Mae Wheeler
May 15, 1934 – June 15, 2011
Mae Wheeler was a popular St. Louis singer who became affectionately known over the years as “Lady Jazz.” Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Wheeler began singing in church choirs as early as the age of 4, but soon moved to St. Louis with her family. As she got older, Wheeler began making a name for herself at at the clubs throughout the city’s storied Gaslight Quarter of the 1960s. Over the course of her decades-long career, Wheeler shared the stage with such luminaries as Count Basie, Mitch Miller, and Pearl Bailey. She also released two CDs. During the mid-’90s, Wheeler launched an annual event that would eventually become known as “The Divas Show” and which showcased local young talent while raising money for charity. Mae Wheeler passed away on June 15, 2011 following a lengthy struggle with leukemia and colon cancer. She was 77.
Wild Man Fischer was a cultish singer-songwriter whose unconventional music and actions could be attributed to mental illness. He’s been called severely paranoid schizophrenic, manic depressive, and an acid casualty. Fischer was kicked out of high school for singing in class, and at 16 was institutionalized after attacking his mother with a knife. Upon his release the following year, he landed on the streets of Los Angeles where he continued to sing his outlandish songs to pedestrians at just 10 cents each. Another venue he enjoyed was Dodger Stadium where he serenaded fans while selling peanuts. He also entered area talent shows, and it was at one of these that he caught the attention of 
Mario Comesanas was a popular DJ on SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal channel. He launched his radio career at New Jersey’s Seton Hall University legendary college radio station, WSOU where he quickly built a sizable following for his passion for all things metal. He eventually got hired on as a host on Sirius’ Hard Attack channel which was later re-branded as Liquid Metal following the merger with XM. Comesanas also wrote for Revolver magazine and sang for hardcore bands December Aeternalis and Low Road. Mario Comesanas died of an apparent brain hemorrhage on June 13, 2011. He was 30.
Carl Gardner was the founder and front man of ’50s R&B group, the Coasters. Formed with 
Seth Putnam was the founder and lead singer of grindcore band, Anal Cunt (A.C., AxCx) Formed in the Boston, Massachusetts area in 1986, A.C. found its loyal following thanks in part to their aggressive playing and controversial lyrics. In their early days, they generally went into the studio or hit the stage with no pre-written music or lyrics and developed their songs as they went along. Over the course of the next 25 years, A.C. released eight equally-offensive-to-some studio albums and several EP’s and compilations. Outside of the band, Putnam performed in numerous side projects and lent his vocals to recordings by the likes of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, and Napalm Death. In October of 2004, Putnam went into a coma after overdosing on a large quantity of Ambien. Whether or not he was attempting suicide was never made clear. Seth Putnam died of a heart attack on June 11, 2011. He was 43.