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Phil Brodie Band Info Page
"Births &
Deaths" ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ APRIL:
Charts ~ APRIL:
On This Day ~ APRIL:
Quiz ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ RESPECT
- OBITUARIES 2009
.. 2008 ..
2007 .. 2006
.. 2005 ..
2004
.. REQUESTS
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APRIL
SADLY DEPARTED ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ MORE
BIRTHDAYS & PASSINGS January
. February . March
. April . May
. June . July
August
. September . October
. November . December
~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APRIL BIRTHDAYS

REGULAR
UPDATES Born
~ April 1st
1981:
Hannah Spearritt
(singer; S Club 7). 1975:
John
Butler (Australian
guitarist, multi musician, singer-songwriter; John Butler Trio).
1971: Method Man/Clifford Smith (rap artist; Wu-Tang Clan). 1967:
Phil
Demmel
(US guitarist; Machine Head).
1965: Peter O'Toole (Irish bassist, guitar; Hothouse Flowers/Black Velvet
Band)?
1964: Leslie Langston (bass, vocals; Throwing Muses). 1962: Phillip
Schofield (TV presenter, DJ, Singer, actor). 1961: Mark White (guitar,
keyboards; ABC). 1954: Jeff Porcaro (drums, founder of Toto/sessionist)*05.Aug.1992.
1952: Billy Currie (keyboards, violin, piano; Visage/ Ultravox). 1948:
Simon Cowe (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals; Lindisfarne). 1948: Jimmy
Cliff (singer, songwriter, reggae artist). 1947: Robin Scott (UK
singer). 1946: Ronnie Lane (UK bassist; Faces/Small Faces/Slim Chance/freelance)*04.Jun.1997.
1946: Arthur Conley (US horn, vocals, songwriter; Arthur &
the Corvets/solo)*16.Nov.2003. 1945: John
Barbata (US drummer; The Turtles/Jefferson Airplane & Starship/sessionist).
1945: Kenny Buttrey (US session drummer)*12.Sept.2004.
1942: Phil Margo (vocals; Tokens)?
1942: Alan David Blakley (UK drummer, rhythm guitar, keyboards,
vocals; Tremeloes)*10.June.1996.
1939: Rudolph Isley (US singer, songwriter; Isley Brothers). 1932:
Debbie Reynolds (singer, actress; Tammy). 1927: Amos Milburn (US
blues & boogie pianist, singer)*03.Jan.1980.
1906: Carl Martin (conga, percussion, guitar; Own Blues Trio)*10.May.1979.
April
2nd 1979: Jesse Carmichael (keyboards; Maroon 5). 1975:
Deedee Magno (US singer; New Mickey Mouse Club/The Party/musicals). 1967:
Greg Camp (lead singer, guitarist; Smash Mouth). 1966:
Garnett Silk/Garnett Damoin Smith (Jamaican reggae singer)*09.Dec.1994.
1961: Keren Jane Woodward (singer; Bananarama). 1956: Gregory Abbott
(US singer). 1953: David Robinson (drummer; The Cars/The Scabs).
1952: Leon Wilkerson (bass, Lynyrd Skynyrd). 1952: Dave Bronze
(bass; Robin Trower Band/Procol Harum/Eric Clapton Band/freelance). 1951:
Kiyoshiro
Imawano (Japanese rock musician, lyricist,
producer,
composer;
)*02.May.2009.
1947: Emmylou Harris (country singer). 1946: Kurt Winter
(Canadian guitarist; Guess Who)*14.Dec.1997.
1942: Leon Russell/Claude Russell Bridges(singer,songwriter,m-musician;solo/sessionist)?
1939: Marvin Gaye/Marvin Pentz Gay Jr (US singer, songwriter, pianist,
drums; Motown/solo artist)*01.April.1984.
1928: Serge Gainsbourg (French singer, pianist, guitarist)*02.March.1991.
1915: Gica Petrescu (Romanian
singer)*18.June.1915.
April
3rd 1970: Matthew Priest (drummer;
Dodgy/sessionist). 1968: Sebastian Bach/Sebastian Bierk (singer; Skid
Row/Breeder/solo). 1962: Simon Raymonde (bass, producer, mix;Cocteau
Twins/solo). 1961: Eddie Murphy (US actor, singer). 1955: Mick
Mars/Bob Alan Deal (US guitarist; Mötley Crüe). 1951: Mel
Schacher (US bassist; Grand Funk Railroad/? and the Mysterians/Flint).
1949: Richard Thompson (vocals, mandolin, guitar, Dulcimer; Fairport Convention).
1946: Dee Murray (bass, backing vocals; Elton John band)*15.Jan.1992
1944: Barry Pritchard (UK guitar; Fortunes)*11.Jan.1999.
1944: Tony Orlando/Michael Anthony Orlando Cassivitis (US singer; Dawn/solo).
1943: Richard Manuel (Canadian singer, piano; Revols/The Band)*04.Mar.1986.
1942: Wayne Newton (US singer). 1941: Phillipe Wynne (US lead
singer, The Spinners/Solo)*14.July.1984
1941: Jan Berry (singer; Jan and Dean)*26.March.2004.
1938: Jeff Barry (singer/songwriter/producer; The Raindrops/The Archies).
1937: Louis Satterfield (US bassist, trombonist; Earth,Wind & Fire/solo)*27.Sept.2004.
1936: Harold Vick
(US hard bop and soul jazz saxophonist, flautist; freelance, sessionist)*13.Nov.1987
1936: Jimmy McGriff (US jazz organist; big bands/freelance)*24.May.2008.
1928: Don Gibson (US legendary country singer, guitarist, songwriter)*17.Nov.2003.
1924: Doris Day/Doris von Kappelhoff (US singer/actress). 1919: Ervin
Drake (US song writer and musical writer). 1917: Bill
Finegan (American jazz bandleader, pianist, arranger,
and composer)*04.June.2008.
1886: Arthur
"Dooley" Wilson (African American actor
and singer)*30.May.1953. April
4th 1978: Lemar/Lemar Obika (UK R&B solo singer; successful
uk fame academy contestant). 1975: Phil A. Jimenez (played multiple
instruments with American band Wheatus)? 1974: Andre Dalyrimple (singer;
Soul For Real). 1973: Kelly Price (US singer). 1972: Jill Scott
(US singer). 1972: Magnus Sveningsson (Swedish bassist; The Cardigans).
1968: Mark Yates (UK guitarist; Terrorvision). 1966: Mike
Starr (US bassist; Alice In Chains/Sun Red Sun). 1963: David Gavurin
(UK lead guitarist; Sundays). 1962: Craig Adams (UK bassist; Sisters
of Mercy/The Cult/Alarm/Spear of Destiny/Theatre of Hate).
1957: Graeme Kelling (Scottish guitarist; Deacon Blue)*10.June.2004.
1952: Gary Moore (Irish guitar virtuoso, singer, songwriter; Thin Lizzy,
solo). 1951: Peter John Haycock (guitarist; Climax Blues Band).
1949:
Junior Braithwaite (Jamaican
singer; co-founder of/first lead singer of The Wailers)*02.June.1999.
1948: Pick Withers (drummer; Dire Straits/freelance).
1948: Berry Oakley (US bassist; co-founder of the Allman Brothers
Band)*11.Nov.1972.
1946: Dave Hill (UK guitar, Slade). 1945: Ian "Knox" Carnochan
(UK lead singer; Vibrators/solo). 1941: Major Lance (Soul singer, dancer;The
Floats/solo)*03.Sept.1994. 1940: Sharon Sheeley
(US songwriter)*17.May.2002. 1939: Danny Thompson
(UK double bassist; sessionist, John Martyn, Richard Thompson, Roy Orbison etc,
etc). 1939: Hugh Masekela (South Africain vocalist, flugelhorn, trumpet;
jazzman). 1915: Muddy Waters/McKinley Morganfield (US blues guitarist,singer)*30.April.1983. April
5th 1973: Pharrell Williams (US singer;
Neptunes). 1968: Paula Cole (US singer). 1965: Mike McCready
(guitar; Mad Season/Pearl Jam).
1964: Kid/Christopher Reid
(half of the hip-hop and comedy duo Kid 'N Play).
1955: Janice Long (Radio broadcaster, DJ)? 1954: Stan Ridgway (singer,
multi-musician; Wall of Voodoo/Flesh Eaters/solo). 1953: Christopher Franke
(keyboards, synthesizer; Tangerine Dream). 1951: Everett Morton (drums;
English Beat)? 1950: Agnetha Faltskog (Swedish pop singer, keyboards,
piano; ABBA). 1944: Nicholas Caldwell (singer; The Whispers).
1942: Alan Clarke (vocals, guitar; The Hollies). 1941: Dave Swarbrick
(vocals, violin, mandolin, fiddle; Fairport Convention). 1935: Peter
Grant(manager,record exec;Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin/Bad Company)*21.Nov.1995.
1939: Ronnie White (singer, producer, songwriter; Chimes/Miracles/Ron&Bill)*26.Aug.1995.
1929: Joe Meek (record producer; Tornados)*3.Feb.1967.
1928: Tony Williams (lead singer; Platters)*14.Aug.1992. April
6th 1978: Myleene Klass (singer, classical pianist, TV presenter;
Hear'Say). 1975: Damon Pampolina (singer, TV presenter; New Mickey
Mouse Club/The Party). 1965: Frank Black (guitar, vocals; Pixies/Frank
Black and the Catholics). 1962: Stan Cullimore (guitar; Housemartins/music
composer for childrens TV). 1958:
Selwyn 'Bumbo' Brown (vocals, keyboards; Steel
Pulse).
1951: Ralph Cooper (drums; Air Supply). 1947: Tony Connor (drums;
Hot Chocolate). 1944: John Stax (bassist; Pretty Things). 1943:Gerry
Niewood (American jazz saxophonist;
Chuck Mangione Band,
freelance)*12.Feb.2009 1943: Julie Rogers
(UK singer). 1942: Christopher Franke (keyboard, synthesizers,
drums; Tangerine Dream). 1937: Merle Haggard (US country singer, guitar,
fiddle; songwriter). 1927: Gerry Mulligan (one of the all time greatest
baritone sax players)*20.Jan.1996. 1924: Charlie
Rouse (jazz saxophonist; Thelonious Monk Quartet/& greats)*30.Nov.1988. April
7th 1981: Watanabe Kazuki (Japanese
guitarist and of founder Raphael)*31.Oct.2000.
1982: Kelli Young (singer; Liberty X).
1978: Duncan James (singer; Blue/solo)?
1960: Simon Climie (singer,
songwriter, producer; Climie Fisher Duo)? 1951:
Bruce Gary (drummer; The Knack)*22.Aug.2006.
1951: Janis Ian/Janis Eddy Fink (US singer, guitar,
piano, songwriter). 1950: Steve Ellis
(vocals; Love Affair). 1949: John Oates (vocals,
keyboards, guitar; Hall & Oates). 1948:
Carol Douglas (US singer). 1947: Florian
Schneider- Esleben (flute; Kraftwerk).
1947: Pat Bennett (singer; The Chiffons).
1946: Bill Kreutzmann (drums; Warlocks/Grateful Dead).
1944: Pat LaBarbera/Pascel Emmanuel (Sax
jazzman; solo/guest). 1943: Mick Abrahams
(vocals, guitar; Blodwyn Pig/Jethro Tull). 1943:
Alan Buck (drummer; Four Pennies/Johnny Kid). 1942:
Joel
Dorn
(US
jazz, R&B music producer and record label serial entrepreneur)*17.Dec.2007
1938:
Freddie Hubbard (US award winning trumpet player; Jazz artist)*29.Dec.2008.
1938: Spencer Dryden (drums, Jefferson Airplane)*11.Jan.2005.
1937: Charlie Thomas
(US singer; Drifters). 1935: Bobby Bare (The
All-American Boy country singer). 1918: Percy
Faith (easy listening pianist, band leader)*09.Feb.1976.
1915: Billie Holiday (legendary female jazz singer)*17.July.1959. April
8th 1979: Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho (guitarist;
Children of Bodom/Sinergy/Kylähullut). 1975: Anouk Teeuwe (female
Dutch rock singer). 1972: Stretch/Randy Walker
(US rapper and hip hop producer)*30.Nov.1995
1971: Darren Jessee (drums; Ben Folds Five/Hotel Lights). 1968:
Andy
Szabo/Andy Sabo
(UK singer).
1964: Salt/Cheryl James (US rap, hip-hop artist; Salt n Pepa). 1964:
Biz Markie/Marcel Hall (rap artist). 1963: Julian Lennon (UK singer,
keyboards, John Lennon's 1st son). 1963: Donita Sparks (guitar, vocals;
L7). 1962: Jerry Kelly (guitar; Lotus Eaters). 1962: Izzy
Stradlin/Jeffrey Isbell (US guitarist; Guns N' Roses/Izzy Stradlin & the
Ju Ju Hounds). 1962: Adam Mole (keyboardist; Pop Will Eat Itself)?
1956: Justin Sullivan (lead singer, guitar, lyricist; New Model Army).
1947:
Larry David Norman (US musician, singer, songwriter "father
of Christian rock music")*24.Feb.2008.
1947: Steve Howe (guitar; Yes/Flash). 1942: Roger Chapman (vocals;
Family). 1978: Jacques Brel (French singer, major world songwriter)*09.Oct.1978.
1929: Walter Berry (Austrian opera singer; Vienna Music Academy)*27.Oct.2000.
1921: Franco Corelli (Italian opera singer; New York's Metropolitan
Opera)*29.Sept.2003. 1920:
Carmen Mercedes McRae
(US international jazz singer, pianist)*10.Nov.1994. 1904:
Raoul Jobin/Joseph Roméo
(French-Canadian operatic tenor)*13.Jan.1974 April
9th 1987: Jazmine
Sullivan (American R&B singer). 1987:
Jesse McCartney (US singer, actor)
not related to Sir Paul. 1987: Craig Mabbitt (American
singer; Escape the Fate). 1986: Brian Larsen (US musician, record producer;
Twilights Moon + more). 1985: Tomohisa Yamashita (Japanese
singer,
songwriter, actor; NEWS/Shuuji
to Akira/solo). 1984: Linda Chung (Canadian/Hong Kong actress, singer).
1980: Clueso/Thomas Hübner (German singer, rapper, songwriter,
producer). 1980: Albert Hammond Jr (US guitar, rhythm guitar, singer,
songwriter; Strokes/solo). 1978: Vesna Pisarovic (Croatian singer).
1978: Rachel Stevens (UK pop singer; S Club 7). 1977: Gerard
Way (US singer; My Chemical Romance). 1969: Kevin Martin (US vocalist,
guitar; Candlebox)? 1964: DJ Alice/Soyo Oka (Japanese
composer, musician, author; Nintendo games/more). 1961: Mark Kelly
(UK keyboardist, guitar; Chemical Alice/Marillion). 1953: Hal Ketchum
(US country music singer, songwriter, guitarist). 1948: Phillip Wright
(UK drummer, lead singer; Paper Lace). 1946: Les Gray (UK vocals,
Mud)*21.Feb.2004. 1945:
Steve Gadd (American international session drummer). 1944: Emil Stucchio
(US lead singer; Classics). 1944: Gene Parsons (US drummer; Byrds/Nashville
West/The Flying Burrito Brs). 1943: Terry Knight/Richard Terrance Knapp
(US producer, promoter, singer; Grand Funk Railroad)*01.Nov.2004. 1941:
Kaye Adams (American country singer). 1932: Carl Perkins (US singer,
songwriter, guitarist)*19.Jan.1998. 1928:
Tom Lehrer (US singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist,
mathematician). 1921:
George David Weiss (US
songwriter, President of the Songwriters Guild of America). 1904:
Joseph "Sharkey" Bonano (American jazz trumpeter, band leader, vocalist)*27.March.1972
1898: Paul Robeson (US
actor, bass-baritone singer)*23.Jan.1976.
April
10th 1984: Mandy Moore (US singer). 1981: Elizabeth
McClarnon (uk singer; Atomic Kitten). 1979: Sophie Ellis-Bextor (uk
singer). 1970:
Q-Tip/Jonathan Davis (hip-hop mc, actor, hip hop producer; Tribe Called Quest).
1970: Mike Mushok (guitar, songwriter; Staind). 1970: Kenny Lattimore
(US singer; Maniquin/solo). 1968: Kenediid Osman (bassist, Sleeper/Candyland).
1964: Reni/Alan John Wren (drums; Stone Roses). 1963: Carlos Varela
(Cuban singer, songwriter). 1959: Babyface/Kenneth Edmonds (US singer,
keyboards, guitar). 1959: Katrina Leskanich (singer; Katrina &
The Waves). 1959: Brian Setzer (singer, guitar; Stray Cats/Brian Setzer
Orchestra/solo). 1957: Afrika Bambaataa (US hip hop artist). 1957:
Steve Gustafson (bassist; 10,000 Maniacs). 1953: Terre Roche (UK
folk singer, songwriter, composer; Roches). 1950: Eddie Hazel (American
guitar; Parliament/Funkadelic)*23.Dec.1992.
1950: Dave Peverett (guitar, vocals; Savoy Brown/Foghat)*07.Feb.2000.
1950: Ernest Stewart (bassist, KC and the Sunshine Band)*26.April.1997.
1948: Fred Smith (bassist; Blondie/Television)? 1947: Bunny Livingston
(percussion, Bob Marley & Wailers). 1947: Karl Russell (vocals;
Hues Corporation). 1940: Ricky Valance/David Spencer (Welsh pop singer).
1936: Bobbie Smith (lead singer; Detroit Spinners/Spinners)? 1934:
Paul Brodie (Canadian saxophonist founded the World Saxophone Congress in
Chicago)*19.Nov.2007
1932: Nate Nelson (US tenor and lead singer; Flamingos/Platters)*01.June.1984.
1921: Sheb Wooley (US actor, singer)*16.Sept.2003.
1911: Martin Denny (US legendary easy listening pianist)*02.March.2005.
April
11th 1987: Joss Stone/Joscelyn Eve Stoker
(UK singer). 1979: Chris Gaylor (American drummer; The All-American
Rejects). 1979: Sebastien Grainger (Canadian multi-musician; Death from
Above 1979/part owner of Giant Studios). 1978: Brown Tom/Tom Thacker
(Canadian singer, guitarist, keyboards; Gob/Summit 41). 1971: Oliver Riedel
(German
bassist; The Inchtabokatables/Rammstein). 1970: Dylan Keefe (bassist;
Marcy Playground). 1970: Delroy Pearson (UK singer; Five Star).
1969: Cerys Matthews/Cerys Elizabeth Philip (Welsh singer; Catatonia).
1969: Chisato Moritaka (Japanese singer). 1966: Lisa Stansfield
(UK singer; Blue Zone/solo). 1964: Johann Sebastian Paetsch (American
concert cellist). 1964: Steve Azar (US country music singer-songwriter,
rhythm guitar). 1963: Nigel Pulsford (Welsh guitarist; Bush/solo).
1961:
Doug Hopkins (American guitarist; Gin Blossoms/The
Chimeras)*05.Dec.1993.
1958: Stuart Adamson (UK guitar, vocals, songwriter; The Skids/Big Country/Raphaels)*16.Dec.2001.
1956: Neville Staples (singer, producer; Fun Boy Three/Specials/solo).
1951: Paul Fox (British guitarist; The Ruts/Dirty Strangers)*21.Oct.2007
1946: Bob "Whispering" Harris (DJ, radio host; Old Grey Whistle
Test/BBC Radio 2). 1943: Tony Victor (singer; Classics)? 1938:
Kurt Moll (German Grammy Award winning concert/operatic bassist, celloist,
singer). 1935: Richard Berry (American singer, composer, songwriter)*23.Jan.1997
1932:
Joel Grey (American singer and actor). 1931:
Koichi Sugiyama (Japanese composer). 1926: Victor Bouchard (Canadian
pianist and composer).
April
12th 1994: Airi Suzuki (Japanese singer; C-ute/Aa!, Hello!/Project
Kids/Buono!). 1987: Brendon Urie (American singer; Panic At The Disco).
1985: Olga Seryabkina (Russian singer; Serebro). 1985: Hangry/Hitomi
Yoshizawa (Japanese singer; Morning Musume/Hangry & Angry). 1982:
Deen/Fuad Backovic (Bosnian singer; Seven Up/ solo). 1980: Erik Mongrain
(Canadian composer, guitarist). 1980: Bryan McFadden (Irish singer;
Westlife). 1978: Guy Berryman (UK bassist, Coldplay). 1977:
Charles Cooper (US
musician, one half of Telefon Tel Aviv)*22.Jan.2009. 1972:
Sebnem Ferah (Turkish singer; Volvox/solo). 1970: Nicholas Lofton Hexum
(US vocalist, rhythm guitarist; 311/Pepper/Zack Hexum). 1967: Sarah Cracknell
(UK lead singer; Saint Etienne). 1967: Mellow Man Ace/Ulpiano Sergio Reyes
(Afro-Cuban rapper; Cypress Hill). 1965: Sean Welch (UK bassist; Beautiful
South). 1964: Amy Ray (US singer, guitar, mandolin, harmonica; Indigo
Girls). 1962: Arthur Paul "Art" Alexakis (US vocalist, guitar;
Everclear). 1961: Lisa Gerrard (Australian singer, composer; Dead Can
Dance/solo). 1958: Will Sergeant (UK guitarist; Echo & The Bunnymen/Electrafixion).
1958: Les Pattinson (bassist; Echo & The Bunnymen). 1957: Vince
Gill (US country singer). 1956: Herbert Grönemeyer (German
singer). 1954: Pat Travers (Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist, singer;
Pat Travers Band/guest). 1951: Alexander Briley (singer; G.I.-Military
Man Village People) 1950: David Cassidy (US singer, actor; Partridge
Family/solo). 1948: Sandra "Lois" Reeves (US singer; Martha
Reeves & the Vandellas/Al Green). 1944: John Kay/Joachim Fritz Krauledat
(German-Canadian guitarist; Steppenwolf/solo) 1940: Herbie Hancock
(US keyboard player, composer; Miles Davis/ bandleader). 1933: Montserrat
Caballé (Spanish soprano). 1932: Tiny Tim/Herbert Buckingham
Khaury (US singer, ukulele)*30.Nov.1996.
1930: Carol Lindsey Young (vocals; Kaye Sisters). 1919: Billy Vaughn
(US singer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader)*26.Sept.1991.
1917: Helen Forrest/Bonnie
Blue/Helen Fogel (American
jazz singer)*11.July.1999
April
13th 1982: Nellie McKay (US
singer-songwriter, pianist, ukulele player, comic, actress). 1982:
Janice Vidal (Hong
Kong singer, twin of Jill). 1982:
Jill Vidal (Hong Kong singer, twin of Janice). 1979:
Toni Lundon (vocals; Liberty X). 1975:
Lou Bega/David Loubega (German singer, producer). 1972: Aaron Lewis
(US vocalist, acoustic guitar; Staind) 1971: Valensia/Aldous Byron Valensia
Clarkson (Dutch singer, multi-musician). 1967: Olga Tañón
(Puerto Rican multi-award winning singer). 1966: Marc Ford (US lead
guitarist; Black Crowes/Uninvited/freelance).
1962: Hillel Slovak (Israeli guitar, founder member; Red Hot Chili Peppers)*25.June.1988.
1961: Hiro Yamamoto (US rock bassist; Soundgarden/Truly). 1959:
Kim McAuliffe (guitar, singer; Girlschool)? 1957: Wayne Lewis (singer,
keyboardist; Atlantic Starr) 1955: Louis Johnson (bassist; Brothers
Johnson). 1954: Jimmy Destri (keyboards; Blondie/solo). 1951:
Max Weinberg (drummer; E Street Band/freelance) 1951: Peabo Bryson
(US singer). 1946: Roy Loney (singer, guitar; Flamin Groovies/solo).
1946: Al Green (US soul singer) 1945: Rúnar Júlíusson
(Icelandic bassist with Thor's Hammer)*05.Dec.2008.
1945: Lowell George (US singer, songwriter, guitarist; Little Feat)*29.June.1979.
1944: Jack Casady (US bassist; Jefferson Starship/SVT/Jefferson Airplane/Hot
Tuna). 1944: Brian Pendleton (UK rhythm guitarist, lead guitar, vocals;
Pretty Things/So What)*16.May.2001.
1943: Eve Graham (Scottish singer; New Seekers). 1943: Artie Traum
(US folk singer, award-winning guitarist, producer and songwriter)*20.July.2008.
1942: Bill Conti (US singer, producer, conductor, composer). 1940:
Lester Chambers (singer; Chambers Brothers). 1936: Tim Field (singer;
Springfields)? 1934: Horace Kay (singer; Tams). 1919: Howard
Keel/Harry Clifford Leek (US singer, actor)*07.Nov.2004. April
14th 1984: Adán Sánchez (Mexican-American
singer)*27.March.2004.
(car crash) 1980: Win Butler (American/Canadian vocalist, mandolin,
guitar, keyboards, Bass, songwriter; Arcade Fire). 1976: Christian Älvestam
(Swedish singer, multi-musician; Scar Symmetry). 1975: Avner Dorman
(Israeli composer of contemporary classical music). 1974: Da Brat/Shawntae
Harris (US rap artist). 1973: David Miller (American tenor; Il Divo). 1970:
Shizuka Kudo (Japanese singer; Onyanko Club/Ushirogami Hikareta/soloi). 1970:
Emre Altug (Turkish singer, actor; TV/Films/Musicals). 1969: Martyn
LeNoble (Dutch bassist; Porno For Pyros/The Cult/Jane's Addiction). 1967:
Barrett Martin (US drummer, composer; Screaming Trees/Mad Season/solo/sessionist).
1965: Carl Hunter (UK bassist; The Farm). 1965: Sheila Chandra
(Indian-British singer; Monsoon/solo). 1962: Joey Pesce (keyboards;
'Til Tuesday)? 1958: Ronnie Grieco (US saxophone player; Joey Dee and
the Starlighters/freelance/solo). 1957: Mikhail Pletnev (Russian award
winning pianist, conductor, composer). 1951: Julian Lloyd Webber (English
cellist; classical, brother of Sir Andrew). 1949: June Millington
(vocals, guitar; Fanny)? 1949: Sonja Kristina (vocals; Curved Air/the
musical Hair). 1949: Dennis Bryon (Welsh drummer; Amen Corner/Bee
Gees/Blue Weaver/freelance)? 1948: Larry Ferguson (keyboards; Hot
Chocolate). 1946: Patrick Fairley (bassist, guitar; Marmalade).
1945: Ritchie Blackmore (UK guitarist; Rainbow/Deep Purple/sessionist/freelance).
1942: Tony Burrows (singer; The Kestrels/First Class/sessioned with
many bands). 1935: Loretta Lynn (US country singer, songwriter).
1933: Buddy Knox (US singer, guitarist)*14.Feb.1999. 1925:
Gene "Jug" Ammons (US jazz saxophonist; Billy Eckstine/Woody Herman/more)*06.Aug.1974
1924:
Shorty Rogers/Milton Rajonsky (US jazz trumpeter,
flugelhorn)*07.Nov.1994.
April
15th 1978: Francesco
Fareri (Italian guitarist, shred guitarist, composer).
1968: Ed O'Brien (guitar, harmony vocals; Radiohead).
1967: Frankie Poullian (bass; Darkness)? 1966: Samantha Fox (model;
singer). 1966: Graeme Clark (bassist; Wet Wet Wet/Maggie Pie &
The Impostors). 1965: Linda Perry (singer, producer, guitar, engineer;
4 Non Blondes/solo). 1965: Oscar Harrison (drummer, pianiast; Ocean
Colour Scene) 1962: Nick Kamen (uk model, singer). 1948:
Michael Kamen (US oboe player; film, rock & classical
music composer)*18.Nov.2003.
1947: Stuart "Wooly" Wolstenholme
(UK organist, banjo, synthesisers; Barclay James Harvest). 1947: Michael
Chapman (producer/writer/ Chinnichap productions). 1944: Dave Edmunds
(guitar, keyboard, vocals, producer; Love Sculpture/Rockpile). 1940:
Clarence
"Satch" Satchell (American
saxophonist, flutist;
Ohio Players)*30.Dec.1995.
1939: Marty Wilde (uk pop singer). 1937:
Bob Luman
(American country and rockabilly singer)*27.Dec.1978.
1933: Roy Clark (US country singer, guitar, fiddle, banjo). 1930:
Herb Pomeroy (US jazz trumpeter;all the
greats/own bands)*11.Aug.2007.
1894: Bessie Smith (US blues singer)*26.Sept.1937.
April
16th 1979:
Sean Costello (American blues guitarist, singer)*15.April.2008
1976: Sean Maguire (uk actor, singer). 1971: Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
(US singer known as "The Queen of Tejano music")*31.March.1995.
1970: Gabrielle/Louise Gabrielle Bobb (UK singer). 1969: Sean Cook
(bassist, Spiritualized). 1964: Esbjörn Svensson (Swedish jazz
pianist; Esbjörn Svensson Trio aka E.S.T)*14.June.2008.
1964: David Pirner (guitar, vocals, trumpet; Murphy & Pirfinkle/Soul
Asylum). 1963: Little Jimmy Osmond (US singer). 1963: Nick
Berry (uk singer/actor). 1956: Paul Buchanan (vocals, producer,
acoustic guitar; Blue Nile). 1951: John Bentley (bass; Squeeze).
1949: Bill 'Sputnick' Spooner (guitar; Tubes/Folk-Ups). 1947: Lee
'The Bear' Kerslake (UK drummer; The Gods, Toe Fat, The National Head Band,
Uriah Heep). 1947: Gerry Rafferty (UK singer, guitar, songwriter; Stealers
Wheel/Humblebums/solo). 1945: Stefan Grossman (US guitarist; Even Dozen
Jug Band/Fugs/co-founded Kicking Mule Records). 1939: Dusty Springfield/Mary
O'Brien (uk husky-voiced soul singer)*02.March.1999.
1936: aban Bajramovic (Serbian Romani singer, songwriter)*08.June.2008.
1935: Bobby Vinton/Stanley Robert Vintula (US pop singer). 1930:
Herbie Mann (American jazz flutist)*01.July.2003.
1929: Roy Hamilton (US singer)*20.July.1969.
1927: Edie Adams (American singer, Broadway, television and film actress)*15.Oct.2008
1924: Rudy Pompilli (saxophone, clarenet; Bill Haley & His Comets)*05.Feb.1976.
1924: Henry Mancini (US composer and conductor)*14.June.1994.
1889: Charlie Chaplin (English composer, comedy actor, actor, producer)*25.Dec.1977.
April
17th 1974: Posh Spice/Victoria Beckham nee Adams (singer;
Spice Girls/solo). 1970: Redman/Reggie Noble (US rapper). 1967:
Liz Phair (US singer, guitarist). 1964: Maynard James Keenan (singer;
A Perfect Circle/Tool). 1959:
Stephen Singleton (saxophone; Vice Versa/ABC/Bleep/Booster).
1957: Afrika Bambaataa/Kevin Donovan (DJ, hip-hop artist). 1955:
Pete Shelley (guitar; Buzzcocks) 1954: Michael Sembello (US guitarist,
composer; Stevie Wonder band/sessionist/solo) 1948: Jan Hammer (Czechoslovakian
keyboard player; Mahavishnu Orchestra/solo). 1943: Roy Estrada (bassist;
Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart) 1941: Billy Fury/Ronald Wycherley (uk
singer mega popstar)*28.Jan.1983
1934: Don Kirshner (producer/promoter). 1932: Joe Romano (US
jazz saxophonist; Woody Herman/Freelance). 1929: James Last (German
orchestra leader). 1923: Gianni Raimondi (Italian international
operatic tenor)*19.Oct.2008 April
18th 1974: Mark "Tru" Tremonti (lead guitar; Alter
Bridge/Creed). 1970: Greg Eklund (drums; Everclear). 1964:
Marky Mark 'Bez' Berry (UK dancer, percussion, mascot; Happy Mondays).
1962: Shirley Holliman (vocals; Pepsi & Shirlie/Wham!). 1958:
Andy Kyriacou (drummer; Modern Romance). 1946: Lennie Baker (saxophone;
Danny & the Juniors/Sha Na Na). 1944: Alexander "Skip" Spence
(drums, guitar; Moby Grape/JeffersonAirplane)*16.Apr.1999
1941: Mike Vickers (saxophone, guitar, flute, clarinet; Manfred Mann/sessoinist/freelane).
1939: Glen D.Hardin (piano, guitar; Crickets/sessionist/freelance).
1924: Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown (US blues artist, multi musician)*10.Sept.2005.
1882: Leopold Stokowski/Antoni Stanislaw Boleslawowicz (Symphonic
conductor) April
19th 1989: Fiona MacGillivray (Canadian
vocalist; The Cottars). 1970: Luis Miguel (Mexican pop singer).
1967: Dar Williams (US singer, guitarist, songwriter). 1966: Julia
Neigel (German singer and songwriter). 1953: Rod Morgenstein (US
drummer; Winger/Dixie Dregs/sessionist). 1947: Mark Volman/Phlorescent
Leech (singer; Turtles/Mothers of Invention/Flo & Eddie). 1944:
Bernie Worrell (keyboards, piano, synthesizer, organ; Parliament/Funkadelic).
1942: Alan Price (vocals, piano, keyboards,composer; Animals/Jade Warrior/own
band). 1940: Genya Ravan (US vocalist; Goldie & the Gingerbreads/Ten
Wheel Drive). 1941: Roberto Carlos
Braga (Brazilian Grammy Award-winning MPB singer).
1935: Dudley Moore (UK actor, pianist, comedian, composer)*27.March.2002
1928: Alexis Korner (French jazz, blues guitarist,"the father of British
blues")*01.Jan.1984. April
20th 1972: Carmen Electra (singer, actress; Pussycat Dolls).
1972: Stephen Marley (singer, guitarist; Melody Makers). 1971:
Mikey Welsh (bassist, Weezer/The Kickovers). 1951: Luther Vandross
(US singer)*01.July.2005. 1948: Craig
Frost (keyboardist; Silver Bullet Band/Grand Funk Railroad). 1945:
Jimmy Winston (organ, keyboards; the Moments/Small Faces). 1939: Johnny
Tillotson (US singer). 1936: William Godvin "Beaver" Harris
(American jazz drummer)*22.Dec.1991. 1934:
David
"Pop" Winans
(US gospel singer; Mom & Pop Winans/David & Delores)*08.April.2009.
1929: Bob Braun (US television host)*15.Jan.2001.
1920:
Tito Puente (US musician; influential Latin jazz
and mambo musician)*31.May.2000.
1908: Lionel Hampton (American jazz vibraphonist,
percussionist, bandleader)*31.Aug.2002. April
21st
1988: Mia Permanto (Finnish
pop singer and radio host)*19.March.2008
1963: Johnny McElhone
(Scottish bassist; Altered Images/Texas/Hipsway). 1959: Michael Timmins
(Canadian guitarist; Cowboy Junkies). 1959: Robert James Smith (guitar,
keyboards, vocals; Siouxsie&The Banshees/The Cure). 1951: Nicole Barclay
(keyboards, vocals; Fanny/freelance)? 1948: Paul Davis (US singer)*22.April.2008.
1947: John Weider (guitar, bass, violin; Family/The Animals/Stud/sessionist).
1947: Alan Warner (guitar; Foundations). 1947: Iggy Pop/James
Newell Osterburg (singer; The Phsycodelic Stooges/Stooges). 1933: Ian
Carr (Scottish trumpeter, composer and writer; Nucleus/others/sessionist)*25.Feb.2009. April
22nd 1980: Ginger
Sling/Ginger Reyes/Ginger A. Pooley (US bassist; Smashing Pumpkins/solo). 1979:
Daniel Johns (Australian vocalist, composer, pianist, guitarist; Silverchair).
1969: Craig Logan (Scottish singer; member of the trio Bros). 1956:
Kenny Lyons (bassist; Lemonheads). 1951: Paul Carrack (singer,
keyboardist; Ace/Squeeze/Mike & the Mechanics/solo). 1950: Peter Frampton
(guitar, vocals; the Herd/Humble Pie/solo). 1944: Howard Wyeth (drummer,
pianist; freelance/sessionist)? 1939: Simon Napier-Bell (manager of
Wham! T Rex & Japan +more). 1937: Jack Nitzche (producer, songwriter,
composer)*25.Aug.2000. 1936: Glen Campbell
(US singer, guitarist, banjo player; Beach Boys/solo). 1929: Erkki Junkkarinen
(Finnish singer)*09.April.2008. 1922: Charles
Mingus (US jazz musician/bandleader)*05.Jan.1979.
1922: Elden C. 'Buster' Bailey (US percussionist; New York Philharmonic)*13.Apr.2004. 1922:
Eugene Smith (US
gospel
baritone/tenor singer;
Roberta Martin Singers/solo)*09.May.2009.
April
23rd 1969: Stan Frazier (drummer;
Sugar Ray)? 1968: Paul
Clifford (bass, Wonder Stuff)? 1966:
Neil Wathey (UK drummer; Bitter
Suite/TNT/Suite FA/sessionist).
1964: Simon "Gen" Matthews (drummer, percussion; Jesus Jones).
1960: Steve Clark (UK guitarist;
Def Leppard)*08.Jan.1991.
1960:
David Gedge (vocals, guitar, producer; Cinerama/The Wedding Present).
1955: Mark Schatz (bassist, banjo; The Bluegrass Album Band/freelance).
1952: Narada Michael Walden (vocals, drums; Mahavishnu Orchestra/freelance).
1949: John Miles (vocalist, guitarist and keyboards; The Influence/solo/freelance).
1947: Stu Middleton (guitar, keyboards; Prisoner/Bitter
Suite). 1945: John Allen (guitarist; Nashville
Teens). 1939: Patrick Williams (US composer of jazz, popular music,
concert music, music for film & television). 1939: Ray Peterson
(US pop singer)*25.Jan.2005. 1936:
Roy Orbison (US pop and country singer, songwriter)*6.Dec.1988.
1924: Bob Rosengarden (Drums; band leader/Rosengarden
& Kraus/Walter Wanderley). 1921: Janet
Blair (actress, singer; TV musical specials).
1919: "Little" Benny Harris (US trumpet,
composer; many jazz bands and sessionist)*11.May.1975.
1915: Joe Lippman (Jazz pianist, composer; band leader/many
big bands)?? 1903:
Bob Garber (piano; band leader)*06.March.1988.
1895: Jimmy Noone (New Orleans clarinet player; bandleader)*19.April.1944.
1895: Charles "Cow
Cow" Davenport (US boogie woogie piano player)*03.Dec.1955
April
24th 1982: Kelly Clarkson (singer; winner of the US TV show
Pop Idol). 1973: Brian Marshall (bass guitar; Creed/Alter Bridge).
1968: Aaron Comess (drums; Spin Doctors)? 1967: Patty Schemel
(drums; Hole/freelance). 1963: Horacio 'El Negro' Hernandez (Cuban
drums/percussion; Yerba Buena)? 1963: Billy Gould (bass; Faith No More).
1960: Paula Yates (music presenter, TV host)*17.Sept.2000.
1957: Boris Williams (French drummmer; Thompson Twins/The Cure). 1957:
David Jay Haskins (bass; Bauhaus/The Jazz Butcher/Love & Rockets).
1955:
Captain Sensible/Raymond Burns (vocals, guitar,
bass; King/The Damned/solo).
1948: Steve York (bass, Manfred Mann/Earth Band)? 1947: Glen Cornick
(bassist; Jethro Tull). 1947: Hubert Ann Kelly (singer; Hues Corporation).
1945: TBT ('Tis Me!). 1945: Doug Riley (Canadian
keyboardist; Famous People Players)*27.Aug.2007
1945: Doug Clifford (drums;Creedence ClearwaterRevival/Creedence Clearwater
Revisited). 1943: Glen Dale/Richard Garforth (guitar/vocals; Fortunes).
1943: Ross
Kettle (Australian singer, songwriter, guitar;
Singing Kettles)*12.Sept.2007.
1942: Barbra Streisand (US singer, actress). 1937: Joe Henderson
(saxophone; Horace Silver/Blood, Sweat & Tears)*30.June.2001.
1937: James "Spanky" DeBrest (bass; Art Blakey/Thelonious Monk/more)*02.March.1973
1933: Freddie Scott (US singer-songwriter: famous for "Hey Girl")*04.June.2007.
1928: John Arnold Griffin III (American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist)*25.July.2008.
1926: Joe Segal (jazz promoter, owner of 'The Jazz Showcase' nightclub
in Chicago). 1923: Albert King/Albert Nelson (Blues guitar virtuoso,
composer)*21.Dec.1992.
1922: Samuel Aaron Bell (tuba, bass; Duke Ellington/many jazz
bands)*28.July.2003. April
25th 1980: Jacob
Underwood (singer; O-Town). 1965: Eric
Avery (bassist; Jane's Addiction/freelance). 1965: Simon Fowler
(vocalist, acoustic guitarist Ocean Colour Scene). 1964: Andy Bell
(vocals, producer, arranger; Erasure/solo). 1964: Maya Gilder (keyboards;
Furniture)? 1960:
Paul Baloff (US
singer, frontman; Exodus)*02.Feb.2002
1958: Fish/Derek
William Dick (singer; Marillion/solo/Radio presenter). 1950: Steve
Ferrone (drummer; Average White Band/freelance). 1949: Michael Brown/Michael
Lookofsky (US singer, songwriter). 1946: Ron Gilbert (bassist;
Blue Magoos)? 1945: Bjorn Ulvaeus (Swedish guitarist, vocals, composer;
ABBA). 1945: Stu Cook (bass; Creedence Clearwater Revival/Creedence
Clearwater Revisited). 1945: Michael Kogel (singer; Los Bravos, first
Spanish rock band with UK & US hit single). 1944: Charlie Harper/David
Charles Perez (lead singer; UK Subs) 1943: John Bryson Eulenberg
(songwriter/voice
box pioneer). 1943: Tony Christie/Antony Fitzgerald (UK singer).
1937: Bubba Groce (US jazz drummer). 1933: Jerry Leiber (Leiber/Stoller
songwriting and producing partnership). 1917: Ella Fitzgerald (US legendary
jazz singer)*15.June.1996
1913: Earl Bostic (US
alto saxophonist; own R&B, soul, jazz bands)*28.Oct.1954
April
26th 1982: Jon Lee (vocals, S Club 7). 1981: Ms Dynamite/Niomi
MacLean-Daley (UK rapper, singer). 1976: Jose Pasillas (drummer;
Incubus). 1975: Joey Jordison (drums, guitar; Slipknot). 1970:
T-Boz/Tionne Tenese Watkins (lead vocals; TLC) 1970: Ruth-Ann Boyle
(vocals; Olive/solo). 1961: Mike
Francis
(Italian pop singer, composer)*30.Jan.2009.
1961: Chris Mars (drums; Golden Smog/The Replacements). 1960: Roger
Taylor (drums; Duran Duran/Frebass) not Queen's drummer. 1952: Neol
Davies (guitar, vocals, songwriter; The Selecter) 1951: Nick Garvey
(lead vocalist, guitarist; Ducks Deluxe/Motors/solo). 1945: Tony Murray
(bassist; Troggs/sessionist)? 1943: Gary Wright (singer, keyboards,
violin, piano Spooky Tooth/solo/guest). 1942: Bobby Rydell/Robert Louis
Ridarelli (US singer). 1940: Giorgio Moroder (Italian producer,
disco sound, composer; film music/own studios). 1938: Duane Eddy (legendary
US guitarist). 1938: Maurice Williams (lead singer; Royal Charms/Zodiacs).
1936: William Godvin "Beaver" Harris (American jazz drummer)*22.Dec.1990
1924: Teddy Edwards (saxophone, Dexter Gordons/sessionist/freelance)*20.April.2003.
1921: Jimmy Giuffre (American jazz composer, arranger, saxophonist, clarinetist)*24.April.2008
1915: Johnny Shines (Delta Blues Slide Guitar)*20.April.1992.
1894: Charles Edward "Cow Cow" Davenport
(US boogie woogie piano player)*03.Dec.1955. April
27th 1984: Patrick Stump (lead vocals,
guitar; Fall Out Boy).
1984: Yonah Higgins (vocals; Cleopatra). 1976: Isobel Campbell (Scottish
singer,cello,piano;Gentle Waves/Belle-Sebastian). 1972: Bob Coombes
(keyboards; Supergrass). 1969: Mica Paris (UK singer, actress).
1959: Marco Pirroni (guitar; Adam And The Ants). 1959: Scott Robinson
(saxophone, flute, clarinet; Jazz musician). 1959: Sheena Easton
(Scottish singer). 1951: Paul "Ace" Frehley (guitar, vocals;
Kiss). 1949: Clive Taylor (bassist; Amen Corner)? 1948: Kate
Pierson (US singer; The B-52's). 1947: Peter Ham (Welsh singer,
guitar; Badfinger/The Iveys)*23.April.1975.
1947: Herb Murrell (singer; Stylistics). 1947: Ann Peebles (US
soul-rhythm & blues singer). 1946: Gordon Haskell (UK singer, songwriter;
Ravens, League of Gentlemen/King Crimson/solo). 1944: Cuba Gooding Sr
(singer; Main Ingredient). 1932: Casey Kasem (host of the weekly US
Top 40 radio program & many other things). 1927: Sal
Mosca (American jazz pianist and educator)*28.July.2007.
April
28th 1969: Mica Paris (UK singer). 1968: Howard Donald
(singer; Take That). 1968: Daisy Berkowitz/Scott Mitchell Putesky (bass;
Marilyn Manson). 1966: Too Short/Todd Shaw (West Coast rapper).
1957: Wilma Landkroon (Dutch singer) 1955: Eddie Jobson (UK
violin, keyboards, synthesizers; Curved Air/Roxy Music/Frank Zappa). 1953:
Kim Gordan (bass; Sonic Youth/Ciccone Youth). 1945: John Wolters
(drummer; Dr.Hook and the Medicine Show)*16.June.1997.
1940: Phil Guy
(American blues guitarist; Raful Neal/Junior
Wells/solo)*20.Aug.2008. 1926:
Blossom Dearie (American jazz singer and pianist)*07.Feb.2009.
April
29th
1980: Kian Egan (Irish singer; Westlife).
1979: Jo Velda O'Meara (vocals,
S Club 7).
1973: Mike Hogan (bass;
The Cranberries).
1967/69: Master P/Percy Miller (hip hop,
rap artist).
1960: Phil King (bass, sometimes drummer;
Lush).
1958: Simon Edwards (guitar; Fairground Attraction)?
1953: Bill Drummond (producer, A&R man,
writer, drummer: KLF).
1948:
Michael Karoli (German guitarist; Can)*17.Nov.2001
1947: Tommy James (singer;
Shondells)
1947:
Joel
Larson (drums; Grass Roots)
1945: Tammi Terrell
(US singer; The Sherrys/Motown)*16.March.1970
1943: Duane Allen
(lead singer; Oak Ridge Boys).
1942:
Klaus Voorman (German bassist;sessionist/Manfred Mann/Plastic Ono
Band/more).
1940: George
Rufus Adams (US jazz jazz tenor saxophonist,
flute, bass clarinet)*29.April.1940.
1937: Lefty Dizz (US blues guitarist and singer)*07.Sept.1993.
1934: Otis Rush
(US blues guitarist, singer).
1931:
Lonnie Donegan (UK singer, guitar, banjo, songwiter, composer)*03.Nov.2002.
1929: Ray Barretto (PuertoRican percussion,congas; sessionist/Fania
All-Stars)*17.Feb.2006.
1928: Carl Gardner (US singer; The Coasters).
1925: Danny Davis (US
country vocalist, bandleader, producer; Nashville Brass)*12.June.2008
1899: Duke Ellington (jazz pianist, bandleader, songwriter, composer)*24.May.1974
April
30th 1987: Nikki Webster (Australian pop singer, entertainer).
1982: Cleo Higgins (vocals; Cleopatra). 1982: Lloyd Banks/Christopher
Lloyd (singer, rapper; G-Unit/solo) 1979: Sean Mackin (vocals,
violin; Yellowcard)? 1973: Jeff Timmons (singer; 98 Degrees/solo).
1972: J.R. Richards (singer, guitar; Dishwalla/guest). 1971:
Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple (singer; Soul For Real). 1971: Darren
Emerson (Dance DJ, keyboards, Underworld). 1969: Clark Vogeler
(guitarist; The Toadies). 1968: Ben Ayres (guitar, keyboards, tamboura;
Cornershop)? 1969: Paulo Jr/Paulo Xisto Pinto Junior (Brazilian bassist;
Sepultura) 1967: Turbo B (rap artist; Snap)? 1964: Barrington
Levy (Jamaican reggae artist) 1962: Robert Reynolds (bass; The
Mavericks). 1953: Merrill Osmond (lead singer; Osmonds). 1951:
Des Tong (bass; Sad Cafe)? 1948: Wayne Kramer (vocals, guitar;
MC5/solo). 1943: Bobby Vee/Robert Thomas Velline (US singer). 1933:
Willie Nelson (counrty singer, guitar, songwriter, actor). 1925: Johnny
Horton (US honky tonk singer, guitarist)*05.Nov.1960
1914: Dorival
Caymmi (Brazilian
songwriter and singer)*16.Aug.2008. 1896:
Reverend Gary Davis (US blind blues/gospel singer, guitarist)*05.May.1972.
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LOST
THIS MONTH April
1st 1984:
Marvin Gaye/Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. (44) Legendary
Motown singer, pianist, drummer, songwriter,
with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The
Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group
disbanded in 1960 signing with the Tamla subsidiary of Motown Records. After a
year as a session drummer, Marvin ranked as the label's top-selling solo artist
during the sixties. Due to solo hits including "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved
by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"
and his duet singles with singers such as Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell, he was
crowned "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul". Notable
for fighting the hit-making but restrictive Motown process in which performers
and songwriters and producers were kept separate, he proved with albums like his
1971 What's Going On and his 1973 Let's Get It On that he was able to produce
music without relying on the system, inspiring fellow Motown artists such as Stevie
Wonder and Michael Jackson to do the same. (shot dead by his father during a violent
argument, the day before his 45 birthday. Gaye's relatives claimed that he had
purposely pushed his father to the edge instead of having to commit suicide) b.
April 2nd 1939. 1992:
Nigel Preston (32) UK drummer; a founding member
of The Death Cult and The Cult. He also played and recorded with Sex Gang Children,
Theatre of Hate, The Gun Club, and The Baby Snakes. His
biggest hit was "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult from their "Love"
L.P. In March 1985, The Cult recorded their fourth single, "She Sells Sanctuary",
which charted at #15 in the UK charts. It re-entered the charts at #56 in September
1986, spending 14 consecutive weeks on the charts. The song was recently voted
No.18 in VH1's Indie 100. Preston refused to accept being put on wages after the
song became a hit and parted company with the band in June of 1985 (an
apparent overdose) b. July 1959 1992:
Walter Andreas Schwarz
(78) German singer, songwriter,
novelist, Kabarettist, author of radio dramas and translator. In 1956, he competed
with his own composition "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück"
in the German national final for the Eurovision Song Contest and won. Along with
Freddy Quinn, he therefore became the first German entrant in the competition.
The song was released as a single but commercially, it was not very successful.
Other notable records were not released. He went on to become a successful author
of novels and especially radio dramas. One of his last contirbutions was an adaption
of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in 1990 and 1991, which included 17 episodes
(?) b.
June 2nd
1913. 1998:
Rozz Williams/Roger Alan Painter (34)
American deathrock vocalist, a pioneer of deathrock,
most famous for fronting the bands Christian Death and Shadow Project, the latter
with his then wife, Eva O. He took the name of Rozz Williams from a gravestone
he found in Pomona cemetery. His first bands were called The Crawlers, The Upsetters,
The Asexuals and
Daucus Karota before he went on to form Christian Death in late 1979. The band
broke up temporarily in 1981, and Rozz formed Premature Ejaculation. Other musical
projects he was involved in include Heltir and EXP Premature Ejaculation. He also
recorded several solo albums including ''Every King a Bastard Son'', ''The Whorse's
Mouth'', ''Live In Berlin'', ''Accept The Gift of Sin'' (Suicide, found by Ryan
Wildstar, his roommate of 7 years, hanged to death in their West Hollywood apartment)
b.
November 6th 1963.
2004: Paul Atkinson (58)
UK guitarist for legendary rock band The Zombies along
with Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Chris White
and Hugh Grundy, scoring US hits in the mid- and late-1960s with "She's Not
There", "Tell Her No", and "Time of the Season". He later
became an artists and repertoire executive, discovering and signing such bands
as ABBA, Bruce Hornsby, Mr. Mister, Judas Priest, and Michael Penn. On 25 November,
1997, all five Zombies reunited at the Jazz Cafe in London's Camden Town as part
of a solo show by Colin Blunstone, to perform "She's Not There" and
"Time of the Season". (died in a Santa Monica, California hospital of
a liver and kidney disease) b. March 19th
1946. 2009: Duane Jarvis
(51) American guitarist,
singer-songwriter; influenced by BB King, The Who, The Kinks, and The Rolling
Stones he was part of a blues band and a power pop group while in his teens. He
went on to record songs with many rock and roll and country music performers,
including Frank Black, Peter Case, Rosie Flores, John Prine, Amy Rigby, Lucinda
Williams and Dwight Yoakam. In
addition to his collaborations, which included co-writing "Still I Long For
Your Kiss", a song on Lucinda Williams's Grammy-winning album "Car Wheels
on a Gravel Road", he also released a number of solo albums including "D.J.'s
Front Porch", "Far From Perfect" and "Certified Miracle"
(colon cancer) b. August 22nd 1957. 2009:
Pedro Infante Jr. (59) Mexican actor and singer, son of Pedro Infante
(pneumonia) b.?? 2009:
Margreta Elkins AM (78) Australian mezzo-soprano; she
sang at Covent Garden and with Opera Australia, Dublin Grand Opera Company, the
Carl Rosa Opera Company and other companies. She made a number of recordings,
including singing alongside sopranos such as Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland.
She went freelance in 1980 and recorded Elgar's Sea Pictures with the Queensland
Symphony Orchestra in 1983, a recording which is often compared favourably with
Dame Janet Baker's; 11 June 1984, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia
and awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Queensland in 1986. In
1990 she appeared as Azucena in Il trovatore for Queensland Lyric Opera. She returned
to the stage once more
in 2002, as Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria
rusticana for Opera Queensland where she was an honorary life member (cancer)
b. October 16th 1930.
April
2nd
1987:
Buddy Rich/Bernard Rich (69) American
jazz drummer, bandleader and former Marine. He was billed as "the world's
greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuoso technique, power, and speed.
He began playing drums in vaudeville when he was 18 months old, billed as "Traps
the Drum Wonder" and by the time he was
11, he was performing as a bandleader. At the peak of his childhood career, he
was reportedly the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world, after Jackie
Coogan. He expressed great admiration for, and was influenced by the playing of
Chick Webb, Gene Krupa, Dave Tough and Jo Jones among others. He
first played jazz in 1937 with Joe Marsala's group, with Bunny Berigan in 1938
and with Artie Shaw 1939. In 1939, Buddy taught drums to a young Mel Brooks, and
persuaded Artie Shaw to allow a 13-year-old Mel to attend Shaw's recording sessions
in Manhattan. In October 1944, at the Paramount Theatre Rich mentioned to Frank
Sinatra that he was interested in starting his own band. Frank wrote him a cheque
for $40,000 and said "Good Luck. This'll get you started." Between 1940
to 1966 he played with Tommy Dorsey, Benny Carter, Harry James, Les Brown, Charlie
Ventura, and Jazz at the Philharmonic, as well as leading his own band and performing
with all-star groups. For most of the period from 1966 until his death, he led
a successful big band in an era when the popularity of big bands had waned. He
also served as the session drummer on many recordings with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald,
Louis Armstron and Oscar Peterson. He was also a frequent guest on The Steve Allen
Show, Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show, among others.
Only a few weeks prior to his death
he
appeared with his Big Band on Michael Parkinson's British talk show Parkinson
(brain tumour)
b. September 30th 1917. 1998:
Robert 'Rob' Pilatus (32) Afro-German model,
stripper, singer of the duo Milli Vanilli. The son of an African American soldier
and a German mother, he was later adopted by a German family and raised in Munich.
He worked as a model and break dancer before joining Milli Vanilli, a pop/dance
music project formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988, fronted by Fab Morvan
and Rob Pilatus. Their debut platinum album "Girl You Know It's True"
became a worldwide hit and produced five hit singles including 3 No.1 hits, "Girl
I'm Gonna Miss You", "Baby Don't Forget My Number" and "Blame
It On The Rain". The album won them the 1990
Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
On November 12th 1990, Frank Farian confessed
to reporters that Rob and Fab did not actually sing on the records. As a result
of US media pressure, Milli Vanilli's Grammy was withdrawn, their three American
Music Awards were never withdrawn, but Arista Records dropped the act from its
roster and deleted their album and its masters from their catalog, taking "Girl
You Know It's True" out of print. After a failed comeback attempt, Rob turned
to a life of crime and in 1996, he served three months in jail for assault, vandalism
and attempted robbery. He also spent six months on drug rehabilitation, before
returning to Germany. On February 14, 2007, it was announced that Universal Pictures
was developing a film based on the story of Milli Vanilli's rise and fall in the
music industry (drug overdose)
b. June 8th 1965. 2003: Edwin Starr (61)
US soul singer (heart attack) 2006: Buddy Blue /Bernard Seigal (48)
US guitarist with the legendary San Diego punktry band the Beat Farmers (heart
attack). 2009: Bud Shank (82)
American alto saxophonist; he began with clarinet, but had switched to
saxophone before attending the University of North Carolina. In 1946 he worked
with Charlie Barnet before moving on to Kenton and the West coast jazz scene.
He also had a strong interest in what might now be termed world music, playing
bossa nova in the early 1950s, and in 1962 fusing jazz with Indian traditions
in collaboration with Indian composer and sitar-player Ravi Shankar. As well as
releasing 12 albums as a leader, the last to date being 2007's Beyond the Red
Door, he has also recorded with The Mamas & the Papas, Ravi Shankar and Gene
Clarke. In 2005 he formed the Bud Shank Big Band in Los Angeles to celebrate the
40th anniversary of Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra (pulmonary failure) b.
May 27th 1926. April
3rd
1887:
Johannes Brahms (63) Austria-Hungarian composer,
pianist; his works blend classical tradition with a romantic impulse and include
concertos, four symphonies, chamber music, and choral compositions.()
1978:
Ray Noble (74)
UK bandleader, composer, arranger and actor; became leader of the HMV Records
studio band in 1929. The band, known as the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, featured
members of many of the top hotel orchestras of the day. The most popular vocalist
with Noble's studio band was Al Bowlly, he also provided
music for many radio shows like The Charlie McCarthy Show and Burns and Allen
(). 1990: Sarah Vaughan/Sassy (66)
US jazz singer, considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th
Century. (lung cancer) 1999: Lionel Bart (69)
UK composer of songs and musicals, best known
for Oliver! (died
after a long hard struggle with cancer) 2002: Fad Gadget/Frank Tovey (45)
An influential British avant-garde electronic musician, he was an exponent of
both New Wave and early industrial music (he had suffered from heart problems
since his childhood, and died of a heart attack). 2003: Homer Banks (61)
African-American songwriter, singer and record producer, best known for his
songs for Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. Many of the songs he wrote have
become contemporary classics (cancer). 2006: Martin Gilks (41) UK drummer
for the British band the Wonder Stuff. They backed UK comedian Vic Reeves on a
great remake of "Dizzy" in the early 90s. He left the group at the end
of 1995 to join his brother "Tank" in forming Furtive Mass Transit Systems,
a management company who looked after Reef, Cable, A and Hundred Reasons (motorcycle
accident). 2008: Wayne "Frosty Freeze" Frost (44) American
B-boy, breakdancer and member of the hip-hop group Rock Steady Crew, known for
his comedic, acrobatic and inventive style; his trademark move is known as, "The
Suicide", also known as "The Death Freeze Drop" (He was stricken
with an undisclosed illness during early 2008, went on life support on March 27).
2009: Charlie Kennedy (81) American alto
saxophonist; he played with Louis Prima's big band orchestra in the 1940s. After
a brief stint in his own band, he joined Gene Krupa's big band. Over the course
of his long career, he played with Terry Gibbs's Dream Band, Charlie Ventura,
Flip Phillips, Chico O'Farrill, and Bill Holman among others. In addition to live
performances and recordings with big name bands, he also was a frequent studio
musician. He played in the orchestras for popular movies including My Fair Lady
and West Side Story. In the 1970s, for more stable income to support his family
with six children, he gave up his career as a full-time musician, but continued
to perform in clubs near his home in Southern California (pulmonary disease)
b. July 2nd 1927.
April
4th
1995:
Kenny Everett (50)
UK radio DJ, TV presenter; he began his show biz career as a DJ for Radio London,
a pirate radio station, where he teamed up with Dave Cash for the 'Kenny &
Cash Show' one of the most popular programmes on
pirate radio (aids) 1997:
Gene Ames (74)
US singer with The Ames Brothers, they
notched up 50 U.S. chart entries and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of
Fame in 1998 (?) 2009:
Eduardo Parra (90) Chilean folk singer (septic shock) b.
?? April
5th 1981: Bob Hite (36)
lead singer, harmonica with Canned Heat (heart attack)
1983: Danny Rapp (41) front man with his Danny
and the Juniors; although his birth certificate states his birth was May 10, he
was born at home on May 9 and registered the following day. (an apparent suicide
by gunshot)
1994:
Kurt Cobain (27) founder, singer, guitarist of
Nirvana (His death was officially ruled a suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Since then, the circumstances surrounding his death have fueled much analysis
and debate)
1998:
Cozy Powell/Colin Flooks (50) UK drummer;
he worked with Rainbow, Whitesnake, and as a soloists, top session player and
freelance drummer. Considered to be one of England's
best drummers and very much in demand for rock and pop records, Cozy Powell is
legendary for his heavy-hitting style that he made to work with many kinds of
rock music, whether it be for the thundering pop productions or the softer rock
ballads (died in hospital following a car crash, driving his Saab 9000 in bad
weather on the M4 motorway near Bristol, while talking to his girlfriend on his
mobile phone, he lost control and crashed into the central barriers)
2002: Layne Staley (34) lead guitarist & singer of Alice In Chains (lethal
overdose of heroin and cocaine) 2006: Gene Pitney (66) US singer songwriter.
(Died peacefully in his sleep at The Hilton Hotel, Cardiff Wales, UK, after a
sold out show at St. Davids Hall. An autopsy confirmed the singer died of natural
causes) 2009: Nancy Overton (83) American
singer; first formed a group with her sister Jean Swain and two college friends,
in 1946, touring with orchestra leader Tommy Tucker for 6 months, as Tommy Tucker's
Two Timers, and recorded the song "Maybe You'll Be There". They next
sang with singer and band leader Ray Heatherton, they were then known as The Heathertones.
The Heathertones disbanded in 1953. In 1957, Janet Ertel of The Chordettes, though
still recording with the group, elected not to continue touring, Nancy was invited
to appear with The Chordettes for live appearances and did so until the group
broke up in the early 1960s. After her husband Hall Overton died in 1972, she
retired from show business and worked for Prentice-Hall Publishers as an editorial
assistant. In the early 1990s, The Chordettes regrouped with Nancy, Doris Alberti,
and original members Lynn Evans and Jean Swain, doing shows ranging from a doo
wop concert to touring with Eddy Arnold (esophageal cancer) b.
February 6th 1926. 2009: Tony D/Anthony Depula
(42) American hip hop DJ and musician; He was the first artist to have
a record released on Mark Rae's burgeoning British Grand Central Records independent
record label, then called Gone Clear Records. His other albums were released on
Cha-Ching Records and 4th & B'way Records, and he was a part of the group
Crusaders for Real Hip Hop, which released one album on Profile Records. He had
also worked as a producer for DJ Muggs, Outsidaz, Scott Lark, Poor Righteous Teachers,
Young Zee, King Sun, Blvd Mosse, and Pace Won. He was last reported to be working
on a band project called The WBs (car accident) b.??
April
6th
1977:
Benny Featherstone (65)
Tasmanian drummer, trumpet player (?)
1984: Ral Donner (41) US singer; a most successful
Elvis sound-alike, getting a career, a year's worth of charting singles, and years
of steady work out of the fact that his singing bore an uncanny resemblance to
the King of Rock & Roll's ballad style.(cancer)
1998: Wendy Orlean Williams (48) lead singer;
Plasmatics (died in a wooded area near her home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound)
1998: Tammy Wynette (55) Country singer; known as the "First Lady
of Country Music" and one of her best-known songs was "Stand by Your
Man," which was one of the biggest selling hit singles by a woman in the
history of the music genre (cardiac arrythmia) 2006:
Augustyn Bloch (75)
composer, member of the Polish Composers Union; he was an active concert organist,
and wrote music for the Polish Radio Theatre () 2009:
Jan "Tollarparn" Eriksson (69) Swedish jazz pianist (?) b.
July 25th 1939. April
7th
1981: Kit Lambert (45) record producer and the manager for The Who. (died
of a cerebral hemorrhage after falling down a flight of stairs at his mother's
home in London) 1994:
Lee Brilleaux (41) South African singer, harmonica;
Dr Feelgood (throat cancer) 2000: Heinz/Heinz
Henry Georg Schwartze (57) vocals,
bass; Wild Boys/Tornados/solo; born in Germany but raised in Southampton, UK (stroke,
effects of motor neurone disease)
2006: Derek Jamerson (39) US drummer and keyboardist very active in the
Detroit Techno Music Scene, he is also the son of bassist James Jamerson.(died
in the Presbyterian St. Lukes Hospital, Denver, Colorardo). 2008: Phil
Urso (82) American jazz tenor saxophonist and composer, sadly he was never
well-known, missed by the media, but he backed Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra
with the Eliot Lawrence Orchestra and
played with Woody Herman, Jimmy Dorsey, Miles Davis, Terry Gibbs, Oscar Pettiford
and many others in the late 1940's until the early 70s (?). 2009:
Mari Trini/Maria Trinidad Perez Miravete (61) Spanish pop singer and
actress; she learned to play guitar and compose songs at a young age. After meeting
American film producer Nicholas Ray she moved to London to improve her natural
skills and later to Paris in 1963 where she signed her first record deal. In 1969
Mari debuted with the release of a self-titled album featuring songs in both Spanish
and French. Amores, Escuchame and Ventanas followed soon after. Her songs "Cuando
Me Acaricias," "Canción de Otoño," and "Yo No
Soy Esa," became classics in the Latin pop music field. She released 25 albums
over her long career, her intensity, with a strong undercurrent of melancholy,
expressed in an intimate, slightly rasping voice, brought comparisons with Edith
Piaf. (cancer) b. July 12th 1947.
April
8th
1938: Joe "King" Oliver (57) US cornet
player; He pioneered in the use of mutes, including the plumber's plunger, derby
hat, bottles and cups in the bell of his horn. His recording "WaWaWa"
with the Dixie Syncopators can be credited with giving the name wah-wah to such
techniques. He gave Louis Armstrong the first cornet that Louis was to own. Louis
called Oliver his idol and inspiration all his life.()
1985: John Frederick Coots (87) US songwriter,
he wrote over 700 songs including 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' a song that
became one of the biggest best sellers in American music history.() 1995:
Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes (59) US Bluesman, harmonica player, owner
of Barnes' Playboy Club on Nelson Street in Greenville, Mississippi were he held
court. (lung cancer) 1997:
Laura Nyro (49) singer, guitar, piano, songwriter
(ovarian cancer) 2008: Cedella Booker (81)
Jamaican mother of the great Bob Marley (natural causes). 2009:
David "Pop" Winans (74)
American gospel singer; the patriarch of the award-winning gospel music family,
The Winans. A native of Detroit, he began singing with a gospel quartet at the
age of 18.
He met his wife Delores while in the Lucille Lemon Choir conducted by James Cleveland.
They recorded together as "Mom and Pop Winans" and separately at various
times as "Mom", "Pop", "David" or "Delores".
They received a Grammy nomination for their CD "Mom & Pop Winans"
in 1989 and in 1999, David was nominated for a Grammy for his solo album, "Uncensored".
The Winans family gospel group earned six Grammy awards. They were well known
for the yearly Christmas concerts they organized at Mercy Hall in which their
ten children participated
(heart attack) b. April 20th 1934.
April 9th 1976: Phil Ochs (35) US
folk singer songwriter (afflicted with serious depression, he hung himself at
his sisters home in Queens, New York) 1988:
Dave Prater (50) one half of Sam & Dave;
most of their hits were penned by Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter. In most recordings
they were backed by Hayes on piano with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and the Memphis
Horns.(car crash at Syracuse, Georgia). 1988:
Brook Benton/Benjamin Franklin Peay (56) Silky
smooth US soul singer, rhythm & blues singer
(complications from spinal meningitis)
1991: Martin Hannett (42) Record producer, The
Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, Magazine, and U2, The Psychedelic
Furs (discovered dead in his chair, a victim of heart failure)
1997: Mae Boren Axton (82) Known
in the music industry as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville'. She was one of the co-writers
of the song Heartbreak Hotel, made popular by Elvis Presley. She
was an influential member of the Nashville music industry. For decades she used
her influence to contribute to the success of many musical careers including Mel
Tillis, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson and Blake Shelton to name only a few. She
wrote some 200 songs, 14 of which made the charts (drowned in her hot tub at her
home)
b. September 14 1914. 1998:
Tom Corra (44) American
cellist and composer; he made his musical debut as drummer on a local TV program
and in the mid-1970s he played guitar for a Washington, D.C. jazz club house band.
He took up the cello while at the University of Virginia, during this time he
formed his own group, The Moose Skowron Tuned Metal Ensemble and began constructing
instruments for it. In
1979 he moved to New York where he worked with Shockabilly guitarist Eugene Chadbourne,
introducing the cello to the honky tonk circuits of North America. He performed
and/or recorded with John Zorn, Fred Frith, Andrea Centazzo, Butch Morris, Wayne
Horvitz, David Moss, Toshinori Kondo and others. He also collaborated with George
Cartwright and Bill Laswell which led to the formation of the art rock band Curlew
in 1979. In 1982 he and Fred Frith formed Skeleton Crew, touring Europe and Japan
and was also a member of the improvising trio Third Person, formed in 1990. Tom
performed with a number of other bands, including Nimal and post-rock quartet
Roof. In 1990, he played two concerts with Dutch anarcho-punk band, The Ex, and
the success of this collaboration resulted in him performing hundreds of concerts
with The Ex and appearing on two of their CDs. (malignant
melanoma) b. September 14th 1953.
2008: Bob Kames (82) American polka musician, songwriter and is credited
with developing and popularizing the modern-day version of the song "Dance
Little Bird," which is much better known by its more common name, The Chicken
Dance. He is a member of the Wisconsin Area Music Industry's Hall of Fame (prostate
cancer). 2008: Erkki Aukusti Junkkarinen (78) Finnish singer; established
his musical career in 1950, he helped spread the humppa style of music (?).
2008: Choubeila Rached (75) Tunisian singer, decorated with the insignia
of the Order of the National Merit in the cultural sector by President Zine el
Abidine Ben Ali (?). 2009: Duke
D'Mond/Richard Palmer (66) British singer; founder
member and lead singer of 46 years with the The Barron Knights, he retired from
performing 4 years ago after a bad fall. The Barron Knights, a British humorous
pop group, was originally formed in 1959 as The Knights of the Round Table, they
became the Barron Knights on October 5th 1960. They toured with the Beatles, the
Rolling Stones, Pet Clarke and others. Of their many humorous songs recorded,
they achieved 14 chart hits, including "Come to the Dance", "Pop
Go the Workers", "Merry Gentle Pops", "Live in Trouble",
"The Topical Song", "A Taste of Aggro" and their first and
best known hit 1964's "Call Up The Groups", written in response to the
end of national service in the UK. (pneumonia
- Duke was rushed to a hospital in Oxford with internal bleeding, then went into
a coma before having a severe heart attack and developing pneumonia)
b. February 25th 1943 2009:
Randy Cain/Rudy Cain (63) American
singer; soul singer and founder member of the The Delfonics
whose hits included La La Means I Love You. Randy along with brothers
William and Wilbert Hart formed the band while attending Overbrook High School
in Philadelphia in the 1960s. The group, one of the earliest to define the smooth,
soulful Philadelphia sound, won an R&B Grammy in 1970 for its
song Didnt I (Blow Your Mind This Time). He left the Delfonics
in 1971 and later helped form the group Blue Magic, who had a hit in 1974 with
the quirky love song "Slideshow", when he brought singer and songwriter
Theodore Mills to his production company. He rejoined The Delfonics in the 1980s.
The group enjoyed renewed popularity in later decades after their music was sampled
by several major hip-hop artists, including Notorious BIG, Missy Elliott and The
Fugees. The chorus of Ready or Not by The Fugees, which topped the UK charts in
1996, is based on The Delfonics' song, Ready Or Not, Here I Come (Can't Hide From
Love) (died at his home in Maple Shade, New Jersey) b. May
2nd 1945.
April
10th
1958:
Chuck Willis/Harold Willis (30) Blues,
R&B singer (died suddenly of peritonitis while at the peak of his
career)
1970: Rafael "Ralph" Escudero (71)
tuba, bowed bass, Puerto Rican Jazzman; valuable rhythm section member
in some of the most prominent of the larger classic jazz ensembles, such
as the bands of Fletcher Henderson and the popular McKinney's Cotton Pickers.()
1962: Stuart Sutcliff (22) UK bassist
for The Beatles; an art school friend of John Lennon and was the original
bassist of the The Beatles for two years. He is credited with naming the
group after Buddy Holly's band the Crickets. (died of a brain haemorrhage
in an ambulance on the way to hospital)
2003: Little Eva/Eva Narcissus Boyd (59) US singer; after the
success of "The Loco-Motion", she was unfortunately stereotyped
as a dance-craze singer and was given limited material.(died after a two
year battle with cervical cancer).
2003: Douglas 'Noel' Fox (63) US bass singer with the country and
gospel band The Oak Ridge Boys, he went on to work as booking agent, talent
manager and publisher. In 1978, he began managing the Oak Ridge Boys'
publishing entity (died after surgery following a series of strokes).
2005:
Wally Tax (57) Dutch vocalist, songwriter, composer; Outsiders/Tax
Free/solo ()
2007: Dakota Staton (76) American
jazz vocalist, who was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for
a short period. She studied music at the Filion School of Music in Pittsburgh,
after which she performed regularly in the Hill District, a jazz hotspot,
as a vocalist with the Joe Wespray Orchestra. She next spent several years
in the nightclub circuit in such cities as Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland
and St. Louis. While in New York, she was noticed singing at a Harlem
nightclub called the Baby Grand by Dave Cavanaugh, a producer for Capitol
Records. She was signed and released several singles, including her 1957
No. 4 hit, "The Late, Late Show". She relocated to England in
the mid-1960s, where he continued to record semi-regularly, her recordings
taking an increasingly strong gospel and blues influence (?) b.
June 3rd 1930
April
11th
2006: Proof / DeShaun Holton (32)
US rapper, member of the hip hop groups D12, Promatic, 5 Elementz, and
Goon Sqwad. He rose to prominence alongside Eminem and other D12 members,
he was a steady hand for Detroit's then up-and-coming hip-hop scene. It
was his idea to assemble a collection of Detroit's best hip-hop talent
and call it D12. We may never have heard of Eminem if Proof hadn't taken
under his wing years ago, it was his hand that helped push Eminem to become
one of the world's biggest pop stars, including serving as his on-stage
hype man on concert tours. In 2000, Proof toured along with Eminem, Dr.
Dre and Snoop Dogg in the Up In Smoke Tour. He appeared in Eminem's autobiographical
film "8 Mile", after which he was hired to host a national search
for the next best battle rapper by Showtime Networks. Proof released his
long-in-the-works solo debut, "I Miss the Hip Hop Shop" recorded
between 2002 and 2004, which was followed by "Searching for Jerry
Garcia" in August 2005 on his own Iron Fist Records. His mother read
poetry on the song "Billie Holiday" on the album (shot to death
at the Detroit club, C.C.C. on Eight Mile Road) b.
October
2nd 1973
2009: Johnny Roadhouse (88) British
saxophonist; he joined Teddy Foster's orchestra in 1946, two years later
he became leader of the sax section for the BBC Northern Variety Orchestra.
In 1953 this was transformed into the Northern Dance Orchestra, he remained
a member until its demise in the 1980s. He has also played with the Hallé
Orchestra and the Liverpool Philharmonic. As well as his musical performing
career, in 1955 he opened "Johnny Roadhouse Music" on Oxford
Street, the best-known musical instrument shop in Manchester. Eventually
the business grew offshoots, such as a team of specialist instrumental
teachers and a band agency. In 2005 he was presented with Lifetime Achievement
awards by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Variety Club of Great Britain
(passed away in his sleep after a short illness) b.January
13th 1921.
April
12th
1963:
Herbie Nichols (44) American
jazz pianist, composer; his first known work was with the Royal Barons
in 1937, where he became friends with fellow pianist Thelonious Monk.
After the war he worked in various bands , beginning to achieve some recognition
when Mary Lou Williams recorded some of his songs in 1952. He recorded
for Blue Note in 1955 and 1956, which led to the issue of three albums.
Other tracks from these sessions were not issued until the 1980s. His
tune "Serenade" had lyrics added, and as "Lady Sings the
Blues" became firmly identified with Billie Holiday. In 1957 he recorded
his last album for Bethlehem Records "Love, Gloom, Cash, Love".
All of his recordings as leader have been released on CD. In recent years
his music has been heavily promoted by Roswell Rudd, who worked with Herbie
in the early 1960s. Roswell has recorded or programmed at least three
albums featuring Nichols' compositions, including "The Unheard Herbie
Nichols" and a book "The Unpublished Works". Obscure during
his lifetime, he is now highly regarded by many musicians and critics
(leukemia) b. January 3rd 1919.
1967: William "Buster" Bailey (64)
American jazz musician specializing in the clarinet, but also well versed
on saxophone, he was one of the most respected session players of his
era. He started with W.C. Handys Orchestra in 1917 when he was 15
years old. In 1919 he joined Erskine Tates Vendome Orchestra in
Chicago until 1923 when he joined up with Joe "King" Oliver
and became friends with Louis Armstrong, who was also a member of that
band at the time. In 1924, Armstrong left the band to join Fletcher Hendersons
Orchestra in New York. Within a month Armstrong extended an invitation
for Buster to join him as a member of the band, he accepted and moved
to New York City. He went on to record and/or tour the US and Europe with
many greats including Perry Bradford, Clarence Williams, Noble Sissles
Orchestra, the John Kirby Band, Edgar Hayes, Dave Nelson, Midge Williams
and Her Jazz Jesters, Big Chief Russell Moore, the Mills Blue Rhythm Band,
Wilbur de Paris, Henry "Red" Allen, Wild Bill Davison, Saints
And Sinners as well as his own band Buster Bailey and His Rhythm Busters.
In 1965 he rejoined his old friend Armstrong and became a member of Louis
Armstrong and His All-Stars (heart attack) b.
July 19th 1902.
1971: Wynton
Kelly (39) US jazz pianist; he started his professional
career as a teenager, playing with R&B groups. He recorded 14 titles
for Blue Note with his trio, and worked with Dinah Washington, Dizzy Gillespie,
and Lester Young during 1951-1952. After serving in the military, he worked
with Dinah Washington from 1955-1957, Charles Mingus from 1956-1957, and
the Dizzy Gillespie big band in 1957. Maybe he was most famous for his
work with Miles Davis from 1959-1963, recording such albums as "Kind
of Blue", "At the Blackhawk" and "Someday My Prince
Will Come". (epileptic fit) b. December 2nd
1931.
1999: Boxcar Willie/Lecil Travis Martin (67)
American "hobo music" / country singer; he was the son of
a railroad man who used to play his fiddle on the porch while Lecil played
guitar. By his teens he was performing in jamborees all over the state
until he gave up show business to enlist in the Air Force, where he spent
22 years, logging some 10,000 hours as a flier. He performed under the
nickname of "Boxcar Willie" for the first time at a talent contest
in San Jose, California, while he was still in the Air Force, he won the
first prize of $150. In 1976, Lecil left the Air Force and became a full-time
performer, he went on to become a star in country music, selling more
than 10 million records worldwide, with hits such as "Lonesome Whistle
Blues", and "Wabash Cannonball". In 1981, he achieved a
professional landmark by being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry as its
60th member. In 1985, he moved to Branson, Missouri and purchased a theatre
on Highway 76 / 76 Country Music Boulevard, calling it the Boxcar Willie
Theatre. He opened a museum and had two motels, both bearing his name.
The overpass at Interstate 35E and Farm to Market Road 664 in Red Oak,
Texas was renamed "Boxcar Willie Memorial Overpass" after a
major reconstruction project (leukemia) b. September
1st 1931
2006: June Pointer (52) American Pop/R&B
singer and was a founding member of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters.
(bone, liver and lung cancer) b.
2009: Ruben "Zeke" Zarchy (93)
American jazz trumpet legend; he joined Joe Haymes orchestra in 1934,
then played with Benny Goodman in 1936 and Artie Shaw in 1937. From 1937
to 1942, he worked and recorded with the bands of Red Norvo, Bob Crosby,
Mildred Bailey, Frank Sinatra, Helen Ward, Judy Garland, Tommy Dorsey,
and Ella Fitzgerald. Zeke's trumpet can be heard on recordings such as
Benny Goodman's "Bugle Call Rag", Bob Crosby's "South Rampart
Street Parade", and Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Cocktails".
When World War II broke out, he was chosen by Glenn Miller for what became
Miller's Army Air Force Band, officially, the 418th Army Band, where he
played lead trumpet and was Master Sergeant from 1942 to 1945. After the
war, singer Frank Sinatra invited Zeke to move to Los Angeles, where he
became a first-call studio musician. He played on the recordings of hundreds
of vocalists, including Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Dinah Shore, and
The Mills Brothers. His trumpet is heard in the soundtracks of many classic
Hollywood movies, including West Side Story, Dr. Zhivago and the The Glenn
Miller Story. During the 1960s and '70s, he played in the house bands
of several CBS TV variety shows, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy
Hour, The Danny Kaye Show and The Jonathan Winters Show, and was a member
of the NBC Staff Orchestras in Los Angeles and New York. In his later
years, Zarchy made many music tours of Europe, South America, and Australia,
as well as 32 concert trips to Japan (complications from pneumonia) b.
June 12th 1915.
April 13th
2004: Elden C. 'Buster' Bailey (81) American
percussionist; he attended the New England Conservatory and graduated
from Juilliard. During WW II he was a member of the U.S. Army 154th Ground
Force Band. After the war Buster became a member of the New York Philharmonic,
a career which would span 42 years and he was also a percussion teacher
at Juilliard for 24 years. He was one of the original members of both
the Little Orchestra Society and the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra. He wrote
two books on percussion instruments and was a member of the Percussive
Arts Societys Hall of Fame. Buster was also an avid fan of circus
music and was a member of Windjammers Unlimited, an organization devoted
to music of the circus (died after long illness) b.
April 22nd 1922
April 14th
1954: Lil Green (34) American blues vocalist noted for superb timing
and a distinctively sinuous voice (pneumonia)
1983: Pete Farndon (30) UK bassist in the band The Pretenders (found
drowned in his bath due to a drug overdose)
1998: Dorothy Squires (83) UK singer who did most of her work with
the orchestra of Billy Reid before launching a solo career (cancer).
1999: Anthony Newley (67) UK singer, actor, composer. (cancer).
2005: John Fred Gourrier (63) Front man with his band John Fred &
His Playboy Band (died from complications from a kidney transplant the
year previous to his death)
2007: Don Ho/Donald Ho Tai Loy (76) legendary Hawaiin pop singer,
keyboard (heart failure)
April 15th
1995: Cleo Brown/C. Patra Brown (85) US
jazz singer; made recordings in the '30s and '40s, then entered the studios
once again in the late '80s after being rediscovered living in the hinterlands
of Colorado (?)
2001: Joey Ramone (49) lead singer of
The Ramones; the 1970s band that was credited with beginning the punk
rock movement. The Ramones played raw tunes, fast and furious. (lymphatic
cancer)
2005: Benny Bailey (79) American bop
trumpeter; in the early 1940s he worked with Bull Moose Jackson and Scatman
Crothers. He later worked with Dizzy Gillespie and toured with Lionel
Hampton. During a European tour with Hampton he decided to stay in Europe
(died at home in Amsterdam)
2008: Clifford Davies (59) American musician,
former drummer for Ted Nugent and member of the jazz band "If"
(died from a self inflicted gun shot wound).
2008: Brian "Blinky"Davison (65) British
drummer, former member of progressive rock band The Nice, also played
with the Jackson Heights band, the Refugees and the Gong (he had been
diagnosed with an inoperable tumor earlier this year) b.
May 25th 1942.
2008:
Sean Costello (28)
American
blues guitarist singer
and songwriter.
He won the Memphis Blues Society's Talent Award aged 14. He released his
first album, "Call The Cops" when he was 17 and in 2000, he
released his second album "Cuttin' In", earning him a Gold Record
before his 21st birthday. Tinsley Ellis called
him the most gifted young Blues guitarist on the scene. He toured
widely in the USA and Europe and his reputation as a brilliant live performer
enabled him to play alongside blues luminaries such as Buddy Guy, B. B.
King and Hubert Sumlin. (found dead in his Atlanta hotel room, died from
an overdose of drugs that included prescribed anti-anxiety medication)
b. April 16th 1979.
April 16th
1999: Alexander "Skip" Spence (52) drums,
guitar; Moby Grape and Jefferson Airplane (lung cancer)
April 17th
1960: Eddie Cochran (21) Singer/songwriter,
multi-musician, one of the greatest, and the most talented of the early
pop stars (car crash near Swindon, UK, on the way to London Airport after
his successful UK tour)
1974: Vinnie Taylor (24) lead guitarist
with Sha Na Na (heroin overdose after a concert at University Hall at
the University of Virginia)
1983: Felix Pappalardi (43) producer,
bassist, Mountain (shot dead by his wife Gail Collins during a jealous
rage)
1987: Carlton Barrett (36) bassist with
the Impact All-Stars, Bob Marley & the Wailers, The Wailers, The Upsetters;
furnished the rock steady rhythm section of Bob Marley And The Wailers
from 1969 until Marley's death in 1981.(shot dead outside his house in
Kingston)
1998: Linda McCartney (56) vocals
and keyboardist in Wings and other Paul McCartney projects; not only performed
with her husband but was also an acclaimed photographer as well as a prominent
advocate of vegetarianism and animal rights.(breast cancer)
2003: Earl King (69) New Orleans Blues
guitarist, international songwriter (complications of diabetes in New
Orleans)
2008: Danny Federici (58) American musician; life long friend and
over 40 years as keyboardist with Bruce Springsteen in bands Child, Steel
Mill and The E Street Band (melanoma).
April 18th
1973: Willie "The Lion" Smith (79) American
jazz pianist; one of the masters of the stride style. Duke Ellington stated
"Willie The Lion was the greatest influence of all the great jazz
piano players who have come along. He has a beat that stays in the mind."
().
1996: Bernard Edwards (42) producer,
also bassist with Chic, ABC, Power Station and Rod Stewart (died in a
Tokyo Hotel room after complaining that he was feeling ill)
2008:
Peter Howard/Howard
Weiss (80)
American musical theatre
arranger, conductor and pianist. He served as the conductor and dance
music arranger for the original Broadway productions of Hello, Dolly!,
1776 and Annie, and and served as the dance music arranger for many original
Broadway productions (Parkinson's Disease).
2009: Bruno Adams (46) Australian singer,
songwriter, guitarist born in Bacchus Marsh, and moved to Melbourne in
1978. There, he became part of the embryonic Punk/New Wave scene, playing
with musicians from The Saints, Crime & The City Solution, and Laughing
Clowns. In
1984 he formed his own band Once Upon A Time. They played Melbourne's
clubs from 1985 to 1988, building a reputation for apocalyptic live shows
with their avantgarde psychedelic blues sound. They moved to Berlin, Germany
in 1989 and supported Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds throughout Europe
on "The Good Son"- Tour of 1990. A European tour supporting
Swans followed in the early 1990's. They recorded 3 CDs "Once Upon
A Time", "In The Blink Of An Eye" and "Don't Look
Down" before braking up in 1996. Since then they have done reunion
concerts in Berlin and Prague in 2004 and 2005 ()
b. 1963.
April 19th
1944: Jimmy Noone (48) New Orleans
clarinet/leader; considered one of the three top New Orleans clarinetists
of the 1920s, with a smoother tone than his contemporaries that appealed
to players of the swing era (died suddenly of a heart attack while in
L.A. California)
1993: Steve Douglas (54)
US saxophone, flute, clarinet, drums; one of the most sort after session
musicians in L.A, a member of The Wrecking Crew, who worked with Phil
Spector, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. He can be heard on records by
Duane Eddy, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, BB King, Ike &
Tina Turner, Bobby Darin and so many others (heart failure)
2003: Conrad Leonard (104!) pianist, composer; The oldest working
musician in Britain. At 99 years old, his doctor advised him to
"ease up a bit", and he accordingly cut his engagements to 75
gigs a year. Until the age of 103 years, he played the piano every Thursday
at lunchtime in the Plantation Cafe at Squire's Garden Centre in Twickenham.
2005: Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (58)
Danish double bassist; known for his impressive technique and an approach
that could be considered an extension of the innovative work of Scott
LaFaro.(heart failure)
2005: Bryan Ottoson (27) German born
lead guitarist with the US nu-metal/industrial
metal band American Head Charge from
Minneapolis, Minnesota; he had also played in the bands Black Flood Diesel
and A:POD (he was battling walking pneumonia with prescribed penicillin
and pain medication, but was found dead in a bunk of their tour van as
a result of these two drugs; his death was tragically accidental)
2009: Tilahun Gessesse (68) Ethiopian
singer; regarded as one of the most popular of his country's "Golden
Age" in the 1960s. During
the 1960s he became famous throughout the country, nicknamed "The
Voice". He raised money for aid during the famines of the 1970s and
1980s and earned the affection of the nation, being awarded a doctorate
by the University of Addis Adaba and also winning a lifetime achievement
award from the Ethiopian Fine Art and Mass Media Prize Trust. In his later
years he suffered from diabetes (He died in Addis Adaba shortly after
returning from America. Tilahun was honoured with a state funeral attended
by tens of thousands of his fellow citizens) b.
September
29th 1940.
April 20th
1920: Tony Jackson (44) jazz pianist;
a legend from the ragtime years who unfortunately never recorded, remembered
primarily because of Jelly Roll Morton's words of praise and due to his
composition "Pretty Baby" becoming a standard. (syphilis).
1969: Benny Benjamin/Papa Zita (43) main
drummer for the Motown studio band known as The Funk Brothers, noted for
his dynamic style. Motown
record producers, including Berry Gordy, refused to work on sessions unless
Benjamin was the drummer and James Jamerson was the bassist.(He died from
a stroke)
1932: Ronnie Boykins
(44) US jazz bass player, freelance;
most noted for his work with the Sun Ra Arkestra in the 1950s and 1960s
()
1991: Steve Marriott (44) UK singer-songwriter
and guitarist; best remembered for his powerful singing voice which belied
his small stature and for his guitar play in groups the Small Faces and
Humble Pie. At 13, he appeared as the Artful Dodger in Lionel Bart's musical
Oliver!, (he lost his life in a house fire at his home in Essex).
1992: Johnny Shines (76) Delta Blues
slide guitarist; best known as a traveling companion of Robert Johnson,
but his own contributions to the blues have often been unfairly shortchanged,
simply because Johnson's own legend casts such a long shadow.(heart complications)
2001: Giuseppe Sinopoli (54) Italian
conductor and composer; best known for his intense and sometimes controversial
interpretations of opera, especially works by Italian composers and Richard
Strauss (died of a heart attack while conducting Giuseppe Verdi's Aïda
at the Deutsche Opera in Berlin)
2002: Alan Dale/Aldo Sigismondi (76)
US singer, own TV & radio show during the 50's; he was placed second
to Frank Sinatra in a radio poll, Battle of The Baritones, in 1948. His
baritone was heard on Perez Prado's million-selling 1955 hit, "Cherry
Pink And Apple Blossom White", while his tune, "Sweet And Gentle",
introduced the cha-cha-cha to North America.(?)
2003: Teddy Edwards (78) American
jazz saxophonist, a
top L.A. sessionist and highly sort after freelance player, some people
consider him to be one of the most influential saxophonists in American
history. Born in Jackson, he learned to play at a very early age, first
on alto sax and then clarinet. His first professional job was with The
Royal Mississippians with Doc Parmley. Teddy relocated to Los Angeles,
which became his city of residence. He got a job playing at Club Alabam
on Central Ave, and went on to become an A list session player,
playing with many Jazz notables, including his personal friend Charlie
Parker, Roy Milton, Wynonie Harris, Vince Guaraldi, Joe Castro and Ernie
Andrews. A classic 1947 recording with Dexter Gordon, The Duel, helped
set him up as a legend, a status he liked to maintain by challenging other
worthy sax players to similar duels whenever possible, including a recording
with Houston Person. One such memorable duel took place in the 1980s at
London's 100 Club with UK tenor Dick Morrissey. In 1964, Edwards played
with Benny Goodman at Disneyland, and at the 1964 New York World's Fair.
Teddy also did a lot of work with Tom Waits, appearing on albums and toured
with him on the Heart Attack and Vine tour (prostate cancer) b.
April 26th 1924.
2008: Orish Grinstead (27) Irish-American
rhythm and blues singer, member of the platinum-selling and multi award
winning female R&B trio 702 (cancer and kidney failure).
2008: VL Mike/Michael Allen (32) American
rapper, had been portraying himself as a gangster for years through his
music when he wasn't (shot to death in New Orleans).
April 21st
1978: Sandy Denny (31) UK folk singer,
piano, guitar; Fairport Convention (died after falling down a flight of
stairs at a friend's house)
1999: Charles "Buddy"
Rogers (94) American actor and
jazz musician (natural causes)
2000: Neal Matthews (70) singer in the
Jordanaires and the The Oak Ridge Boys ; he backed nearly ever early rock
n roll star (heart attack)
2008: Aaron Shearer (88) American classical
guitarist; has several publications including his well known Classical
Guitar Technique method books. His former students include Manuel Barrueco,
Ricardo Cobo, David Tanenbaum, and David Starobin (?).
2008: Al Wilson (68) American soul singer
best known for the hit song "Show and Tell" and "The Snake",
which has been very popular on the Northern Soul music circuit in the
UK and is currently being featured in a Lambrini advert on British TV
(kidney failure).
April 22nd
1980: Jane Froman (72) American
singer, actor; she moved to New York in 1933 where she appeared on Chesterfield's
"Music that Satisfies" radio program with Bing Crosby. She also
joined the Ziegfeld Follies... lavish revues, between alater Broadway
show and a more elaborate high class Vaudeville variety show. By the time
she was 27, she had become the top-polled "girl singer." She
is credited with three films.. Kissing Time, Stars Over Broadway and Radio
City Revels. From 1952 to 1955, she hosted her own TV show on the CBS
network, "The Jane Froman Show". "I Believe", was
written for Jane by the show's musicians, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy
Shirl, and Al Stillman and earned her a gold record in 1953.She performed
on stage, radio and television despite chronic injuries that she sustained
from a 1943 plane crash. The 1952 film, With a Song in My Heart, is based
on her life (cardic arrest) b. November 10th
1907.
1996: Arthur 'T-Boy'
Ross (46)
US songwriter, brother of Diana Ross;
he and Leon Ware wrote hits for acts such as Michael Jackson, The Miracles
and Marvin Gaye. (T-Boy and his new wife Patricia Robinson, were found
murdered in a basement of a house in Detroit's Oak Park area, the double
murder is still unsolved).
2003: Felice Bryant/ Matilda Genevieve Scaduto (77)
US songwriter; one half of the
wife and husband country music songwriting team who were also at the forefront
of the evolution of pop music. With her husband,
Boudleaux, they wrote
numerous Everly Brothers' hits including "All I Have to Do Is Dream"
and "Bye Bye Love". Their prolific and quality compositions
would produce hit records for many stars from a variety of musical genres
including Tony Bennett, Bob
Moore,
Simon and Garfunkel, Sonny
James, Eddy Arnold, Charley Pride, Nazareth, Jim Reeves, Leo Sayer, Sarah
Vaughan, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, the Grateful Dead, Elvis Costello,
Count Basie, Dean Martin, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan among
many others. They formed one of the most potent songwriting teams in country
history (cancer) b.
August 7th 1925.
2006: Kay Finegan/Vivian Blessing
(95) Amerian singer and arranger of
the big band era who later became one of New York's top caterers; she
began singing in speakeasies of the 1920's, using the name Kay Ray. In
her music career she worked with Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers, Glenn
Miller, Ted Fioritto
and any others. She called herself
the hyphen in the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra, of which her husband, Bill
Finegan, was a co-founder. After her divorce she
reinvented herself and became one of New York's top caterers; she
was one of the first to popularize take-out meals (old
age) b. March
1st 1911.
2008: Monna Bell/Nora Escobar (70)
Chilean singer; reportedly
one of Juan Gabriel's muses. She enjoyed
a successful career in Spain, Mexico and other parts of Latin America.
She moved to Mexico in the 1970s after launching a successful career in
Spain (stroke) b. January 22 1938.
2008: Paul Davis (60) American singer
and songwriter, best known for his radio hits and solo career which started
worldwide in 1970. His career encompassed soul, country and pop music,
and he wrote many memorable country music hits. Best known for hits like
"I Go Crazy," "'65 Love Affair," "Cool Night"
(heart attack just one day after his 60th birthday) b.
April 21st 1948.
April
23rd
1975: Peter Ham (27) Welsh
singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the leader of the group
Badfinger and is often credited as being one of the earliest purveyors
of the power pop genre. He formed a local rock group in Swansea called
The Panthers around 1961. This group underwent several name and lineup
changes before it became The Iveys in 1965 and by 1969 they had relaocted
to Londan and had evolved into Badfingers having hits including "Maybe
Tomorrow", "Come and Get It", a composition written by
Paul McCartney, which became a
Top Ten hit worldwide, other
hits were "No Matter What", "Day After Day" and "Baby
Blue" (hung himself)
b. April 27th
1947.
1983:
Earl "Fatha" Hines (79) US jazz pianist; once called
"the first modern jazz pianist," he differed from the stride
pianists of the 1920s by breaking up the stride rhythms with unusual accents
from his left hand. In 1928, for 11 years, his was "The Band"
(The
Earl Hines Orchestra) in The Grand
Terrace Cafe in Chicago. The Grand Terrace was controlled by Al Capone,
Fatha Hines was Capone's "Mr Piano Man". He recorded endlessly
till his death both solo and with jazz notables like Louis Armstrong,
Cat Anderson, Harold Ashby, Barney Bigard, Lawrence Brown, Jaki Byard,
Benny Carter, Buck Clayton, Cozy Cole, Wallace Davenport, Eddie "Lockjaw"
Davis, Vic Dickenson, Roy Eldridge, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Panama
Francis, Bud Freeman, Dizzie Gillespie, Paul Gonsalves, Stephane Grappelli,
Sonny Greer, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Budd Johnson,
Jonah Jones, Gene Krupa, Ellis Larkins, Marian McPartland, Ray Nance,
Oscar Peterson, Russell Procope, Pee Wee Russell, Jimmy Rushing, Stuff
Smith, Rex Stewart, Maxine Sullivan, Buddy Tate, Jack Teagarden, Clark
Terry, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Venuti, Earle Warren, Ben Webster, Teddy Wilson,
Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy Woode and Lester Young. Possibly more surprising
were Alvin Batiste, Teresa Brewer, Richard Davis, Elvin Jones, Vi
Redd, Etta Jones, The Inkspots, Peggy
Lee, Helen Merrill, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington and Ry Cooder (?)
b. December 28th 1903.
1986: Harold Arlen (81) US composer of
popular music; an important composer of 20th century popular music, with
over 400 songs written, his 1938 song "Over the Rainbow was
voted the twentieth century's No.1 song by the Recording Industry Association
of America (?).
1991: Johnny Thunders/John Anthony Genzale Jr (38) guitarist,
vocals, New York Dolls (He died primarily from methadone and alcohol poisoning,
although doctors had diagnosed leukemia in him earlier in the year, in
New Orleans, Louisiana in 1991).
1999:
Melba Doretta Liston (73)
US
trombone, composer, musical arranger; toured
and worked with Count Basie, Billie Holliday, Randy Weston, Ray Charles,
Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie and many others (Heart problems).
April 24th
1962: Steve Allen Lewis (3) Son of Jerry
Lee Lewis (drowned in their home swimming pool)
1969: Rene Compere (62) Belgian jazz
trumpet player (?)
2001: Al Hibbler (85) US
blind Jazz, pop, r&b singer in the Duke Ellington's band after which
he went solo, his biggest hit was "Unchained Melody". He
performed at Louis Armstrongs funeral in 1971 (?)
2008: Jimmy Giuffre (86) US jazz clarinetist
and saxophonist; arranger for Woody Herman's big band, for which he wrote
the celebrated 'Four Brothers'. He continued to write creative, unusual
arrangements throughout his career. He was a central figure in West coast
jazz and was a member of Shorty Rogers's groups before going solo (pneumonia).
2009: Rev. Timothy Wright (61) American
gospel singer; he started on piano at age 12, and sang and composed for
his church choir as a teenager at the St. John's Fire Baptized Holiness
Church of God in Brooklyn. He played piano for F.D. Washington and Isaac
Douglas in the 1960s and 1970s, including on recordings, and he formed
his own gospel ensemble in the mid-1970s, the Timothy Wright Concert Choir.
He eventually became pastor of Grace Tabernacle COGIC in Crown Heights,
New York, and issued albums regularly from 1990. His
1994 album Come Thou Almighty King, with the New York Fellowship Mass
Choir, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Soul Gospel
Album, as was his 1999 release Been There Done That. He has recorded 20
albums
from 1984 until his death (On
July 4th 2008, he was critically injured in a car crash on Interstate
80 in Pennsylvania, a crash which killed his wife and grandson as well
as the driver of the oncoming car. He died as a result of these injuries)
b. June 17th 1947.
April
25th
1974: Pamela Courson (27) wife of the
late Jim Morrison (died of a drugs overdose)
1988: Carolyn Franklin (43) singer, younger
sister of Aretha (cancer)
1990: Dexter "Long Tall Dexter"
Gordon (67) US saxophone virtuoso; played
the fictional sax player Dale Turner in Bertrand Tavernier's 'Round Midnight.
His realistic portrayal of a burned-out American jazz man who finds refuge
in the cellar clubs of Paris earned him an Oscar nomination, making him
the first instrumental musician to be so honored also voted musician of
the year by Down Beat magazine in 1978 and 1980. (kidney failure)
1992: Yutaka Ozaki (26)
Japanese singer, songwriter (pulmonary edema)
1999: Roger Troutman (47) American vocalist with the band Zapp
(After shooting his brother dead, he was found shot and critically wounded
outside a recording studio in Dayton, Ohio; he died during surgery at
a local hospital)
2002: Lisa Nicole Lopes/Left Eye
(30) singer, songwriter, rapper, in the group TLC (car accident in
La Ceiba, Honduras).
2007: Bobby "Boris" Pickett (69) US singer, songwriter;
sang and co-wrote the Halloween anthem "Monster Mash" which
has put him in the history books making him pop music's most enduring
one-hit wonder ever.(leukemia)
2008: Humphrey Lyttelton (86) British
Jazz patriarc, trumpeter, cartoonist, BBC radio
broadcaster,
and chairman of the BBC radio programme 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'.
(died peacefully following heart surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm).
2008: Canhoto da Paraíba (79) Brazilian musician and violinist
(heart attack)
April 26th
1984: Count Basie (79) American jazz
pianist, organist, and bandleader (pancreatic cancer)
1991:
Carmine Coppola (80)
American
award winning composer, director songwriter
and flute player;
he studied at Juilliard and later at the Manhattan School of Music. During
the 1940s, he worked under Arturo Toscanini with the NBC Symphony Orchestra.
Then in 1951, Carmine left the Orchestra to pursue his dream of composing
music. During that time he mostly worked as an orchestra conductor on
Broadway and elsewhere, working with his son, legendary filmmaker Francis
Ford Coppola, on additional music for his Finian's Rainbow. Together with
Nino Rota, Carmine composed music for The Godfather, and for The Godfather
Part II, for which they won Oscars for Best Score. Carmine then scored
Francis' Apocalypse Now, for which he won a Golden Globe award for best
original score. He also composed three and a half hour score for Francis'
1981 reconstruction of Abel Gance's 1921 epic Napoleon (?) b.
June 11th 1910.
1997: Ernest Stewart (47) US keyboardist
with KC and the Sunshine Band (asthma attack)
April 27th
1999: Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (76) Legendary
New Orleans trumpeter & bandleader (liver failure)
2000: Vicki Sue Robinson (45) US singer
and broadway star; a strong, vibrant vocalist, her records were among
some of the best produced and arranged '70s disco releases with solid
beats built on solid songs (cancer). b. May 21st
1954
2008: "Big" Ron O'Brien (56) American disc jockey (pneumonia)
2008: Marios Tokas (54) Cypriot composer (long struggle with cancer)
April 28th
1975: Tom Donahue (46) American FM disc
jockey; was a pioneering rock and roll radio disc jockey, he was inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a non performer, as one
of only three disc jockeys to receive that honor.(heart attack)
1980: Tommy Caldwell (30) bassist, Marshall Tucker Band (died of injures
from a car accident)
1981: Steve Currie (33) bass player in the glam rock band T Rex (car
accident)
1982: Murray McEachern (66) Canadian jazz and swing trombonist and
alto saxophonist for having played trombone for Benny Goodman, the trombone
and alto saxophone for the Casa Loma Orchestra and his studio work in
his later career for Hollywood films, including solo performances in The
Glenn Miller Story, Paris Blues and The Benny Goodman Story ()
1988: B W Stevenson (38) US singer, songwriter, guitarist (died shortly
after undergoing heart surgery)
2009: Valeria Peter Predescu (62)
Romanian popular/folk singer (heart attack) b. 1947
2009: Vern Gosdin (74)
American country music singer; in
1961 he moved from Alabama to California, where he joined the West Coast
Country music movement, first as a member of the Golden State Boys, then
the Hillmen before forming The Gosdin Brothers with brother Rex. The duo
hit the charts in the late '60s with "Hangin' On" and "Till
The End". In the '80s he teamed with Max D. Barnes as a songwriting
collaborator, he had hits with "If You're Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It
Right)"; "Way Down Deep", his first No. 1 single with "I
Can Tell by the Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight)" in
1984; "Do You Believe Me Now";
his 2nd No. 1 hit "Chiseled in Stone," which won the Country
Music Association's Song of the Year award in 1989.
From 1989-1991, he released a number of songs and three more made the
Billboard top 10: "Right in the Wrong Direction," "That
Just About Does It" and "Is It Raining at Your House."
In 2008, Gosdin released "40 Years of the Voice," a four-CD
career retrospective. The boxed set on VGM Records features 101 songs,
including 14 previously unreleased tracks recorded 35 years ago (he suffered
a stroke at the beginning of this April (2009), died peacefully in his
sleep at a Nashville hospital)
b. August 5th 1934.
April 29th
1953: Alice Ernestine Prin (52) French
nightclub singer, artists' model, actress, painter; She was a symbol of
bohemian and creative Paris, she flourished in, and helped define, the
1920s liberated culture of Paris. At age 28 she was declared Queen of
Montparnasse and was one of the century's first truly independent women.
Kiki's music hall performances in black hose and garters included crowd-pleasing
risqué songs, which were uninhibited, yet inoffensive. For a few
years during the 1930s, she owned a Montparnasse cabaret, which she named
Chez Kiki. As an artists' model she poses for dozens of artists, including
Chaim Soutine, Julian Mandel, Tsuguharu Foujita, Francis Picabia, Jean
Cocteau, Arno Breker, Alexander Calder, Per Krohg, Hermine David, Pablo
Gargallo, Mayo, and Tono Salazar. Moise Kisling painted a portrait of
Kiki titled Nu assis, one of his best known. (Kiki died in Sanary-sur-Mer,
France, from complications of alcoholism or drug dependence. A large crowd
of artists and fans attended her Paris funeral and followed the procession
to her interment in the Cimetière du Montparnasse)
b. October 2nd 1901.
1990:
Floyd Butler (52)
US
vocalist; member of the musical group, 'The Vocals' from 1963 until they
disabanded in 1965, their first
single, 'Lonesome Mood,' was released in 1964. Next he was a member of
'The Fifth Dimension,' before co-founding the group, 'The Friends of Distinction,'
in 1968. The group had several hits including 'Grazing In The Grass,'
'Going In Circles,' 'Time Waits For No One,' I Need You,' and 'Love Or
Let Me Be Lonely,' (heart attack)
b. June 5th 1937
1993: Mick Ronson (46) English
guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer; after
several attempts through the '60s of making it in London, he got his break
in early 1970, when he joined David Bowie's new backing band called The
Hype. The Hype played their first gig at The Roundhouse on 22 February
1970. They also went under the names 'Harry The Butcher' and 'David Bowie's
New Electric Band' before they became known as The Spiders From Mars.
Mick was a key part of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders
from Mars album. He
co-produced Lou Reed's album Transformer with Bowie, playing lead guitar
on the album and piano on the song "Perfect Day". Again with
Bowie, he recut the track "The Man Who Sold The World" for Lulu,
released as a single in the UK, and played on a few tracks on the Dana
Gillespie album "Weren't Born a Man". He appeared on the 1972
country-rock album Bustin' Out by Pure Prairie League, and on Bowie's
Aladdin Sane and 1973's covers album "Pin Ups". After leaving
Bowie after the "Farewell Concert" in 1973, Mick released three
solo albums. After a short stint with Mott the Hoople he became a long-time
collaborator with former Mott the Hoople leader Ian Hunter. Mick went
on to work as a musician, writer and record producer with many other acts
including Slaughter & The Dogs, Morrissey, The Wildhearts, The Rich
Kids, Elton John, Johnny Cougar, T-Bone Burnett, Dalbello, Benny Mardones,
Iron City Houserockers and the Italian band Moda and many others. His
last, high profile, live performance was his famed appearance at The Freddie
Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992. Poignantly, he played on "All The
Young Dudes" with David Bowie and Ian Hunter, and "Heroes"
with Bowie. His s last ever recorded session was as a guest on the 1993
Wildhearts album Earth Vs The Wildhearts, where he played the guitar solo
on the song "My Baby Is A Headfuck" (cancer)
b. May 26th 1946.
2000:
Jonah Jones (90)
American jazz trumpeter; he began in the 1920s playing
on Mississippi riverboats, in 1928 he joined with Horace Henderson, before
working with Jimmie Lunceford and from 1932-1936 he had a successful collaboration
with Stuff Smith. In the 1940s he worked in big bands like Benny Carter's
and Fletcher Henderson and spend most of the decade with Cab Calloway's
band. In the 1950s he had his own quartet, his most mentioned accomplishment
of this style is perhaps their version of "On The Street Where You
Live." which led to his quartet performing on An Evening With Fred
Astaire in 1958 and won at the Grammy Awards of 1960. In 1972 he made
a return to more "core" jazz work with Earl Hines. He was inducted
into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1999 (died in New York City)
b. December 31st 1909.
April 30th
1982: Lester Bangs (33) American
rock critic; he began writing freelance in
1969, after reading an ad in Rolling
Stone soliciting readers' reviews. His first piece was a negative review
of the MC5 album Kick Out The Jams. In 1973, Jann Wenner fired him from
Rolling Stone over a negative review of Canned Heat, after which he moved
to Detroit to edit and write for Creem, which is where his legendary stature
as a rock critic really began to grow. After leaving Creem, he wrote for
The Village Voice, Penthouse, Playboy, New Musical Express and many other
publications. Lester was not only involved as a critic of music but as
a musician in his own right. He teamed up with Joey Ramone's brother,
Mickey Leigh to put together a New York group named Birdland. In 1980
he traveled to Austin, Texas and met a punk rock group named the Delinquents.
During his stay in Austin he recorded an album as Lester Bangs and the
Delinquents entitled "Jook Savages on the Brazos" (overdosing,
through drug interaction, after treating a cold with Darvon and Valium)
b. December 13th 1948.
1983: Andy Cavaliere (36) UK
manager of Steve Winwood and others (heart attack)
b. ??
1983: Muddy Waters/McKinley Morganfield (68) US
legendary Blues Man; taught himself harmonica as a child. He later took
up guitar, eagerly absorbing the classic delta blues styles of Robert
Johnson and Son House. He was first recorded in 1941.(passed away in his
sleep)
1988: James McCracken
(61) US tenor vocalist; opera/classical; He was a member of the Metropolitan
Opera's final U.S. tour, where he sang the role of Canio in Pagliacci
()
1999: Darrell Sweet (52)
Drummer, Nazareth (heart attack before a show in New Albany, Indiana)
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