David Taylor was the lead vocalist for ’80s hard rock band, Drive. Formed in Houston, Texas by Rick Chavez and Mercy Valdez, Drive soon found their voice in a young David Taylor, just barely out of his teens. In the mid ’80s, the band moved to Los Angeles, which was quickly becoming the epicenter of the ’80s metal scene. Winning a radio contest with their song “I Need The Nights,” Drive landed on the Best Of The West compilation that was released on Rampage Records. Rampage soon signed to band, and in July of 1988, released their debut, Characters In Time. The album received tremendous reviews from the industry’s top hard rock press, including the coveted 5 “K” rating from Kerrang magazine. The album also received solid airplay from hard rock stations around the country, including Los Angeles powerhouse, KNAC. What separated Drive from the “hair” bands of the Sunset Strip, was their intelligent lyrics, intricate musicianship, and of course, Taylor’s supurb voice that fell somewhere between Ronnie James Dio and Queensryche’s Geoff Tate. And what endeared them to true metal critics and fans alike was that they were more akin to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest than most of the L.A. bands that were coming up at the time. Characters In Time was followed by the more mature and sonically advanced, Diablero on Zoo Records. Unfortunately, a shake-up at the label along with the dawn of the metal-killing “grunge” scene, left the album without much of a push, so the band’s recording career was put on hold as the band members moved back to Texas, where Taylor was living in recent years. While driving along a San Antonio interstate on June 25, 2009, Taylor apparently lost control of his vehicle after a tire came off, causing him to crash. He was airlifted to an area hospital where he died of his injuries five days later. He was 44.
Phyllis Hyman was an American R&B singer who first came to prominence as Norman Connors’ duet partner on his 1975 cover of the Stylistics’ “Betcha By Golly Wow.” Throughout her career, Hyman scored several R&B hits including a Top Ten hit with “Can’t We Fall In Love Again” in 1981. That same year, Hyman received a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her work in Sophisticated Ladies. In 1985, she recorded the theme song for the James Bond film, Never Say Never Again. Hyman reportedly suffered from personal and financial troubles and took her own life by overdose at the age of 45.
Richard “Pistol” Allen
August 12, 1932 – June 30, 2002
Richard “Pistol” Allen was a drummer for Motown’s Funk Brothers, the acclaimed session band the provided the sound for many of the greatest songs in American history. His shuffle style drumming could be heard on such classics as the Supremes’ “Baby Love,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” and the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself.” During the ’50s, Allen began playing in clubs throughout Detroit, and it was there that he befriended Motown’s legendary drummer, Benny Benjamin who ultimately helped him get into the Motown family in 1961. In 2002, Allen was a key figure in the critically acclaimed documentary on the Funk Brothers, “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown.” He died of cancer a short time later.
Chet Atkins was one of the most influential musicians to come out of Nashville. And yet, he was much more than that. Atkins worked on the business side as well, spending some time as an artist manager as well as Vice President of RCA Records‘ country division where he remarkably signed Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Bobby Bare, Connie Smith and Jerry Reed to name just a few. As a producer, Atkins made hits for Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Eddy Arnold, Waylon Jennings and many more. The sounds he created on record are credited as being one of the foundations of what would become known as the Nashville Sound. Atkins’ style of playing was itself influenced by the great Merle Travis and is one of the most difficult sounds to imitate, earning him the nickname, “Mister Guitar.” Over the course of his career, Atkins won fourteen Grammys, nine Country Music Association awards, and the Billboard Century award. He was also inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, invited to the White House to play for every president from Kennedy to Bush Sr., and had a stretch of highway in Georgia named after him. Atkins died of cancer on June 30, 2001.
Angel Tavira was a beloved Mexican violinist who lost his right hand to an exploding firecracker when he as a child. But he had been playing the saxophone, guitar, bass and violin, learning by ear. Even after the accident, Tavira continued on with the violin. He was also an acclaimed composer of son calentano, a traditional form of music from the state of Guerrero. When Tavira was 81, was cast as a farmer musician in the Felix Salgado Mendocino film, El Violin. A year later, he won the Best Actor award at Cannes even though he had never had any formal training. Angel Tavira died of kidney problems in 2008.
Wong Ka-Kui was the founder of Chinese rock band, Beyond. Forming the band in 1983, Ka-Kui was it’s lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter. The band was widely popular throughout Asia. While appearing on a Japanese game show to promote the latest release by Beyond, Wong Ka-Kui fell from a slippery platform, and landed on his head. He died a week later from his injuries. He was 31 years old.
Tim Buckley was a much respected singer-songwriter who, through his career that spanned the late ’60s to mid ’70s dazzled fans with his keen ability to seamlessly cohabit multiple genres like jazz, folk, soul psychedelia and avant-garde. Growing up in Southern California, Buckley taught himself to play the banjo at the age of 11. Bu the time Buckley was a senior in high school, he had formed his own band and was a married father-to-be. His son was future indie-folk legend Jeff Buckley, who like his father, died tragically too soon. Buckley was soon signed to the legendary Elektra Records who released Buckley’s now cult classic albums. By the early ’70s however, Buckley’s demons took to form of drugs and alcohol and seriously derailed his career. In 1975, Buckley attempted to clean up and mount a “comeback” but his addiction to heroin was too strong, causing him to die of an overdose at the age of 28.
Lowell George is best remembered as the leader of the popular country-rock band, Little Feat. Prior to forming Little Feat, George was a member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention. George formed Little Feat in 1969, and due in part to his excellent slide guitar and soulful voice, the band struck a chord with fans with such albums as Little Feat, Sailin’ Shoes and Dixie Chicken. There 1978 live album, Waiting On Columbus, is widely considered one of the greatest live albums ever released. While on tour in Washington DC, Lowell George died of a massive heart attack. His daughter, Inara George grew up to be a respected singer-songwriter in her own right. She is one-half of indie-rock faves, The Bird and the Bee.
Eric Dolphy was a jazz saxophonist who is considered a major influence on the world of free jazz and avant garde improvisation as well. He was also one the earliest flute and bass clarinet soloists of any importance. Over his short career, Dolphy performed or recorded with such greats as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Max Roach. When Eric Dolphy died suddenly at the age of 36, it was assumed that he followed the same fate as so many jazz artists of the day, but instead of his being a drug related death, Dolphy’s was attributed to diabetic shock.
Rosemary Clooney was a popular jazz vocalist during the ’50s thanks in part to her hit, “Come On-a My House.” It was during this time that Clooney was also appearing in major motion pictures including White Christmas alongside Bing Crosby, Vera Ellen, and Danny Kaye. She also was a familiar presence on young television, making guest appearances as well as starring in her own musical variety show, The Rosemary Clooney Show. Clooney’s career got somewhat sidetracked during the ’60s due to personal problems, but by the mid ’70s, she was back as strong as ever. She signed with Concord Records in 1977 and released a new album virtually every year until her death in 2002. In 1995, Clooney received an Emmy nomination for her guest starring performance alongside nephew, George Clooney on ER. RosemaryClooney died as a result of lung cancer at the age of 74.
Frederick “Shorty” Long
May 20, 1940 – June 29, 1969
Shorty Long was a singer, songwriter and producer associated with the Motown family for many years. His “Devil With The Blue Dress On” was the very first record to be released on Motown imprint, Soul Records. A later cover of it by Mitch Ryder would become a rock n’ roll standard. In 1968, he released “Here Comes The Judge,” which became his biggest hit. He was, incidentally, the only Motown artist outside of Smokey Robinson that was permitted to produce his own records. Shorty Long died in a Detroit River boating accident at the age of 29.
One of the many unsung heroes of popular music, Tom Wilkes was a desinger who created the covers for, among others, Janis Joplin’sPearl, the Rolling Stones’Beggar’s Banquet, Neil Young’sHarvest, and the London Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Tommy, for which he won a Grammy. Throughout his career, Wilkes was the art director for the Monterey Pop Festival, A&M Records and ABC Records. Wilkes passed away in his home at the age of 69. Cause of death not immediately released.
Kevin “G.G.” Allin
August 29, 1956 – June 28, 1993
G.G. Allin was plain and simple, the most shocking and to many people, the most disgusting performer rock music has ever known. Recording mostly in the punk idiom, Allin was also known to leave his mark on country, spoken word and blues-influenced rock. His violent shows generally involved him rolling around in, and eventually ingesting his own feces and urine. Usually ending up naked, gouging and cutting himself on stage until he became a bloody mess. And if that weren’t sexy enough, he oftentimes coaxed audience members to perform oral sex on him. These antics obviously overshadowed his music which tended to be as raw as the sewage he left in his wake. This ultimate rock ‘n’ roll rebellion endeared him to his cult following, but also enraged local critics and police, landing him in jail no fewer than 50 times. Although barely on punk’s fringe, Allin managed to count Dee Dee Ramone, Wayne Kramer and Thurston Moore as fans. Many suspected that Allin suffered from severe mental disorders made worse by his massive consumption of drugs and alcohol. And as shocking as his on stage personality was, by all appearances, his personal life was just as noteworthy. In 1989 he was arrested for rape and torture of a woman in Michigan. Allin denied all charges, insisting that the burning, cutting and drinking of blood were mutual and consensual, and to some degree, the judge agreed, reducing the charges to felony assault for which he served about a year and a half in prison. Allin went out in as memorable a fashion as he lived. On the night of June 27, 1993, he took the stage at a club in New York City. Just two songs into the set, the club’s power went out sending Allin into the crowd where he proceeded to tear up anything in the club that he could get his hands on. As the crowd spilled out into the streets, so did Allin, only he was naked, and though covered in blood and feces, he attempted to embrace his fans who were reveling in the street. Allin ended up at a friend’s apartment where he died of a heroin overdose in the early hours of June 28. And though dead and gone, the partying friends of his buddy continued to pose for pictures with him until someone realized something was wrong and called the paramedics who pronounced him dead at the scene. He was 36.
Thanks to Stephen Brower for pointing us to this great G.G. Allin footage:
Harry Mills was 1/4 of the popular vocal quartet, the Mills Brothers who scored several pop vocal hits throughout the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. They made a remarkable 2000+ recordings that sold over 50 million copies, earning them over 30 gold records. Any worthy collection of their hits should include “Dinah,” “Caravan,” “Tiger Rag,” “Paper Doll,” and “Cab Driver.” Harry Mills passed away from natural causes on June 28, 1982 although he did suffer from diabetes in his later years. He was 68 when he died.
Ronnie Matthews was a respected jazz pianist who graced many hard bop albums of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Over the years he’s recorded with Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, and McCoy Tyner, as well as toured with both Art Blakey and Johnny Griffin. Matthews was also recognized for his sensitive interpretations of Thelonious Monk. He died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 72.
Gale Storm (Born Josephine Cottle)
April 5, 1922 – June 27, 2009
Besides being one of he most popular film and television actresses of her day, Gale Storm was also a recording artist. She is perhaps most famous for her starring role in television’s My Little Margie and her own The Gale Storm Show. In 1954, she signed to Dot Records and released a cover of Smiley Lewis’ “I Hear You Knockin,’” which sold over 1 million copies. She went on to have numerous hits and successful runs as a headliner in Las Vegas. Gale Storm passed away at the age of 87.
Jackie Washington
November 12, 1919 – June 27, 2009
Jackie Washington was one of those artists that was referred to as both a jazz and blues singer. Born in Ontario, Canada, Washington taught himself how to play the guitar at thirteen. This helped the family during the depression as he and his brothers began performing to earn extra money for their large family. During the late ’40s, Washington became Canada’s first African American disc jockey, hosting a jazz show on a Hamilton radio station. Washington’s career as a musician kicked into high gear during the folk revival of the ’60s, becoming a regular along Canada’s folk and blues festival circuits. Besides making several albums of his own, including four excellent titles for Vanguard Records, Washington appeared on recordings by such greats as Lionel Hampton, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, and Duke Ellington. He was also an inspiration to many, including a young Bob Dylan, who liberally “borrowed” from Washington’s version of “Nottumun Town” for his own “Masters Of War.” There was even talk of Washington suing Dylan, but that never came to be. Jackie Washington died of complications from an earlier heart attack. He was 89.
Stefanie Sargent was the guitarist for Seattle all-girl punk band, 7 Year Bitch. The band formed in 1990 and was signed to indie lable, C/Z Records by 1991. Building a fan base due in part to their aggressive shows and songs, they reached a point where they were even sharing the stage with the band that had inspired them, the Gits. Things were going well for the band as they were just about to release their debut album. But just before its release, Stefanie Sargent died of a heroin overdose just days after her 24th birthday.
Marie Castello was the real life “Madam Marie” character in the Bruce Springsteen song “4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).” The 1973 song finds Springsteen asking, “Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin’ fortunes better than they do,” even though in real life, she never was. Castello began telling fortunes in her small Asbury Park boardwalk shop in 1932, and by the late ’60s, a young Springsteen reportedly visited with her often and would play his guitar outside her shop. According to Springsteen lore, it was during one of those visits that Castello told him he would one day be famous. Springsteen continued to stop by and visit in recent years. Over the years, Castello read fortunes of many famous entertainers who came to town. That list included Ray Charles, Elton John, Woody Allen, Perry Como and Vic Damone. Marie Castello died suddenly of natural causes at the age of 93.
Daihachi Oguchi was a Japanese drummer who was closely associated with the taiko form of drumming. Oguchi formed several taiko groups including the famed San Fracisco Taiko Dojo who have been seen performing in several Hollywood movies over the past 40 years. Oguchi died the day after being hit by a car. He was 84.
David Taylor was the lead vocalist for ’80s hard rock band, Drive. Formed in Houston, Texas by Rick Chavez and Mercy Valdez, Drive soon found their voice in a young David Taylor, just barely out of his teens. In the mid ’80s, the band moved to Los Angeles, which was quickly becoming the epicenter of the ’80s metal scene. Winning a radio contest with their song “I Need The Nights,” Drive landed on the Best Of The West compilation that was released on Rampage Records. Rampage soon signed to band, and in July of 1988, released their debut, Characters In Time. The album received tremendous reviews from the industry’s top hard rock press, including the coveted 5 “K” rating from Kerrang magazine. The album also received solid airplay from hard rock stations around the country, including Los Angeles powerhouse, KNAC. What separated Drive from the “hair” bands of the Sunset Strip, was their intelligent lyrics, intricate musicianship, and of course, Taylor’s supurb voice that fell somewhere between Ronnie James Dio and Queensryche’s Geoff Tate. And what endeared them to true metal critics and fans alike was that they were more akin to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest than most of the L.A. bands that were coming up at the time. Characters In Time was followed by the more mature and sonically advanced, Diablero on Zoo Records. Unfortunately, a shake-up at the label along with the dawn of the metal-killing “grunge” scene, left the album without much of a push, so the band’s recording career was put on hold as the band members moved back to Texas, where Taylor was living in recent years. While driving along a San Antonio interstate on June 25, 2009, Taylor apparently lost control of his vehicle after a tire came off, causing him to crash. He was airlifted to an area hospital where he died of his injuries five days later. He was 44.
Harry Mills was 1/4 of the popular vocal quartet, the Mills Brothers who scored several pop vocal hits throughout the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. They made a remarkable 2000+ recordings that sold over 50 million copies, earning them over 30 gold records. Any worthy collection of their hits should include “Dinah,” “Caravan,” “Tiger Rag,” “Paper Doll,” and “Cab Driver.” Harry Mills passed away from natural causes on June 28, 1982 although he did suffer from diabetes in his later years. He was 68 when he died.
Stefanie Sargent was the guitarist for Seattle all-girl punk band, 7 Year Bitch. The band formed in 1990 and was signed to indie lable, C/Z Records by 1991. Building a fan base due in part to their aggressive shows and songs, they reached a point where they were even sharing the stage with the band that had inspired them, the Gits. Things were going well for the band as they were just about to release their debut album. But just before its release, Stefanie Sargent died of a heroin overdose just days after her 24th birthday.
Marie Castello was the real life “Madam Marie” character in the Bruce Springsteen song “4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy).” The 1973 song finds Springsteen asking, “Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin’ fortunes better than they do,” even though in real life, she never was. Castello began telling fortunes in her small Asbury Park boardwalk shop in 1932, and by the late ’60s, a young Springsteen reportedly visited with her often and would play his guitar outside her shop. According to Springsteen lore, it was during one of those visits that Castello told him he would one day be famous. Springsteen continued to stop by and visit in recent years. Over the years, Castello read fortunes of many famous entertainers who came to town. That list included 
