David Byron (Born David Garrick)
January 29, 1947 – February 28, 1985
Best known as the frontman of the ’70s arena rock outfit Uriah Heep, singer David Byron also performed as a solo artist. Born David Garrick in Essex, England, on January 29, 1947, he first emerged as a member of the short-lived Stalkers. With the group’s guitarist Mick Box, he later formed Spice, which also featured bassist Paul Newton and drummer Alex Napier. Renamed Uriah Heep in 1970 after a character in the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield, they debuted with the LP Very ‘eavy, Very ‘umble; while the group’s fusion of art-rock and heavy metal was widely scorned by critics, they soon rose to stardom on both sides of the Atlantic, with much of the attention focused on Byron’s operatic vocals. In 1975, he issued his first solo effort, Take No Prisoners; a year later, after ten albums with Uriah Heep, Byron’s longtime drinking problem led to his dismissal from the band, and he formed Rough Diamond with former Humble Pie guitarist Clem Clempson and ex-Wings drummer Geoff Britton. The group issued only a self-titled 1977 LP before disbanding, leaving Byron to again pursue a solo career. His second effort, Baby Faced Killer, was not successful, and he next formed the Byron Band with guitarist Robin George. 1981’s On the Rocks was their sole album, and as Byron’s alcoholism worsened, his career dried up; he was found dead in his Reading home on February 28, 1985. – Jason Ankeny (allmusic)
Frankie Lymon
September 30, 1942 – February 28, 1968
At age 13, singer Frankie Lymon and the doo-wopping Teenagers had the #1 R&B hit in the U.S. and the #1 pop hit in England with “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” The song has attained the status of a vocal-group classic owing to Lymon’s agile, ingenuous and utterly charming performance. Recorded for Gee Records in November 1955, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” ascended the charts early in 1956 and now stands as one of the key records by which the doo-wop style is defined and remembered. Moreover, its success in an era of slowly opening doors allowed Lymon to become the first black teenage pop star. His youthful rise to fame served as a prototype for such Sixties stars as Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. Born in New York City in 1942, a pre-teen Lymon was working in a grocery store when he met a group of singers from the neighborhood. Having sung gospel music in his father’s group, Lymon made the youthful transition to secular music, joining the Premiers – Herman Santiago, Jimmy Merchant, Joe Negroni and Sherman Garnes – who renamed themselves the Teenagers. Lymon sang the high parts in his clear, pure boy soprano. Although Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers didn’t leave behind a huge body of work, their handful of hits still rank among the finest recordings from the golden era of rock and roll. Launched into instant stardom by the success of “Why Do Fools Fall in Love? (formerly titled “Why Do Birds Sing So Gay?”), the group suddenly found themselves in movies and on package tours at home and overseas. In 1956 and ‘57, five other singles by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers made the R&B Top Ten – including “I Want You to Be My Girl” (#3), “Who Can Explain?” (#7) and “The ABC’s of Love” (#8) – although the group never entered the U.S. pop charts again. Sadly, Lymon’s star fell as quickly as it rose, and he was found dead of a heroin overdose on February 28, 1968. He was only 25 years old. – From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Remembered most for his sweet, bubbly 1970 album Montego Bay, Bobby Bloom also played a role as a songwriter and entrepreneur connected to the Kama Sutra/Buddah group of labels. He did engineering work for a number of artists, including Louis Jordan and Shuggie Otis. He formed a producing/songwriting partnership with Jeff Barry that included working on a late Monkees album. Early solo projects include Love Don’t Let Me Down and Count on Me, but his break came with Montego Bay. All of the recordings that followed it employed its successful formula of pop, calypso, and rock. They include Heavy Makes You Happy and the Bobby Bloom Album, which was produced by Barry. Toward the end of his life, Bloom suffered from depression and was killed in an accidental shooting on February 28, 1974. – Stacia Proefrock (allmusic)
Mike Smith was the “face” and voice of the Dave Clark Five, the second British Invasion group to hit US shores in the early 60s. They would be the only competition to the Beatles until the Rolling Stones reared their ugly head, and music lovers suddenly saw a whole new side to the original “brit pop” music. After the DC5 disbanded in 1970, Smith continued to record and produce throughout the eighties and nineties and then enjoyed modest success on the oldies circuit at the end of the nineties and into the new millennium. Then in 2003, his son tragically died in a diving accident, and Smith seriously injured his spinal chord in a fall at his home. The fall left him paralyzed from the waist down and in his arms. Sadly, Smith passed away from complications of that fall in 2008, just two weeks shy of being inducted to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Dave Clark Five.
Robbie Basho was a composer, guitarist and pianist, and one of the pioneers of the acoustic steel string guitar in America. His vision was to see the steel string as a concert instrument and to create a Raga system for America. During a radio interview in 1974, promoting his album Zarthus, Robbie discussed his music in detail. He described how he had gone through a number of “periods” related to philosophy and music, including Japanese, Hindu, and Native American. Zarthus represented the culmination his “Persian period”. Robbie asserted his wish, along with John Fahey and Leo Kottke, to raise the steel-string guitar to the level of a concert instrument. He acknowledged that the nylon-string guitar was suitable for “love songs”, but its steel counterpart could communicate “fire”. Basho credited his interest in Indian music to hearing Ravi Shankar, whom he first encountered in 1962. Basho died unexpectedly at the age of 45 due to a freak accident during a visit to his chiropractor, where an “intentional whiplash” experiment caused blood vessels in his neck to rupture, leading to a fatal stroke. – From wikipedia
Dave Pritchard
November 27, 1963 – February 27, 1990
Although many associate hard rock from Los Angeles in the early ’80s as all glossed up and pop-based (Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot, etc.), there were a select few true metal bands to emerge from the same locale, such as Armored Saint. Formed in 1982 and originally comprised of members John Bush (vocals), David Pritchard (guitar), Phil Sandoval (guitar), Joey Vera (bass), and Gonzo (drums, brother of Phil Sandoval), the group specialized in a style of straight-ahead metal that was compared to such New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Saxon, among others. The quintet issued a three-track self-titled EP on the Metal Blade label in 1983, before signing on with Chrysalis. They put out such underappreciated releases as 1984’s March of the Saint, 1985’s Delirious Nomad, and 1987’s Raising Fear and built a fanatical following in their native region, but failed to break through to the big time elsewhere. Shortly after a switch back to the Metal Blade label in the late ’80s, Armored Saint issued their first live recording, 1989’s Saints Will Conquer, but bad news was lurking right around the corner. Founding guitarist Pritchard was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away in 1990. – Greg Prato (allmusic)
Ray Kane was one of Hawaii’s most revered slack-key guitarists. After learning to play the ukulele as a child, Kane switched over to the slack-key guitar. By the early ’60s, Kane was performing in front of amazed audiences and recording albums that would eventually total more than a dozen. In 1987, he was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. Kane died of respiratory failure at the age of 82.
Buddy Miles died on February 26, 2008 presumably from congestive heart failure at the age of 60. Miles was the great drummer behind Jimi Hendrix’sBand of Gypsys. Prior to that he spent his teens playing in such bands as the Ink Spots, the Delfonics and withWilson Pickett. In the mid-’80s, Miles was introduced to a whole new generation as the voice of The California Raisins in the popular ad campaign. It is his voice that was heard sining “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.” His drums could be heard throughout his career behind the likes of Carlos Santana, Cheech & Chong and even Phish. Mitch Mitchell, drummer for Jimi Hendrix Experience was found dead in a hotel room on November 12, 2008.
Bukka White (Born Booker T. Washington White)
November 12, 1909 – February 26, 1977
Bukka White (true name: Booker T. Washington White) was born in Houston, Mississippi (not Houston, Texas) in 1906 (not any date between 1902-1905 or 1907-1909, as is variously reported). He got his initial start in music learning fiddle tunes from his father. Guitar instruction soon followed, but White’s grandmother objected to anyone playing “that Devil music” in the household; nonetheless, his father eventually bought him a guitar. When Bukka White was 14 he spent some time with an uncle in Clarksdale, Mississippi and passed himself off as a 21-year-old, using his guitar playing as a way to attract women. Somewhere along the line, White came in contact with Delta blues legend Charley Patton, who no doubt was able to give Bukka White instruction on how to improve his skills in both areas of endeavor. In addition to music, White pursued careers in sport, playing in Negro Leagues baseball and, for a time, taking up boxing. In 1930 Bukka White met furniture salesman Ralph Limbo, who was also a talent scout for Victor. White traveled to Memphis where he made his first recordings, singing a mixture of blues and gospel material under the name of Washington White. Victor only saw fit to release four of the 14 songs Bukka White recorded that day. As the Depression set in, opportunity to record didn’t knock again for Bukka White until 1937, when Big Bill Broonzy asked him to come to Chicago and record for Lester Melrose. By this time, Bukka White had gotten into some trouble — he later claimed he and a friend had been “ambushed” by a man along a highway, and White shot the man in the thigh in self defense. While awaiting trial, White jumped bail and headed for Chicago, making two sides before being apprehended and sent back to Mississippi to do a three-year stretch at Parchman Farm. While he was serving time, White’s record “Shake ‘Em on Down” became a hit. Bukka White proved a model prisoner, popular with inmates and prison guards alike and earning the nickname “Barrelhouse.” It was as “Washington Barrelhouse White” that White recorded two numbers for John and Alan Lomax at Parchman Farm in 1939. After earning his release in 1940, he returned to Chicago with 12 newly minted songs to record for Lester Melrose. These became the backbone of his lifelong repertoire, and the Melrose session today is regarded as the pinnacle of Bukka White’s achievements on record. Among the songs he recorded on that occasion were “Parchman Farm Blues” (not to be confused with “Parchman Farm” written by Mose Allison and covered by John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Blue Cheer, among others), “Good Gin Blues,” “Bukka’s Jitterbug Swing,” “Aberdeen, Mississippi Blues,” and “Fixin’ to Die Blues,” all timeless classics of the Delta blues. Then, Bukka disappeared — not into the depths of some Mississippi Delta mystery, but into factory work in Memphis during World War II. Bob Dylan recorded “Fixin’ to Die Blues” on his 1961 debut Columbia album, and at the time no one in the music business knew who Bukka White was — most figured a fellow who’d written a song like “Fixin’ to Die” had to be dead already. Two California-based blues enthusiasts, John Fahey and Ed Denson, were more skeptical about this assumption, and in 1963 addressed a letter to “Bukka White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi.” By chance, one of White’s relatives was working in the Post Office in Aberdeen, and forwarded the letter to White in Memphis. Things moved quickly from the time Bukka White met up with Fahey and Denson; by the end of 1963 Bukka White was already recording on contract with Chris Strachwitz and Arhoolie. White wrote a new song celebrating his good fortune entitled “1963 Isn’t 1962 Blues” and swiftly recorded three albums of material for Strachwitz which the latter entitled Sky Songs, referring to White’s habit of “reaching up and pulling songs out of the sky.” Nonetheless, even White knew he couldn’t get away with making up all his material regularly in performance, so he also studied his 78s and relearned all the songs he’d written for Lester Melrose. Although Bukka White was practically the same age as other survivors of the Delta and Memphis blues scenes of the 1920s and ’30s, he didn’t look like someone who belonged in a nursing home. White was a sharp dresser, in the prime of health, was a compelling entertainer and raconteur, and clearly enjoyed being the center of attention. He thrived on the folk festival and coffeehouse circuit of the 1960s. By the ’70s, however, Bukka White couldn’t help getting a little bored with his celebrity status as an acoustic bluesman. White’s tastes had grown with the times, and he would have loved to have played an electric guitar and fronted a band, as his old acquaintance Chester Burnett (aka Howlin’ Wolf) and Bukka’s own cousin, B. B. King, had been already doing successfully for years. But he only needed to look at what happened to his friend Bob Dylan’s career for a lesson on what happens to folk blues artists who try and “go electric.” So, Bukka White stayed on the festival circuit to the end of his days, beating the hell out of his National steel guitar, and sometimes his monologues would go on a little long, and sometimes his playing was a little more willfully eccentric than at others. Patrons would wait patiently to hear Bukka play “Parchman Farm Blues,” although some of them were under the mistaken impression that they had paid their money to hear an artist who had originated a number that Eric Clapton made famous. Blues purists will tell you that nothing Bukka White recorded after 1940 is ultimately worth listening to. This isn’t accurate, nor fair. White was an incredibly compelling performer who gave up of more of himself in his work than many artists in any musical discipline. The Sky Songs albums for Arhoolie are an eminently rewarding document of Bukka’s charm and candor, particularly in the long monologue “Mixed Water.” “Big Daddy,” recorded in 1974 for Arnold S. Caplin’s Biograph label, likewise is a classic of its kind and should not be neglected. – Uncle Dave Lewis (allmusic)
Frank O’Keefe was the original bassist for southern rock band, the Outlaws. Although the band was riding high on a string of what would eventually become classic rock staples, O’Keefe decided to leave the band after suffering a broken neck from a fall in July, 1976. The trials of a hectic life on the road also helped in that decision. That neck injury lead to his reliance on pain medication for the rest of his life. On February 26, 1995, O’Keefe’s lifeless body was found by his roommate in his Clearwater, FL home. He apparently died as a result of drug and alcohol abuse.
Cornelius Gunter
November 14, 1936 – February 26, 1990
Cornell Gunter was an original member of The Platters. He had recorded with the yet-unnamed Platters singing back-up on Big Jay McNeely’s recording “Nervous Man Nervous” on Federal Records in 1953. He also was a member of The Flairs and The Coasters. The title song from the 1957 Susan Oliver movie, The Green Eyed Blonde, was sung by Gunter. Will “Dub” Jones and Gunter joined The Coasters as replacements for Bobby Nunn and Leon Hughes in early 1958. After he left the Coasters, he toured with Dinah Washington. In 1963, he formed his own Coasters group; they were usually billed as “The Fabulous Coasters”. Gunter made several solo singles in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including a cover version of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” on Dot Records in 1957. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame along with the rest of The Coasters. Cornell was in the process of making a new comeback, when an unknown assassin shot him in his car in Las Vegas on February 26, 1990 (some files say February 27). – From wikipedia
Pylon guitarist Randy Bewley died this afternoon after suffering a heart attack while driving in an Athens neighborhood Monday. Bewley was driving on Barber Street on Monday evening, and his van drifted off the road and tipped over, bandmate Vanessa Hay said in an e-mail to supporters. He died shortly before 5 p.m. Bewley and bassist Michael Lachowski founded Pylon in Athens in 1978, and quickly recruited drummer Curtis Crowe and Hay — then Vanessa Briscoe — as vocalist. The band debuted in 1979, releasing three albums, and disbanded in November 1991 — after a farewell performance at the 40 Watt, according to the All-Music Guide. The band reunited for a New Year’s Day performance in 2005 and has been playing local dates and touring on and off since then. – From the Athens Banner Herald
Arkansas blues harpist Mark Sallings tragically died in a two-vehicle accident on February 25, 2009 while driving to a casino gig in Tunica, Mississippi. Born near Helena, Arkansas, Sallings began playing the harp professionally at age 14, and worked in Memphis as a session player with Stax Records right out of high school. He was just 56 years old at the time of his death. As a journeyman musician, Sallings performed with the Coon Elder Band and as part of country star David Lynn Jones’ band during the 1980s, appearing in three of Jones’ music videos. Sallings formed his Famous Unknowns band in the early-90s, performing across the country at club dates and festivals. Sallings also made frequent appearances at the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival through the years. Sallings recorded two albums with the Famous Unknowns – Let It Be Known in 1996 and Talkin’ To Myself a year later – as well as a solo album, Temporary Life, which was released in 2005. Sallings also performed on legendary Memphis producer Jim Dickinson’s 2006 album Voodoo Tiger. Endorsed by Hohner Harmonics and widely considered in the industry as one of the best Delta-style harp players, Sallings was also a talented saxophone and piano player. A familiar presence on the thriving Arkansas blues scene, Mark Sallings will be missed by his many fans, both at home and overseas. – Reverend Keith A. Gordon (about.com)
Toy Caldwell
November 13, 1947 – February 25. 1993
Toy Caldwell was best known as the lead guitarist and main songwriter in the Marshall Tucker Band. A unique personality as well as a formidable musician, he was a peer of both Dickey BettsandCharlie Daniels, and his best work crossed effortlessly between country, blues, and rock & roll. A few years after the breakup of the Marshall Tucker Band in the late ’80s, he re-emerged as leader of the Toy Caldwell Band, which played small-scale shows of the kind that the Marshall Tucker Band couldn’t do. He also recorded one solo album before his death [in his sleep] in early 1993. Although most of his fame inevitably rests with the Marshall Tucker Band, Caldwell left behind a small but glorious body of solo material. – Bruce Eder (allmusic)
Antoinette K-Doe (Born Antoinette Dorsey)
1943(?) – February 24, 2009
Antoinette K-Doe, the irrepressible widow of rhythm & blues singer Ernie K-Doe who transformed the Mother-in-Law Lounge into a living shrine and community center, died early Tuesday after suffering a massive heart attack. She was 66. “It was her personal mission to keep his memory alive,” said Ben Sandmel, who is writing a biography of Ernie K-Doe. “But she also did so much for the community. It’s a huge loss for the whole musicians’ community of New Orleans.” Born Antoinette Dorsey, Mrs. K-Doe was a cousin of rhythm & blues singer Lee Dorsey. She had known Ernie K-Doe for many years before they became a couple around 1990. At the time, the singer’s best days were far behind him. After a string of hits in the early 1960s, most notably “Mother-in-Law,” his career, and life bottomed out. By sheer force of will, she helped him return to the stage and transform himself into an icon of eclectic New Orleans. The couple married in 1994. “She had him on a short leash,” Sandmel said. “She cleaned him up and opened the lounge to give him a place to play.” Ernie K-Doe died in 2001. But thanks to his wife, he maintained a schedule of public appearances via a life-size, fully costumed, look-alike mannequin. Mrs. K-Doe referred to the mannequin as “Ernie.” As the mother hen of the Mother-in-Law Lounge, she presided over one of the city’s most diverse, funky-but-chic watering holes. With its vibrant, larger-than-life exterior murals and adjoining gardens, the Lounge stood out on an otherwise rough stretch of North Claiborne Avenue. As the Ernie mannequin looked on from its corner throne, Mrs. K-Doe served a mix of neighborhood regulars and hipsters from across the city. The Lounge was a favorite haunt of such non-traditional musicians as Mr. Quintron, the Bywater avant-garde keyboardist, inventor and marching band impresario. The Lounge badly flooded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s levee breaches. In advance of the floodwaters, Mrs. K-Doe dismantled the mannequin, stored the pieces in plastic bags, and stowed them in an upstairs closet. In the months after the storm, she revived the Lounge with the aid of an army of volunteers and financial support from contemporary R&B star Usher. Mrs. K-Doe suffered a minor heart attack during Mardi Gras 2008, but recovered. On Thursday, she rode in the Muses parade with the Ernie mannequin. She served as the honorary queen of the Cameltoe Ladysteppers marching organization. Today she had planned to don the traditional Baby Doll costume and parade through the streets of Treme before returning to the lounge for what is always a busy day. She helped revive the tradition of the Baby Dolls marching organization, and was happy to see others take up the mantle. Michelle Longino, a founder of the Bayou Steppers Social Aid and Pleasure Club, received Mrs. K-Doe’s blessing to costume as a Baby Doll and come out with Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux on Mardi Gras morning. “She told us that we needed to be proper Baby Dolls, not nasty Baby Dolls,” Longino said. “Today we’re going to call ourselves the Antoinette K-Doe Baby Dolls in her honor.” Around 3 a.m. Mardi Gras morning, Mrs. K-Doe awoke in her apartment above the Mother-in-Law Lounge and complained of feeling hot, said Gary Hughes, the husband of her adopted daughter, Jackie Coleman. She went downstairs and apparently suffered a heart attack on a sofa in the lounge. Hughes, who was staying in the apartment at the time, said paramedics arrived quickly but could not revive Mrs. K-Doe. Today’s festivities at the Mother-in-Law Lounge will be in her honor. “Mardi Gras was her holiday,” Hughes said. “She loved Mardi Gras. We’re going to run the lounge as if she was here and do it up this one last time for her.” – Keith Spera (nola.com)
Memphis Slim (Born John “Peter” Chatman)
September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988
Photo By Raeburn Flerlage
An amazingly prolific artist who brought a brisk air of urban sophistication to his frequently stunning presentation, John “Peter” Chatman — better known as Memphis Slim — assuredly ranks with the greatest blues pianists of all time. He was smart enough to take Big Bill Broonzy’searly advice about developing a style to call his own to heart, instead of imitating that of his idol, Roosevelt Sykes. Soon enough, other 88s pounders were copying Slim rather than the other way around; his thundering ivories attack set him apart from most of his contemporaries, while his deeply burnished voice possessed a commanding authority. As befits his stage name, John “Peter” Chatman was born and raised in Memphis; a great place to commit to a career as a bluesman. Sometime in the late ’30s, he resettled in Chicago and began recording as a leader in 1939 for OKeh, then switched over to Bluebird the next year. Around the same time, Slim joined forces with Broonzy, then the dominant force on the local blues scene. After serving as Broonzy’s invaluable accompanist for a few years, Slim emerged as his own man in 1944. After the close of World War II, Slim joined Hy-Tone Records, cutting eight tracks that were later picked up by King. Lee Egalnick’s Miracle label reeled in the pianist in 1947; backed by his jumping band, the House Rockers (its members usually included saxists Alex Atkins and Ernest Cotton), Slim recorded his classic “Lend Me Your Love” and “Rockin’ the House.” The next year brought the landmark “Nobody Loves Me” (better known via subsequent covers by Lowell Fulson, Joe Williams, and B.B. King as “Everyday I Have the Blues”) and the heartbroken “Messin’ Around (With the Blues).” The pianist kept on label-hopping, moving from Miracle to Peacock to Premium (where he waxed the first version of his uncommonly wise down-tempo blues “Mother Earth”) to Chess to Mercury before staying put at Chicago’s United Records from 1952 to 1954. This was a particularly fertile period for the pianist; he recruited his first permanent guitarist, the estimable Matt Murphy, who added some serious fret fire to “The Come Back,” “Sassy Mae,” and “Memphis Slim U.S.A.” Before the decade was through, the pianist landed at Vee-Jay Records, where he cut definitive versions of his best-known songs with Murphy and a stellar combo in gorgeously sympathetic support (Murphy was nothing short of spectacular throughout). Slim exhibited his perpetually independent mindset by leaving the country for good in 1962. A tour of Europe in partnership with bassist Willie Dixon a couple of years earlier had so intrigued the pianist that he permanently moved to Paris, where recording and touring possibilities seemed limitless and the veteran pianist was treated with the respect too often denied even African-American blues stars at home back then. He remained there until his 1988 death, enjoying his stature as expatriate blues royalty. – Bill Dahl (allmusic)
John Alvin Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage persona. Ray was born in Hopewell, Oregon, spending part of his childhood on a farm, eventually moving to Portland, Oregon. Ray was of Native American origin; his great-grandmother was a full-blooded Native American and his great-grandfather was Oregon pioneer George Kirby Gay of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England.He became deaf in his right ear at age 13 after an accident during a Boy Scout event. It was his participation in the “blanket toss,” a sort of variation of the trampoline, that traumatized the youngster’s inner ear. Ray later performed wearing a hearing aid. Surgery performed in New York in 1958 left him almost completely deaf in both ears, although hearing aids helped his condition. Ray first attracted attention while performing at the Flame Showbar in Detroit, Michigan, an R&B nightclub. Inspired by rhythm singers like Kay Starr, LaVern Baker and Ivory Joe Hunter, Ray developed a unique rhythm based style, described as alternating between pre-rock R&B and a more conventional classic pop approach. His first record, the self-penned R&B number for OKeh Records, “Whiskey and Gin”, was a minor hit in 1951. The following year he dominated the charts with the double-sided hit single of “Cry” and “The Little White Cloud That Cried”. Selling over two million copies of the 45 single, Ray’s delivery struck a chord with teenagers and he quickly became a teen idol.Ray’s performing style included theatrics later associated with rock ‘n roll, including beating up his piano, writhing on the floor and crying.Ray quickly earned the nicknames, “Mr. Emotion”, “The Nabob of Sob”, and “The Prince of Wails”, and several others.More hits followed, including “Please Mr. Sun”, “Such a Night”, “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home”, “A Sinner Am I”, and “Yes Tonight Josephine”. His last hit was “Just Walkin’ in the Rain”, in 1956. He did, however, hit again in 1957 with “You Don’t Owe Me a Thing”, which reached #10 in the Billboard charts. He was popular in the United Kingdom, breaking the record at the London Palladium formerly set by Frankie Laine. In later years, he retained a loyal fan base overseas, particularly in Australia. Ray drank regularly and his alcoholism caught up with him in 1960, when he was hospitalized for tuberculosis. He recovered but continued drinking, and was diagnosed with cirrhosis at age fifty. On 24 February 1990, Ray died of liver failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. – From wikipedia
Born in West Monroe, Louisiana in 1921, Webb Michael Pierce became a star performer on the Louisiana Hayride and later was a regular performer on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. His biggest hit, 1953’s “There Stands the Glass,” is regarded as one of country’s classic drinking songs. Other hits included “In the Jailhouse Now,” ” More and More,” “Backstreet Affair,” “Why, Baby, Why,” “Oh, So Many Years,” and “Finally;” the latter two being duets with Kitty Wells. His 1954 recording of “Slowly” was the first to include the Pedal steel guitar. During the 1955-56 TV season, he hosted of a half-hour version of ABC-TV’s Ozark Jubilee every fourth week. In 1958, Pierce recorded a rockabilly record “The New Raunchy”/”I’ll Get By Somehow” for Decca under the name Shady Wall. Although his first chart action did not occur until January 5, 1952, Pierce was the number-one country artist of the decade with his singles spending 113 weeks at number one during the 1950s, when he charted 48 singles. Thirty-nine reached the top ten, 26 reaching the top four and 13 reached number one. Although he had no more number one records, Pierce continued charting until 1982 with a total of 96 charted hits. In addition to his music, Pierce was known for his lavish Nashville mansion, which featured a guitar-shaped swimming pool, among other custom features. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1991. – From wikipedia
One of America’s most popular entertainers long after her mid-’40s commercial peak, Dinah Shore was the first major vocalist to break away from the big-band format and begin a solo-billed career. During the ’40s, she recorded several of the decade’s biggest singles — “Buttons and Bows,” “The Gypsy,” and “I’ll Walk Alone” — all of which spent more than a month at number one on the Hit Parade. After launching a television variety series in 1951, Shore appeared on one program or another, with few gaps, into the 1980s. Born in rural Tennessee, Dinah Shore was performing on Nashville radio while still a teenager. Her professional career later took her to New York, where she sang with Xavier Cugat. After failing auditions with Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey however, she decided to simply become a solo singer. Shore signed to Bluebird, and recorded several hits during 1940-41, including “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” “I Hear a Rhapsody” and “Jim.” Her first million-seller came in 1942 with the prototypical blues crossover nugget, “Blues in the Night.” Later that year, she moved to Victor and hit big with “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” and her first number one hit, 1944’s “I’ll Walk Alone.” Shore also began appearing in films, including 1944’s Up in Arms and 1946’s Till the Clouds Roll By. The late ’40s proved to be her most popular era for recording. Between 1946 and 1949, she hit big with several songs, including “The Gypsy,” “I Love You for Sentimental Reasons,” “Anniversary Song,” “I Wish I Didn’t Love You So,” “Buttons and Bows” and “Dear Hearts and Gentle People.” Though her records didn’t chart as high during the ’50s, Dinah Shore enjoyed even more exposure with her top-rated variety show, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show. For many, Shore’s opening and closing every show with “See the USA in your Chevrolet, America’s the greatest land of all” practically defined the ’50s. Her Chevrolet sponsorship lasted until 1963, but she returned in the ’70s with a new format, the daytime talk-show. During the 1980s, she began performing once again, but returned to television once more with a series that ran for two years. She died of cancer in 1994. – John Bush (allmusic)
Best known as the frontman of the ’70s arena rock outfit Uriah Heep, singer David Byron also performed as a solo artist. Born David Garrick in Essex, England, on January 29, 1947, he first emerged as a member of the short-lived Stalkers. With the group’s guitarist Mick Box, he later formed Spice, which also featured bassist Paul Newton and drummer Alex Napier. Renamed Uriah Heep in 1970 after a character in the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield, they debuted with the LP Very ‘eavy, Very ‘umble; while the group’s fusion of art-rock and heavy metal was widely scorned by critics, they soon rose to stardom on both sides of the Atlantic, with much of the attention focused on Byron’s operatic vocals. In 1975, he issued his first solo effort, Take No Prisoners; a year later, after ten albums with Uriah Heep, Byron’s longtime drinking problem led to his dismissal from the band, and he formed Rough Diamond with former Humble Pie guitarist Clem Clempson and ex-Wings drummer Geoff Britton. The group issued only a self-titled 1977 LP before disbanding, leaving Byron to again pursue a solo career. His second effort, Baby Faced Killer, was not successful, and he next formed the Byron Band with guitarist Robin George. 1981’s On the Rocks was their sole album, and as Byron’s alcoholism worsened, his career dried up; he was found dead in his Reading home on February 28, 1985. – Jason Ankeny (allmusic)
Ray Kane was one of Hawaii’s most revered slack-key guitarists. After learning to play the ukulele as a child, Kane switched over to the slack-key guitar. By the early ’60s, Kane was performing in front of amazed audiences and recording albums that would eventually total more than a dozen. In 1987, he was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. Kane died of respiratory failure at the age of 82.
Cornell Gunter was an original member of The Platters. He had recorded with the yet-unnamed Platters singing back-up on Big Jay McNeely’s recording “Nervous Man Nervous” on Federal Records in 1953. He also was a member of The Flairs and The Coasters. The title song from the 1957 Susan Oliver movie, The Green Eyed Blonde, was sung by Gunter.
