Died On This Date (September 14, 1981) Furry Lewis / Country Blues Pioneer
themusicsover Walter “Furry” Lewis
March 6, 1893 – September 14, 1981
Furry Lewis is one of country blues’ pioneers, making his name as a songwriter and guitarist in the early decades of the 20th century. He started performing at local parties while still in his teens, and by the late ’20s, he was recording sides for Vocalion Records in Chicago. Lewis had minor successes during his early years, but still needed to rely on his job as a city street sweeper until his retirement in 1966. His career rebounded during the folk revival of the ’60s, even being the topic of the Joni Mitchell song, “Furry Sings The Blues” (aparrently he was not a fan). The ’70s found Lewis touring the country along with Sleepy John Estes and Bukka White as part of a caravan tour. He also opened for the Rolling Stones a couple of times and performed on the Tonight Show during the ’70s. Furry Lewis died at the age of 88 as a result of pneumonia.
What You Should Own
Tupac Shakur was a hip hop artist whose professional career basically began as a roadie and backup dancer for Digital Underground in the late ’80s, and ended as one of the biggest selling artists of all time. He has sold upwards of 75 million albums before and since his untimely death. Shakur’s albums generally portrayed a life growing up with violence, racism and the hardships some face growing up in the inner city. For the most part, his songs professed social and racial equality. Shakur was no stranger to the judicial system. In 1995, he was convicted for sexual assault, which many believe never happened, and was sentenced to prison. While serving his time, his album Me Against The World was released. He became the only artist in history to have a #1 album while incarcerated. On September 7, 1996, was involved in an altercation following a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas. Later that evening while riding in a car driven by Suge Knight, a car pulled up beside Knight’s vehicle. At least one occupant fired around a dozen shots into the car, hitting Shakur four times. The 25 year-old Tupac Shakur died from injuries sustained during the shooting six days later. His murder has never been solved.
Stanley Turrentine was one of contemporary jazz’s greatest saxophonists. Born into a musical family, Turrentine began playing in early R&B groups but soon switched to jazz where he became one of it’s stars during the ’50s and ’60s. He shifted to jazz fusion during the ’70s and then to a more soul sound during the ’80s. Over the course of his career, Turrentine played with such greats as 