Died On This Date (November 5, 1986) Bobby Nunn / The Coasters
themusicsover Ulysses “Bobby” Nunn
September 20, 1925 – November 5, 1986
Bobby Nunn was an R&B singer who first came to some prominence as a singer in the ’50s vocal group, the Coasters. During those early years, Nunn also made a handful of recordings with Little Esther Phillips. In 1955, Nunn joined up with Billy Guy, Carl Gardner, and Leon Hughes in the Coasters, another vocal group that went on the become one of the most renowned from the era. With hits like “Yakety Yak” and “Charlie Brown,” The Coasters were one of the few vocal groups that were considered as much rock ‘n roll as they were R&B. In fact, when the inaugural group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced in 1987, the Coasters were included on that list. Nunn continued to record and perform well into the ’70s, including with a revamped version of the Coasters. Bobby Nunn was 61 when he passed away on November 5, 1986.
What You Should Own
Even though he was mostly blind, Art Tatum was one of jazz’s greatest pianists. Tatum was considered a child prodigy and was able to pick up the fine art of piano playing by copying what he heard on the radio or player-piano rolls. As a child with perfect pitch, he could instantly tell if a piano was out of tune. In the mid ’20s, he studied piano at a Toledo music school. Word of his prowess began to spread through jazz circles, and before long, jazz greats like 
Billy Guy is best remembered as the bass vocalist in the 1950s R&B vocal group, the Coasters. It is he who sang lead on “Searchin,” “Run Red Run,” and numerous others. The Coasters were one of the few vocal groups that were considered as much rock ‘n roll as they were R&B. In fact, when the inaugural group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced in 1987, the Coasters were included on that list. Guy was also respected for his comedic abilities, as evident on a handful of comedy records he made outside of the Coasters. In later years, Guy worked as a producer, working on several albums between the late ’60s and early ’70s. Billy Guy, 66, died of cardiovascular disease in his Las Vegas home on November 5, 2002.
Johnny Horton was a popular country singer, musician and songwriter who came to prominence during the 1950s. His main contribution to popular music was that it was he who ushered in the so-called historical ballad craze of the late ’50s. His 1959 single “The Ballad of New Orleans” was one of the most popular songs of the decade and earned him a Best Country Record Grammy. Other songs like “Sink the Bismarck” and “North to Alaska” were popular with country music fans and history buffs alike. On November 5, 1960 while driving home from an Austin, Texas performance, Johnny Horton, 35, was killed when his car was hit head-on by a drunk driver.
