Park Yong-ha was a handsome Korean television and singer who quickly became popular throughout Asia. He reached fame as a teenager thanks in part to his starring role in Winter Sonata. As for his musical career, he is perhaps best remembered for singing the popular theme song for the Japanese program, Just For Yesterday. Over the course of his career, Yong-ha released a several records, earned numerous acting and music awards, and was a popular concert draw across Korea and Japan. Park Yong-ha was found dead in his home of an apparent suicide by hanging on June 30, 2010. He was 33.
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 the 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 ended 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.
Rammellzee was a popular and influential New York City based performance artist, sculptor, graffiti artist, and hip hop singer. His vocal style, which dates back to the early ’80s, is said to have influenced the likes of the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. He released several records, though under different monikers, throughout his career, and had collaborated with Buckethead of Guns ‘N Roses fame. Rammellzee’s death was announced on June 29, 2010. Actual date and cause of death are still pending.
Queen Jane (Born Jane Nyambura)
1964(?) – June 29, 2010
Queen Jane was a Kandara-born benga singer. She launched her career in 1984, and by 1991, she had her own band, Queenja Les Les and had released her debut album, Ndorogonye, on which she sang in Kikyuyu language. Her mostly socially and politically directed songs became very popular throughout Africa and beyond over the next several years. Queen Jane died of complications from meningitis on June 29, 2010.
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.
Park Yong-ha was a handsome Korean television and singer who quickly became popular throughout Asia. He reached fame as a teenager thanks in part to his starring role in Winter Sonata. As for his musical career, he is perhaps best remembered for singing the popular theme song for the Japanese program, Just For Yesterday. Over the course of his career, Yong-ha released a several records, earned numerous acting and music awards, and was a popular concert draw across Korea and Japan. Park Yong-ha was found dead in his home of an apparent suicide by hanging on June 30, 2010. He was 33.
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 the 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 
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,” 
Rammellzee was a popular and influential New York City based performance artist, sculptor, graffiti artist, and hip hop singer. His vocal style, which dates back to the early ’80s, is said to have influenced the likes of the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. He released several records, though under different monikers, throughout his career, and had collaborated with Buckethead of Guns ‘N Roses fame. Rammellzee’s death was announced on June 29, 2010. Actual date and cause of death are still pending.
Queen Jane was a Kandara-born benga singer. She launched her career in 1984, and by 1991, she had her own band, Queenja Les Les and had released her debut album, Ndorogonye, on which she sang in Kikyuyu language. Her mostly socially and politically directed songs became very popular throughout Africa and beyond over the next several years. Queen Jane died of complications from meningitis on June 29, 2010.
The Music's Over 