Muddy Waters (Born McKinley Morganfield)
April 4, 1914 – April 30, 1983
Although he was born in Mississippi, Muddy Waters is considered the Father of Chicago Blues. By electrifying the delta blues of his youth, Waters almost singlehandedly influenced the British blues explosion of the ’60s. Acts like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Cream might not have been born if it weren’t for Muddy Waters. By the early 1950s, Waters, along with his sidemen, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf were the biggest draw in Chicago, and in 1958, he set out to conquer the UK, who until that point had only known the acoustic blues of the likes of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Indoing so, Waters sparked a musical revolution. Waters died in his sleep of natural causes on April 30, 1983.
Leslie “Lester” Bangs
December 13, 1948 – April 30, 1982
As a writer for Cream and Rolling Stone magazines, Lester Bangs was a highly influential rock music journalist. Bangs’ first review to be published came in 1969 when he answered a Rolling Stone ad looking for readers’ reviews. He sent in a negative critique of the MC5’sKick Out The Jams, and never looked back. Bangs wrote for the magazine until 1973 when he was fired for allegedly being too critical and disrespectful toward the musicians he wrote about. Bangs relocated to Detroit where he edited and wrote for Cream. It was Cream that Bangs began to build his reputation as a brilliant if not confrontational music journalist. In the ensuing years, he contributed to Playboy, the Village Voice and NME. Bangs died of an accidental overdose at the age of 33. Drugs he had been taking to treat a cold adversely interacted with each other.
Miss Zola Taylor had the honor of being the female member of the Platters during their most prolific years of 1954 to 1962, and thereby contributing vocals to some of the most influential songs in all of R&B. And in one of popular music’s stranger stories, Taylor insisted she was Frankie Lymon’s second wife although she had no proof. And many years later, she unsuccessfully sued to gain ownership of Lymon’s catalog. The story of Frankie Lymon and his loves was made into the 1998 film, Why Do Fools Fall In Love in which Taylor is portrayed by Halle Barry. Zola Taylor passed away from pneumonia in 2007 at the age of 69.
Along with being a beat writer, Richard Fariña was a folk singer-songwriter who performed and recorded with second wife, Mimi Fariña, sister of Joan Baez. As a counterculture author, Fariña had stories published in the Transalantic Review and Mademoiselle. He also wrote the critically acclaimed and cult favorite novel, Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me. Considered a protest singer, Fariña’s music career was born around 1961 in the Greenwich Village folk scene. At the time, he was married to Carolyn Hester who introduced him to Bob Dylan, thus launching a friendship that would eventually lead him to meet Joan Baez and younger sister, Mimi. After divorcing Hester, Fariña married Mimi and together they moved to the central coast of California where they began writing songs together. Mimi & Richard Fariña signed to Vanguard Records who released three albums, one of which after Richard’s untimely death. Just two days after the release of Been Down So Long, the Farinas were home celebrating Mimi’s 21st birthday. During the party, Richard got on the back of a friend’s motorcycle for a ride. Allegedly driving at a high rate of speed, the driver lost control of the bike on a windy road, causing it to crash. Richard Fariña was killed instantly at the age of 29.
Will Owsley was a respected singer-songwriter, producer and musician who is best remembered as Amy Grant’s touring guitarist for more than 15 years. Over the course of his career, he also worked with Shania Twain, the Neville Brothers, Faith Hill and Wynonna Judd. Owsley also released a handful of albums under his own name, including 1999’s Owsley, which earned him a Grammy nomination for its engineering. During the early ’90s, he formed the power pop band, the Semantics with Zak Starkey and Millard Powers. Will Owsley died on April 30, 2010 of an apparent suicide.
At the time of his death of a heart attack in 1999, Darrell Sweet was co-founder and drummer for the Scottish hard rock band, Nazareth. By the 1975 release of Hair Of The Dog, Nazareth were bona fide international superstars. And as if the title track weren’t great enough, Hair Of The Dog also begat rock’s definitive version of “Love Hurts,” perhaps the greatest power ballad of its generation. On April 30, 1999, Darrell Sweet died of a heart attack he suffered at the New Albany Amphitheater where the band was scheduled to perform later that evening. He was 51.
Peter Lopez was a successful and much respected entertainment lawyer who, over the course of his career, represented the likes of Michael Jackson, Michael Buble, Andrea Bocelli, and the Eagles. He had been married to popular film and television actress, Catherine Bach since 1990. In 1997, Lopez served as co-producer of Selena, the bio-pic about rising Latin pop star, Selena Quintanilla-Lopez which starred Jennifer Lopez. Peter Lopez was found dead in his home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on April 30, 2010. He was 60 years old.
Gil Ellman was a big band musician and longtime Chicago area musical instrument merchant. Ellman began his life of music as a youngster when he learned to play the saxophone, clarinet and flute. His skills developed so well, that when he hit high school, he became its concert master. Shortly after graduating, and at just 18 years of age, Ellman opened his own shop where he repaired radios and such. He later became an an instrument tech, working with the likes of Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey when they came through Chicago. Ellman played in the Coast Guard Band during WWII and continued to play in local groups well beyond that. Over the years, he shared the stage with such legends as Patti Page, Milton Berle and Ronald Reagan. In 1958, he opened Ellman’s Music Store which remained an area institution up until the time of his passing. Gil Ellman was 84 when he died in his home on April 30, 2010.
On May 7, 2007, Ellman was interviewed as part of the National Association of Music Merchants’ Oral History program. Click here to view a 2 minute segment from his interview.
Thanks to NAMM Historian, Dan Del Fiorentino for the info and clip.
Photo by David Plastik - Click To Order Quality Prints - Discount code: 10OFF
Jack of all trades, Mick Ronson was one of those sidemen that brought out the best in those he played with. Whether it was David Bowie or Ian Hunter, Ronson’s contributions to their music helped define ’70s glam rock. But he was much more than a guitar-for-hire, as he was just as adept at songwriting, producing and arranging. Ronson’s direct influence can heard be on albums he either performed on or produced by the likes of Lou Reed, Morrissey, Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, David Johansen, Van Morrison, Elton John, Roger Daltrey and John Mellencamp. Ronson died of liver cancer on April 29, 1993 at the age of 46.
Walter Sear was a composer, musician, and inventor who is perhaps most celebrated as a pioneer of the music synthesizer. He began his career in music as a classical tuba player and eventually launched a successful business where he imported and sold tubas from a shop in New York City. During the early ’60s, he partnered with synthesizer inventor, Robert Moog to help him perfect and market the first commercial synthesizers. Sear went on to make synth recordings for motion pictures such as Midnight Cowboy. He also ran his Sear Sound recording studio in New York City for many years. Over the decades, artists like the Beatles, Paul McCartney, Sonic Youth, Steely Dan and Wynton Marsalis called upon Sear to outfit them with vintage synthesizers. Walter Sear was 79 when he passed away on April 29, 2010.
As a writer for Cream and Rolling Stone magazines, Lester Bangs was a highly influential rock music journalist. Bangs’ first review to be published came in 1969 when he answered a Rolling Stone ad looking for readers’ reviews. He sent in a negative critique of the MC5’s Kick Out The Jams, and never looked back. Bangs wrote for the magazine until 1973 when he was fired for allegedly being too critical and disrespectful toward the musicians he wrote about. Bangs relocated to Detroit where he edited and wrote for Cream. It was Cream that Bangs began to build his reputation as a brilliant if not confrontational music journalist. In the ensuing years, he contributed to Playboy, the Village Voice and NME. Bangs died of an accidental overdose at the age of 33. Drugs he had been taking to treat a cold adversely interacted with each other.
Miss Zola Taylor had the honor of being the female member of the Platters during their most prolific years of 1954 to 1962, and thereby contributing vocals to some of the most influential songs in all of R&B. And in one of popular music’s stranger stories, Taylor insisted she was 
Along with being a beat writer, Richard Fariña was a folk singer-songwriter who performed and recorded with second wife, 
Will Owsley was a respected singer-songwriter, producer and musician who is best remembered as Amy Grant’s touring guitarist for more than 15 years. Over the course of his career, he also worked with Shania Twain, the Neville Brothers, Faith Hill and Wynonna Judd. Owsley also released a handful of albums under his own name, including 1999’s Owsley, which earned him a Grammy nomination for its engineering. During the early ’90s, he formed the power pop band, the Semantics with Zak Starkey and Millard Powers. Will Owsley died on April 30, 2010 of an apparent suicide.
At the time of his death of a heart attack in 1999, Darrell Sweet was co-founder and drummer for the Scottish hard rock band, Nazareth. By the 1975 release of Hair Of The Dog, Nazareth were bona fide international superstars. And as if the title track weren’t great enough, Hair Of The Dog also begat rock’s definitive version of “Love Hurts,” perhaps the greatest power ballad of its generation. On April 30, 1999, Darrell Sweet died of a heart attack he suffered at the New Albany Amphitheater where the band was scheduled to perform later that evening. He was 51.
Gil Ellman was a big band musician and longtime Chicago area musical instrument merchant. Ellman began his life of music as a youngster when he learned to play the saxophone, clarinet and flute. His skills developed so well, that when he hit high school, he became its concert master. Shortly after graduating, and at just 18 years of age, Ellman opened his own shop where he repaired radios and such. He later became an an instrument tech, working with the likes of 
Walter Sear was a composer, musician, and inventor who is perhaps most celebrated as a pioneer of the music synthesizer. He began his career in music as a classical tuba player and eventually launched a successful business where he imported and sold tubas from a shop in New York City. During the early ’60s, he partnered with synthesizer inventor, 
The Music's Over 