Died On This Date (November 10, 2008) Miriam Makeba / South African Singing Star
themusicsover Miriam Mekeba
March 4, 1932 – November 10, 2008
Mariam Makeba was a Grammy winning South African singer who came to prominence during the 1960s. It was Harry Belafonte who was instrumental in her coming to America to land a record deal and continue her career. Makeba received a Grammy for Best Folk Recording in 1966. Exiled from South Africa for many years due to her outspoken political beliefs, Makeba spent many years living in various places, praised for her goodwill gestures, at one point even being a Guinian delegate to the United Nations. In 1990, Nelson Mandela convinced her to come back to South Africa. On November 9, 2008, Miriam Makeba, 76, suffered a heart attack while performing her biggest hit, “Pata Pata” at a human rights concert in Italy. She died as a result the next day.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.
What You Should Own
Gerald Levert was a popular R&B singer who, along with his brother, 
Dick Katz was a jazz pianist and arranger who, throughout his career, played with the likes of 
The bigger-than-life Country Dick Montana was the founding drummer, co-lead vocalist, and heart and soul of the great San Diego roots rock band, the Beat Farmers. Formed by Montana, Jerry Raney, 
What separated James Booker from the countless other New Orleans pianists of his era was that he was a virtuoso on the instrument and could just as easily play classical as he could R&B, blues and jazz. In 1949, Booker made his first record for the storied Imperial Records and was soon doing session work for the likes of Fats Domino and Lloyd Price. He was just 15. Booker released a handful of records during the early ’60s, but he was struggling with a growing drug habit. His career hit an upswing in the mid ’70s, when he wowed the crowd at the 1975 New Orleans Jazzfest. That resulted in a record deal with the respected Island Records and tours with the likes of 