Belita Woods was a Detroit, Michigan soul singer who first commanded attention while fronting Brainstorm during the ’70s. Beginning as a solo act, Woods released her first single, “Magic Corner,” in 1967. She later joined Brainstorm who, in 1977, released their debut album, Stormin’. It included the disco hit, “Love Is Really My Game.” The following year, Brainstorm released two more albums before Woods went off on her own again. In 1992, she joined the P-Funk All-Stars, with whom she toured for many years. Through the course of her career, Woods sang on records by the likes of George Clinton, Prince, Bootsy Collins, and Betty Wright. Belita Woods died of heart failure on May 14, 2012. She was 63.
Thanks to Henk de Bruin from 2+ Printing for the assist.
Donald “Duck” Dunn November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012
As the house bassist for Stax Records throughout the ’60s and ’70s, Donald “Duck” Dunn provided the unmistakable bottom-end for countless soul and R&B songs that have stood the test of time. He can also be heard on some of the greatest rock recordings from the ’70s and ’80s. From Otis Redding’s “I Can’t Turn You Loose,” Sam & Dave’s “Hold On I’m Coming,” and Albert King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign” to Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks’ “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Dunn’s groove can not be missed. And in between, there was Bob Dylan, John Fogerty, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, and Rod Stewart, to name a few. And as bassist for Booker T. & the MG’s, Dunn made his mark on such iconic songs as “Green Onions.” In 1980, Dunn played himself alongside John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as part of the Blues Brothers band both in the movie, and at live performances. Although semi-retired by 2000, Dunn continued to play at occasional Booker T. gigs and other events well into the new decade. Donald “Duck” Dunn died in his sleep following a performance in Tokyo, Japan on May 12, 2012. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Don Cornelius September 27, 1936 – February 1, 2012
Don Cornelius was the creator, writer, producer, and host of the extremely influential American dance program, Soul Train. Launched in October of 1961 after Cornelius noticed a void of nationally broadcast television shows that catered to the African-American audience, Soul Train ran until March of 2006. Cornelius hosted the program from its inception until 1993. Soul Train has been praised for influencing countless African-American kids while bringing black music into the white neighborhoods. Over the years, the show featured lip-synched performances by everyone from James Brown, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin, to Michael Jackson, Ice Cube and Prince. Two popular segments of the show were the “Soul Train Scrabble Board” where two dancers tried to un-scramble letters to identify a significant person in African-American culture, and the oft-imitated “Soul Train Line” where the dancers formed two lines and then strutted their stuff with a partner down the middle. In 1987, Cornelius launched the Soul Train Awards, a nationally broadcast program that honored the year’s best artists in R&B, Soul, Jazz and Hip-Hop. The show ran until 2000. Throughout the years, Cornelius was honored and/or parodied in countless sit-coms, rap songs, and films. In the early hours of February 1, 2012, police responded to the home of Don Cornelius where they found him dead of what initially appeared to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 75.
Ronnie Smith was a trumpet player and songwriter who is perhaps best remembered as an original member of one of the disco era’s biggest and most enduring bands, KC & the Sunshine Band. Thanks to contributions from Smith, the group created the blueprint for the upbeat and horn-driven “Miami sound” that acts like the Miami Sound Machine and Gloria Estefan would later follow. A dynamic performer on stage, Smith was often the horn section’s focal point and choreographed its funky dance moves. Prior to his tenure in the Sunshine Band, Smith formed the Ocean Liner Band who backed R&B great, Betty Wright, and played on countless recordings released by the legendary Miami label, TK Records. He also wrote “Spank,” which became a big disco hit by Jimmie “Bo” Horne in 1978. That same year, Smith released his one an only album, Party Freaks (Come On) as Ron Louis Smith. In 2004, he was attacked during a car-jacking that left him in a coma and hospitalized ever since. An arrest was never made. Ronnie Smith ultimately died of his injuries on January 21, 2012. He was 59.
Jimmy Castor was one of the greats of funk. Period. Born in New York City, Castor began his career as a doo wop singer during the mid ’50s. He made his first record in 1956 – the self-penned “I Promise To Remember.” The following year, he replaced Frankie Lymon in the Teenagers. By the mid ’60s, he was playing saxophone on others’ records while making his few of his own that were starting to find an audience on the dance floors of New York City. His first hit came in 1966 with “Hey Leroy, Your Mama’s Callin’ You.” In 1972, he formed the Jimmy Castor Bunch who were quickly signed to RCA Records. Later that year, they released It’s Just Begun, which contained the part novelty, but all funk classic, “Troglodyte (Cave Man).” The song quickly lit up radio request lines across the US and is now a must-have for any respectable funk collection. The song hit #6 on the Billboard pop charts and sold over a million copies within weeks. It has since become one of the most heavily sampled songs of the era. The list of those who have borrowed from it include Kool Moe Dee, N.W.A., Neneh Cherry, Lil’ Kim, Ginuwine, the Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, and Christina Aguilera. Castor followed with other hits like “The Bertha Butt Boogie (Part 1)” and “King Kong (Part 1).” During the ’80s, Castor made several more records and ran his own record label. Jimmy Castor was 64 when he passed away in a Nevada hospital on January 16, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
As the house bassist for Stax Records throughout the ’60s and ’70s, Donald “Duck” Dunn provided the unmistakable bottom-end for countless soul and R&B songs that have stood the test of time. He can also be heard on some of the greatest rock recordings from the ’70s and ’80s. From 
Don Cornelius was the creator, writer, producer, and host of the extremely influential American dance program, Soul Train. Launched in October of 1961 after Cornelius noticed a void of nationally broadcast television shows that catered to the African-American audience, Soul Train ran until March of 2006. Cornelius hosted the program from its inception until 1993. Soul Train has been praised for influencing countless African-American kids while bringing black music into the white neighborhoods. Over the years, the show featured lip-synched performances by everyone from 
Ronnie Smith was a trumpet player and songwriter who is perhaps best remembered as an original member of one of the disco era’s biggest and most enduring bands, KC & the Sunshine Band. Thanks to contributions from Smith, the group created the blueprint for the upbeat and horn-driven “Miami sound” that acts like the Miami Sound Machine and Gloria Estefan would later follow. A dynamic performer on stage, Smith was often the horn section’s focal point and choreographed its funky dance moves. Prior to his tenure in the Sunshine Band, Smith formed the Ocean Liner Band who backed R&B great, Betty Wright, and played on countless recordings released by the legendary Miami label, TK Records. He also wrote “Spank,” which became a big disco hit by Jimmie “Bo” Horne in 1978. That same year, Smith released his one an only album, Party Freaks (Come On) as Ron Louis Smith. In 2004, he was attacked during a car-jacking that left him in a coma and hospitalized ever since. An arrest was never made. Ronnie Smith ultimately died of his injuries on January 21, 2012. He was 59.
Jimmy Castor was one of the greats of funk. Period. Born in New York City, Castor began his career as a doo wop singer during the mid ’50s. He made his first record in 1956 – the self-penned “I Promise To Remember.” The following year, he replaced 
