October 1st.
1708: John Blow (59) British composer and organist of Westminster Abbey and writer of over 100 anthems. Born at Newark, Nottinghamshire, he wrote for the king and was appointed Composer to the Chapel Royal. His pupils included William Croft, Jeremiah Clarke and Henry Purcell. (He died at his house in Broad Sanctuary, and buried in the north aisle of Westminster Abbey). (baptised February 23 1649)
1975: Al Jackson Jr (39) American drummer with the legendary Stax band, Booker T and the MG's. He started out in his fathers band at the age of 5. He later began playing in Willie Mitchell's band and the Ben Branch Band. In the 1960s he was a founding member of the group, Booker T. & The MG'S. Al was called "The Human Timekeeper" for his drumming ability, he designed the groove and thats what the band played to. Their many hits include "Green Onions," "Hip Hug-Her," "Hang 'Em High," and "Time Is Tight" accompanying such greats as, Otis Redding, Rufus Thomas, Wilson Pickett, William Bell and Al Green. ( Al was murdered after confronting an intruder in his home) b. November 27th 1935.
1983: Freddy Martin (76) American bandleader and tenor saxophonist, born in Cleveland, Ohio. Raised largely in an orphanage and with various relatives, he started out playing drums, switching to C-melody saxophone and later tenor saxophone. He recorded first for Columbia Records in 1932, then Brunswick Records till 1938. Afterwards he appeared on RCA's Bluebird and Victor Records. The band also recorded pseudonymously in the early '30s, backing singers such as Will Osborne. His real success came in 1941 with an arrangement from the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s B-flat piano concerto. He recorded the piece instrumentally, but soon lyrics were put in and it was re-cut as "Tonight We Love" with Clyde Rogers' vocal - becoming his biggest hit. Freddy’s popularity as a bandleader led him to Hollywood in the 1940s where he and his band appeared in a handful of films, including Seven Days' Leave in 1942, Stage Door Canteen in 1943 and 1948's Melody Time, among others (sadly died after a lingering illness) b. December 9th 1906.
1986: Andy McVann (21) English drummer in the band Soul of Socialism, and also a founding member of "The Farm" along with Peter Hooton, Steve Grimes, John Melvin in 1983. In 1984, Andy and The Farm released their debut single, "Hearts and Minds", produced by Graham "Suggs" McPherson (Andy died in a car crash during a police chase) b.1965
1992: Harry Ray (45) American lead singer with The Moments and Ray, Goodman & Brown; The Moments had a total of 27 R&B chart hits, but his biggest hit came with Ray,Goodman & Brown's "Special Lady". He was strongly involved in writing & producing much of their material as well as performing, production and writing duties for All-Platinum's other artists. He recorded a duet with Sylvia Robinson "Sho Nuff Boogie", although it was billed as Sylvia & the Moments) in 1973. (died suddenly from a stroke) b. Dec 15th 1946
1996: Joonas Kokkonen (74) Finnish composer, he served in the Finnish army during WW2 with great distinction. He studied at the University of Helsinki, and later at the Sibelius Academy, where he afterwards taught composition. He went on to become one of the most internationally famous Finnish composers of the 20th century after Sibelius. His first success was his 1st symphony in '60. In the 60s-early 70s he won many prizes for his work and he was appointed to the Finnish Academy upon the death of Uuno Klami. Joonas wrote 4 symphonies and other large orchestral works that are very unique in the Finnish musical history, vocal works, like his "Requiem" and the Opera "The Last Temptations" and a great number of large chamber works, like the 3 String Quartets. His 1975 opera The Last Temptations has received over 500 performances worldwide, and is considered by many to be Finland's most distinguished national opera. (?) b. November 13th 1921.
NOTE: The date of Joonas Kokkonen's death has been variously reported as October 1st 1996 (New Grove Dictionary, and various internet sources); October 2nd 1996 (internet sources, including the Finnish Music Center); and October 20th 1996 (New Grove Dictionary of Opera).
1998: Pauline Julien, CQ (70) Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, feminist activist and Quebec sovereigntist born in Trois-Rivières, Québec. She worked with Gilles Vigneault and recorded with him as well as performing pro-independence songs in Montréal clubs as early as 1964 and later made a career as one of Québec's most successful female popular singers. Julien's best-loved songs include "La Manic". In 1994 France decorated her with the title Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and was made a Chevalière de l'Ordre national du Québec (after being diagnosed with a debilitating brain disease, tragically Julien took her own life) b. May 23rd 1928.
1999: Lena Zavaroni (35) Scottish singer, acoustic guitarist and TV show host. Born in Greenock, she was discovered in the summer of 1973 by record producer Tommy Scott, who was on holiday in Rothesay and heard her singing in a band with her father and uncle. In 1974 Lena appeared on Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks and won the show for a record-breaking five weeks running. She followed this with the album "Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me", at only 10 years of age, she is the youngest person in history to have an album in the UK top 10 album chart. Also in '74 she sang at a Hollywood charity show with Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. She appeared in the Morecambe and Wise Show, the '76 Royal Variety Show and performed at the White House for President Gerald Ford. While attending London's Italia Conti Academy stage school, Lena met and became long-term friends with child star Bonnie Langford. The two starred in the TV special Lena and Bonnie. Between 1979 and 1982, Lena had her own TV series on the BBC, Lena Zavaroni and Music, her guests included Spike Milligan and Les Dawson. (Lena had suffered badly from anorexia since the age of 14, she died from pneumonia 3 weeks after an operation for leukotomy) b. November 4th 1963.
2000: Robert Allen / Robert Allen Deitcher (73) American pianist and songwriter, born in Troy, New York. He was an accompanist for Perry Como, Peter Lind Hayes, and Arthur Godfrey. Some of his compositions were collaborations with lyricist Al Stillman. His many songs include "You Alone (Solo Tu)", "It's Not for Me to Say", "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays", "To Know You (Is to Love You)", "Everybody Loves a Lover", "If Dreams Came True", and "Chances Are" (?) b. February 5th 1927.
2004: Bruce Palmer (58) Canadian bassist; brought up in Toronto, Canada, Bruce began playing music at age 10. He played in the Mynah Birds with a young Rick James, which would eventually include fellow Canadian Neil Young. Mynah Birds auditioned for Motown Records but split when James left the band. He went on to co-found Buffalo Springfield in April 1966 in Toronto with Young, Stephen Stills, Dewey Martin and Richie Furay. Over just 19 months in 1967 and '68, the group established itself as a folk/country/rock pioneer, producing the transcendent political anthem "For What It's Worth". Bruce left Buffalo Springfield in January 1968, replaced by Jim Messina, but the band was finished shortly thereafter. He went on to release a 1971 solo album for Verve, "The Cycle is Complete," featuring James on percussion. In 1982, Bruce reteamed with Young (Bruce sadly died of a heart attack) b. September 9th 1946... read more
2005: Paul Pena (55) American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Cape Verdean descent. His music from the first half of his career touched on Delta blues, jazz, morna, flamenco, folk and rock and roll. In February 1969, his band played for a week at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia, opening twice, for both Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and The Grateful Dead, after which they moved to San Francisco. Paul is probably best known for writing the song "Jet Airliner," a major 1977 hit for the Steve Miller Band and a staple of classic rock radio; and for appearing in the 1999 documentary film Genghis Blues, wherein he displayed his abilities in the field of Tuvan throat singing (he died after a long brave battle with diabetes and pancreatitis) b. January 26th 1950.
2007: Ronnie Hazlehurst (79) British conductor and theme song composer born in Dukinfield, Cheshire. During his spare time, he played in a band, and soon became a professional. His band appeared on the BBC Light Programme. He left and moved to Manchester, where he became a freelance musician until he was offered a place on another band at a nightclub in London. Ronnie then worked at Granada for about a year in 1955. He joined the BBC in 1961, became its Light Entertainment Musical Director. He composed the theme tunes for many well known British sitcoms and shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including Are You Being Served?; Last of the Summer Wine; Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em; Yes Minister The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin; To the Manor Born and Three Up, Two Down to mention a few. In addition, he wrote the theme tunes for the sketch show The Two Ronnies, the game shows Blankety Blank, Odd One Out and Bruce Forsyth's The Generation Game and the chat show Wogan. Ronnie was also involved with the Eurovision Song Contest and was the musical director when the event was hosted by the United Kingdom in 1974, 1977 and 1982. He conducted the British entry on seven occasions, in '77, '82, '87, '88, '89, '91 and '92. In 1999, he was awarded a Gold Badge from the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters (died after suffering a stroke) b. March 13th 1928.
2011: David Bedford (74) British composer and keyboard player born in Hendon, London. He studied music at the Royal Academy of Music and later in Venice. In 1969, he was engaged to orchestrate Kevin Ayers' album Joy of a Toy, on which he also played keyboards, this led to his role as keyboardist for Ayers' cult band 'The Whole World', which led to numerous collaborations with musicians from the rock world, most notably in arrangements for Mike Oldfield, Elvis Costello, Frankie goes to Hollywood, Roy Harper, Propaganda, China Crisis, Enya, Billy Bragg and many more. For over 30 years he has received commissions from major orchestras, festivals, ensembles and soloists, including the English Sinfonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, John Alldis Choir, Singcircle, Electric Phoenix, Endymion Ensemble, Sir Peter Pears, Jane's Minstrels, BASBWE, The Composers Ensemble, The Aldeburgh Festival, Harrogate Festival, Spitalfields Festival, Chelmsford Festival, Huddersfield Festival, Kings Lynn Festival, Norfolk and Norwich Festival and many BBC commissions including 4 for the Proms. Also from 1969 to 1981, David was Composer in Residence at Queen's College, London. From 1968 to 1980, he taught music in a number of London secondary schools. In 1996 he was appointed Composer in Association with the English Sinfonia. In 2001 he was appointed Chairman of the Performing Right Society, having previously been Deputy Chairman (sadly David died while fighting lung cancer) b. August 4th 1937
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October 2nd.
1971: Bola de Nieve/Ignacio Jacinto Villa (60) Cuban singer-pianist and songwriter; he studied at the Mateu Conservatoire of Havana, worked as a chauffeur and played piano for silent films until his friend Rita Montaner took him on as an accompanist in the early '30s taking him to Mexico. He stayed in Mexico and developed an original performance style as a pianist-singer. He became an elite, sophisticated cabaret stylist known for ironic patter, subtle musical interpretation, with a repertoire that included songs in French, English, Catalan, Portuguese and Italian and he toured widely in Europe and the Americas (?) b. September 11th 1911.
1976: Quentin "Butter" Jackson (57) American jazz trombonist born in Springfield, Ohio; in his early career he worked with Cab Calloway and was in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Later he did notable work with Charles Mingus, Kenny Burrell, and others.(?) b. January 13th 1909.
1981: Hazel Scott (61) West Indian jazz and classical pianist and singer; born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in New York City from the age of four. She performed extensively on piano as a child, then trained at the Juilliard School. She appeared in the production Priorities of 1942 and performed numerous times at the Carnegie Hall. She was known for improvising on classical themes and also played boogie-woogie, blues, and ballads and her album Relaxed Piano Moods with Charles Mingus and Max Roach, is highly regarded by critics today. Hazel was the first coloured lady to have her own TV show, The Hazel Scott Show, which premiered on the DuMont Television Network on July 3rd 1950. However, due to her public opposition to McCarthyism and racial segregation, the show was canceled, the final broadcast was September 29th 1950. Hazel also appeared in numerous films, including 'Something To Shout About', 'I Dood It', 'Broadway Rhythm', 'The Heat's On' and 'Rhapsody in Blue' (?) b. June 11th 1920.
1989: "Cousin Joe" Pleasant/Pleasant Joseph (81) American blues vocalist and guitarist born in Wallace, Louisiana; he made a name for himself on the Crescent City nightclub circuit of the mid-1930s before relocating to New York City in 1942. He is now more famous for his 1940s recordings with clarinetist Sidney Bechet and saxophonist Mezz Mezzrow. He recorded an impromptu 1971 session under the title Bad Luck Blues, followed in 1973 by Cousin Joe from New Orleans (?) b. December 20th 1907.
1994: Harriet Nelson/Peggy Lou Snyder (85) American singer and actress, born in Des Moines, Iowa; by 1932, she was performing in vaudeville when she met the saxophone-playing bandleader Ozzie Nelson, who hired her to sing with the band, under the name Harriet Hilliard. They married three years later. Harriot also went on to have a respectable film career and as a solo performer, as well as her work with the band. She is also well known for her role on the long-running sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. (Sadly Harriet died of congestive heart failure) b. July 18th 1909.
1998: Gene Autry (91) American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s. Gene was also owner of the Los Angeles/California Angels Major League Baseball team from 1961 to 1997, as well as a television station and several radio stations in southern California. Although his signature song was "Back in the Saddle Again", he is best known today for his Christmas holiday songs, his self penned "Here Comes Santa Claus", "Frosty the Snowman", and his biggest hit, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". He was a member of both the Country Music and Nashville Songwriters halls of fame, and is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (lymphoma) b. September 29th 1907.
1999: Georg Tintner CM (82) Austrian-born conductor whose career was principally in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. As a child he was a singer in the Vienna Boys' Choir, and studied composition and conducting at the Vienna State Academy. In 1938, he moved out of Vienna before moving to Auckland, New Zealand in 1940. He conducted a church choir until after the war, when he took over the Auckland Choral Society in 1947, and the Auckland String Players in 1948. He became a New Zealand citizen in 1946. In 1954, he went to Australia and became resident conductor of the National Opera of Australia before joining the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera in 1957. He spent a year with the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra 1966-67 and three years with Sadler's Wells Opera 1967-70 before returning to Australia as Music Director of the West Australian Opera. In 1974, he rejoined the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera, by then known as the Australian Opera. He became Music Director of the Queensland Theatre Orchestra in 1976. In 1987 he moved to Canada, where he became director of Symphony Nova Scotia. In 1998, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada (so sadly after a six-year struggle with cancer, Georg jumped to his death from the balcony of his 11th-storey Halifax apartment) b. May 22nd 1917.
2007: Tawn Mastrey (53) American disc jockey, music video producer, and one of rock radio's top media personalities. She was among the first to add new artists such as AC/DC, Cheap Trick, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Devo, The Police, Joan Jett, and other now legendary bands to the playlist while working as Music Director at KSJO, the San Francisco Bay highest rated Album Oriented Rock station during the late 1970’s, Tawn had a profound impact on the fate of Hard Rock, Punk, New Wave and later Heavy Metal music at KNAC where the subsequent Los Angeles Metal Band scene gave birth to artists like Ratt, Mötley Crüe, Gun’s N’Roses et al. As a fairly open – minded Music Director and DJ at KSJO, Tawn was a deciding voice in which new artists would be played and added to the KSJO catalogue and decidedly liberal playlist which only required DJ’s to play “Star” artists after commercial breaks (effects of hepatitis C, which she contracted as a child) b. August 20th 1954.
2010: Art Jarvinen (54) American composer, teacher and musician, originally from Ohio. He attended the California Institute of the Arts, studying percussion. He eventually studied composition there with Morton Subotnick, Stephen Mosko, and Earle Brown. Art composed over 80 compositions and worked closely with both Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart. In 1981, he earned a Masters of Fine Arts degree and began teaching at the California Institute of the Arts. That same year Art became an the original member of the California EAR Unit, an American chamber ensemble dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music (?) b. 1956.
2012: Big Jim Sullivan/James George Tomkins (71) British guitarist born in Middlesex. In 1959, he met Marty Wilde at The 2i's Coffee Bar, and was invited to become a member of his backing group, the Wildcats, who were the warm up act on the television series, Oh, Boy!. The Wildcats backed Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent on their tour of Britain in 1960. In the 60s and 70s he also played on hits by Billy Fury, Frank Ifield, Adam Faith, Frankie Vaughan, Helen Shapiro, Freddie and the Dreamers, Cilla Black, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Dusty Springfield, Georgie Fame, Bobby Darin, Little Richard, The Walker Brothers, Donovan, David Bowie, Engelbert Humperdinck, Benny Hill, The New Seekers, Thunderclap Newman, Love Affair, Long John Baldry, Marmalade, Small Faces, The Tremeloes, Rolf Harris, George Harrison and many more as well as being a member of Tom Jones' band. He performed on 55 No.1 hits singles during this time. In 1975, he teamed up with Derek Lawrence, to form the record label, Retreat Records. They produced various artists over a period of about two years. Amongst them were Labi Siffre, Chas & Dave and McGuinness Flint and he produced and arranged Siffre's "I Got The . . ." which was sampled by Eminem. Jim and Lawrence went to the United States during this period, to produce the glam metal band, Angel. In 1978, he became part of the James Last Orchestra for nine years, also toured with Olivia Newton-John after her success with Grease. In 1987, he began composing music for films and jingles. Later, he and guitarist Doug Pruden toured as the BJS Duo, and he also played in the Big Jim Sullivan Band with Duncan McKenzie, Malcolm Mortimore and Pete Shaw. In 2006 he was featured in the Guitar Maestros DVD series with Doug Pruden. (sadly Jim died from complications of heart disease and diabetes) b. February 14th 1941

October 3rd.
1966: David Lambert (49) American jazz lyricist, singer, and an originator of vocalese. He was best known as a member of the trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. He spent a lifetime experimenting with the human voice, and expanding the possibilities of its use within jazz. His band debut was with Johnny Long's Orchestra in the early 1940s. Along with early partner Buddy Stewart, he successfully brought singing into modern jazz, concurrently with Ella Fitzgerald. In the late 1950s he teamed with wordsmith, and vocalese pioneer Jon Hendricks. The two were later joined by Annie Ross, and the lineup was a hit. (Tragically he was hit and killed by a car while changing a tyre) b. June 19th 1917.
1967: Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie (55) American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes 100s of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his guitar. His best-known song is "This Land Is Your Land", which is regularly sung in American schools. Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. Such songwriters as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and Tom Paxton have acknowledged their debt to Woody as an influence. He traveled with migrant workers from Oklahoma to California and learned traditional folk and blues songs. Many of his songs are about his experiences in the Dust Bowl era during the Great Depression, earning him the nickname the "Dust Bowl Troubadour". Throughout his life Woody was associated with United States communist groups, though he was never an actual member of any. During his later years, in spite of his illness, Woody served as a figurehead in the folk movement, providing inspiration to a generation of new folk musicians, including mentor relationships with Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Bob Dylan. Woody was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 1997 (died from complications of Huntington's disease) b. July 14th 1912.
2000: Benjamin Orr/Benjamin Orzechowski (53) American bassist and vocalist; born in Lakewood, Ohio, he learnt to play many instruments including the guitar, drums, bass, and keyboards. In his early days he was known as "Bennie Eleven-Letters" and dropped out of High School to play in local bands such as Mixed Emotions and The Grasshoppers as lead singer and guitarist. The latter was the house band on the syndicated TV show Upbeat produced by WEWS-TV in Cleveland. In 1970 he moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he met Ric Ocasek and formed a musical partnership that would continue to the end of his life. Along with lead guitarist Jas Goodkind, they formed a folk band called Milkwood. The group released one album, "How's the Weather?" in 1972. By the mid 1970s he was working in a Boston night club band, Cap'n Swing, whose members included future Cars leader Ric Ocasek and guitarist Elliot Easton. After the group broke up in 1975, the three of them joined up with keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson to form The Cars in 1976. After several top hits and multi-platinum albums with The Cars, he released his only solo project The Lace in 1986. Ben continued to work with The Cars for one more album before their breakup in 1988, after which he recorded tracks with guitarist John Kalishes. From 1998 until his death in 2000, he performed with three bands, including his own band "ORR", The Voices of Classic Rock, and Big People (sadly died of pancreatic cancer) b. September 8th 1947.
2007: Elfi von Dassanowsky (83) Austrian-American singer, pianist and film producer; a piano prodigy at 5, she attended the Vienna Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and at aged 15, became the youngest woman admitted to Vienna's Academy of Music and Performing Arts to that date to be trained as an opera singer and concert pianist as the protégé of concert pianist, Emil von Sauer. In 1946, she made her opera debut in Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" and her wide soprano to mezzo range gained her rapid fame in leading roles in throughout Central Europe. She is one of the few women in history, and one of the youngest, at age 23, to co-found a major film studio--Belvedere Film Vienna. As creative producer she helped revitalize Austrian cinema and discover such European film talent as Nadja Tiller and Gunther Philipp. Elfi initiated musical theatre groups, was announcer for Allied Forces Broadcasting and the BBC, toured Central Europe in a one-woman-show and gave master classes in voice and piano, often to refugees who could not gain entry into music academies. In Hollywood in the early 1960s, she resisted becoming a starlet and remained behind the camera in an industry that did not yet accept women in the leading production role she had in Europe. She worked as a noted vocal coach for director Otto Preminger on such films as "In Harm's Way" and "The Cardinal". In 1999, Elfi re-established Belvedere Film with her son as a LA-based production company and served as Executive Producer of the award-winning dramatic short film, "Semmelweis," the spy-comedy "Wilson Chance," and the documentary "The Archduke and Herbert Hinkel." Dassanowsky was honored for her pioneering work by Austria, by the cities of Los Angeles and Vienna, as well as by the State of California which declared February 2nd 1996, "Elfi von Dassanowsky Day." She was named a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Letters of France, and she received the Austrian Film Archive's Lifetime Achievement Medal and the UNESCO Mozart Medal, among many other awards (sadly Elfi died from heart failure) b. February 2nd 1924.
2007: Giuseppe Valdengo (93) Italian operatic baritone born in Turin. He is probably best remembered for his NBC radio broadcasts of Otello-1947 as Iago, Aida-1949 as Amonasro, and Falstaff-1950 as the title role. The Toscanini Aida, with Herva Nelli in the name part, was simulcast on both television and radio, one of the first instances of such an event, and the telecast has been released on both VHS and DVD. Giuseppe also appeared in one film, MGM's movie, The Great Caruso-1951, starring Mario Lanza as the famous tenor. During the 1950s Giuseppe sang in most of the principal European opera houses, most often portraying roles from the Verdi baritone repertory (?) b. May 24th 1914
2009: Robert Kirby (61) British keyboard player and arranger of string sections for rock and folk music; he studied at Cambridge where with fellow students he sang in a group called 'The Gentle Power of Song'. By 1978 Robert had already had recorded arrangements for over 40 albums. Also from 1975-1978 he was one of the two keyboard players for Strawbs, touring the UK and internationally, and getting some composing credits on the albums Deep Cuts, Deadlines and Burning for You. He did some further arranging for Strawbs with Baroque & Roll in 2001, Déjà Fou in 2004 and 2009's Dancing to the Devil's Beat. He is best known for his work on the Nick Drake albums, Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter, but has also worked with Elton John, Ralph McTell, Paul Weller, Elvis Costello and the dutch band Flemming. In July 2005, Robert conducted an 18-piece orchestra in Manhattan's Central Park for a show of Drake's music, using his original scores (?) b. April 16th 1948.
2011: Kay Armen (95) American singer, actress and composer who has made many records and performed in theatres, night clubs, films and television. She joined ASCAP in 1953 and her popular-song compositions include "Be Good to Yourself"; "My Love and I"; and "It's a Sin to Cry Over You" (?) b. November 2nd 1915.
2011: Mikko Laine (30) Finnish guitarist and member of the progressive-melancholic-metal band Sole Remedy which was formed in the late '90s and has released two studio albums to date, 2007's 'The Wounded Ones' and last year's 'Apoptosis'. The band has played along side the likes of Symphony X, Mekong Delta and Long Distance Calling, among others. (The band were on tour at the time Mikko died; after performing at the ProgPower Europe festival in Baarlo, Holland, Mikko was backstage asleep when a truck reversed onto him tragically killing him) b. ????
2012: Kathryn "Kathi" McDonald (64) American singer born in Washington state and started performing professionally around Seattle when she was 12 years old. At the age of 19 she moved to San Francisco and joined Ike and Tina Turner as an Ikette, after which she did some work with Big Brother & the Holding Company. In 1972 she recorded "Insane Asylum" for Capitol Records. Also around this time she contributed backing vocals on four The Rolling Stones tracks including the hit single Tumbling Dice and Save Your Breath which was released over 20 years after. Kathi went on to devote more than two decades to recording and performing in collaboration with Long John Baldry, and the duo scored with their version of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" when it was released in Canada. In later years, she also contributed to the Seattle Women in Rhythm and Blues project. She reunited with Big Brother & the Holding Company in California for a concert on New Year's Eve, 1997 and was inducted into the Washington Blues Society's Hall of Fame in 1999. More recently Kathi often performed with Chicago Blues guitarist Rich Kirch and also performed with her own band Kathi MacDonald and Friends (?) b. September 25th 1948.

October 4th.
1948: Jan Savitt/Jacob Savetnick (41) Russian arranger, big bandleader, violinist, and vocalist born in Shumsk; he was invited to joined the Philadelphia Orchestra when was only nineteen, having studied at the Curtis Institute and in Europe. In 1937 he formed his band The Top Hatters and began touring the following year. Their songs include "720 in the Books" "It's A Wonderful World" and his theme songs "Quaker City Jazz" and "From Out Of Space". He was one of the first of the Big Band leaders to feature an African American vocalist, George Tunnell aka "Bon Bon". His other vocalists included Carlotta Dale, Allan DeWitt, Joe Martin, and Gloria DeHaven. (?) b. September 4th 1907.
1970: Janis Joplin (27) American blues singer born in Port Arthur, Texas; Janis always felt a bit of an outcast and misfit at school and was teased badly. She took solice in her love of the blues. Influenced by the likes of Bessie Smith, Leadbelly, Odetta and Big Mama Thornton, she took to singing. She left Texas for San Francisco in 1963, living in North Beach and later Haight-Ashbury. In 1964, Janis, Jorma Kaukonen and Margareta Kaukonen recorded a number of blues standards, this session included seven tracks: "Typewriter Talk," "Trouble In Mind," "Kansas City Blues," "Hesitation Blues", "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy" and "Long Black Train Blues," and was later released as the bootleg album The Typewriter Tape. Not dealing with her drug problems well she returned home to clean up. By '66 she was back fronting the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and The Holding Company; thier first public performance was at San Francisco's Avalon Ballroom. They toured heavily, appeared at festivals including Monterey, TV appearences, and released two albums, "Big Brother and the Holding Company" in 1967 and "Cheap Thrills" in 1968. At the Palace of Fine Arts Festival on August 31 and September 1 she announced that she would be leaving Big Brother. They toured through the fall and Janis gave her last official performance with Big Brother at a Family Dog benefit on December 1st 1968. After the split, Janis formed a new backup group, the Kozmic Blues Band. The band was influenced by the Stax-Volt Rhythm and Blues bands of the 1960s, Janis and the Kozmic Blues Band toured North America and Europe throughout 1969, appearing at Woodstock in August. Janis released one album with her new band "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!". Their final gig with Janis was at Madison Square Garden in New York City on the night of December 19–20, 1969. In her final year Janis holidayed in Brazil, after which she formed her new backing band of mainly Canadian musicians The Full Tilt Boogie Band, but she performed in a reunion with Big Brother at the Fillmore West in San Francisco on April 4th 1970, recordings from this concert were included in an in-concert album released, before she started touring with Full Tilt Boogie in the May. Then in June and July on the all-star Festival Express tour through Canada. Janis's last public performance, with Full Tilt Boogie, was on August 12th 1970 at the Harvard Stadium in Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to this they had recorded enough in the studios for an album, the result was the posthumously released "Pearl". It became the biggest selling album of her career and featured her biggest hit single, a cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee". Kristofferson had been Joplin's lover not long before her death. Janis lived fast and died young, an American icon and souvenir of the 1960s (Tragically died at the Landmark Hotel, Hollywood, after an accidental heroin overdose) b. January 19th 1943.
1982: Glenn Gould (50) Canadian pianist, composer and winner of 4 grammys, who became one of the best-known and most celebrated classical pianists of the 20 century. He was renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach. His playing was distinguished by a remarkable technical proficiency and a capacity to articulate the polyphonic texture of Bach’s music. Glenn rejected most of the standard Romantic piano literature and shunned the music of several of its composers, notably Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, and Frédéric Chopin. In 1982 he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. (?) b. September 25th 1932.
1990: Alyn Ainsworth (66) English singer and dance band conductor born in Bolton. At the age of 14, Herman Darewski recognised his talent and signed him up to tour with his dance band. When his voice broke he learnt the guitar and soon joined Oscar Rabin's orchestra where he played in the band and did musical arrangements, they also broadcast on the radio. Alyn turned down an offer from Val Parnell to conduct the London Palladium Orchestra and chose in 1951 to join the BBC Northern Variety Orchestra, first as arranger, then as conductor. In the early 60s he was signed up by Granada TV as presenter of "Spot the Tune". In 1965 he conducted the orchestra at the Royal Command Performance at the London Palladium for the third time. He was also the musical director for the BBC's anniversary programme Fifty Years Of Music broadcast in 1972 and he conducted in the Eurovision Song Contest five times, '75, '76, '77 for Belgium, 1978 and 1990. (?) b. August 24th 1924.
1991: J. Frank Wilson (49) American lead singer of J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers; born in Lufkin, Texas, he joined the Cavaliers after his discharge from Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas in 1962. Their first chart hit was "Last Kiss" b/s "That's How Much I Love You", became a hit in June of 1964, it reached No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. They charted with only one other song, "Hey, Little One". J.Frank with or without the Cavaliers, continued to release records until 1978. While he continued to tour and play until his death (died of alcoholism) b. December 11th 1941.
1994: Danny Gatton (49) American guitarist; born in Washington DC; he began his career playing in bands while still a teenager and began to attract wider interest in the 1970s while playing guitar and banjo for the group Liz Meyer & Friends. He made his name as a performer the 1980s, both as a solo performer and with his Redneck Jazz Explosion, in which he would trade licks with virtuoso pedal steel player Buddy Emmons over a tight bass-drums rhythm which drew from blues, country, bebop and rockabilly influences. He also backed Robert Gordon and Roger Miller. He contributed a cover of "Apricot Brandy", a song by supergroup Rhinoceros, to the 1990 compilation album Rubáiyát. Danny was ranked 63rd on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of all Time in 2003 and on May 26th, 2010, Gibson.com ranked him as the 27th best guitarist of all time. (tragically Danny suicide) b. September 4th 1945.
1999: Arthur Stewart "Art" Farmer (71) American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player,and also played flumpet, a trumpet-flugelhorn combination designed for him by David Monette. Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa worked as a musician from the mid-1940s onwards, based in LA, he played in the bands of Benny Carter and Jay McShann among others. He joined Lionel Hampton's orchestra around 1953, with fellow trumpeters Clifford Brown and Quincy Jones. Later relocating to New York, he worked with Gigi Gryce, Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, and George Russell, among others. He also formed "The Jazztet" with the composer and tenor sax player Benny Golson. Art moved to Europe, ultimately based in Vienna, where he performed with The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band, and also recorded extensively as a leader throughout his later career. With Golson he revived 'The Jazztet' in the 1980s for a number of engagements, with the original trombonist Curtis Fuller returning to the group (?) b. August 21st 1928.
2005: Mike Gibbins (56) Welsh drummer; he was a founding member the Iveys, later renamed Badfinger, after "Badfinger Boogie", an unused title for a Lennon-McCartney composition. He helped form The Iveys in 1965 and his powerful playing helped push the Iveys to a new level of proficiency and by the end of the year the group was being booked as an opening act for local appearances by the likes of the Who, the Yardbirds, the Moody Blues, and the Spencer Davis Group and was a popular attraction on the London club scene. They signed with Apple and changed their name to Badfinger, and broke through to the British and American Top Ten with the Paul McCartney-composed "Come and Get It." The group followed this up in 1970 with their LP masterpiece No Dice, scoring a hit with the now pop classic "No Matter What" which featured the ballad "Without You". Mike and the band backed George Harrison's solo masterpiece "All Things Must Pass", and also serving as the backing unit at George's Concert for Bangladesh. He was one of two members of the group left behind following a pair of tragic suicides, and he led reorganized versions of "Badfinger" into the 1980s and beyond. (died in his sleep at home in Florida) b. March 12th 1949.
2008: Al Gallogoro (95) American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist, born to a Chicago, but moved to Birmingham, Alabama when he was five years old. He made his first stage appearance at Birmingham's Lyric Theatre in 1926. After six years of playing nightclubs, speakeasies and vaudeville shows at the Orpheum Theater, Al moved to New York City and worked in radio bands. In 1933 he briefly joined Isham Jones' big band, making one record session with it. In 1936 he was hired to play lead alto saxophone in Paul Whiteman's orchestra, among the most popular performing groups of the era. After that group disbanded in 1940 he was hired to play bass clarinet in the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini. Among his credits is the famed opening clarinet glissando from the 1945 Warner Brothers film "Rhapsody in Blue", Al performed that particular piece over 10,000 times in his career. In 1947 his former bandleader invited him to join him as a live performer on New York's WJZ radio station. Al contributed countless saxophone solos to that station's programs over two decades and continued to do live radio work throughout his life. Bandleader Jimmy Dorsey praised him as "the best sax player who ever lived" (?) b. June 20th 1913.
2009: Mercedes Sosa (74) Argentinian folk singer; born in San Miguel de Tucumán, in northwestern Argentina, her roots were in Argentine folk music, she became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. Mercedes became known as La Negra by her fans for her long, jet-black hair, and was best known as the voice of the "voiceless ones". In a career spanning nearly six decades, as well as working in South America, she toured in both the US and Europe and released 70 albums from "La Voz de la Zafra" in 1959, "Canciones con Fundamento" in 1965 and Yo No Canto Por Cantar in 1966, to the release of Éxitos Eternos in 2005, La Historia del Folklore in 2007, Cantora 1 and Cantora 2 both in 2009 (Mercedes died from an aggravation of her preexisting kidney disease) b. July 9th 1935.
2010: Alberto Alves da Silva (89) Brazilian artist and musician, considered the father of samba de São Paulo, and founder of the samba school and most successful carnival in São Paulo, the Nene da Vila Matilde. He founded the blue and white of the Eastern Zone in 1949. The school grew and became a reference community, winning eleven championships. In 2010, Nene da Vila Matilde was champion of the Access Group and in 2011 returns to the elite of São Paulo carnival. (respiratory failure) b.1921

October 5th.
1940: Silvestre Revueltas Sánchez (40) Mexican composer, violinist and conductor; born in Santiago Papasquiaro in Durango, he studied at the National Conservatory in Mexico City, St. Edward's University in Austin, TX and the Chicago College of Music. In 1929 became assistant conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, a post he held until 1935. He did much to promote contemporary Mexican music. He wrote film music, chamber music, songs and a number of other works. Among his orchestral music are a number of symphonic poems with Sensemayá: Chant for the Killing of a Snake-1938, based on a poem by Nicolás Guillén. He appeared briefly as a bar piano player in the movie ¡Vámonos con Pancho Villa! in 1935, for which he composed the music. When shooting breaks out in the bar while he is playing "La cucaracha", he holds up a sign reading "Se suplica no tirarle al pianista" (Please don't shoot at the piano player!). He went to Spain and worked for the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War, but upon Francisco Franco's victory, returned to Mexico to teach. He earned little, and sadly fell into poverty and alcoholism (He died of pneumonia in Mexico City on the day his ballet El renacuajo paseador, written 4 years earlier, premièred) b. December 31st 1899.
1961: Booker Little Jr (23) American jazz trumpeter and composer born in Memphis, he studied at the Chicago Conservatory from 1956-58 and worked with leading local musicians such as Johnny Griffin. He then moved to New York where he met up with drummer Max Roach and multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy. From '58 to '61 he recorded four albums with Max Roach and two albums with Eric Dolphy in '60 and '61. He also recorded with the John Coltrane Quartet, Frank Strozier, and Abbey Lincoln as well as four albums as a leader of his Booker Little Quartet. Booker is considered to be one of the first trumpet players to develop his own sound after Clifford Brown. (Sadly he died prematurely of complications resulting from uremia, kidney failure) b. April 2nd 1938.
1981: Jud Strunk/Justin Strunk Jr (45) American singer-songwriter and comedian; he learnt to play the banjo as a boy and began entertaining locals. He went on to to appear on national TV network shows such as Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. In 1973, he wrote and recorded the song "A Daisy a Day," which made the Billboard Top 20 on both the country and pop music charts. He also wrote and recorded three humorous songs that made it into the country music charts, one of which continues to be played on the Dr. Demento show, is "The Biggest Parakeets in Town". He also toured with the Andy Williams Road Show (Jud was a private pilot and owned a 1941 Fairchild M62-A. Tragically, he suffered a heart attack while taking off in the aircraft at the Carrabassett Valley Airport in Maine and was killed instantly along with his passenger, local businessman Dick Ayotte) b. June 11 1936
1985: Brian Keenan (42) American drummer born in New York; as a child, he also lived in Conisbrough, Yorkshire, UK, and in Ireland. In the early 60s he did a short stint with Manfred Mann, the musician. Back in the USA, in 1965, Brian joined The Chambers Brothers a soul-music group, soon after they got their big break when they appeared at the Newport Folk Festival, after which they recorded their debut album People Get Ready. The band scored their first major hit in 1968 with the well noted 11-minute long song "Time Has Come Today". Brian left the band in 1971, to form his own band, The Losers, which became the house band at Ondine, the first discotheque in New York City. Brian went on to start up his own recording studio in Connecticut (sadly died of a fatal heart attack) b. January 28th 1943.
note: Manfred Mann, the musician, came to UK in 1961. He met drummer Mike Hugg, at Clacton Butlins Holiday Camp, in '62 and together they formed a blues jazz band called the Mann Hugg Blues Brothers, which evolved into Manfred Mann. Mike Hugg has always drummed with Manfred since 1962. Brian must have drummed with Manfred when he first relocated to Britain from South Africa ...Any Help Welcome??
1986: Emanuel "Manny" Sayles (79) American jazz banjoist and guitarist, he played violin and viola as a child in Florida, then taught himself banjo and guitar. Relocating to New Orleans he joined William Ridgely's Tuxedo Orchestra, after which he worked with Fate Marable, Armand Piron, and Sidney Desvigne on riverboats up and down the Mississippi River. In 1929 he participated in recordings with the Jones-Collins Astoria Hot Eight. 1933 sees Manny in Chicago with his own band; playing in the house band at the Jazz Ltd Club and recording with Roosevelt Sykes and others. Over the years he played with many including Sweet Emma Barrett, Punch Miller, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, he played and toured japan with George Lewis, and also recorded with the likes of Peter Bocage, Kid Thomas Valentine, Earl Hines, and Louis Cottrell, Jr. He recorded as a leader in the 1960s for GHB, Nobility, Dixie, and Big Lou (?) b. January 31st 1907.
1992: Eddie Kendricks (52) American singer and songwriter, noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style. Born in Union Springs, Alabama, he helped form a doo-wop group called The Cavaliers, and began performing around Birmingham. The group decided to move for better opportunities and in 1957 the group moved to Cleveland, Ohio. In Cleveland, they met manager Milton Jenkins, and soon moved with Jenkins to Detroit, Michigan, where the Cavaliers renamed themselves 'The Primes'. They went on to become Motown's singing group The Temptations, Eddie was one of their lead singers until 1971. His was the lead voice on such famous songs as "The Way You Do The Things You Do", "Get Ready", and "Just My Imagination". As a solo artist, Eddie recorded several hits of his own during the 1970s, including the number-one single "Keep On Truckin'" (sadly lost his battle with lung cancer) b. December 17th 1939.
1995: Marcel Neville King (38) English singer born in Manchester, he was the youngest member of "The Sweet Sensation", a band formed in Manchester in 1973 which came to notice after appearing on the ITV talent show New Faces. Under the guidance Tony Hatch the band signed to Pye Records. Their second single release "Sad Sweet Dreamer" was a UK No.1 hit in October 1974, also reaching No.14 on the Billboard Hot 100 the following spring. Their follow up "Purely by Coincidence" reached No.11 in the UK singles chart in January 1975. In 1977 they entered into A Song For Europe in an attempt to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song "You're My Sweet Sensation" ended in 8th place. Marcel launched a solo career in 1985 recording the single "Reach for Love" in 1991. (cerebral haemorrhage) b. January 4th 1958
2004: Rodney Dangerfield/Jacob Cohen (82) American comedian and actor, best known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect" or "I get no respect" and his monologues on that theme. He wrote songs for the cartoon "Rover Dangerfield", appeared on TV's Johnny Carson's Tonight Show over 70 times and was in the movies Natural Born Killers and Caddyshack. His album, No Respect, won a Grammy Award. One of his TV specials featured a musical number, "Rappin' Rodney”, soon became one of the first MTV music videos (He underwent surgery Aug 25th 2004 to replace a heart valve. He later fell into a coma and tragically never recovered) b. November 22nd 1921.
2009: Mike Alexander (32) British bassist born in London; in 2000, he joined Ben Carter and Matt Drake in a metal covers band, before they formed the band Evile in 2004, recording an EP "All Hallows Eve" the same year and a demo "Hell Demo" in '06. The band released their debut album, "Enter the Grave" worldwide '07. Mike, who endorsed Hartke amplifiers and cabinets and Dunlop bass strings, and Evile had released their second album Infected Nations, earlier in, 2009 (tragically died from a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot on the lungs, while in Sweden during a European tour in support of their new album) b. June 22nd 1977.
2010: Steve Lee (47) Swiss singer; he rose to fame in the 1990s with the Swiss rock band Gotthard of which he was a founder member, frontman, and lead singer. Their last 11 albums all charted at No.1. Their chart success in their native Switzerland made Gotthard one of the country's most successful bands of all time. They recently toured with Whitesnake and played at Arrow Rock Festival in Holland (tragically Steve was killed in a motorcycle accident in Mesquite, Nevada, when a truck hit five parked motorcycles) b. August 5th 1963.
2010: William Shakespeare/John Cabe/Billy Shake/John Cave (61) Australian glam rock singer, born in Sydney, and was vocalist for beat group, The Amazons. In 1966, they released a single, "Ain't that Lovin' You Baby". After The Amazons, he continued performing in Sydney clubs as Johnny Cabe. In early 1974, he was in Albert Studios where noted Australian producers-songwriters Vanda & Young were recording "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You" for another singer who was unable to reach its high notes. Johns's falsetto voice was suitable so V&W signed him to Albert Productions and groomed him into the glam rocker William Shakespeare along the lines of Alvin Stardust or Gary Glitter. "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You" was released as a single in July and peaked at No.2. This was followed in 1974 by his debut album of the same name, and a 2nd single "My Little Angel" which topped the charts in 1975. "Just the Way You Are" and "Last Night" were his last chart hits in 1976. His career was shattered when he was convicted of carnal knowledge with a 15-year-old fan. In 1978, Shakespeare, who had an alcohol addiction and clinical depression, was treated with Deep Sleep Therapy. The early 80s saw him in smaller gigs as Billy Shake. Sadly he was still on the alcoholic slide (sadly died of a heart attack) b.1948.
2011: Bert Jansch (67) Scottish folk guitarist, singer and songwriter born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the British folk music revival of the 1960s, and toured extensively starting in the 1960s and continuing into the 21st century. Bert recorded several solo albums, before becoming a founding member of popular folk-rock band Pentangle in 1968, touring and recording with them until their break-up in 1972 and also during the 80s and early 90s after their reformation. His work influenced such artists as Paul Simon, Johnny Marr, Neil Young, Bernard Butler, Jimmy Page, Nick Drake, Graham Coxon, Donovan, Fleet Foxes and Devendra Banhart. He has received two Lifetime Achievement Awards at the BBC Folk Awards: one, in 2001, for his solo achievements and the other, in 2007, as a member of Pentangle. In 2009 he was diagnosed with lung cancer, but after treatment went on to perform a two-month, co-headlining US tour with Neil Young in 2010 (sadly died while bravely fighting cancer) b. November 3rd 1943.
2012: Edvard Mirzoyan (91) Armenian composer, born in Gori, Georgia. Initially schooled in music in Yerevan and graduated from the Komitas State Conservatory, Mirzoyan went on to Moscow to further refine his art. In late 1956 he was elected president of the Armenian Composers’ Union, a position he held until 1991. He was professor of composition at the Komitas State Conservatory, and president of the Peace Foundation. His compositional output was small but quite distinguished, combining graceful lyricism with intense drama. With its formal structure and tonal design, his style has been described as Neoclassical, with elements of Armenian folksong always present. Mirzoyan’s String Quartet, Cello Sonata, Symphony for Strings and Timpani, and Epitaph for String Orchestra have become notable additions to the international music repertoire (?) b. May 12th 1921.

October 6th.
1762: Francesco Manfredini (78) Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and church musician born in Pistoia and studied violin with Giuseppe Torelli in Bologna. He became musical director at St. Philip's Cathedral in his home town of Pistoia. Much of his music is presumed to have been destroyed after his death; only 43 published works and a handful of manuscripts are left (?) b. June 22nd 1684.
1947: Leevi Antti Madetoja (60) Finnish composer, born in Oulu, he studied music in Helsinki, Paris, Vienna and Berlin, his music is strongly influenced by the traditional music of his home region. His three symphonies are based on the legacy of Sibelian and Russian romanticism, Gallic clarity and folk elements. The sombre Symphony Nº 2 was written during the civil war and could be described as a war symphony. Another fine work written in the same year is the elegant piano piece Kuoleman Puutarha (Garden of Death), dedicated to his brother, who had died during the war. His finest works are considered the opera The Ostrobothnians, the Third Symphony, Comedy Overture, the ballet Okon Fuoko, and his songs for male choir. (sadly died of from exhaustion, overwork and heart disease) b. February 17th 1887
1978: Johnny O'Keefe (43) Australian pioneering rock and roll singer of the 1950s, 60s and 170s. He had his own one-hour live TV show "Six O'Clock Rock", featuring many local artists. Born in the eastern Sydney suburb of Bondi Junction, in September 1956 Johnny and his friend Dave Owen, a US-born tenor sax player formed Australia's first rock'n'roll band, The Dee Jays. He also became the first Australian pop star to chart, with his third release, "I'm the Wild One." which was covered in '87 by Iggy Pop as "Real Wild Child". He was also the first Australian rock 'n' roll performer to tour the US. In his 20 career, he released over 50 singles, 50 EP's and 100 albums. Johnny's last public appearance was on Seven Network's Sounds program, taped on 30 September 1978. (Tragically he died from a heart attack induced by an accidental overdose of prescribed drugs) b. January 19th 1935.
1985: Nelson Riddle (64) American bandleader, arranger and orchestrator whose long career spanned from the 1940s until the 1980s, He began taking piano lessons at the age of eight and trombone lessons at aged fourteen. After his graduation from Ridgewood High School, he spent his late teens and early 20s playing trombone in and occasionally arranging for various local dance bands, culminating in his association with the Charlie Spivak Orchestra. In 1943, he joined the Merchant Marine, serving at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York for roughly two years. During this time he continued working for the Charlie Spivak Orchestra and he studyed orchestration under his fellow merchant marine, composer Alan Shulman. After his enlistment term ended, Nelson travelled to Chicago to join the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1944; he remained the orchestra's third trombone for eleven months until drafted by the United States Army in April, 1945. In 1946 he moved to Hollywood to pursue his career as an arranger. For several years he wrote arrangements for multiple radio and record projects. He went on to form his own orchestra providing jazzy big-band style arrangements to accompany such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey, Matt Monro, Linda Ronstadt and many others. (liver ailments) b. June 1st 1921.
1999: Amália da Piedade Rodrigues (79) Portuguese singer, actress. She was known as the "Queen of Fado" and was most influential in introducing fado to the world outside of Portugal. She was unquestionably the most important figure in the genre’s development. Her first professional engagement in a fado venue took place in 1939, and her popularity extend with trips to Spain, and lengthy stay in Brazil where, in 1945, she made her first recordings on Brazilian label Continental, her career explored with world tours, film and TV appearances. By 1962 she concentrated on recording and performing live at a slower pace. During the 1970s, Amália embarked upon a heavy schedule of worldwide concert performances. Her 1977 album Cantigas numa Língua Antiga was received as a triumph and the '80s and '90s brought her enthronement as a living legend (died in her home at Lisbon, Rua de São Bento which is now a museum. Portugal's government declared a period of national mourning) b. July 23rd 1920.
Note: Despite official documents which give her date of birth as July 23rd, Amália Rodrigues always said her birthday was July 1st 1920.
2006: Claude Luter (83) French jazz and dixieland clarinet player, and a soprano saxophonist, born in Paris. He started out on the trumpeter before switching to clarinet. After discovering New Orleans jazz in his teens, he began playing private parties and clubs during the Nazi occupation, and post-liberation, Claude emerged as a fixture at the Lorientais, one of the Latin Quarter's premier nightspots. He recorded with many of the visiting American jazz musicians including Willie "The Lion" Smith, Rex Stewart, and Buck Clayton, but maybe best known for being an accompanist to the great Sidney Bechet when he was in Paris. In 1960 Claude paired with fellow clarinetist Barney Bigard before forming his own band, which he continued to lead for the remainder of his life. In 1970 he went to LA to participate in events celebrating Louis Armstrong's 70th birthday and in 1997 flying to New Orleans to honor Bechet. (sadly he died from complications after a fall) b. July 23rd 1923.
2010: Colette Renard (86) French singer and actress, born in Ermont. After studying cello, she became secretary, then a singer in the Raymond Legrand's band. Colette is probably the last popular singer inspired by postwar realists. She also recorded several albums of bawdy songs, the most famous is probably Nights of a Lady. Colette has starred in several films including A King Without Entertainment and IP5 (sadly died after a long illness) b. November 1st 1924.
2012: Nick Curran (35) American blues/rock & roll singer-guitarist, born in Biddeford; he began his professional career at 19, leaving Maine to tour with Ronnie Dawson, “The Blonde Bomber”, before moving to Dallas where he joined the Jaguars, Kim Lenz's backing band. From 2004-07 Nick played with The Fabulous Thunderbirds appearing on their 2005 recording, Painted On. Also during that time, he and bassist Ronnie James started the punk band Deguello. As a solo artist Nick performed four songs in a scene in the 2008 HBO Series, True Blood, based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries. 2008, also saw Nick form the rock ‘n’ roll roots band, The Lowlifes, as well as playing in the Austin-based punk/rock ‘n’ roll band The Flash Boys (sadly Nick died fighting cancer) b. September 30th 1977.

October 7th.
1959: Mario Lanza/Alfredo Arnold Cocozza (38) Legendary American tenor and Hollywood movie star who enjoyed success in 1940s and 1950s. His voice was considered by some to rival that of Enrico Caruso, whom Lanza portrayed in the 1951 film The Great Caruso. He was able to sing all types of music. His career covered opera, radio, concerts, recordings, and motion pictures. He was the first artist for RCA Victor Red Seal to receive a gold disc and the first artist to sell two and half million albums. A highly influential artist, Mario has been credited with inspiring successive generations of opera singers, including Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Leo Nucci and José Carreras. (died in Rome from a pulmonary embolism) b. January 31st 1921.
1966: Johnny Kidd/Frederick Heath (30) English frontman and singer with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates; he had hit songs from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s. Their first single was the raw "Please Don't Touch", reaching No. 25 on the UK singles charts in 1959, this song has since been covered many times, most successfully by Motörhead. His most famous song as a composer was "Shakin' All Over" which was a No.1 UK hit in 1960. Kidd's own version didn't chart outside of Europe, but two cover versions did: The Guess Who topped the Canadian charts and hit No.22 US with their 1965 version of "Shakin' All Over", and in Australia, Normie Rowe topped the charts with it later the same year. It was also covered by The Who on the classic Live at Leeds album and Iggy Pop covered it on his solo album "Avenue B". Johnny and his band are remembered for appearing onstage in pirate costumes, complete with eye-patches, he was one of the pre-Beatles British rock and rollers to achieve worldwide fame (died in a car crash; near Radcliffe, Manchester, while on tour) b. November 23rd 1935.
Most sites have Johnny Kidd's DOB as Dec 23rd 1939, the "1939" was for public popularity. His birthdate according to his authorized site his DOB is is November 23rd 1935.
1966: Smiley Lewis/Overton Amos Lemons (53) American R&B singer, in his mid teens he ran off to New Orleans, where he began playing clubs in the French Quarter and "Tan bars" in the 7th Ward, at times billed as Smiling Lewis, a variation of the nickname earned by his lack of front teeth, and often accompanied by pianist Isidore "Tuts" Washington, and he spent the mid-1930s with in Thomas Jefferson's Dixieland band. When the band dissolved, Smiley turned to going from one club to another, playing gigs for only tips. He went on to record hits including, "Tee-Nah-Nah", "The Bells Are Ringing", "Blue Monday", "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons", "I Hear You Knocking", "One Night (Of Sin)", "Please Listen To Me", "Shame, Shame, Shame", "The Bells Are Ringing" and "I Hear You Knocking" of which many have been covered by the likes of Elvis Presley, Dave Edmunds, Gale Storm, Fats Domino and many others. (sadly lost his battle with stomach cancer) b. July 5th 1913.
1988: Bernard ''Bernie'' Cash (53) English jazz doube bassist, trumpet player, saxophonist, fluist, piccolo, arranger, composer, born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, and began his musical career as a trumpet player, gaining a reputation playing with different bands around the UK. At the age of 25, he decided to take up the double bass, and moved to London in 1961 where he became involved in the jazz scene, and played with many musicians of note. Soon he returned to Yorkshire, where he founded the Light Music Course at Leeds College of Music, a course that is still running today. Among the many musicians he played with include Ian Bell, Eric Silk, Bob Wallis, Pat Hawes, Bobby Mickleburgh, Bruce Turne, Eggy Ley, Harry Gold, Diz Disley's Soho String Quintet, Dave Shepherd, Oscar Rabin, Johnny Duncan, Charles Ernescoe, The Bryan Layton Trio, and his own The Bernie Cash Band (?) b. January 18th 1935.
2000: Dennis Sandole (87) American jazz musician, he taught himself the guitar at 19, and his older brother, Adolph, taught himself the baritone saxophone. They began playing together in a neighborhood band in Philadelphia, and a decade later, in the early 1940's, Dennis was playing guitar with some of the major swing-era big bands, including those led by Charlie Barnet, Boyd Raeburn, Tommy Dorsey and Ray McKinley. While on the West Coast in that period, he also recorded film soundtracks and played at studio recording sessions, including several for Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday. In the mid-40's, he moved back to Philadelphia to write music and teach at the Granoff Studios, he was John Coltrane's mentor from '46 until the early 50's. His other students over half a century included the saxophonists Rob Brown, James Moody, Michael Brecker, and Bobby Zankel; the pianists Matthew Shipp and Sumi Tonooka; and the guitarists Jim Hall, Joe Diorio and Pat Martino (died in his Philadelphia home) b. November 29th 1913.
2002: Pierangelo Bertoli (59) Italian singer-songwriter and poet born in Sassuolo, at the age of 4 he suffered of poliomyelitis and sadly he lost use of his legs. He started his career as a singer at the end of 1973 with the album Rosso colore dell'amore in 1974 and one year later with the self-produced album Roca Blues. One of his most famous album was A muso duro of 1979. In 1990 he collaborates with Elio e le Storie Tese. In 1991 and 1992 he took part to the Sanremo Music Festival. His last album, 301 Guerre Fa in 2002 was composed with the collaboration of his son Alberto and Luciano Ligabue (Pierangelo died of a heart-attack due to a tumor) b. November 5th 1942.
2009: Steve Ferguson (60) American guitarist, born in Louisville, KY, he first formed a group called the Merseybeats with his high school friend, pianist Terry Adams, before the two moved Miami, Florida, where the pair helped found the band NRBQ, short for New Rhythm and Blues Quartet (originally Quintet), with singer Frank Gadler, drummer Tom Staley and bassist Joey Spampinato in 1967. Soon they relocated to the northeastern US, living in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where they gained attention in local clubs. In the spring of 1969, NRBQ was the opening act for a 3-band program at "The Fillmore East" with 2nd act Joe Cocker the headline act The Jeff Beck Group, with lead singer Rod Stewart (Steve died after a long battle with cancer) b. November 22nd 1948 ...read more
2010: Tex Pistol/Ian Morris (53) New Zealand multi-award winning guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, and recording engineer; he was a founder member of Th' Dudes, releasing their debut album in "Right First Time" in 1979. This produced 3 singles "Be Mine Tonight"/"That Look In Your Eyes"; "Walking In Light"; and "Right First Time". This was followed by 3 more albums. Ian also had hits as a solo artist under the name Tex Pistol including "Nobody Else", "The Game of Love", and "The Ballad of Buckskin Bob" / "Winter". His production credits include DD Smash, The Screaming Meemees, the Warratahs, When the Cat's Away, Greg Johnson and Dave Dobbyn. Ian also wrote numerous jingles and arrangements, and in 2006, he toured with a re-formed Th' Dudes on a New Zealand tour. (he was found at his home in Napier on New Zealand's North Island. Police say there were no suspicious circumstances) b. 1957.

October 8th.
1772: Jean Joseph de Mondonville (60) French composer and violinist born in Narbonne in Southwest France . In 1733 he moved to Paris where he gained the patronage of the king's mistress Madame de Pompadour and won several musical posts, including violinist for the Concert Spirituel. His motet Venite exultemus domino, published in 1740, won him the post of Maître de musique de la Chapelle (Master of Music of the Chapel). Thanks to his mastery of both orchestral and vocal music, Jean brought to his grand motet -- the dominant genre of music in the repertory of the Chapelle royale (Royal Chapel) before the Revolution (died in Belleville near Paris) December 25th 1711 (baptised)
1834: François-Adrien Boïeldieu (58) French composer under the Ancien Régime in Rouenl, one of the most significant composer in France in the early decades of the nineteenth century, In 1825 he produced his masterpiece, La dame blanche. Unusual for the time, La dame blanche was based on episodes from two novels by Walter Scott. The libretto by Eugène Scribe is built around the theme of the long lost child fortunately recognized at a moment of peril. The style of the opera influenced Lucia di Lammermoor, I puritani and La jolie fille de Perth. La dame blanche was one of the first attempts to introduce the fantastic into opera (cancer of the larynx) b. December 16th 1775.
1953: Kathleen Mary Ferrier CBE (41) English contralto singer, born in Higher Walton, Lancashire. She later moved with her family to Blackburn, Lancashire. She excelled in the music of Mahler, of Bach and of Handel. Her recitals often included songs by Schubert, Schumann and Brahms, and towards the end of her career she sang Chausson's Poème de l'amour et de la mer. However, she is perhaps best remembered for her interpretations of British folk songs, including "Blow the wind southerly". She also sang regularly in the Netherlands, and in France, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia. She paid three visits to North America in 1948, 1949 and 1950 and sang at each of the first six Edinburgh International Festivals. Benjamin Britten wrote several works specifically for her, including Lucretia in The Rape of Lucretia, Abraham and Isaac (also written for Peter Pears), and part of the Spring Symphony. Among other composers who wrote specifically for her were Lennox Berkeley, Arthur Bliss and Edmund Rubbra. She worked with many famous conductors, including Bruno Walter, John Barbirolli, Malcolm Sargent, Clemens Krauss, Otto Klemperer, Herbert von Karajan, Eduard van Beinum and also with Benjamin Britten. She also worked with other famous singers such as Isobel Baillie, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Julius Patzak and Peter Pears. Kathleen was especially remembered for her brave performances during her final illness. (Sadly lost to breast cancer) b. April 22nd 1912
1955: Iry LeJeune (26) American accordionist born in Pointe Noire, Louisiana, he was one of the best selling and most popular Cajun musicians in the mid to late 1940s into the early 1950s. His recordings and repertoire remain influential to the present day. He was among a handful of recording artists who returned the accordion to prominence in commercially recorded Cajun music and dance hall performances. In 1948 Iry met fiddler Floyd LeBlanc, together they traveled to Houston, Texas where they recorded "Love Bridge Waltz" and "Evangeline Special" with Virgil Bozeman's Oklahoma Tornadoes supporting. This disc was the turning point in his career and for Cajun music. Iry eventually assembled a band, the Lacassine Playboys, which at one time or another featured Crawford Vincent or Robby Bertrand on drums, Alfred "Duckhead" Cormier on guitar, Wilson Granger on fiddle, R. C. Vanicor on steel guitar and occasionally Shuler on guitar.(Iry and fiddler J. B. Fuselier were returning home after playing at a dance at the Green Wing club in Eunice when they got a flat. While changing the tyre a driver sped past at about 90mph, hitting Iry, killing him and knocking his body into a field) b. October 28th 1928.
1977: Giorgos Papasideris (75) Greece country singer, composer and lyricist; born on Salamis Island, Greece, after leaving elementary school, he spent his entire career working professionally in the field of traditional Greek folk music and Arvanite folk music, producing many popular recordings. In Alonia, a district of Salamis City, there is a bust in memory of him. (heart attack) b. September 14th 1902.
1995: Christopher Keene (47) American conductor, born in Berkeley, CA; he studied at the University of California, Berkeley. From 1969 to 1971 he was Music Director of Eliot Feld's American Ballet Company. Also associated with the Spoleto Festival from 1968 and was Music Director there from 1972 to 1976, after which he co-founded the Spoleto Festival USA, where he was Music Director from 1977 to 1980. Christopher conducted in many of the major opera houses including in 1976 conducting the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Hero for the Opera Company of Philadelphia. He was founder of the Long Island Philharmonic in 1979, and directed it until 1990. In 1976, he led the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd's Bilby's Doll, at the Houston Grand Opera. His last performance, at the City Opera, was of Hindemith's Mathis der Maler (sadly died from lymphoma arising from AIDS) b. December 21st 1946.
2008: Gidget Gein/Bradley Stewart (39) American bassist; born in Hollywood, Florida and was taught to play guitar by a catholic priest. He grew up with his friend Brian Hugh Warner and their personalities expressed themselves through fun ideals in Gidget Gein and Marilyn Manson. They formed the band and came on south Florida music scene as Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids, and began to work with musician-producer Trent Reznor. They dropped the Spooky Kids from the band name in 1992. Sadly, Gidget was going out of control as his drug habit increased and he was dropped from the band in 1993. He did a stint in New York forming the band Gidget Gein and the Dali Gaggers with guitarist Al B. Romano which featured various fun displays of degenerate art and post-punk styled songwriting. Before the release of the Dali Gaggers only album Confessions of a Spooky Kid, he headed back to Florida to try to kick his drug addiction. He left Florida in 2004 taking his now extensive art collection with him, and began to execute art and fashion shows in Hollywood, California, under the organised name Gollywood (after some years of sobriety, Bradley sadly died of a heroin overdose) b. September 11th 1969.
2010: Reg King (65) English singer and songwriter, born in Paddington, London; he was most famous for being the lead singer with The Boys and The Action. (sadly died fighting cancer) b. February 5th 1945.
2010: Albertina Walker (81) American gospel music singer, in the early 1950s Walker founded her own Gospel music group The Caravans, The Caravans' membership has included: James Cleveland, Bessie Griffin, Shirley Caesar, Dorothy Norwood, Inez Andrews, Loleatta Holloway, Cassietta George, and Delores Washington. Her discovery of these artists resulted in the nickname "Star Maker". Walker retired The Caravans in the late 1960s, performing as a solo artist. In the mid 1970s, Albertina signed with Savoy Records then Benson Records, Word Records, A&M Records, and other record companies, recording a series of solo projects, many of them with big church choirs including The Evangelical Choir, The Cathedral of Love Choir, The Metro Mass choir, and her own church choir - The West Point Choir. She recorded her first solo project Put A Little Love In Your Heart in 1975. She also recorded several projects together with Reverend James Cleveland. To date, she has recorded over 60 albums, including gold selling hits "Please Be Patient With Me", "I Can Go To God In Prayer", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "Impossible Dream", and "Joy Will Come". Albertina has sung for United States presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and Sth Africa's president, Nelson Mandela () b. August 29th 1929.
2011: Ingvar Wixell (80) Swedish baritone opera singer, born in Luleå he made his debut in 1955 as Papageno in Mozart's The Magic Flute at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm where he was member of the company until 1967. He made his British debut during the Royal Swedish Opera’s visit to Covent Garden in 1960, and sang Gugliemo at Glyndebourne and at the Proms in 1962. For the Royal Opera, London he sang Boccanegra in 1972. In America he appeared at San Francisco Opera - 1972 and the Metropolitan Opera - 1973. He was engaged at the Deutsche Oper Berlin 1967 where he was a member for more than 30 years. At Bayreuth he sang the Herald in Lohengrin - 1971. Among other roles, he has sung Figaro in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia, Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen Amonasro in Verdi's Aïda, Baron Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca, and the title roles in Verdi's Rigoletto, Simon Boccanegra, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Verdi's Falstaff and Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. In 1965, Wixell performed all the songs in the competition to select Sweden's Eurovision Song Contest entry. The winning song was "Annorstädes Vals" (Elsewhere Waltz), which Wixell went on to perform at the international final in Naples (?) b. May 7th 1931.
2011: Mikey Welsh (40) American artist and bassist, born in Syracuse, New York, best known as the former bassist of the alternative rock band Weezer. He started out as a Boston-area musician, playing in bands such as Heretix, Chevy Heston, Jocobono, Left Nut, and Slower. He was also Juliana Hatfield's touring bassist. In 1997 he joined the first incarnation of The Rivers Cuomo Band, the side-project of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. Mikey joined Weezer following the departure of Matt Sharp in 1998. During Weezer's hiatus he played with Verbena and the first incarnation of Patrick Wilson's band The Special Goodness. He again played with Weezer from the time that they regrouped in 2000 until August 2001, when he suffered a mental breakdown. Shortly afterwards, Mikey retired from music to focus on his art career. By Aug 2008 he had 13 exhibitions of his artwork and he was a member of Outsider Art (tragically, Mikey was found dead in a hotel room in Chicago, Illinois. No cause of death has yet been announced) b. April 20th 1971.
2011: Roger Williams/Louis Weertz (87) American pianist born in Omaha, Nebraska; he is noted for recording "Autumn Leaves", the only piano instrumental to reach No.1 on Billboard's popular music chart in 1955. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. In 1966 he had another Top Ten hit with the song "Born Free" from the motion picture soundtrack. His other hits include "Near You", "Till", "The Impossible Dream", "Yellow Bird", "Maria", and "The Theme from Somewhere in Time". Billboard magazine ranks him as the top selling piano recording artist in history with 18 gold and platinum albums to his credit and as of 2004, he had released 116 albums. He was known as the "Pianist to the Presidents" having played for nine administrations beginning with Harry S. Truman. His last White House performance was in November 2008 for a luncheon hosted by former First Lady Laura Bush. On his 75th birthday, Roger performed his first 12 hour piano marathon. He performed the marathon at Steinway Hall in New York City and the Nixon, Carter and Reagan Presidential Libraries. His Steinway & Sons "Gold Steinway" grand piano has been on tour for public display and entertainment during 2007–2008. In 2010 Roger was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame (Roger sadly died while fighting pancreatic cancer) b. October 1st 1924.
2012: Varsha Bhosle (56) Indian journalist and singer; she worked as a hindi and bhojpuri playback singer in Hindi and Marathi movies, and appeared in concerts with her mother.Varsha finished school from Hill Grange High School, on Pedder Road, Mumbai, in 1974, with an ISC. She studied Political Science at Elphinstone College, which is affiliated with Bombay University in Mumbai. She wrote columns for the Indian web portal, Rediff[1], during 1997 - 2003; columns for The Sunday Observer during 1994 - 1998; and for Gentleman magazine in 1993. She also wrote a little for the Times of India and for Rakshak - The Protector police magazine (sadly, suicide by gunshot) b. 1956.
2012: John Tchicai (76) Danish saxophonist and pioneer of free jazz, born in Aarhus; he studied violin as a boy, and in his mid-teens began playing clarinet and alto saxophone, focusing on the latter. By the late 1950s he was travelling around northern Europe, playing with many musicians. He moved to New York in 1963 and co-founded The New York Contemporary Five with Archie Shepp. He later became a leading figure of the jazz avant-garde movement in Europe. He also played with John Coltrane, Milford Graves, Carla Bley and Steve Swallow. He returned to Europe in 2001 and eventually settled in southern France (On June 11th 2012 he suffered a brain hemorrhage, he was recovering but sadly he has died in a Perpignan hospital) b. April 28th 1936

October 9th.
1941: Helen Morgan (41) American singer, guitarist and actress born in Danville, Illinois, and worked in films and on the stage. She toured extensively in vaudeville and made a big splash in the Chicago club scene in the 1920s. She starred as Julie LaVerne in the original Hammerstein and Kern's musical Broadway production of Show Boat in 1927 as well as in the 1932 Broadway revival of the musical, and appeared in the first two of its subsequent film adaptations, in 1929 and in 1936, becoming firmly associated with the role. Another notable success was the title role of Hammerstein and Kern's musical, Sweet Adeline in 1929. She also appeared and sang in many films including Applause, Glorifying the American Girl, Roadhouse Nights, The Gigolo Racket, Manhattan Lullaby, Frankie and Johnnie, You Belong to Me, Marie Galante, Sweet Music to mention a few. Helen was portrayed in the 1957 biopic The Helen Morgan Story. (cirrhosis of the liver) b. August 2nd 1900.
1973: Sister Rosetta Tharpe (58) American pioneering gospel singer, songwriter and recording artist; born Rosetta Nubin in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, she began performing at age four, billed as "Little Rosetta Nubin, the singing and guitar playing miracle". Rosetta attained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and early rock and roll accompaniment. She became the first great recording star of gospel music in the late '30s and also became known as the "original soul sister" of recorded music. On October 31, 1938, Rosetta recorded for the first time, four sides with Decca Records backed by "Lucky" Millinder's jazz orchestra. Her records caused an immediate furor: many churchgoers were shocked by the mixture of sacred and secular music, but secular audiences loved them. Songs like "This Train" and "Rock Me", which combined gospel themes with bouncy up-tempo arrangements, became smash hits among audiences with little previous exposure to gospel music. In April / May 1964, she toured the UK as part of the "American Folk Blues and Gospel Caravan", alongside Muddy Waters and Otis Spann, Ranson Knowling and Little Willie Smith, Reverend Gary Davis, Cousin Joe and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee; pianist Cousin Joe Pleasant accompanied her on stage. Many musicians, from Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis to Isaac Hayes and Aretha Franklin to Sean Michel and The Noisettes have cited her as an influence. The Noisettes released the single "Sister Rosetta (Capture the Spirit)" in 2007, the same year Alison Krauss and Robert Plant released a duet album Raising Sand, Track No.7 of that album is titled "Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us". (Her performances were curtailed by a stroke in 1970, after which she lost the use of her legs. Rosetta sadly died after a second stroke, on the eve of a scheduled recording session) b. March 20th 1915
1978: Jacques Brel (49) Belgian singer-songwriter. Brel composed and recorded his songs almost exclusively in French, although he recorded a number of songs in Dutch. Brel's songs are not especially well known in the English-speaking world except in translation and through the interpretations of other singers, most famously Scott Walker and Judy Collins. Others who have sung his work in English include Karen Akers, Marc Almond, Momus/Nick Currie, Beirut, Bellowhead, David Bowie, Ray Charles, John Denver, The Dresden Dolls, Gavin Friday, Alex Harvey, Terry Jacks, Alan Clayson, Barb Jungr, The Kingston Trio, Jack Lukeman, Amanda McBroom, Rod McKuen, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Spencer Moody, Camille O'Sullivan, Dax Riggs, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Laurika Rauch and Dave Van Ronk. In French-speaking countries, Brel is also remembered as an actor and director. Jacques has sold over 25 million records worldwide, including over 12 million albums and singles in France and Belgium. His most frequently recorded song is "Ne me quitte pas" ("Don't Leave Me"), usually translated in English as "If You Go Away", overall, there have been at least 400 different recorded versions of this standard in at least 22 different languages (sadly lost his battle with cancer) b. April 8th 1929.
1988: Clifton 'Cliff' Gallup (58) American electric guitarist, who played rock and roll in Gene Vincent's band The Blue Caps in the 1950s. He played on 35 tracks with Vincent, including his biggest hit "Be-Bop-A-Lula", and established a reputation as one of the most technically proficient guitarists in early rock and roll. He left the band in '56, returning only for some more studio sessions that same year for the second Gene Vincent & The Bluecaps LP. In the mid 1960s Clinton made a solo album for the local Pussy Cat record label in Norfolk, 'Straight Down the Middle', in a more mellow instrumental style akin to Chet Atkins and Les Paul. He played guitar up until the day he died. He last played in Norfolk with a group called the H-Lo's 48 hours before his death (heart attack) b. June 17th 1930.
1991: Roy Black/Gerhard Höllerich (48) German pop/schlager singer and actor who appeared in several musical comedies and starred in the 1989 TV series, Ein Schloß am Wörthersee. Roy Black and His Cannons achieved local fame and were offered a recording contract with Polydor Records. However, his record producer Hans Bertram decided on a solo career for Roy, and a switch to romantic songs for his protégé, a decision which soon led to nationwide fame. In 1966, his single "Ganz in Weiß" sold in excess of one million copies by the end of 1967. His 1969 song "Dein schönstes Geschenk", sold one million copies by May 1970, having spent nine weeks at number one in the German chart. From 1967, Black also took on roles in several musical comedy films, for example in the 1969 movie Hilfe, ich liebe Zwillinge/ Help, I Love Twins (heart failure) b. January 25th 1943.
1999: Milt Jackson (76) American vibraphonist; born in Detroit, he very was an expressive player, he differentiated himself from other vibraphonists in his attention to variations of dynamics and rhythm. He was particularly fond of the 12-bar blues at slow tempos. Milt was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie, who hired him for his sextet in 1946 and also kept him for larger ensembles. He quickly acquired experience working with the most important figures in jazz of the era, including Woody Herman, Howard McGhee, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker. From the mid-70s to the mid-80s, Jackson recorded for Norman Granz's Pablo Records, including the classic Jackson, Johnson, Brown & Company (1983), featuring Milt with J. J. Johnson on trombone, Ray Brown on bass, backed by Tom Ranier on piano, guitarist John Collins, and drummer Roy McCurdy. He also guested on recordings by many leading jazz, blues and soul artists, such as B.B. King, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery, and Ray Charles (?) b. January 1st 1923.
2003: Carl Fontana (75) American jazz trombonist, born in Monroe, Louisiana, he learned jazz music from his father Collie, a saxophonist and violin player, and first performed with his father's band while in high school. He attended at University of Louisiana Monroe for two years, then transferred to Louisiana State University, receiving his degree in Music Education in 1950. From 1951 he joined up with Woody Herman, after three years he joined Lionel Hampton's big band in 1954. In early 1955 he played briefly with Hal McIntyre before joining Stan Kenton's big band later in the year. He recorded three albums with Kenton and also worked with fellow trombonist Kai Winding during this period. In 1966 he toured in Africa with Herman's band, but he primarily performed with house orchestras in Las Vegas during the 1960s, particularly Paul Anka's band and the bands backing Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Bennett, Wayne Newton, and the Benny Goodman orchestra. In the 1980s, he appeared regularly on National Public Radio's Monday Night Jazz program. And although he recorded on more than 70 albums over his long career, his first true record as a headliner did not appear until 1985 when Uptown Jazz released The Great Fontana, his first release as a solo headliner. He toured internationally now and then with various artists, but because he rarely recorded under his own name and toured only occasionally after 1958, he is significantly less famous among mainstream jazz fans, although very well-known amongst his fellow musicians. (sadly alzheimer's disease took him away) b. July 18th 1928.
2003: Don Lanphere (75) American tenor and soprano saxophonist born in Wenatchee, Washington; he ranked with some of the top jazz musicians of his time before he was even 20, recording with such trumpet legends as Fats Navarro and Max Roach in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He played gigs with Woody Herman, Charlie Parker and Artie Shaw. In the late 50s and early 60s he performed with Herb Pomeroy and Woody Herman again. In the '80s he began doing tours in New York and Kansas City in 1983 and a European tour in 1985. (sadly lost to liver failure) b. June 26th 1928.
2007: Lady Jaye Breyer P-Orridge née Jacqueline Breyer (38) American nurse, rock keyboardist and singer with Thee Majesty and PTV3 (a revamped version of Psychic TV); they released fourteen live albums in eighteen months, enough to earn them a place in the Guinness Book of World Records (Lady Jayre had an undiagnosed heart condition which was thought to have been connected with her long-term battle with stomach cancer. Lady Jaye collapsed and died in the arms of her heartbroken husband Genesis Breyer P-Orridge) b. July 1st 1969.
2009: Russell Allen "Rusty" Wier (65) American singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas; Rusty's career started the early 1970s and covers multiple music genres. He is most famous for his composition "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance" which was a small hit for him, but has been covered by, among artists, Jerry Jeff Walker, Chris LeDoux, John Hiatt, Barbara Mandrell, and Bonnie Raitt whose version of the song was a country hit when it was included on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack. Rusty was inducted into the Austin Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2002. (cancer) b. May 3rd 1944.
2009: Zambo Cavero/Arturo Cavero Velásquez (68) Afro Peruvian singer, who enjoyed international fame and considered by many Peruvians a symbol of the Afro Peruvian identity or Peruanidad. He specialized in interpreting, traditional songs from authentic and original rhythms of Perú, some of his best interpretations are songs that were composed by the notable Peruvian composer Augusto Polo Campos, other comes from a profound Afro-Peruvian traditional Música criolla which is actually Afro Peruvian music. (died in Rebagliati Hospital in Lima, from complications of sepsis) b. November 29th 1940.
2011: Bill Brown (69) American disc jockey born in Lawrenceville, Georgia; he began his radio career at various radio stations, including San Diego Top 40 station 136/KGB, now KLSD. He began working on WOR-FM now WRKS in 1966 doing various swing airshifts, eventually becoming full time. Initially, WOR-FM was a progressive rock station, but it evolved into an adult top 40/oldies station by 1968. When CBS-FM launched a freeform rock format in 1969, Bill with his signature deep voice was hired. In 1972, when the station flipped to Oldies, Bill adjusted. He would remain a constant at CBS-FM until the bitter end in 2005 when the “Jack” format took over, making the jocks obsolete. He then retired from CBS-FM after 33 years of playing oldies as well as nearly 36 years of service. He is the only air personality to be with the station through their first entire run using live on air personalities. He did one of their first shifts the day WCBS FM adopted the rock format in 1969 and the very last live airshift doing oldies in 2005 (?) b. August 15th 1942.

October 10th.
1964: Eddie Cantor/Edward Israel Iskowitz (72) American vaudeville performer, dancer, comedian, singer, actor, and songwriter. Familiar to Broadway, radio and early TV audiences, he was regarded almost as a family member by millions because his top-rated radio shows revealed intimate stories and amusing anecdotes about his wife Ida and five daughters. His eye-rolling song-and-dance routines eventually led to his nickname, Banjo Eyes. His eyes became his trademark, often exaggerated in illustrations, and leading to his appearance on Broadway in the musical Banjo Eyes in 1941 (heart attack) b. January 31st 1892.
1978: Ralph Marterie (63) Italian trumpet player and big-band leader born in Acerra, Italy. In the 1940s, he played trumpet for various bands. In 1953 he recorded a version of Bill Haley's "Crazy, Man, Crazy" which reached No.13 on the Billboard jockey chart, his highest success in the U.S. charts was a cover of "Skokiaan" in 1954. Other hits "Pretend", "Tricky", "Caravan" "Shish-Kebab", "Dancing Trumpet", "Dry Marterie", and "Carla" (?) b. December 24th 1914.
1979: Paul Paray (93) French conductor, organist and composer, born Le Tréport; in 1911, he won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome for his cantata Yanitza. After WW1, he was invited to conduct the orchestra of the Casino de Cauterets, which included players from the Lamoureux Orchestra, which led him to conduct this Orchestra in Paris. Later he was music director of the Monte Carlo Orchestra, and president of the Concerts Colonne. He made his US debut with the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in 1939. In 1952, he was appointed music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducting them in numerous recordings for Mercury Records' "Living Presence" series. He also was a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity (?) b. May 24th 1886.
2002: Teresa Graves (54) African-American actress and singer; born in Houston, Texas, Teresa began her career singing with The Doodletown Pipers, before turning to acting and became a regular in Our Place in 1967, Turn On in 1969 and then the Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. She appeared in a number of films before her pivotal role in the 1974 television movie Get Christie Love! from which Teresa is credited as the first African American woman to play the lead in a police film and TV show. In 1983, she retired from show business to devote her time to the religion (died in a fire at her home) b. January 10th 1948.
2003: Eugene Istomin (77) American classical pianist, born in New York City; he was famed for his work in the piano trio, with Isaac Stern and Leonard Rose, the Istomin-Stern-Rose Trio, with whom he made many recordings, particularly of music by Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert. He also played with them in orchestral music, with conductors such as Eugene Ormandy, Bruno Walter and also worked as as a soloist. He went on to win the Leventritt award, a Grammy Award in 1970, the Philhadelphia Youth Award, and also received the French Legion d'Honneur in 2001 (sadly Eugene died from liver cancer) b. November 26th 1925.
2005: Nick Hawkins (40) British guitarist born in Luton; he joined Big Audio Dynamite II in 1990, and went on to receive gold and platinum awards with the band for their hit singles, "Rush" and "The Globe". He left the band in 1997, but continued to write and produce music and moved to the USA, making his home in Las Vegas. Nick also scored for films as well as producing his wife, Jo Beng's debut album, which was released on his own record label, P-Phonic Records (died of a heart attack) b. February 3rd 1965.
2008: Dave Wright (64) English rhythm guitarist and vocalist born in Winchester; he was a member of the British rock band The Troggs founded in the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around". The Troggs' Billboard Hot 100 chart topper "Wild Thing" is ranked No.257 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock (?) b. January 21st 1944.
2009: Luis Aguilé (73) Argentine singer and songwriter; he started his career in Argentina, before relocating to Spain in 1963, where he had a successful musical career, both as a songwriter and singer. In the 80s, he was the musical assessor of the Televisión Española multidisciplinary contest "1,2,3 Responda Otra Vez".He has more than 700 songs to his name but maybe best known for his worldwide hit song '"Cuando Sali de Cuba" ("When I Left Cuba"). Back in 1990, Luis Aguilé created the music and lyrics of the anthem of CF Monterrey. It is considered one of the best soccer anthems in the world. He has also worked as a music producer and author, mainly on children's books and novels. He has been finalist twice for the Premio Planeta of Spanish Novel (stomach cancer) b. February 24th 1936.
2009: Stephen Gately (33) Irish pop singer and actor, born in Dublin, along with Ronan Keating, he was one of two lead singers in the boy band Boyzone. The band was put together in 1993 by manager Louis Walsh and thier 1994 debut single "Working My Way Back to You" reached No.3 in the Irish charts; this was followed by 17 top ten hits in the UK singles charts, which included 6 chart toppers. They released 3 albums Said And Done, A Different Beat, and Where We Belong, all of which reached the No.1 spot in the UK. After the success of Boyzone, the band decided in 2000 to move on to solo projects. Stephen was the first with his debut solo single titled New Beginning and later a debut solo album of the same name. The album included "Bright Eyes" which he recorded for the soundtrack to the new TV version of Watership Down. He also became the voice of one of the characters, 'Blackavar', which was created to look like him. Stephen also took to the stage appearing in a various stage productions, which included the lead role in Bill Kenwright's new production of Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and he appeared on many television programmes. In 2008, he rejoined his bandmates as Boyzone reformed for a series of concerts and recordings (died suddenly while on holiday in Mallorca, the cause of death has yet to be determined) b. March 17th 1976.
2010: Solomon Burke (70) American Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, born in Philadelphia; he began his adult life as a preacher in Philadelphia, soon moving on to host a gospel radio show and met fellow preacher Martin Luther King, Jr. several times. His first hit was "Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)", after he had signed to Atlantic Records. Solomon's best known song is "Cry to Me", was a hit twice: first in the 60's, and again in the 1980s when it was used in the film and appeared on the soundtrack for Dirty Dancing. He released his debut album ''Solomon Burke'' in 1962, this was followed by a further 35 albums ...READ MORE... (Solomon died of natural causes at Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands, immediately after his flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam, where he had been due to perform with De Dijk on October 12) b. March 21st 1940.
2011: Jagjit Singh (70) Indian ghazal singer, composer, music director, pianist and entrepreneur. Popularly known as "The Ghazal King" he gained acclaim together with his wife, another Indian Ghazal singer Chitra Singh, in the 1970s and 1980s, as the first successful husband-wife duo act in the history of recorded Indian music. They are considered to be the pioneers of modern ghazal singing and regarded as most successful recording artistes outside the realm of Indian film music. He has sung in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Sindhi and Nepali languages. He was awarded India's third highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2003 (sadly died of a brain haemorrhage) b. February 8th 1941.

October 11th.
1963: Édith Piaf/Edith Giovanni Gassion (47) French singer and actress; one of the most popular French singers of the 1940s and '50s, famous internationally for her husky, mournful voice and her songs of loneliness and despair. At aged 14, she joined her father in his acrobatic street performances all over France, where she first sang in public, before going it alone as a street singer at the age of 16. In 1935 she was discovered in the Pigalle area of Paris by nightclub owner Louis Leplée, whose club Le Gerny off the Champs-Élysées was frequented by the upper and lower classes alike. Louis taught her stage presense and nicknamed her La Môme Piaf ...The Waif Sparrow or Little Sparrow as she was only 4ft 8in tall. After the war, she became known internationally, touring Europe, the United States, and South America. Among her songs are "La Vie en rose", "Non, je ne regrette rien", "Hymne à l'amour", "Milord", "La Foule", "l'Accordéoniste", and "Padam... Padam..." Édith's signature song "La vie en rose" was voted a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998. (sadly lost her battle with cancer) b. December 19th 1915.
1984: Tex Williams/Sollie Paul Williams (68) American Western swing guitarist and singer, born in Ramsey, Illinois. He is best known for his talking blues style; his biggest hit was the novelty song, "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)", which held the number one position on the Billboard charts for six weeks in 1947. "Smoke" was the No. 5 song on Billboard's Top 100 list for 1947, and was No.1 on the country chart that year. It can be heard during the opening scenes of the 2006 movie, Thank You for Smoking (sadly died of pancreatic cancer) b. August 23rd 1917.
1993: Jess Thomas (66) US Wagnerian tenor, born in San Francisco, CA. As a child he took part in various musical activities and later studied at the University of Nebraska and Stanford University. Jess made his operatic debut in 1957 for the San Francisco Opera performing in Der Rosenkavalier as the Haushofmeister. He went on to be awarded the Wagner medal at Bayreuth, Germany in 1963. His many appearances in North America and Europe between the late 1950s and early 1980s included 15 seasons in 109 performances of 15 roles at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City (?) b. August 4th 1927.
1996: Renato Russo/Renato Manfredini Jr (36) Brazilian punk rock bassist and songwriter born in Rio de Janeiro. At the age of 15, he suffered from epiphysiolysis, a disease that paralyzed his legs for two years. Renato had to have a platinum implant, which earned him the nickname "Six Million Dollar Man". During the years of 1978 and 1979, he was the bass player with the punk rock band Aborto Elétrico / Electric Abortion. Renato wrote many songs during this period, that would later become hits of a later band Capital Inicial. In 1982, the band broke up and developed into two bands Legião Urbana, they became widely famous in Brazil, with protest songs at first, then songs about love, spiritualism, family and sex. The other band formed was Capital Inicial recording seven albums from 1982 to 1996. Renato played in both bands writing many of the songs. In the 90s he released two solo albums, with English and Italian songs (Sadly died of an AIDS related illness) b. March 27th 1960.
2007: Werner von Trapp (91) Austrian-born musician and singer, member of the Trapp Family Singers who inspired the world-renowned Trapp Family Singers, who inspired the 1959 Broadway musical and the 1965 Academy Award-winning Best Picture The Sound of Music. The Trapps fled Austria after the German annexation of Austria, fearing reprisals resulting from declining to sing at Hitler's birthday party and Georg von Trapp's refusal to accept a commission in the German Navy. They went to America in 1938, settled in Vermont in 1942, and performed throughout the country. Werner became a naturalized US citizen while serving in the United States Army, serving with the 10th Mountain division in Italy during World War II. Sadly his father Georg Ritter von Trapp died in 1947 and the family eventually ceased performing. After which Werner then became a dairy farmer before eventually retiring in Waitsfield, Vermont. (?) b. December 21st 1915.
2008: Neal Hefti (85) American jazz trumpeter, composer, tune writer, and arranger born in Hastings, Nebraska. He was perhaps best known for composing the theme music for the Batman television series of the 1960s, and for scoring the 1968 film The Odd Couple and the subsequent TV series of the same name. He began arranging professionally in his teens, when he wrote charts for Nat Towles. He became a prominent composer and arranger while playing trumpet for Woody Herman; when working for Herman he provided new arrangements for "Woodchopper's Ball" and "Blowin' Up a Storm," and composed "The Good Earth" and "Wild Root." After leaving Herman's band in 1946, Neal concentrated on arranging and composing, although he occasionally led his own bands. He is especially known for his charts for Count Basie such as "Li'l Darlin'" and "Cute" (died at his home in Toluca Lake, California) October 29th 1922.
2008: Russ Hamilton/Ronald Hulme (76) British singer, born in Liverpool; he was one of the first singer-songwriters of pop music to have come out of the city, and the first Liverpool artist to hit the US music scene with his song "Rainbow" several years before The Beatles. In 1957, chart success in the U.S. was a very unusual feat for an English performer. "Rainbow" reached No.4 on Billboard Hot 100, sold over one million copies, and reached gold disc status. Russ followed this with another self penned item, "Wedding Ring" which managed to reach the Top 20. In 1960, he was invited to Nashville, and recorded "Gonna Find Me a Bluebird" with The Jordanaires and Chet Atkins. Other hits include "I Still Belong to You", "I Had a Dream", "My Mother’s Eyes" and "Reprieve of Tom Dooley" (?) b. January 19th 1932.
2011: Kim Brown (66) British-born Finland-based musician, best-known for his band, The Renegades, born in Birmingham, England but lived much of his life in Finland. He played guitar and was the lead vocalist of the band and wrote many of the No.1 songs for The Renegades. From 1975 to 1982, he temporarily moved to Italy where he created a 1950's-styled classic rock'n'roll combo called Kim & The Cadillacs recording several hits and were regulars on all kinds of national television shows in Italy. He returned to Finland, returning occasionally to Italy appearing in oldies shows or dance hall gigs in resort towns (sadly Kim died battling cancer) b. June 2nd 1945.
UPDATING
2011: George "Mojo" Buford (81) American blues harmonica player () b.
2011: Freddie Gruber (84) American jazz drummer () b.
2012: Frank Alamo (70) French singer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
2012: Erik Moseholm (82) Danish jazz musician.

October 12th.
1956: Don Lorenzo Perosi (83) Italian composer born at Tortona, Piedmont; he was the most prolific and significant Italian composer of sacred music at the turn of the 20th century and the only member of the Giovane Scuola who did not write opera. In the late 1890s, while he was still only in his 20s, he was an internationally celebrated composer of sacred music, especially large-scale oratorios including La Passione di Cristo, La Trasfigurazione di Cristo, La Risurrezione di Lazzaro, La Risurrezione di Cristo, Il Natale del Redentore, La Strage degli Innocenti, Il Giudizio Universale and Transitus Animae. His masses and mottetti include, Missa In Honorem Ss. Gervasii et Protasii, Missa "Te Deum Laudamus", Missa Eucharistica, Missa [Prima] Pontificalis, Messa da Requiem, Missa a Tre Voci Maschili (Missa Cerviana), Missa "Benedicamus Domino", Missa Secunda Pontificalis, and Melodie Sacre (eight volumes). He also wrote secular music.. symphonic poems, chamber music, and concertos, as well as writing for the organ. According to musicologist Arturo Sacchetti's estimate, Lorenzo composed an incredable 3,000 - 4,000 works (?) b. December 21st 1872.
1971: Gene Vincent/Vincent Eugene Craddock (36) American singer born in Norfolk, Virginia, a pioneer of rock 'n' roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top 10 hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula," is considered a significant early example of rockabilly. Other hits included "Race With The Devil", "Bluejean Bop", "Lotta Lovin'", "Bluejean Bop" and "Woman Love". Vincent also became one of the first rock stars to star in a film, 'The Girl Can't Help It' together with Jayne Mansfield. On April 16, 1960, while on tour in the UK, Gene , Eddie Cochran, and songwriter Sharon Sheeley were involved in a high-speed traffic accident in a private hire taxi. Gene broke his ribs and collarbone and further damaged his weakened leg, Sharon suffered a broken pelvis, but tragically Wddie Cochran, who had been thrown from the vehicle, suffered serious brain injuries and died the next day. He was the first inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame upon its formation in 1997. The following year he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1749 N. Vine St. He is a member of the Rock and Roll and Rockabilly halls of fame (he sadly died from a ruptured stomach ulcer while visiting his father in California) b. February 11th 1935.
1978: Nancy Spungen (20) American paranoid schizophrenic girlfriend of Sex Pistol's Sid Vicious. Nancy left home at age 17 and moved to New York City. She followed bands such as Aerosmith, The New York Dolls and The Ramones. In 1977, at the age of 19, she moved to London, allegedly to win over Jerry Nolan of the New York Dolls and The Heartbreakers, but met The Sex Pistols instead. When lead singer Johnny Rotten rejected her, she pursued bassist Sid Vicious and they soon moved in together.During a tumultuous 23-month relationship, Nancy and Sid became addicted to heroin and other drugs. Sid was already an abuser of multiple drugs before he met Nancy, but many sources claim she introduced him to heroin; other sources claim that he had begun to use speed with his mother at an early age and then got into heroin after meeting Nancy. (she was found sprawled on the bathroom floor of their hotel room clad in a black bra and panties. She had bled to death from a single stab wound to the abdomen, later traced to a knife owned by Sid Vicious. Sid died of an overdose while on bail before he could be tried for murder) b. February 27th 1958.
1985: Ricky Wilson (32) American self-taught guitarist born in Athens, Georgia, he was the original guitarist and a founding member of the B-52's along with his sister, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland and Fred Schneider. They played their first gig in 1977 at a Valentine's Day party for friends. The band's quirky take on the New Wave sound of their era was a combination of dance and surf music set apart by the unusual guitar tunings used by Ricky. He also played the guitar on the song "Breakin' In My Heart" on the 1979 self-titled album by Tom Verlaine (Ricky sadly died prematurely from complications due to aids) b. March 19th 1953.
1989:Carmen Cavallaro (76) American pianist born in New York, who established himself as one of the most accomplished and admired light music pianists of his generation. In 1933, he joined the jazz band of Al Kavelin, where he quickly became the featured soloist. After four years he switched to a series of other big bands, including Rudy Vallee's in 1937. He also worked briefly with Enrico Madriguera and Abe Lyman. Starting his own band, a five-piece combo, in St. Louis in 1939, his popularity grew and his group expanded into a 14-piece orchestra, releasing some 19 albums for Decca over the years (Sadly passed to cancer) b. May 6th 1913.
1997: John Denver/Henry John Deutschendorf Jr (53) American singer-songwriter and guitarist born in Roswell, New Mexico. At the age of 12, he received a 1910 Gibson acoustic jazz guitar from his grandmother and he taught himself to play it well enough to play locally as a teenager in groups such as the folk-music group "The Alpine Trio". John went on to become one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s in terms of record sales, he recorded and released around 300 songs, about 200 of which he composed himself. He was named Poet Laureate of Colorado in 1977. Songs such as "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Rocky Mountain High", "Sunshine on My Shoulders", "Thank God I'm a Country Boy", "Annie's Song" and "Calypso" attained worldwide popularity. Among his varied projects and interests, John founded his own environmental group, the Windstar Foundation and had a keen interest in solutions to world hunger. He visited Africa during the 1980s to witness first-hand the suffering caused by starvation and to work with African leaders toward solutions. In 1983 and 1984, John hosted the annual Grammy Awards. In the 1983 finale, he was joined on stage by folk-music legend Joan Baez with whom he led an all-star version of "Blowing in the Wind" and "Let The Sunshine In". John has recieved 9 awards in honoor of his music, including 2 grammies and an Emmy, and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1996 (tragically killed when the light aircraft he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay, California) b. December 31st 1943.
2001: Dan Del Santo (50) American steel guitarist, guitarist, singer-songwriter; having made his presence felt on Texas' outlaw country scene during the late '70s, he had left country music by the mid-'80s and launched an Afro-Cuban band, the Professors of Pleasures. Latin music remained his prime genre as he went on to host a third-world music show for an Austin-based radio station. Dan relocated to Oaxaca, Mexico, where he formed new band, Perros del Sol, and continued to perform his original songs in the Spanish language (esophageal bleeding) b. September 4th 1951
2002: Ray Conniff (85) American trombonist, strings, orchestra director; after serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, where he worked under Walter Schumann, he was hired by Mitch Miller, then head of A & R at Columbia Records, as their home arranger, working with several artists including Rosemary Clooney, Marty Robbins, Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Guy Mitchell and Johnnie Ray. He wrote a top 10 arrangement for Don Cherry's "Band of Gold" in 1955, a single that sold more than a million copies. Among the hit singles he backed with his orchestra (and eventually with a male chorus) were "Yes Tonight Josephine" and "Just Walkin' in the Rain" by Johnnie Ray; "Chances Are" and "It's Not for Me to Say" by Johnny Mathis; "A White Sport Coat" and "The Hanging Tree" by Marty Robbins; "Moonlight Gambler" by Frankie Laine; "Up Above My Head," a duet by Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray; and "Pet Me, Poppa" by Rosemary Clooney. He also backed up the albums Tony by Tony Bennett, Blue Swing by Eileen Rodgers, Swingin' for Two by Don Cherry, and half the tracks of The Big Beat by Johnnie Ray. Between 1957 and 1968, he had 28 albums in the American Top 40, the most famous one being Somewhere My Love (1966). He topped the album list in Britain in 1969 with His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound, an album which was originally published to promote his European tour (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) in 1969. He also was the first American popular artist to record in Russia—in 1974 he recorded Ray Conniff in Moscow with the help of a local choir. He sold about 70 million albums worldwide and continued recording and performing until his death (died after a fall and hitting his head) b. November 6th 1916.
2005: Baker Knight (72) American songwriter, singer and guitarist, born in Birmingham, Alabama and attended the University of Alabama, where he wrote music in his spare time. In 1956 he founded a rockabilly group, The Knightmares, releasing their debut single, "Bop Boogie to the Blues", that same year. Baker moved to Hollywood in 1958, he wrote the song "Lonesome Town"and other hits for Rick Nelson. He wrote "Just Relax", which he released as a solo single in 1959, with Cochran on guitar. He also wrote the song "The Wonder of You" followed by songs for Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Ernest Ashworth, Hank Williams, Jr., Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave & Sugar, and Mickey Gilley among others. Baker's last solo release was "If Only", in 1977 (?) b. July 4th 1933.
2006: Al Thompson (59) American musician, former Motown drummer and longtime drummer for Gladys Knight & The Pips, Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole (?) b.????
2009: Dickie Peterson (63) American singer and bass guitarist born in Grand Forks, ND; although his first instrument had been drums he has played electric bass since the age of thirteen, citing Otis Redding as an influence to his music. He moved Davis CA, then to San Francisco in the early 60s. After playing in the band Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle, he helped form the power trio Blue Cheer, with himself as lead singer/bassist, Leigh Stephens as guitarist and Eric Albronda on the drums, Eric was soon replaced by Paul Whaley. Their first hit in 1968 was a cover version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" from their debut album Vincebus Eruptum. The single peaked at No.14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the album peaked at No.11 on the Billboard 200 chart. Dickie spent much of his last two decades based in Germany, playing with Blue Cheer and other groups including Mother Ocean in the early 2000s, the Hank Davison Band and as an acoustic duo with Hank Davison under the name "Dos Hombres" (Dickie sadly died while fighting liver cancer) b. September 12th 1946.
2009: Ian Wallace OBE (90) British bass-baritone opera and concert singer, he made his operatic debut with the New London Opera Company at the Cambridge Theatre, London, in 1946, as Schaunard in La bohème. Throughout the 50s, he was a feature at Glyndebourne, specializing in basso buffo roles, notably Dr Bartolo in The Barber of Seville. In the 1960s and 1970s he was closely associated with Scottish Opera. From the early 1960s to the 1980s, he performed a one-man show, featuring operatic excerpts, ballads and comic songs. He was particularly noted for his performances of the music of Flanders and Swann, and "The Hippopotamus" became his signature tune. He also acted occasionally on TV and in films, including Tom Thumb, made in 1958. Ian was well known for having been a panellist throughout the 27-year run of the radio panel game My Music, not missing a single episode of more than 520 that were broadcast (died after long illness) b. July 10th 1919.
2011: Joel "Taz" DiGregorio (67) American keyboardist born in Worcester, Massachusetts; in his mid teens he started out with the group Paul Chaplan and the Emeralds, best known for their 1959 hit "Shortnin' Bread". The group disbanded in 1961 and Joel found other gigs including playing in a lounge band in Florida. In 1964, aged 20, he met and joined Charlie Daniels who at that time was in a band called the Jaguars. After a stint in the army Joel resumed his longtime membership in The Charlie Daniels Band. In 1979, their signature hit "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" reached No.3 in US Pop Charts was co-written by Joel and was honored with a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance in 1979. In addition to his work with Daniels, he recorded 2 solo projects: 2008's "Midnight in Savannah" and "Shake Rag" also in 2008 (tragically Joel died in a car crash on his way to meet Charles Daniel's tour bus) b. January 8th 1944.
2012: Geraldine Mucha (95) Scottish composer

October 13th.
1974: Ed Sullivan (73) American TV host, band leader born in New York City; former boxer, sportswriter, theatre columnist for The New York Graphic and New York Daily News, show business news radio broadcaster, took on yet another medium in 1933 by writing and starring in the film Mr. Broadway, which has him guiding the audience around New York nightspots to meet entertainers and celebrities. Ed soon became a powerful starmaker in the entertainment world himself. In '48, the CBS network hired Ed to do a weekly Sunday night TV variety show, Toast of the Town, which later became The Ed Sullivan Show, famous for introducing new musical acts. Debuting in Sunday June 20th 1948, the show was broadcast from CBS Studio 50, at 1697 Broadway, at 53rd Street, in New York City, which in 1967 was renamed the Ed Sullivan Theatre, and is now the home of The Late Show with David Letterman. The last Ed Sullivan show telecast No.1068, was on March 28th 1971 with guests Melanie, Joanna Simon, Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass, and Sandler and Young. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Blvd (sadly died of esophageal cancer) b. September 28th 1901.
1987: Kishore Kumar/Abhas Kumar Ganguly (58) Indian film playback singer and actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter. Kishore sang in many Indian languages including Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam and Oriya. He can be heard solo or collaborating with other artists on hundreds of tracks. Kishore also starred in many films including New Delhi, Aasha, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Half Ticket, and Padosan (?) b. August 4th 1929.
2000: Britt Woodman (80) American jazz trombonist best known for his work with Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus; he first worked with Phil Moore and Les Hite. After service in World War II he played with Boyd Raeburn before joining with Lionel Hampton in 1946. In the 1950s he worked with Duke Ellington. As a member of the Duke's band he can be heard on The Complete Porgy and Bess, Such Sweet Thunder, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook, Black, Brown, and Beige and Indigos albums. In 1960 he moved on from Ellington to work in a pit orchestra. Later he worked with Mingus and can be heard on the 1963 album Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus. In the 1970s he led his own octet and worked with Toshiko Akiyoshi (?) b. June 4th 1920
2001: Peter Doyle (52) Australian pop singer and songwriter born in Melbourne; he started his career at the age of 9 appearing regular over 5 years on a children's television talent show Swallow's Juniors. From 1965 to 1967 he released ten singles in Australia, including a cover of Conway Twitty's 'Speechless (The Pick Up)', and Solomon Burke's 'Stupidity'. May 1968 saw him join the vocal trio 'The Virgil Brothers', but after relocating to England they spit up and Peter joined the 3rd and most successful line up of the New Seekers recording hits such as "What Have They Done To My Song Ma", "Never Ending Song of Love" and "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing". In 1972 they came second representing the UK, in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Beg, Steal or Borrow". Peter resumed his solo career in 1973, returning to Australia in 1981 to join the band Standing Room Only. The follinging year he moved to America to work with the group Regis for the next five years. Back in Australia he regularly performed on the club circuit. (sadly lost to throat cancer) b. July 28th 1949.
2009: Al Martino/Alfred Cini (82) American singer and actor; after servicing in the US Navy in WW II, including being a part of the Iwo Jima invasion where he was wounded, inspired by Al Jolson and Perry Como, he started his singing career, performing in local nightclubs for a time, before moving to New York in 1948. He went on to win first place on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts television program, thanks to a rendition of Como's "If," this led to a recording contract with the Philadelphia based independent label, BBS. Al had a string of hit singles and albums that stretched from the early 1950s all the way into the mid 1970s. His single "Here in My Heart" was No.1 in the first ever UK Singles Chart, published by the New Musical Express on November 14, 1952, putting him into the Guinness Book of World Records, it remained in the top position for nine weeks. One of his most successful hits was "Spanish Eyes", achieving several gold and platinum discs for sales. As well as his singing career, Al played the role of Johnny Fontane in the 1972 film The Godfather, as well as singing the film's theme, Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from The Godfather). He played the same role in The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III, as well as The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (died at his home in Springfield, Pennsylvania, 6 days after his 82nd birthday) b. October 7th 1927.
2010: Kostas Kafasis (70) Greek actor and singer (died after battling cancer) b. 1940
2010: Marzieh/Ashraf os-Sadat Mortezai (86) Iranian singer, Tehran-born singer of Persian traditional music. Known as the first lady of Persian music, she has been one of the most outstanding figures the artistic society of Iran has ever witnessed. After the Islamic Revolution of 1979 she no longer appeared onstage and eventually would leave her homeland in the 1990s due to the political repression. She joined the Mujaheddin-e Khalq organisation (MKO). Soon after she left the country, she performed several concerts in Los Angeles, California in 1995, and later at the Earl's Court, London in 1996. Her hits include Az Atash Gozashtam, Dokhtare koli, Khoda koneh keh khabam, Bia Bia Benshin, Golhaaye Bahari, Ze Man Ay Negaaram, Soozeh Del, and Mayzadeh to mention a few (sadly died of cancer) b. 1926
2010: Huddy Combs/Huddy 6/Andre Hudson (?) American rap artist and promoter; he was an original member of the rap group Harlem World founded by Mase. The group consisted of six members Huddy, Mase's sister Baby Stase, Blinky Blink, Cardan, Meeno and Loon. They released their first and only album, The Movement on March 9th 1999, it reached No.11 on the Billboard 200 and went gold. Despite the success of the album, the group disbanded later in the year with their last appearance being Mase's "From Scratch" on his second album. Huddy became a fixture on New York's party scene promoting 100s of high-profile events. Although Huddy did appeared on Ray Benzino's 2003 anti-Eminem mixtape Die Another Day: Flawless Victory, as well as his album Arch Nemesis in 2005. In hip-hop circles, he is well known as a close associate of Cam'ron. In 2005, Cam'ron credited his childhood friend Huddy with saving his life when he was shot two times while leaving a party during the Howard University homecoming weekend in Washington, D.C. (tragically died when his car collided with a truck in New York, on the George Washington bridge) b. ????
2010: "General" Norman Johnson (67) American R&B singer songwriter and record producer, born in Norfolk, Virginia. He began singing in his church choir at the age of six. His recording debut came six years later on Atlantic Records, with his group the Humdingers, although the tracks remain unreleased. In 1961, and following a change in name to The Showmen, he and the group issued the single "It Will Stand." The track was a chart hit in both 1961 and 1964, they split up in 1968. Guided by Holland-Dozier-Holland, Norman recruited Danny Woods (ex-The Showmen), Harrison Kennedy, and Eddie Curtis and created Chairmen of the Board. Their debut single, "Give Me Just a Little More Time", a No.3 hit in the US Billboard R&B chart in 1969. Further hits included "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String" and "Everything's Tuesday". Norman started a songwriting career with "Pay to the Piper," another hit for Chairmen of the Board, he wrote most of the band's material. Other songs he penned include the Grammy Award winning "Patches" for Clarence Carter, "Want Ads", "Stick Up," and "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" and "Bring the Boys Home" for Freda Payne. Chairmen of the Board's popularity diminshed in the middle of the 1970s, although Johnson and Woods remained together re-billed as the Chairmen. He went on to work the beach music circuit, and became beach music icon. In 1993, Norman and Woods released an album, What Goes Around Comes Around. In recognition of the contribution that Norman had made to American popular music, the Virginia General Assembly designated June 9th 2001 as General Johnson Day in Virginia (?) b. May 23rd 1943.
2011: Pavlina Nikaj (80) Albanian singer born in Korca, he sang on Radio Korca in the mid to late 40s and in 1950 he was appointed a singer in the Army Ensemble. After which in 1957 he became a professional singer in the Estrada Theater of Tirana, where he stayed nearly 20 years. He was considered a "pioneer" of easy interpretation of the Albanian music with songs such as "The Paths of Happiness", "Featureless Forget", "My Song Dedicated To You", "Among The Crop Have a Point" among many others. Pavlina was decorated by the President of Albania with the command "Frashëri", the silver, in 2005 (?) b. May 15th 1931.
2011: Chris Doig (63) New Zealand opera singer and sports administrator, in 1972 he won New Zealand's Mobil Song Quest and subsequently became principal tenor at the Vienna State Opera. Later in his career he was appointed chief executive of New Zealand Cricket and was a member of the New Zealand Rugby Union board. Chris was awarded an OBE for his service to the arts in 1992, and in June 2011 was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. (sadly Chris died while fighting bowel cancer) b. April 4th 1948.

October 14th.
1959: Alphonse Trent (54) American jazz pianist; he led one of the most fabled of the territory bands, an outfit that recorded just eight titles, but was legendary. He led his first band in the early '20s, and in 1924 he played with Eugene Cook's Synco Six. He then took over leadership of the band, which played until 1934, playing mostly in the American South and Midwest, as well as on steamboats. He left music in the mid-1930s but returned with another band in 1938. His sidemen included Terrence Holder, Alex Hill, Stuff Smith, Snub Mosley, Charlie Christian, Sweets Edison, Mouse Randolph, and Peanuts Holland (?) b. August 24th 1905.
1977: Bing Crosby/Harry Lillis Crosby (74) American singer, actor, singer of "White Christmas", and starred in the "On the Road" films with Bob Hope. One of the first multimedia stars, from 1934 to 1954 he was very successful across record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses. Bing and his musical acts influenced male singers of the era that followed him, including Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin. In 1926, while singing at Los Angeles Metropolitan Theatre, Bing and his vocal duo partner Al Rinker caught the eye of Paul Whiteman, arguably the most famous bandleader at the time. Hired for $150 a week, they made their debut on December 6th 1926 at the Tivoli Theatre in Chicago and their first recording was, "I've Got The Girl," with Don Clark's Orchestra. On September 2nd 1931, Crosby made his solo radio debut. In 1931, he signed with Brunswick Records and recording under Jack Kapp and signed with CBS Radio to do a weekly 15 minute radio broadcast; almost immediately he became a huge hit. His songs "Out of Nowhere", "Just One More Chance", "At Your Command" and "I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store)" were among the the best selling songs of 1931. Bing's biggest musical hit was his recording of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas", which he introduced through a 1942 Christmas-season radio broadcast and the movie Holiday Inn. According to ticket sales, he is, at 1,077,900,000 tickets sold, the third most popular actor of all time, behind Clark Gable and John Wayne. In 1962, Bing was the first person to be recognized with the Grammy Global Achievement Award. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Father Chuck O'Malley in the 1944 motion picture Going My Way. Bing is one of the few people to have three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is a member of the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in the radio division (He died of a heart attack on a golf course in Spain, having just completed the 18th hole) b. May 3rd 1903.
1985: Emil Gilels (78) Soviet pianist; he was the first Soviet artist to be allowed to travel extensively in the West. After WW2, he toured Europe starting from 1947 as a concert pianist, and made his US debut in 1955 playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in Philadelphia. His repertoire was vast, ranging from Scarlatti to Stravinsky. He played all the concertos and sonatas of Beethoven, both concertos of Brahms, a large amount of Schumann and Chopin, some Schubert, Liszt and many of the Russian composers from the 19th and 20th centuries. The power and excitement that Emil generates in a live performance can still be felt more than forty years later (he was killed accidentally by the Russian doctor after a medical check-up) b. October 19th 1916.
1990: Leonard Bernstein (72) American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the USA to receive worldwide acclaim. He was probably best known to the public as the longtime music director of the New York Philharmonic, for conducting concerts by many of the world's leading orchestras, and for writing the music for West Side Story, Candide, Wonderful Town, and On the Town. He was the first classical music conductor to make numerous TV appearances between 1954-89. He also wrote symphonies and other concert music (Leonard sadly died of emphysema) b. August 25th 1918.
1998: Frankie Yankovic (83) American singer and accordian virtuoso; America's undisputed Polka King, the first polka artist to score a million-selling single with 1948's "Just Because", the first to perform on television, and the first to win a Grammy for Best Polka Album "70 Years of Hits", in 1986. Of Slovene descent, he came from South Euclid, Ohio, he released over 200 recordings in his career. Frankie seldom strayed from the Slovenian-style polka, but did record with Chet Atkins, Don Everly, and did a version of the “Too Fat Polka” with comedian Drew Carey. Frankie also had a long standing relationship with accordion virtuoso Joey Miskulin (sadly died from heart failure) b. July 15th 1915.
2002: Norbert Schultze (91) German composer and pianist, most remembered for writing the famed WW II song, "Lili Marlene", he also wrote the music for the Luftwaffe's unofficial anthem, "Bomben auf Engelland"/Bombs on England. Educated in music in Cologne and Munich, he became a theatrical musical director in Heidelberg. After WW2 he worked as a bit-actor in two German movies including "Max und Moritz" in 1956 and "Zu jung fuer die Liebe?" in 1961 and wrote numerous operas, operettas such as Rain in Paris, musicals, ballets and "Max and Moritz", and music for more than 50 movies, and songs. He also served on the Executive Board of the German Society for Composing and Performing Music from 1973 to 1991, and in 1996, received its Ring of Honor for his contributions to music (?) b. January 26th 1911.
2006: Freddy Fender/Baldemar Huerta (69) American singer, songwriter and guitarist; he was the first and biggest pioneer in Tex Mex music, and one of the most important musicians in Tejano Music History, he is documented as The First American Hispanic and Hispanic Rock & Roll Recording Artist In Anglo Latino Musical History. He made himself a guitar at the age of six, at 10 he was singing on local radio stations and winning talent competitions. Then at 16, he joined the Marines for three years. After his discharge, he started playing Texas honky tonks and dance halls. His big break came with Falcon Records in 1957, when he recorded Spanish versions of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" and Harry Belafonte's "Jamaica Farewell." The recordings both reached No1 in Mexico and South America. He signed with Imperial Records in 1959, renaming himself "Fender" after the brand of his electric guitar, and "Freddy", well.. because it sounded good with Fender.In 1974, he recorded "Before The Next Teardrop Falls" and on April 8, 1975, it reached the Number One spot on Billboard's pop and county charts, the first time in history an artist's first single reached Number One on both charts. With its success, he won the Academy of Country Music's best new artist award. Throughout his long career Freddy has appeared on 18 TV shows, in 8 films, 11 videos, and countless soundtracks, commercials, shows, tributes and is a triple Grammy Award winner. He won his first shared Grammy with the Texas Tornados, in 1990 for best Mexican-American performance for "Soy de San Luis", his second shared Grammy came in with Los Super Seven in the same category in 1998 for "Los Super Seven". Then in year 2002 he won his own Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album in 2002 for "La Musica de Baldemar Huerta." (lung cancer) b. June 4th 1937.
2007: Big Moe/Kenneth Moore (33) American rapper born in Houston, known for a softer and slower style than other Houston rappers, including a mixture of rapping and singing that he called "rapsinging" as well as for his music that celebrated codeine-laced syrup as a recreational drug. He began his career free styling on DJ Screw's mix tapes before being signed to Wreckshop Records, releasing his debut album, City of Syrup in 2000 (died after suffering a heart attack one week earlier that left him in a coma) b. August 20th 1974.
2009: Johnny Jones (73) American R&B guitarist and bandleader; born in Nashville, he moved to Chicago in the '50s. Where he shared an apartment with harmonica player Walter McCollum. Together they formed a small group, working regularly with Junior Wells and Freddy King. Johnny moved back to Nashville in the early 1960s to become a session musician and formed a band the Imperial Seven. Johnny and Jimi Hendrix once faced off in a legendary guitar duel at the city's Club Baron in the early 1960s and he also appeared alongside Jimi on the regional TV music series 'Night Train,' where Johnny played in the House Band. In 1964, he assumed leadership of the King Casuals, the band founded in 1962 by Jimi Hendrix and bassist Billy Cox in Clarksville, he replaced Hendrix. They recorded a portfolio of singles in later years. The most recent recording with his band was the 2001, Blues Is In the House. After which he traveled and played in the UK 3 times, the last being in the spring of 2009. In the early 2000s, he and other players on the Jefferson Street scene were held in the spotlight by the Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945–1970 exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and its accompanying double-album (Johnny was found dead in his apartment) b. ??.1936
2011: Chuck Ruff (60) American drummer born in Reno, Nevada and went on to played in the rock group Sawbuck with Ronnie Montrose and Bill Church from 1968–1970. Chuck and Montrose later joined Edgar Winter with Dan Hartman to form The Edgar Winter Group in 1972. It was with this band that he had his biggest successes: first with the album They Only Come Out at Night-1973, featuring "Frankenstein" which reached No. 1 in the U.S. in May 1973, and the top 15 single "Free Ride", which reached No. 14 that same year. The album Shock Treatment, which featured the song "Easy Street", was also successful. In 1977, he joined Sammy Hagar and performed on the albums Street Machine-1979 and Danger Zone-1979, including the song "Bad Reputation" which is in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. In his later years, Chuck continued performing music in Reno, Nevada with the Chuck Ruff Group and his last project, Geezersläw (sadly Chuck has died after long illness) b. May 25th 1951.
2012: B.B. Cunningham (70) American keyboardist, bassist and singer-songwriter, born Blake Baker Cunningham Jr., in Jackson. At 14, he became the youngest member of the local musicians union. He helped his father, crooner Buddy, run the family's Cover Records label, for which he served as session player, producer and artist in '50s and early '60s. In 1954, Sam Phillips of Sun Studio asked him to add some percussion to a session by a young Elvis Presley. Blake also led the band the Six O’Clock Boys and was a member of the touring version of Ronnie and the Daytonas, known for the song “G.T.O”. The touring group became the Hombres, which scored a No.12 Billboard hit in 1967 with the raw, edgy “Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)" , which Blake co-wrote. The cult classic has since been covered by John Mellencamp and used in the 2005 film “Elizabethtown”. He later worked at the famed Sounds of Memphis Studio, until 1971, when he moved to Los Angeles, where he served as chief engineer at Independent Recorders working with Billy Joel, Elton John, Lou Rawls and others. Blake returned to Memphis launching his own studio, and he also joined Jerry Lee Lewis’ band in 1997 in which he was a member until his death. He released his solo album, “Hangin’ In,” in 2003 and continued to play with and inspire local musicians. During this time in Memphis, Blake also had a side job as a sucurity guard. (Blake was tragically shot dead in his line of duty as a sucurity guard) b. 1942

October 15th.
1942: Dame Marie Tempest DBE/Mary Susan Etherington (78) English singer and actress known as the "queen of her profession". She became the most famous soprano in late Victorian light opera and Edwardian musical comedies. Later, she became a leading comic actress and toured widely in North America and elsewhere. She was, at times, her own theatre manager during a career spanning 55 years. Marie was also instrumental in the founding of the actors' union Equity in England (?) b. July 15th 1864.
1964: Cole Porter (73) American singer, multi-musician, composer, songwriter born in Peru, Indiana, U.S. He e learned the violin at age 6, the piano at 8, and wrote his first operetta at 10. Cole wrote songs both words and music for over 30 stage and film musicals. His works include the musical including "Kiss Me, Kate", "Du Barry Was a Lady", "Gay Divorce" "Anything Goes", "Paris", "Fifty Million Frenchmen", "Can-Can", and "High Society". He has written songs persifically for greats such as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly among many others. Writing and composing songs such as "Begin the Beguine", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "In the Still of the Night", "Night and Day", "At Long Last Love", "From Alpha to Omega", "You Never Know", "Let's Misbehave", "From Now On", "My Heart Belongs to Daddy". He was one of the greatest contributors to the Great American Songbook and Cole is one of the few Tin Pan Alley composers to have written both lyrics and music for his songs (kidney failure) b. June 9th 1891.
1966: Colette Bonheur/Colette Chailler (39) Quebec Canadian singer born in Montreal, from 1954 to 1957, she worked with Jacques Normand, Gilles Pellerin starring in the variety show 'Door Open' on the Radio-Canada, and also sang in Montreal's top cabarets such as Cabaret Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Continental Café, and Quebec Chez Gerard. In the fall of 1954 she again worked with Jacques Normand, Gilles Pellerin, plus Normand Hudon, Pierre Theriault and others at The Three Beavers, above the Café Saint-Jacques. Her rendition of "Violets fields" won the prize in radio Canadian singing contest in 1957. In 1961 she married the saxophonist Gerry Robinson, and they relocated to the Bahamas (She died in the Bahamas under mysterious circumstances) b. September 20th 1927.
1980: Bobby "Lester" Dallas (50) American lead singer with the Moonglows, born in Louisville. Lester and high school classmate Harvey Fuqua started singing at parties as a duo in the 40s. They formed The Moonglows in 1951, originally calling themselves the Crazy Sounds, but were renamed by disc jockey Alan Freed as the Moonglows. They also cut some recordings as the Moonlighters. Their first major hit was the No.1 R&B "Sincerely" for Chess in 1954, which reached number 20 on the pop charts. They enjoyed five more Top Ten R&B hits on from 1955 to 1958, including "Most of All," "We Go Together," "See Saw," and "Please Send Me Someone to Love," as well as "Ten Commandments of Love." The different styles defined the Moonglows two lead singers, Harvey Fuqua favoured the up-tempo R&B/rock numbers while Lester sung more of the romantic ballads. (sadly died after fighting cancer) b. January 13th 1930.
1999: Terry Gilkyson (83) US singer, lyricist, composer; he wrote and recorded "The Cry of the Wild Goose," which became a hit song for Frankie Laine in 1950, as well as the 1953 hit song "Tell Me a Story" recorded by Jimmy Boyd and Laine. In the 1956, he formed a group called The Easy Riders with Richard Dehr and Frank Miller, having a major hit with "Marianne" selling in excess of one million copies, earning a gold disc. The three also wrote "Memories Are Made of This," which became a popular song in several versions, including an adaptation for the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Terry also appeared in, as well as wrote songs for, the 1951 Western film Slaughter Trail. In the 1960s, he left the group to work for the Walt Disney Studios, writing music both for movies and the television series The Wonderful World of Disney especially "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh." In 1968 he was nominated for an Academy Award for "The Bare Necessities" from the movie The Jungle Book (died in Austin, Texas, while visiting family) b. June 7th 1916.
2004: Dave Godin (68) English writer, critic and founder of the record labels, Soul City and Deep Soul, born in Rotherham, Sth Yorkshire, and who coined the term, Northern Soul. After working in advertising, Dave founded the Tamla Motown Appreciation Society, and in time was recruited by Berry Gordy to become Motown's consultant in the UK, setting up its distribution through EMI. In 1966, with colleague David Nathan and friend Robert Blackmore, he founded Soul City, a record shop and label on which he released such then-obscure soul classics. It was in their shop that Dave coined the term northern soul, a description that he would popularise through his work as a music journalist. In his career he also coined the term Deep Soul and he promoted the interests of a large number of US musicians whose work had fallen out of favour in their home country. In the mid 1990s he started to compile a series of CDs of rare and some not so rare, recordings - "Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures" - for Ace Records, which featured such artists as Loretta Williams, Eddie and Ernie, Jaibi, Ruby Johnson and Jimmy and Louise Tig. The albums were greeted with universal critical acclaim, and Dave described the series as the proudest achievement of his life (sadly Dave died fighting lung cancer) b. June 21st 1936.
2008: Edie Adams (81) American singer in Broadway and television making her Broadway debut in 1953, playing Rosalind Russell’s sister in the Leonard Bernstein musical “Wonderful Town". She starred on Broadway in Wonderful Town in 1953 and in Li'l Abner in 1956, and played the Fairy Godmother in Rodgers & Hammerstein's original 1957 Cinderella broadcast. She also played "Miss Olsen" in the 1960 film The Apartment. In 1962 she appeared on ABC with Duke Ellington. In 1963 she also began a variety show, “Here’s Edie,” in which she performed with the likes of Count Basie and Sammy Davis Jr. The show received five Emmy nominations. In 2003, as one of the last surviving headliners from the all-star movie, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Edie joined actors Marvin Kaplan and Sid Caesar at 40th anniversary celebrations of the movie (sadly died from pneumonia and cancer) b. April 16th 1927.
2008: Frankie Venom/Frank Kerr (51) Canadian lead vocalist, punk pioneer and founding member of the punk rock band Teenage Head, formed at Westdale High School in Hamilton, Ontario in 1975. 1980's "Frantic City" was the band's breakthrough album, producing the hit singles "Let's Shake" and "Somethin' On My Mind". They toured to support the album, including opening the major Heatwave festival in August. In June 1980 their performance at Toronto's Ontario Place sparked a riot. The incident made headlines across the country, and led Ontario Place to ban rock concerts for several years afterward. The band appeared, as themselves, in the movie Class of 1984 and performed "Ain't Got No Sense". Frankie left the band after the release of "Trouble in the Jungle", in 1985 (natural causes) b. 1957.
2011: Betty Driver (91) English singer, actress and 42 years as Coronation Street's Betty Turpin; born in Leicester, England, but at aged two Betty moved to West Didsbury, Manchester, with her family. At the age of 8, pushed by her mother, she began performing professionally with Terence Byron Repertory Theatre Company; singing for the BBC by the age of 10; and began touring across the UK in her first revue at the age of 12. Whilst performing in London at the age of 14, Betty was spotted by the agent Bert Aza, despite her young age, he booked her for the lead in a revival of Mr Tower Of London, which had brought Gracie Fields to prominence 19 years earlier. When she was still only 14, when she made her first record "Jubilee Baby", and had another major success with "The Sailor with the Navy Blue Eyes" and made several more hit records >>> READ MORE <<< (sadly Betty has died from pneumonia) b. May 20th 1920.

October 16th.
1945: James Vincent Monaco (60) Italian-born American composer of popular music; born in Fornia, Italy; his family emigrated to USA when he was six. He worked as a ragtime player in Chicago before moving to New York. His first successful song "Oh, You Circus Day" was featured in the 1912 Broadway revue Hanky Panky. Further success came with "Row, Row, Row" (lyrics-William Jerome) in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1912. Perhaps his best remembered song is "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" (lyrics-Joseph McCarthy) introduced by Al Jolson in 1913. Other lyricists he teamed up with included Johnny Burke to produce songs for several Bing Crosby films. James was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 (?) b. January 13th 1885.
1957: Ralph Benatzky (63) Austrian composer of Czech origin, born in Moravské Budejovice. He composed operas and operettas, such as Cherchez la femme-1911, Casanova-1928, Die drei Musketiere-1929, Im weißen Rössl-1930, and Meine Schwester und ich-1930. (?) b. June 5th 1884.
1959: Minor Hall/Ram Hall (62) American jazz drummer born in Sellies, Louisiana; after studying at New Orleans University until 1914, Minor began playing with Kid Ory. He played in various New Orleans bands such as the Superior Band, then moved to Chicago in 1918. He took his brother, Tubby Hall's spot in Lawrence Duhe's band briefly before serving in the U.S. Army during WWI. In 1926 he played with Jimmy Noone, and then moved to California for an extended run with Mutt Carey's Jeffersonians from 1927 to 1932. He played in the Winslow Allen band in the 1930s, but took a hiatus from music for part of the decade, and served briefly in the Army again in '42. In 1945 he rejoined Ory in his Creole Jazz Band and became one of his most longstanding members, remaining with Ory's ensemble until 1956, when he retired through poor health. Minor recorded extensively with Ory and also did some recording with Louis Armstrong in the 1940s (?) b. March 2nd 1897.
1969: Leonard Chess/Lejzor Czyz (52) The founder of the Chess record label, played a pivotal role in the birth of the Chicago electric blues movement of the postwar era, launching the careers of legends. In the 1950s, Chess Records' commercial success grew with artists such as Little Walter, The Moonglows, The Flamingos and Chuck Berry, and in the '60s with Etta James, Fontella Bass, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Laura Lee and Tommy Tucker, as well as with the subsidiary labels Checker, Argo and Cadet. As the 1960s progressed, Chess's recording enterprise branched out into other genres including gospel, traditional jazz, spoken word, comedy, and more (heart attack) b. March 12th 1917.
1973: Gene Krupa (64) American jazz & big band drummer born in Chicago, Illinois. Many consider him to be one of the most influential drummers of the 20th century, particularly regarding the development of the drum kit. Many jazz historians believe he made history in 1927 as the first kit drummer ever to record using a bass drum pedal. Others, however, believe this was done earlier by Baby Dodds. His drum method was published in 1938 and immediately became the standard text. He is also credited with inventing the rim shot on the snare drum. The 1937 recording of Louis Prima's "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra featuring Gene on drums was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and Gene was the first drummer inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1978. Sal Mineo starred as Gene Krupa in the Columbia Pictures movie The Gene Krupa Story in 1959. (leukemia and heart failure) b. January 15th 1909.
1982: Mario Del Monaco (67) Italian tenor and is regarded by his admirers as being one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th century. Born in Florence career began with his debut on December 31st 1940, as Pinkerton at the Puccini Theater in Milan and made his first recordings in Milan in 1948 for HMV. He sang at the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1951 to 1959, enjoying particular success in dramatic Verdi parts such as Radames. He soon established himself as one of a quartet of Italian tenor "superstars" who reached the peak of their fame in the 1950s and '60s, the others being Giuseppe Di Stefano, Carlo Bergonzi and Franco Corelli. He retired from the stage in 1975 (Mario sadly died as a result of nephritis) b. July 27th 1915.
1982: Jakov Gotovac (87) Croatian composer, conductor of classical music. He is the author of the most famous Croatian nationalist opera, the comic Ero s onoga svijeta "Ero the joker", which has been performed on all continents except Australia, and translated into nine languages, with its libretto written by Milan Begovic. It has been performed in more than 80 theatres in Europe alone . In his works, he represents the late national romanticism, with national folklore being the main source of ideas and inspiration (?) b. October 11th 1895.
1983: George Liberace (72) American musician and television performer, born in Menasha, Wisconsin, he was the elder brother and business partner of famed US entertainer Liberace, Wladziu Valentino Liberace. He appeared regularly on his brother's syndicated TV show in the 1950s as violin accompanist and orchestral arranger (died of leukemia in Las Vegas, Nevada) b. July 31st 1911.
1986: Arthur Grumiaux (65) Belgian violinist, also proficient in piano, born in Villers-Perwin. He begin music studies at the age of only 4, and trained on violin and piano with the Fernand Quintet at the Charleroi Conservatory, where he took first prize at the age of 11. Arthur's playing was included on over 30 recordings. The titles on these releases favour the compositions of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, and Schubert, but he also including works by Corelli, Ravel, Debussy and Franck. In addition to his solo work, he recorded Mozart quintets with the Grumiaux Ensemble, and various selections with the Grumiaux Trio. His successful performance career led up to royal recognition, and in 1973 he was knighted baron by King Baudouin for his services to music, thus sharing the title with Paganini. (He struggled with diabetes, his heavy recording schedules and concert performances, sadly he died of a sudden stroke while in in Brussels) b. March 21st 1921
1990: Art Blakey/Abdullah Ibn Buhaina (71) US jazz drummer; one of the inventors of the modern, bebop style of drumming. He was known as a powerful musician and a ferocious groover. He is undoubtedly one of the most influential jazz musicians ever; his brand of bluesy, funky hard bop was and still remains profoundly influential on mainstream jazz. As a teenager he was playing the piano full-time, leading a commercial band, before teaching himself to drum.After which in the 1940s, Blakey was a member of bands led by Mary Lou Williams, Fletcher Henderson, and Billy Eckstine. In 1947 Art organized the Seventeen Messengers, a rehearsal band, and recorded with an octet called the Jazz Messengers. Over the years the Jazz Messengers served as a springboard for young jazz musicians such as Donald Byrd, Johnny Griffin, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Chuck Mangione, Woody Shaw, JoAnne Brackeen and Wynton Marsalis. Art made a world tour in 1971–2 with the Giants of Jazz including Dizzy Gillespie, Kai Winding, Sonny Stitt, Thelonious Monk and Al McKibbon. Up to the 1960s Art also recorded as a sideman with many other musicians including Jimmy Smith, Herbie Nichols, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, Grant Green, and Jazz Messengers graduates Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley, amongst many others. However, after the mid-1960s he mostly concentrated on his own work as a leader (he sadly died while battling lung cancer) b. October 11th 1919.
2001: Etta Jones (72) American jazz singer; critical success and relative commercial obscurity earned her a reputation in her lifetime as a "jazz musician's jazz singer", a highly underrated singer who rarely received the recognition she so richly deserved. Her first recordings "Salty Papa Blues," "Evil Gal Blues," "Blow Top Blues," and "Long, Long Journey" were produced by Leonard Feather in 1944, featuring her in the company of clarinetist Barney Bigard and tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld. Her last recording, a tribute to Billie Holiday, was released 57 years later on the day of her death. Only one of her recordings, her debut album "Don't Go to Strangers" in 1960 was a big success with sales of over a million copies. Etta had three Grammy nominations, for the Don't Go to Strangers LP in 1960, Save Your Love for Me in 1981, and My Buddy in 1999. In 2008 the album Don't Go to Strangers was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (sadly died after battling cancer) b. October 25th 1928.
2004: Doug Bennett (52) Canadian rock singer-songwriter, born in Toronto, he moved to Vancouver in 1973. In 1977, he formed the rock band Doug and the Slugs, they toured extensively through America in the 1980s. He wrote or co-wrote many of their songs such as "Too Bad," "Day By Day," "Making It Work" and "Tomcat Prowl." Besides numerous works with Doug and the Slugs, he released a solo album, Animato, in 1986. He also produced and directed music videos for artists such as Headpins, Trooper, Zappacosta, Images In Vogue and for the Slugs themselves (Doug tragacally died a week after falling into a coma) b. October 31st 1951.
2005: David Reilly (34) American singer, songwriting, multi-musician, production partner in the electro-rock band God Lives Underwater aka GLU. They released a self-titled EP, the album Empty, which produced the single "No More Love", after which he left to launch a solo career. Also with GLU bandmember Jeff Turzo, he produced and remixed for Skinny Puppy, Rob Zombie, and Messiah, and he organized and contributed to 1998's For the Masses: A Tribute To Depeche Mode (complications of a coma brought on by pain medication for an abscessed tooth) b. May 5th 1971.
2006: John "Tommy" Johnson (71) American orchestral tuba player. He performed on more than 2,000 film soundtracks, most notably John Williams' Jaws score, in which he played a high-register tuba solo as the melodic theme for the shark; born in LA, California. He received a bachelor's degree in music in 1956 and he played on his first film in 1958, the score for Al Capone. He went on to become Hollywood's "first-call" tuba player, playing for TV commercials and series, such as The Flintstones. In addition to Jaws, his films included, The Godfather, the Indiana Jones series, the Star Trek movie series, The Lion King, Titanic, The Thin Red Line (the 1998 remake), The Matrix, Cats and Dogs, Forrest Gump, Air Force One, Back to the Future, A Bug's Life and Lethal Weapon are just a few of the 2000 (sadly lost his battle with cancer and kidney failure) b. January 7th 1935.
2007: Steve J. Spears (56) Australian playwright, actor, writer and singer, born in Adelaide, after his parents separated,, he grew up with relatives in the suburb of Mile End. He studied Law at the University of Adelaide, but through writing and performing student revues, was distracted into a career in the theatre. His most famous work was The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin in '76. He was cited as "one of Australia's most celebrated playwrights". (sadly Steve lost his brave battle with lung cancer) b. January 22nd 1951.
2007: Todor "Toše" Proeski (26) Macedonian singer songwriter born in Prilep; a regurlar at the Eastern European festivals and represented Macedonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. He was called "Elvis Presley of the Balkans". Todor was an established songwriter, he wrote several hits for himself including "Ima Li Den Za Nas"/"Is There A Day For Us", "Slusaš Li"/"Are You Listening", "Malecka"/"Little One" and "Polsko Cveke"/"Field Flower". In 2004, Proeski composed "Muza" ("Muse") for Martin Vucic, the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest representative for the Republic of Macedonia. Todor also held humanitarian concerts throughout the Republic of Macedonia. He was awarded with the Mother Theresa Humanitarian Award and in 2003 he became a Regional UNICEF Ambassador. (died near Nova Gradiška, Croatia, he was a passenger in a car accident when the airbags failed to activate) b. January 25th 1981.

October 17th.
1849: Frederic Francois Chopin (39) Polish composer, pianist; a child prodigy, performing in elegant salons & beginning to write his own pieces at the age of 8. He went on to compose 3 piano sonatas, 5 rondos, 4 scherzos, 4 ballades, 17 polonaises, including one with orchestral accompaniment and one for cello and piano accompaniment, 58 mazurkas, 20 waltzes, 3 écossaises, 26 preludes, 4 sets of variations, including Souvenir de Paganini, 4 impromptus, 21 nocturnes, 27 études (twelve in the Op. 10 cycle, twelve in the Op. 25 cycle, and three in a collection without an opus number), 2 concertos for piano and orchestra, Opp. 11 and 21. He also composed a fantaisie, an Allegro de concert, a barcarole, a berceuse, a bolero, a tarantella, a contredanse, a fugue, a cantabile, a lento, a Funeral March, and a Feuille d'album. Chopin's other works include a krakowiak for piano and orchestra; fantasia on themes from Polish songs with accompanying orchestra, a trio for violin, cello and piano; a sonata for cello and piano, a Grand Duo in E major for cello and piano with Auguste Franchomme on themes from Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera Robert le diable, and 19 Polish songs for voice and accompanying piano. (Chopin sadly died of tuberculosis in Paris) b. March 1st 1810
1972: Billy Williams (61) US singer, born in Waco, Texas; he had a highly successful cover, recording of Fats Waller's "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" in 1957. His trademark hook for his songs was to shout "Oh, Yeah" at the end of lyrics. He was the lead singer of The Charioteers between 1930-50, after which he formed his own Billy Williams Quartet with Eugene Dixon, Claude Riddick and John Ball. Many appearances on TV followed, especially on Your Show of Shows with Sid Caesar. By the early 1960s he had lost his voice due to diabetes. Billy moved to Chicago and worked as a social worker until his death (?) b. December 28th 1910.
1984: Alberta Hunter (89) American blues singer, songwriter, and nurse, born in Memphis. Her career had started back in the 1910s, and from there on, she became a successful jazz and blues recording artist, being critically acclaimed to the ranks of Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith. She first toured Europe in 1917, performing in Paris and London. In the 1920s and 1930s, she appeared in clubs and on stage in musicals in both New York and London. The songs she wrote include the critically acclaimed "Downhearted Blues"-1922. She recorded several records with Perry Bradford from 1922 to 1927. In 1928, she played "Queenie" opposite Paul Robeson in the first London production of Show Boat at Drury Lane. She subsequently performed in nightclubs throughout Europe and appeared for the 1934 winter season with Jack Jackson's society orchestra at London's Dorchester Hotel. Alberta spent the late 1930s on both sides of the Atlantic and the early 1940s performing at home. In 1944, she took a U.S.O. troupe to Casablanca and continued entertaining troops in both theatres of war for the duration of World War II and into the early postwar period. In the 1950s, she retired from performing and entered the medical field, only to successfully resume her singing career in her eighties, touring in Europe and South America, and made more TV appearances (?) b. April 1st 1895.
1991: Tennessee Ernie Ford (72) American singer and TV performer; his baritone voice is best known for his grim coal-mining song "Sixteen Tons". Born in Bristol, Te, he sang in the school choir and played the trombone. In 1937 he worked as an announcer for WOAI but left to attend the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He held radio jobs in Atlanta and Knoxville between 1939-41. In 1946 he went to live in San Bernardino, and landed an announcer’s job with KXLA in Pasadena. His comical Tennessee Ernie character “bless your pea-pickin’ little heart” caught the ear of disc jockey-TV host Cliffie Stone, who made him a regular cast member of LA’s Hometown Jamboree country music television and radio shows. He sang at the Grand Ole Opry in 1950, and in 1953 he became the first country singer to appear at London’s prestigious Palladium. His album "Great Gospel Songs" won a Grammy in 1964. Ernie has been awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for radio, records and television. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990. (liver disease) b. February 13th 1919.
1993: Christopher "Criss" Michael Oliva (30) American lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal band Savatage, born in Pompton Plains, NJ, before the Oliva family moved to Dunedin, Florida in 1976. It was here that Criss and his brother Jon formed a band Avatar, in 1978, but in 1983 they had to change their name, deciding on Savatage, they released their first two albums, Sirens in 1983 and The Dungeons Are Calling in 1985. Savatage continued to flourish, releasing a further 6 albums after signing with Atlantic Records in 1985. The band toured relentlessly, with Criss winning critical acclaim, his biggest dream was for Savatage's 1991 album Streets: A Rock Opera to achieve platinum status (An oncoming car operated by a drunk driver crossed the median and struck Criss' car head-on, tragically killing him instantly) b. April 3rd 1963.
1996: Chris Acland (30) British drummer; he played in bands such as The Infection and Panic, before becoming a founder member of the London-based shoegazing and britpop band, Lush. They went on to release 3 albums, several singles and EPs (Lush had just completed a tour and music festival appearances, then two days after bandmate Emma Anderson announced a desire to quit the band, Chris committed suicide by hanging himself in his parents' house in Cumbria. His bandmates were devastated and disbanded after a long period of mourning) b. September 7th 1966.
2000: Jokke/Joachim Nielsen (36) Norwegian singer, guitarist; he was the frontman and guitarist of the Norwegian rock band Jokke & Valentinerne, which he formed in 1982 with his long time partner May-Irene Aasen on drums and Håkon Torgersen on bass. The band went on to become one of the most popular bands in Oslo's underground rock scene. Their first album "Alt kan repareres"(Everything can be repaired) was released in 1986. Much of the band's lyrics were about alcohol, societal underdogs, misfits and so-called anti-heroes, Jokke himself had a reputation of frequently getting drunk on stage. In 1992, he created a scandal when he received Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammy awards, visibly drunk and/or under the influence of drugs (drug overdose) b. September 8th 1964.
2001: Jay Livingston (86) American songwriter, piano, composer and singer best known as half of a songwriting duo with Ray Evans. Their professional collaboration began in 1937, they won the Academy Award for Best Original Song three times: in 1948 for the song Buttons and Bows, written for the movie The Palefacen; 1950 for the song Mona Lisa, written for the movie Captain Carey, U.S.A.; and in 1956 for the song "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," featured in the movie The Man Who Knew Too Much. They wrote popular TV themes for shows including Bonanza and Mr. Ed. They also wrote the Christmas song Silver Bells in 1951 for the film The Lemon Drop Kid as well as "Never Let Me Go" for the 1956 film The Scarlet Hour. Jay is an inductee in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame (?) b. March 28th 1915.
2002: Chuck Domanico (58) American jazz bass player; born in Chicago and settled in Los Angeles in the mid 1960s, and for nearly forty years was a central jazz figure in Hollywood as well as contributing to a huge number of films and television programs. As a West Coast sessionist he worked with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Carmen McRae, Joni Mitchell, Taj Mahal, Diane Schuur, Natalie Cole, Shelly Manne, Manhattan Transfer, Chet Baker, Oliver Nelson, John Klemmer, Roger Kellaway, Barney Kessel, Art Pepper, and many more. (sadly lost to lung cancer) b. January 20th 1944.
2002: Bashful Brother Oswald/Pete Kirby/Beecher Ray Kirby (90) American singer, guitar, banjo and fiddle player born in rural Sevier County, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. By his teens, he was playing for square dances. It was at one such party that he met a Hawaiian guitarist named Rudy Waikiki. Impressed Beecher bought his first resonator guitar. He visited the Chicago World's Fair in 1933, playing in clubs and gaining a following. Breecher moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1934. Taking the stage name Pete Kirby, he played resonator guitar with local bands, including Roy Acuff's Crazy Tennesseans, later to become the Smoky Mountain Boys. It was with Roy that he became introduced as Bashful Brother Oswald. He joined the Grand Ole Opry with Acuff's band on New Year's Day 1939 and stayed with the band until Roy's death in 1995. He was also a sort after session player; his session work included working with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Will the Circle Be Unbroken, an album that paid tribute to the old-time, traditional country musicians of Nashville, Tennessee. For nearly 60 years, he was one of the most influential and talented resonator players in country music (died at his home in Madison) b. December 26th 1911.
2002: Derek Bell M.B.E. (66) Northern Irish harpist, pianist, oboist, musicologist, and composer, best known for his accompaniment work on various instruments with The Chieftains, he was the only member of the band to wear a tie at every public performance. Born in Belfast, he graduated from the Royal College of Music in 1957. Between 1958 and 1990 he composed several classical works, including three piano sonatas, two symphonies. In 1965 he became an oboist and harpist with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra. He had been known to be able to skilfully play the pedal harp, neo-Celtic harp, and wire-strung Irish-Bardic harp and served as a Professor of Harp at the Academy of Music in Belfast. For two precarious years he recorded both with the BBC Northern Ireland Orchestra and with The Chieftains, until finally becoming a full-time member of the Chieftains in 1975. Derek was awarded an MBE in the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to traditional music. His final album was with Kriyananda, the Mystic Harp vol II, a collection of compositions in a new age style, for solo harp, quite different from the traditional and classical compositions for which he was otherwise known (Derek sadly died of a cardiac arrest) b. October 21st 1935.
2004: Uzi Hitman (52) Israeli singer, songwriter, and TV personality; he became popular during the 1980s and '90s. He composed and wrote over 650 songs, his most famous songs include Noladati Lashalom/I Was Born for Peace, Ratziti Sheteda/I Wanted You to Know, Todah /Thank you, Mi yada' sh'kach yihiye /Who Knew It Would Be Like This and Kan /Here, which reached 3rd place during the 1991 Eurovision Song Contest. Uzi also appeared on the 80s children's programmes Parpar Nehmad and Hopa Hei (sadly died of a heart attack) b. June 9th 1952.
2007: Teresa Brewer/Theresa Breuer (76) American pop and jazz singer who grew up in Toledo, Ohio; she was one of the most popular female singers of the 1950s with hits such as "Dancin' with Someone", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", "Choo'n Gum", "Ricochet", "Baby, Baby, Baby", "Bell Bottom Blues", "Our Heartbreaking Waltz", "Pledging My Love", "Tweedle Dee" and "Rock Love", "A Tear Fell" and "Bo Weevil". Teresa re-emerged as a jazz vocalist in the 1980's and 1990's recording a number of albums including tribute albums to Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, and Irving Berlin and recorded with such jazz greats as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Bobby Hackett. Over her career, she recorded around 600 song titles (sadly died of a neuromuscular disease) b. May 7th 1931.
2007: Clarence "Tater" Tate (76) American bluegrass fiddle player and bassist, a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and over the course of a 60-year-plus career, he lent support to many of the leading figures in the genre, from Bill Monroe to Jimmy Martin. Born in the south west Virginia he played the guitar as a child and had appeared on local radio by the age of 10. By 1950, he had become a much-sought-after sideman, and performed regularly on Knoxville's popular Mid-Day Merry-Go-Round. In 1956, received an invitation from Bill Monroe to join his seminal group, the Blue Grass Boys. He also worked alongside bluegrass notables including Carl Story, Hylo Brown, Jim Eanes, Red Smiley, The Shenandoah Cut-Ups, Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass and others along his long musical journey (sadly lost his struggle with lung cancer) b. February 4th 1931.
2008: Levi Stubbs/Levi Stubbles (72) American lead vocalist with The Four Tops; he began his professional singing career with friends Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton to form the Four Aims in 1954. Two years later, the group changed their name to the Four Tops. The group began as a supper-club act before finally signing to Motown Records in 1963. As an actor, he provided the voice of the carnivorous plant "Audrey II" in the movie version of the musical Little Shop of Horrors in 1986 and the voice of Mother Brain in the animated TV series Captain N: The Game Master in 1989 (complications of cancer and stroke) b. June 6th 1936... read more
2009: Carla Boni/Carla Gaiano (84) Italian singer; Carla started a long association on Rai, the Italian State Radio and TV network, as a singer in 1951. In '53 she won the Festival della canzone italiana with Flo Sandon, singing "Viale d'Autunno". In 1955 she won the "Festival di Napoli" with the song "'E stelle 'e Napule ", singing with her husband Gino Latilla and Maria Paris. During her career of over half a centry, she formed a band with her husband Gino Latilla, Nilla Pizzi and Giorgio Consolini, called the Flabby band, in which she sang a new version of Mambo Italiano (died in Rome, after a long illness) b. July 17th 1925.
2009: Vic Mizzy (93) American composer for television and movies whose best-known works are the themes to the 1960s television sitcoms Green Acres and The Addams Family. He also penned top-20 songs in the 1930s and 40s including Doris Day's 1945 hit "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time"; "There's a Faraway Look in Your Eye" "Three Little Sisters", and "Take It Easy" all 3 co-written with lyricist Irving Taylor; "Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes", "The Whole World Is Singing My Song", "Choo'n Gum", "The Jones Boy", and "With a Hey and a Hi and a Ho-Ho-Ho". He broke into TV in 1959, composing music for Shirley Temple's Storybook and the themes for Moment of Fear, Klondike and Kentucky Jones. During the 1960s, he wrote themes and scores for the hit shows Green Acres, The Addams Family, as well as for other sitcoms including The Pruitts of Southampton, The Double Life of Henry Phyfe, Captain Nice, The Don Rickles Show, and Temperature's Rising, also five Don Knotts films including The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and The Reluctant Astronaut. Other work includes scores for the William Castle films The Night Walker and The Busy Body, and underscores for the TV series The Richard Boone Show and Quincy, as well as for such TV movies as Terror on the 40th Floor. He also worked with Sam Raimi for the outtake music of Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 (?) b. January 9th 1916.
2010: Eyedea/Oliver Hart/Micheal Larsen (28) American rapper born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, who went on to become a battle emcee, touring the circuit between 1997 and 2001. During this time he won top prizes at Scribble Jam ‘99, the Rock Steady Anniversary 2000, and Blaze Battle Chicago 2000. He contributed a track to the Anticon compilation, ''Music for the Advancement of Hip Hop''. Additionally, he toured extensively as second emcee and support DJ for Atmosphere. Eyedea and his friend Gregory Keltgen aka DJ Abilities formed a duo Sixth Sense, now known as Eyedea & Abilities and in 2001 released an album ''First Born''. In 2002, Eyedea, under his pen name "Oliver Hart", he released the self-produced ''The Many Faces of Oliver Hart''. In 2004, he and Abilities reunited to release the self-titled album E&A. The summer of 2009 saw Eyedea & Abilities joining the massive touring hip hop festival Rock the Bells (cause of death not yet released) b. November 9th 1981.
2010: Dennis Taylor (56) American saxophonist and author, born in New England and later relocated to Nashville, where he became a session and stage musician whose saxophone aided recordings by Delbert McClinton, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Michelle Shocked, Buckwheat Zydeco, Todd Snider, and many others. As an author his books include ''Blues Saxophone'', ''Jazz Saxophone'' and ''Amazing Phrasing''. In 2007 he became a full member of the Delbert McClinton's. After 30 plus years of studios, sessions and sideman stage performances, Dennis had just completed his first solo album (sadly died of a heart attack while on tour with the Delbert McClinton band) b. 1954
NOTE: not to be confused with New Jersey based singer Dennis Taylor
2012: Luigi Vellucci (99) American opera singer, born in Providence, Rhode Island. He made his professional debut in 1948 as Don Basilio in the New York City Opera's production of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. He sang with the New York City Opera from 1948 until 1955 and again from 1960 until he retired from singing professionally in the early 1970s. In addition to his work with the New York City Opera, he performed with many professional opera companies in the 1950s and 1960s, including the Chicago Lyric Opera, Havana Opera, NBC Opera and the Montreal Opera Guild. All told, his repertoire consisted of over 80 roles in five languages in opera, musical comedy, operetta, and Gilbert and Sullivan productions. He can also be heard on two commercially available recordings. After retiring from performing, he taught privately, led church choirs, and volunteered in public schools (died from natural causes) b. 1913
2012: László Komár (67) Hungarian rock and roll singer; between 1962-1965 he was a member of the band Scampolo after which he became a member of the co-Dogs. He also performed with bands such as Atlas, Bergendy, Non-Stop and The Eyes, Mouth, and Hearts before turning solo in the mid 70s. In 1981, he released his first solo album:Checkerboard, which was followed by many more. On November 28th 2011 Hungarotons awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award. (sadly László died from complications of a pulmonary embolism) b. November 28th 1944

October 18th.
1944: Orwill "Hoppy" Jones (39) American jazz cello player which he played in the style of an upright bass, and he was the bass singer in the Ink Spots where he was an important and the stablising member. They first recorded for Victor Records in 1935, but although the group was growing rapidly in popularity their early record releases were not commercially successful. They had their first hit with "If I Didn't Care", in 1939. Other hits included "Address Unknown", "My Prayer", "When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano", "Whispering Grass", "Do I Worry", "Java Jive", "Shout, Brother, Shout", "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", "I Can't Stand Losing You", and "Cow-Cow Boogie" before Hoppy's sudden death. The Ink Spots were the subject of a 1998 book by Marv Goldberg: "More Than Words Can Say: The Ink Spots And Their Music". The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 and they were even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as influences, in 1989; this induction consisted of Hoppy Jones, Deek Watson, Bill Kenny, and Charlie Fuqua. (Hoppy collapsed on stage and died after being taken home. It turned out that he had been having cerebral hemorrhages for over a year) b. February 17th 1902.
1994: Lee Allen (68) American tenor saxophone player born in Pittsburg, Kansas, he played 4 decades on dozens of hits and many hundreds of sides. In 1947, he joined the Paul Gayten Band and later, the Dave Bartholomew's Band. Notable are his recording with singers Fats Domino and Lloyd Price; he also was the sax soloist on most of Little Richard's epochal hits from 1955 and '56. His own instrumental song "Walkin' With Mr. Lee", was a minor hit in 1958 and was played frequently on the TV program American Bandstand. The rockabilly revival of the late 1970s found younger musicians seeking his distinctive saxophone. In October 1981 he played three shows with the Rolling Stones, he recorded with the Stray Cats, and was a mentor and eventual member of The Blasters, recording with them on all of their LPs from their 2nd, he also toured with them from the early '80s until he died in 1994 (?) b. July 2nd 1927.
2000: Julie London/Gayle Peck (74) American actress and singer who was known for her smokey, sensual voice; born in Santa Rosa, CA, she moved with her parents to L.A. at 14, where she began singing in public in her teens before appearing in film. She recorded 32 albums in a career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles. Billboard named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, '56, and '57. She recorded 100's of songs including 'Don't Worry About Me', 'Motherless Child', 'A Foggy Day', and 'You're Blasé', "Hot Toddy", "Desafinado", "Yummy Yummy Yummy", "Daddy","Go Slow" and "Cry Me a River". Her last recording was "My Funny Valentine" for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine in 1981. Primarily remembered as a singer, Julie also made more than 20 films and played many roles in programs made for TV (Julie sadly died of a stroke) b. September 26th 1926.
2002: Lo Man/Roman Tam (52) Hong Kong Cantopop singer, regarded as the "Godfather of Cantopop". Born in Guangzhou, China he later immigrated to Hong Kong in 1962 at the age of 12. After forming a short-lived band known as Roman and the Four Steps, he became a contract singer under studios term at Television Broadcasts Limited. He briefly switched to Asia Television Ltd in the early 1990s. During the 1990s he accepted many budding singers as his students. Some of which who became famous included Joey Yung and Ekin Cheng. He had sang many well known songs for various TV series including Below the Lion Rock and the 1982 TVB TV series The Legend of the Condor Heroes. He was also groundbreaking for being the first major Hong Kong singer to pose in drag and to pose in nude (sadly died after a brave battle with liver cancer) b. February 16th 1950.
2006: Anna Russell née Anna Claudia Russell-Brown (94) English–Canadian singer and comedienne. She was educated at St Felix School at Southwold, Suffolk, at Harrogate College and in Brussels and Paris and also studied at the Royal Academy of Music. Anna gave many concerts in which she sang and played comic musical sketches on the piano. Among her best-known works are her concert performances and famous recordings of The Ring of the Nibelungs (An Analysis), a humorous 30-minute synopsis of Richard Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen", and on the same album, her parody "How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera" (In her last years, she moved to Australia, in Rosedale near Batemans Bay, where she died) b. December 27th 1911
2007: Lucky Philip Dube (43) South African reggae musician, born in Ermelo, formerly of the Eastern Transvaal, now of Mpumalanga; while at school he joined a choir and formed his first musical ensemble, called The Skyway Band. It was here too he discovered the Rastafari movement. At the age of 18 Philip joined his cousin's band, The Love Brothers, playing Zulu pop music known as mbaqanga. He went on to become South Africa's biggest selling reggae artist, recording 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans in a 25 year period. In 1989 he won four OKTV Awards for "Prisoner", won another for "Captured Live" the following year and yet another two for "House Of Exile" the year after.His 1993 album, Victims sold over one million copies worldwide, and in 1995 he earned a worldwide recording contract with Motown. His album Trinity was the first release on Tabu Records after Motown's acquisition of the label. (Brutally killed in the Rosettenville suburb of Johannesburg, shot dead by carjackers; 3 men were tried, found guilty and sentenced to life in prison) b. August 3rd 1964.
2008: Dave McKenna (78) American jazz pianist; known for his "three-handed swing", and was the leading proponent of solo piano style. He started with Boots Mussulli and Charlie Ventura in the 40's, worked with many of top swing and Dixieland musicians including Woody Herman. Gene Krupa, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Eddie Condon, Bobby Hackett but became primarily a soloist after 1967. Dave was also known as a wonderful accompanist, recording with such singers as Rosemary Clooney, Teddi King and Donna Byrne and recording a PBS special with Tony Bennett (sadly died while fighting lung cancer) b. May 30th 1930.
2008: Dee Dee Warwick/Delia Mae Warrick (63) American soul singer; born in Newark, New Jersey, she started out singing with her sister Dionne Warwick and their aunt Cissy Houston in the New Hope Baptist Church Choir in Newark, NJ. The trio formed the Gospelaires who often performed with the Drinkard Singers. At a performance at the Apollo Theater in 1959, the Warwick sisters were recruited by a record producer for session work and Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, along with Doris Troy, subsequently became a prolific New York City area session singing team. Dee Dee who is also cousin of singer, Whitney Houston is best-known for her hits during the 1960s, including the No.13 R&B hit "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", also she was a two time Grammy nominee for "Foolish Fool" and "She Didn't Know" (died after long illness) b. Sept 25th 1945.
2011: Bob Brunning (68) British blues bassist best known for his role as the original bass guitar player with the blues rock band Fleetwood Mac. When Peter Green first formed Fleetwood Mac in 1967 he hired Bob as bassist on a on a temporary basis, hoping that John McVie would soon leave the Bluesbreakers to join Fleetwood Mac.. which he did. Bob contributed bass guitar to the track "Long Grey Mare" on the band's self titled debut album. After his stint in Fleetwood Mac, he joined Savoy Brown before embarking on a career in teaching which lasted 30 years. He did not abandon music however, and played in the Brunning Sunflower Blues Band, Tramp, and later the DeLuxe Blues Band. He also wrote several books about Fleetwood Mac, the British blues scene, and music in general. His works about his former group include Behind The Masks, published in 1990, 1998's Fleetwood Mac: The First 30 Years, and The Fleetwood Mac Story: Rumours and Lies. (sadly Bob died from a heart attack) b. June 29th 1943.
2012: David S. Ware (62) American jazz saxophonist, born in Plainfield, N.J., and grew up in nearby Scotch Plains. He started playing alto saxophone at the age of 10, and studied at the Berklee College of Music in the late 60s. During that time he met the pianist Cooper-Moore and the drummer Marc Edwards, with whom he performed through much of the 70s in the jazz group Apogee. In 1973 Sonny Rollins invited Apogee to open for him at the Village Vanguard after which David moved to New York, where he became part of the SoHo loft-jazz scene. By the late 80s he was recording as a leader. In 1997 he was signed to Columbia by the saxophonist Branford Marsalis, where he recorded “Go See the World” and “Surrendered". This, as well as the start of the annual Vision Festival in 1996, brought new attention to the culture around the free jazz scene in New York and to David Ware's music. From 2001 onward he recorded 10 records for Aum Fidelity, the label owned by Mr. Joerg, including an album-length version of Mr. Rollins’s 1958 “Freedom Suite” (sadly died from complications of a kidney transplant) b. November 7th 1949
2012: Borah Bergman (78) American free jazz pianist, born in Brooklyn. He learned clarinet as a child, and did not commence his piano studies until adulthood. He developed his left hand playing to the point where he became essentially ambidextrous as a pianist, and can play equally fast in both hands. He recorded four albums as a soloist before embarking on several duo and trio albums in the 1990s and 2000s with the likes of Peter Brötzmann, Roscoe Mitchell, Conny Bauer, Mat Maneri, Thomas Buckner and others (?) b. December 13th 1933.

October 19th.
1956: Isham Jones (62) American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter born in Coalton, Ohio, but grew up in Saginaw, Michigan. In 1915 he moved to Chicago, which remained his home base until 1932, when he re-established himself in New York City. The Isham Jones band made a series of popular records throughout the 1920s. He led one of the most popular dance bands in the 1920s and 1930s. His first successful recording, was released in 1921 under Isham Jones and his Orchestra. This million-seller stayed twelve weeks in the U.S. charts, six at No. 1. Noted musicians who played in his band included Louis Panico, Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Walt Yoder, and Roy Bargy. He also toured England with his orchestra in 1925. In April of 1932, a young Bing Crosby recorded two sessions with Isham's band which included "Sweet Georgia Brown". In October 1932, he teamed up with the Three X Sisters in New York, they recorded "experimental" songs for RCA Victor which Isham began to fuse jazz, and early swing music. They recorded 'Where, I Wonder Where?' and 'What Would Happen To Me If Something Happened To You'. In the 1940s, Isham lived in Colorado on his poultry farm, leaving occasionally for short tours, before relocating to Los Angeles and he finally moved to Hollywood, Florida in 1955 (sadly lost his fight with cancer) b. January 31st 1894.
1987: Jacqueline Mary du Pré OBE (48) British cellist, acknowledged as one of the greatest players of the instrument and is particularly associated with Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor. At age 16, she made her formal début, at Wigmore Hall, London and made her concerto début in 1962 at the Royal Festival Hall playing the Elgar Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Rudolf Schwarz. She performed at the Proms in 1963, playing the Elgar Concerto with Sir Malcolm Sargent. Jaqueline went on to performed with several prestigious orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. She regularly performed with such famous conductors as Barbirolli, Sargent, Sir Adrian Boult, Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, and Leonard Bernstein. Sadly her career was cut short by illness, which forced her to cease performing at the age of 28 (multiple sclerosis) b. January 26th 1945.
1988: Son House/Eddie James House Jr (86) American blues singer and guitarist, a pioneer of an innovative style featuring strong, repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of slide guitar, and his singing often incorporated elements of southern gospel and spiritual music. Born in Riverton, Mississippi, but raised in Tallulah, Louisiana, at 15 he began a preaching career. Son became more and more drawn to the blues, inspired by the work of Willie Wilson by his mid 20s he had taught himself guitar. He began playing alongside his good friend Willie Brown, Charley Patton, Robert Johnson and Fiddlin' Joe Martin around Robinsonville, MI, and north to Memphis, Tennessee, until 1942. His first recordings were for Paramount in Grafton Wisconsin in 1930; My Black Mama, Dry Spell Blues, Preachin' The Blues and an unreleased version of Walking Blues. Lyrically and musically they were masterpieces. He recorded again in the very early 40s including The Jinx Blues, Levee Camp Blues, Government Fleet Blues, Shetland Pony Blues, Fo'Clock Blues and Camp Hollers. When his dear friend and musical partner Willie Brown died, Son totally gave up playing guitar and left his music life behind. Luckily in the 60s he was tracked down by blues afficianodos Dick Waterman, Nick Perls and Phil Spiro. Al Wilson of Canned Heat helped Son back into saddle and soon he was again playing professionally. Over the next 10 years he appeared at all the world top festivals, Newport Folk Festival, the New York Folk Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival to mention a few. He toured extensively in the US and Europe and in 1965 he recorded some powerful tracks, Death Letter Blues, Preachin' Blues, Grinnin' In Your Face and more. In the summer of 1970, while touring Europe, a recording of his London concerts was released by Liberty Records. Sadly Son's health deteriorated, in 1974 he was forced to retired. He later moving to Detroit, where he remained until his death. Son was an important influence on the likes of Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Robert and Tommy Johnson. A seminal Delta blues figure, he remains influential today, with his music being covered by blues-rock groups such as The White Stripes and slide player John Mooney has combined Son's Delta style with power trio Rock and New Orleans R&B to carry Son's tradition into the 21st Century. Several of Son's songs were also featured in the 2006 film soundtrack "Black Snake Moan" (Son sadly died from cancer of the larynx) b. March 21st 1902.
1989: Alan Murphy (35) English rock session guitarist, famed for his collaborations with Kate Bush playing on her tour of the Europe & UK in 1978. Both a live video and EP were released with material taken form this tour. He also contributed to her albums Never for Ever, The Dreaming, Hounds of Love and the single "Rocket Man".and Go West. He performed with Fusion Orchestra in 1975. He was an in demand session musician, playing with many artists, including Go West, Long John Baldry, Joan Armatrading, Mike and the Mechanics, Amii Stewart, Scritti Politti, So and Miquel Brown. In 1988 he joined the group Level 42 as a full time band member and played with them until his death (weakened by the AIDS, he died of pneumonia) b. November 28th 1953.
1995: Don Cherry (58) African-American jazz cornetest; he became well known in jazz in 1958 when he performed and recorded with Ornette Coleman, first in a quintet with pianist Paul Bley and later in what became the predominantly piano-less quartet which recorded for Atlantic Records. Don also co-led the Avant-Garde session which saw John Coltrane replacing Ornette Coleman in the Quartet. He also recorded and toured with Sonny Rollins, was a member of the New York Contemporary Five with Archie Shepp and John Tchicai, recorded and toured with Albert Ayler and with bandleader and composer George Russell. His first recording as a leader was Complete Communion for Blue Note Records in 1965. The band included Coleman's drummer Ed Blackwell as well as saxophonist Gato Barbieri, whom he had met while touring Europe with Ayler. Don also ventured into the developing genre of world fusion music, incorporating influences of Middle Eastern, traditional African, and Indian music into his playing. He had studied Indian music with Vasant Rai in the early seventies. From 1978 to 1982, he recorded three albums for ECM with "world jazz" group Codona, consisting of himself, percussionist Nana Vasconcelos and sitar and tabla player Collin Walcott (died in Málaga, Spain, due to liver failure caused by hepatitis) b. November 18th 1995.
1997: Glen Edward Buxton (49) American lead guitarist and a founder member of the Alice Cooper Band. In 1964, while at Cortez High School in Phoenix, he co-founded a rock band called The Earwigs, along with high school students Dennis Dunaway and Vincent Furnier. They changed their name to The Spiders in 1965, then to The Nazz in 1967, to avoid legal entanglements with the Todd Rundgren-led "Nazz", Glen's band changed their name to Alice Cooper in 1968. He co-wrote o classic songs like "School's Out", "Elected," "I'm Eighteen", and "10 Minutes Before the Worm" and is credited as lead guitarist on 7 albums by the Alice Cooper band, including the chart-topping Billion Dollar Babies. Throughout the late '70s and '80s, he maintained a low profile, playing only occasional club gigs with obscure bands like Shrapnel and Virgin. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Glen number 90 on the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" (pneumonia) b. November 10th 1947.
2000: Hortense Ellis (59) Jamaican reggae musician, and the younger sister of fellow artist, Alton Ellis.During the 1960s, she toured Jamaica with Byron Lee and The Dragonaires and had begun recording with some of the island's top producers such as Ken Lack - "I Shall Sing", "Hell And Sorrow" and "Brown Girl In The Ring"; Coxsone Dodd - "Twelve Minutes To Go", "Ill Come Softly" and Duke Reid. In 1970 she and Alton toured Canada. Her recording of "Unexpected Places" was a big hit in Jamaica and also in Britain big hit in the late 70s. Hortense became Queen Tiney for her "Down Town Ting", an "answer" record to Althea and Donna's big hit "Uptown Top Ranking" (sadly Hortense died from a stomach infection) b. April 18th 1941.
2005: Ryan Dallas Cook (23) American trombone player, born in Huntington Beach, CA; better known to his fans as Dallas Cook, was one of two trombone players in third-wave ska band Suburban Legends. He attended Huntington Beach High School from 1996–2000, where he was a member of the HBHS marching band, to which he attributed his love of music and performing. After graduation, he joined local music group Suburban Legends. Dallas was well-known for his choreographed dance routines with other members of the band including flips, handstands, balancing his trombone on the palm of his hand, and jumping on the shoulders of fellow band mate and best friend Brian Robertson. He appeared on thier 1998 Bomb Squad EP and following five albums (Tragically Ryan died as a result of a motorcycle accident on the Costa Mesa Freeway, California where he collided with a Hyundai automobile. The driver of the Hyundai fled the scene after the accident. Dallas never recovered consciousness and died on the scene) b. June 5th 1982.
2007: LaLa Brown/Yolanda Brown (21) American R&B singer and protégé of Lyfe Jennings. She was an up and coming young artist, best known for her Top 10 R&B hit single S.E.X. (La La & her producer, JeTannue Clayborn, were found dead in their Milwaukee Loud Enuff Productionz recording studio, both had gunshot wounds and had been dead at least a day before being discovered) b. May 20th 1986.
2008: Gianni Raimondi (85) Italian operatic tenor, particularly associated with the Italian composers; he made his debut there in 1948, as Ernesto in Donizetti's Don Pasquale, going on to perform world wide. Disappointingly he made few studio recordings, given the length of his career and the sheer number of internationally distinguished opera houses where he sang (?) b. April 17th 1923.
2008: Gail Robinson (62) American c soprano who sang with many of the world's leading opera companies during the 1970s and 1980s. She was a winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions which started her professional career. After her performance career ended she taught singing to young artists and also directed the Metropolitan Opera's Young Artist Program for over ten years. Upon leaving the Met, she joined the voice faculty at the University of Kentucky. (complications from rheumatoid arthritis) b. August 7th 1946.
2009: Paul Lagos (69) American drummer with the psychedelic folk band Kaleidoscope. He also played with the Johnny Otis Band and with John Mayall's "USA Union" tour and featured on the album. Paul formed Pure Food and Drug Act in the early '70s (heart attack?) b.1940
2011: Earl Gilliam (81) American blues pianist, born in Lafayette, La, but moved to New Waverly as a child with his family. He was a self-taught pianist, from an early age and started playing piano at the local Baptist church when he was ten only years old, and by the time he was 17, he was fronting his own blues band. He moved to Houston when he was 19, quickly becoming a sought-after sideman, playing with Johnny Copeland, Albert Collins, Gatemouth Brown, and others, as well as cutting several singles with the Sarge, Ivory Twist, and Going Upstairs imprints in the 1950s. Earl started playing with Joe "Guitar" Hughes in the 1980s, appearing on three CDs with him. More recentely following Joe's death, Earl started hosting regular jam sessions in his garage, which he called "the doghouse", and he hooked up with former Duke-Peacock session guitarist I.J. Gosey, and they released their debut album of soulful jazz and blues, "Texas Doghouse Blues", in 2005 (sadly Earl has died from lung cancer) b. January 13th 1930.
2012: Mary Campbell (78) American music reporter born in Mount Sterling, Ill; her childhood affection for the big bands and opera she heard on her radio, set the stage for over four decades as a music writer for The Associated Press. From symphony to rock 'n' roll, from Duke Ellington to Beverly Sills to the Dixie Chicks, from Tony Bennett to Mick Jagger to members of the New York Philharmonic, she covered the whole musical scene, earning respect from the artists she wrote about and devotion from the public who followed her profiles and reviews (?) b. 1934.

October 20th.
1977: Ronnie Van Zant (29) American singer; lead vocalist, lyricist, and a founding member of the Southern Rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was the oldest brother of .38 Special founder and vocalist Donnie Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist Johnny Van Zant. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Ronnie formed Skynyrd late in the summer of 1964 with friends and schoolmates Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Larry Junstrom, and Bob Burns. Lynyrd Skynyrd's name was inspired by a gym teacher the boys had in high school, Leonard Skinner, who disapproved of students with long hair. Their fan base grow rapidly throughout 1973, mainly due to their opening slot on The Who's Quadrophenia tour in the United States. Their debut self titled album produced the hit Freebird, the track achieved the No. 3 spot on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos. Their second album in 1974, Second Helping, featured their most popular single, "Sweet Home Alabama", a tongue in cheek response to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man". (Died in a plane crash. Four band members were killed along with the pilot, Walter McCreary and co-pilot, William Gray when the band's rented plane, a Convair 240, ran out of fuel and crashed into a swamp in Gillsburg, Missouri) b. January 15th 1948.
1977: Steve Gaines (27) US guitarist and vocalist with the Lynyrd Skynyrd band. Born in Seneca, Missouri and raised in Miami, Oklahoma. He began playing guitar after seeing The Beatles in concert as a teenager. He played with RIO Smokehouse, The Ravens, Rusty Day, Detroit and Crawdada, before joining the Lynyrd Skynyrd band, replacing guitarist Ed King in 1976. His skills were a major contribution to the band, as proven on the 1977 album Street Survivors. (same aircrash as above) b. Sept 14th 1977.
1977: Cassie Gaines (29) US singer and older sister of Steve Gaines. Cassie was a member of the female gospel vocal trio The Honkettes, who in 1975 became the backup singers for Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd (air crash as above) b. Jan 9th 1948.
1977: Dean Kilpatrick (?) Assistant road manager of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band (air crash as above) b.?
1983: Merle Travis (65) American country music singer, songwriter; born in Rosewood, Kentucky. His lyrics often discussed the life and exploitation of coal miners. Among his many songs are "Sixteen Tons" and "Dark as a Dungeon". However, it is his masterful guitar playing and his interpretations of the rich musical traditions of his native Muhlenberg County, Kentucky for which he is best known today. "Travis picking", a syncopated style of finger picking, is named after him. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 and elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977. (died of a massive heart attack at his Tahlequah, Oklahoma home) b. November 29th 1917.
1984: Albert "Budd" Johnson (73) American tenor saxophonist from Dallas, Texas; he started out on drums and piano before switching to tenor sax. In the 1920s he performed in Texas and parts of the Midwest, working with Jesse Stone among others. He made his recording debut while working with Louis Armstrong's band in 1932-1933, but is more known for his work with Earl Hines. He was also an early figure in the bebop era doing sessions with Coleman Hawkins in 1944. In the 1950s he led his own group and did some session work for Atlantic Records, he is the featured tenor saxophone soloist on Ruth Brown's hit, "Teardrops from My Eyes". In the 1960s he worked with Quincy Jones, Count Basie, Gil Evans and again with Earl Hines. 1975 saw him working with the New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra. Budd was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993 (?) b. December 14th 1910.
1992: Werner Torkanowsky (66) German conductor in both the concert hall and opera house; he was born in Berlin, Germany, and raised on a kibbutz in Israel, and relocated to the United States in 1948 to study the violin. From 1954 to 1958, he studied conducting under Pierre Monteux. Following his debut with the Ballets Espagnoles, he became Music Director of Jerome Robbins's "Ballet USA." In 1959, Werner made his debut with the New York City Opera, with Gian Carlo Menotti's The Medium. He went on to conduct many major orchestras, including those in Israel, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Detroit, as well as at the Spoleto Festival (?) b. March 30th 1926
1997: Henry "The Sunflower" Vestine (52) American guitar player born in Takoma Park, Maryland; at an early age he accompanied his father on canvasses of black neighborhoods for old recordings, Henry became an avid collector, eventually coming to own tens of thousands of recordings of blues, hillbilly, country, and Cajun music. Throughout the early to mid 1960s Henry played in various musical configurations and eventually was hired by Frank Zappa for the original Mothers of Invention. But Henry is known mainly as a member of the band Canned Heat. He was with the group from its start in 1966 to July 1969. In later years he played in local bands but occasionally returned to Canned Heat for a few tours and recordings. In 2003 Henry was ranked 77th in Rolling Stone magazine list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" (died from heart and respiratory failure in a hotel outside Paris after the band had completed a tour of France) b. December 25th 1944.
2005: Shirley Horn (71) American jazz singer, pianist; she collaborated with many jazz greats including Miles Davis, influencing each other; Dizzy Gillespie, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Carmen McRae, Wynton Marsalis and others. She was most noted for her ability to accompany herself with nearly incomparable independence and ability on the piano while singing. She was nominated for nine Grammy Awards during her career, winning in 1999 for Jazz Vocal Album for "I Remember Miles", a tribute to her friend and encourager. Preferring to perform in small settings, as with her trio, she recorded with orchestra too, as on the 1992 album "Here's to life", which is highly rated by her fans, the title song being generally considered as her signature song. A video documentary of Shirley's life and music was released at the same time as "Here's To Life" and shared its title. She was officially recognized by the 109th US Congress for "her many achievements and contributions to the world of jazz and American culture", and performed at The White House for several U.S. presidents. Shirley was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in 2002. She was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2005., the highest honors that the United States bestows upon jazz musicians (She had been battling breast cancer and diabetes when she died from complications of a massive stroke) b. May 1st 1934.
2007: Paul Raven (46) English rock bassist born in Wolverhampton, best known for his work in the seminal punk-goth-metal-electronic group Killing Joke, playing with them through its most commercially successful period, appearing on the 'Fire Dances', 'Night Time' and 'Brighter than a Thousand Suns' albums, before leaving during the recording of 1988's 'Outside the Gate', rejoining in time for 1990's 'Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions'. He later played in the alternative rock/ industrial rock bands Prong and Ministry. His early musical career included stints in Neon Hearts and the 1982 glam rock band, Kitsch. (heart attack) b. january 16th 1961.
2009: Liam Maher (41) UK singer, who fronted the baggy band Flowered Up, which he helped form in Camden, London in 1989 along with keyboardist Tim Dorney, guitarist Joe Maher, bassist Andy Jackson, drummer John Tovey, and Barry Mooncult, who wasn't really a member of the band but danced on-stage with a giant flower around his neck. The band appeared on the covers of both NME and Melody Maker before releasing the club anthem 'It's On' in the summer of 1990, which was followed up with 'Phobia' that autumn; both reached the Top 40 on the U.K. charts. Flowered Up were best known for their Top 20 single 'Weekender', the 12-minute, 55-second track being their highest charting single. They released their only album 'A Life With Brian' in 1991 and the band split in 1994. Liam signed up to Alan McGee's Poptones record label in 2001, but the deal fell through before anything was released. Flowered Up, reunited in 2005 for several gigs with Happy Mondays (details of Liams death not yet released) b. ????
2010: Ari Up/Ariane Forster (48) German-born British singer born in Munich; Ari was only 14 when she formed the UK punk rock band The Slits with drummer Palmolive in 1976. By the late seventies, they were touring as the opening act for the The Clash. Ari Up's love of reggae led The Slits into a "jungly", dub style. She was the most flamboyant member of the group. Her wild hair and crazy stage outfits became her trademarks. Her 1977 performances with The Slits are featured in The Punk Rock Movie, a 1992 release of various punk group club performances, principally at The Roxy. After The Slits split in 1981, she moved with her husband and twin children to jungle regions of Indonesia and Belize, living among indigenous people in those areas. Later, they moved to Jamaica, eventually settling in Kingston. She continued to make music, first with the New Age Steppers, then solo as Baby Ari, Madussa, and Ari Up. In 2006 Ari Up reformed The Slits releasing an EP and later toured in Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan. She occasionally played solo concerts in New York, and toured the UK with her backing band 'The True Warriors'. She also recorded with the Jammyland All Stars, Brave New Girl, Dubistry, and the German techno-dancehall outfit, Terranova. Ari Up appeared on Lee "Scratch" Perry's 2008 album, Repentance, and performed a duet on a cover version of The Yardbirds' song "Mister You're a Better Man Than I" on Mark Stewart's 2008 album, Edit. In July 2009, she performed with Perry and Austrian dub band Dubblestandart in Brooklyn, New York just prior to the Central Park SummerStage festival. One of Ari's last recordings done in May 2010 in New York was on a track with Lee Scratch Perry recorded by Subatomic Sound System and released in August 2010 on 7" vinyl called "Hello, Hell is Very Low" b/w "Bed Athletes" (sadly lost her battle with cancer) b. January 17th 1962.
2011: Robert Hunter (36) Australian rapper and lyricist, as well as serving as a founder of Australia's growing hip-hop scene in Perth, he was also a founding member of the MC collective Syllabolix Crew, which spawned the likes of Layla Dazastah, Downsyde and Drapht. He released four albums, with songs he crafted like 'Never Commit' (sadly Robert died after a brave battle with cancer) b. October 1st 1975.
2012: Przemyslaw Gintrowski (60) Polish composer and musician who debuted in 1976 on a review of the Warsaw Riviera with the song “Epitaph for Sergei Yesenin”. In 1979, he formed a trio with Jacek Kaczmarski and Zbigniew Lapinski, and initiated a poetic programme “Mury” (“Walls”) which became an informal anthem of "Solidarity" and the symbol of the fight against the regime. With the declaration of martial law in December 1981 Trio broke up and he started his own artistic activity. He made his debut as a composer of film music – during the next ten years he created music for over twenty fictional films and serials. On August 31, 2006 he was awarded by President Lech Kaczynski with The Order of Polonia Restituta (?) b. December 21st 1951

October 21st.
1965: William Patton "Bill" Black Jr (39) American bass and double bass player born in Memphis, Tennessee, he first played music on a cigar box with a board nailed to it and with strings attached made by his father. By the age of sixteen Black was playing in local bars and clubs before an army stint and then joining Scotty Moore to form a band. In early July 1954, Sam Phillips of Sun Records, set up a green young man named Elvis Presley with guitarist Scotty Moore, who called Bill to help out. The trio rehearsed dozens of songs, from traditional country, to "Harbor Lights", to gospel. The search for another song to release along with "That's All Right" at Sun Records in July 1954 led to "Blue Moon of Kentucky" via Bill. He went on to play double bass on all early Presley recordings including "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Baby Let's Play House", "Mystery Train", "That's All Right", "Hound Dog", and became one of the first bass players to use the Fender Precision Bass- electric bass guitar in popular music, on "Jailhouse Rock" in the late 1950s. In 1959, after leaving Elvis, he joined a Memphis group that soon evolved into the Bill Black's Combo, releasing hits such "Smokie" in December 1959, followed by "Smokie, Part 2", "White Silver Sands", "Josephine", "Don't Be Cruel", "Blue Tango", "Hearts of Stone" and others. Bill Black's Combo cut more than 20 albums, toured the United States and Europe and won awards as the best instrumental group in America in 1966 and 1967. Bill's stand-up bass is today owned by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, who received it as a birthday present from his late wife Linda McCartney in the late 1970s. The Bill Black Combo created musical history in 1964 when they became the opening act for the Beatles on their historical 13-city tour of America after their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Sadly Bill himself was not well enough to make the tour (he died four months after surgery to remove a brain tumour) b. September 17th 1926.
1969: Jean-Louis "Jack" Kerouac (47) American poet and writer, author of Beat Generation; after the release of his book On the Road in 1957, he got instant fame, he was hailed as a major American writer and considered by some as the King of the Beatniks as well as the Father of the Hippies, influencing the likes of Bob Dylan. He is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic spirituality, jazz, promiscuity, Buddhism, drugs, poverty, and travel. His writings have inspired other writers, including Ken Kesey, Bob Dylan, Richard Brautigan, Thomas Pynchon, Lester Bangs, Tom Robbins, Will Clarke, and Haruki Murakami. He became an underground celebrity and, with other beats, a progenitor of the Hippie movement, although he remained antagonistic toward it. Since his death his literary prestige has grown and several previously unseen works have been published. All of his books are in print today, among them: On the Road, Doctor Sax, The Dharma Bums, Mexico City Blues, The Subterraneans, Desolation Angels, Visions of Cody and Big Sur (sadly Jack died from cirrhosis of the liver) b. March 12th 1922.
1990: Jo Ann Kelly (46) English blues singer and guitarist favouring delta style rather than rocking out with a heavy band behind her, but with a huge voice, and a strong guitar. Born in Streatham, London. She established a musical partnership with the British blues musician Tony McPhee, and appeared on two McPhee compiled albums for Liberty Records, "Me And The Devil" in 1968 and "I Asked for Water, She Gave Me Gasoline" in 1969. At the end of the 1960s, with an album on a major record label in the United States, both Johnny Winter and Canned Heat tried to recruit Jo Ann into their ranks. However, she stayed and played the UK's nightclub scene, and participated in many musical projects with her brother Dave Kelly and performed on the European circuit, with the guitarist Pete Emery or in bands, including the Terry Smith Blues Band (In 1988, Jo Ann began to suffer from headaches. In 1989 she had an operation to remove a malignant brain tumour, she seemed to have recovered, but the following year she tragically collapsed and died after touring again with her brother) b. January 5th 1944.
1995: Maxene Andrews (79) American high harmony singer in The Andrews Sisters, born in Minnesota. Throughout their long career, the sisters sold over 75 million records and became the best-selling female vocal group in the history of popular music setting records that remain unsurpassed to this day. The sisters charted with 113 Billboard hits, 46 of these reaching Top 10 status. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Maxene started a solo career in 1979 releasing the album 'Maxene: An Andrews Sister' in 1990. Her last performance was on October 8th 1995, in the show 'Swing Time Canteen', at New York's Blue Angel Theatre. (?) b. January 3rd 1916.
1995: Richard Shannon Hoon (28) American singer, songwriter and guitarist; born and raised in Lafayette, Indiana, after graduating from McCutcheon High School he fronted two local bands Styff Kitten and Mank Rage. He also composed his first song at this time "Change". He relocated to LA where he met musicians Brad Smith and Rogers Stevens and they formed the band Blind Melon, and soon had a recording contract with Capitol Records. He also met up with Axl Rose of Guns 'n' Roses, who were recording their albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II. Richard sang backing vocals on several of the tracks, including "The Garden" and "Don't Cry". Axl also invited him to appear in the video for "Don't Cry". In 1992, Blind Melon released their self-titled debut album, it sold poorly until the single "No Rain" was released in September of 1993 and the album went quadruple-platinum. In 1994, they their second album 'Soup', released in 1995. They went on tour to promote the album, which sadly was Richard's last album and tour (Richard was found dead on the band's tour bus, tragically he had died from a heart attack, due to a cocaine overdose, while in New Orleans) b. September 26th 1967.
2003: Elliott Smith (34) Folk-punk singer, mult-musician, songwriter, born in Omaha, Nebraska; his primary instrument was the guitar, but he was also proficient at piano, clarinet, bass guitar, drums, and harmonica. Elliott was a founder member of the indie rock band Heatmiser formed in Portland in 1991. The following year they recorded an EP 'The Music of Heatmiser' and thier first album 'Dead Air' in 1993.
After leaving Heatmiser, Elliott began his solo career in 1994 and rose to mainstream fame when his song "Miss Misery", was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category in 1998. The track was also included in the soundtrack for the film Good Will Hunting. He was working on his sixth at the time of his death (he died from two stab wounds to the chest. The autopsy evidence was inconclusive as to whether the wounds were self-inflicted) b. August 6th 1969.
2007: Paul Fox (56) British guitarist, singer; a founder member of the UK punk band, The Ruts. When the original lead singer Malcolm Owen died of a heroin overdose the band continued with Paul on vocals, renaming themselves Ruts DC. When the band broke in the early 1980s, he joined the London rock band Dirty Strangers, who recorded two albums, on which The Rolling Stones members, Keith Richards and Ron Wood, both guested on. He went on to form Choir Militia, in '83, after which he worked with Screaming Lobsters in 1987 and Fluffy Kittens from 1991 to 1994, retaining hard-core fan interest. From this point on his musical career was combined with carpentry, but he cut singles with the Chelsea Punk Rock Allstars in 1997, and ska legend Laurel Aitken in 2000. Paul revived the Ruts name and songs in 2006, touring with a line up known as Foxy's Ruts (lung cancer) b. April 11th 1951.
2007: Lance Hahn (40) American guitarist and frontman, born in Hawaii, but relocated to San Francisco and then Austin, TX. He started his recording career in the Hawaiin band Cringer, recordinging numbers such as Perversion Is Their Destiny and Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Then in 1991 he formed the punk rock band J Church, releasing 8 albums before his death. Along side the band, Lance also released a solo acoustic record under the name 'Cilantro' (after his favourite smell), as well as working as Beck's touring guitarist in 1994-5 and was in the final line-up of Bay Area pop-punk band Monsula in the early 1990s. He had also run Honey Bear Records (named after Winnie The Pooh) since 1994 and wrote extensive "punk rock history" articles for Maximumrocknroll. (Lance died of kidney disease, he sadly suffered a collapse during dialysis) b. February 15th 1967.
2008: Peter Levinson (74) American music industry biographer; he spent nearly fifty years in the music industry as a promoter and representative for stars such as Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Lalo Schifrin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chuck Mangione, Dave Brubeck, Rosemary Clooney, Erroll Garner, Stan Getz, Peggy Lee, Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon, Maynard Ferguson, Pete Fountain, Art Garfunkel, Bud Shank, Phyllis Diller, George Shearing, Chick Corea, Jim Hall, Benny Carter, Charlie Byrd, Louie Bellson, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jack Lemmon and Mel Torme. His publicity work also extended into television and film. He contracted amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2006, which prevented him from speaking; he used a type-to-speech computer and continued writing (he died after a fall at his home in Malibu, California) b. July 1st 1934.
2009: Clinton Ford/ Ian George Stopford Harrison (77) British singer who had his first taste of chart success in 1959, with a cover of the Red Foley penned song "Old Shep", his next chart entry was "Too Many Beautiful Girls" in a trad jazz style, followed by his biggest hit, a rendition of the 1935 George Formby song "Fanlight Fanny". This led to an album that reached No.16 in the UK Albums Chart in May 1962. After touring for a while with Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, he returned for a stint at Liverpool's Cavern Club, to find that the market for trad jazz and country n western styled novelties had been replaced by the beat music of a certain local band called The Beatles. He was though, in great demand on BBC Radio programmes, such as Saturday Club where a live singer was required, to sing standards and also covers of current hit songs. His final UK hit "Run To The Door" was issued on the Piccadilly Records label in 1967 (died after a long illness in the Isle of Man where he had been living for many years) b. November 4th 1931.
2009: Sirone/ Norris Jones (69) American jazz bassist and composer, he worked in Atlanta in the late 50s and early 60s with "The Group" alongside George Adams; he also recorded with R&B musicians such as Sam Cooke and Smokey Robinson. He moved to New York in the mid '60s, where he co-founded the "Untraditional Jazz Improvisational Team" with Dave Burrell. He also worked with Marion Brown, Gato Barbieri, Pharoah Sanders, Noah Howard, Sonny Sharrock, Sunny Murray, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, and Sun Ra. In 1971 he co-founded the Revolutionary Ensemble with Leroy Jenkins and Frank Clayton, also in the 1970s and early 1980s Sirone recorded with Clifford Thornton, Roswell Rudd, Dewey Redman, Cecil Taylor, and Walt Dickerson. In the 1980s, he was member of Phalanx, a group with guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer, drummer Rashied Ali, and tenor saxophonist George Adams, before relocating to Germany in 1989, where he lived the remainder of his life (died in Berlin, Germany) b. September 28th 1948.
2010: José Carbajal (66) Uruguayan singer, guitarist, and composer nicknamed “el Sabalero”; he was born in Puerto Sauce, Juan Lacaze, but he moved to Montevideo and began performing in folk clubs in 1967. In the '70s became famous throughout Latin America. Between 1970 and 1973 lived in Buenos Aires , and later the Uruguayan dictatorship forced him to relocate to countries like Mexico, France and Spain and later he settled in the Netherlands. He returned to his native country in 1984, but left for the Netherlands again in 1992; he had been traveling back and forth between Uruguay and the Netherlands until his death. He had many hit songs like "Children, to my people" and "The Sencillito", and released around 20 albums debuting with Popular song in 1969 (he sadly died from a cardiac arrest at his home in Canelones, Uruguay) b. December 8th 1943.
2010: Uccio Aloisi (82) Italian traditional singer and along with Uccio Bandello and Uccio Melissano the founder, the folk group of Li Ucci touring Europe and Italy. Over the years he has been a regular guest of the concert of the Notte della Taranta that allowed him to collaborate with international artists such as Buena Vista Social Club. In 2005 he was one of the main characters of the documentary film Craj of Marengo (?) b. October 1st 1928.
2011: Freddie Ferrara (?) American rhythm and blues singer with The Del-Satins and The Brooklyn Bridge. He was a founding member of the vocal group Del-Satins in in 1958. In 1961 they recorded their debut single, "I'll Pray for You" prior to signing Laurie Records. There they joined forces with Dion, who wanted to replace his existing backing band, the Belmonts, with a "rockier" sound. The Del-Satins were instantly sent to work on his new song, "Runaround Sue", which then rose to number 1 in the Billboard charts. Although their contribution to the hit was substantial, the Del-Satins received no credit. They also sang on Dion's later solo hits, "The Wanderer", "Lovers Who Wander", "Little Diane", "Love Came To Me", "Ruby Baby", "Donna the Prima Donna" and "Drip Drop", as well as on records by Len Barry and Jan and Dean. In the late 60s Freddie joined up with The Brooklyn Bridge band where he sayed for the next 4 decades. In 2006, the band was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. They are also members of South Carolina's Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, the New England Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and Harmony Group Hall of Fame, and recently the group were given a star on the New Jersey Walk of Fame (sadly died from a cardiac arrest) b. ????.
2011: Edmundo Ros (100) Trinidadian bandleader, vocalist and arranger who made his career in Britain. He directed a popular Latin American orchestra, had an extensive recording career and owned one of London's leading nightclubs. Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, he enrolled in military academy where he became interested in music and learned to play the euphonium. From 1927 to 1937 he lived in Caracas, Venezuela, where he played in the Venezuelan Military Academy Band as well as being a tympanist in the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra. He received a music scholarship from the government, under which from 1937-42 he studied harmony, composition and orchestration at the Royal Academy of Music, London...>>> READ MORE <<< (Edmundo died peacefully at his home in Spain) b. December 7th 1910.
2012: Tim Johnson (52) American country music songwriter born in the tiny logging community Noti, Oregon. When Mickey Newbury heard Tim's songs he urged Tim to move to Nashville, Tennessee, where he became a successful and respected songwriter with more than 100 major label cuts including "I Let Her Lie", "God Only Cries", "Thank God For Believers", "Do You Believe Me Now", "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind", "She Misses Him" and "To Do What I Do". Tim is also known for his collaborations with Rory Lee Feek of Joey + Rory, with whom he founded an organization called the Song Trust, in which works by new artists were all credited to that name. Song Trust's first release was "Bring Him Home Santa" in 2008 (Tim sadly died fighting cancer) b. 1960

October 22nd.
1935: Komitas Vardapet (66) Armenian priest, composer, choir leader, singer, music ethnologist, music pedagogue and musicologist. Regarded as the founder of modern Armenian classical music.In 1899 he acquired the title doctor of musicology and returned to Echmiadzin, where he took over conducting a polyphonic male choir. He traveled extensively around the country, listening to and recording details about Armenian folk songs and dances performed in various villages. This way he collected and published some 3000 songs, many of them adapted to choir singing. From 1910 he lived and worked in Istanbul. There he established a 300-member choir Gusan. He was the first non-European to be admitted into the International Music Society, of which he was a co-founder. He gave many lectures and performances throughout Europe, Turkey and Egypt, thus presenting till then very little known Armenian music. On April 24, 1915, said to be the day when the Armenian Genocide officially began, he was arrested and put on a train the next day together with 180 other Armenian notables and sent to the city of Çankiri in northern Central Anatolia, at a distance of some 300 miles. His good friend, Turkish nationalist poet Mehmet Emin Yurdakul, the authoress Halide Edip, and the U.S. ambassador Henry Morgenthau intervened with the government and, by special orders from Talat Pasha, Komitas was dispatched back to the capital alongside eight other Armenians who had been deported.The music academy in Yerevan is named him and there also exists a worldwide renowned string quartet named after Komitas (Komitas lost his mind after witnessing the 1915 Armenian Genocide, he never really fully recovered, he died in a psychiatric clinic in Paris, France) b. September 26th or October 8th 1869.
1943: Leon Roppolo (41) American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, guitarist born in Lutcher, Louisiana. He was a prominent early jazz clarinetist, best known for his playing with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings. He also made some recordings with Original Memphis Five and California Ramblers musicians in New York in 1924 as well as working with other New Orleans bands such as the Halfway House Orchestra, with which he recorded on saxophone. Leon's compositions include the jazz standards "Farewell Blues" and "Milenberg Joys", "Gold Leaf Strut" or "Golden Leaf Strut", "Tin Roof Blues", and "Make Love to Me" (Leon died of tertiary syphilis) b. March 16th 1902.
1958: Jay Perkins (?) American bass guitarist; worked with his brother Carl Perkins (brain tumour) b.??
1969: Tommy Edwards (47) American vocalist, pianist, and composer; born in Richmond, Virginia, his first impact in R&B circles in 1946, was writing "That Chick's Too Young to Fry", a hit for Louis Jordan. He began recording in 1949, and had his first hit in 1951 with "All Over Again". He is best remembered for his 1958, Billboard No.1, "It's All in the Game", it also reach No.1, on the UK singles chart. He sang his hit song on The Ed Sullivan Show, on 14 September, 1958. This was followed by "Love is All We Need," which climbed to No.15. His last chart hit was "My Melancholy Baby" in 1959 (died after suffering a brain aneurysm in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia) b. February 17th 1922.
1973: Pablo Casals/Pau Casals i Defilló (96) Spanish Catalan cellist and later conductor. He made many recordings throughout his career, of solo, chamber, and orchestral music, also as conductor, but he is perhaps best remembered for the recording of the Bach Cello Suites he made from 1936 to 1939. In 1897 he appeared as soloist with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, and was awarded the Order of Carlos III from the Queen. In 1899, Casals played at The Crystal Palace in London, and later for Queen Victoria at Osborne House, her summer residence, accompanied by Ernest Walker. On November 12 and December 17, 1899, he appeared as a soloist at Lamoureux Concerts in Paris, to great public and critical acclaim. He toured Spain and the Netherlands with the pianist Harold Bauer in 1900-1901; in 1901-1902 he made his first tour of the United States; and in 1903 toured South America and on January 15th 1904, Pablo was invited to play at the White House for President Theodore Roosevelt, These are just a few hi-lites from his long career. Pablo was an ardent supporter of the Spanish Republican government, and after its defeat in 1939, he vowed not to return to Spain until democracy had been restored, sadly he did not live to see the end of the Franco dictatorial regime. He was posthumously honoured by the Spanish government under King Juan Carlos I which, in 1976, issued a commemorative postage stamp to Pau Casals in honour of the centenary of his birth and in 1989 he was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (Pablo died in San Juan, Puerto Rico) b. December 29th 1876.
1986: Jane Dornacker (39) American actress, keyboardist, songwriter, traffic reporter; born in Albuquerque, New Mexico; she was the lead singer, keyboardist, and songwriter of the 1970s & 1980s San Francisco pop-rock group Leila And The Snakes. Pearl Gates and Pamela Wood provided supporting vocals. Their repertoire included "Rock And Roll Weirdos," "Pyramid Power" and a spoof version of Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?". Jane also provided lead vocals on "Christopher Columbus" in 1978, a song by R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders. She co-wrote the humorous hit song "Don't Touch Me There" for The Tubes. The song was sung by Re Styles and appeared on The Tubes' second studio album, Jane had also toured with The Tubes as a backing singer and dancer. Jane developed a successful career as a stand-up comic on the San Francisco circuit and did her first work as a traffic reporter in the early to mid 1980s for KFRC, a popular Top 40 radio station. She moved to New York City to become the raspy voiced "trafficologist" and "Jane-in-a-plane". (tragically died in a helicopter crash during a live traffic report for WNBC radio in New York. Listeners heard her terrified voice screaming "Hit the water, hit the water" as the helicopter from which she and pilot Bill Pate were reporting, fell from the sky and crashed into the Hudson River. Jane is notable for surviving one helicopter crash only to sadly die in a second helicopter crash in the same year) b. October 1st 1947.
1989: Ewan MacColl/James 'Jimmie' Miller (74) British folk singer, songwriter, actor, playwright, poet, record producer and the father of the late Kirsty MacColl. Born in Broughton, as well as his acting career, Ewan also began to collect and perform traditional ballads. His long involvement with Topic Records started in 1950 with his release of a single, "The Asphalter's Song". When, in 1953 Theatre Workshop decided relocate to London, Ewan, who had opposed that move, left the company and changed the focus of his career from acting and playwriting to singing and composing folk and topical songs. Over the years he recorded and produced upwards of a hundred albums, many with English folk song collector and singer A.L. Lloyd. The pair released an ambitious series of eight LP albums of more or less the complete Child Ballads. He also produced a number of LPs with Irish singer songwriter Dominic Behan, brother of the playwright, Brendan Behan. In 2001, "The Essential Ewan MacColl Songbook" was published, with the words and music to 200 of his songs (?) b. January 25th 1915.
2005: Franky Gee/Francisco Alejandro Gutierrez (42) American singer born in Havana, before his family emigrated to Miami. After college, he enlisted in the US Army, while stationed in Germany, he started deejaying. After which he stayed in Germany and became the frontman for the German Europop group Captain Jack. His clothing and mannerisms in Captain Jack were intended to satirize the American military. Captain Jack's music was widely featured on the popular Konami Arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution, and others in that series (suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while walking with his son in Palma, Mallorca. He went into a coma and subsequently died five days later) b. February 19th 1962.
2009: Don Lane/Morton Donald Isaacson (75) American-born Australian entertainer, talk show host and singer. He began his working life as a nightclub performer and singer, appearing at many clubs in Hawaii, L.A. and New York. He appeared on one episode of the Ed Sullivan program in the late 1950s as one half of a double act. He was drafted into the U.S. army in the early 50s and was commissioned as an officer serving in the artillery. He later toured for two years entertaining the troops. He worked alongside Johnny Carson, Sammy Davis, Jr., Wayne Newton and others. He also played Professor Harold Hill in the Las Vegas production of The Music Man. Don relocated to Australia where he became a multi-award winner including 1966: Most Popular Male and Most Popular Live Show (Tonight with Don Lane); 1967: Most Popular Male and Most Popular Live Show (Tonight with Don Lane); 1968: Best Male Personality and Best Show (Tonight with Don Lane); 1969: Best Male Personality and Best Show (Tonight with Don Lane); 1970: Best Male Personality and Best Local Show (Tonight Show with Don Lane); 1974: Most Popular Male and Most Popular Show (The Don Lane Show); and he recieved 4 National Logie awards:Gold Logie; Most Popular Male Personality; Victoria: Most Popular Male; and Most Popular Show (sadly died from dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease) b. November 13th 1933.
2012: Gabrielle Roth (71) American singer, author, dancer, philosopher and dramatist. She devoted her life to dance, singing, poetry and theatre. Her on going research and communication of these issues led to the development of the five rhythms aka 5Rhythms, a movement of meditation and free dance, in which a dancer moves through five different rhythms, which together form a wave of movement or a 'wave' forms. She was artistic director of her dance / theater / music group the 'Mirrors' and had her own recording studio Raven Recording, founded with her husband, Robert Ansell. Gabrielle released 20 albums and 3 DVDs and she has written three books, two of which have been translated into Dutch (sadly died while fighting lung cancer) b. February 4th 1941.

October 23rd.
1950: Al Jolson/Asa Yoelson (64) American singer, songwriter, blackfaced minstrel, comedian, born in Seredžius, Lithuania, then a part of the Russian Empire. His career lasted from 1911 until his death in 1950, during which time he was commonly dubbed "the world's greatest entertainer”. Between 1911 and 1928, Jolson had nine sell-out Winter Garden shows in a row, more than 80 hit records, and 16 national and international tours. Yet by some, he's best remembered today for his leading role in the first, full length, talking movie ever made, The Jazz Singer, released in 1927. Hits many hits include: Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody, I've Got My Captain Working for Me Now, Swanee, Avalon, California, Here I Come and I'm Sitting on Top of the World. Numerous well-known singers were influenced by his music, including Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, and Bob Dylan, who once referred to him as "somebody whose life I can feel (sadly he died of a massive heart attack, Broadway lowered it's lights for ten minutes in Al's honor) b. March 26th 1886.
1964: Bill Daniles (?) American drummer with Buddy and the Kings (all four members of US band Buddy and the Kings were killed when their hired Cesna Skyhawk piloted by Bill Daniles, crashed nose first killing all on board. They were on their way to a gig in Harris County. Singer with the group Harold David Box, had replaced Buddy Holly in The Crickets after Buddy's death in a plane crash) b.????
1964: Harold "David" Box (21) American singer with Buddy and the Kings and was one of the singers who replaced Buddy Holly in The Crickets after Holly's death. David can be heard singing lead vocals on "Peggy Sue Got Married". Born in in Sulphur Springs he was a huge fan of Buddy Holly and in 1958 he formed the Ravens, a group styled on the Crickets. They cut some demos at Mitchell Studio in Lubbock. He went to LA with his band, where he sessioned with the Crickets, after which they returned home to complete their schooling. In 1964 he finished college and was working with the touring band Buddy and the Kings which included, himself on lead vocals, Buddy Groves vocalist and guitar, Carl Banks on bass and Bill Daniels on the drums (died: as above) b. August 11th 1943
1964: Buddy Groves (?) American guitarist with Buddy and the Kings (died: as above) b.????
1964: Carl Banks (?) American bassist with Buddy and the Kings (died: as above) b.????
1968: Naima Wifstrand (78) Swedish film actor, operetta singer, troubadour, director and composer. She studied music and singing in Stockholm at the Swedish Royal Academy of Music and in 1910 she went to London and further trained for Raymond von zur Mühlen. After her studies she was one of the most acknowledged operetta singers in Scandinavia. She worked at Oscarsteatern, Sweden's foremost operetta and musical stage, 1913-1918 and for years to come toured Sweden and Scandinavia. Her big break-through came as Countess Stasi in Emmerich Kálmán's operetta Die Csárdásfürstin in 1916. She worked in the 1920s mainly at the opera houses in Oslo and Copenhagen. For many years she lived in London where she also performed with troubadour-songs alone along with her guitar. A curiosity here is that when the first attempts at broadcasted television took place in Britain Wifstrand actually became one of the first "TV-stars", so to speak, as she appeared on TV already in the 1930s and performed a number of songs. She had a big acting career and was internationally most notable for strong supporting parts in her later years in a number of Ingmar Bergman-films (?) b. September 4th 1890
1978: Maybelle Carter (69) American country musician, best known as a member of the historic Carter Family act in the 1920s and 1930s and as a member of Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters. She was a member of the original Carter Family, formed in 1927 by her brother-in-law, A. P. Carter, who was married to her cousin, Sara, also a part of the trio. It was perhaps the first commercial rural Country music group. Maybelle was the guitarist and also played autoharp and banjo; she created a unique sound for the group with her innovative 'scratch' style of guitar playing, also called Carter Family picking, where she used her thumb to play melody on the bass and middle strings, and her index finger to fill out the rhythm. Maybelle was inducted as part of The Carter Family in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970. In 1993, her image appeared on a U.S. postage stamp honoring the Carter Family. In 2001 she was initiated into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor, and ranked No.8 in CMT's 40 Greatest Women of Country Music in 2002. In 2005, she was portrayed by Sandra Ellis Lafferty in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line (?) May 10th 1909
1984: James Petrillo (92) American musicians union leader, born in Chicago, Illinois. Though in his youth he played the trumpet, he finally made a career out of organizing musicians into the union starting in 1919. He became president of the Chicago Local 10 of the musician's union in 1922, and was president of the American Federation of Musicians from 1940 to 1958. He continued being the prime force in the Union for another decade; in the 1960s he was head of the Union's "Civil Rights Division", which saw to the desegregation of the local unions and the venues where musicians played (?) b. March 16th 1892.
1999: Bobby Willis (57) British songwriter and manager; his first known recorded composition, Shy of Love was featured on the B-side of Love of the Loved, the debut release of Cilla Black in September 1963. During the sixties he was to write many songs for his then girlfriend, Cilla, to record and perform. Is It Love? - was featured in the beat film Ferry Cross The Mersey in 1965. He often collaborated with Kenny Lynch and George Martin. After the death of Brian Epstein, Bobby undertook management duties and represented Cilla for over thirty years. Bobby married Cilla Black on 25 January 1969 (sadly lost his struggle with cancer) b. January 25th 1942.
2003: Tony Capstick (59) English comedian, singer, actor, author and broadcaster, born in Rotherham, Yorkshire; he was a regular performer on folk circuits recording many albums including 'His Round', 'Punch and Judy Man', 'Tony Capstick Does a Turn', 'Songs of Ewan MacColl', and 'There Was This Bloke'. In 1981, he along with The Sheffield Grinder, reached No.3 in the UK singles chart with "Capstick Comes Home". He had a TV series, Capstick's Capers, on Channel 4 in 1983, as well as portraying one of the policemen in the long-running British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine where he played the role until his death. Tony had also been a presenter on BBC Radio Sheffield for over 30 years and wrote a regular column in the Rotherham Advertiser (sadly Tony died from a heart attack) b. July 27th 1944.
2002: Adolph Green (87) American lyricist and playwright who, with long-time collaborator Betty Comden, penned the screenplays and songs for some of the most beloved movie musicals, particularly as part of Arthur Freed's production unit at MGM, during the genre's heyday. They shared a unique comic genius and sophisticated wit that enabled them to forge a six-decade-long partnership that produced some of Hollywood and Broadway's greatest hits. Their first Broadway effort was On the Town, a musical romp about three sailors on leave in New York City. At MGM they wrote the screenplay for Good News, The Barkleys of Broadway for Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, and then adapted On the Town for Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and the classic Singin' in the Rain. Among their other credits are the Mary Martin version of Peter Pan for both Broadway and television, a streamlined Die Fledermaus for the Metropolitan Opera, and stage musicals for Carol Burnett, Leslie Uggams, and Lauren Bacall, among others. Their many collaborators included Garson Kanin, Cy Coleman, Jule Styne, and André Previn. These are just a few of which they wrote for the screen, stage and television. In 1958, they appeared on Broadway in A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green, a revue that included some of their early sketches. It was a critical and commercial success, and they brought an updated version back to Broadway in 1977. They received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1991 and were nominees for 12 Tony Awards and winners of seven (he died at his home in Manhattan) b. December 2nd 1914.
2004: Robert Merrill (87) American operatic baritone; In his early radio appearances as a crooner he was sometimes billed as Merrill Miller. While singing at bar mitzvahs and weddings and Borscht Belt resorts, he met an agent, Moe Gale, who found him work at Radio City Music Hall and with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. With Toscanini conducting, he eventually sang in two of the famous maestro's NBC broadcasts of famous operas, La traviata with Licia Albanese, in 1946, and Un ballo in maschera with Herva Nelli, in 1954. Both of those broadcasts were eventually released on both LP and CD. His 1944 operatic debut was in Verdi's Aida at Newark, New Jersey, with the famous tenor Giovanni Martinelli, then in the later stages of his long operatic career. Relatively late in his singing career, he became known for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Yankee Stadium. He first sang the national anthem to open the 1969 baseball season, and it became a tradition for the Yankees to bring him back each year on Opening Day and special occasions. In honor of Robert's vast influence on US vocal music, on Feb 16th 1981 he was awarded the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Glee Club Award of Merit; the National Medal of Arts in 1993 and in 1996 he was presented with The Lawrence Tibbett Award from the AGMA Relief Fund, honoring his fifty years of professional achievement and dedication to colleagues (died at home in New Rochelle, New York, while watching Game 1 of the 2004 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals) b. June 4th 1917.
2009: Sohrab Fakir Khaskhely (75) Pakistani folk singer, playing the yaktaro, a single stringed instrument and chappar, wooden clappers. He started singing with his uncles at eight years old and went to Khan Sahab Khety Khan in Rohri for more musical education. He sung his first song, Kadhy Kadam Kaya Khan Bahar Ker, at shrine of Kush Khair Muhammad. and started his career on Radio Pakistan, Khairpur with the famous song Raag . Sohrab went on to become the greatest Sindhi folk singer in his style of music. Sadly, a paralytic stroke had recently left Saaiin Sohrab voiceless. He spent some of his final days at a Sufi shrine in Sindh (sadly died from kidney disease) b. ??.??.1934
2011: Henk Pleket (74) Dutch folk singer and guitarist born in Amsterdam; he got his break in 1977 playng guitar and singing with the Port Singers. Henk and the group recorded nine gold and seven platinum records. In April 2003 he was honoured as a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau. When the Port Singers disbanded in August 2007, Henk decided to continue under the name "Port Henk Pleket Singer" (sadly died fighting cancer) b. May 16th 1937.
2011: Gene Kurtz (69) American bassist and songwriter born in San Antonio and lived in Austin. He played with a number of San Antonio bands, including Denny Ezba & the Goldens with future Sir Douglas Quintet/Texas Tornados organist Augie Meyers, before hooking up with Roy Head and the Traits in the mid-'60s. Gene co-wrote "Treat Her Right" reached No.2 on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts in 1965. Since then, it has been covered by a long list of artists including Otis Redding, Barbara Mandrell, George Thorogood, Johnny Thunders, Robert Plant, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan. He worked on Edgar Winter’s seminal “Entrance” album, and went on to work with a wide range artists from Bo Diddley to Charlie Pride to Nana Mouskouri, and make numerous television and radio appearances in New York, London, Montreal, Los Angeles, Memphis, Nashville, Houston, Las Vegas, and Austin. In his later years, he reunited with Head for the 2008 Austin Music Awards, switching to rhythm guitar and was a longtime member of Dale Watson & His Lonestars. He wrote "Way Down Texas Way" and appeared with Watson and his band performing the song in an episode of NBC's Friday Night Lights (sadly died fighting cancer) ?? b. October 9th 1942 ??.
2012: Michael Marra (60) Scottish musician and songwriter, born in Dundee. Although he was well known as a songwriter, he worked extensively in theatre, radio and television. He formed his first band Hen’s Teeth in 1971, and later became a solo artist releasing of his first album the Midas Touch in 1980. As a solo performer he toured the length and breadth of Britain, performing in arts centres, theatres, folk clubs and village halls. He opened for such diverse performers as Van Morrison, The Proclaimers, Loudon Wainwright III, Barbara Dickson and Deacon Blue. He composed his own operetta "If The Moon Can Be Believed", performed in a 2007 production of the Demon Barber and wrote the play St Catherine’s Day. He was awarded the Herald Angel Award in 2010 for his performance at The Acoustic Music Centre during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (sadly Michael died fighting throat cancer) b. February 1952

October 24th.
1957: Walter Rehberg (57) Swiss concert pianist, composer and writer on musical subjects who was particularly active from the 1920s to 1950s. Born in Geneva he studied under his father at Hoch Conservatory, Frankfurt, and at the University School of Music at Mannheim. He later received tuition from Eugen d'Albert. By 1924 he had composed piano sonatas, a violin sonata and other piano pieces. During the 1930s he made recordings for Polydor/Brunswick records (?) b. May 14th 1900.
1974: David Oistrakh (66) Ukrainian-Soviet violin master-virtuoso who made many recordings and was the dedicatee of numerous violin works. His recordings and performances of Shostakovich's concerti are particularly noted, he was also a performer of classical concerti. He worked with orchestras in Russia, and also with musicians in Europe and America. The violin concerto of Aram Khachaturian is dedicated to him, as are the two violin concerti by Dmitri Shostakovich. The most heroic act in his life was his performance of Tchaikovsky's violin concerto to the end in the downtown music hall during the Battle of Stalingrad in the winter of 1942 while downtown Stalingrad was being massively bombed by the German Luftwaffe (After conducting a cycle of Brahms with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, he died of a heart attack) b. September 30th 1908.
1986: Johnny Dyani (40) South African jazz double bassist and pianist born in Duncan Village, a township of the South African city of East London. In the early 1960s he was a member of South Africa's first integrated jazz band The Blue Notes, but they fled South Africa in 1964 to seek musical and political freedom. In 1966, Johnny toured Argentina with Steve Lacy's quartet and recorded "The Forest and the Zoo". He later moved to Denmark and Sweden, recording many albums under his own name, often on the SteepleChase label. He recorded with Dollar Brand , Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, David Murray, Joseph Jarman, Clifford Jarvis, Don Moye, Han Bennink, Brotherhood of Breath, Mal Waldron, Pierre Dørge and many others () b. November 30th 1945.
1989: Sahib Shihab/Edmond Gregory (64) American jazz saxophonist; first played alto sax professionally for Luther Henderson at age 13, before studying at the Boston Conservatory and playing with trumpetist Roy Eldridge. In the mid forties he played lead alto with Fletcher Henderson. During the late 1940s, he played with Thelonious Monk and also found time to appear on many recordings by artists including Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Benny Golson, Tadd Dameron and on John Coltrane’s first full session as leader for Prestige, First Trane. In the early 50's he played with Dizzy Gillespie's big band and switched to baritone. In 1959, he toured Europe with Quincy Jones, after getting fed up with racial politics in USA, he relocated to Scandinavia, where he worked for Copenhagen Polytechnic, and wrote scores for television, cinema and theatre. In 1961, he joined The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band remaining a key figure for 12 years. In the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest, he accompanied Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson for the Swedish entry Nygammal Vals. In 1973, he returned to the United States working as a session man for rock and pop artists and also doing some copywriting for local musicians. He spent his remaining years between New York and Europe and played in a successful partnership with Art Farmer (?) b. June 23rd 1925.
2001: Kim Gardner (53) English rock bassist born in Dulwich, London; in 1964 Kim and friend Ron Wood together with Tony Munroe, Ali McKenzie and Pete McDaniels formed The Thunderbirds. Changing their name to The Birds they released several singles, including “No Good Without You Baby” and "Leaving Here". After which Kim and Ron joined the Mod band The Creation. In 1968 Kim joined up with Tony Ashton and Roy Dyke to form Ashton, Gardner & Dyke, a jazz- rock band and had the hit single "Resurrection Shuffle". He was also a member of “Quiet Melon” with Rod Stewart. Kim relocated LA in 1974 and spent the rest of the 1970s as both a touring musician and session musician. During this time he played on twenty-seven albums for such artists as Jackie Lomax, George Harrison, Bo Diddley and Eric Clapton and toured with bands including Pacific Gas & Electric. In 1982 he opened a pub in Hollywood, The Cat and Fiddle where he also desplayed his art work. In the mid 1980s he was a member of Ian Wallace's Tea Bags group Kim’s last recording was a collaboration with Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience with guests including Bruce Gary, Mick Taylor, Carmine Appice, Jackie Lomax, Brian Auger and Ivan Neville (died after a fight with cancer) b.January 27th 1948.
2005: Joy Clements/Joyce Marie Albrecht (73) American lyric coloratura soprano who had a substantial opera and concert career from 1956 through the late 1970s. She notably sang regularly with both the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera during the 1960s through the early 1970s. She also traveled regularly for performances with opera companies and orchestras throughout America but only appeared in a relatively few number of performances internationally. A highlight of her career was the July 28th 1965, Concert Version of Aaron Copland's The Tender Land, as part of the French-American Festival, with the New York Philharmonic. Clements sang the leading role of Laurie Moss, with Turner, Richard Cassilly, Treigle and Richard Fredricks also in the cast (sadly Joy died from complications from multiple sclerosis) b. April 29th 1932.
2008: Premasiri Khemadasa (71) Sri Lankan musician and composer; a Maestro with a mission known as "Khemadasa Master" is one of the most influential composers in Sri Lankan music. Exploring the various styles of music around the world he endeavored to develop a unique style of music. He combined Sinhala folk tunes, Hindustani music, Western music and many other streams of music in his compositions while adapting them to fit contemporary music. Scores written by the master for films include Paradige, Hansawilak,Thunweniyamaya, Yasa Isuru widened his acclaim in the field of cinema. He has also composed music for films produced outside Sri Lanka such as Thousand Flowers (died while receiving treatments at a private hospital) b. January 25th 1937
2008: Merl Saunders (74) American multi-genre pianist and keyboards born in San Mateo, California, favored the Hammond B-3 console organ. He came to notice in the 1970s when he began collaborating with Jerry Garcia, with whom he had begun playing in 1971 at a small Fillmore Street nightclub called the Matrix. Merl went on to lead his own bands, as Merl Saunders and Friends, playing live dates with Garcia, Mike Bloomfield, David Grisman, Tom Fogerty, Vassar Clements, Kenneth Nash, John Kahn and Sheila E. He has worked with musicians Paul Pena, Bonnie Raitt, Phish, Miles Davis, and B.B. King, and also recorded with The Dinosaurs, a "supergroup" of first-generation Bay Area rock musicians (tragically died due to complications from a broken hip) b. February 14th 1934.
2008: Moshe Cotel (65) American pianist and composer born in in Baltimore, whose music was strongly influenced by his Jewish roots. He enrolled in the Talmudic Academy of Baltimore and the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where he studied music and took college-preparatory classes, having enrolled at the age of 9. He wrote a 200-page symphony as a 13-year-old, to the astonishment of his piano teacher at Peabody who did not believe him until he pulled the completed score out of his bag. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees at the Juilliard School in New York City, in 1964 and 1965 respectively and he won the American Academy Rome Prize for music composition at age 23, and studied art in Italy for two years. Performing or conducting his own works or those of others around the world, Moshel was known for a career that arched from early Romantic compositions to atonal, unpredictable avante gardist scores and then to a reversion to Romanticism (died peacefully from natural causes) b. February 20th 1943.
2010: Keti Chomata (64) Greek singer, she studied classical dance and enjoyed singing from a young age. Giannis Spanos discovered her talent when he came from France looking for the voice of the new wave of Greek. She recorded about 200 songs and released about 18 records, one of her biggest hits was "A Summer Love". Keti also sang for the Greeks abroad and achieved success in Canada, the USA and Germany (sadly died of cancer) b. October 24th 1946.
2010: Linda Hargrove (61) American country singer-songwriter and musician born in Tallahassee. In the mid-'70s, she was one of the first Nashville artists to blend country sounds with a modern pop/rock sheen; by the time that such a hybrid came to dominate the charts a decade later, Linda was largely out of the music industry. In 1975, she moved to Capitol Records, for whom she released her only Top 40 hit, "Love Was (Once Around the Dance Floor)," from the LP ''Love, You're the Teacher''. In the same year, Johnny Rodriguez took her composition "Just Get Up and Close the Door" to the top of the charts. Sandy Posey, Leon Russell are just a couple of other musicians who have covered her songs. Linda released two more country albums, 1976's ''Just Like You'' and 1977's ''Impressions'' (Sadly passed away from complications of a bone marrow transplant) b. February 3rd 1949.
2012: Bill Dees (73) American musician and songwriter born in the town of Borger in the Texas Panhandle, he played guitar and sang with a band called "The Five Bops" gaining enough recognition to perform on an Amarillo, radio station. He eventually made his way to Nashville, where his meeting Roy Orbison led to a collaboration that produced a string of successful songs including the hits "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "It's Over". In 1967, Bill co-wrote all the songs for the Roy Orbison album and MGM motion picture The Fastest Guitar Alive. Beyond his work with Roy, he wrote 100's of songs, a number of which were recorded by performers such as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Glen Campbell, Billy Joe Royal, Frank Ifield, Mark Dinning and Gene Pitney. In 2000, he recorded his own album titled Saturday Night At The Movies, a compilation of songs previously sung by Roy Orbison that had been written with Bill and some that Bill had written alone (so sadly died of a brain tumor) b. January 24th 1939

October 25th.
1952: Hattie McDaniel (57) American singer, actress born in ; Hattie was the first African-American to win an Academy Award. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind in 1939, but she had a big singing career too, touring with the Showboat company and others. She was in fact the first black woman to sing on the radio in America. Over the course of her career, she appeared in over 300 films, although she received screen credits for only about 80. She gained the respect of the African American show business community with her generosity, elegance, and charm. Hattie has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood: one for her contributions to radio at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard, and one for motion pictures at 1719 Vine Street. In 1975, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and in 2006 became the first black Oscar winner honored with a US postage stamp (sadly lost to cancer) b. June 10th 1895.
1980: Virgil Fox (68) American organist born Princeton, Illinois; known especially for his flamboyant "Heavy Organ" concerts of the music of Bach and were staged complete with light shows. These groundbreaking events appealed to audiences in the 70s who were more familiar with rock 'n' roll music. His many recordings made on the RCA Victor and Capitol labels. His last commercially released recording was made at his farewell Riverside Church concert on May 6, 1979. Virgil's 50th year of performing began when he appeared with the Dallas Symphony in September 1980, in what sadly was to be his final public performance, one month later, he sadly died (he died in Palm Beach of prostate cancer, for which he had undergone unsuccessful surgery in 1976) b. May 3rd 1912.
1985: Gary Holton (33) British actor and singer, born in London; he began working in the theatre world with the Sadlers Wells Opera Company for three years. After leaving Westminster School, he joined the Old Vic Theatre Company, after which he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford. At 17 he joined the touring company of Hair, for two years, he left the Company to help form and front the rock band Heavy Metal Kids in 1972. Dave Dee, signed them to Atlantic Records, where they recorded their first, self-titled album in January 1974 followed by Anvil Chorus, then Kitsch in 1977. Their single "She's No Angel" was regularly played on BBC Radio 1, a favourite of legendary DJ John Peel. The band toured America when they changed their name to The Kids and were also very popular in Norway. Also Gary stood in for The Damned vocalist Dave Vanian on a short Scottish tour, he also recorded a solo single, which became a No.1 hit in Norway, a stunning punk-country version of Kenny Rogers's "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town". He and Casino Steel recorded three albums together, which all did well in Norway. Gary returned to acting with many minor parts on TV, but got his big break with the character Wayne in the production Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (sadly Gary died from an overdose of alcohol and morphine, with traces of diazepam and cannabis in his system) b. September 22nd 1952.
1990: Isaac "Ikey" Robinson (86) American banjoist and singer, born in Dublin, Virginia, he moved to Chicago in 1926, playing and recording with Jelly Roll Morton, Clarence Williams and Jabbo Smith during 1928-29. After which his own groups included Ikey Robinson and his Band, The Hokum Trio, The Pods of Pepper, Windy City Five, and Sloke & Ike. His 1929 recording "Rock MeMama" is often cited as an early use of the term "rock" as it evolved from black gospel into rock n roll. He reunited in the 70s with Jabbo Smith for a successful global tour, and in 1986 Ikey appeared in Terry Zwigoff's documentary "Louie Bluie" about musician Howard Armstrong (?) b. July 28th 1904.
1991: Bill Graham/Wolodia Grajonca (60) American rock concert promoter, who flourished from the 1960s until his death. Born in Berlin, a Holocaust survivor and orphaned, fate eventually took him to America, where he stayed in a foster home in The Bronx in New York City. After being taunted as an immigrant and being called a Nazi because of his German accent, he taught himself a perfect New York accent, graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School, changed his name, and was drafted into the United States Army in 1951, serving in the Korean War, where he was awarded both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. After which in New York, he worked in as a waiter in clubs, all the time learning about what went on behind the scenes, knowing one day he wanted to promote. He even became a champion mambo dancer in the mambo clubs of New York City before he relocated to San Francisco around 1960. He began promoting concerts to raise funds for the San Francisco Mime Troupe, which he was managering. He left the troupe in the mid 60's to promote concerts full time. One of the first concerts Bill promoted was with Chet Helms of the Family Dog organization and featured the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Bill went on to produce shows attracting America's now legendary counterculture of the time such as Country Joe and The Fish, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, The Committee, The Fugs, and one of his favourites The Grateful Dead. He was the manager of Jefferson Airplane during 1967 and 1968. His successes and popularity allowed him to become the top concert promoter in rock music. He operated the famous venues the Fillmore West and Winterland, both in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in New York City, where the best up-and-coming acts would come to play. In New York City, he formed a booking agency called The Millard Agency which organized the booking of bands into various venues across the US. In the mid-1980s, in conjunction with the city of Mountain View, California, and Apple Inc. cofounder Steve Wozniak, he masterminded the creation of the Shoreline Amphitheatre, which became the premier venue for outdoor concerts in the Silicon Valley. Throughout his career, Bill also promoted benefit concerts. (tragically and sadly Bill died in a helicopter crash, when it hit a 200ft utility tower in Sonoma County, California) b. January 8th 1931.
1992: Roger Miller (56) American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs. His most recognized tunes included the chart-topping country/pop hits "King of the Road", "Dang Me" and "England Swings", all from the mid-60s Nashville Sound era. He won an outstanding 11 Grammy Awards, as well as winning Broadway's Tony award for writing the music and lyrics for Big River, which won a total of 7 Tonys including best musical in 1985. He was voted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995. His 11 Grammy Awards held the record as the most won by any artist until Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller. In Erick, Oklahoma where he grew up, a thoroughfare was renamed "Roger Miller Boulevard" and a museum dedicated to him was built on the road in 2004 (cancer) b. January 2nd 1936.
1993: Howie Blauvelt (44) American bassist; while at school he taught himself to play guitar and formed a band with class mates calling it The Echoes. As they had 2 guitarists Howie switched to bass. Soon after he asked his friend Billy Joel to play piano in his band and they changed the band name to The Lost Souls. They started winning talent competitions, Mercury Records took an interest recorded a few tracks including "Journey's End" and "Time And Time Again." but shelved the project, after renaming them The Commandos and the tracks are somewhere in the Mercury vault. Howie and Billy left the band to join The Hassles recording a couple of local albums. Howie and Billy went on to form the band Attila The Hun, they went back to After The Hassle and then El Primo. Next Howie went to play with Ram Jam, with a world favourite "Black Betty", his booming bass was really showcased with this band. Howie played in several bands before joining the funk-blues band Spitball, in the early 1990's (sadly he died of a heart attack ..you will notice Billy Joel often dedicates his hit, "We Didn't Start The Fire" to his old friend Howie when he performs the song in concert) b. February 24th 1949.
1998: Warren Wiebe (45) American vocalist and session artist from San Diego. After playing bass with several bands, he was discovered by David Foster and Burt Bacharach in Los Angeles in 1987. He did the duet "Listen to Me" with Celine Dion for the movie of the same name. It was never officially released. He was one of several lead vocalists who contributed to the 1991 charity record "Voices That Care". He is also famous for performing the song "Human Touch", a ballad which was used as one of the ending theme songs for the 1996 anime After War Gundam X (?) b. July 18th 1953.
2000: William Martin (Billy) Bennett (?) American drummer, he joined Sam The Sham & the Pharaohs in late 1965. His first recording with the band was "Li'l Red Riding Hood". (sadly died of a heart attack) b.????
2002: Sir Richard Harris (70) Irish actor, singer, producer born in Limerick, Munster. As well as his award winning film career, Richard was also a singer, between 1967 and 1977 he released 11 albums, one of which, 1968's "A Tramp Shining", included the seven-minute hit song of him singing "MacArthur Park", written by Jimmy Webb. This single reached No.2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped several music sales charts in Europe during the summer of 1968. "MacArthur Park" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The album, "The Yard Went on Forever", published in 1969. Richard wrote and arranged the orchestral accompaniment for one of the tracks, a scathing commentary on the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland delivered as a spoken-word poem written by Dr T James and entitled "There are Too Many Saviours on My Cross" (Sir Richard sadly died of Hodgkin's disease) b. October 1st 1930.
2003: Robert Strassburg (88) American conductor, composer, musicologist and music educator of the twentieth century. His studies in music were completed under the supervision of such leading composers as Igor Stravinsky, Walter Piston and Paul Hindemith with whom he studied at Tanglewood. His formal academic studies were completed at the New England Conservatory of Music and Harvard University where he obtained a fellowship in composition. He also completed a doctorate in Fine Arts at the University of Judaism in LA. As a musicologist he is regarded as a leading authority on the compositions of the composer Ernest Bloch (?) b. August 30th 1915.
2004: John Peel /John Robert Parker Ravenscroft OBE (65) BBC's longest serving radio DJ, known for his eclectic taste in music and his honest, warm broadcasting style. He was one of the first to play reggae and punk on British radio. His significant influence on alternative rock, Pop, British hip hop and dance music is acknowledged ... Read More ... (sadly died of a heart attack while on holiday in Peru) b. August 30th 1939.
2008: Muslim Magomayev (66) Azerbaijani operatic and pop singer, born in Baku; he started as a baritone opera singer earning fame in Rossini's "Barber of Seville"; his arias from Puccini's "Tosca", Hajibeyov's "Koroghlu" and "Shah Ismayil". In the mid 60's he became a pop idol for several generations of music lovers in the USSR. He also wrote several film soundtracks, acted in films and hosted TV and radio broadcasts devoted to prominent musicians of the 20th century (died after a long illness with heart disease) b. August 17th 1942.
2009: Heinz-Klaus Metzger (77) German music critic and theorist, he studied piano under Carl Seemann in Freiburg and composition under Max Deutsch in Paris. In the 60s, he was one of the first European commentators on John Cage, and spokesman of the movement called compositional Anarchy, which resulted in the so called Kölner Manifest of 1960, and serving as a copy editor of the magazine Collage in Palermo. From 1965 until '69 he worked as a music critic for the Zürcher Weltwoche. In 1969, he founded, together with his partner, composer and conductor Rainer Riehn, the 'Ensemble Musica Negativa', where they embraced the performance of radical new music. From 1977 to 2002 Metzger and Riehn founded, edited, researched, and provided texts criticism for the musicology series "Musik-Konzepte" (The concepts of music), Munich text+kritik-edition; for this they received the Deutscher Kritikerpreis (German critics prize) in 1983. Also, they edited the two first volumes of the Kompositionen von Adorno (?) b. February 6th 1932
2010: Gregory Isaacs (59) Jamaican reggae singer; born in Kingston, Jamaica he was also known as Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover. In 1968, he made his recording debut with a duet with Winston Sinclair, "Another Heartache". In 1973 he teamed up with Errol Dunkley to start the African Museum record label and shop, and soon had a massive hit with "My Only Lover", credited as the first lovers rock record ever made. He string of hits in the three years that followed, ranging from ballads to roots reggae, including "All I Have Is Love", "Lonely Soldier", "Black a Kill Black", "Extra Classic", his cover version of Dobby Dobson's "Loving Pauper" and his first Jamaican number one single with "Love Is Overdue". By the late 1970s, he was one of the biggest reggae performers in the world, regularly touring the US and the UK, and only challenged by Dennis Brown and Bob Marley. Between 1977 and 1978, Greg again teamed up with Alvin Ranglin, recording more hitsin cluding "Border" and "Number One". In 1981, he made his first appearance at the Reggae Sunsplash festival, returning annually until 1991. He performed at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Inauguration at Jamaica, also in 2007 he collaborated with the Spanish rap group Flowklorikos album Donde Duele Inspira. In 2008, after some 40 years as a recording artist, Isaacs released a new studio album Brand New Me, which was nominated for the Grammy Awards for 2010 (sadly Gregory lost his fight with lung cancer) b. July 15th 1951.
2012: Joop Stokkermans (75) Dutch composer. was an extremely important contributor to Dutch TV music, radio music and commercials from the early 60s into the late 90s. He made the music for series like 'Can you tell me the way to Hamelin' and 'Q and Q' . He was the composer of fixed Jasparina de Jong and made numerous musicals. Also, he was active in advertising, his most famous advertising jingle is perhaps for Kips Liver sausage ("Rather than ordinary Kips liverwurst liverwurst). Also in 1970 he recorded a full album on the only working ARP available in Europe at the time, together with help from technician Roddy de Hillster who programmed most of the sounds. Although he is mainly known as a pianist, he also had a great interest for synthesizers since they first appeared (?) b. February 20th 1937

October 26th.
1956: Walter Gieseking (60) French pianist born in Lyon; from 1911 to early 1916 he studied at the conservatorium in Hanover. He had a very wide repertoire, ranging from various pieces by Bach and the core works by Beethoven through to the concertos of Rachmaninoff and more modern works by the likes of Busoni, Hindemith, Schoenberg, and the lesser-known Italian Petrassi. He gave the premiere of the Piano Concerto by Pfitzner in 1923. Today, though, he is primarily remembered as one of the greatest interpreters of two French composers in particular: Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. His recording of the complete solo piano works of Debussy was the first such undertaking and has been re-released on CD (?) b. November 5th 1895.
1966: Alma Cogan (34) British pop singer born in Golders Green, London; In 1949, she became the resident singer at the Cumberland Hotel in Marble Arch, where her original six week booking was extended to eighteen months. Shae went on to be one of the biggest UK stars of the 50s. Her first release was the 78 rpm record "To Be Worthy Of You" / "Would You" recorded on her twentieth birthday in 1952. Between 1954 and 1960 she appeared on the UK Singles Chart eighteen times with her 1955 "Dreamboat" reaching No.1. Other hits included "Sugar ", "I Can't Tell a Waltz from a Tango", "Little Things Mean a Lot", and "Willie Can" (sadly lost to stomach cancer) b. May 19th 1932.
1994: Wilbert Harrison (65) American singer, pianist, guitarist, harmonica player, born in Charlotte, North Carolina, began performing in a calypso-based style releasing 2 singles "This Woman Of Mine" and "Letter Edged In Black" before moving to Newark, New Jersey, where he had his first Billboard No.1 record in 1959 with the song "Kansas City". The song was written in 1951 and was one of the first credited collaborations by the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. His next No.1 hit came in 1969 with "Let's Stick Together." His other hits included, "C.C. Rider" "Stagger Lee" "My Love" "Girls On Parade" "Clementine" "My Babe" "New York's World Fair" and "Until The Real Thing Comes Along" and his last hit, "My Heart Is Yours" in '71 although Wilbert continued to perform for many years (?) b. January 5th 1929.
1995: Gorni Kramer/Kramer Gorni (81) Italian accordian, double bass player, bandleader, composer, songwriter; he learnt the accordian as a child, then studied double bass at the Conservatory in Parma and obtained his diploma in 1930. He started working as a musician for dance bands, then in 1933, aged 20, he formed his own jazz group. In 1949 Gorni Kramer started working for Garinei and Giovannini, a very famous duo of impresarios who produced musical comedies. Writing music for their shows was his main activity for the following ten years. Their most successful productions were Gran Baldoria, Attanasio cavallo vanesio, Alvaro piuttosto corsaro, Tobia candida spia, Un paio d’ali. He went on to be one of the most famous Italian songwriters, musicians and band leaders of the 20th Century and he wrote over a thousand songs (died in Milan) b. July 13th 1913.
1996: Scott Murray/Murray Schaff (69) American saxophone player and singer with his own band Murray Schaff and his Aristocrats in the 50's, known as a very uninhibited act in show business. He later had trios and bands under the name of Scott Murray, he also owned the Open End nightclub in New York City in the 60's (?) b. October 17th 1927.
1999: Hoyt Wayne Axton (61) American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor born in Duncan, Oklahoma. His mother, Mae Boren Axton, co-wrote the classic rock 'n' roll song "Heartbreak Hotel", which became the first major hit for Elvis Presley. Hoyt became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. Since he first appeared on TV in The Story of a Folksinger in 1963, he has appeared in many films and TV productions. As well as singing his own songs, a lott of his songwriting efforts became well known by other artists throughout the world, including Jealous Man", "Della and the Dealer", "The Pusher", "Snowblind Friend", "No-No Song" "Joy to the World" (which many know better by its opening lyric, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog!"), "Lion in Winter", "When the Morning Comes"and "Greenback Dollar". (sadly died after a series of heart attacks) b. March 25th 1938.
2010: Billy Ruane (52) American manager and tireless concert promoter from Boston; known best for the shows he booked and his wild dancing at venues such as the Middle East and Green Street Grill. Billy was a voluble and volatile presence on the Boston rock scene for three decades, obsessed with music from jazz to rock, he convinced Joseph and Nabil Sater at the Middle East Restaurant in Central Square to present live music, opening up a new chapter in Boston rock in 1987 (a cause of death has not yet been given, but Billy was hospitalized Oct 18th for heart trouble, but checked himself out the same day against medical advice) b. November 10th 1957.
2010: James Phelps (78) American gospel and R&B singer, born in Shreveport, Louisiana, founder of the Clefs of Calvary and performed alongside Sam Cooke. In his late teens he moved to Chicago, where he performed with several gospel groups including the Gospel Songbirds, the Holy Wonders, it was with the Holy Wonders that he performed with Lou Rawls, and the Soul Stirrers where he sang backing their 1964 classic "Lead Me to the Calvary" with Sam Cooke as lead vocals. He left the Soul Stirrers and shifted his focus to rhythm and blues when his “Love Is a Five-Letter Word” became a hit in 1965. As a solo act, he went on to tour with R&B greats such as Otis Redding and James Brown. By the mid-70s his recording career was over, but he continued to perform both gospel and secular songs for many years. (James sadly died from complications of diabetes) b. April 2nd 1932.
2012: Jo Dunne (43) British guitarist born in Birmingham; she rose to fame in the 1980s as part of all-girl rock group We've Got a Fuzzbox and We're Going to Use it, also known as just Fuzzbox. They had hits with tracks including 'Love is the Slug' and 'Pink Sunshine' (sadly Jo died while fighting cancer) b. November 12th 1968
2012: Louis Nunley (81) American baritone singer born in Sikeston, Missouri, and was raised in Anderson, Indiana. In 1948, he moved to Nashville to attend David Lipscomb College, where he made his first commercial recordings in 1949, and graduated in 1952, with a major in Mathematics. He became a member of The Anita Kerr Singers in February 1953, he is one of the twenty or so performing musicians, including The Jordanaires, whose contributions to recordings were the basis of what has become known the world over as "The Nashville Sound". In 1956, The Anita Kerr Quartet won the popular "Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts Show". Louis had stayed busy in the " background singing business" through the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and went strong till his death. Louis has recorded with hundreds of artists, some of whom are: Red Foley, Brenda Lee, Burl Ives, Jim Reeves, Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Floyd Cramer, Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold, Perry Como, Dolly Parton, Engelbert Humperdinck, Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks, and, yes, Elvis Presley and the list goes on. Louis has filled in with "The Jordanaires" when needed for over forty-five years, subbing for everyone in the group at one time or another (?) b. October 15th 1931.

October 27th.
1949: Ginette Neveu (30) French violinist born in Paris, a violin virtuoso who dazzled audiences in her Europe and UK with her performances, and listeners around the world with her recordings. At age 15, she achieved worldwide celebrity status when she won the Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition over 180 contestants. Over the next two years, saw her give solo performances at the leading concert halls of Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union, America, and Canada. She finally make her London debut in 1945 after World War II. Her brother Jean-Paul accompanied her on piano, and the two toured post-war Europe extensively, appearing at the Prague Spring International Music Festival, as well as tours in Australia and South America. (Ginette and her brother died in a plane crash in the Azores, on their way for an America tour) b. August 11th 1919
1980: Steve Peregrin Took/Stephen Porter (31) English drummer, percussion, and harmony vocalist born in London. At 17, having played drums for some months with a mod band The Waterproof Sparrows, he answered an ad in Melody Maker for the electric band that Marc Bolan was forming. Eventuall Tyrannosaurus Rex, championed by John Peel went onto the club and stage circuit and thence into the record shops, released three albums and achieved two top 40 hits. While in Tyrannosaurus Rex, Steve also appeared as a backing vocalist on a session for David Bowie, the results of which can be heard on the BBC sessions album, Bowie at the Beeb. His drug habit got so bad Steve was sacked before the US T.Rex tour, but he was contractually obliged to go on the US tour, his heart was not in it and he 'drowned his sorrows' in as much drugs as possible. Over the last years of his life he formed many projects including The Pink Fairies, Shagrat, Steve Took's Horns' (he choked on a cherry stone, after some magic mushrooms had numbed his throat. The death certificate records the cause of death as being due to asphyxiation after inhaling a cocktail cherry. Drugs were not listed as a contributing factor, though his death is often listed as a "drugs misadventure") b. July 28th 1949.
1990: Xavier Cugat/Francisco d'Asís Javier Cugat Mingall de Bru y Deleufo (90) Spanish violinist, band leader of Catalan origin who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba; one of the pioneers of Latin-American dance music. During his eight decade long career, Xavier helped to popularize the tango, the cha-cha, the mambo and the rhumba. In the late 1920s, as sound began to be used in films, he put together another tango band that had some success in early short musical films. By the early 1930s, he began appearing with his group in feature films. He took his band to New York for the 1931 opening of Waldorf Astoria Hotel, for 16 years he helmed the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel's Orchestra. He shuttled between New York and Los Angeles for most of the next 30 years, alternating hotel and radio dates with movie appearances (Xavier sadly died in Barcelona, and his band continued to perform under the direction of dancer, musician and vocalist Ada Cavallo) b. January 1st 1900.
2000: Walter Berry (71) Austrian bass-baritone singer born in Vienna; he studied voice at the Vienna Music Academy and made his debut at the Vienna State Opera in 1947. He was a frequent performer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City during the 60s and '70s in roles such as Wotan in Die Walküre, Barak in Die Frau ohne Schatten, as Telramund in Lohengrin, Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier, Don Pizarro in Fidelio, as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, the Music Master in Ariadne auf Naxos and Leporello in Don Giovanni. He sang his last Barak on 14 April 1978. (?) b. April 8th 1929.
2000: Winston Grennan (56) Jamaican drummer, famous session player from 1963 to 1873 in Jamaica and in New York City through the 1970s and '80s. He has toured and recorded with Bob Marley to Marvin Gaye to to Dizzy Gillespie to The Rolling Stones and dozens in between. He appeared in the film 9 1/2 Weeks in 1985, with his Ska Rocks band, which he assembled in the 1980's and which stayed active in various incarnations until his death (sadly Winston died while fighting cancer) b. September 16th 1944.
2002: Tom Dowd (77) American musician born in Manhattan; he grew up playing piano, violin, tuba, and string bass and went on to become a top recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multi-track recording method. Dowd worked on a virtual "who's who" of recordings that encompassed blues, jazz, pop, rock and soul records. He engineered numerous jazz dates by Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, the Modern Jazz Quartet and Ray Charles, among many others; a producer for Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Chicago, MeatLoaf and the James Gang to mention a few (sadly passed away with emphysema) b. October 20th 1925.
2004: Claude Helffer (82) French pianist born in Paris, noted particularly for his advocacy of 20th-century music. During the War he entered the élite École polytechnique and fought for the Resistance. After the War he studied theory and composition with René Leibowitz. He made his début in Paris in 1948 and from 1954 appeared regularly in the concerts of the Domaine musical. Claude gave many premières of new works and was the dedicatee of several notable works, including Erikhthon - Xenakis, 1974; Concerto - Boucourechliev, 1975; Stances - Betsy Jolas, 1978; Concerto No. 1 - Luis de Pablo, 1980; Envoi - Gilles Tremblay, 1982; and Modifications - Michael Jarrell, 1983. He gave master classes all over the world, most notably at the Salzburg Summer Academy (?) b. June 18th 1922.
2004: Lester Lanin (97) American jazz and pop music bandleader; he quit school to play music in his teens and beginning in 1927, he led ensembles that were paid to play at the houses of wealthy socialites in Philadelphia and New York, continuing after the 1929 stock market crash. In 1930, he was hired to play at a gala for Barbara Hutton, and the event garnered so much press in New York newspapers that it made him a star. Lester became a major star of the dance music world, and was hired worldwide to play for kings and queens, in addition to a recurring invitation to play at White House inaugural balls from the Eisenhower administration to the Carter administration. His popularity increased upon the advent of the LP era. Starting with Epic Records in the middle of the 1950s, he recorded a string of albums for several labels, many of which hit the US Billboard 200. He continued performing well into the 1990s. In 1999 Lester played himself in the black and white film comedy Man of the Century, where he was the favorite musician of lead character Johnny Twennies (?) b. August 26th 1907.
2007: Ricky Parent (41) American drummer; he spent his childhood in New Jersey and New York learning to play the drums from the age of 5 on his Mickey Mouse drum kit. His main main influence was John Bonham, others have included Buddy Rich, Tony Williams, Terry Bozzio, and Simon Phillips. He relocated to LA and got his first high profile gig with War & Peace, a band fronted by Jeff Pilson. When Vince Neil left Motley Crue, Ricky was called on to lay down some drum tracks for Vince’s solo project, before he joined Enuff Z’nuff. Ricky relocated to the band’s home base of Chicago becoming an official member in 1992 where he was a mainstay of the group on stage and in the studio until 2004 when he took a leave of absence after being diagnosed with cancer. Over his last three years Ricky had been involved in other bands and projects including a brief stint with Alice Cooper as well as playing with Sass Jordan and Tod Howarth's Frehleys Comet (sadly Ricky died of cancer) b. September 5th 1966.
2012: Natina Reed (32) American singer, rapper, actress and songwriter born in New York City. She was a member of the R&B trio Blaque. On most of Blaque's songs, she is featured as a rapper, except on "Mind of a King" where she sings the song entirely on her own. She was a protégée of the late rapper Left Eye. Natina also contributed her own raps to many of Blaque's past singles, including "808", "Can't Get it Back" and "Bring It All to Me" (remix). (tragically died in a car accident as she was walking on a state highway in Atlanta, Georgia) b. October 28th 1979
2012: Hans Werner Henze (86) German composer of prodigious output best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life". His music is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as traditional schools of German composition. Noted works include Symphony No. 9, Elegy for Young Lovers, The Raft of the Medusa (?) b. July 1st 1926.
2012: Nada Ruždjak (78) Croatian opera singer; she debuted in 1963 and after a short period in theatre "Comedy", the scene Zagreb National Theatre as Gilda in Verdi's "Rigoletto", she won both the audience and the critics. Nada spent most of her career on that same stage, as a champion of the Opera, with frequent appearances in numerous international opera houses. The highlight of her career was as Verdi's "La Traviata" (?) b.1934

October 28th.
1949: Ginette Neveu (30) French violinist; a child prodigy, Ginette took lessons from her mother and made her solo debut at the age of seven with the Concerts Colonne in Paris. After studying under Line Talluel, later Jules Boucherit at the Paris Conservatory, she completed her training with instruction from George Enescu, Nadia Boulanger, and Carl Flesch. She went on to sign a two year touring contract giving solo performances at the leading concert halls of Germany, Poland, the Soviet Union, the United States, and Canada. She was able to make her London debut in 1945 after WW11. She gave her last concert on October 20th 1949. (Ginette and her brother were on an Air France flight en route of a series of concert engagements. All 48 passengers on board the flight, died when the plane flew into a mountain after 2 failed attempts to make a landing at the São Miguel Island airport in the Azores)*August 11th 1919.
1964: Heinrich Gustavovich Neuhaus (76) Soviet pianist and pedagogue born in Elisavetgrad now Kirovohrad, Ukraine. In 1902 aged 14, he gave a recital in Elisavetgrad with the 11-year-old Mischa Elman and in 1904 gave concerts in Dortmund, Bonn, Cologne and Berlin. After which he studied in Berlin and from 1909 until the outbreak of World War I he studied his master classes in Vienna Academy of Music. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1922 to 1964 and was made a People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1956. His pedagogic book The Art of Piano Playing -1958 is regarded as one of the most authoritative and most widely used treatments on the subject (?) b. April 12th 1888
1965: Earl Bostic (52) American alto saxophonist born in Tulsa, he turned professional at age 18 when he joined Terence Holder's 'Twelve Clouds of Joy'. He made his first recording with Lionel Hampton in Oct 1939. He went on to form his own bands which became important training grounds for up-and-coming jazzmen with the likes of John Coltrane, Blue Mitchell, Benny Golson, Stanley Turrentine, and Jaki Byard. His popular hits included "Flamingo", "Harlem Nocturne", "Temptation", "Sleep" and "Where or When", which showed off his characteristic growl on the horn. (sadly died of a heart attack) b. April 25th 1913.
1975: Oliver Nelson (43) US jazz saxophonist; began learning to play the piano when he was six, and started on the saxophone at eleven. From 1947 he played in "territory" bands around Saint Louis, before joining the Louis Jordan big band from 1950 to 1951, playing alto saxophone and arranging. After six albums as leader between 1959 and 1961 with such musicians as Kenny Dorham, Johnny Hammond Smith, Eric Dolphy, Roy Haynes, King Curtis and Jimmy Forrest, Oliver's big breakthrough came with The Blues and the Abstract Truth, on Impulse!, featuring the tune "Stolen Moments," now considered a standard. This made his name as a composer and arranger, and he went on to record a number of big-band albums, as well as working as an arranger for Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Eddie Davis, Johnny Hodges, Wes Montgomery, Buddy Rich, Jimmy Smith, Billy Taylor, Stanley Turrentine, Irene Reid, Gene Ammons and many others and he led all-star big bands between 1966 and 1975. Oliver also spent a great deal of time composing music for television and films, including Death of a Gunfighter, Ironside, Night Gallery, Columbo, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, and Longstreet, and producing and arranging for pop stars such as Nancy Wilson, James Brown, the Temptations, and Diana Ross (heart attack) b. June 4th 1932
1989: Henry Hall (91) British bandleader born in Peckham, South London and served in both the Salvation Army and the British Army. He was engaged by the London Midland and Scottish Railway in charge of the music throughout their then large chain of hotels. This included Gleneagles, where he had formerly led the band. It was from there that the BBC took him in 1932 as successor to Jack Payne as leader of the BBC Dance Orchestra where he gathered a huge following. His signature tune was "It's Just the Time for Dancing" and he usually ended with "Here's to the Next Time". In 1932 he recorded the song "Teddy Bears' Picnic" with his BBC Orchestra. The record gained enormous popularity and has sold over a million copies. In 1937 he left the BBC to tour Europe with his band, which comprised many of his BBC band. During WW2, he played for the troops and after developed his show business interests becoming something of an agent and producer. His BBC work again blossomed as he hosted Henry Hall's Guest Night on the radio and later TV, as well as the programme Face the Music. Henry last appeared as a bandleader in 1969 before retiring to Eastbournethe.The following year his service to music was recognised by the award of the OBE (?) b. May 2nd 1898.
2001: Gerard Hengeveld (90) Dutch classical pianist, music composer and educator; especially known for his compositions of study material for piano. Other compositions include two piano concertos, a violin sonata, and a sonata for cello. He was an able interpreter and performer of the music of Bach for piano and harpsichord. He gave regular concerts in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, some captured on record (?) b. December 7th 1910.
2003: Oliver Sain (71) American saxophone player, band leader, songwriter, producer, Archway studio owner and all-around St. Louis music legend; exerted an influence on the evolution of St. Louis soul and R&B that is rivaled only by that of his close friend and infrequent collaborator Ike Turner. In 1949, he moved to Greenville, Mississippi to join his stepfather, pianist Willie Love, as a drummer in a band fronted by Sonny Boy Williamson, soon leaving to join Howlin’ Wolf as a drummer on and off for the following decade. After returning from the US Army draft he took up the saxophone. Oliver is credited with launching the career of Little Milton, who became a vocalist is Oliver’s band, and discovering Bobby McClure and Fontella Bass, who he originally hired as pianist for Little Milton. (sadly he died from a bone cancer that had followed on from a previous bladder cancer he developed in 1995) b. March 1st 1932.
FURTHER INFORMATION From Sally Greenhouse
Oliver bore an astonishing family resemblance to his beloved and doting Aunt, Addie Philips, who had migrated to St Louis from a sharecropper's family in the Mississippi Delta in her teens. Addie attended his gigs for decades, as one of his most faithful fans.Their speaking voices, incredibly, were also incredibly similar. In her nursing home room, back in Shelby Mississippi, where she had to return after a major heart attack in her mid-70's, Addie had 3 framed portraits on her wall: her mother, at 106 years of age; her nephew, Oliver Sain, the son of her older sister; and myself, whom she raised in Clayton, Missouri. He died 14 months after her passing, August 15, 2002. She, too, was an extraordinary being.. Thankyou Sally
2004: Gil Mellé (72) American artist, jazz musician and film composer, Gil played the tenor and baritone saxophone with George Wallington, Max Roach, Tal Farlow, Oscar Pettiford, Ed Thigpen, Kenny Dorham and Zoot Sims. In the 50s, his paintings and sculptures were shown in New York galleries and he created the cover art for albums by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. As a film and TV composer, he was one of the first to use electronic instruments, which he built himself, either alone or as an added voice among the string, wind, brass, and percussion sections of the orchestra and he was the first to compose a main theme for a TV series arranged entirely for electronic instruments - Rod Serling's Night Gallery. His 125 film credits include My Sweet Charlie, That Certain Summer, The Savage is Loose, The Andromeda Strain, The Judge and Jake Wyler, several Columbo TV movies, Frankenstein: The True Story, The Six Million Dollar Man, Night Gallery and Kolchak: The Night Stalker (Heart attack) b. December 31st 1931.
2006: Marijohn Wilkin (86) American songwriter born in Texas, famous in the country music genre for writing a number of hits. She won numerous awards over the years and was referred to as "The Den Mother of Music Row," as chronicled in her 1978 biography from Word Books 'Lord, Let Me Leave a Song' written with Darryl E. Hicks, and named "One of The 100 Most Important Books About Nashville". Marijohn may be most famous for "One Day at a Time", often considered the biggest gospel song of the 1970s. She is credited for the discovery of Kris Kristofferson and being the first person to give him work as a legitimate songwriter and became the first to publish his songs, notably "For the Good Times", which in 1970 became a massive pop and country hit for Ray Price. (?) b. July 14th 1920.
2007: Porter Wayne Wagoner (80) American country music singer; famous for his flashy Nudie suits and blond pompadour. He was a featured performer on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee and moved to Nashville, joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1957. He introduced a young Dolly Parton to his long-running TV show, The Porter Wagoner Show which ran on syndicated television from '60 to '81.. Together, "Porter and Dolly" were a well-known duet team for many years. His 81 charted records include two No.1 hit "Satisfied Mind" and “Misery Loves Company”; and many top 10 hits including “I've Enjoyed As Much of This As I Can Stand”; “Sorrow on the Rocks”; “Green Green Grass of Home”; “Skid Row Joe”; “The Cold Hard Facts of Life”; and “The Carroll County Accident”. Among his hit duets with Dolly Parton were a covers of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind"; "We'll Get Ahead Someday"; "Just Someone I Used To Know"; "Better Move it on Home"; "The Right Combination"; "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" and "Making Plans". He also won three Grammy Awards for gospel recordings (lung cancer) b. August 12th 1927.
2007: Jimmy Makulis (72) Greek singer born in Athens; he became a successful singer in his native Greece before moving to Germany in the mid 1950s. In 1956 he had a hit with "Auf Cuba sind die Mädchen braun". His biggest hit was "Gitarren klingen leise durch die nacht", No.4 in 1959, and he continued to chart until 1964. He sang "Sehnsucht" ("Longing") representige Austria in the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest. He relocated to the USA in 1965 livig and performing in Las Vegas. He moved back to his native Greece in 1985, and in 1990 took part in the selection for that year's Greek Eurovision entry, finishing fifth. He returned to Germany in the early 1990s (died following heart surgery in an Athens hospital) b. April 12th 1935.
2009: Taylor Mitchell/Taylor Josephine Stephanie Luciow (19) Canadian singer, guitarist and songwriter raised in Toronto; she had graduated from the Etobicoke School of the Arts with a major in musical theatre and had released an album 'For Your Consideration' in March 2009. Taylor performed in the Winnipeg Folk Festival in July and had just started a tour of the Maritimes on October 23rd 2009, and was to perform in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. A few days before her death, Taylor was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for Young Performer of the Year. (Taylor was attacked by two coyotes while hiking on the Skyline Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. Tragically, she later died in hospital from the injuries) b. August 27th 1990
2010: Walter Payton (68) American jazz bassist and sousaphonist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He played and toured with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the influential New Orleans group, the Young Tuxedo Brass Band. Walter also led his own group called the Snap Bean Band and taught music at New Orleans' McDonogh 15 Elementary. His recording credits include Lee Dorsey's "Working in the Coal Mine" and Walter variously worked with Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr., Champion Jack Dupree and Chuck Carbo and is the father of jazz trumpet player Nicholas Payton. (?) b. August 23rd 1942
2010: White Jack/Jack Brokensha (84) Australian vibraphonist and percussionist, born in Adelaide; he initially studied percussion under his father, and played xylophone in vaudeville shows and on radio. He played with the Australian Symphony Orchestra during 1942-44, and played in a band in the Air Force in 1944-46. Forming his own group, he played in Melbourne in 1947-48, Sydney in 1949-50, Brisbane later in 1950, and Adelaide in 1951. In '53 he moved to Windsor, Ontario, Canada with pianist Bryce Rohde... read more... (died in Sarasota, America, from congestive heart failure) b. January 5th 1926.
2011: Beryl Davis (87) British big band singer and actress; born in Plymouth, England, she began to sing for her father's band, and became popular singing for British and Allied troops during World War II. Glenn Miller discovered her in London, and she sang for the Army Air Force Orchestra. She moved to Los Angeles after the war with her father's big band, and worked with Frank Sinatra for one year on Your Hit Parade. She was part of The Four Girls singing group, with Jane Russell, Rhonda Fleming, and Connie Haines. They recorded albums and sixteen best selling singles including "The Magic of Believing", "Somewhere List'nin'", "Jacob's Ladder" and "The World is Not My Home". Beryl also appeared both in variety shows and films (tragically died from complications of Alzheimer's disease) b. March 16th 1924.
2011: Walter Norris (79) American jazz pianist and composer born in Little Rock, Arkansas; he started out with the Howard Williams Band in and around Little Rock during his junior high and high school years. After a two year tour while in the US Air Forcem he played with Jimmy Ford in Houston, before moving to LA, where he became an integral part of the West Coast Jazz scene. He played on Jack Sheldon's first album and on Ornette Coleman's first album, Something Else! The Music of Ornette Coleman. In 1960 Walter moved to New York City and formed a trio with guitarist Billy Bean and bassist Hal Gaylor, and the group made one album. Norris took a job at the New York City Playboy Club in 1963 and in time became the club's Director of Entertainment, remaining there until 1970. He next recorded and toured Europe with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Band, before joining the Charles Mingus Quintet in 1976, but after a confrontation with Charles, Walter left the band and moved to Berlin, Germany, accepting a job as pianist with the Sender Freies Berlin-Orchestra. In 1990, Walter signed a five-album contract with Concord Records. The resulting recordings were all significant, but especially Sunburst with saxophonist Joe Henderson, Hues of Blues, with George Mraz, and the Live at Maybeck Recital Hall solo piano album. In 1998, he also self-financed the album From Another Star, made in New York with bassist Mike Richmond, pressing 1,000 copies. A documentary film directed by Chuck Dodson, Walter Norris, a documentary, was completed in 2010 (sadly died at in Berlin, Germany) b. December 27th 1931

October 29th.
1953: William Kapell (31) American classical pianist; He won his first competition a t the age of ten, the prize was a turkey dinner with the pianist José Iturbi. In 1941, he won the Philadelphia Orchestra's youth competition and the Naumburg Award. In 1942, the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation sponsored the 19 year old William's New York début which brought him The Town Hall Award for the year's outstanding concert by a musician under 30. He was immediately signed to an exclusive recording contract with RCA. By the late 1940s, he had toured the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia to immense acclaim and critics considered him the most promising American pianist of the post-World War II generation. (Flying back to America from the last performance (at Geelong) of his 37 concert Australian tour, the plane hit King's Mountain, outside San Francisco; all of the crew and passengers were tragically killed instantly) b. September 20th 1922.
1963: Michael Holliday/Norman Milne (37) UK singer born in Liverpool who sang in a very similar style to Bing Crosby. While working as a seaman in the Merchant Navy, Michael entered a talent contest at Radio City Music Hall in New York, which he won. This inspired him to seek a career in show business. In 1951 he secured two summer season’s work as a vocalist with Dick Denny's band at Butlin's Holiday Camp, Pwllheli, Wales. He made his first TV appearance on The Centre Show on 22 July 1955, which was seen by Norrie Paramor, then head of A&R for EMI's Columbia record label. He went on to have a long string of hits in the in the UK, including two number one singles, "The Story of My Life" in 1958 and "Starry Eyed" in 1960. (Michael suffered badly from stage fright and had a nervous breakdown in 1961; he committed suicide two years later) b. November 26th 1924.
1969: George Murphy "Pops" Foster (77) American string bass player, he also played the tuba and trumpet. Born in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, Pops was one of the first important bassists and he kept the tradition of slap bass solos alive into the late '60s. He was playing in bands around New Orleans as early as 1906 working with Jack Carey, Kid Ory, Armand Piron, King Oliver and other hot bands of the era. In 1921 he moved to St. Louis to play with the Charlie Creath and Dewey Jackson bands, in which he would be active for much of the decade. He also joined Ory in Los Angeles. He acquired the nickname "Pops" because he was far older than any of the other players in the band. In 1929 Foster moved to New York City, where he played with the bands of Luis Russell and Louis Armstrong through 1940. He giged with various New York-based bands through the 1940s, including those of Sidney Bechet, Art Hodes, and regular broadcasts on the national This Is Jazz radio program. In the late 1940s he began touring more widely and played in many countries in Europe, especially in France, and throughout the United States including returns to New Orleans and California. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he played with Earl Hines' Small Band. In 1966, he toured Europe with the New Orleans All-Stars (he died in San Francisco where in his later years, he had made his home) b. May 19th 1892.
1971: Duane Allman (24) American guitarist born in Nashville, Tennessee; in 1960, Duane was motivated to take up the guitar by the example of his younger brother, Gregg. They played in several bands while in school before forming the Escorts which eventually became the Allman Joys. In 1965, the Allman Joys went on the road, performing throughout the Southeast and eventually based themselves in Nashville and St. Louis. After a short stint with The Hour Glass, he was hired by FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to play on an album with Wilson Pickett's Hey Jude, 1968 album. Duanes work on that album got him hired as a full-time session musician, and was featured on releases by artists including Clarence Carter, King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Otis Rush, Percy Sledge, Johnny Jenkins, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie and jazz flautist Herbie Mann. He was noted for his mastery of the slide guitar as well as intensity and soulfulness on "standard" lead and rhythm guitar. On March 26th 1969, Duane on slide guitar and lead guitar and Gregg on organ and vocals, formed The Allman Brothers band, along with Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson. Their debut album, The Allman Brothers Band, was recorded in New York in September 1969 and released a couple months laterwas follrd by intense touring, they went on to become one of the most influential rock groups of the 1970s. As well as his work with his new band, Duane also did some work with Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominos and still worked occasionally as a session musician. (Duane tragically died in a motorbike accident, only months after their success of At Fillmore East and the release of the relating album. He lost control of his Harley Sportster while trying to swing left, striking the back of the truck or its crane ball) b. November 20th 1946.
1979: Raymon "Tiki" Fulwood (34) American drummer; in the late '60s, he was house drummer for the Uptown Theatre in Philadelphia when he met guitarist Eddie Hazel and bassist Billy Nelson core of The Parliaments musical backing group, soon he replaced drummer Harvey McGee. The group later became known as Funkadelic. He also played drums in the Tyrone Davis band between stints with P-Funk, and later was briefly employed by Miles Davis. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic (stomach cancer) b. May 23rd 1944
1981: Georges Brassens (60) French singer-songwriter, born in Sète, a town in southern France. Now an iconic figure in France, he achieved fame through his simple, elegant songs and articulate, diverse lyrics; he is considered one of France's most accomplished postwar poets. He has also set to music poems by both well-known and relatively obscure poets, including Louis Aragon, Victor Hugo, François Villon, Jean Richepin, and Guillaume Apollinaire. Many of his songs including La mauvaise réputation, Les copains d'abord, Le gorille, Les amoureux des bancs publics, Chanson pour l'Auvergnat, and Supplique pour être enterré à la plage de Sète, have been translated into 20 languages and been covered by dozens of artists (cancer) b. October 22nd 1921.
1986: Jerome Darr (75) American guitaristand a member of the Washboard Serenaders from 1933 through to 1936, which included a well received European tour. He went on to become a busy session musician, Jerome focused on work as a studio musician during an era when sadly the efforts of such talented players went largely uncredited. He can be heard recording with the likes of Frankie Lymon, Jonah Jones, Paul Quinichette, Freddie Mitchell, Jack Dupree, Charles Thompson, Rex Stewart, Jimmy Wright, Sonny Rollins, Buck Clayton, Papa Lightfoot Quincey Jones, Buddy Johnson, Charlie Parker and many others (?) b. December 21st 1910.
1987: Woody Herman (74) American jazz clarinetist, alto - soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," and one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders. His bands often played music that was experimental for their time. Woody's first band became known for its orchestrations of the blues and was sometimes billed as "The Band That Plays The Blues". After two and a half years on Decca, the band had its first hit, "Woodchopper's Ball" recorded in 1939. In jazz, swing was gradually being replaced by bebop. Dizzy Gillespie wrote three arrangements for Woody Herman, "Woody'n You", "Swing Shift" and "Down Under", these were arranged in 1942. In 1945, Woody teamed up with Igor Stravinsky for the performance of the Russian master's "Ebony Concerto". He reformed his group in 1947, calling it the "Second Herd" with a front line of saxophone players, usually featuring three tenor players and one baritone. He continue to lead groups for the next several decades Woody's orchestras were "Voted best swing band in 1945 Down Beat poll; Silver Award by critics in 1946 and 1947 Esquire polls; won Metronome poll, band division, 1946 and 1953; won NARAS Grammy Award for Encore as best big band jazz album of 1963; won NARAS Grammy Award for Giant Steps as best big band jazz album of 1973" and Woody was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987 (?) b. May 16th 1913.
1998: Paul Misraki (90) French composer of popular music and film scores, born in Constantinople now Istanbul, Turkey, he showed aptitude for music at an early age. He went to Paris to study classical composition, and by the 1930s had become an established jazz pianist, arranger and writer of popular songs; around this time he began composing film scores, with his first known work being for Jean Renoir's first sound film, On purge bébé, for which he was uncredited. As a composer and lyricist of popular songs, his first hit was 1934's "Tout va tres bien," and during his careers in France, America and Argentina he wrote successful songs in French, English and Spanish. Over the course of over 60 years, Paul wrote the music to 130 films, scoring works by directors like Jean Renoir, Claude Chabrol, Jacques Becker, Jean-Pierre Melville, Jean-Luc Godard, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Orson Welles, Luis Buñuel and Roger Vadim. For his work, he was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (died of natural causes in Paris) b. January 28th 1908.
2003: Franco Corelli (82) Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, brilliant top notes, vibrant timbre, passionate singing and remarkable performances and was dubbed the "Prince of tenors". He had a long and fruitful partnership with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City between 1961 and 1975. He also appeared on the stages of most of the major opera houses in Europe and with opera companies throughout North America. (He died in Milan, having suffered a stroke earlier that year) b. April 8th 1921.
2008: Mike Baker (45) American lead singer with the progressive metal band Shadow Gallery. In 1985, Mike along with Carl Cadden-James, Ron Evans, and John Coonie formed the progressive metal band Sorcerer in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. After some line-up changes they changed their name to Shadow Gallery in 1991. Mike released 5 albums with Shadow Gallery the last being "Room V" in 2005. Before forming Sorcerer and Shadow Gallery, in the early 1980’s he performed vocals on demos with local bands, including Nasty Nasty and Axxis. Mike also performed guest vocals on the single "Day Sixteen: Loser" from Ayreon's 2004 album The Human Equation. (heart attack) b. September 2nd 1963
2011: Sir Jimmy Savile (84) British disc jockey, television presenter and charity fundraiser, raising over £40,000,000; but is best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC chart show Top of the Pops. He was also well known for his support of various charities and fundraising efforts, particularly Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Born ii Leeds, he was a Bevin Boy, conscripted during World War II to work as a coal miner at South Kirkby Colliery, West Yorkshire. Having started playing records in dance halls in the early 1940s, he claimed to be the first ever disc jockey and is acknowledged as one of the pioneers of twin turntables for continuous play of music. Jimmy later lived in Salford, and worked as manager of the Plaza Ballroom in Oxford Road, Manchester, in the mid-fifties and he also managed the Mecca Locarno ballroom in Leeds around the late 1950s and early 1960s. Mecca also owned the Palais, a dance hall in Ilford, Essex, and >>> READ MORE <<< (Jimmy died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Roundhay, Leeds) b. October 31st 1926.
2012: Joel Burrows (?) American longtime musician and fixture of the Portland music scene. He performed with many Portland bands and was a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing drums for the Minders and guitar in the Thermals, among his contributions for many other bands (In 2011, Joel was struck by a van as he crossed the street and suffered a serious head injury. He spent following months in the ICU and fought valiantly for his life. He made substantial progress and was able to live in an assisted living facility for people with brain injuries. Sadly he has passed away; he fought bravely for his life for many months) b. ????.
2012: Blake Mackey (?) American artist, musician, and founder of Architect Records from Portland. He released a number of albums over the years, ranging from acoustic singer/songwriterly material to more electric psych, and ran the Architect Records label. (death announced on this date) b. ????


October 30th.
1522: Jean Mouton (63) French singer, composer, teacher; he was one of the most important motet composers of the French Renaissance period, he was a court composer for the king. Of his music, 9 Magnificat settings, 15 masses, 20 chansons, and over 100 motets survive (?) b. 1459
1945: Xian Xinghai (40) Chinese composer. Although he composed in all the major musical forms which includes two symphonies, a violin concerto, four large scale choral works, nearly 300 songs and an opera, he is best known for his Yellow River Cantata upon which the Yellow River Concerto for piano and orchestra is based. During the Sino-Japanese War, he wrote vocal works that encouraged the people to fight the Japanese invaders, including Saving the Nation, Non-Resistance the Only Fear, Song of Guerrillas, The Roads Are Opened by Us, The Vast Siberia, Children of the Motherland, Go to the Homefront of the Enemy, and On the Taihang Mountains, among others. In 1938 he became dean of the Music Department at Lu Xun Institute of Arts in Yan'an. It is at this time that he composed the famous Yellow River Cantata and the Production Cantata. In 1940 Xian went to the Soviet Union to compose the score of the documentary film Yan'an and the Eighth Route Army. In 1941 the German invasion of the Soviet Union disrupted his work and he attempted to return to China by way of Xinjiang but the local anti-communist warlord, Sheng Shicai, blocked the way and he got stranded in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan. It was here that he composed the symphonies Liberation of the Nation and Sacred War, and the suites Red All Over the River and Chinese Rhapsody for winds and strings. Both the Xinghai Concert Hall and the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou were named after him (he developed pulmonary tuberculosis due to overwork and malnutrition. After the war, he went back to Moscow for medical treatment but could not be cured and died in a hospital nearby the Moscow Kremlin) b. June 13th 1905.
1968: Malcolm Hale (27) American lead guitarist, trombonist, vocals, and a founding member of the folk rock group Spanky And Our Gang. Their debut self titled album, produced 3 hit singles "Sunday Will Never Be The Same", "Making Every Minute Count" and "Lazy Day". Their second album, Like to Get to Know You, produced a further 2 hit singles "Sunday Mornin'" and "Like To Get To Know You". They reseased a single "Give a Damn" in the summer of 1968, in spite of being banned in several states because of the profanity in its title, and in some cases due to the fact that it was a comment on racial equality that became the theme song for the New York Urban Coalition and would later become John Lindsay's campaign song during his successful run for Mayor of New York (tragically died of carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty space heater) b. May 17th 1941.
1984: Wells Kelly (34) American drummer, percussionist, and a founder member of the rock-pop band Orleans, formed in Woodstock, New York in Feb 1972. They were best known for "Dance with Me"-1975, "Still the One" from the album Waking and Dreaming-1976, and "Love Takes Time"-1979. "Still the One" played on the ABC television network as the theme song for their '77 promotional campaign. Since then, it has been used for numerous commercials and movie soundtracks. Prior to Orleans, from the late 60s, Wells had played in several other bands including Thunderfrog, King Harvest, and Boffalongo. In the early 80's he left Orleans and joined Steve Forberts' Flying Squirrels. Wells moved to New York were he toured and sessioned with Meatloaf and Clarence Clemmons among others. In 1983, he joined Meatloafs' Neverland Express World Tour in 1983 ... read more ... (tragically Wells died of a heroin overdose at a party in London, England, while over there recording with Meat Loaf) b. April 7th 1949
2000: Steve Allen (78) American composer, pianist, comedian and writer born in New York City, but was raised on the south side of Chicago by his mother's Irish Catholic family. Steve went on to be instrumental in innovating the concept of the television talk show and is called the father of TV talk shows. As well as his huge and successful TV career, Steve was a creditable pianist, and a prolific composer, having penned over 14,000 songs, one of which was recorded by Perry Como and Margaret Whiting, others by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Les Brown, and Gloria Lynne. Allen won a Grammy award in 1963 for best jazz composition, with his song The Gravy Waltz. He also wrote more than 50 books and has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (sadly he died of a cardiac arrest triggered by a minor traffic accident that occurred earlier that day) b. December 26th 1921.
2002: Jam Master Jay / Jason William Mizell (37) America rapper, the founder and DJ of Run-DMC, prior to this he played drums and bass in earlier garage bands. He founded the 'Scratch DJ Academy' in Manhattan for children interested in DJing. In 1989, he established the label Jam Master Jay Records, which scored a strong success in 1993 with the band Onyx. He also connected Chuck D with Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin. (brutually murdered by an assassin's single bullet at his recording studio in Queens, New York) b. January 21st 1965.
2003: Steve O'Rourke (63) British band manager born in Willesden, London, well known for being the manager of the highly influential rock band Pink Floyd from after the departure of Syd Barrett in 1968 until his death. He first managed Pink Floyd while working at the Bryan Morrison Agency, then NEMS Enterprises. Later, he founded his own company, EMKA Productions. Steve also built a highly successful parallel career as an enthusiastic gentleman racing driver - a lifelong passion which he shared with the Floyd's drummer Nick Mason (Steve sadly suffered a stroke while in Miami, Florida, USA) b. October 1st 1940.
2007: Linda S. Stein (62) American rock music manager and real estate broker. Born in New York City she was the manager of the Ramones, she also managed singer and songwriter Steve Forbert. In the 90s Linda left band management to become a "real estate agent to the stars" landing mega-million-dollar apartments for Madonna, Sting, Angelina Jolie, Billy Joel, Christie Brinkley, Bruce Willis, Jann Wenner, Michael Douglas, Steven Spielberg and Elton John. (brutally murdered in her apartment by former personal assistant Natavia Lowery) b. April 24th 1945.
2007: Robert Gerard Goulet (73) Grammy and Tony Award winning American entertainer, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. after his family moved to Edmonton he attended the famous voice schools founded by Herbert G. Turner and Jean Letourneau, and later became a radio announcer for radio station CKUA. Upon graduating from Victoria Composite high school, he received a scholarship to The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Robert rose to international stardom in 1960 as Lancelot in Lerner and Loewe's hit Broadway musical Camelot. His long career as a singer and actor encompassed theatre, radio, television and film (He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung desease, while awaiting a lung transplant) b. November 26th 1933.
2008: Didier Sinclair (43) French pioneer of french "FM", techno DJ, music producer and artistic director of FG Dj Radio. He started out on France's youth-oriented NRJ radio in 1982, and went on to score his first recording success with the album "Groove2me" in 1999. The following year, his "Lovely Flight" became an international hit, and Sinclair became a regular behind the turntables in big techno clubs (died after a long illness) b. 1966
2009: Norton Buffalo (58) American singer-songwriter and harmonica player, born in California; after playing with such Bay Area groups as Clover, The Moonlighters, and Elvin Bishop, he joined the "farewell" European tour of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in early 1976, and was recorded on the band's final live album We've Got A Live One Here!. Later in 1976 he joined the Steve Miller Band's 'Fly Like an Eagle national tour and played harmonica on the band's hit follow-up album Book of Dreams. His association with the Steve Miller Band lasted over 30 years. By the late 1970s Norton had formed his own band, The Stampede, recording two albums: Lovin' in the Valley of the Moon and Desert Horizon. In the late 70s and early 80s he was a member of the Mickey Hart band, High Noon. He also worked in films, appearing in 'The Rose', 'Heaven's Gate' and others. Throughout his career Norton performed and recorded music often as a session musician, and had appeared on 180 albums. He played harmonica on two tracks on The Doobie Brothers' Grammy award winning 1978 album Minute By Minute. He was also nominated for a Grammy in 1992 for "Best Country Instrumental Performance" for the tune "Song For Jessica" from his 1991 Duet CD R&B with Guitarist Roy Rogers (lung cancer) b. September 28th 1951.
2010: Sean Carasov (49) British-born American music industry figure, after roading for the Clash, he was the road-tour-personal manager, under Russell Simmons, for the Beastie Boys from their early club dates to the recording of Licensed to Ill, the Raising Hell, Together Forever, and Licensed to Ill tours. After touring with the Beastie Boys, he accepted a desk job with Rush Management. When the Beastie Boys sued Def Jam-Rush to break from their contract, Sean followed their lead and moved to CA to pursue new opportunities. He went on to do A&R work for several record labels including Mammoth, Atlantic, and Jive. At Jive, he was responsible for signing A Tribe Called Quest and compiling the soundtrack for "Menace II Society." Sean was a frequent writer, published in a number of international magazines, including Bikini, Max, Blast, Asayan and Daytona and was a member of Anonymous and Encyclopedia Dramatica. He also wrote for the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal Magazine. He was the music supervisor for the 1999 film "American Pimp" and the 2001 film "Prison Song," in which Q-Tip co-wrote, produced, and starred. More recently, Carasov worked in the A&R business at Ted Field's label, ARTISTdirect Records. (suicide by gunshot) b. November 17th 1961.
2011: George Rountree (61) American bandleader, composer, and the musical leader of the Four Tops. Though not a performing member of the famed vocal quartet, he was a lynchpin behind-the-scenes associate and performed a host of roles including musical director, arranger, composer, trumpeter and keyboardist. George, also known as Tree, was born in Detroit, the home of Motown, and performed with such luminaries as the Temptations, Gladys Knight, Frankie Valli, Bill Withers and Martha Reeves. After serving as The Four Tops musical director for over 30 years, he has lived and performed in Las Vegas since 2000 (?) b. 1950
2012: Robert Poulton (55) British baritone with the Glyndebourne Opera; after studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio, he began his professional career in the Glyndebourne chorus and performed central roles both in its festival and tours. His recent projects included La Traviata with Opera Holland Park and the Royal Opera House, Tosca with the Scottish Opera, and Aida at the Royal Albert Hall. International appearances included engagements with Netherlands Opera, Opera Zuid and Salzburger Landestheater (tragically killed in a car crash in Sussex) b. June 4th 1957

October 31st.
1989: Roger Scott (46) British radio disc jockey born in London, best known for presenting an afternoon radio show on London's Capital Radio from 1973 until 1988. As a merchant seaman, he found his way to the US and joined the radio station WPTR in Albany, New York in 1966 and learned the craft of disc jockey, working with Boom Boom Brannigan and other legendary names. Eight months later he left WPTR to become the evening presenter at the Montreal station 1470 CFOX. Roger returned to the UK when Commercial radio was authorized and in 1973 he joined the original on-air line-up of London's Capital Radio. In 1976 his regular Friday rush-hour oldies show "Cruising" acquired a cult following, largely owing to his introduction of obscure rock-a-billy records (sadly lost to cancer) b. October 23rd 1943.
1995: Erika Morini (91) Austrian violinist born in Vienna, she made her début in Berlin, in 1917, and her American début at New York on January 26th 1921 was one of the musical sensations of the year, since then she performed in the US often, both in recital and with the foremost orchestras. She relocated to New York in 1938, and began spelling her first name Erica. She made her first visit to London in 1923. Erica retired in 1976 (died in New York soon after the theft of her Stradivari violin) b. January 5th 1904.
2000: Watanabe Kazuki (19) Japanese guitarist born in Shibuya, Tokyo. After playing some roles in a few TV programs and a film, in 1997 as lead guitarist, he went on to form and lead the band Raphael which was one of the visual kei bands in Japan. They released their debut album "Lilac" on April 7th 1998. This was followed by the release of four further albums. He also had a side-project called Yuri Juujidan all their tracks were instrumental, Watanabe died before he could put his voice to them (drug overdose) b. April 7th 1981.
2001: Bill LeSage (73) British pianist, vibraphonist, part of the first wave of British bebop musicians to emerge in the late 1940s. Born in London he joined "Geraldo's Navy" and played on Cunard's transatlantic liner, the Queen Mary sailing to New York, where he worked with Lennie Tristano. In 1950 he joined the Johnny Dankworth Seven and his big band, staying with Johnny until 1961. In 1969, he formed the Bebop Preservation Society quintet, From the 60's on he also played with to mention some, the Chris Barber Band, Jack Parnell's orchestra, the Charlie Watts Big Band, Johnny Scott and Barbara Thompson's Jubiaba and his own group, as well as accompanying visiting US musicians such as Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie and Ben Webster, amongst others. He remained a lifelong devotee throughout a long and distinguished career (sadly lost too cancer) b. January 20th 1927.
2003: Dr. Srinivasa Iyer (95) Indian vocalist; one of the great Carnatic vocalists of the twentieth century. He was the youngest recipient of the Sangeetha Kalanidhi awarded by the Music Academy in 1947. He succeeded Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar as Principal of the Swathi Thirunal College of Music at Thiruvananthapuram, a post he held for 23 years, until the age of 55. He also became the Chief Producer of Carnatic music at All India Radio, Madras from 1957 to 1960. In later life, he concentrated on concert performances and tutoring youngsters. He gave public concerts even after the age of 90 (?) b. July 25th 1908.
2005: John "Beatz" Holohan (31) American drummer raised in Long Island NY, who gained his nickname from 80's rapper Big Daddy Kane. John worked as a band director for the Saint John's University pep band and played in many bands, although he is best known for his work in the alternative rock group Bayside from 2004 until his untimely death. His only release with Bayside was their 2004 self titled album. (after leaving their Boulder, Colorado show, Bayside's tour van hit a patch of ice, skidded off the road, and flipped over, John tragically died in the accident) b. March 15th 1974.
2008: Sir John Pearse (69) British-born guitarist and folk singer; he wrote and presented the first ever series of televised guitar lessons for the BBC, "Hold Down a Chord". Moving to the USA in '78, he designed products for the Martin Guitar Company & co-founded Breezy Ridge Instruments, for the purpose of marketing his line of guitar strings, guitar accessories, it became the vehicle for his musical inventions and theories (passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Germany) b. 1939
2009: Chen Lin (39) Chinese pop singer; she rose to stardom with her 1993 album entitled I Can Never Understand Your Love, which reached the top of the Chinese album charts selling 1.5 million copies. Chen also had several hit singles including "I Choose What I Want" and "Give up Your Love" (suicide by jumping from the ninth floor of an apartment in Chaoyang District, Beijing) b. January 31st 1970.
2011: Liz Anderson (81) American country music singer-songwriter born in Roseau, Minnesota, then moved to Sacramento, California in 1957. She was one of a wave of a new generation of female vocalists in the genre during the 1960's to write and record her own songs on a regular basis. She received two Grammy Award nominations in 1967, for "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" for her Top 5 hit, the self-penned "Mama Spank" and with Bobby Bare and Norma Jean for "Best Country Vocal - Group" for another top 5 hit "The Game of Triangles". Luz also wrote many of the early hits for her daughter, Lynn Anderson, and several hits for other artists, notably Merle Haggard, "All My Friends Are Gonna Be Strangers" and "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive". Haggard later named his band "The Strangers" after the hit and Liz won a BMI award for the song. She published over 260 songs during her career and earned five BMI awards. Many major country artists of the 1960s recorded at least one of her songs on their albums, including Charley Pride, Ernest Tubb, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Skeeter Davis, Waylon Jennings, Kitty Wells, Connie Smith and Bill Anderson (sadly Liz passed away with heart complications and lung disease) b. January 13th 1930.