Died On This Date (September 27, 1986) Cliff Burton / Metallica

Cliff Burton
February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986

Cliff 'em All

Cliff Burton was the bassist for thrash metal band, Mettalica from 1982 to 1986.  Burton was still in high school when he formed his first band, EZ-Street.  But it was in 1982 that he would be asked to join the band that would eventually become one of the most successful hard rock bands in history.  Burton was playing for a band called Trauma and their tour brought them to the famed Whiskey club on the Sunset Strip.  In the audience were Metallica’s James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich who were so impressed they asked Burton to join the band and moved to the Bay Area because he didn’t want to relocate to Los Angeles.  Burton played on the band’s first three albums, Kill ’em All, Ride the Lightning, and their major label debut, Master of Puppets, which is considered by many to be the album that brought thrash metal into the mainstream.  While touring Europe to promote Master of Puppets, the band’s driver lost control of their tour bus, causing it to roll, and thus tossing the sleeping Burton out of a window.   The bus landed on Burton who was crushed to death at the age of 24.

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Ride the Lightning - Metallica

Died On This Date (September 27, 2003) Paul Burlison / Rockabilly Pioneer

Paul Burlison
February 4, 1929 – September 27, 2003

burlisonPaul Burlison was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio, a rockabilly band who would heavily influence rock ‘n roll bands for generations to come.  He formed the band with brothers, Dorsey Burnette and Johnny Burnette in the early ’50s, and by 1956, they were in New York City recording for the Coral label.  And although their records were never quite hits, they became popular and thus influential due to many television appearances during their short run.  They appeared on American Bandstand, Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour, The Tonight Show and Kraft Music Hall, but despite the remarkable promotional blitz, it never resulted in many record sales.  The band called it quits in 1957 and Burlison all but retired from the music business, only to make a comeback during the rockabilly revival of the ’80s.  It wasn’t until 1997 that Burlison made his first solo album, Train Kept A-Rollin’.  Guests on the album included Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Cesar Rojas, David Hidalgo, Mavis Staples, and the second generation of Burnettes, Rocky Burnette and Billy Burnette.  Paul Burlison died of cancer at the age of 74.



Died On This Date (September 27, 2008) George “Wydel” Jones / Wrote “Rama Lama Ding Dong”

George “Wydell” Jones
October 5, 1936 – September 27, 2008

wydellGeorge “Wydell” Jones was not only the lead vocalist of doo wop singing group, the Edsels, he wrote their most famous song, “Rama Lama Ding Dong.”  The song, even though recorded in 1957, became a hit for the group in 1961, reaching #21 on the Billboard singles charts.  The popularity of the song landed the Edsels on American Bandstand that same year.  George “Wydell” Jones passed away in his home a week before his 72nd birthday.



Died On This Date (September 27, 1994) Ken “Dimwit” Montgomery / Four Horsemen, D.O.A.

Ken “Dimwit” Montgomery
1958 – September 27, 1994

3rd from left (D.O.A.)
3rd from left (D.O.A.)

Dimwit was the drummer for Vancouver hardcore punk band, D.O.A. in the late ’70s and early ’80s.  They are often referred to as the founders of hardcore.  In 1989, he helped form the Four Horsemen, a band that had more in common with the Cult and Zodiac Mindwarp than Black Flag or the Exploited.  The Four Horsemen landed a deal with Rick Rubin’s Def American who released their Rubin produced Nobody Said It Was Easy in 1991.   Although the band were poised for greatness, grunge soon hit and the band was left in its wake.  Dimwit died of a heroin overdose on September 27, 1994.

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Bloodied But Unbowed - D.O.A.

Died On This Date (September 27, 1995) Alison Steele / Pioneering FM Disc Jockey

Alison Steele (Born Ceil Loman)
January 26, 1937 – September 27, 1995

AlisonSteeleAlison Steele was a popular disc jockey at New York’s WNEW, one of the country’s first FM stations to switch to a progressive album-track oriented format during the ’60s.  For many years, Steele hosted the night shift, becoming known as “The Nightbird” to her many fans, most of whom were young male adults attracted to her sexy smoky voice.   Jimi Hendrix’s “Night Bird Flying” was inspired by Steele.  In later years Steele worked as a correspondent for CNN and did numerous voice-overs for television and radio.  Alison Steele was 58 when she died of stomach cancer on September 27, 1995.