Gone But Not Forgotten

Musical Memories

In this section are capsule comments about people whose primary focus was music-related and who have recently left us. The intent here is not to provide complete information but to mention prominently each individual's name and acknowedge briefly one or more things that he or she was best-known for. Most of them have their own webites and/or articles in Wikipedia and other places with much more detailed information. Hopefully our acknowledgments here will encourage our visitors to do further research on these wonderful gifted individuals whose musical accomplishments were an important part of the "soundtracks of our lives."

2012
2011
2010
2009
2008

2012

Etta James - January 20 at the age of 73 of leukemia. She was a legendary singer whose style encompassed and fused blues, rock and roll, R&B, gospel and jazz. During her incredible career she had close to 30 charted hits, including "Tell Mama" from 1967. But by far her best-known recording was from 1961, a classic of classics: her rendition of "At Last." She was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993 amd received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

Larry Butler - January 20 at the age of 69. He was a musician-songwriter-producer who became a Nashville legend. He co-wrote B.J. Thomas's #1 hit "Hey Won't You Play (Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song)." But he achieved his greatest fame producing the most successful albums by Kenny Rogers which accumulated millions of sales in America and around the world. He is the only Nashville producer to win the Grammy Award for Producer Of The Year.

Henry Davis - January 18. He was the bassist with the R&B-funk group whose biggest hit was "Every Time I Turn Around (Back In Love Again)," which reached #4 in 1977.

Johnny Otis - January 17 at the age of 90. He was a singer, drummer and night club owner who launched the careers of dozens of R&B performers including Etta James, Hank Ballard and Little Richard. He had his own top-ten hit with "Willie And The Hand Jive," which reached #9 in 1958. He wrote several hits by others including "Every Beat Of My Heart" (Gladys Knight and the Pips) and "So Fine" by the Fiestas.

Jimmy Castor - January 16 of heart failure. He was a singer-songwriter who was the leader of the Jimmy Castor Bunch. In 1956 he wrote the Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers hit "I Promise To Remember." He had his own hits with "Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You" from 1966 and (as the Jimmy Castor Bunch), the top-tenner "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" from 1972 which featured the memorable character Bertha Butt.

Tom Ardolino - January 6 at the age of 66. He was the drummer with the blues-rock band NRBQ, who made the chart with "Get That Gasoline Blues" during the height of the fuel crisis in 1974.

Fred Milano - January 1 at the age of 72 of lung cancer. He was the second tenor in Dion and the Belmonts, whose several hits included "A Teenager In Love." After the Belmonts split from Dion, they continued to record and their biggest hit was "Tell Me Why." The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in 2000.

2011

Robert Lee Dickey - December 29 at the age of 72. He sang with his cousin James as the duo of James and Bobby Purify. They had several chart records including the top-ten hit "I'm You're Puppet" from 1966 and "Shake A Tail Feather" from 1967.

Sean Bonniwell - December 20 at the age of 71 of lung cancer. He was the lead singer of the Music Machine, a Los Angeles rock group who hit #15 in 1966 with Talk Talk."

Ralph MacDonald - December 18 at the age of 67 of lung cancer. He was a percussionist-songwriter who co-wrote "Where Is The Love," a #8 hit for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in 1972, and "Just The Two Of Us," a #2 hit for Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers in 1981.

Billie Jo Spears - December 14 at the age of 73 of cancer. She was a country singer best-known for her first hit "Mr. Walker It's All Over," which reached #4 on the country chart in 1969, and "Blanket On The Ground" which reached #1 on the country chart in 1975.

Bob Burnett - December 7 at the age of 69 of brain cancer. He was a member of the Highwaymen who had the 1961 #1 hit "Michael" and followed up with the two-sided hit "Cotton Fields" and "The Gypsy Rover." His death comes about a year and a half following the death of Dave Fisher, another member of the group.

Barbara Orbison - December 6 at the age of 61 of pancreatic cancer. She was a German-born music producer and publisher who was the widow of Roy Orbison. She married the legendary singer-songwriter in 1969 and was his manager and, following his death at the age of 52 on December 6, 1988, she took charge of his business affairs and dedicated herself to promoting his music to ensuing generations. She died on exactly the 32nd anniversary of Roy's death.

Dobie Gray - December 6 at the age of 71 of cancer. He was a singer-songwriter who had several chart records, most notably The "In" Crowd from 1965 and the top-ten hit "Drift Away" from 1973. His songs have been recorded by many artists including Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles and George Jones.

Ron Mosely - December 3 at the age of 72. He was the baritone singer with Ruby and the Romantics, who hit #1 in 1963 with "Our Day Will Come" and had seven other chart records. His death leaves Ruby Nash as the only surviving member of that group.

Gary Garcia - November 17 at the age of 63. He was half of the duo Buckner and Garcia who had the 1982 top-ten hit "Pac-Man Fever."

Lee Pockriss - November 14 at the age of 87. He was a prolific songwriter who co-wrote many hits including the chart-toppers "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini" (sung by Brian Hyland) and "Johnny Angel" (sung by Shelley Fabares). His collaborators included Paul Vance, Bob Hilliard and Lyn Duddy. Other artists who recorded his songs included Perry Como, Anita Bryant and Paul Evans.

Heavy D - November 8 at the age of 44. He was a hip hop artist who led the group Heavy D and the Boyz.

Jimmy Norman - November 8 at the age of 74. He was a singer-songwriter who co-wrote the Rolling Stones hit "Time Is On My Side" and had his own hit in 1962 with "I Don't Love You No More," an answer to Barbara George's hit "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)."

Andrea True - November 7 at the age of 68. She was a singer-actress who appeared in several dozen films, mostly in the 70s. Her biggest hit as a singer was her disco recording "More, More, More" (the billing was the Andrea True Connection) which reached #4 in 1976.

Liz Anderson - October 31 at the age of 81. She was a country singer-songwriter and the mother of Lynn Anderson. She had several hits as an artist including "Mama Spank" and wrote songs for Merle Haggard, Bill Anderson, Charley Pride, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Ernest Tubb, Conway Twitty and many others.

Gene Kurtz - October 23 at the age of 68 of lung cancer. He was a songwriter and bassist who co-wrote Roy Head's 1965 #2 hit "Treat Her Right."

Edmundo Ros - October 21 at the age of 100. He was a Trinidadian bandleader, musician, arranger, and nightclub owner who became a huge success in Great Britain. During his career which spanned approximately 55 years, he recorded dozens of albums. His best-known recording, "Wedding Samba," sold more than three million copies in 1949.

Fred Ferrara - October 21 of cardiac arrest. He was a member of the Del-Satins, who backed Dion on many of his hits including the chart-topper "Runaround Sue," and a member of Brooklyn Bridge whose biggest hit was "Worse That Could Happen."

Paul Leka - October 12 at the age of 70. He was a songwriter, pianist and arranger who co-wrote the #1 hits "Green Tambourine" from 1967 and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" from 1969.

Taz DiGregorio - October 12 at the age of 67 of injuries from a car accident. He was a keyboardist and singer-songer and a member of the Charlie Daniels Band and co-wrote their biggest hit "The Devil Went Down To Georgia."

Roger Williams - October 8 at the age of 87. He was a one of the most popular pianists of the 20th Century. His many successful recordings included the #1 hit "Autumn Leaves" (1955) and the #7 hit "Born Free" (from 1966). From 1955 through 1929 he had 23 hits, all for Kapp Records.

Kay Armen - October 3 at the age of 95. She was a singer-actress who appeared in the 1955 movie "Hit The Deck" and enjoyed popularity with the 1957 hit "Ha! Ha! Ha! (Chella La!)."

Sylvia Robinson - September 29 at the age of 75. She was a singer-songwriter known as "The Mother Of Hip Hop." She was half of the duo of Mickey & Sylvia best-known for the 1957 hit "Love Is Strange" and had a solo #3 hit (billed as "Sylvia") in 1973 called "Pillow Talk." She founded Sugar Hill Records and produced "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, the first "rap" record to make the Billboard Hot 100.

Johnnie Wright - September 27 at the age of 97. He was a country singer who was half of the Johnnie & Jack duo ("Poison Love") and later achieved solo success with "Hello Vietnam." In 1937 he married Kitty Wells and that marriage lasted 74 years.

Wilma Lee Cooper - September 13 at the age of 90. She was a country singer who was best known for her hit records with her husband (as "Wilma Lee and Stony Cooper"), most notably "There's A Big Wheel" and "Big Midnight Special." She was a member of the Grand Ole Opry for 44 years, from 1957 through 2001.

Don Wayne - September 12 at the age of 78 of cancer. He was a singer-songwriter best known for writing Cal Smith's 1974 #1 country hit "Country Bumpkin."

George Green - August 28 at the age of 59 of lung cancer. He was a songwriter best known for co-writing John Mellencamp's hits "Hurt So Good" and "Crumbling Down."

Nick Ashford - August 22 at the age of 69 of throat cancer. He was a singer-songwriter who was half of the duo of Ashford and Simpson, who wrote many songs for various Motown artists, Ray Charles, The 5th Dimension, Aretha Franklin, and many others." Their hit songs included "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and later Diana Ross) and "Let's Go Get Stoned" (Charles).

Jerry Leiber - August 22 at the age of 78 of heart and link failure. Beginning in the early 50s, he collaborated with Mike Stoller and was one of the most prolific and successful songwriters of the 20th Century. He wrote "Hound Dog" and "Stand By Me" and dozens of others hits recorded by artists including Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Coasters, Dion, the Drifters, Peggy Lee and so many more. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1985 and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Ross Barbour - August 20 at the age of 83 of cancer. He was the last surviving member of the original Four Freshmen, the pop-jazz quartet whose hits included their signature song "Day By Day" from 1955 and "Graduation Day" from the following year. Bob Flanigan, mentioned in a separate entry on this page, passed away May 15.

Billy Grammer - August 10 at the age of 85 following a long illness. He was a singer-guitarist best-known for his top ten 1959 hit "Gotta Travel On." On February 27, 2009, he was honored by the Grand Ole Opry for his 50 year membership.

Gene McDaniels - July 29 at the age of 76 following a short illness. He was a singer-sonwriter whose biggest hits were the top-tenners "A Hundred Pounds Of Clay" and "Tower Of Strength" from 1961. He wrote Roberta Flack's #1 hit "Feel Like Makin' Love" from 1974. For the last years of his life he lived as a self-described "hermit" in Maine. In 2010 he created a series of YouTube videos on his website, featuring his music and thoughts on some of his creations.

Dan Peek - July 24 at the age of 60. He was a singer and guitarist in the soft-rock trio Anerica and was on several of their hits including the chart-toppers "A Horse With No Name" from 1972 and "Sister Golden Hair" from 1975. Dan left the group in 1976 and became a Contemporary Christian act.

Amy Winehouse - July 23 at the age of 27 of still undetermined causes. She was a British singer known for her unique deep contralto vocals and her fusion of musical genres including R&B and jazz. Her 2003 debut album was critically-acclaimed in the UK. But it was her follow-up album from 2006 entitled "Back To Black" that firmly established her as a major star: propelled by its critical and commercial success, she won five Grammy awards, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night.

David Carr - around July 13 at the age of 67 of a heart attack. He was the keyboadist of the Fortunes whose hits included the top-ten "You've Got Your Troubles" from 1965 and "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again" from 1971.

Jerry Ragovoy - July 13 at the age of 80 of a stroke. He was a songwriter who wrote Garnett Mimms and the Enchanters' "Cry Baby" (#4 in 1963) and the Rolling Stone's "Time Is On My Side" (#6 in 1964) plus a large repertoire of other songs which have been recorded by artists including Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Diana Ross, the Drifters and many others.

Rob Grill - July 11 at the age of 67 of a head injury from a fall after suffering a stroke. He was the lead singer of the Grass Roots on all of their hits starting in 1967 including "Let's Live For Today" (#8) from that year and "Midnight Confessions" (#5) from the following year. The group, with frontman Rob, had a total of 13 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1967 through 1972.

Jimmy Roselli - June 30 at the age of 85. He was an Italian-American adult contemporary singer best-known for his recordings of "Mala Femmina" from 1963 and "There Must Be A Way" from 1967.

Clarence Clemons - June 18 at the age of 69 of complications from a stroke suffered a few days earlier. Also known as "The Big Man," he was a tenor saxophonist who was the most prominent musician in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. The "Born To Run" album cover, showing Bruce leaning on him, is one of the most famous rock images of all time. Clarence was also a singer and recorded several solo albums and had a hit duet with Jackson Browne in 1985 called "You're A Friend Of Mine."

Wild Man Fischer - June 15 at the age of 66. This well-named novelty singer, born Larry Wayne Fischer, was known as the "Godfather of Outsider Music" and was regularly-featured on Dr. Demento's syndicated radio show and appeared on Rowan and Martin's "Laugh-In." His best-known recording was "My Name Is Larry."

Steve Popovich - June 8 at the age of 68. He was a record company excecutive who worked as VP for Columbia Records' promotion staff who helped the careers of Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash and others. He founded and was President of Cleveland International Records, which released Meat Loaf's ground-breaking "Bat Out Of Hell" album.

Benny Spellman - June 3 at the age of 79 of respiratory failure. He was a singer whose biggest solo hit was "Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette)" from 1962. But he is best-known for being the unbilled bass singer on Ernie K-Doe's #1 hit "Mother-In-Law" from the previous year.

Andrew Gold - June 3 at the age of 59 of a heart attack. The son of soundtrack composer Ernest Gold and singer Marni Nixon, he was a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose biggest hits were the top-ten "Lonely Boy" from 1977 and "Thank You For Being A Friend" from the following year. He worked with Linda Ronstadt, Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon and Ringo Starr, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Art Garfunkel and many others.

Ray Bryant - June 2 at the age of 79. He was an R&B and jazz pianist and leader of the Ray Bryant Combo, best-known for the 1960 dance hit "The Madison Time."

Gil Scott-Heron - May 27 at the age of 62. He was a soul and jazz poet, musician and author primarily known for his work as a spoken-word word performer and for his collaborations with musician Brian Jackson. He called himself a "bluesologist" and his best-known work was "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised."

Joseph Brooks - May 19 at the age of 73 of suicide by asphyxiation. He was a songwriter and film-maker who wrote Debby Boone's #1 hit "You Light Up My Life", a motion picture title song which spent 10 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Kathy Kirby - May 19 at the age of 73. She was a British recording star who reportedly was the highest-paid female singer of her generation. She is best-known internationally for her version of Doris Day's hit "Secret Love" and in America for her version of "The Look Of Love." She represented the UK in the 1965 Eurovision Song Contest where she came in second.

Bob Flanigan - May 15 at the age of 84 of congestive heart failure. He was a founding member of the Four Freshmen, the pop-jazz quartet whose hits included their signature song "Day By Day" from 1955 and "Graduation Day" from the following year.

John Carter - May 10 at the age of 65. He co-wrote "Incense And Peppermints," a number one hit by the Strawberry Alarm Clock from 1967.

Dolores Fuller - May 9 at the age of 88. She was a songwriter and actress who co-wrote Elvis Presley's hits "Rock-A-Hula Baby" from 1961 and "Do The Clam" from 1965.

John Maus - May 7 at the age of 67 of liver cancer. Also known as John Walker, he was a member of the Los Angeles based trio, the Walker Brothers, whose biggest hits were the 1966 international chart-topper "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" and "Make It Easy On Yourself" from a year earlier.

Nigel Pickering - May 5 at the age of 80 of liver cancer. He was a singer and guitarist with Spanky and Our Gang whose hits included the top-ten "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" and "Lazy Day," both from 1967.

Phoebe Snow - April 26 at the age of 58 of complications from a brain hemorrhage. She was a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose biggest hit was the top-ten "Poetry Man" from 1975. She worked with many artists including Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Al Green, Lou Rawls, Billy Joel and Jackson Browne.

Tom King - April 23 at the age of 68. He was a guitarist with the Outsiders, whose hits included the top-ten "Time Won't Let Me" and "Respectable."

Huey Meaux - April 23 at the age of 81. Known as "The Crazy Cajun," he was a recording studio owner and record producer of acts including Barbara Lynn, the Sir Douglas Quintet and Edgar Winter.

Eddie Burris - April 19 at the age of 79. He was a songwriter who, with Merle Haggard, co-wrote the legendary singer's signature song "Okie From Muskogee". Eddie, whose full name was Roy Edward Burris, also played drums in Merle's band The Strangers.

Orrin Tucker - April 9 at the age of 100. He was a bandleader best-known for his hits with distinctive cute-voice vocalist "Wee" Bonnie Baker including "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh" from 1939 and "Billy" and "You'd Be Surprised" from 1940; the latter two songs became late 50s hits in versions by Kathy Linden.

Randy Wood - April 9 of complications from injuries received in a fall. He was the founder of Dot Records and Ranwood records, which released hits by a wide variety of artists including Pat Boone, Billy Vaughn, Gale Storm, the Fontane Sisters and Lawrence Welk.

Les Ledo - April 6 following a series of strokes. He was a singer, songwriter and producer who, under the name Russ Damon, wrote Al Hirt's hit "Cotton Candy." He also wrote the original "Shop Rite Can Can" commercial which is considered a classic. In 1972 he set Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" to music and produced a highly-acclaimed album of that work with Nature, a 12-member vocal chorus, which included him sharing leads with Denise Ferri.

Gil Robbins - April 5 at the age of 80 of prostate cancer. He was a folk singer and actor who was a member of the Cumberland Three, The Belafonte Singers, and the Highwaymen from 1962-64. He was the father of actor and director Tim Robbins.

Mel McDaniel - March 31 at the age of 69 of cancer. He was a country singer best-known for the chart-topping hit "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" and "Louisiana Saturday Night."

Bill Griggs - March 29 at the age of 69 of cancer. He was a noted music historian who created the Reminiscing and the Rockin' 50s magazines, founded the International Buddy Holly Memorial Society and produced the first of 11 annual Buddy Holly Conventions in Lubbock, Texas.

Ken Arcipowski - March 23. He was the founder and original bass singer of Randy and the Rainbows and was on their #10 1963 hit "Denise.

Loleatta Holloway - March 21 at the age of 64 following a short illness. She was a disco singer who had several crossover pop hits and was sampled on Mark Mark and the Funky Bunch's chart-topping recording from 1991 called "Good Vibrations," not to be confused with the 1966 Beach Boys chart-topper with the same title which was a different song.

Mickey Lee Lane - March 18 at the age of 70. He was a singer, songwriter and arranger who reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his 1964 rockabilly recording of "Shaggy Dog."

Jet Harris - March 18 at the age of 71 of cancer. He was the bass player with the British group the Shadows and played on many of their UK hits including "Apache" and backed Cliff Richard on many of his early hits including "Living Doll."

Ferlin Husky - March 17 at the age of 86. He was a legendary country singer who had 51 hits on that chart. His 1953 duet with Jean Shepard on which he spoke and did not sing, "A Dear John Letter," became a #4 pop hit. He also had two big solo hits on the pop chart, "Gone" from 1957 (#4) and "Wings Of A Dove" from 1960 (#12). He made successful comedy records as Simon Crum. Ferlin was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2010.

Ronnie Hammond - March 14 at the age of 60 of a heart attack. He was the lead singer of the Atlanta Rhythm section and was on most of their charted hits including "So In To You" (#7 in 1977) and "Imaginary Lover" (#7 in 1978).

Joe Morello - March 12 at the age of 82. He was the drummer of the Dave Brubeck Quartet and played on that jazz groups best-known recording, the pop crossover hit "Take Five," which peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.

Hugh Martin - March 11 at the age of 96. He was the songwriter who was best-known for the holiday classic "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

Bob Marcucci - March 9 at the age of 81 of respiratory failure. He was the founder of Chancellor Records in Philadelphia and the manager of Frankie Avalon and Fabian, whom he discovered. He co-wrote several hits with his songwriting partner Peter De Angelis, including Frankie's first hit "Dede Dinah" (#7 in 1958) and "Why," which hit the chart late in 1959 and became the final #1 record of the 50s.

St. Clair Lee - March 8 at the age of 66. He was a founding member of the R&B-disco trio called the Hues Corporation. They hit #1 on the pop chart in 1974 with "Rock The Boat" and followed up with the top-twenty hit "Rockin' Soul."

Bobby Phillips - March 6. He was the original bass singer with the Cadillacs and was on the group's biggest hits "Speedoo" (#17 in 1956) and "Peek-A-Boo" (#28 in 1958).

Johnny Preston - March 4 at the age of 71 of heart failure. He was a Texas singer who was discovered by J.P. Richardson, a deejay and recording artist who achieved fame as The Big Bopper. Richardson got Johnny a record deal with Mercury and wrote Johnny's hit "Running Bear," which reached #1 on the chart. Johnny followed up with another top-ten hit called "Cradle Of Love" and had other charters as well.

John Pickering - February 28 at the age of 77. He was a founding member of the Picks, who -- though uncredited -- sang backup on many of the recordings by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. They finally received credit on an MCA reissue album in 1987.

Rick Coonce - February 26 at the age of 64 of heart failure. He was the original drummer with the Grass Roots and played on several of their hits including "Midnight Confessions" and "I'd Wait A Million Years."

Mark Tulin - February 26 at the age of 62 of an apparent heart attack. He was the bass player with the Electric Prunes on their 1967 hits "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) and "Get Me To The World On Time."

Eddie Serrato - February 24 at the age of 81 of a heart attack. He was the drummer with ? (Question Mark) and the Mysterians on "96 Tears," their #1 hit from 1966. He left the group in 1970 after being diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy and recently produced Tejano music in Texas.

Suze Rotolo - February 24 at the age of 67 following a long illness. She was Bob Dylan's girlfriend who appeared with the singer in 1963 on the cover of his legendary "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" album. She authored a book about Bob's early days in Greenwich Village.

Jean Dinning - February 22 at the age of 86. She was a member of the Dinning Sisters who had a few hits in the late 40s and was the sister of pop singer Mark Dinning. She was the co-writer of "Teen Angel," Mark's #1 hit from 1960.

George Shearing - February 14 at the age of 91 of congestive heart vailure. He was a legendary jazz pianist who led the George Shearing Quintet, He wrote the classic "Lullabye Of Birdland," which became a #16 crossover 1956 pop hit by the French group called the Blue Stars, led by former big band singer Blossom Dearie.

Betty Garrett - February 12 at the age of 91. She was a singer, dancer, actress and comedienne who performed on Broadway before signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and appearing in several films including "On The Town" and "Take Me Out To The Ball Game." Later she became known for her work in TV sitcoms, playing Archie Bunker's liberal neighbor Irene Lorenzo in "All in the Family" and landlady Edna Babish in "Laverne and Shirley."

John Barry - January 30 at the age of 77 of a heart attack. He was a British-born musician who wrote the music for 11 James Bond films, as well as other films including "Midnight Cowboy," "Born Free" and "Dances With Wolves." He was a five-time Oscar winner.

Don Rondo - January 27 at the age of 81 of lung cancer. He was a baritone singer from Massachusetts who had two major hits on the Jubilee label: "Two Different Worlds" in 1956 (#11) and "White Silver Sands" in 1957 (#7). His voice was heard in many radio and TV commercials.

Charlie Louvin - January 26 at the age of 83 of cancer. He and his brother Ira were the country duo the Louvin Brothers from 1955 to 1963 with hits including the chart-topper "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby." Ira was killed in an auto accident in 1965. Charlie remained active as a solo artist until his final illness. The duo was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001.

Gladys Horton - January 26 at the age of 66 several months after suffering a stroke. She was the lead singer of the Motown group the Marvelettes from 1961 through 1965 on several hits including the chart-topper "Please Mr. Postman" and "Beechwood 4-5789. Though she was replaced as lead singer by Wanda Young, she remained with the group until 1967.

Don Kirshner - January 17 at the age of 76 of heart failure. Known as "The Man With The Golden Ear," he was a music publisher, producer, manager and impresario who started out as a Brill Building fixture who employed many of the the nations's top rock and roll songwriters. He eventually gave the music world the Monkees and the Archies and hosted the "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" TV program. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Margaret Whiting - January 10 at the age of 86. She was a former big band singer who was the daughter of songwriter Richard Whiting. From 1946 through 1968 she had 45 national chart hits, including the chart-toppers "A Tree In The Meadow" and (with Jimmy Wakely) "Slippin' Around."

Bobby Robinson - January 10 at the age of 93. He was the owner of Fury, Fire, Whirlin' Disc and other record labels and recorded hits including Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City" and Gladys Knight and the Pips' "Every Beat Of My Heart."

Gerry Rafferty - January 4 at the age of 63 of liver failure in a Bournemouth, England hospital. He enjoyed chart success in America and internationally both as as the lead singer of Stealer's Wheel (the #6 hit "Stuck In The Middle With You" from 1972) and on his own (his signature song: the #2 hit "Baker Street" from 1978.)

Gil Garfield - January 1 at the age of 71 of cancer. He was a member of a California-based rock and roll group called The Cheers. The other two members were the late Bert Convy (an eventual game show host) and Sue Allen. They hit the national charts with two Leiber-Stoller tunes: "Bazoom" in 1954 and "Black Denim Trousers" in 1955.

2010

Nick Santo - December 30 after a long battle with cancer. Born Nick Santamaria, he was the lead singer of the doo-wop group The Capris, whose "There's A Moon Out Tonight" peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. One of their uncharted records, "Morse Code Of Love" -- written by Nick -- has become an uptempo doo-wop classic. The Capris were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Bobby Farrell - December 30 at the age of 61 of heart disease. He was the only male member of the group Boney M which consisted of him and four female singers from the West Indies. They had a huge international hit with "Rivers Of Babylon," which reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.

Steven Kurtz - December 27 at the age of 48 of cancer. He was a manager and attorney who was president of Marquee Management. His clients included Christina Aguilera and Lou Christie.

Teena Marie - December 26 at the age of 54. She was a white R&B singer-songwriter known as the "Ivory Queen Of Soul." Her biggest hit was "Lovergirl," which peaked at #4 in 1984.

Bernard Williams - December 26 at the age of 64. He was the original baritone singer with the group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and was heard on their biggest hits including their signature song "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "The Love I Lost," both featuring Teddy Penderass as the lead singer.

Dorothy Jones - December 25 at the age of 76 of complications from Alzheimer's Disease. She was a founding member of the Cookies, whose biggest hits were "Chains" and "Don't Say Nothing Bad (About My Baby)." They also backed up Little Eva on "The Loco-Motion" and Eydie Gorme on her hit "Blame It On The Bossa Nova."

Myrna Smith - December 24 at the age of 69. She was a member of the Sweet Inspirations, who began as a studio group for Atlantic Records and then established themselves on their own. Their biggest hit was, not coincidentally, "Sweet Inspiration." Their work included backing up Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin.

Clay Cole - December 18 at the age of 72 of a heart attack. He was the legendary TV host, film star and rock and roll emcee. Starting with "Rucker's Rumpus Room" in Youngstown, Ohio he moved to New York City and was a TV icon from 1959 through 1968. He also hosted hugely-successful stage shows. For much more about this remarkable man, who was also our dear friend, please visit our Clay Cole Theater.

Captain Beefheart - December 17 at the age of 69 of complications of multiple sclerosis. Born Don Glen Vliet, he was a popular experimental avant-garde rock singer-musician who played saxaphone, clarinet, harmonica, autoharp and drums and worked closely with Frank Zappa.

Jerry Bock - November 3 at the age of 81. He was the co-composer of the hit musicals "Fiorello!" and "Fiddler On The Roof." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and the Theater Hall Of Fame.

Peter Schekeryk - October 26 at the age of 68. He was the manager and producer of Melanie Safka, the popular pop-folk singer.

Linda Hargrove - October 24 at the age of 61 from complications of a bone marrow transplant 20 years earlier. She was a country singer-songwriter who wrote "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Just Get Up And Close The Door." Dozens of her songs were recorded by major country artists.

Weldon McDougal III - October 21 at the age of 73. He was the bass singer with the R&B group the Larks who were best known for their hit "It's Unbelievable."

General Norman Johnson - October 13 at the age of 67. He was the lead singer of the Showmen who sang the well-known rock and roll anthem "It Will Stand" and Chairmen Of The Board, whose biggest hit was "Give Me Just A Little More Time."

Solomon Burke - October 10 at the age of 70 in Amerston, Netherlands. He was a legendary soul singer whose many pop and R&B hits included "Cry To Me" and "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love." His songs have been covered by The Rolling Stones, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001.

Eddie Platt - October 3 at the age of 89. He was a saxaphonist and clarinetist who made the national chart with his cover version of the Champs' 1958 #1 hit "Tequila."

Buddy Morrow - September 27 at the age of 91,He was a trombonist and bandleader, well known for recordings including "Night Train" and "One Mint Julep." He worked with the top music men in the business including Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, and Paul Whiteman and later was a member of Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" band.

Eddie Fisher - September 22 at the age of 72 of complications from hip surgery. He was one of the most popular singers of the pre-rock era and the early rock era. He was married to actresses Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens and was the father of actress Carrie Fisher. His 61 charted hits include the chart-topper "Oh My Pa-Pa" and "Dungaree Doll."

Don Partridge - September 21 at the age of 68 of a heart attack. He was a British entertainer known as the "king of the buskers" who sang and played guitar, harmonica and drum. His hits included "Rosie" and "Breakfast On Pluto."

Leonard Skinner - September 20 at the age of 77. He was a basketball coach and gym teacher who inspired the name for the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Michael Edwards - September 3 at the age of 62 as a result of an auto accident. He played cello with ELO (The Electric Light Orchestra), whose hits included "Can't Get It Out Of My Head and "Roll Over Beethoven."

Bill Phillips - August 23 at the age of 74. He was a country singer and guitarist who worked with Mel Tillis and Dolly Parton and whose hits included "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" and "Little Boy Sad."

George David Weiss - August 23 at the age of 79. He was a songwriter who collaborated on Broadway musicals including "Mr. Wonderful" and "Maggie Flynn" and who co-wrote Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" and Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World. His songs have also been recorded by many other artists including Sammy Davis Jr., Perry Como, Kay Starr and Tom Jones.

Kenny Edwards - August 18 at the age of 64. He was a singer-guitarist who was a member of the Stone Poneys, the Linda-Ronstadt-led group who had the 1967 hit "Different Drum." He worked with many artists including Stevie Nicks, Don Henley, Warren Zevon, and Dolly Parton.

Ted Kowalski - August 8 at the age of 79 of heart disease. He was an original member of the Canadian quartet called the Diamonds, who sang the legendary #2 hit "Little Darlin" (it was Ted's tenor voice doing the "la la la la"'s) and had many other hits including "The Stroll." The Diamonds were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.

Bobby Hebb - August 3 at the age of 72. He was a Nashville-born singer-songwriter who was featured on the Grand Ole Opry when he was 12 years old. He had a #2 hit in 1966 with "Sunny" and followed-up with another hit called "A Satisfied Man. Bobby's songs have been recorded by many artists, including Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Del Shannon and Ella Fitzgerald.

George Richey - July 31 at the age of 74. He was a country music songwriter and producer who wrote many hits including Tammy Wynette's "Til I Can Make It On My Own" and George Jones's "A Picture Of Me (Without You)." He married Tammy after her divorce from George and became her manager.

Mitch Miller - July 31 at the age of 99. Born in Rochester, NY, he was the iconic record company executive, conductor and oboist who worked with dozens of acts at Mercury and Columbia. He had several hits as an artist including the #1 "Yellow Rose Of Texas" from 1955. He became best known for hosting the monumentally-successful TV series "Sing Along With Mitch" and releasing several related albums.

Richard "Scar" Lopez - July 30 at the age of 65 of lung cancer. He was a member of the LA-based Latino group Cannibal and the Headhunters,who had the well-known hit "Land Of A Thousand Dances," a song previously done by Chris Kenner and subsequently a hit by Wilson Pickett.

Maurice Hines Sr. - July 27 at the age of 88. He was a drummer who was the father of Gregory Hines and Maurice Hines Jr. and was "Dad" in the famous lounge group called Hines, Hines and Dad.

Al Goodman - July 26 at the age of 63. He was a member of the pop-R&B trio the Moments, who had the 1970 top-three hit "Love On A Two-Way Street" and who subsequently became Ray, Goodman & Brown and had the 1980 top-five hit "Special Lady."

Robert Tharpe - July 20 at the age of 72 of cancer. Also known as Tommy Dark, he was half of the duo of Tom and Jerrio who had the 1965 hit "Boo-Ga-Loo" and was a road manager for Gene "Duke Of Earl" Chandler.

Fred Carter Jr. - July 17 at the age of 76 from complications of a stroke. He was a singer and extremely versatile musician who played guitar, fiddle and mandolin on dozens of recording sessions by the top names in the business including Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, Roy Orbison amd Willie Nelson. He was the father of country singer Deana Carter.

Hank Cochran - July 15 of pancreatic cancer. He was a country singer-songwriter who had hits on his own including "Sally Was A Good Old Girl" and wrote many famous crossover pop hits including "I Fall To Pieces" (Patsy Cline) and "Make The World Go Away" (Eddy Arnold). He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame and the Mississippi Music Hall Of Fame.

Harvey Fuqua - July 6 at the age of 79 of a heart attack. He was the founder and primary lead singer of the Moonglows, the legendary pop-R&B group whose many hits included the original version of "Sincerely" and "See Saw." He recorded with Etta James, produced Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and others and founded Tri-Phi records. The Moonglows were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Lolita - June 30 at the age of 79 of cancer. She was an Australian singer, born Ditta Einzinger, who had the 1960 top-five German-language hit "Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea," a translation of "Seeman, deine heimat ist das meer."

Carole McGoldrick - June 16 at the age of 66. She wa a member of the Secrets a Cleveland-based group who had the well-remembered "girl group" hit "The Boy Next Door"; she was the bass voice who sang the famous line "Stay away if you value your life."

Jimmy Dean - June 13 at the age of 81. He was a pop and country singer songwriter and later in his career a renowned pitchman for his own brand of sausage. He wrote and sang the 1961 #1 hit "Big Bad John" and had several other hits including the top ten "P.T. 109" about JFK. He hosted two successful TV series and was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

Crispian St. Peters - June 8 at the age of 70. He was a British vocalist who sang the 1966 top-ten hit "The Pied Piper" and also charted a year later with his version of the We Five hit "You Were On My Mind."

Marvin Isley - June 6 at the age of 56. He was the bassist for the Isley Brothers, who had multiple hits inluding over several decades including "Twist And Shout" and "It's Your Thing" and were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Anita Humes - May 30 at the age of 69. She was the lead singer of the pop-R&B quintet called the Essex, a group of U.S. Marines who had the 1963 #1 hit "Easier Said That Done" and its successful followup "A Walkin' Miracle."

Judy Lynn - May 26 at the age of 72 of congestive heart failure. She was a country singer whose hits included "My Father's Voice" and "Married To A Memory."

Rosa Rio - May 13 at the age of 107. She was an organist who provided accompaniment for many silent films and also played background music for radio shows including "Bob And Ray," Lorenzo Jones," and "The Shadow." She also hosted radio's famous "Rosa Rio Rhythms."

Lena Horne - May 9 at the age of 92. She was a legendary singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. She acted in several films but because of her political views had problems getting work in Hollywood. Her best-known recordings include "Stormy Weather" and the civil rights anthem "Now." She received multiple honors during her illustrious career.

Norm Ezell - May 8 at the age of 69 of cancer. He was a member of the Five Americans whose several hits in the 60s included "I See The Light" and the top-ten hit "Western Union," which he wrote.

Dave Fisher - May 7 at the age of 69. He was a member of the Highwaymen who had the 1961 #1 hit "Michael" and followed up with the two-sided hit "Cotton Fields" and "The Gypsy Rover," on which he sang lead.

Connie Codarini - April 28 at the age of 80. He was one of the four original members of the legendary Four Lads, whose many hits included "Moments To Remember" and "Standing On The Corner." The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.

Dorothy Provine - April 25 at the age of 75 of emphysema. She was a singer, actress, dancer and comedienne who starred in the 60's TV series "The Alaskans" and "The Roaring Twenties" and appeared in many films including "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." She was married to director Robert Day.

Norman Wright - April 23 at the age of 72. He was the a founding member of the Dell-Vikings and sang lead on their first and biggest hit "Come Go With Me." The group had other hits including "Whispering Bells" and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.

Johnny Maestro - March 24 at the age of 70 of cancer. He was the legendary lead singer of the Crests ("Sixteen Candles") and subsequently the Brooklyn Bridge ("Worth That Could Happen"). For further information plus samples of his work please visit our special tribute page to Johnny.

Fess Parker - March 18 at the age of 85. He was the film and TV actor best-known for his porayals of Davy Crockett in the 50s and Daniel Boone in the 60s. He had two hits as a singer, namely "Ballad Of Davy Crockett" and "Wringle Wrangle."

Alex Chilton - March 17 at the age of 59 of an apparent heart attack. He was the lead singer of the Memphis-based pop rock group the Box Tops, whose two biggest hits were the chart-topper "The Letter" from 1967 and the #2 "Cry Like A Baby" from the following year.

Cherie DeCastro - March 14 at the age of 87 of pneumonia. She was the last surviving member of the DeCastro Sisters singing trio. The three Cuban-born members, Cherie and her sisters Peggy and Babette, had their biggest hits with "Teach Me Tonight" (#2 in 1954) and "Boom Boom Boomerang" (#17 in 1955).

Ron Banks March 4 at the age of 58 of an apparent heart attack. He was the lead singer of the pop-R&b group the Dramatics. Their two biggest hits were the uptempo "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" from 1971 (#9) and the ballad "In The Rain" from 1972 (#5).

Lolly Vegas - March 4 at the age of 70 of lung cancer. He was the lead singer and guitarist with the Los Angeles Cajun group Redbone, whose two biggest hits were "The Witch Queen Of New Orelans (#21 in 1971) and "Come And Get Your Love" (#5 in 1974).

Big Tiny Little - March 3 at the age of 79. He was a ragtime keyboard legend who was a regular on the Lawrence Welk TV show from 1955 through 1959 Though best known for ragtime, he was also accomplished in jazz, honky-tonk and Dixieland.

Bobby Espinosa - February 27 at the age of 60. He was the organist with the Latin group El Chicano, who charted with several records, the biggest being "Viva Tirado - Part I" from 1970.

Kathryn Grayson - February 17 at the age of 88. She was an American actress and operatic solo singer who was a lead performer in dozens of films and theatrical productions, two of which were "Anchors Aweigh" (1945) and "Kiss Me Kate" (1953).

Lee Freeman - February 14 of cancer. He was the rhythm guitarist with the Strawberry Alarm Clock group who hit #1 with "Incense And Peppermints" in 1967 and followed up with "Tomorrow" which peaked at #23.

Doug Fieger - February 14 of cancer. He was the lead singer of the Knack, whose two biggest hits came in 1979 and were the chart-topper "My Sharona" and "Good Girls Don't. The group broke up in 1982, then reuinted briefly in 1986.

Dale Hawkins - February 13 of cancer at the age of 73. He was a rockabilly great whose biggest hits included "Susie-Q" and "La-Do-Dada." He became Vice President of Abnak Records and was inducted into the Louisiana Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame.

Sir John Dankworth - February 6 at the age of 82. Recording as Johnny Dankworth, he was an English jazz musician whose biggest American hit came in 1956 with "Experiments With Mice," in which he showed how big bands might have played" "Three Blind Mice." He also wrote dozens of film and TV scores.

Pauly Fuemana - January 31 following a short illness at the age of 40. He was the charismatic lead singer of the duo OMC (Otara Millionaire's Club) who had the 1996 smash hit "How Bizarre," which was the most successful record ever to come out of New Zealand.

Carl Smith - January 16 of natural causes at the age of 82. He was a fabulously-successfuly country singer who between 1951 and 1978 had 93 hits on that chart. Two of his biggest were "Hey Joe" and "Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way." He was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2003.

Bobby Charles - January 14 at the age of 72. He was a songwriter whose two biggesy hits were "See You Later, Alligator" (Bill Haley and the Comets) and "But I Do" (Clarence "Frogman" Henry).

Teddy Pendergrass - January 13 at the age of 59 of cancer. He was the lead singer of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes ("If You Don't Know Me By Now" and many others) and had a successful solo career ("Close The Door"). In 1982 he was paralyzed from an automobile accident.

Phil Sanchez - At the age of 67 of complications from Alzheimer's He was the high voice in the Excellents, who sang the classic doo-wop hit "Coney Island Baby."

Willie Mitchell - January 5 at the age of 82. He was a musician, producer and arranger who worked with Al Green, Bobby Blue Bland, O. V. Wright, Ann Peebles, Pop Staples, Betty Everett and many others and ran the well-known Memphis-based Hi label.

2009

Philip Vance - At the age of 44. He was the son of songwriter Paul Vance and the voice of "Michael" on Clint Holmes's hit single "Playground In My Mind."

Kenny Dino - December 10 of a heart attack following a performance. He sang the memorable 1961 hit "Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night" which was on the Musicor label owned by Aaron Schroeder (see below).

Aaron Schroeder - December 2 at the age of 83 . He was a super-successful songwriter, producer and label owner who wrote over 2000 songs during his career, including four #1 hits for Elvis Presley, most notably "It's Now Or Never" and "Good Luck Charm."

Richard Nader - December 1 of Parkinson's Disease. He was one of the most famous oldies concert promoters of all time. Starting in 1969, he produced an annual Rock and Roll Revival Show starring the biggest names in the business.

Bob Keane - November 27 at the age of 87. He was the illustrious record producer, label company owner and manager who launched the careers of three notable star-crossed singers: Sam Cooke, Ritchie Valens and Bobby Fuller.

Al Alberts - November 26 at the age of 87 from a kidney ailment. He was lead singer of the legendary vocal group the Four Aces whose biggest hits were "Love Is A Man-Splendored Thing" and "Three Coins In The Fountain" and hosted a popular children's TV show in Philadelphia for over 30 years.

Linda Laurie - November 19 of cancer. She was a singer-songwriter best-known for her novelty hit "Ambrose (Part Five)" and she also wrote Helen Reddy's 1973 top three hit "Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)."

Luther Dixon - October 22 at the age of 72. He was one of the most successful songwriters and producers of the rock era who was instrumental in the phenomenal success of Scepter Records and the Shirelles, writing many of their hits including "Soldier Boy" and "Tonight's The Night."

Soupy Sales - October 22 at the age of 83 after a long serious of illnesses. He was the beloved entertainer who became a comedy legend on TV and, over a half century of performing, took more than 20,000 pies in the face.

Al Martino - October 12 at the age of 82. He was a fabulously successful singer whose career lasted close to 60 years with many hits including "Here In My Heart" and "I Love You Because" and who portrayed Johnny Fontane in the blockbuster film "The Godfather."

Mary Travers - On September 16 at the age of 72 of leukemia. She was one-third of the legendary Peter, Paul and Mary folk trio who were the most commercially-successful act of that genre with hits including "Blowin' In The Wind" and "Puff The Magic Dragon."

Ellie Greenwich - August 26 at the age of 68. She was one of the most successful songwriters in the history of rock penning (with Jeff Barry) #1 hits including "Chapel Of Love" (the Dixie Cups) and "Leader Of The Pack" (the Shangri-las) and was also a member of the vocal duo the Raindrops.

Les Paul - At the age of 94 of pneumonia. He was a legendary guitarist and inventor who had many hits with his wife Mary Ford ("How High The Moon" and "Vaya Con Dios") and on his own and invented the "Gibson Les Paul" guitar, their trademark six-string instrument.

Billy Lee Riley - August 2 at the age of 76 of cancer. He was a legendary rockabilly singer and songwriter and a member of that genre's Hall Of Fame who is best known for the classics "Red Hot" and "Flying Saucers Rock 'N' Roll."

Daniel Hatton - July 23rd in his sleep. He was a lead guitarist and singer with the rock and roll group Sha Na Na, being known as Dirty Dan McBridge and appeared in the movie "Grease."

Tom Jameson - July 19 at the age of 72 of cancer. He was a member of the quartet known as the Jamies whose hit "Summertime, Summertime" became a national hit in both 1958 and 1962 and remains one of the most popular summertime hits of all time.

Gordon Waller - July 16th at the age of 64 following a massive heart attack. He was half of the British hitmaking duo of Peter and Gordon whose hits included "A World Without Love" and "Lady Godiva."

Twyla Herbert - At the age of 87 in a nursing home. She was Lou Christie's long-time songwriter partner and with him co-wrote many hits including "Lightning Strikes" and "Two Faces Have I."

Drake Levin - July 4 at the age of 62 of cancer. He was the lead guitarist with Paul Revere and the Raiders from 1963 to 1967 and was on many of the groups hits including "Just Like Me" and "Kicks."

Harve Presnell - June 27 at the age of 75 of pancreatic cancer. He was an award-winning American musical theatre, film and television actor and singe who starred in the stage and film versions of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and the film version of "Paint Your Wagon."

Terry Black - June 28 at the age of 62 of multiple sclerosis. He was a major recording star in Canada and achieved success in the U.S. with the 1964 hit "Unless You Care."

Fayette Pinkney - June 27 at the age of 61 following a two week hospitalizaion. She was a mamber of the pop-R&B group the Three Degrees whose biggest hit was "When Will I See You Again."

Gale Storm - June 27 at the age of 87 following a long illness. She was a singer who had six top-ten records (the biggest being "I Hear You Knockin') and an actress who starred in the TV shows "My Little Margie" and "The Gale Storm Show."

Michael Jackson - June 25 at the age of 50. He was a record-breaking music icon known throughout the U.S. and the world as the "King of Pop" who forged successful careers with his brothers (the Jackson 5) and on his own with hits including "Beat It" and "Billie Jean."

Sky Saxon - June 25. He was the lead singer and bass player of the Seeds whose biggest of four nationally-charted hits was "Pushin' Too Hard."

Bob Bogle - June 14 at the age of 75 of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He was the lead guitarist and co-founder of the legendary Ventures of "Walk Don't Run" fame who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2008.

Huey Long - June 10 at the age of 105. He was a singer and guitarist who was the oldest and last surviving member of the legendary Ink Spots.

Kenny Rankin - June 7 at the age of 69 of lung cancer. He was a singer, guitarist and songwriter whose recording spanned three decades and included 20 appearance on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show."

Sam Butera - June 3 at the age of 81. He was the leader of the band called "Sam Butera and the Witnesses" who backed up Louis Prima and Keely Smith at the Sahara Hotel in the fifties.

Koko Taylor - June 3 at the age of 80. She was a Grammy Award winning blues legend from Chicago known as the Queen Of The Blues" whose best-known recording was "Wang Dang Doodle."

Travis Edmundson - May 9 at the age of 76. He was half of Bud and Travis, a folk music duo that was part of the late-50s, early 60's American folk explosion.

Vern Gosdin - April 28 at the age of 74 following a stroke. He was a country music singer-songwriter who achieved his biggest success in the 80s with records including the #1 hit "Set' Em Up Joe," a tribute to Ernest Tubb.

Randy Cain - April 9 at the age of 63. He was a member of the pop-R&B groups the Del-fonics who hit with "La La Means I Love You" and Blue Magic who hit with "Side Show."

Bud Shank - April 2 at the age of 82. He was a renowned flautist and alto saxaphonist known for his jazz work and for playing the memorable flute solo on the Mamas and the Papas' hit "California Dreamin'."

(England) Dan Seals - March 25 at the age of 61 of lympoma. He started out as pop singer England Dan (in a duo with John Ford Coley) and they had "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight." He then had many solo country hits, the biggest of which was "Bop."

Jimmy Boyd - March 7 at the age of 72 of cancer. He was a singer who at the age of 13 recorded the #1 Christmas hit "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."

Hank Locklin - March 8 at the age of 91. He was a country singer-songwriter who was the oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry and a member for close to 50 years. His best-known hits were "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" and the original version of "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On."

Ernest Ashworth - March 2 at the age of 81. He was a singer-songwriter best-known for "Talk Back Trembling Lips" and his songs were recorded by Little Jimmy Dickens, Johnny Horton, Carl Smith and Paul Anka among many others.

Joe Cuba - February 15 at the age of 78 of a bacterial infection. He was a band leader and conga player known as the "Father Of Latin Boogaloo" and was best-known for the Latin hit "Bang Bang."

Estelle Bennett - February 11. She was a member of the Ronettes, along with her sister lead singer Ronnie Spector and cousin Nedra. Their hits included "Be My Baby" and "Walkin' In The Rain and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Molly Bee - February 7 at the age of 69 of complications from a stroke. She was a country music singer who was on the 1950s TV show Hometown Jamboree and later appeared often on TV shows hosted by Tennessee Ford. She had a hit with "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."

2008

Vinnie Naccarato - December 30 at the age of 66 of pancreatic cancer. He was the original baritone singer of the Capris of "There's A Moon Out Tonight Fame" who were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in 2008.

Delaney Bramlett - December 27 at the age of 69 following gall bladder surgery. He was half of the successful husband-and-wife Delaney and Bonnie duo whose biggest hit was "Never Ending Song Of Love."

Eartha Kitt - December 25 at the age of 81 of cancer. She was a legendary singer and entertainer known for hits such as "C'est Si Bon" and "Santa Baby." Orson Welles called her "the most exciting woman in the world."

Dennis Yost - December 7 at the 65 following years of serious illnesses. He was the lead singer of the Classics IV whose biggest hits included "Spooky" and "Traces."

Odetta - December 2 at the age of 77 of heart failure. She was a renowned folk singer and civil rights activist and winner of the Library of Congress Living Legend award.

Alan Gordon - November 22 at the age of 64 of cancer. He was a songwriter who (with Gary Bonner) wrote most of the Turtles' biggest hits including their chart-topper "Happy Together" and "She'd Rather Be With Me."

Miriam Makeba - November 10 at the age of 76 following a performance in southern Italy. She was a South African singing legend who became an international symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle. Her biggest hit was "Pata Pata."

Jody Reynolds - November 7 at the age of 75 of liver cancer. He wrote and sang the 1958 top ten hit "Endless Sleep."

Nathaniel Mayer - November 1 at the age of 64 from complication of a brain hemorrhage. He was a Detroit soul singer whose big hit was the 1962 recording of "Village Of Love."

Dee Dee Warwick - At the age of 63 after a series of illnesses. She was a soul singer who won recognition for both her solo work and her with her older sister Dionne Warwick and was the niece of gospel singer Cissy Houston and a cousin of Whitney Houston.

Levi Stubbs - October 17 after a series of illness. He was the charismatic lead singer of the legendary Motown group The Four Tops whose biggest hits included the chart-toppers "I Can't Help Myself" and "Reach Out I'll Be There."

Russ Hamilton - October 11 at the age of 76. He became the first Liverpudlian act to make the American charts when his recording of "Rainbow" became a top-ten hit in 1957.

Edie Adams, - October 15 at the age of 81. She was a legendary actress, comedienne and singer who was the widow of comedian Ernie Kovacs and the "Voice of Muriel Cigars" in their immensely-popular commercials ("why don't you pick me up and smoke me some time!").

Lloyd Thaxton - At the age of 81 after a short illness. He was an Emmy Award-winning producer and host of a popular Los Angeles TV dance show that went national in the 1960s.

Nick Reynolds - October 1 at the age of 75 after a series of illnesses. He (with Dave Guard and Nick Shane) was one of three founding members of the legendary pop-folk group the Kingston Trio whose biggest hits were "Tom Dooley" and "M.T.A."

A Special Remembrance

In this section we honor by name other wonderful people whose primary contributions to entertainment were non-musical. They truly enriched our lives.

Susan Gordon
Andy Rooney
Joe Frazier
Annette Charles
Bubba Smith
Peter Falk
James Arness
Jeff Conaway
Randy Savage
Barbara Stuart
Dana Wynter
Arthur Laurents
Jackie Cooper
Michael Sarrazin
Sidney Lumet
Farley Granger
Elizabeth Taylor
Jane Russell
Charlie Callas
David Frye
Jack LaLanne
Susannah York
David Nelson
John Dye
Blake Edwards
Leslie Nielsen
Dino De Laurentis
Jill Clayburgh
Tony Curtis
Greg Giraldo
Arthur Penn
Gloria Stuart
Harold Gould
Patricia Neal
Rue McClanahan
Dennis Hopper
Gary Coleman
Lynn Redgrave
Dixie Carter
John Forsythe
Robert Culp
Merlin Olsen
Peter Graves
Corey Haim
Lionel Jeffries
Zelda Rubinstein
J.D. Salinger
Pernell Roberts
Jean Simmons
Erich Segal
Arnold Stang
Brittany Murphy
Jennifer Jones
Gene Barry
Henry Gibson
Patrick Swayze
Dominick Dunne
Walter Cronkite
Fred Travalena
Billy Mays
Farrah Fawcett
Ed McMahon
David Carradine
Bea Arthur
Dom DeLuise
Natasha Richardson
Paul Harvey
Ricardo Montalban
Ron Silver
Estelle Getty