Dead Musicians
texasmom:
Quote from: bleachedblack on August 05, 2008, 12:04:22 PM
Texasmom thanks for sharing. Is that your ticket stub from Robert Palmer concert? That is to cool that you have saved it. Leonard Skynyrd is sure a band that has lost a few good members and taken some hard knocks as a band. Good to listen to them again.......
Sweet Home Alabama can bring any house down LOL even here in ole NY.
Yes, BB...I scanned my ticket stub to share. My ticket to Robert Palmer was a gift for my sixteenth birthday; and one of many concerts I went to that year. I'd put some of the tickets in a photo album and I enjoy looking back now and remembering all the good times! Wish I'd saved them all now!
Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane crashed not far from where I lived in Mississippi. I was devastated, the crash had happened on the evening of my 14th birthday. My mom and stepdad took me to see some of the wreckage after it had been brought into Brookhaven. It was so sad to see, and a miracle that more weren't killed.
texasmom:
Luther Vandross
1951-2005
http://www.luthervandross.com/site-f.html
A suave crossover balladeer and meticulous pop craftsman whose impeccable phrasing, delicate articulation and romantic delivery were underscored by his extra–ordinary hitmaking talents as a songwriter, producer and arranger, Luther Vandross (1951-2005) was by every account THE most beloved R&B male vocalist of his generation. With a cumulative 20 gold, platinum and multi-platinum certifications in the U.S. alone (singles, albums, videos) and worldwide sales of more than 30 million albums, Luther’s impact on popular tastes has been second to none.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Vandross#2003.E2.80.932005:_Illness_and_death
2003–2005: Illness and death
Vandross had diabetes,[3] a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. On April 16, 2003, just four days before his 52nd birthday, Vandross suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan.[3] Though the cause of Vandross' stroke was not specifically attributed to diabetes, diabetics have been identified as being much more susceptible to strokes than non-diabetics.
He appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award, where he said, "Whenever I say goodbye it's never for long because I believe in the power of love".[3] Other than an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he was never seen in public again. Vandross died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey at the age of 54.[6] The cause of his death was never publicly released.
Extensive detail about Luther's work with other artists found here:
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/vandross_luther/bio.jhtml
Video Links:
Superstar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lULU_-L-v3U
A House is not a Home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRVBB64PJ8I&feature=related
So Amazing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8zXldXQ6Tg
Here and Now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZygIzSDOYU&feature=related
Any Love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Xd2e7FtNk&feature=related
texasmom:
Keith Whitley
1955-1989
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Whitley
Jackie Keith Whitley (born July 1, 1955 in Sandy Hook, Kentucky, died May 9, 1989) was an American country music singer. His name is not to be confused with that of his son Jesse Keith Whitley, born in 1987. Whitley's brief career in mainstream country music lasted from 1984 till his death in 1989, but he continues to influence an entire generation of singers and songwriters. His biggest hits include "Don't Close Your Eyes" and "Miami, My Amy".
Whitley, along with Ricky Skaggs, was discovered by Ralph Stanley when the two teenagers sang Stanley Brothers songs as an opening act for the Clinch Mountain Boys. The two soon joined Ralph's band. Whitley also played with JD Crowe and the New South in the mid-seventies. During this period, he established himself as one of the most versatile and talented lead singers in bluegrass. His singing was heavily influenced by Carter Stanley and Lefty Frizzell. Whitley's first solo album, A Hard Act to Follow, was released in 1984, and featured a more mainstream country style. While Whitley was working hard to achieve his own style, the songs he produced were inconsistent. Critics regarded the album as too erratic. Whitley honed his sound within the next few years for his next album, L.A. to Miami.
L.A. to Miami, released in 1986 would give him his first Top 20 country hit single, "Miami, My Amy." The song was followed by three more hit songs: "Ten Feet Away," "Homecoming '63," and "Hard Livin." The album also included "On The Other Hand" and "Nobody In His Right Mind Would've Left Her." "On The Other Hand" was pitched to Keith before Randy Travis released the song as a single and when Keith's version wasn't released as a single, Randy released his in 1986, as did George Strait with "Nobody In His Right Mind Would've Left Her"
During his tour to promote L.A. to Miami, he met and started a romantic relationship with Lorrie Morgan, a fellow country singer. The pair were married in November, 1986, and they had their only child, a son, Jesse Keith Whitley, in June 1987. Keith also adopted Lorrie's daughter, Morgan, from her first marriage.
snip:
Keith Whitley was a longtime alcoholic, who had begun drinking early in his career at Bluegrass concerts -- long before he was legally allowed to drink alcohol. Many times he had tried to overcome his alcoholism, but these methods had failed. Whitley preferred to drink alone, making it tough for anyone to detect that he had a drinking problem.
On the morning of May 9, 1989, after a weekend of drinking and partying with friends, Whitley woke up and spoke with his mother briefly on the phone. He was visited by his brother-in-law, and the two had coffee and planned a day of golf, after which, Keith had planned to start writing songs for him and Lorrie to possibly record when she returned from her tour. His brother-in-law departed, telling Keith to be ready within an hour. Upon returning, Whitley was found face down on his bed and pronounced dead at 11:16 a.m. He was 33.
The cause of death was alcohol poisoning, and the coroner report stated that his blood alcohol level was .477 (five times over the legal limit to drive.)
The day after his death, Music Row was lined with black ribbons in memory of Keith.
Although Whitley's voice was silenced, his influence on country music has persisted long after his death. At the time of his death, he had just finished making his fourth and final studio album, I Wonder Do You Think of Me. The album was released three months after his death, on August 1, 1989. The album produced two more #1 hits, with the title track and "It Ain't Nothin'." "I'm Over You" also saw the top ten in the spring of 1990, reaching No. 3.
In 1990, a collection of Keith's greatest hits was released. It has gone on to sell more than three million copies.
Two new songs were added to "Greatest Hits": The first, "Tell Lorrie I Love Her" was written and recorded at home by Keith for Lorrie, originally intended as a work tape for Keith's friend Curtis 'Mr. Harmony' Young to sing at Whitley's wedding. The second was "'Til A Tear Becomes A Rose", a 1987 demo taken from Tree that originally featured harmony vocals by childhood friend Ricky Skaggs. Lorrie Morgan, with creative control and license to Whitley's namesake, recorded her voice alongside Keith's, and released it as a single, which rose to No. 13 and won them 1991's CMA award for Best Vocal Collaboration.
snip:
In 1994, Whitley's widow Lorrie Morgan organized several of Whitley's friends in bluegrass and some of the big names in country at the time to record a tribute album to Whitley. The album included covers of Whitley's songs from artists such as Alan Jackson, Diamond Rio, and Ricky Skaggs. The album also included several previously unreleased tracks recorded by Whitley in 1987. One of the songs was a duet that Lorrie and Keith did in the summer of 1987 called "I Just Want You". The tribute album credited Whitley with another award for reaching more than 500,000 copies.
However, the hit single to come from the tribute album was Alison Krauss & Union Station's rendition of "When You Say Nothing at All", which rose to #3 on the Billboard country charts.
snip:
Whitley's legacy continues to shine since his passing in 1989; every year there is a memorial motorcycle ride from Sandy Hook, Kentucky to his resting place in Nashville, TN where hundreds gather to pay their respects.
Even in death, new fans come to know Keith and his music both mainsteam and bluegrass. Singers and songwriters today continue to use Keith as one of their main reasons for entering the music scene.[citation needed] Mark Chesnutt is one of those singers who on his newest cd "Rollin With The Flow" did a cover of Keith's recording "She Never Got Me Over You".
Video Links:
Don't Close Your Eyes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Nub5gWCKY&feature=related
When You Say Nothing at All:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GpXYKp7_Qw&feature=related
MuffyBee:
B. W. Stevenson
B.W. Stevenson (5 October 1949 - 28 April 1988), born Lewis Charles Stevenson, was an American country pop artist. "B.W." stood for "Buckwheat."
He was born in Dallas, Texas. Stevenson is most famous for co-writing with Daniel Moore, the song "My Maria". As recorded by Stevenson, it became a smash hit (reaching #9 on Billboard's Hot 100), in 1973. The tune was covered much later by country duo Brooks & Dunn, for whom it was a three-week #1 country hit in mid 1996. Stevenson had several other successful chart singles, including "A Little Bit of Understanding" and the original version of "Shambala", which reached #3 in a cover version by Three Dog Night. However, Stevenson never again regained the success he had with the release of "My Maria".
In his book The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock, author Jan Reid devotes a chapter to Stevenson, where he dubs him The Voice.
Stevenson died undergoing heart valve surgery at the age of 38.
[edit] Discography
* 1970 Rainbow Down the Road
* 1972 B.W. Stevenson
* 1972 Lead Free
* 1973 My Maria
* 1973 Pass This Way
* 1974 Calabasa
* 1975 We Be Sailin'
* 1977 Lost Feeling
* 1977 The Best of B.W. Stevenson
* 1980 Lifeline
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._W._Stevenson
A very nice website dedicated to B.W.:
http://www.pmblonestarlady.com/bws.html
texasmom:
Elvis Presley
1935-1977
http://www.elvis.com/elvisology/bio/elvis_overview.asp
Elvis Aaron Presley, in the humblest of circumstances, was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953.
Elvis’ musical influences were the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he heard in church and at the all-night gospel sings he frequently attended, and the black R&B he absorbed on historic Beale Street as a Memphis teenager. In 1954, he began his singing career with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955, his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. By 1956, he was an international sensation. With a sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time, he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture.
He starred in 33 successful films, made history with his television appearances and specials, and knew great acclaim through his many, often record-breaking, live concert performances on tour and in Las Vegas. Globally, he has sold over one billion records, more than any other artist. His American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multi-platinum awards for 150 different albums and singles, far more than any other artist. Among his many awards and accolades were 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received at age 36, and his being named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees. Without any of the special privileges his celebrity status might have afforded him, he honorably served his country in the U.S. Army.
His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life. Known the world over by his first name, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elvispresley/biography
Presley’s last live performance was on June 25, 1977, in Indianapolis. He was reportedly horrified at the impending publication of Elvis: What Happened?, the tell-all written by three of his e-bodyguards and Memphis Mafiosi that was the first printed account of his drug abuse and obsession with firearms, to name just two headline-grabbing revelations. The book came out on August 12. On August 16, 1977--the day before his next scheduled concert--Presley was discovered by girlfriend Ginger Alden dead in his bathroom at Graceland. Although his death was at first attributed to congestive heart failure (an autopsy also revealed advance arteriosclerosis and an enlarged liver), later investigation revealed evidence that drug abuse may have been at least part of the cause of death. Because the family was allowed to keep the official autopsy report private, additional speculation regarding contributing factors in Presley’s death has run wild. Through the years, several insiders have insisted that he was suffering from bone cancer, to name just one unsubstantiated claim. In September 1979 Presley’s private physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos, was charged by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners with “indiscriminately prescribing 5,300 pills and vials for Elvis in the seven months before his death.” He was later acquitted.
Video Links:
Return to Sender: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J3tdAuBJ3k&feature=related
Hound Dog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We8P_Ww27hY
Jailhouse Rock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzV_0l5ILI
My Way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFEU_9lZrTk
An American Trilogy Live 1973: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpM3pQDezrU
Don't Cry Daddy (with Lisa Marie) Years following his death...Beautiful Duet, video hard to watch...just listen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xml2rNLBCsI&feature=related
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