JANUARY BIRTHDAYS and DEATHS: MUSICIAN BIRTHDATES, CELEBRITY DEATHS

January ??
2009: Ron Asheton (60) (death announced on January 6th) American guitarist and original member of The Stooges, the influential protopunk band founded in Ann Arbor in 1967, his distorted guitar was a hallmark of the Iggy Pop-led group. He appeared as guitarist on the Stooges first two albums, and later appeared as bassist for their third, "Raw Power", when he was replaced in both instrument and songwriting prominence by The Stooges' new guitar player, James Williamson. When the Stooges reformed in 2007, he once again appeared as the band's guitarist, they released "The Weirdness," their first album in three decades. Apart from The Stooges, he also played in the bands The New Order (not the UK band New Order), Destroy All Monsters, New Race, Dark Carnival, Empty Set, The Powertrane and more recently with Mike Watt, J. Mascis, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Mark Arm of Mudhoney among others. He was named the 29th greatest guitarist of all time in 2003 by Rolling Stone.
(Found dead on his settee in his apartment in Ann Arbor, Michigan, of a probable heart attack. He had been dead for several days) b. July 17th 1948.

January 1st
1953: Hank Williams/Hiram King Williams (29) US legendary country singer, guitarist, songwriter; he has become an icon of country music and one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century. A leading pioneer of the honky tonk style, his songbook is one of the backbones of country music, and several of his songs are pop standards as well. He had 11 number one hits in his career, "Lovesick Blues", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me?", "Moanin' the Blues", "Cold, Cold Heart", "Hey Good Lookin'", "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive", "Kaw-Liga", "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Take These Chains From My Heart"—as well as many other top-ten hits. He is ranked No.2 in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003, behind only Johnny Cash. His son Hank Williams, Jr., daughter Jett Williams, grandson Hank Williams III, and granddaughters Hilary Williams and Holly Williams are also country musicians (died of a heart attack; before leaving the old Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, he injected himself with B12 and morphine. He then left in a chauffeur driven Cadillac, though contrary to popular belief, he did not have a bottle of whiskey with him. The only items found in the backseat of his car were a few cans of beer and the hand-written lyrics to an unrecorded song. When the 17-year-old chauffeur Charles Carr pulled over at an all-night service station in Oak Hill, West Virginia, he discovered that Williams was unresponsive and becoming rigid. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that Hank Williams was dead.. Over 20,000 mourners attended his funeral) b.September 17th 1923.
1984: Alexis Korner (55) French writer, radio broadcaster, pioneering blues and jazz guitarist, sometimes referred to as "the Founding Father of British Blues". A major influence on the sound of the British music scene in the 1960s . after starting out in the Chris Barber Band in the late 40s, he and Cyril Davies started working together and in 1961, they formed Blues Incorporated, initially a loose-knit group of musicians with a shared love of electric blues and R&B music. The group included, at various times, such influential musicians as Charlie Watts, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Long John Baldry, Graham Bond, Danny Thompson and Dick Heckstall-Smith.In 1970 he formed the group C.C.S. short for The Collective Consciousness Society, in 1973, he formed another group, Snape, with Boz Burrell, Mel Collins, and Ian Wallace, and in 1981, he joined "supergroup" Rocket 88, a project led by Ian Stewart based around boogie-woogie keyboard players, which featured a rhythm section comprising Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts, among others, as well as a horn section (lung cancer) b. April 19th 1928.
1991: Buck Ram (73) US manager and songwriter to The Platters; he wrote 99% of the Platter's hits such as "Only You", "The Great Pretender", "Twilight Time", he also wrote, produced and/or arranged for The Coasters, The Drifters, Ike and Tina Turner, Ike Cole, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others. He wrote the lyrics to "I'll Be Home For Christmas" as a sixteen year old college student as a gift for his mother. In 1942, Buck''s publisher chose to hold the song for release because they were going to release Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" first. Not completely satisfied with the song, Ram discussed his concerns with two acquaintances in a bar. He left a copy of the song with them but never discussed it with them again. Both Buck and his publisher were shocked when the song was released. His s publisher sued and won. (?) b. November 21st 1907.
1997: Townes Van Zandt (52) US country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, poet; throughout his career he was widely admired by fellow songwriters, particularly in the folk and country genres, but greater fame eluded him, in part because of his unconventional vocal style and in part because of his erratic personal behavior. Many of his songs, including "Pancho and Lefty," "If I Needed You," and "To Live's to Fly," have been recorded by other notable performers and are considered standards of their genre. His songs have been covered by such notable and varied musicians as Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Merle Haggard, Hoyt Axton, Tindersticks, Devendra Banhart, Norah Jones, Lyle Lovett, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, The Be Good Tanyas, Gillian Welch, and the Dixie Chicks. The film "Be Here to Love Me" chronicling the artist's life and legacy was released in the United States in 2006 (massive pulmonary embolus, blood clot in the lungs) b. March 7th 1944.
1997: Hagood Hardy (57) Canadian composer, pianist, vibraphonist. He is best known for the 1975 single, "The Homecoming," and for his soundtrack to the Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea films. In the 1960's he played vibraphone in the bands of Martin Denny, Gigi Gryce, Herbie Mann and George Shearing. In 1992 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.(?) b. February 26th 1937.
2007: Del Reeves (74) US country singer; he became one of the most successful male country singers of the 1960s, best known for his "girl-watching" novelty-type songs such as "The Girl on the Billboard" and "The Belles of Southern Bell", both highlights from his career. He is also known for his 1968 trucker's anthem "Looking at the World through a Windshield" which proved he was capable of singing more than just novelty songs. He and his wife became a songwriting team, writing songs for the likes of Rose Maddox, Carl Smith and Roy Drusky, to name a few. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1966, his last Opry performance was in August 2002.(emphysema) b. July 14th 1942
2007: Thaddeus "Tad" Jones (54) US music historian and researcher best known for discovering Louis Armstrong's correct birthdate. He was co-author of "Up From the Cradle of Jazz", long anticipated book on the early life of Louis Armstrong was almost complete when he died. He was also responsible for conducting numerous interviews with musicians from every period and style of New Orleans music, many of which are housed in the William Ransom Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University. He also served as consultant for documentaries and films (died unexpectedly from a fall) b. September 19th 1952.
2009: Walter Haynes (80) American steel guitarist and music producer who worked with such artists as Jimmy Dickens, Del Reeves, The Everly Brothers and Jeanne Pruett. He also co-wrote a number of songs including "Girl on the Billboard" - a song that became a #1 hit for Del Reeves in 1965. An addition to his time in Dickens’ Country Boys group, he worked the road with Ferlin Husky and Webb Pierce. He also worked for 13 years as a staff musician on the Grand Ole Opry. In the studio, he was versatile enough to play on such disparate recordings as Dickens’ rockabilly-fused “Hey Worm! (You Wanna Wiggle),” to Patsy Cline’s elegant “Walkin’ After Midnight” to rocker J.J. Cale’s 1971 Naturally album.
He was also a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame and at the time of his death he had been teaching music lessons in Bullard, Texas (?) b. 1928.

January 2
1973: Joe Harriott/Joe Arthurlin (44) Jamacian alto saxophonist; initially a bebopper, he is now widely acknowledged as one of the worldwide pioneers of free jazz. He was educated at Kingston's famed Alpha Boys School, which produced a number of prominent Jamaican musicians. He moved to the UK as a working musician in 1951 and lived in the country for the rest of his life.He worked freelance and in the band of trumpeter Pete Pitterson. In 1954, he landed an important gig with drummer Tony Kinsey; the next year he played in saxophonist Ronnie Scott's big band. His first album as a leader was 1959's Southern Horizon. He was big influence in the British Jazz world (cancer) b. July 15th 1928.
1977: Errol Garner (55) U.S. pianist and composer, one of the most virtuosic and popular pianists in jazz. He was influenced by Fats Waller and was entirely self-taught. He spelled Art Tatum in the latter's trio in 1945 and subsequently formed his own three-piece group, achieving commercial success with Concert by the Sea in 1958, one of the best-selling albums in jazz. He wrote some 200 songs, including “Misty,” “Dreamy,” and “Solitaire.” He developed a unique style of piano playing and toured throughout the world from the 1940s through the 1960s. Amazingly he never learnt to read music and remained an "ear player" all his life (?) b. June 15th 1951.
1981: David Lynch (52) Original member of the Platters - tenor singer Mr. Lynch, a native of St. Louis, and Tony Williams, along with the leader, Herbert Reed, and Paul Robi, formed the popular singing group in 1953 and made their first hit record, ''Only You,'' in 1955. Their second big hit, ''The Great Pretender,'' became even more popular and provided the group with its first gold record. Mr. Lynch left the group in the early 1970's.(cancer)
1997: Randy California (45) US guitarist, singer, songwriter and one of the original members of the rock group Spirit (drowned while rescuing his 12-year old son when he was sucked into a riptide in the surf off Hawaii).
2000: Nathaniel Adderley (68) American jazz cornetist who played in the hard bop and soul jazz genres. He was the brother of saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley ().
2002: Armi Aavikko (43) Finnish singer; best known for her duets with Ilkka Lipsanen, (artist name "Danny"). She was chosen as Miss Finland in 1977 (pneumonia, brought on by chronic alcoholism)
2002: Zak Foley (31) UK bassist with EMF; thrown out of school at 16 for having long hair, he gravitated towards the local indie music scene. He played for the IUCs before joining EMF on its formation in 1989. After finding a Casio sampler and sequencer in a local charity shop, they added a light techno element to their rock-orientated sound, and within a year Unbelievable had conquered the charts, reaching number 3 in the UK charts and was a number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and their debut album, Schubert Dip, went to number 3 in the UK Albums Chart. They made 2 more albums, 92's "Stigma" and 95's "Cha Cha Cha" . The band split after Zak's death (died due to an overdose of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, barbiturates and alcohol). b. December 9th 1970.
2006: Bill DeArango (84) US jazz guitarist, played and recorded with all icons like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (dementia).
2008: Ben Marlin (31) US bassist with the brutal death metal band Disgorge (cancer).

January 3
1967: Mary Garden (92) an important Scottish soprano with a substantial career in France and America in the first third of the 20th century. She was described as "the Sarah Bernhardt of opera". (dementia).
1980: Amos Milburn (52) US blues & boogie pianist, singer; one of the greatest pioneers in the history of R&B pounded out some of the most hellacious boogies of the postwar era, usually recording in Los Angeles for Aladdin Records, specializing in good-natured upbeat romps about booze and its effects (good & bad) that proved massive hits during the immediate pre-rock era. (heart problems)
1981: David Lynch (51) tenor vocals; one of the original members of the Platters singing group formed in the 1950's(cancer)
2002: Juan García Esquivel (83) Mexican band leader, pianist, and film score composer. He's known today mostly for creating unique jazz and lounge music. He arranged many traditional Mexican songs like "Besame Mucho", "La Bamba", "El Manisero"(Cuban/Mexican) and "La Bikina"(?)

January 4
1970: Neil Boland () Chauffeur (The Who's drummer, Keith Moon ran over him. Moon was escaping from a Gang of skinheads after a fight broke out at a pub in Hatfield, England. Moon had never passed his driving test).
1981: Ruth Lowe (66) Canadian songwriter, pianist; She wrote the song "I'll Never Smile Again" after her husband died during surgery. The song was later covered by many artists, including Frank Sinatra (his first great hit) and The Ink Spots. Also she composed the Frank Sinatra hit "Put Your Dreams Away", Frank's 'signature' song, and was played at his funeral (?).
1986: Phil Lynott (36) Irish singer, bassist, songwriter, composer, founder member of Thin Lizzy (heart failure and pneumonia after being in a coma for eight days following a drug overdose)
1991: Leo Wright (57) A first-rate bop-oriented alto saxophonist, clarinetist, he was also one of the finest flutists jazz has known.().
1998: John Gary (66) American pop vocalist, crooner; considered by many to be one of the best crooners due to his extaordinary breath control and tonal quality of his voice. He had an exceptionally wide range of three octaves ()
2004: Jake Hess (76) American singer Grammy Award-winning gospel singer in the southern United States and founder of The Imperials (heart attack).
2008: Keith Baxter (36) British rock drummer; founder member of 'Skyclad', recording five albums with them before joining '3 Colours Red' or '3CR'. (liver failure).

January 5
1976: Mal Evans (40) Roadie, Beatles (shot dead by police at his Los Angeles apartment; he pointed a rifle at the police while upset).
1979: Charles Mingus (56) Jazz pianist & bassist, bandleader (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis popularly known as Lou Gehrig's disease).
1997: Burton Lane/Burton Levy (84) American composer and lyricist; best known for his Broadway musicals, "Finian's Rainbow" and "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever", He also wrote the music for the Broadway shows, Hold On to Your Hats, Laffing Room Only, Junior Miss, and Carmelina. He wrote music for many films such as Dancing Lady, Babes on Broadway, and Some Like it Hot. For a time, he was president of the American Guild of Authors and Composers, during which period he campaigned against music piracy. He also served three terms on the board of directors of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). He is credited with discovering the 11-year-old Frances Gumm aka Judy Garland Lane's best-known songs include "Old Devil Moon," "How are Things In Glocca Morra?", "Too Late Now," "How About You?", and the title song from "On a Clear Day." He shared a Grammy Award in 1965 for Best Broadway Cast Album of the year "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" (?) b. February 2nd 1912.
1998: Sonny Bono (62) Singer duo Sonny & Cher, solo (killed in a skiing accident at a resort near Lake Tahoe).
1998: Ken Forssi (55) US bassist; Love /studio sessionist (brain cancer).
2005: Danny Sugerman (50) US music manager; the second manager of the Los Angeles based rock band The Doors, and wrote several books about Jim Morrison and The Doors, including 'No One Here Gets Out Alive' co-authored with Jerry Hopkins, and the autobiography 'Wonderland Avenue'. He also managed Iggy Pop, and wrote Appetite For Destruction: The Days of Guns 'N Roses (lung cancer).
2009: Sam "Bluzman" Taylor (74) American singer-songwriter and guitarist whose music has been recorded by everyone from Elvis Presley and Son Seals to DMX and EPMD. He was part of Joey Dee & The Starlighters when they had their hit "Peppermint Twist" in 1962. Through the 1970s, he spent his days writing, producing, arranging and teaching more notably for 1970s legendary Funk/Soul group B.T Express when they had their No.1 R&B hits "Do It (Til You're Satisfied)" and "Express" in 1974/1975. He was also well known for his own blues work, of more than 12 albums, including "I Came from Dirt" and 2004's "Voice of the Blues", and his appearances at Long Island blues clubs. In 2006 he was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and just before his death, he released his autobiography "Caught In The Jaws Of The Blues" (heart disease) b. October 25th 1934.
2009: Claude Jeter (94) American gospel music singer, known for his falsetto vocals; one time member of the Dixie Hummingbirds, he formed the Four Harmony Kings in 1938 with his brother and two fellow coal miners, which was later renamed as the Silvertone Singers. After the group was hired by a radio program based in Knoxville, Tennessee that was sponsored by the local Swan Bakery, they were renamed as the Swan Silvertones, the group would eventually become one of the most popular gospel quartets of the post-war era. During the 1950s many of the elements of the group's style resembled the then-prevalent rhythm and blues vocal group style. He received many offers to perform R&B or rock and roll, but rejected them all, citing a commitment he had made to his mother that he would always sing for the Lord () b.October 26th 1914.

January 6
1980: Georgeanna Marie Tillman (36) US singer with the Marvelettes, Motown (sickle cell anemia).
1986: Joe Farrell/Joseph Carl Firrantello (48) US jazz saxophonist and flutist; well known for his performance with Chick Corea in Return to Forever, as well as a series of albums under his own name on the CTI label having a major hit with his third album “Moon Gems,” in 1972, backed by top sidemen including Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and Jack DeJohnette. He also recorded with Charles Mingus, The Band, Maynard Ferguson Big Band, Slide Hampton, Andrew Hill, Average White Band, Jaki Byard, Hall & Oates, Fuse One and Elvin Jones among others (died of bone cancer) b. December 16th 1937.
1993: John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (75) US jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer. He was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz (cancer).
1996: Adrienne Brown (47) James Brown's wife. (suffered a heart attack during a major plastic surgery operation)
1999: Michel Petrucciani (36) French jazz pianist (died at from a pulmonary infection).
2005: Les Robinson (90) American jazz musician; started on the trumpet, but famous for playing and recording alto-sax and sometimes clarenet with the big swing bands of Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Howard Thomas to mention just a few. He was Artie Shaw's lead alto on the classic "Begin the Beguine" and all Artie Shaw's recordings from 1937 to 1939 (?) b. Nov 10th 1914
2006: Lou Rawls (72) US jazz-soul-R&B singer/songwriter (lung cancer).
2007: "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow (72) Pedal steel guitarist, co-founded influential 1960s country rock group the Flying Burrito Brothers.
(complications of Alzheimer's disease).
2009: Ronald Frank Asheton (60) date his death was announced - US guitarist and co-songwriter with Iggy Pop and rock band The Stooges ~ MORE INFO AT TOP of Deaths b. July 17th 1948.

January 7
1964: Cyril Davies (32) one of the first UK blues harmonica players and blues musician. (leukaemia).
1980: Larry Williams (44)US singer, saxophone, keyboards, piano; best known for writing and recording some Rock'n'Roll standards from 1957 to 1959 for Specialty Records, including "Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" (died from a gun-shot wound in his Los Angeles, California home. The death was deemed suicide, though there was much speculation otherwise. No suspects were ever arrested or charged).
2002: Jon Lee (33) the original drummer for the successful British rock band Feeder. (found hanged at his Miami home).
2004: John Guerin (64) Session drummer; Self-taught on drums, percussion and keyboards, an extremely successful "crossover" artist, frequently bridging the gaps between jazz and rock with his expansive drum vocabulary (pneumonia).
2009: Alex van Heerden (34) South African trumpeter, vocalist, accordionist, producer, composer, historian and explorer; a self-taught musician that started to play trumpet at the age of 17. As well as his solo career, he worked with Robbie Jansen in Jansen's jazz group Sons of Table Mountain. Later he studied his own ethnic music and in the process became aware of the influence of ghoema, vastrap (a SA dance form) and other Coloured music on boeremusiek. He also worked together with Swedish musician and producer Håkan Lidbo, creating electronic music. He was on the verge of co-launching a second album with renowned Cape Town jazz musician Hilton Schilder, who he had toured parts of Europe and Hong Kong with on several occasions, and a second CD with Gramadoelas, the band he co-founded (car accident) b. 1975

January 8
1979: Sara Carter (80) American country musician; known for her deep and distinctive singing voice, she was the lead singer on most of the recordings of the historic Carter Family act in the 1920s and 1930's. She married A. P. Carter on June 18, 1915 (??).
1991: Steve Clark (30) the co-lead guitarist for British heavy metal band Def Leppard (drug overdose)
2002: David McWilliams (54) Singer, songwriter, guitarist; never had a 'hit' in England, he was very popular on continental Europe, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan. (heart attack).
2009: Deborah Riedel (50) Australian operatic soprano, generally regarded as one of the greatest voices ever produced in Australia. She sang with such companies as the Royal Opera, Covent Garden; the Rome Opera; the Vienna State Opera, and many others. She won the inaugural Givenchy French Operatic Award in 1994. Her American debut that year was as Amina in La sonnambula in San Diego. She also appeared with the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera. Her work in Australia included roles in The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, Maria Stuarda, Norma, La traviata, Il trovatore, La bohème, Tosca, Faust, The Tales of Hoffmann, Turandot and others. Internationally she sang the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier and Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes. In 2004, she was Sieglinde in the first Wagner Ring Cycle ever staged in Australia, by the State Opera of South Australia (cancer) b. July 31st 1958.

January 9
1995: Peter Cook (57) Comedian, writer, UK TV music show 'Revolver'; he was an English satirist, writer and comedian who is widely regarded as the leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. There is a cult following among some Cook fans for a little-remembered project that he was involved with in the 1970s. This was his participation – playing multiple roles – on the 1977 concept album Consequences, written and produced by former 10cc members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. A mixture of spoken-word comedy and progressive rock music with an environmental subtext, Consequences started out as a single that Godley and Creme planned to make to demonstrate their new invention, an electric guitar effect called The Gizmo. The project gradually grew into a triple LP boxed set. The comedy sections of the album were originally intended to be performed by an all-star cast including Spike Milligan and Peter Ustinov, but after meeting Peter Cook, Godley and Creme realised that Peter could perform most of the parts himself (internal haemorrhaging) b. November 17th 1937.
2009: Dave Dee/David Harman (65) British singer with Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich; In his early days he was a poiceman, as such he was at the scene of the automobile accident that took the life of American rocker Eddie Cochran and injured Gene Vincent in April 1960. Dave had taken Cochran's guitar from the accident and held it until it could be returned to his family. He formed a group in 1961 called Dave Dee And The Bostons. They soon changed their name to Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich — an amalgam of their nicknames. They had top 10 UK hits with "Hideaway", "Hold Tight", "Bend It", "Save Me", "Touch Me, Touch Me!", "Okay" and "Zabadak".and a No.1 hit "The Legend of Xanadu". which became a worldwide hit. As well as from performing in Britain, they also played in Hamburg at Star-Club and Top Ten Club, and in Cologne at Storyville. In September, 1969, he left the group for a solo career.(prostate cancer) b. December 17th 1943.
2009: Jon Hager (67) American country musician, one half of The Hager Twins, also known as the Hager Brothers, with his identical twin Jim, they were a duo of American country music singers and comedians who first gained fame on the TV series Hee Haw. The twins first sang in the church choir. then as s teenagers, they sang on a Saturday morning WGN-TV series. Both brothers served in the United States Army and performed at Officers' Clubs and NCO Clubs in the United States and Europe. After leaving the military, the Hager brothers moved to California and performed at the Ledbetter's Night Club in Los Angeles with The Carpenters, The New Christy Minstrels, John Denver, Steve Martin and Kenny Rogers. They also worked at Disneyland, which is where Buck Owens saw them perform and signed them to contracts. In addition to Owens, the brothers served as opening acts for Tex Ritter, Wynn Stewart, Billie Jo Spears and Lefty Frizzell. (heart attack) b. August 30th 1941.

January 10
1972: Al Goodman (81) Russian born conductor, songwriter, stage composer, musical director, arranger, and pianist. He was first introduced to musical comedy by the late Earl Carroll who persuaded him to collaborate in producing his musical, So Long Letty. This success, followed by the hit, “Sinbad”, which he produced with Al Jolson, led to positions as orchestra conductor for many Broadway productions including the highly successful Flyin’ High, The Student Prince, and Blossom Time. In all, during this period of his career, he directed over 150 first-night performances and became one of the Great White Way's most popular conductors. He also wrote some memorable songs such as "When hearts Are Young", "Call Of Love" and "Twlilight". (?) b. August 12th 1890.
1976: Howlin' Wolf/Chester Arthur Burnett (65) US blues guitarist, singer, harmonica player; an experimental bluesman who formulated a wide range of moods and possibilities for his songs. His raw, rasping, fierce voice, combined with his imposing physical presence and wild stage abandon, made him unforgettable. His influence stretched far beyond the realm of the blues, and many songs popularized by him such as "Smokestack Lightnin'," "Back Door Man" and "Spoonful", have become standards of blues and blues rock. He is portrayed by Eamonn Walker in the 2008 motion picture Cadillac Records. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed 1956 Smokestack Lightning, 1960 Spoonful and 1962's The Red Rooster by Howlin' Wolf of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll and his Smokestack Lightning was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance."(died peacefully, complications arising from kidney disease) b. June 10th 1910.
1987: Marion Hutton/Marion Thornburg (67) American singer and actress; elder sister of actress Betty Hutton. Both sisters sang with the Vincent Lopez Orchestra. She was discovered by Glenn Miller and was invited to join the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1938. She remained with Miller on and off until the orchestra disbanded in 1942. (cancer) b. March 10th 1919.
1997: Kenneth Pickett (54) UK singer for "The Creation", an English freakbeat band, formed in 1966. The most popular of 11 Creation singles was "Painter Man", which made the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart in late 1966, and reached #8 in the German chart in April 1967. He had previously been in the pop band "The Mark Four" with John Dalton (heart attack) b. September 3rd 1942.
2001: Bryan Gregory (46) US founder member, guitarist and songwriter with the punk rock band, The Cramps. He was known for his oozing guitar sound, wild stage antics, long hair with a skunk stripe over his eye, and acne scarred face. He appeared on The Cramps first two albums "Gravest Hits" and "Songs The Lord Taught Us". He went on to play in Beast from 1980-1984, The Dials from 1992-1995 and a band called Shiver. (heart attack) b. February 20th 1954.
2008: Dave Day/Dave Havlicek (66) US banjoist, rhythm guitarist with garage rock band The Monks, a pre-punk band, made up of former American GI's, primarily active in Germany in the mid to late 60s. They reunited in 1999 and have continued to play concerts, although no new studio recordings have been made. The Monks stood out from the music of the time, and have developed a cult following amongst many musicians and music fans. (died four days after suffering a heart attack) b.1941
2008: Rod Allen/Rodney Bainbridge (63) British lead singer and bassist with The Fortunes; came to international acclaim in 1965, when "You've Got Your Troubles" broke into the American and British Top Tens. An archetypal English beat group, originally a trio called The Cliftones, they signed to Decca in the UK in 1963. Their first single as The Fortunes, "Summertime, Summertime," was oddly credited to both groups. Their follow-up in 1964, "Caroline", was used as the signature tune for the influential pirate radio station, Radio Caroline. In 1966, their manager Reginald Calvert was shot dead in a dispute over pirate radio stations, after which they had several more hit singles in UK and USA. Rod fronted an ever changing version of The Fortunes from 1963 up to his death (liver cancer) b. March 31st 1944.
2009: Ana Isabel "Anabel" Ramirez Bosch (32) Filipino singer who fronted as a lead singer for several Filipino rock bands. She started at high school, when she became a regular at Club Dredd in Quezon City. She soon became a lead singer for Tropical Depression, a popular Filipino rock band in the late 1990s. She also sang for the rock bands Elektrikoolaid, Spy and Analog (She was stricken with a brain aneurysm on New Year's Day 2009, and lapsed into unconsciousness) b. January 25th 1976

January 11
1952: Aureliano Pertile (67) Italian tenor singer; considered to have been one of the most exciting Italian operatic artists of the inter-war period, and one of the most important tenors of the 20th century.After singing in regional Italy and South America, he first sang at the premier Italian opera house, La Scala, Milan, in 1916. He then participated in Met performances of Louise in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Thereafter he returned to Italy, where he established himself as the leading tenor at La Scala from 1927 to 1937, and becoming a favorite of the conducter Arturo Toscanini. He also sang at the Royal Opera House in London from 1927 to 1931, and at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires in 1923-29. His final stage appearances were in 1946, in Pagliacci. He then taught at the Milan Conservatory until his death (He died in Milan) b. November 9th 1885.
1996: Ike Isaacs (73) a jazz guitarist born in Rangoon, Burma, best known for his work with Stephane Grappelli. He started playing professionally while he was a chemistry student at university. In 1946 he moved to England, where he freelanced for many years; he played in the BBC Show Band, as well as with George Chisholm and Barney Kessel. In the 1960s and 1970s he played with Stephane Grappelli extensively, including with Diz Disley's Hot Club of London. He also played with Digby Fairweather, Len Skeat, and Denny Wright in the group Velvet in the 1970s before moving to to Australia in the 1980s, where he taught at the Sydney Guitar Schoo (?) b. December 1st 1919.
1999: Barry Pritchard (55) UK vocalist, guitar, keyboards; Fortunes (heart attack).
2002: Mickey Finn (55) British percussionist and sideman to Marc Bolan in his band Tyrannosaurus Rex, and later, the 1970s glam rock group, T.Rex. He can be heard on the album, "A Beard of Stars" released in March 1970. After Bolan and T.Rex's demise, he played sessions for The Blow Monkeys and The Soup Dragons. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mickey made a handful of guest appearances with the West London rock band, Checkpoint Charlie, fronted by Mick Lexington. He returned to the mainstream music scene in 1997, fronting a new, controversial version of T. Rex, Mickey Finn's T. Rex, playing old T. Rex songs (alcohol related kidney and liver problems) b. June 3rd 1947.
1928: Bill Russo (74) American trombone player, teacher and considered by many to be one of the greatest jazz composer and arranger. Born in Chicago, he played trombone in dance and jazz bands, and began writing and arranging while still in his early teens. In 1947 he formed his own rehearsal band while a student, under the name of Experiment in Jazz. In the '50s he wrote ground breaking orchestral scores for the Stan Kenton Orchestra, one of the more famous works he wrote for the Kenton Orchestra is Halls Of Brass. In the early 1960s Bill moved to England, where he founded the London Jazz Orchestra, and was a contributor to the Third Stream movement that tried to close the gap between jazz and classical music. He returned to the US in 1965, where he founded Columbia College's music department, he started the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, which was dedicated to preserving and expanding jazz and he was also the Director of Orchestral Studies at Scuola Europea d’Orchestra Jazz in Palermo, Italy. He also composed classical music, including operas, symphonies, choral works, as well as a rock cantata "The Civil War". In his long career Bill composed more than 200 pieces for jazz orchestra, and there were more than 30 recordings of his work, including work with Duke Ellington, Leonard Bernstein, Cannonball Adderley, Yehudi Menuhin, Dizzy Gillespie, Seiji Ozawa, Billie Holiday, and others. In addition to playing, composing, arranging, conducting and teaching, he also wrote and/or co-wrote three books on music: Composing for the Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Composition and Orchestration, and Composing Music: A New Approach. In 1990, Bill received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award for his amazing contribution to music (?) b. June 25th 1928.
2004: Max Duane Barnes (67) singerwith the Golden Rockets, songwriter; his songs recorded by George Jones, Vince Gill, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Vern Gosdin, the Kendalls, Randy Travis, Pam Tillis, Keith Whitley, Waylon Jennings, John Anderson and Eddy Raven, among others. (pneumonia)
2005: Jimmy Griffin (61) Guitarist for Bread, after which he went solo (cancer).
2005: Spencer Dryden (67) Amercan drummer for Jefferson Airplane, New Riders of the Purple Sage & Dinosaurs (cancer).
2007: Puchi Balseiro (81) Puerto Rican singer, guitarist, composer, songwriter, radio & television personality. Among many other things she also originated, produced, and directed the: "Festivales del Filin"...The Feeling Festivals (?).
2009: Andy DeMize/ Andrew Martinez (25) American drummer; influenced by drummers Wade Youman and John Bonham, he joined the pop punk group Up Syndrome in October 2001, before he and Tony "Slash" Red-Horse formed The Rocketz in December 2003. In May 2006, he replaced James Meza as the drummer for the Nekromantix. He made his album debut with the group on Life Is a Grave & I Dig It! (killed in a car accident while travelling south on Route 57 outside of Fullerton, California at roughly 85 miles per hour when the driver, Osvaldo Orozco lost control) b. March 11th 1983.

January 12
1971: Captain John Handy (70) US jazz alto saxophonist & clarinetist; played clarinet in New Orleans bands from the 1920s, including in his own Louisiana Shakers. He switched to alto saxophone in 1928, and was little-known outside of Louisiana until the 1960s, when he began playing frequently with Kid Sheik Cola and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and recorded for GHB Records, RCA, and Jazz Crusade. He is well known for playing in the December Band along side "Kid" Thomas Valentine, "Big" Jim Robinson, Sammy Rimington, Bill Sinclair, Dick Griffith, "Mouldy" Dick Mccarthy and Sammy Pen. His solo in Ice cream is one of the most well known in New Orleans Jazz.(?) b: June 24th 1900.
1983: Anthony "Rebop" Kwaku Baah/Remi Kabaka (37) Nigerian-Swedish percussionist with the UK band Traffic; he joined the German band Can in 1977, playing with them until their breakup in 1979, appearing on the albums Saw Delight, Out of Reach and Can, also played with Ginger Baker's Air Force, Wings and other bands (brain haemorrhage while in Stockholm). b: Feb 13th 1944.
2003: Maurice Gibb (53) UK singier/songwriter in the Bee Gees, formed with his brothers Robin and Barry. The trio got their start in Australia, and found major success when they returned to England. The Bee Gees became one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The Bee Gee's have been awarded 9 grammys among their many other awards, have been inducted into 8 Hall of Fames and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (heart attack during abdominal surgery) b: Dec 22nd 1949.
2004: Randy VanWarmer (48) US singer, songwriter, composer; best remembered for his hit "Just When I Needed You Most." It reached No.8 in the UK Singles Chart and No.4 in the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1979. There are several cover versions of this song, including those by Dolly Parton and Smokie. He wrote several songs for the group The Oak Ridge Boys including "I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes." His final album was released posthumously only in Japan and was a tribute to Stephen Foster (died after a long battle with leukaemia) b: March 30th 1955.
2007: Alice Coltrane (69) US jazz pianist, organist, harpist, composer, wife of the late saxophone legend John Coltrane After his death she continued to play with her own groups, moving into more and more meditative music, and later playing with her children. She was one of the few harpists in the history of jazz. Her essential recordings were made in the late 1960s and early 1970s for Impulse! Records. (respiratory failure). b: Aug 27th 1937.
2009: Alejandro Sokol (48) Argentine rock musician with bands Sumo and Las Pelotas. He was the bassist, and then the drummer of rock band "Sumo" introducing British post-punk to the Argentine scene, with almost the whole lyrics in English. In 1987 he formed the band "Las Pelotas" together with fellow ex-Sumo Germán Daffunchio. After 17 years with the band, he left to form his own group, "El Vuelto S.A.", featuring his son Ismael Sokol, Nicolás Angiolini and Gustavo Bustos on guitars, Sebastián Villegas on bass and Damián Bustos playing drums. (died in the bus depot in Río Cuarto, Córdoba province, of cardio-respiratory failure, when waiting for a bus to take him to Buenos Aires back from the Traslasierra district, where he visited his daughter and granchildren) b. January 30th 1960.

January 13
1963: Sonny Clark/Conrad Yeatis (31) American hard bop pianist. An underappreciated jazz artist during his time, his work has become much more widely known after his death. He is known for his unique touch, sense of melody and complex, hard-swinging style . He frequently recorded for Blue Note Records, on which he played as a sideman with many of the most important hard bop players, including: Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Clifford Jordan, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Art Taylor, and Wilbur Ware. He also recorded sessions with jazz luminaries Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Billie Holiday, Stanley Turrentine, and Lee Morgan. As a band leader, his albums Sonny Clark Trio, with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, and Cool Struttin' , and Sonny Clark Trio with George Duvivier and Max Roach are considered among his finest. (heroine overdose) b. July 21st 1931
1974: Raoul Jobin/Joseph Roméo (67) French-Canadian operatic tenor, particularly associated with the French repertory. He made his professional debut 28 May 1930 in Liszt's oratorio Christus at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera on February 19, 1940, as des Grieux in Manon. He remained with the company until 1950, where he sang many roles alongside such singers as Lily Pons, Bidu Sayao, Licia Albanese, Rise Stevens, under conductors such as Wilfrid Pelletier and Thomas Beecham, among many others. He made regular appearances in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New Orleans, etc., also appearing in Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires. He had been created Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 1951, and he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1967 (?) b. April 8th 1906.
1979: Donny Hathaway (33) Grammy Award-winning American soul pianist, keyboardist. He first worked as songwriter, session musician and producer. Working first at Chicago's Twinight Records and later did the arrangements for The Unifics ("Court of Love" and "The Beginning Of My End"), he also participated in projects by The Staple Singers, Jerry Butler' Curtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin. After becoming a "house producer" at Mayfield's label, Curtom Records, he recorded his first single in 1969, a duet with singer June Conquest called "I Thank You Baby".He signed with Atlantic Records in 1969, and with his first single "The Ghetto, Part I" in 1970, Rolling Stone magazine marked him as a major new force in soul music. His collaborations with Roberta Flack took him to the top of the charts and won him the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the duet "Where Is the Love" in 1973.(apparent suicide falling from a 15th floor New York hotel window) b. October 1st 1945.
1983: Barry Galbraith (63) US jazz guitarist; he moved to New York City in the 1941 and found work playing with Babe Russin, Art Tatum, Red Norvo, Hal McIntyre, and Teddy Powell. He played with Claude Thornhill in 1941-42 and again in 1946-49 after serving in the Army. He did a tour with Stan Kenton in 1953. He did extensive work as a studio musician for NBC and CBS in the 1950s and 1960s; among those he played with were Miles Davis, Michel Legrand, Tal Farlow, Coleman Hawkins, John Lewis, Hal McKusick, Oscar Peterson, Max Roach, George Russell, and Tony Scott. He also accompanied the singers Anita O'Day, Chris Connor, Billie Holiday, Helen Merrill, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington on record. In 1961 he appeared in the film After Hours. In 1963-64 he played on Gil Evans's album The Individualism of Gil Evans, and in 1965 he appeared on the Stan Getz/Eddie Sauter-led soundtrack to Mickey One. (?) b. December 18th 1919.
2005: Nell Rankin (81) American mezzo-soprano and opera singer; her breakthrough, though, came in 1950, when she became the first American singer to win the first prize at the International Music Competition in Geneva. This y led to her debuts at La Scala and at the Vienna State Opera, both as Amneris, in 1951, and to her Met debut in the same role later that year. Debuts at Covent Garden and the San Francisco Opera followed in 1953. On both occasions, she sang the title role in "Carmen.". Although a successful opera singer internationally, she spent most of her career at the Metropolitan Opera where she worked from 1951-1976. She was particularly admired for her portrayals of Amneris in Verdi's Aida and the title role in Bizet's Carmen. After she retired from the Metropolitan Opera, Rankin devoted herself to teaching, first at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, from 1977 to 1984, and then privately in New York City until she retired in 1991 (?) b. January 3rd 1924.
2007: Michael Brecker (57) Influential and versatile American tenor saxophonist who won 11 Grammys over a career that spanned nearly four decades. He was responsible for some of the most superior jazz fusion of the 1970s and 1980s: alongside his trumpeter brother Randy in their group, the Brecker Brothers; and on the solo albums he led from 1987 onwards. As well as recording 29 albums as a leader, he was also one of the most ubiquitous, and certainly the most distinguished, of studio musicians, appearing on albums by Frank Zappa, Bette Midler, Bruce Springten, Carly Simon, Simon & Garfunkel, Bonnie Tyler, James Taylor, Luther Van dross, Tina Turner, Ringo Starr, Billy Joel, Rick James, Jan Akkerman, Herbie Hancock, John Lennon, Andy Gibb, Steely Dan, Elton John, Aerosmith, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra, Lou Reed and so many more.(leukemia) b. March 29th 1949.
2009: Gary Kurfirst (61) American music manager; an influential figure in late 20th and early 21st century pop music as a promoter, producer, manager, and record label executive. A longtime business associate and partner of Chris Blackwell, Kurfirst's reach spanned new wave, reggae, punk, rock, and pop. His client list as manager included the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, the B52s, the Eurythmics, and Jane's Addiction. Prior to his managerial career, he promoted a wide variety of artists. Kirfirst also produced four films, including Stop Making Sense, True Stories, and a documentary about the Ramones (died while vacationing in the Bahamas) b. 1947
2009: Pedro "Cuban Pete" Aguilar (81) Puerto Rican dancer, referred to as "the greatest Mambo dancer ever", by Life magazine and Tito Puente. His nickname, "Cuban Pete" was conferred upon him in 1949 in the famous dance hall "Palladium", New York in reference to the mambo classic song Cuban Pete by Desi Arnaz, and it was endorsed by Arnaz himself. He won numerous prizes in Latin dancing during the Mambo era, together with his dance partner Millie Donay. He is a recipient of many prestigious awards for his work. He is the only Latin dancer recognized in the Latin Jazz exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution. (heart attack) b. June 14th 1927.

January 14
1965: Jeanette MacDonald (61) American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (Love Me Tonight, The Merry Widow) and Nelson Eddy (Naughty Marietta, Rose Marie, and Maytime). During the 1930s and 1940s she starred in 29 feature films, four nominated for Best Picture Oscars (The Love Parade, One Hour With You, Naughty Marietta and San Francisco), and recorded extensively, earning three gold records. She later appeared in grand opera, concerts, radio, television and also made a few nightclub appearances at The Sands and The Sahara in Las Vegas in 1953, The Coconut Grove in Los Angeles in 1954, and again at The Sahara in 1957. She was one of most influential sopranos of the 20th century, introducing grand opera to movie-going audiences and inspiring a generation of singers. (heart problems). b. June 18th 1903.
1986: Daniel Balavoine (33) French singer; chorus-singer in the musical La Révolution française, then as a backing singer at the concerts of Patrick Juvet. The latter offers Balavoine the opportunity to record a song on one of his albums. This break enabled him to be noticed as a singer-songwriter by Léo Missir, artistic director at Barclay Records with whom he formed a very strong bond. (while flying over the Paris-Dakar motor rally, he died, along with Thierry Sabine and three other people, when their helicopter crashed into a dune in Mali, Africa).
1992: Jerry Nolan (45) Drummer for the New York Dolls and The Heartbreakers (while being treated for bacterial meningitis and bacterial pneumonia, he suffered a stroke and went into a coma from which he never recovered. He spent his final weeks on a life support system)

January 15
1964: Jack Teagarden (58) American bandleader, trombonist, dixieland vocalist; recorded with notable bandleaders and sidemen such as Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Bix Beiderbecke, Red Nichols, Jimmy McPartland, Mezz Mezzrow, Glenn Miller, and Eddie Condon, and appeared in the movies Birth of the Blues, The Glass Wall, and Jazz on a Summer's Day. As a jazz artist he won the 1944 Esquire magazine Gold Award, was highly rated in the Metronome polls of 1937-42 and 1945, and was selected for the Playboy magazine All Star Band, 1957-60.(died alone of pneumonia) b. Aug 20th 1964.
1980: David Whitfield (54) UK singer; he was the first ever UK vocalist to earn a gold disc; the first to have a hit placed in the Top Ten of the US Singles Chart; and the first artist from Britain to sell over one million copies of one disc in America (brain haemorrhage while in Australia)
1992: Dee Murray (45) bass player with the Elton John band; a talented musician whose gift for melody, placement, and an understated, yet profound technique, plus his standout work as a backing vocalist, puts him in an elite class among rock bassists.(skin cancer)
1993: Sammy Cahn (79) Four times Academy Award-winning American lyricist, songwriter and musician, best known for his romantic lyrics to tin pan alley and Broadway songs, as recorded by Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and many others. He played the piano and violin. His many songs lyrics include "Three Coins in the Fountain", "All the Way", "High Hopes", "Call Me Irresponsible", "I've Heard That Song Before", "I'll Walk Alone", "Anywhere", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "It's Magic", "It's a Great Feeling", "Be My Love", "Wonder Why", "Because You're Mine", "I'll Never Stop Loving You", "(Love Is) The Tender Trap", "It's Been A Long, Long Time", "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow", "Love and Marriage", "Papa, Won't You Dance With Me", "Please Be Kind", "Rhythm Is Our Business", "Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)", "Teach Me Tonight", "The Things We Did Last Summer" (?).He became a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 and later took over the presidency of that organization from his friend Johnny Mercer when Mercer became ill and in 1988 the Sammy Awards, an annual award for movie songs and scores, was started in his honor. ( died in Los Angeles, California. He was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery) b. June 18th 1913.
1994: Harry Nilsson (52) American songwriter, singer, pianist, and guitarist. As of 2006, Nilsson's final album, tentatively titled 'Papa's Got a Brown New Robe', has not been released. (died in his sleep, heart failure the night he completed his last album)
1996: Les Baxter (73) US saxophonist, pianist; composed and arranged for the top swing bands of the '40s and '50s, but he is better known as the founder of exotica, a variation of easy listening that glorified the sounds and styles of Polynesia, Africa, and South America, even as it retained the traditional string-and-horn arrangements of instrumental pop.(kidney failure)
1998: Junior Wells/Amos Blakemore (63) blues vocalist and harmonica player based in Chicago,famous for playing with Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison & appeared in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000 (he was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in the summer of 1997. That fall, he suffered a heart attack while undergoing treatment, sending him into a coma. Wells stayed in the coma until he passed away)
1999: Marion Ryan (67) UK singer (heart failure following the onset of pneumonia)
2001: Bob Braun (71) US television host; his daily 90-minute show was syndicated throughout the heartland of America, and featured a live band, singers, and special guests (Parkinson's disease and cancer)
2003: Doris Fisher (87) US singer and songwriter; sang with Big Bands, on the radio, with the Eddie Duchin Orchestra and led the group "Penny Wise and Her Wise Guys".(died in L.A., California)
2004: Terje "Valfar" Bakken (25) Lead singer and founder of the Norwegian Black/Folk Metal band Windir. (he went out on a walk towards his family's cabin at Fagereggi, but he never arrived. Three days later, authorities found his body at Reppastølen in the Sogndal valley. Valfar had been caught in a snow storm and suffered death from hypothermia).
2005: Victoria de los Angeles (81) Catalan Spanish operatic soprano ()
2008: Bobby Ferrara/Robert Patrick Ferrara () American guitarist, shred guitarist and composer; self taught and a world class, ultra fast shred guitarist (died in his sleep at home of a fatal heart attack).

January 16
1963: Ike Quebec (44) American tenor saxophone player; an accomplished dancer and pianist, he switched to tenor sax as his primary instrument in his early 20s, and quickly earned a reputation. He recorded for Blue Note records in the 40's, and also served as a talent scout for the label, helping pianists Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell come to wider attention and, due to his exceptional sight reading skills, was an uncredited impromptu arranger for many Blue Note sessions. (lung cancer).
1970: Billy Stewart (32) American singer with The Rainbows, with a highly distinctive scat-singing style, who enjoyed popularity in the early 1960s. As a solo artist he hit both the pop and R&B charts in 1965 with the self-written songs, “I Do Love You” and “Sitting in the Park" (died when the car he was driving plunged into the Neuse River, North Carolina killing him and three members of his band).
1972: David Seville/Ross Bagdasarian (52) voice & inventor of The Chipmunks, pianist, songwriter (heart attack).
1990: Fritz "Freddy" Brocksieper (78) German jazz drummer, percussionist; freelance/bandleader ()
1991: Cladys "Jabbo" Smith (82) US jazz trumpeter and singer; he made a comeback in the late 1960s. Many young musicians, fans, and record collectors were surprised to learn that the star of those great 1920s recordings was still alive. Jabbo successfully played with bands and shows in New York, New Orleans, Louisiana, London, and France through the 1970s and into the 1980s ().
2000: Will "Dub" Jones (71) US singer; bass vocalist for The Coasters and The Cadets. His best known vocals were on The Cadets' biggest hit "Stranded In The Jungle" and his bass vocals on The Coasters' hits "Yakety Yak" and "Charlie Brown" (?).
2004: Czeslaw Niemen (64) Polish singer, songwriter, multi-musician; one of the most important and original Polish singer-songwriters and rock balladeers of the last quarter-century, singing mainly in the Polish language (cancer).
2007: Thornton James "Pookie" Hudson (72) US lead singer and songwriter for the doo wop group The Spaniels, who lent his tenor vocals to hits like "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" and influenced generations of later artists. Some historians of vocal groups consider Pookie to be the first true leader of a vocal group, because the Spaniels pioneered the technique of having the main singer solo at his own microphone, while the rest of the group shared a second microphone (cancer) b. June 11th 1934.
2009: Gordon "Whitey" Mitchell (76) American jazz musician and comedy writer; began on clarinet and tuba as a youngster before choosing bass as his primary instrument. He played with Elinor Sherry and Shep Fields in the early 1950s before serving in the Army during the Korean War. From 1954 he worked freelance in New York City, playing with Gene Krupa , Tony Scott, J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding, Pete Rugolo, Lester Young, Charlie Ventura, Herbie Mann, Betty Roche, Oscar Pettiford, Gene Quill, Mat Mathews, Joe Puma, Johnny Richards, Peter Appleyard, Andre Previn, and Benny Goodman. He released an album under his own name in 1956, and worked with Red and Blue Mitchell in 1958 as "The Mitchells" on a Metrojazz release. 1965 sees him in Hollywood as a television writer and producer. He worked on shows such as Get Smart, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Odd Couple, Mork and Mindy, and several Bob Hope television specials. In 1995 he moved to Palm Desert, California, where he had his own radio show (cancer) b.February 22nd 1932

January 17
1970: Billy Stewart (33) R&B singer; with a highly distinctive scat-singing style, who enjoyed popularity in the early 1960s. Inducted into the Washington Area Music Association Hall of Fame in 1982 (Stewart and three of his band were killed when their car crashed off a bridge into the Neuse River in New Bern, North Carolina).
1994: Georges Cziffra (72) Hungarian virtuoso pianist; Cziffra became noted at the age of five, improvising on popular tunes in bars and circuses (heart attack resulting from series of complications from lung cancer).
1998: David "Junior" Kimbrough (67) A prominent bluesman in Mississippi, but only came to national attention in 1992 with his debut album ''All Night Long'' (stroke).
2008: Carlos/Jean Chrysostome Dolto (64) French singer; one of France's popular chart selling singers in the 70's and 80's with hits like "Tout nu, tout bronzé", "Rosalie", "Papayou", "T'as l'bonjour d'Albert" and "Le tirelipimpon" (cancer) b.
2009: Suzanne DeLee Flanders Larson/ Susanna Foster (84) American film actress and singer; she was taken to Hollywood at the age of twelve by MGM, who sent her to school and groomed her for an acting and singing career. Two of her classmates at this school were Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. She had appeared in 12 films, but is best known for her role as Christine in the 1943 film, The Phantom of the Opera (died unexpectedly at The Lillian Booth Actor's Home in Englewood, New Jersey where she had been residing since 2003) b. December 6th 1924

January 18
1984: Vassilis Tsitsanis (69) Greek singer, songwriter and bouzouki player. He became one of the leading Greek composers of his time and is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern Rebetika. He wrote more than 500 songs and is still remembered as an extraordinary bouzouki player, he also played the mandolin, violin (died on his birthday at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London following a lung operation).
1997: Keith Diamond (46) songwriter and producer who worked with artists such as Donna Summer, Michael Bolton and Mick Jagger. Diamond also produced and wrote Billy Ocean's "Suddenly," "Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)," "Loverboy," and "Mystery Lady," as well as producing and managing groups such as Starpoint and Fredrick Thomas. (heart attack)
1990: Mel Appleby (23) UK singer; initially worked as a glamour model before joining her sister Kim to form the duo Mel & Kim (had an operation to remove a large tumour on her liver in 1985, the cancer returned to her spine in mid 1987. Died from pneumonia following treatment for her spinal cancer).
2007: Brent Liles (43) American bass player in the bands Agent Orange and Social Distortion; also briefly played guitar for the bands Easter and Chaotic Stature (died after being hit by a truck while cycling).

January 19
1576: Hans Sachs (71) German meistersinger "mastersinger", poet, playwright and shoemaker; in 1513 he took up an apprenticeship to become a mastersinger at Munich. He is considered the most talented and famous of the meistersingers, he wrote over 6000 pieces of various kinds. The strict rules and the craftsmen's approach to poetry of the mastersingers produced a kind of poetry that was not really palatable for later ages. His carnival plays, comedies that were meant to be played during carnival, are considered his best works and are still played today (?) b. September 5th 1494.
1995: Gene MacLellan (56 or 55) Canadian composer and singer; Among his notable compositions were "Snowbird", made famous by Anne Murray, "Put Your Hand in the Hand," made famous by the band Ocean, "The Call", "Pages of Time" and "Thorn in My Shoe" (reportedly from suicide)
1998: Carl Perkins (65) Singer, guitarist, songwriter;a pioneer of rockabilly music, his influence as the quintessential rockabilly artist has played a big part in the development of every generation of rockers to come down the path since, from the Beatles' George Harrison to the Stray Cats' Brian Setzer (died after suffering two strokes)
2006: Wilson Pickett (63) US soul singer; one of the roughest and passionate, working up some of the decade's hottest dancefloor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000 Dances," "Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway.", a major figure in the development of Southern soul music.(heart attack)
2007: Murat Nasyrov (37) Russian pop singer and composer (jumped off a balcony, reasons unknown).
2007: Denny Doherty (66) member of the folk-rock group the Mamas and the Papas, known for their soaring harmonies (died at his of kidney failure following surgery on a abdominal aneurysm).
2008: John Stewart (68) American songwriter and singer, best-known for his contributions to the American folk music movement of the 1960s while a member of The Kingston Trio. He wrote the song "Daydream Believer," which was a huge number one hit for the Monkees, followed by the hit "Gold" for Fleetwood Mac. His songs have been covered by artists from Pat Boone and The Four Tops to Joan Baez. (massive stroke or brain aneurysm).

January 20
1965: Alan Freed/Moondog (43) American disc-jockey who became internationally known for promoting African-American Rhythm and Blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of Rock and Roll. (uraemia and liver cirrhosis).
1996: Gerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan (68) one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history - playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz, he was also a notable arranger, working with Claude Thornhill, Miles Davis, Stan Kenton, and others. (died following complications from knee surgery, he had also been suffering from liver cancer).
1999: William "Bill" Albaugh (53) US drummer with the Lemon Pipers a bubblegum/psychedelic pop band from Cincinnati, Ohio known chiefly for their song "Green Tambourine", which reached number one in the United States in 1968 (?).
2000: Ray Jones (60) Original bass player with Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas (?).
2009: David Newman (75) American jazz saxophonist, he left college to go on the road with Buster Smith, playing many one-nighters at dance halls. At one of these many gigs, he met Ray Charles. There was an immediate bond between the two. In 1954, he joined Ray in his band as the baritone sax player, although more famous as a tenor saxophone and flute player, where he stayed for the next twelve years. He later joined Herbie Mann, with whom he played for another ten years. He has recorded over 38 albums under his own name and also played R&B and blues, recording with Stanley Turrentine, Aretha Franklin, B. B. King, the Average White Band, Jimmy McGriff, Natalie Cole, Eric Clapton, John Stein, Hank Crawford, Aaron Neville, Queen Latifah, Richard Tee, Dr. John, Cheryl Bentyne of The Manhattan Transfer and country/tex-mex artist Doug Sahm (pancreatic cancer) b. February 24th 1933

January 21
1984: Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (49) US Soul singer; Gaining fame in his early years as a member of the R&B vocal group, The Dominoes, before his solo career began with 1957's "Reet Petite," written by the then-unknown Berry Gordy, Jr. and recorded on the Brunswick Records label. His dynamic stage performances earned him the nickname "Mr. Excitement." & his performance of "Lonely Teardrops" on the Ed Sullivan Show is considered one of the show's classics. He recorded over fifty hit singles over a repertoire that included R&B, pop, soul, doo-wop and easy listening before lapsing into a coma following a collapse on stage during a 1975 benefit concert. By the time of his death in 1984, he had become one of the most influential soul artists of his generation. (He had been in care ever since suffering a heart attack during a stage performance in 1975. His medical costs were paid for by Elvis Presley and soul singer Al Green, was one of the very few artists who regularly visited a bed-ridden Jackie) b. June 9th 1934.
1989: Billy Tipton/Dorothy Lucille Tipton (74) US jazz pianist and saxophonist; gradually gained success and recognition as a musician when in 1936, she/he was the leader of a band playing on KFXR. She lived half her life as a woman and her latter half as a man (a hemorrhaging ulcer).
1996: Dennis Fuller (37) singer of London Boys (killed in a car crash while traveling in Austrian Alps on a dangerous mountain road, and another car was trying to pass at the opposite side of the road. The accident was a head-on collision with a drunken Swiss).
1996: Edem Ephraim (37) singer of London Boys (killed in a car crash while traveling in Austrian Alps on a dangerous mountain road, and another car was trying to pass at the opposite side of the road. The accident was a head-on collision with a drunken Swiss. Edem's wife and a DJ friend also died).
1997: Tom "Colonel" Parker (87) Dutch entertainment impresario known best as the manager of Elvis Presley. For many years Parker claimed to have been U.S. born, but it eventually emerged that he was born in Breda, Netherlands to Dutch parents (died of a stroke, in Las Vegas, Nevada).
1997: Irwin Levine (58) US songwriter; co-wrote many popular songs such as "I Can't Quit Her", "(Say, Has Anybody Seen) My Sweet Gypsy Rose?", "Knock Three Times" and "Yellow Ribbon", which according to the Guinness Book of Records, is next to the Beatles' "Yesterday" the most recorded popular song in history. (kidney failure).
1999: Charles Brown (76) US blues singer and pianist whose soft-toned, slow-paced blues-club style influenced the development of blues performance during the 1940s and 1950s. He had several hits, including "Drifting Blues" and "Merry Christmas Baby", he was also a great rhythm and blues pioneer.(?)
2002: Peggy Lee/Norma Deloris Egstrom (81) American jazz and traditional pop singer Oscar-nominated performer. Jazz singer with The Benny Goodman Band, actress; became famous for her singular voice, sexy, subtle, simultaneously smoky 'n' cool and her unique jazz-inflected interpretations of popular tunes. (complications from diabetes and cardiac disease).

January 22
1982: Tommy Tucker/Robert Higginbotham (48) US R&B singer, pianist and songwriter best known for the 1964 hit "High Heel Sneakers", followed by a second hit, "Long Tall Shorty". He also co-wrote the song "My Girl (I Really Love Her So)" before leaving music in the late 1960s, taking a position as a real estate agent in New Jersey, he also did freelance writing for a local newspaper in East Orange, N.J. writing of the plight and ignorance of black males in America and the gullibility and exploitation of African Americans in general by the white dominated media. There are four of his albums selling in Europe and over the Internet, through the Red Lightnin' record label (he was overcome by poisonous fumes while renovating the floors of his New York home) b. March 5th 1933.
1984: Dill Jones (60) British jazz pianist; Harry Parry Quartet/solo/freelance (throat cancer)
1994: Rhett Forrester (37) American singer, the lead singer of New York based band Riot from 1981 until 1984. After Riot, he performed on Jack Starr's Out of the Darkness, and put out two solo albums. (He was shot and killed in Atlanta, Georgia).
1994: Telly Savalas (70) US actor, singer; released several records, the most remembered were his version of "If", that was No.1 in Europe for 10 weeks (prostrate cancer).
1997: Wally Whyton (67) British musician, songwriter, radio and TV personality; he formed the Vipers Skiffle Group, which became the resident band at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho. (?)
1997: Billy Mackenzie (37) Scottish singer with The Associates (suicide, due to depression, overdosing on prescription drugs).
1997: Ron Holden (57) US pop singer with hits "Love You So" and "Can YouTalk" (died in Mexico).
2002: Henry "Hank" Cosby (74) saxophonist in the famed Funk Brothers and an African American songwriter and record producer for Motown Records.(complications from a cardiac bypass surgery).
2004: Billy May (78) American composer and trumpeter; wrote regularly for Frank Sinatra and others, wrote many TV themes including "Somewhere in the Night" - Naked City and played trumpet in various bands (heart failure at home in San Juan Capistrano, California).
2006: Janette Carter (82) US singer, autoharpist, folklorist;the last living child of A.P. and Sara Carter of the Carter Family formed in 1926, the "First Family of Country Music." They recorded more than three hundred folk songs - songs in the public domain, which later became known as Carter songs. She also championed the cause of traditional American roots music into the 21st century.(Parkinson's disease).
2009: Charles Cooper (31) American musician, one half of the electronic-music group Telefon Tel Aviv, which he formed with his high school friend Joshua Eustis, in 1999. As well as touring the world they have released 3 full length albums and a compilation album of remixes. Their first album was released in the autumn of 2001 to positive reviews. They had just released their third full length album "Immolate Yourself" January 20th 2009 (?) b. April 12th 1977.

January 23
1548: Bernardo Pisano/Pagoli (57) an Italian composer, priest, singer, and scholar of the Renaissance. He was one of the first madrigalists, and the first composer anywhere to have a printed collection of secular music devoted entirely to himself ()
1976: Paul Robeson (77) multi-lingual American actor, athlete, footballer, bass-baritone concert singer, writer, civil rights activist, Spingarn Medal winner, and Stalin peace prize laureate; he sang in and was conversant in more than 20 languages ()
1978: Terry Kath (31) Singer, guitarist, Chicago (accidentally shot himself dead while cleaning, with what he believed was an unloaded gun)
1978: Joe Ames (52) US singer with The Ames Brothers, they notched up 50 U.S. chart entries and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998 (?)
1990: Allen Collins (37) Guitarist, founder member of Lynyrd Skynyrd;a 1986 drunk-driving accident killed Allen's girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down, and with limited use of his arms and hands, he never play guitar onstage again. (pneumonia, as a result of his earlier accident)
1993: Wayne Raney (71) US country music singer, harmonica player; he and his longtime stage partner Lonnie Glosson sold millions of harmonicas through the mail and did much to establish the harmonica as an instrument accessible and popular everywhere.(died of cancer).
1997: Billy MacKenzie (39) Scottish singer; Associates; notable for his powerful voice and vast vocal range. (suicide, overdosing on prescription drugs in his father's garden shed)
1997: Richard Berry (61) American singer, composer, songwriter, best known as the composer and original performer of the rock standard "Louie Louie". He began singing and playing in local doo-wop groups, recording with several of them including The Penguins, The Cadets and The Chimes, before joining The Flairs, who also recorded as The Debonaires and The Flamingoes in 1953. By the end of 1954, he left the Flairs to form his own group, the Pharaohs, while also continuing to work with other groups as a singer and songwriter. One of these was a Latin and R&B group, Rick Rillera and The Rhythm Rockers. In 1955, he was inspired to write a new calypso-style song, "Louie Louie", based on The Rhythm Rockers version of René Touzet's "El Loco Cha Cha" and also influenced by Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon". In 1986 and again in 1993, he finally received substantial financial benefits for writing the song. In February 1996, he performed for the final time, with The Pharaohs and The Dreamers for a benefit concert in Long Beach, California (heart failure) b. April 11th 1935.
1998: Johnny Funches (62) US soul singer, lead tenor with the Dells (emphysema)

January 24
1972: Gene Austin (71) US singer, songwriter who is considered to have been the first "crooner", best-known for his "My Blue Heaven," one of the most popular records of all time. In 1978, he was posthumously awarded a Grammy Hall of Fame Award for his 1928 recording of "Bye, Bye, Blackbird", which has long been considered recorded music's definitive rendition of that song, and in 2005, he was nominated and admitted to the Grammy Hall of Fame (lung cancer) b. June 24th 1900
1886: Edwin Fischer (73) Swiss pianist and conductor one of the great pianists of the 20th century and one of the finest piano teachers of modern times ()
1963: Otto Harbach (90) US Song writer
1970: James Sheppard () US singer
1995: David Cole (37) US record producer and was one half of dance group C+C Music Factory, also known as Clivillés + Cole, a group he founded with musical partner Robert Clivillés. David and Robert also produced various hits for other artists such as Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Deborah Cooper, and many others. The duo were also responsible for the formation of pop group Seduction, for whom they wrote and produced a string of Top-10 hits, and resuscitated the career of former Weather Girls vocalist Martha Wash. His death in 1995 inspired the song "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men (Spinal Meningitis) b. June 3rd 1962.
2009: Gérard Blanc (61) French singer and guitarist; He began to sing in the 1970s with the band Martin Circus. Then in the 1980s, he participated in the production of Princess Stephanie of Monaco's first album, and started a solo career. He has released 6 albums including a "Best of ..." in 2008 and charted four singles in France, including "Du soleil dans la nuit" his No.2 hit "Une Autre Histoire". He also went on stage at the Olympia on March 20th 2008 () b. December 8th 1947.
2009: Corey Daum/Corey James (39) American guitarist and vocalist; he was lead guitarist with the shock rock band Lizzy Borden from 1989 to 1995; he appeared on a couple of albums and in 2 Lizzy Borden video’s ‘We got the power’ and ‘Love is a crime’ as well as performing on the Master of Disguise tour. He moved to Nashville after the touring days ended (died in a car accident, after the car he was a passenger in ploughed across three lanes on the Interstate 40 motorway and smashed into a concrete wall. The driver, confessed to driving under the influence at the scene of the crime and has been charged with vehicular homicide) b. ??

January 25
1976: Chris Kenner (46) US singer, songwriter; in 1962 he produced his most enduring song, "Land of 1,000 Dances," which was recorded by Cannibal & the Headhunters and Wilson Pickett. Kenner's recordings were marked by his rough-hewn voice & the elegant arrangements & piano of Toussaint ()
1986: Albert Grossman () Manager of Bob Dylan, The Band, Janis Joplin, Todd Rundgren ()
1983: Lamar Williams (36) Bassist, Allman Brothers (cancer)
2005: Ray Peterson (69) US pop singer; as a youngster he overcame polio and his 4.5-octave singing voice made him the Golden Voice of Rock and Roll. In 1959 he recorded "The Wonder of You" which made it into the Billboard Top Thirty, a song later recorded by Elvis Presley with whom he became close friends. In 1960, he created his own label with his manager Stan Shulman, Dunes Records, he scored a Top 10 hit with "Tell Laura I Love Her", followed by "Corrina, Corrina" and "I Could Have Loved You So Well.". His last charting hit was "Missing You". By the mid 1960s he had become something of a phenomenon on the west coast of the United States, appearing live in numerous rock concerts with Paul McCartney lookalike, Keith Allison. In and from the 70's he became a Baptist Church minister and occasionally played the oldies music circuit. (cancer) b. April 23rd 1935.

January 26
1973: Jay C. Higginbotham (66) American jazz musician; considered to be the most vital of the swing trombone players. His strong, raucous sound on the trombone and wild outbreaks on stage were characteristic.In the 1930s and 1940s he played with some of the premier swing bands, including Luis Russell's, Benny Carter's, Red Allen's, Louis Armstrong, and Fletcher Henderson's. From 1947 on he chiefly led his own groups. He recorded extensively both as a sideman and as a leader. He led several bands in the Fifties in Boston and Cleveland, appeared regularly at the Metropole in New York between 1956 and 1959, and led his own Dixieland band there in the Sixties (?) b. 1906
1989: Donnie Elbert (53) US soul singer; In 1955 he co-founded a doo-wop group called the Vibraharps serving as guitarist, arranger and songwriter, while largely relegating himself to background vocals. After releasing their debut single in 1957 "Walk Beside Me," he left the Vibraharps to pursue his solo career and relocated to the UK in 1966. His reputation was secured by his hit "A Little Piece Of Leather", a compulsive performance highlighting his irresistible falsetto voice. The song became a standard at UK soul clubs (stroke) b. May 25th 1936.
1998: S.P. Leary (67) Texan Blues drummer; best known for backing such music greats as Muddy Waters, James Cotton, T. Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson, and Howlin' Wolf. He began his musical career by touring with Walker and Fulson during the 1940s. His many credits include Howlin Wolf's albums, "I'm Leaving You", and "I've Been Abused", and Muddy Waters' hit recordings "The Same Thing" and "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had". Other collaborators include Blind John Davis in the 1980s and pianist Erwin Helfer during the 1990s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame in 1995, and honored with the Key to the City of Dallas. (complications of a stroke and cancer) b. June 6th 1930.
1996: Stevie Plunder/Anthony Hayes (32) Australian guitarist, singer and songwriter; he played in bands from his late teens including The Shouties, Hippy Dribble, The Plunderers before forming the Australian piano-based rock band The Whitlams. In 1993, The Whitlams released their debut album, "Introducing The Whitlams". With a follow up album "Undeniably The Whitlams" in 1994. Their single "I Make Hamburgers" was made the Triple J Hottest 100 chart (found dead at the bottom of Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains, apparent suicide) b. 1963

January 27
1901: Giuseppe Verdi (87) Italian composer in vocal, opera, chamber, choral genres; one of the most influential composers of Italian opera in the 19th century. It was suggested that effective opera after Rossini was not possible. Verdi, however, took the form to new heights of drama and musical expression. His works are frequently performed in opera houses throughout the world, transcending the boundaries of the genre, some of his themes have long since taken root in popular culture - such as "La donna è mobile" from Rigoletto, "Va, pensiero" (The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco, and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" (The Drinking Song) from La traviata. (He died 6 days after suffering a stroke) b. October 9th or 10th 1813
1972: Mahalia Jackson (60) African-American gospel singer, best known for her contralto voice range; widely regarded as the best in the history of the genre, and is the first "Queen of Gospel Music". With her powerful, distinct voice, she became one of the most influential gospel singers in the world. She recorded about 30 albums, and her 45 rpm records included a dozengold million-sellers. She has been honored with 6 grammys, for her recordings "How I Got Over", "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah", "Make A Joyful Noise Unto The Lord" "Great Songs Of Love And Faith" "Everytime I Feel the Spirit" and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (Heart failure and diabetes) b. October 26th 1911.
1986: Nikhil Banerjee (55) Indian sitarist, composer, teacher; a child prodigy, winning an all-Bengal sitar competition at the age of nine and soon was playing for All India Radio. He became one of India's most prominent sitar players of the second half of the 20th Century. His concert career took him to all corners of the world and lasted right up to his death. He spent three months each summer teaching, performing, and lecturing/demonstrating at U. C. Berkeley.(?) October 14th 1931.
2006: Gene McFadden (56) American singer, songwriter, and record producer. As teenages, he and John Whitehead founded the soul group the Epsilons, and were discovered by Otis Redding, whom acted as their manager until his untimely death in 1967. Their songwriting ability soon gained attention when their song "Back Stabbers," recorded by The O'Jays, became a No. 3 pop hit, they became key members of the Philadelphia International record label, writing many songs for Philadelphia International artists and had hits such as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Wake Up Everybody (Part 1)", The Intruders' "I’ll Always Love My Mama," and their own, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" in 1979. They were instrumental in defining the sound of Philadelphia soul. (liver and lung cancer) b. July 2nd 1948
2009: Mino Reitano (64) Popular Italian singer, whose career spans over 40 years with 24 Italian hit singles under his belt, including 'Era il tempo delle more', 'Una Ferita in fondo al cuore Ciao vita mia', 'Stasera non si ride e non si balla', 'Dolce angelo', and 'Italia', He sang at many top music festivals and shared the stage with the likes of Graham Nash and The Hollies. He has made many appearances on TV and appeared in 5 films including "Tara Pokì" and "Lady Football" (died after long illness. In 2007 he was diagnosed with cancer of the intestine) b. December 7th 1944.

January 28
1974: Ed Allen (76) US jazz trumpeter and cornetist; by 1910 he was playing in nighclubs and on riverboats which ran between New Orleans and St. Louis on the Mississippi River. In 1924 he moved Chicago and played with Earl Hines, also in a revue called Ed Daily's Black and White Show. He recorded extensively with Clarence Williams in the group later known as the LeRoy Tibbs Orchestra., also recorded in several bands of King Oliver's. He played in various dance bands through the 1930s and 1940s, then played with Benton Heath in New York City from the middle of the 1940s up until 1963. His last appearance on record was in England with Chris Barber in the 1950s. After 1963 his failing health resulted in retirement from music () b. December 15th 1897.
1983: Billy Fury/Ronald Wycherley (43) One of Britain's finest pop singers from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, he remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. He released his first hit "Maybe Tomorrow", in 1959. By March 1960, he had hit the UK No. 9 spot with his self penned "Colette", followed by "That's Love" and debut album The Sound Of Fury, which featured a young Joe Brown on lead guitar, with backup vocals by The Four Jays. He went on to have 29 chart hits including Wondrous Place; A Thousand Stars; Don't Worry; Halfway to Paradise; Jealousy; In Summer; Like I've Never Been Gone; When Will You Say I Love You; I'd Never Find Another You; Last Night Was Made for Love and Once Upon a Dream. He also appeared in the films I've Gotta Horse and That'll Be The Day. Billy had suffered with rheumatic fever, his health was slowly deteriorating and by 1976 he underwent heart surgery and again later. In 1980 he was declared bankrupt, this forced him out of retirement, against medical advice he went back to work. His last public appearance was at the Sunnyside, Northampton, in December 1982. He recorded a live performance for the television show Unforgettable featuring six of his old hits. He died the following month (heart failure) b. April 17th 1940.
2000: Thomas "Beans" Bowles (73) US sax player with Motown, band leader and freelance. He played on many top hits and originated the idea of the Motortown Revue, which took Motown's young talent on the road, spurring record sales and jump-starting careers. As well as playing with Marvin Gaye,Temptations, Martha Reeves, Four Tops, Mary Wells and other Motowners, he has also played with the likes of Bill Doggett, Johnny Ray, LaVern Baker and many others (prostate cancer) b. 1926.
2003: Keven "Dino" Conner (28) US singer with the R&B/hip hop musical group H-Town. He formed the group in 1992 with his twin brother Solomon "Shazam" Conner, and their long-time friend Darryl "G.I." Jackson. They had 9 R&B chart hits including their No. 1 "Knockin' Da Boots" off there 1993 album Fever for Da Flavor, which also made No.3 in the album chart (a sport utility vehicle ran a red light and crashed into the car he was a passenger in, which had just picked him up from the recording studio)
2003: Stan Martin/Stanley Martin Feuerman (64) US radio host, DJ; guests on his radio shows were the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett. He was also a M.C. for cabaret shows. His last radio position was as manager for New York's WQEW-AM (stroke) b. December 26th 1938.
2004: Mel Pritchard (56) UK drummer with the British progressive rock band Barclay James Harvest. Mel and his life long friend Les Holroyd were together at Derker Secondary Modern school where they joined the school band, then went on to form Heart And Soul And The Wickeds. The band gained a good reputation playing semi-professional gigs on the live circuit. They were both founding members of Barclay James Harvest in 1966 and stayed with the band throughout it's history, resulting in 23 studio and live albums between 1970-1997. Following the band's split, Mel worked with bass player Les in his band "Barclay James Harvest featuring Les Holroyd" (suspected heart attack) b. January 20th 1948.
2005: Jim Capaldi (60) UK drummer; formed his first band at the age of fourteen and was soon recording with the Hellions. His next band was Deep Feeling which he shared with fellow 'Traffic' founder Dave Mason & 'Family' founding member Poli Palmer. The idea of Traffic was born while jamming late into the night with other bands in Birmingham after gigs. He was a member of Traffic in their 2 incarnations, from 1967 to 1968 and from 1970 to 1974. He and Steve Winwood wrote the lyrics of most of Traffic's best-known songs. Jim recorded his debut solo album, 'Oh How We Danced', during a gap in the band's career in 1972, and scored a U.S. singles chart entry with "Eve." He turned solo full-time when Traffic split in '74 and earned world respect in his own right with hits such as "Love Hurts", and "Its Alright". On March 2004 he was inducted with Traffic into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, just five months before being diagnosed with terminal cancer. His last solo album was released in 2001 'Living On The Outside' (stomach cancer) b. August 2nd 1944
2009: Billy Powell (56) American longtime keyboardist of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. After majoring in Music Theory, he worked as a roadie for Lynyrd Skynyrd, until 1972 when he became a full member as their keyboard player. He suffered severe facial lacerations, almost completely losing his nose in the fatal plane crash of October 20th 1977. During the time between the plane crash and the Lynyrd Skynyrd reunion in 1987, he joined a Christian rock band named Vision, where his keyboard playing was spotlighted in their concerts. He played the Lynyrd Skynyrd 1987 tribute tour, and remained with the band until his death. Gary Rossington is now the only member from the classic lineup who continues to record and perform with the reunited band today. (heart attack) b. June 3rd 1952.

January 29
1962: Fritz Kreisler () Austrian violinist () b. 1875
1992: Willie Dixon (76) American blues bassist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. His songs, including "Little Red Rooster", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Evil", "Spoonful", "Back Door Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "I Ain't Superstitious", "My Babe", "Wang Dang Doodle", and "Bring It on Home", written during the peak of Chess Records, 1950-1965, and performed by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Little Walter, influenced a worldwide generation of musicians. He also was an important link between the blues and rock and roll, working with Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley in the late 1950s, and his songs were covered by some of the biggest bands of the 1960s and 1970s, including Bob Dylan, Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Allman Brothers Band, and the Grateful Dead.(heart failure) b. July 1st 1915.
2005: Eric Griffiths (65) Welsh guitarist; he, John Lennon, Pete Shotton and Rod Davis, were all at Quarry Bank High School together and shared an interest in American music, Eric and John attended some guitar lessons but found it too slow to learn and dropped the lessons when Lennon's mother taught them to play easier banjo chords. Lennon formed The Quarry Men with Eric, Shotton and Davis. Paul McCartney joined The Quarry Men as lead guitarist but the band decided that neither McCartney nor Eric were suitable as lead guitarist. When George Harrison joined the band they suggested that Eric buy an electric bass and an amplifier but he could not afford this and he was not invited to McCartney's house for the next rehearsal and when Eric phoned them during the practice session, John told him he was sacked. Eric went on to join the Merchant Navy, after with he spent over 30 years in the Prison Service. In January 1997, he returned to Liverpool to meet some of his former band members at the Cavern Club's 40th anniversary. All the surviving original Quarry Men were there and that evening they gave an impromptu performance with borrowed instruments on the stage. When the band were persuaded to reform for a charity gig in Woolton in July 1997 he had to buy a guitar and re-learn a few chords.(cancer of the pancreas) b. October 31st 1940.
2009: John Martyn OBE/Iain David McGeachy (60) British singer-songwriter, guitarist, multi musician. He began his professional musical career when he was seventeen, playing a blend of blues and folk that resulted in a unique style that made him a key figure in the London folk scene during the mid-1960s, releasing his first album, ''London Conversation'', in 1968. By 1970 he had developed a wholly original and idiosyncratic sound: acoustic guitar run through a fuzzbox, phase-shifter, and Echoplex. This sound was first apparent on Stormbringer! in 1970. Over a forty-year career he rerecorded twenty studio albums, and released 14 further albums and worked with artists such as Eric Clapton, John Paul Jones, David Gilmour, Phil Collins, He had battled with drugs and alcohol throughout his life and was forced to have his right leg amputated below the knee after a cyst burst in 2003, and in his latter years he performed from a wheelchair. On 4 February 2008, he received the lifetime achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk awards and he was appointed OBE in the 2009 New Year Honours. (More recently he had divided his time between Glasgow and Kilkenny, Ireland and died in an Irish hospital when tragically his ongoing health problems finally overcame him) b. September 11th 1948.
2009: Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford Jr (74) American R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, soul jazz alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter; he was leading his own rock 'n' roll quartet, "Little Hank and the Rhythm Kings"when he met Ray Charles. Ray Charles hired him originally as a baritone saxophonist. Hank switched to alto in 1959 and remained with Charles' band, recording 4 albums and becoming its musical director. .He left Ray Charles in 1963 to form his own septet recording 23 albums under his own name. He also has done musical arrangement for Etta James, Lou Rawls, and others and has recorded as a sideman with BB King and Eric Clapton (complications from a stroke) b. December 21st 1934.

January 30
1978: Greg Herbert (30) US sax player, with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Pat Martino, Woody Herman, Harold Danko, Blood Sweat & Tears, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, and Chuck Israels' National Jazz Ensemble and others (died of an accidental drug overdose while on tour in Europe with Blood Sweat & Tears) b. May 19th 1947.
1980: Professor Longhair/Roy "Bald Head" Byrd /Henry Roeland Byrd (61) US New Orleans blues singer and pianist. He was noted for his unique piano style, which he described as "a combination of rumba, mambo, and Calypso", and his unusual, expressive voice, described once as "freak unique". He was called the Bach of Rock and Roll for the clarity, varied and extremely accurate and "funky" syncopation, and the beautiful tone of his piano playing. He had only one national commercial hit, "Bald Head" in 1950, and he lacked the crossover appeal for the white audience of Fats Domino. But his rollicking, idiosyncratic, rumba-based piano and exuberant singing made him one of New Orleans biggest rock stars. His signature song, "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" is still the theme song of New Orleans Mardi Gras, which he recorded in 1949 (heart attack) b. December 19th 1918.
1982: Sam "Lightnin" Hopkins (70) US blues guitarist, singer; His distinctive style often included playing, in effect, bass, rhythm, lead, percussion, and vocals, all at the same time. His musical phrasing would often include a long low note at the beginning, the rhythm played in the middle range, then the lead in the high range. By playing this quickly - with occasional slaps of the guitar - the effect of bass, rhythm, percussion and lead would be created. He influenced many guitarists including Jimi Hendrix. It has been estimated that he recorded between 800 and 1000 songs during his career, including his hits such as "Mojo Hand", "T-Model Blues" and "Tim Moore's Farm" (cancer) b. March 15th 1912.
2002: Carlo Karges (50) German musician; guitar, keyboards, songwriter; he began as a student to play guitar and to compose songs. After he had gathered experience playing live in several different groups, including Tomorrows’ It Poison and Release Music Orchestra, by 1971 he was the guitarist and keyboardist and founding member of Novalis. In 1981 he joined Gabriele "Nena" Kerner in establishing Nena. Karges co-wrote their most famous song, "99 Luftballons" (liver failure) b. July 31st 1951.
2004: Malachi Favors/Malachi Favors Maghostut (76) US avant-garde jazz double bass player, but also played the electric bass guitar, banjo, zither, gong, and other instruments. He is most associated with bebop, hard bop, free jazz and best known for his work with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Early performances included work with Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard, one of his earliest recordings was with Chicago pianist Andrew Hill in 1957. He began working with Roscoe Mitchell in 1966; this group eventually became the Art Ensemble of Chicago. He also worked outside the group, with artists including Sunny Murrary, Archie Shepp, and Dewey Redman. (pancreatic cancer) b. August 22nd 1927.
2005: Martyn Bennett (33) Scottish-Canadian musician, born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He played the Great Highland bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, violin, piano and was extremely influential in the evolution of modern Celtic Fusion, a blending of traditional Celtic and modern music. He performed at the world premiere party for the film Braveheart. His composition, Mackay's Memoirs, was played at the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 by the band of Broughton High School, the album Mackay's Memoirs was recorded by Broughton High School the morning after his death. His last album in 2003, Grit, was recorded during his struggle with cancer and marks a drastic change in his sound since, he became too weak to play his instruments and had to rely entirely on samples and synthesizers in order to keep creating music (cancer) b. February 17th 1971.
2005: Wes Wehmiller (33) US bassist; at high school, he was an award-winning member of the Delaware All State Jazz Band, receiving the Delaware Music Educators' "Award of Distinction.". He worked with many other musicians in L.A. before founding his own band "I, Claudius". When bassist John Taylor bowed out of Duran Duran in 1997, he took his place, touring and performing on television with the band until 2001. After which he worked with Warren Cuccurullo, Missing Persons, and several other L.A. bands. In 2004, he played with Mike Keneally (thyroid cancer) b. September 12th 1971.
2009: Mike Francis (47) Italian pop musician; he formed his first band at age 14 with schoolmates from l'Istituto di Studi Americano in Rome. He had his first hit with "Survivor" in 1982 and went on to record ten studio albums, he recorded his last album "Inspired" in 2007. A best of album, "The very best of Mike Francis (All was missing)" have just been released (lung cancer) b. April 26th 1961.

January 31
1970: Slim Harpo/Harmonica Slim/James Moore (46) Influential blues - R&B singer, known as one of the masters of the blues harmonica; the name "Slim Harpo" was a humorous takeoff on "harp," the popular nickname for the harmonica in blues circles. He began performing in Baton Rouge bars under the name Harmonica Slim. He later accompanied Lightnin' Slim, his brother-in-law, both live and in the studio, before commencing his own recording career in 1957. Named Slim Harpo by producer Jay Miller, his solo debut coupled "I'm a King Bee" with "I Got Love If You Want It." Influenced by Jimmy Reed, he began recording for Excello Records, and enjoyed a string of popular R&B singles which combined a drawling vocal with incisive harmonica passages. Among them were "Rainin' In My Heart", "I Love The Life I Live", "Buzzin'" (instrumental) and "Little Queen Bee". The Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, ZZ Topp and many other artists have covered his hits (died unexpectedly of a heart attack) b.January 11th 1924.
1981: William "Cozy" Cole (71) American jazz drummer; he had a No.1 hit in 1958 with the record "Topsy Part 2", that contained a lengthy drum solo, and was one of the few drum solo recordings that ever made the Billboard Hot 100. His started out with Wilber Sweatman in 1928. In 1930 he played for Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, recording an early drum solo on "Load of Cole". He went on to play/record with Blanche Calloway, Benny Carter, Willie Bryant, Stuff Smith's small combo, and 1 Cab Calloway. In 1942, he was hired by CBS Radio music director Raymond Scott as part of network radio's first mixed-race orchestra. He also appeared in music-related films, including a brief cameo in Don't Knock the Rock. (cancer) b. October 17th 1909.
1983: Lorraine Ellison (51) African-American female soul singer, best known for her recording of the song "Stay With Me Baby" and "Heart Be Still" in the 60's. She originally sang with two gospel groups, the Ellison Singers and the Golden Chords, before moving to R&B in 1964. Her first chart entry was with a cover of Jerry Butler's "I Dig You Baby" in 1965. Ellison also recorded "Just a Little Bit Harder", a song later covered to more success by Janis Joplin. She signed with the Loma record label and recorded the soul classic "Stay With Me Baby" at a last minute booking, following a studio cancellation by Frank Sinatra (ovarian cancer) b. March 17th 1931.
2007: Kirka Babitzin (56) Finnish singer; one of Finland's most famous and popular musicians. He won an accordion competition at the age of ten, but soon ditched the squeezebox for rock and roll music. His first band was The Creatures, which he joined in 1964. In 1967 he joined the band The Islanders, and went on to become a household name in dance halls and festivals all over Finland. He also recorded with Blues Section. His trademark was to be his powerful, throaty voice; simultaneously shrill and soulful, it is instantly recognizable to generations of Finnish music lover and was awarded the Emma award for best male singer twice, first in 1984 and then in 2000. (He died suddenly at his home of undisclosed acute illness) b. September 22nd 1950.
2009: Dewey Martin/Walter Milton Dwayne Midkiff (68) Canadian rock drummer and singer, best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield. He moved to Nashville in 1960 where he became an in demand session drummer playing and recording with the likes of Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Patsy Cline, Everly Brothers, Faron Young and Roy Orbison among others. In 1963, he travelled to Los Angeles with Faron Young's band where he decided to stay. He first worked with a group called Lucky Lee & The Blue Diamonds. In November 1964, he recorded his first single, "White Cliffs of Dover". He aslo worked with Sir Raleigh & The Cupons; The Standells; MFQ; and The Dillards before becoming a founding member of notoriously volatile band, Buffalo Springfield, playing on all 3 of their albums. Since the band slit in 1968, he has played, toured, or/and recorded with New Buffalo Springfield, Medicine Ball, Electric Range, Pink Slip, The Meisner-Roberts Band and Buffalo Springfield Revisited. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Sadly a somewhat unheralded drummer, but it must be remembered in his era, he was an influentual drummer with unique skills, also well known for his many pranks, his battle with the demon drink and for having an incredibly kind soul (cause of death unknown) b. September 30th 1940.

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