Joseph Brooks was a filmmaker, screenwriter, and composer who is most commonly remembered for his 1977 hit single, “You Light Up My Life,” which was first recorded by Kasey Cisyk for his motion picture of the same name. The song was quickly re-recorded by Debbie Boone and released on Curb Records. The record quickly shot to #1, and to that point, held the top position for the most consecutive weeks in history. It eventually became the most successful single of the ’70s and still stands as one of the decade’s most iconic ballads. The recording for the film earned Brooks an Academy Award as well as a Golden Globe, and has since been covered by Tom Jones, Lee Greenwood, Leann Rimes, and Whitney Houston, to name a few. Brooks also wrote numerous award winning commercial jingles, composed music for The Lords Of Flatbush, and co-produced Eddie and the Cruisers. In June of 2009, Brooks was indicted for allegedly luring unsuspecting women to his apartment in order to audition for movie roles. He was awaiting trial on as many as 11 charges of rape, assault, and other sex crimes when, on May 22, 2011, his lifeless body was discovered by a friend in Brooks’ home. His head was reportedly rapped in a plastic dry cleaning bag which was connect to a tube from a helium tank. A suicide note was found nearby. Joseph Brooks was 73 years old when he passed away.
Randy Savage (Born Randall Poffo) November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011
Macho Man Randy Savage was more commonly known as a wildly flamboyant WWF professional wrestler who held no fewer than 30 championship belts. But Savage also made a mark on popular music as well. In 2003, Savage released his only album, a rap collection entitled, Be A Man that included the hit “diss” on Hulk Hogan of the same name. The CD comes highly recommended by no less than indie-rock darling, Devendra Banhart by way of a 2007 Stereogum interview. On May 20, 2011, Savage suffered a heart attack while driving his jeep in Florida. After losing control of the vehicle, he crossed the median and crashed into a tree. His wife, who was also in the car, suffered minor injuries. Randy Savage died of his injuries at a local hospital. He was 58.
Thanks to Stephen Brower of the Silent Majority for the help
Kathy Kirby was a popular English singer during the 1960’s who, during her peak years, was the highest-paid female entertainer. Her hits included “Secret Love,” “Let Me Go, Lover,” and “I Belong.” Part of her attraction has been also attributed to her “blond bombshell” image which she modeled after Marilyn Monroe. Known as the “Golden Girl of Pop,” Kirby appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and flirted with a Hollywood film career. She continued to release albums and make television appearances well into the ’70s, but eventually her star faded, and she fell on to financial hard times while struggling with mental illness. She was briefly committed to a psychiatric hospital and spent most of her later years living in seclusion, barely surviving on state funds and small royalty checks. By the early 2000’s, Kirby’s music was re-discovered by the gay community who embraced her as an icon. There were hints of a comeback, but nothing much ever materialized. On May 19, 2011, Kathy Kirby passed away following a brief illness. She was 72.
Bob Flanigan was the founder and lead singer of influential jazz vocal group, the Four Freshmen. Formed in 1948 while they were still students at Butler University, the group went on to release numerous hit records and perform in front of sold-out audiences the world over. They would be cited as direct influences on the likes of the Manhattan Transfer, the Lettermen, and most notably, Brian Wilson who often gave credit to the group’s vocal harmonies for guiding his vision of the Beach Boys sound. It was Flanigan’s distinctive high pitch that could be heard above the others on most of the group’s recordings. He was also an accomplished trombonist and bass guitarist, in fact all the original members played instruments, which separated them from other vocal groups of the era. Upon retiring in 1992, Flanigan retained the rights to the group’s name and was involved in selecting new members. Bob Flanigan was 84 when he died of congestive heart failure on May 15, 2011.
M-Bone (Born Montae Talbert) DOB Unknown – May 15, 2011
M-Bone was a Los Angeles rapper and member of up-and-coming hip-hop group, Cali Swag Disrict. Formed in 2010, the group scored a hit with “Teach Me How To Dougie,” which ultimately cracked the the Top 30 on the Billboard singles chart. Recently signed to Capitol Records, Cali Swag District’s debut album is slated to be released in 2011. M-Bone was shot and killed during an apparently random drive-by shooting outside an Inglewood, California liquor store on May 15, 2011. He was 22.
Jack Richardson was a respected Canadian record producer who was ultimately honored by having the Juno Awards’ Producer of the Year Award named after him. He was also an instructor at the most prestigious music schools in Canada. While working for an ad agency in 1968, Richardson created a bottle-cap reimbursement campaign for the Canadian Coca-Cola company. Those who purchased designated Cokes could collect the bottle caps and ultimately redeem them for a promotional album, A Wild Pair, which featured the Guess Who on one side and the Staccatos (later known as the Five Man Electrical Band) on the other. The campaign was so successful that the album reportedly would have achieved gold status had it been an “official” release. Richardson went on to produce several Guess Who albums and singles including their biggest hits, “These Eyes” and “American Woman.” He also produced Bob Seger’s landmark album, Night Moves, as well has hit albums by the likes of Alice Cooper, Poco, Badfinger, and the Irish Rovers. His son, Garth Richardson is an in-demand producer as well who has worked with Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and System Of A Down. Jack Richardson was 81 when he passed away on May 13, 2011.
Lloyd Knibb is best remembered as the longtime drummer for influential Jamaican ska band, the Skatalites. Helping to form the group in 1964, Knibb was their for the early development of ska, a form of Caribbean music that included elements of calypso, mento, American jazz, and R&B that was the foundation of reggae. The Skatalites’ biggest hit was “Guns Of Navarone.” Knibb began his career during the 1940s when he played in various Jamaican jazz bands. That lead to session work for legendary producer Coxsone Dodd and recordings for the likes of reggae pioneers, Duke Reid and Prince Buster. He provided the backbeat for the Skatalites from their inception in 1964 until their break up just a year later, and then from their much heralded 1983 reunion at Reggae Sunsplash until the time of his death. He performed his last show with the band in April of 2011. On May 12, 2011, Lloyd Knibb died of liver cancer. He was 80.
John Carter June 14, 1945 – May 10, 2011
John Carter was a successful producer, songwriter, A&R man, and artist manager who due to the respect he garnered, was commonly referred to as simply, Carter. His earliest success came in 1967 when “Incense and Peppermints,” a song he co-wrote, became a hit for the Strawberry Alarm Clock. He in fact also came up with the band’s name by putting together random words he found on the singles chart. He was soon hired by Atlantic Records where he worked in promotion, and eventually went to work at Capitol Records where he produced numerous hit albums by the likes of Sammy Hagar, Bob Seger, the Steve Miller Band, Bob Welch, and the Motels, to name just a few. In 1983, he made perhaps his biggest mark on pop music by A&Ring Tina Turner’s landmark album, Private Dancer, which sold over 20 million copies, collected numerous Grammy’s and made the singer relevant again. In later years he held high positions at Chrysalis, A&M, Atlantic, and Island Records. John Carter died of cancer on May 10, 2011. He was 65.
Dolores Fuller (Born Dolores Eble)
March 10, 1923 – May 9, 2011
Dolores Fuller is perhaps best remembered as the one-time girlfriend of notorious film maker, Ed Wood for whom she co-starred as the female lead in his cult classic, Glen or Glenda. She also had minor roles in numerous other films during the ’50s and again in the ’90s. Fuller made a more significant impact on pop music however, but oddly enough, as a songwriter. When she was going after a role in Elvis Presley’s, Blue Hawaii, the film”s producer and Fuller’s friend, Hal Wallis – who knew of her songwriting talent – put her in touch with the publishing company that provided Presley with songs. They brought her on, and it was there that she began writing such Presley classics like “Rock-A-Hula Baby,” “Spinout,” and “Do The Clam.” In all, she wrote twelve songs for the King. Fuller also penned tunes for Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Shelley Fabares, and Terry Stafford to name a few. In 1994, Fuller was portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker in Tim Burton’s biopic, Ed Wood. Dolores Fuller died on May 9, 2011 following a stroke. She was 88.
Cornell Dupree was a respected jazz and R&B guitarist who, over the course of his career, played on records by the likes of Aretha Franklin,Miles Davis, Joe Cocker, and Brook Benton. In his early years, Dupree could be found playing in the legendary Atlantic Records house band, with whom he played on such iconic records as Benton’s “Rainy Night In Georgia,” and Franklin’s “Respect” on which he provided the instantly recognizable opening guitar riff. He was also a founding member of the much respected jazz funk combo, Stuff. Dupree also released several of his own albums throughout the years, his most popular being 1994’s Bop ‘n’ Blues. Cornell Dupree had been suffering from emphysema and had been waiting for a lung transplant when he passed away on May 8, 2011. He was 68.
Joseph Brooks was a filmmaker, screenwriter, and composer who is most commonly remembered for his 1977 hit single, “You Light Up My Life,” which was first recorded by Kasey Cisyk for his motion picture of the same name. The song was quickly re-recorded by Debbie Boone and released on Curb Records. The record quickly shot to #1, and to that point, held the top position for the most consecutive weeks in history. It eventually became the most successful single of the ’70s and still stands as one of the decade’s most iconic ballads. The recording for the film earned Brooks an Academy Award as well as a Golden Globe, and has since been covered by Tom Jones, Lee Greenwood, Leann Rimes, and Whitney Houston, to name a few. Brooks also wrote numerous award winning commercial jingles, composed music for The Lords Of Flatbush, and co-produced Eddie and the Cruisers. In June of 2009, Brooks was indicted for allegedly luring unsuspecting women to his apartment in order to audition for movie roles. He was awaiting trial on as many as 11 charges of rape, assault, and other sex crimes when, on May 22, 2011, his lifeless body was discovered by a friend in Brooks’ home. His head was reportedly rapped in a plastic dry cleaning bag which was connect to a tube from a helium tank. A suicide note was found nearby. Joseph Brooks was 73 years old when he passed away.
Macho Man Randy Savage was more commonly known as a wildly flamboyant WWF professional wrestler who held no fewer than 30 championship belts. But Savage also made a mark on popular music as well. In 2003, Savage released his only album, a rap collection entitled, Be A Man that included the hit “diss” on Hulk Hogan of the same name. The CD comes highly recommended by no less than indie-rock darling, Devendra Banhart by way of a 2007 
Bob Flanigan was the founder and lead singer of influential jazz vocal group, the Four Freshmen. Formed in 1948 while they were still students at Butler University, the group went on to release numerous hit records and perform in front of sold-out audiences the world over. They would be cited as direct influences on the likes of the Manhattan Transfer, the Lettermen, and most notably, Brian Wilson who often gave credit to the group’s vocal harmonies for guiding his vision of the Beach Boys sound. It was Flanigan’s distinctive high pitch that could be heard above the others on most of the group’s recordings. He was also an accomplished trombonist and bass guitarist, in fact all the original members played instruments, which separated them from other vocal groups of the era. Upon retiring in 1992, Flanigan retained the rights to the group’s name and was involved in selecting new members. Bob Flanigan was 84 when he died of congestive heart failure on May 15, 2011.
M-Bone was a Los Angeles rapper and member of up-and-coming hip-hop group, Cali Swag Disrict. Formed in 2010, the group scored a hit with “Teach Me How To Dougie,” which ultimately cracked the the Top 30 on the Billboard singles chart. Recently signed to Capitol Records, Cali Swag District’s debut album is slated to be released in 2011. M-Bone was shot and killed during an apparently random drive-by shooting outside an Inglewood, California liquor store on May 15, 2011. He was 22.
Jack Richardson was a respected Canadian record producer who was ultimately honored by having the Juno Awards’ Producer of the Year Award named after him. He was also an instructor at the most prestigious music schools in Canada. While working for an ad agency in 1968, Richardson created a bottle-cap reimbursement campaign for the Canadian Coca-Cola company. Those who purchased designated Cokes could collect the bottle caps and ultimately redeem them for a promotional album, A Wild Pair, which featured the Guess Who on one side and the Staccatos (later known as the Five Man Electrical Band) on the other. The campaign was so successful that the album reportedly would have achieved gold status had it been an “official” release. Richardson went on to produce several Guess Who albums and singles including their biggest hits, “These Eyes” and “American Woman.” He also produced Bob Seger’s landmark album, Night Moves, as well has hit albums by the likes of Alice Cooper, Poco, Badfinger, and the Irish Rovers. His son, Garth Richardson is an in-demand producer as well who has worked with Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and System Of A Down. Jack Richardson was 81 when he passed away on May 13, 2011.
Lloyd Knibb is best remembered as the longtime drummer for influential Jamaican ska band, the Skatalites. Helping to form the group in 1964, Knibb was their for the early development of ska, a form of Caribbean music that included elements of calypso, mento, American jazz, and R&B that was the foundation of reggae. The Skatalites’ biggest hit was “Guns Of Navarone.” Knibb began his career during the 1940s when he played in various Jamaican jazz bands. That lead to session work for legendary producer 
Dolores Fuller is perhaps best remembered as the one-time girlfriend of notorious film maker, Ed Wood for whom she co-starred as the female lead in his cult classic, Glen or Glenda. She also had minor roles in numerous other films during the ’50s and again in the ’90s. Fuller made a more significant impact on pop music however, but oddly enough, as a songwriter. When she was going after a role in 
Cornell Dupree was a respected jazz and R&B guitarist who, over the course of his career, played on records by the likes of Aretha Franklin, 
The Music's Over 