Nick Drake was an English singer-songwriter who in spite of selling in the neighborhood of just 5000 copies of each of his albums when released, went on to become one of the most influential and respected artists of his generation. Drake came to relative prominence during the British folk movement of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Oft compared to the likes of Syd Barrett, Donovan and Van Morrison, Drake released just three albums between 1969 and 1972. They barely registered a blip back then, and the fact that Drake resisted performing live or granting interviews did nothing to help them find their audience. Suffering from depression and insomnia for much of his life, Drake let those demons populate his dark songs. During Drake’s final month’s, he became very reclusive, avoiding friends and family. Mental illness had obviously taken hold of Drake’s spirit. On November 25, 1974, Nick Drake, 26, died of an overdose of antidepressants in his parents home. Local officials ruled it a suicide, though many close to him and with him during his final days strongly believe it was an accidental overdose. Interest in Drake’s music continued to grow throughout the ’80s and ’90s as popular artists like Lucinda Williams, Elliott Smith, REM’s Peter Buck, and Robert Smith and of the Cure began citing him as an influence. His songs also began finding new fans from numerous film and TV placements, including the usage of “Pink Moon” in a popular Volkswagen commercial in 2000.
Freddie Mercury (Born Farrokh Bulsara)
September 5, 1946 – November 24, 1991
Born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Freddie Mercury would become one of rock’s most beloved and dynamic performers as the lead singer of Queen. When Mercury was 17, he and his family fled Zanzibar to London due to the Zanzibar Revolution. Mercury had been performing in bands since his school days, and he wasn’t about to stop when he got to London. When he graduated from college in the late ’60s, he played in a handful of bands until he joined up with Brian May and Roger Taylor and later John Deacon, in what would soon be called Queen. The band became one of the biggest musical acts during the ’70s and ’80s thanks in part to Mercury’s operatic voice and jaw dropping showmanship. One show in particular, Queen’s comeback of sorts during the Live Aid concerts of 1985, has been called the greatest live performanc in the history of rock music. Mercury wrote many of the band’s biggest hits, including “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Are The Champions,” “Killer Queen,” and arguably their greatest, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” In the spring of 1987, Mercury was reportedly diagnosed with AIDS, though it wouldn’t be officially announced publicly until November 23, 1991. Freddie Mercury died the next day of bronchial pneumonia as a result of AIDS.
Eric Carr (Born Paul Caravello)
July 12, 1950 – November 24, 1991
Eric Carr was a multi-instrumentalist, but primarily a drummer who goes down in rock ‘n roll history as the first replacement for Peter Criss in Kiss. Upon Criss’ official departure from Kiss in 1980, the band held auditions for a replacement. Although he submitted is application a day after the deadline and was the very last to try-out, Carr was selected to continue on with the band under the guise of “The Fox.” Over the course of his career with Kiss, Carr played on such albums as Creatures of the Night, Lick It Up, Animalyze, and Asylum. Carr also sang lead on a handful of songs during Kiss live shows, as well as on a re-recording of “Beth” which had originally sung by Criss. On November 21, 1991, Eric Carr, age 41, died of a brain hemmhorage that resulted from heart cancer which he had been suffering from for some time.
Big Joe Turner was a jump blues singer who has been rightfully called “The Boss of the Blues.” He is also considered to be one of the direct influences on early rock ‘n roll. Turner’s career began during the 1920s as a singing bartender in around his hometown of Kansas City. He eventually moved to New York City where, in 1938, legendary talent scout, John Hammond Sr. gave him a slot on the groundbreaking From Spiritual to Swing concerts. By the early ’40s, Turner was living in Los Angeles where he worked with the likes of Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie, and Meade Lux Lewis. In 1951, Turner signed with the up-and-coming label, Atlantic Records where he began releasing a string of upbeat songs that would help establish rock ‘n roll as a new art form. Such records included “Sweet Sixteen,” “Chains of Love,” “Corrine Corrina” and “Shake Rattle and Roll,” which would be made into hits by Bill Haley and Elvis Presley. Turner returned to a more traditional blues sound during the ’60s. Big Joe Turner was 74 when he suffered a fatal heart attack on November 24, 1985.
Kenny MacLean is best remembered as the bassist for Canadian new wave band, Platinum Blonde. Initially formed as a Police tribute band, Platinum Blonde went on to become one Canada’s most popular bands of the the era, selling in the multi-platinum status and earning two Juno nominations. During the ’90s, MacLean released a couple of solo albums and earned a Most Promising Male Vocalist Juno nomination. He went into music education during the 2000s, forming his own teaching academy in 2006. Kenny MacLean, 52, died of natural causes related to his heart on November 24, 2008.
Roy Acuff was a country musician, singer, songwriter, promoter and publisher who was rightfully called, the King of Country Music. Acuff got his start when, in 1932, he was hired to entertain potential customers of a traveling medicine show. He left in 1934 to form his first band, the Crazy Tennesseans with whom he moved to Nashville in 1938. They were soon offered a contract with the Grand Ole Opry. In 1942, Acuff partnered with Fred Rose to open Acuff-Rose Music, which became Nashville’s biggest country music publishing company. The company quickly became very successful by hiring such songwriters as Lefty Frizzell, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson and many more. As a performer, Acuff’s career started to falter during the ’50s and ’60s due to the fickle tastes of music fans, but in the early ’70s, he experienced a bit of a comeback thanks to his appearance on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s landmark album, Will the Circle Be Unbroken. He continued to perform sporadically throughout his later life. Roy Acuff was 89 when he died of heart failure on November 23, 1992.
Donnell “Spade” Cooley
December 17, 1910 – November 23, 1969
Photo: Getty Images
Spade Cooley was a western swing fiddle player, band leader and television personality who came to prominence during the 1940s. Born in Oklahoma, Cooley eventually settled in Southern California where he and his band took up residence in the Venice Pier Ballroom. During the first part of the ’40s, the band performed a then-unheard of run of eighteen months. During that time, Cooley released his first of a string of Top 10 singles, “Shame On You.” By the early ’50s, Cooley was a popular face on film and television as well, appearing in almost forty westerns, and hosting his own television program from 1949 to 1959. His career came to an abrupt end in 1961 when he was convicted of beating his second wife, Ella Mae Evans, to death when she told him she wanted a divorce. After serving eight years of his sentence, Spade Cooley was permitted to perform at a sheriff’s benefit concert on November 23, 1969. Following his set, Cooley suffered a fatal heart attack backstage.
Junior Walker (Born Autry Mixon Jr.)
June 14, 1931 – November 23, 1995
Junior Walker was a saxophone player whose band, Junior Walker and the All Stars became part of the Motown family in 1961. In 1965, the band released the Walker penned “Shotgun” which reached the top of the Billboard R&B chart, and hit #4 on the pop chart. The tune became Walker’s signature song even though it was followed by several other hits over the next few years. Walker had another top 5 pop hit with “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” in 1969. In 1981, rock band, Foreigner took tapes of old Walker sax solos to put together their own “solo” to use as the centerpiece of their hit single, “Urgent.” On November 23, 1995, Junior Walker died of cancer at the age of 64.
Robert Lucas was one of four lead singers to front Canned Heat since its inception in 1965. Popular for it’s boogie blues rock anthems like “Going Up The Country” and “On The Road Again,” the band never stopped after the early deaths of it’s co-founders, Al Wilsonand Bob Hite. Lucas fronted the band twice during recent years, first in 1994 for about six years, and then again in 2005 for three years. He left the group to further a solo career which saw the recording of seven albums. Throughout his career, Lucas lent his guitar and harmonica skills to such legends as Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, and Lowell Fulson. On November 23, 2008, Robert Lucas, 46, died of an apparent drug overdose.
O.C. Smith was an R&B and jazz vocalist whose recording career began with a cover of Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” in 1955. In 1961, Smith was hired by Count Basie to sing lead in his band. He did so until 1965. Smith continued to perform and record on his own during and after that time, but didn’t strike gold until 1968 when his “Son Of Hickory Holler’s Tramp” reached #2 in the UK and landed in the U.S. top 40. He followed that up with “Little Green Apples,” which reached #2 on the U.S. pop chart, sold in excess of one million copies, and earned Smith a Grammy for song of the year in 1969. Smith continued to record records over the next two decades, many of which charted in either the U.S. or UK. In later years, he became a pastor and started his own church in Los Angeles. O.C. Smith was 69 when he passed away on November 23, 2001.
Haydain Neale
September 30, 1970 – November 22, 2009
Haydain Neale was the lead singer for popular Canadian R&B band, jacksoul. Formed in the mid ’90s, jacksoul built a devoted following thanks to their mix of soul, jazz, funk, and rock. The band released their first album in 1996. In 2001, jacksoul won a Juno award for Best R&B/Soul Recording. In August of 2007, Neale suffered serious injuries when he and his scooter were hit by a car. He was still recuperating from his injuries at the time of his death. On December 1, 2009, jacksoul released their first album, SOULmate, since Neale’s accident. Haydain Neale was 39 when he died of cancer on November 22, 2009.
Michael Hutchence
January 22, 1960 – November 22, 1997
Michael Hutchence was theinternationally famous and charismatic front man for INXS, one of the most popular bands of the ’80s. Formed in Australia in 1980, the band became stars of their native land by the time their third album, Shabooh Shoobah, was released in 1983. Thanks to infectious tracks like “The One Thing” and “Don’t Change,” the album would prove to be a minor hit in the U.S. as well. By 1985, the band were international superstars thanks to the powerful dance rock of albums, The Swing and Listen Like Thieves. The band’s blend of alternative rock and dance along with Hutchence’s swagger and good looks proved to irresistible to MTV, further cementing their place in rock stardom. During the late ’80s, Hutchence found himself cast in significant roles in a couple of motion pictures, Dogs In Space and Frankenstein Unbound. He also became tabloid fodder due to his relationships with popular actresses, models and singers of the day. The band continued recording and touring through the ’90s, but were not quite repeating the success they found earlier. On November 22, 1997, Michael Hutchence, 37, was found dead in a hotel room in Sydney, Australia. Officials ruled the death a suicide by hanging, but the fact that he was found naked and hadn’t left behind a suicide note, some close to him have speculated that he died accidentally during autoerotic asphyxiation.
MC Breed (Born Eric Breed)
1972(?) – November 22, 2008
MC Breed was a Flint, Michigan raised rapper who has been credited as being the first Midwest rapper to break out commercially. Over a recording career that began in 1990, Breed released over a dozen albums from which cames such rap hits as “Aint No Future In You Frontin,” and “Gotta Get Mine” which featured Tupac Shakur. MC Breed, 37, died suddenly of kidney failure on November 22, 2008.
John Osnes was a beloved lounge pianist and singer who first came to prominence in New York City where he played standards and Broadway hits. Over the course of his career, he entertained at private functions held by the likes of Al Gore, Rupert Murdoch and Neil Simon. In 2005, Osnes moved to Los Angeles where he quickly turned The Piano Bar in Hollywood into a favorite entertainment destination for the city’s beautiful people. On November 22, 2008 while walking home from an engagement, Osnes allegedly got into an altercation with a driver he felt came to close to him while walking in a crosswalk. Words and anger ensued and Osnes was allegedly killed during a physical confrontation with the driver. Swedish rapper David Jassey was later arrested for the murder of Osnes.
Matthew Ashman was one of the great true guitarists of the new wave era. He brought in a gritty rockabilly sound thanks to his big Gretsch hollow body guitar. He first came on to the scene during the late ’70s when he was asked to play guitar in Adam Ant’s band, Adam & the Ants. After the release of the band’s first album, 1979’s Dirk Wears White Sox, Sex Pistol’s manager Malcolm McLaren convinced Ashman and the rest of the band to leave Ant and work with him and his 14-year-old new wave prodigy, Annabella Lwin. The band they formed with Bow Wow Wow who would prove to be influential on such U.S. bands as Red Hot Chili Peppers. Their biggest hit came in 1982 with a cover of “I Want Candy,” oringinally recorded by the Strangeloves in 1965. Bow Wow Wow broke up in 1983, so Ashman continued on with different bands over the next several years, but nothing reached the success he had seen with Bow Wow Wow. On November 21, 1995, Matthew Ashman, 35, died of complications from diabetes.
Allan Sherman
November 30, 1924 – November 20, 1973
Allan Sherman was a popular humorist, television producer and parody singer-songwriter who had a massive top 40 hit with his 1963 novelty single, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” a song about a child’s rough time at summer camp. It was sung to the tune of “Dance of the Hours” by Amilcare Ponchielli. That was followed by another humorous hit, “The Twelve Gifts of Christmas.” Such songs were a direct influence on likes of Weird Al Yankovic. Sherman’s career actually began in television. From 1952 to 1967, he was the producer of I’ve Got a Secret, which was based on an idea of his. He began putting out novelty records in the early ’60s. His specialty was taking old folk songs and changing the lyrics to poke fun at his Jewish heritage. One such hit of his was “Sarah Jackman” sung to the tune of “Frere Jacques.” Sherman’s popularity was short lived though, likely due to the fickle tastes of music fans. Some have even specualted that the changing mood in America after the assasanation of John F. Kennedy lead to his decline in popularity. Sherman tended to eat and drink heavily, leading to health problems as he grew older. He suffered from diabetes and lung disease and died of emphysema at the age of 48.
Kevin Dubrow is best remembered as the lead singer of the world famous ’80s metal band, Quiet Riot. The band was formed by guitar great, Randy Rhoadsand Kelly Garni in 1973 with Dubrow coming on board shortly thereafter. After Rhoads left to join Ozzy Osbourne in 1980, the band was relaunched as Dubrow and eventually changed back to the name, Quiet Riot. In 1983, the band released Metal Health, and quickly became one of the era’s most popular rock bands thanks to heavy video play during MTV’s explosive early years. Hits like “Cum On The Noize” and “Metal Health” received heavy video and radio airplay, helping them fill arenas and stadiums across the U.S. and beyond. But by 1987, internal fighting and other factors lead to the departure of Dubrow who formed his own band while the others continued on as Quiet Riot with a different lead singer. Unfortunately, grunge would soon rear its ugly head and cast all such hard rock bands aside for the next several years. Dubrow eventually reunited with yet another line up of the band who, in 2006, released the album Rehab, and began touring again. But on or around November 19, 2007, Kevin Dubrow, age 52, died of an accidental cocaine overdose in his Las Vegas home. Although his body wasn’t discovered until November 25th, the coroner estimated his day of passing likely six days earlier.
Tom Evans is best remembered as founding guitarist and sometime vocalist for British rock band, Badfinger. Evans had been Liverpool when, in 1967, he was asked to join the Iveys, a Welsh band fronted by Pete Ham. Within a year the band was signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records. The Evan’s penned “Maybe Tomorrow” was the band’s first single and cracked the US top 100. In 1969, the band changed its name to Badfinger to record The Magic Christian which included “Come and Get It,” written by Paul McCartney. Evans sang lead on the track which became a top 10 single around the world. One of Badfinger’s follow-up singles was “No Matter What,” another instantly recognizable hit. As a session player, Evans played or sang on John Lennon’sImagine, George Harrion’sAll Things Must Pass, and Ringo Starr’s “It Don’t Come Easy.” Perhaps Evans’ most famous song as a songwriter was the huge Harry Nilsson hit, “Without You,” co-written with Ham. In 1975, Pete Ham committed suicide, putting an end to the original Badfinger. Evans continued on performing in other bands, including a couple of new versions of Badfinger. On November 19, 1983, Tom Evans, 36, took his own life by hanging from a tree in his yard. It has been speculated that he was overwhelmed by disputes over royalties and legal action that could have potentially destroyed him financially.
Doug Sahm was a Texas singer, songwriter and musician who was musical styles covered a wide spectrum, from country to Cajun to blues to western swing to rock. He was Tex-Mex. And he was Americana, some 30 years before the term was coined. A child prodigy, Sahm mastered at least a dozen instruments, his earliest being the guitar, violin and guitar by the time he was five. It was that same year he made his radio debut, and when he was 11, he made his first record. He even performed on stage with Hank Williams Sr. before he turned 12. By the end of the ’50s, Sahm was fronting his own band and touring around the clubs of Texas. In the mid ’60s, he formed the Sir Douglas Quintet, choosing the name as to be less conspicuously American during the British invasion. It only worked until Sahm opened his mouth and the band kicked into their obvious Tex Mex flavored rock ‘n roll. The band did score a top 20 hit in 1965 with “She’s About a Mover.” Three years later they hit again with “Mendocino” which cracked the top 15 and sold in excess of 3 million copies worldwide. Sahm was also a favorite session player and singer throughout his career. He’s recorded with the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and the Grateful Dead. In 1990, Sahm formed the Texas Tornados, a so-called Tex-Mex supergroup with Freddy Fender, Flaco Jimenez and old friend, Augie Meyers. The group recorded four albums including their Grammy wining debut, Texas Tornados. On November 19, 1999, Doug Sahm, 58, suffered a fatal heart attack while asleep in a Taos, New Mexico hotel room.
Cabell Calloway
December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994
Cab Calloway was a popular scat singer whose all African American band was one of the most popular big bands of the ’30s and ’40s. He was also arguably the most dynamic performer of the era. Calloway began singing and learning music at a very young age, and although his parents disapproved, he started gravitating toward the sounds of jazz. After high school, he joined a traveling musical review that is sister, a bandleader herself, was involved with. When the tour ended in Chicago, Calloway stayed behind to further pursue his music career. It was there that he met Louis Armstrong who taught him the art of scat singing. By the ’30s, Calloway had one of the most popular bands in the country, thanks in part to his first hit single, 1931’s “Minnie The Moocher.” He was soon starring in several short reels, in which he could be seen doing what would in later generations be called Michael Jackson’s “moonwalk.” Over the course of the latter part of his career, Calloway continued to release popular records and made numerous appearances on television and film. Cab Calloway was 86 when he died on November 18, 1994 of a stroke he had had six months earlier.
Nick Drake was an English singer-songwriter who in spite of selling in the neighborhood of just 5000 copies of each of his albums when released, went on to become one of the most influential and respected artists of his generation. Drake came to relative prominence during the British folk movement of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Oft compared to the likes of Syd Barrett, Donovan and Van Morrison, Drake released just three albums between 1969 and 1972. They barely registered a blip back then, and the fact that Drake resisted performing live or granting interviews did nothing to help them find their audience. Suffering from depression and insomnia for much of his life, Drake let those demons populate his dark songs. During Drake’s final month’s, he became very reclusive, avoiding friends and family. Mental illness had obviously taken hold of Drake’s spirit. On November 25, 1974, Nick Drake, 26, died of an overdose of antidepressants in his parents home. Local officials ruled it a suicide, though many close to him and with him during his final days strongly believe it was an accidental overdose. Interest in Drake’s music continued to grow throughout the ’80s and ’90s as popular artists like Lucinda Williams, Elliott Smith, REM’s Peter Buck, and Robert Smith and of the Cure began citing him as an influence. His songs also began finding new fans from numerous film and TV placements, including the usage of “Pink Moon” in a popular Volkswagen commercial in 2000.
Born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Freddie Mercury would become one of rock’s most beloved and dynamic performers as the lead singer of Queen. When Mercury was 17, he and his family fled Zanzibar to London due to the Zanzibar Revolution. Mercury had been performing in bands since his school days, and he wasn’t about to stop when he got to London. When he graduated from college in the late ’60s, he played in a handful of bands until he joined up with Brian May and Roger Taylor and later John Deacon, in what would soon be called Queen. The band became one of the biggest musical acts during the ’70s and ’80s thanks in part to Mercury’s operatic voice and jaw dropping showmanship. One show in particular, Queen’s comeback of sorts during the Live Aid concerts of 1985, has been called the greatest live performanc in the history of rock music. Mercury wrote many of the band’s biggest hits, including “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Are The Champions,” “Killer Queen,” and arguably their greatest, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” In the spring of 1987, Mercury was reportedly diagnosed with AIDS, though it wouldn’t be officially announced publicly until November 23, 1991. Freddie Mercury died the next day of bronchial pneumonia as a result of AIDS.
Kenny MacLean is best remembered as the bassist for Canadian new wave band, Platinum Blonde. Initially formed as a Police tribute band, Platinum Blonde went on to become one Canada’s most popular bands of the the era, selling in the multi-platinum status and earning two Juno nominations. During the ’90s, MacLean released a couple of solo albums and earned a Most Promising Male Vocalist Juno nomination. He went into music education during the 2000s, forming his own teaching academy in 2006. Kenny MacLean, 52, died of natural causes related to his heart on November 24, 2008.
Junior Walker was a saxophone player whose band, Junior Walker and the All Stars became part of the Motown family in 1961. In 1965, the band released the Walker penned “Shotgun” which reached the top of the Billboard R&B chart, and hit #4 on the pop chart. The tune became Walker’s signature song even though it was followed by several other hits over the next few years. Walker had another top 5 pop hit with “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” in 1969. In 1981, rock band, Foreigner took tapes of old Walker sax solos to put together their own “solo” to use as the centerpiece of their hit single, “Urgent.” On November 23, 1995, Junior Walker died of cancer at the age of 64.
Haydain Neale was the lead singer for popular Canadian R&B band, jacksoul. Formed in the mid ’90s, jacksoul built a devoted following thanks to their mix of soul, jazz, funk, and rock. The band released their first album in 1996. In 2001, jacksoul won a Juno award for Best R&B/Soul Recording. In August of 2007, Neale suffered serious injuries when he and his scooter were hit by a car. He was still recuperating from his injuries at the time of his death. On December 1, 2009, jacksoul released their first album, SOULmate, since Neale’s accident. Haydain Neale was 39 when he died of cancer on November 22, 2009.
Michael Hutchence was the internationally famous and charismatic front man for INXS, one of the most popular bands of the ’80s. Formed in Australia in 1980, the band became stars of their native land by the time their third album, Shabooh Shoobah, was released in 1983. Thanks to infectious tracks like “The One Thing” and “Don’t Change,” the album would prove to be a minor hit in the U.S. as well. By 1985, the band were international superstars thanks to the powerful dance rock of albums, The Swing and Listen Like Thieves. The band’s blend of alternative rock and dance along with Hutchence’s swagger and good looks proved to irresistible to MTV, further cementing their place in rock stardom. During the late ’80s, Hutchence found himself cast in significant roles in a couple of motion pictures, Dogs In Space and Frankenstein Unbound. He also became tabloid fodder due to his relationships with popular actresses, models and singers of the day. The band continued recording and touring through the ’90s, but were not quite repeating the success they found earlier. On November 22, 1997, Michael Hutchence, 37, was found dead in a hotel room in Sydney, Australia. Officials ruled the death a suicide by hanging, but the fact that he was found naked and hadn’t left behind a suicide note, some close to him have speculated that he died accidentally during autoerotic asphyxiation.
John Osnes was a beloved lounge pianist and singer who first came to prominence in New York City where he played standards and Broadway hits. Over the course of his career, he entertained at private functions held by the likes of Al Gore, Rupert Murdoch and Neil Simon. In 2005, Osnes moved to Los Angeles where he quickly turned The Piano Bar in Hollywood into a favorite entertainment destination for the city’s beautiful people. On November 22, 2008 while walking home from an engagement, Osnes allegedly got into an altercation with a driver he felt came to close to him while walking in a crosswalk. Words and anger ensued and Osnes was allegedly killed during a physical confrontation with the driver. Swedish rapper David Jassey was later arrested for the murder of Osnes.
Allan Sherman was a popular humorist, television producer and parody singer-songwriter who had a massive top 40 hit with his 1963 novelty single, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” a song about a child’s rough time at summer camp. It was sung to the tune of “Dance of the Hours” by Amilcare Ponchielli. That was followed by another humorous hit, “The Twelve Gifts of Christmas.” Such songs were a direct influence on likes of Weird Al Yankovic. Sherman’s career actually began in television. From 1952 to 1967, he was the producer of I’ve Got a Secret, which was based on an idea of his. He began putting out novelty records in the early ’60s. His specialty was taking old folk songs and changing the lyrics to poke fun at his Jewish heritage. One such hit of his was “Sarah Jackman” sung to the tune of “Frere Jacques.” Sherman’s popularity was short lived though, likely due to the fickle tastes of music fans. Some have even specualted that the changing mood in America after the assasanation of John F. Kennedy lead to his decline in popularity. Sherman tended to eat and drink heavily, leading to health problems as he grew older. He suffered from diabetes and lung disease and died of emphysema at the age of 48.
Doug Sahm was a Texas singer, songwriter and musician who was musical styles covered a wide spectrum, from country to Cajun to blues to western swing to rock. He was Tex-Mex. And he was Americana, some 30 years before the term was coined. A child prodigy, Sahm mastered at least a dozen instruments, his earliest being the guitar, violin and guitar by the time he was five. It was that same year he made his radio debut, and when he was 11, he made his first record. He even performed on stage with 
Cab Calloway was a popular scat singer whose all African American band was one of the most popular big bands of the ’30s and ’40s. He was also arguably the most dynamic performer of the era. Calloway began singing and learning music at a very young age, and although his parents disapproved, he started gravitating toward the sounds of jazz. After high school, he joined a traveling musical review that is sister, a bandleader herself, was involved with. When the tour ended in Chicago, Calloway stayed behind to further pursue his music career. It was there that he met 