Died On This Date (October 30, 2002) Jam-Master Jay / Run-D.M.C.

Jam-Master Jay (Born Jason Mizell)
January 21, 1965 – October 30, 2002

jam-master-jayJason Mizell, who went by the stage name, Jam-Master-Jay, was a musician in and DJ for Run D.M.C., arguably the most influential rap group ever.   In 2009, they would become the first hip-hop act to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  An accomplished drummer, keyboardist and bass player, Mizell performed in a handful of bands before joining up with Joseph Simmons and Darryl McDaniels to form Run D.M.C. in 1983.  The group, who sold upwards of seven million albums, was positioned at number 48 in Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest musical acts of all time.  They were even instrumental in bridging the gap between rap and rock.  Their cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” with guests, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, was one of the most popular songs of the era.  On October 30, 2002, Jam-Master-Jay, 37, was in his recording studio when two assailants came in and shot and killed him.  The murder remains unsolved.

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Raising Hell - Run-DMC

Died On This Date (October 30, 2007) Robert Goulet / Iconic American Entertainer

Robert Goulet
November 26, 1933 – October 30, 2007

Robert Goulet was a popular American singer and actor who skyrocketed to fame when he was cast as a virtual unknown in the role of Sir Lancelot in the 1960 Broadway production of Camelot.  He more than held his own opposite Julie Andrews and Richard Burton, earning himself a Tony as well as Grammy for Best New Artist in 1962.  His recording of the show’s “If Ever I Would Leave You” was a hit and subsequently became his signature song.  Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, Goulet continued to work in the theatre and was also a familiar face in film and on television.  Though less visible in later years, he still occasionally made guest appearances on TV up until the final years of his life.  Robert Goulet was 73 when he died of Pulmonary Fibrosis on October 30, 2007.

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Died On This Date (October 30, 2009) Norton Buffalo / Rock Harmonica Great

Norton Buffalo
September 28, 1951 – October 30, 2009

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Norton Buffalo was a San Francisco Bay area singer, songwriter and musician who is mostly associated with the Steve Miller Band with whom he played harmonica for over three decades.  His career started taking off during the ’70s when he first started playing with the likes of Elvin Bishop and Clover.  In the following years, he performed or recorded with a who’s who of rock, blues and country artists.  That list includes Bonnie Raitt, Commander Cody, Jerry Garcia, the Doobie Brothers, Mickey Hart, Merl Saunders, and of course, Steve Miller.  He can be heard on nearly 200 albums.  Buffalo also appeared in a few films, mostly as a musician.  Buffalo released a handful of his own albums as well.  He can be seen in 1979’s The Rose alongside Bette Midler, and Heaven’s Gate with Kris Kristofferson.  Buffalo was diagnosed with lung cancer that had spread to his brain in September of 2009.   He succumbed to the cancer on October 30, 2009 at the age of 58.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.

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Died On This Date (October 30, 1968) Malcolm Hale / Spanky & Our Gang

Malcolm Hale
May 17, 1941 – October 30, 1968

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Member of the 27 Club

Malcolm Hale was the lead guitarist for  the ’60s folk rock band, Spanky and our Gang.  The band released their debut album, Spanky and Our Gang, in 1967.  It contained their three biggest hits, “Sunday Will Never Be The Same,” Lazy Days,” and “Making Every Minute Count.”  A little over a year after the band’s first album, Malcolm Hale, 27, died of carbon monoxide poisoning suffered when using a faulty space heater.  The band broke up shortly thereafter.

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