Raymond “Boz” Burrell
August 1, 1946 – September 21, 2006
Boz Burrell is best remembered as a singer for King Crimson during the early ’70s and as the bassist for Bad Company from 1973 until 1999 (on and off). But before all that, Burrell was pegged to replace the Who’sRoger Daltrey when the other band members decided to fire him in the mid ’60s. That never came to be, and Burrell went on to record several singles on his own. Boz Burrell suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 60.
Yankee Stadium
April 18, 1923 – September 21, 2008
Sure it was the House That Ruth Built and home to Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees, but the legendary Yankee Stadium was also the site of numerous concerts over its storied 85 years. The first concert ever held there was an R&B festival on June 21, 1969. It was hosted by the Isley Brothers and included Tina Turner, Moms Mabley, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, Brooklyn Bridge, and Patti Austin on the bill. On August 23, 1973, over 44,000 music fans converged on the site to experience one of the most culturally significant Latin music shows the US had ever seen. What started out as a promotional concert by local Latin label, Farina Records to showcase their up-and-coming artists, turned out to be a symbol of the importance of Latin culture in New York City and the foundation of a Latin pride movement. On June 22, 1990, Billy Joel brought his rock and roll show to the stadium. Joel’s “Live At Yankee Stadium” was released on video in 1990 and is considered by many to be his best live recording ever. 1992 saw U2 performing two sold-out concerts there, followed by two sold out Pink Floyd shows in 1994.
Jim Croce was an American singer songwriter who was quickly becoming one of the best selling artists of the ’70s when his life was tragically cut short when he was at his prime. Croce’s career started while in college in the early ’60s, playing in local bands along the coffee house circuit. In those early days, Croce began to form a local following while writing upwards of 3000 songs. He soon began performing with his wife as Jim & Ingrid Croce and in 1968, the duo was signed to Capitol Records and released their debut album. The album failed to ignite their career, so Croce decided he had had enough with the music business and to a job driving trucks. It was while sitting in the cab of the truck that he began to write songs about ordinary people, developing him into a songwriter that would soon become famous. By the early 70s, Croce began writing and recording with a musician he had recently met, Maury Muehleisen. Together they seemed to bring out the best in each other, both in the studio, and on stage. They began a partnership that lead to a deal with ABC Records in 1972. Over the next year, they released two albums that included such hits as “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim,” “Bad Bad Leroy Brown,” “Time In A Bottle,” “I Got A Name,” and “Operator.” But on September 20, 1973, Croce’s life would end just as his career was taking off. He and Muehleisen were aboard a small commercial plane heading from Louisiana to Texas when the plane clipped a tree just past the runway. The plane crashed, killing 30-year-old Croce and 24-year-old Muehleisen instantly. Some reports have indicated that the pilot may have suffered a heart attack, causing the plane to crash.
Maury Muehleisen
January 14, 1949 – September 20, 1973
Maury Muehleisen was a songwriter and guitarist best known as the recording and performing partner of Jim Croce. Muehleisen had already released an album on Capitol Records when me met Croce in 1970. They began working together, and the magic was immediate. Muehleisen and Croce had a way of bettering each other both in the studio and on stage. Upon the release of Croce’s debut solo album, his career took off, and he took Muehleisen with him. Together the mounted a seemingly never ending dates on television and on tour. But then on September 20, 1973, Muehleisen and Croce boarded an ill fated flight from Louisana to Texas. Just after takeoff, the small commercial plane clipped a tree just beyond the runway. The plane crashed, killing Muehleisen and Croce instantly. The cause was officially ruled as pilot error, but some early reports indicated that the pilot may have suffered a heart attack.
Steve Goodman was a two-time Grammy winning singer songwriter who made his mark on popular music with “City of New Orleans” which has been widely covered, but most notably by Arlo Guthrie in 1972. Goodman learned he had leukemia in 1969, the dawn of his music career. He worked through it for the next 15 years of his life. Sadly, Goodman’s two Grammys came after his death; in 1984 thanks to Willie Nelson’s recording of “City Of New Orleans, and again in 1988 when his posthumous album, Unfinished Business won in the Best Contemporary Folk catagory. Chicago Cubs fans may recognize Goodman for another song, “Go Cubs Go” which is played at Cubs games. Steve Goodman was 36 when he finally succumbed to leukemia.