Barbara Skydel was a well-known and respected booking agent for the better part of the last forty years. She began her career with Premier Talent Agency where she immediately proved her worth by taking on Led Zeppelin’s legendary 1969 U.S. west coast tour. Skydel soon found herself working with such acts as Bruce Springsteen, Grand Funk Railroad, Van Halen, U2, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. By the mid ’80s, she was a partner at the firm, which by then was one of the biggest in the world. As the first female executive at a major talent agency, Skydel earned the respect of both peers and artists alike. No less than U2’s Bono had referred to her as “Aunty Barbara.” In 2002, Premier merged with the William Morris Agency where Skydel remained as Senior Vice President until her retirement in 2009. Later acts that she handled included Sebastian Bach, the Pretenders, Keith Richards and the Who. Barbara Skydel passed away on June 10, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Bo Diddley (Born Ellas Otha Bates) December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008
Known as “The Originator,” Bo Diddley was arguably THE flash point of rock ‘n roll. He took the blues and injected a shot of the devil into it, forever bridging the gap between the two art forms. As a singer, guitarist and songwriter, Diddley was a direct influence on many of the greatest artists in rock history. The “Bo Diddley Beat” directly inspired the likes of Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, the Who, the Grateful Dead, U2, George Thorogood, Elton John and countless others. Bo Diddley died of heart failure on June 2, 2008. He was 79.
Richey Edwards was a guitarist and songwriter for the Welsh alternative rock band, Manic Street Preachers. After graduating from the University of Wales in 1989, Edwards was hired by the Manics as a roadie. He quickly graduated to rhythm guitarist and unofficial spokesman for the band. He also became a primary songwriter for the group. Musically and lyrically, they have been compared to the Clash, U2 and Public Image, Ltd. Over the years, the group released several albums including the critically lauded Everything Must Go of 1996. On February 1, 1995, Richey Edwards simply vanished. Thirteen years later, on November 24, 2008, he was officially pronounced dead. Although no one knows for sure what date (if any) Edwards passed away, most sources have chosen February 1, 1995, the day he disappeared. He was 27 years old at the time.
Thanks for Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.
David “Junior” Kimbrough
July 28, 1930 – January 17, 1998
Like Fat Possum label mate, R.L. Burnside, Mississippi bluesman, Junior Kimbrough found a career spike during the twilight of his life. Kimbrough picked up the guitar as a youngster and by the late ’50s, he came into his own as a performer and songwriter. He made his first recordings in 1966 but all but disappeared during the ’70s and ’80s, resurfacing occasionally to make a record or two. In the early ’90s, he opened his own juke joint, Junior’s Place. The Chulahoma, Mississippi venue became a favorite diversion for members of U2 and the Rolling Stones during its heyday. It wasn’t until 1992, that Kimbrough released his debut album, All Night Long, on Fat Possum. The record was a critical smash and a hit with young blues and indie-rockers alike. The Black Keys were such fans that they recorded an entire album, Culahoma, of songs written by Kimbrough. He released two more albums before he passed away. Junior Kimbrough suffered a fatal heart attack on January 17, 1998. He was 67 when he died.
William Stuart Adamson
April 11, 1958 – December 16, 2001
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Stuart Adamson is best remembered as the lead singer of popular ’80s rock band, Big Country. He also found moderate success in an earlier influential punk band, the Skids. Formed in 1977, the Skids had a UK charting single with “Into The Valley” and would later be cited as an influence on U2 and Green Day. In 1982, Adamson formed Big Country, a full-sounding rock band that incorporated elements of Scottish folk music and instrumentation into their sound. The band’s debut album, The Crossing was a hit across Europe as well as in the United States, thanks to songs like “Fields Of Fire” and “In A Big Country,” which received heavy video play on a young MTV. Although the band never matched the success of The Crossing, they continued to make solid records and be popular concert draw well into the ’90s. The band released its final album in 1999 and mounted what would be their farewell tour in 2000. Adamson, who reportedly suffered from depression, disappeared on at least two occasions, causing concern for family, friends and band mates. In November of 2001, he did just that, and on December 16th, he was found dead of self-strangulation in his Hawaii hotel room. He was 43.