also a former columnist for the Corsicana Daily Sun, having penned a regular feature on country music. In addition to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame honor, Jeff is a member of The Florida Greater Southern Country Music Hall of Fame, the Texas-Lone Star State Country Music Hall of Fame, the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame, and the European ICMAG Country Music Hall of Fame. He also won numerous awards throughout the United States and Europe for his career (?) b. April 24th 1936.

August 27th.
1967: Brian Epstein (32) British music entrepreneur, and the manager of The Beatles. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black and The Remo Four. His management company was named NEMS Enterprises, after his family's music stores, called NEMS (North End Music Stores). Brian paid for The Beatles to record a demo in Decca's studios, which he later persuaded George Martin to listen to, as Decca was not interested in signing the band. Brian was then offered a contract by Martin on behalf of EMI's small Parlophone label, even though they had previously been rejected by almost every other British record company. Martin later explained that Epstein's enthusiasm and his confidence that The Beatles would one day become internationally famous convinced him to sign them. (died of an accidental overdose of brandy and barbiturates) b. September 19th 1934
1975: Bob Scholl (37) American singer born in Mt. Vernon, NY; he was leader and founding member of the vocal group The Mellow Kings, originally called the Mellotones. The other members included Robert's brother Jerry Scholl, Ed Quinn, Neil Arena, and Larry Esposito, all students from George Washington High. They released several records including "The Chapel on the Hill," and "Baby Tell Me Why Why Why" before their chart hit "Tonite, Tonite" in 1958. The group appeared in revival shows in the late 60's and early 70's. (died in a boating accident in New York) b. July 14th 1938.
1976: Mukesh Chand Mathur (53) Indian playback singer of Bollywood, born in Ludhiana; his first song was "dil hi bujha hua ho to" as an actor singer for Nirdosh. He got his break as a playback singer for Actor Motilal in 1945 with the film Pehli Nazar' with Music by Anil Biswas & Lyrics by Aah Sitapuri'/First Look. The first song that he sang for a Hindi film was Dil Jalta Hai to Jalne De/If the heart burns, let it burn. In 1974, received National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song Kain baar yoon bhi dekhaa hai from Rajnigandha-1974, and Filmfare Awards for the songs Sab Kuch Seekha in the movie Anari-1959, Sabse bada naadan wahi hai in Pehchaan-1970, Jai Bolo in Be Imaan-1972 and Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein, the title song of Kabhie Kabhie-1976. Mukesh left such an impact on the Hindi Film Industry that they are still remembered to date (sadly died of a heart attack while in Detroit, Michigan, where he had gone to perform in a concert) b. July 22nd 1923.
1980: Gene Kardos (81) American saxophone player and bandleader; he led a New York orchestra from 1931 to 1938. The band's early swing sound earned it a large following and made it a regular at the Roseland Ballroom. The group made its first recording for RCA in 1931, they made several early recordings under the name of Gene's pianist Joel Shaw. Vocalist Dick Robertson was featured on many of those early recordings. Later recordings made under Gene's name, vocalists included Chick Bullock, Pat Henry, Don Carrol, Cecil Bridge, Lee Russell, Jackie Gale, and Bea Wain (?) b. June 12th 1899.
1981: Ronnie Self (43) American rockabilly singer and songwriter. he had a chart hit single "Bop-A-Lena", recorded in 1957 and released in 1958. His boastful country anthem "Ain't I'm a Dog" was a regional hit in the South, but failed to score nationally. However, Brenda Lee's cover of his songs "I'm Sorry" and "Sweet Nothin's" became major pop classics and his country gospel song "Ain't That Beautiful Singing", recorded by Jake Hess, was awarded a Grammy for Best Sacred Performance in 1969 (?) b. July 5th 1938.
1987: Scott la Rock/Scott Sterling (25) American hip hop DJ; he was the original DJ for the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. Working as a social worker, Scott met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at the Franklin Men's Shelter in the Bronx where KRS was staying. The pair, together with rapper D-Nice, formed Boogie Down Productions. Their 1987 debut album, Criminal Minded, was an instant hit. After Scott's violent death KRS-One continued Boogie Down Productions, crediting subsequent releases as being "Overseen by Scott La Rock". The "Stop the Violence Movement" was in large a result of his murder. (Scot was shot in New York, after trying to defuse a disagreement; a victim of the Brooklyn - Bronx street war, he died in the operating room within one hour of being shot) b. March 2nd 1962.
1990: Stevie Ray Vaughan (36) American blues, country, rock, guitarist, lead singer and guitarist for the band Double Trouble. He was inspired to play guitar by his older brother, Jimmie Vaughan, and was influenced by such players as Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy. After a few years as a sideman in and around Austin, Stevie formed the band Double Trouble, with whom he made four successful studio albums and established a reputation as one of the foremost blues guitarists in the world. He was noted for using the Fender Stratocaster, with several guitars being made in tribute to him, including a Signature Stratocaster and a replica of his famous Strat named "Lenny". In 1986, after years of substance abuse from alcohol and cocaine, he spent a month in drug rehabilitation, and remained clean and sober for the final four years of his life. On February 22nd 2000, he was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C., being one of only 79 performers to be inducted; honored with 13 Grammy Nominations, presented with 5; and he also won several W. C. Handy Awards, during his lifetime and posthumously, including Entertainer of the Year and Instrumentalist of the Year in 1984. In 2003, he was ranked No.7 in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Classic Rock Magazine ranked him No.3 in their list of the 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes in 2007 (Tragically he was killed with four others within seconds after takeoff in a helicopter crash en route to Chicago) b. October 3rd 1954.
1997: Sotiria Bellou (76) Greek singer and performer of the Greek rebetiko style of music. She was one of the most famous rebetisas of all, mentioned in many music guides, and a contributor to the '84 British Documentary entitled Music of the Outsiders. On 14 March 2010, Alpha TV ranked Sotiria the 22nd top-certified female artist in the nation's phonographic era (Sotiria died battling cancer, although she was particularly admired by artists, critics, and the public, she was alone and ignored towards the end of her life and sadly only a handful of people supported her in the last stages of her year-long fight with cancer) b. August 22nd 1921.
1998: Ras Sam Brown (72) Jamaican roots reggae singer, poet; well known in Kingston for his politics after he stood in the 1961 elections for his Suffering People's Party. He received fewer than 100 votes, yet by being the first rasta to ever stand for politics his influence has been greater than this statistic suggests, especially as at the time there was generalised feeling in the Rastafarian movement that Rastas do not vote. In 1996 he became a roots reggae singer and poet with an album called History, Past and Present. Ras was the first rasta to ever stand for politics in 1961 (died while attending an international trade fair in Barbados) b. December 16th 1925.
2000: Richard "Snax" Jaeger (52) American blues and jazz percussionist; born in San Diego, California, he has worked with many greats including Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, The Pointer Sisters, The BoDeans, Jimi Hendrix and many others (?) b. November 9th 1947.
2005: Giorgos Mouzakis (83) Greek songwriter and musician, he performed first as a trumpeter in 1938, recording his first album in 1946. He studied at the Athens Conservatoire 1939–47 and in Austria and Germany 1952–54. Many of his compositions were for the theatre. A productive composer, his opus consists of some 2,500 tunes and songs for over 200 plays, 20 musical comedies, and about 60 films. His best know compositions are: "The Slave Woman", "My Weakness", "A friend from the past", "The Hymn of Panathinaikos" and "I whistle to you". He was a member of the Greek Composers' Society and National Music Association and performed widely in Greece and abroad including America, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Poland and Romania. A resident of Athens, Mouzakis received a presidential distinction in 2003 (?) b. August 15th 1922.
2007: Doug Riley (62) Canadian keyboardist and informally referred to as "Doctor Music"; born in Toronto, he graduated at the University of Toronto and studied with the Royal Conservatory of Music. Doug spent two decades with the internationally renowned black light theatre company, The Famous People Players as its musical director, as well as his participating on over 300 album projects in various genres. From 1993-2000 he was voted Jazz Organist of the Year at the Jazz Report Awards and in 2003 he was honored with The Order of Canada (heart failure) b. April 24th 1945.
2006: Jesse Pintado (38) US-Mexican metal guitarist; born in Mexico, but moved to America at a young age. He started in the band Terrorizer where he recorded the grindcore album World Downfall, before he joined Napalm Death immediately prior to the recording of their album Harmony Corruption. Jesse recorded 13 albums with the band which included 4 live albums. Whilst in Napalm Death, he had also played with bassist Shane Embury in Lock Up, releasing two albums. Jesse, under the name of Cristo de Pisto also played for Brujeria on their 2000-album Brujerizmo. In 2004 he officially left Napalm Death and revived Terrorizer, recruiting Tony Norman of Monstrosity and Anthony Rezhawk; he and Pete Sandoval were the only original members. He relocated to Ridderkerk in the Netherland. In 2006, with Terrorizer he released thier second and album Darker Days Ahead (a few weeks after the release of his album Darker Days Ahead, Jesse died in hospital in the Netherlands due to liver failure after a diabetes-induced coma) b. July 12th 1969.
2009: Antonio Virgilio Savona (89) Italian singer, composer and musician; born at Palermo, Sicily, he started to study music at the age of six. After high-school, Antonio enrolled at the Saint Cecilia's Conservatory in Rome to study piano. In 1941 he replaced Iacopo Jacomelli in a vocal quartet, Quartetto Egie, which changed its name to Quartetto Ritmo and then to Quartetto Cetra one year later. Besides singing, Antonio was the group's composer and arranger. He wrote the music while Tata Giacobetti, also a member of the quartet, wrote the lyrics. They worked together for over 40 years, producing 100's of songs which made up Quartetto Cetra's vast repertoire. During 1970s he was also active as pianist, orchestra conductor, arranger and producer and started researching folk songs. In 1991 he wrote an autobiographical book about Quartetto Cetra, published by Sperling & Kupfer. Antonio also composed music and wrote scripts for radio and TV programs, stage shows and movies (Antonio sadly died from Parkinson's disease) b. January 1st 1920