Died On This Date (November 16, 2009) Derek B / British Rap Pioneer
themusicsover Derek Boland
January 15, 1965 – November 16, 2009
Derek B was a British rapper who came on the scene during the mid ’80s. He was just 15 when he started and was soon picked up by local radio stations to spin there. He was soon hired by hip UK independent dance label, Music Is Life to do A&R. Derek B released several records during his career, a couple reaching the top 15 on the UK charts. He was one of the first British rapppers to appear on the Top of the Pops program due to his crossover appeal. As a producer, Derek B worked with the likes of Cookie Crew and Eric B & Rakim. Derek B was 44 when he died following a heart attack on November 16, 2009.
Jacques Morali was a French record producer who achieved fame and fortune by creating, producing, and branding the Village People who were arguably the flash point of disco’s crossover during the mid ’70s. While working in a record store during the early ’70s, he began to hear the early records of dance and what would soon become disco, and immediately fell in love with it. He moved to the United States and found work at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia so he could be near the Philly Sound he had learned about in France. While there, he co-produced or co-wrote songs for several albums by the Ritchie Family. While visiting a gay disco in New York’s Greenwich Village, Morali took note of the various manly male stereotypes, and thus the concept of the Village People was born. He put the group together and landed a deal with Casablanca Records. Between 1977 and 1979, he produced a string of hits with the Village People. That list includes such disco staples as “Macho Man,” “YMCA,” and “In The Navy.” During the late ’70s and early ’80s, he produced nearly 70 disco albums. But soon the disco craze would die as fast and as hard as it had burst on to the scene, and Morali all but disappeared from the music industry. Jacques Morali was 44 when he died of AIDS on November 15, 1991.
Speedy West was one of country music’s greatest pedal steel guitarists. He is best remembered for his work with 
Ken Ober was an actor and one-time host of MTV game show, Remote Control. Running from 1987 until 1990, Remote Control was the network’s first non-music centric original program. The show helped launch the careers of show regulars, Adam Sandler, Denis Leary, Colin Quinn and Kari Wuhrer. Ober also hosted such non-MTV game shows as Make Me Laugh, and ESPN’s Perfect Match. Later, Ober co-hosted an FM radio talk show with Susan Olson of “Brady Bunch” fame. In recent years, Ober was the producer of the hit CBS sitcom, The New Adventures of Old Christine. Ken Ober, 52, died of an apparent heart attack on November 15, 2009.
Known as the “Dark Prince of Reggae,” Keith Hudson was a reggae musician, singer, songwriter and producer who helped usher in the practice of “dub.” As a child growing up in Kingston, Hudson was a schoolmate of such future legends as 