Died On This Date (August 2, 2011) Wendy Kale / Respected Colorado Music Journalist

Wendy Kale
DOB Unknown – August 2, 2011

Wendy Kale was a music writer who over the course of some 30 years, reported on the Denver, Colorado scene for Boulder’s Colorado Daily.  Kale began her music career as a college concert promoter during the late ’70s,  eventually working shows by the likes of B.B. King, Jerry Garcia, the Rolling Stones and the Eagles.  During the mid ’80s, she began writing a column for the Colorado Daily, and went on to become the one constant at area venues as she soaked in shows for review in the paper.    A tireless supporter of the local scene, Kale has been credited for being the first to champion the Samples and Big Head Todd and the Monsters.   On August 2, 2011, Wendy Kale’s lifeless body was found in her home.  Cause of death was not immediately known, but according to officials, did not appear to be suspicious.  She was 58.



Died On This Date (June 8, 2011) Alan Rubin / Mr. Fabulous; The Blues Brothers Band

Alan Rubin
February 11, 1943 – June 8, 2011

Alan Rubin as an American trumpet player who was commonly referred to as Mr. Fabulous.  A gifted musician since childhood, Rubin started at the esteemed Julliard School of Music on a scholarship at the age of 17.  In 1975, he was hired on as the trumpet player in the original Saturday Night Live band.  In 1980, he backed fellow cast members, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in the Blues Brothers, in both the film and beyond.  His resume throughout the years reads like a pop music VIP list, having played with likes of Frank Sinatra, Frank Zappa, the Rolling Stones, Duke Ellington, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Miles Davis, Sting, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Eric Clapton.  Alan Rubin died of cancer on June 8, 2011.  He was 68.

Thanks to Benji Isabel for the assist

What You Should Own

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Briefcase Full of Blues - The Blues Brothers

 

Died On This Date (April 23, 2011) Dutch Tilders / Dutch Australian Blues Musician

Matthew “Dutch” Tilders
August 29, 1941 – April 23, 2011

Dutch Tilders was a blues musician born in the Netherlands but who moved to Australia with his family while still in his teens.   Tilders was playing the harmonica by the time he landed his first gig at the age of 15, but soon switched to the guitar.  He went on to release several albums while performing with the likes of Taj Mahal, John Mayall, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry.  Back home in Australia, he was dubbed the “Godfather of Blues,” and even the great B.B. King  once proclaimed that regardless of his European birth, Tilders was a genuine bluesman.  He continued to tour as recently as late 2010 despite the fact that he was diagnosed with lung cancer in May of that same year.  Dutch Childers officially retired in February of 2011 and passed away from the cancer on April 23, 2011.  He was 69.



Died On This Date (November 24, 1993) Albert Collins / Texas Blues Guitar Great

Albert Collins
October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993

Albert Collins was an electric blues guitarist so great, that he was awarded not one, but three nicknames – the Iceman, the Master of the Telecaster, and the Razor Blade.  Born in a small Texas town mid-way between Dallas and Houston, Collins took an early shine to the music he heard around him.  When he was 7, he and his family moved to Houston, and it was there that he eventually began making a name for himself by playing a style that was equal parts Texas, Mississippi, and Chicago blues.  In 1952, Collins formed his first band and within two years, he was headlining clubs in and around Houston.  He began making records in 1958, and went on to record for such respected labels as Imperial, Alligator, and Point Blank.  Collins was also an in-demand side man and be heard playing on records by the likes of David Bowie, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, John Mayall, and Gary Moore.  In August of 1993, Albert Collins learned he was suffering from lung and liver cancer.  He died of the disease three months later, on November 24, 1993.  He was 61.

What You Should Own

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Showdown! (Remastered) - Albert Collins, Robert Cray & Johnny Copeland


Died On This Date (July 30, 2003) Sam Phillips / Legendary Record Producer

Sam Phillips
January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003

samAs a producer, Sam Phillips was one of the key architects of early rock ‘n roll.  What he helped create in his Sun Studios would become the foundation on which current popular music was built.   Phillips opened his Memphis recording studio in 1950 to make records for his own label, Sun Records.  One of his early recordings was Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88,” that many consider the first rock ‘n roll record ever.  Other future legends he worked with were B.B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Rufus Thomas and Howlin’ Wolf, whom he considers his greatest discovery.   Of course most consider his OTHER “discovery” to be his greatest – Elvis Presley.   Phillips recorded some of the biggest early records by some of the greatest names in rock history.  They included hits by Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Ike Turner,  and Roy Orbison.  Sam Phillips died of respiratory failure at the age of 80.