Died On This Date (December 22, 2002) Joe Strummer / The Clash
themusicsover Joe Strummer (Born John Mellor)
August 21, 1952 – December 22, 2002
Joe Strummer was the co-founding lead singer of the Clash, arguably the most influential band on modern rock. The Clash made their professional debut on America’s bicentennial, July 4, 1976, in support of the Sex Pistols at a Sheffield, England club. They soon signed with CBS Records and began releasing some of rock music’s most important albums. It was the band’s seamless marriage of punk, reggae and rockabilly along with their politically charged lyrics that endeared them to both critics and fans alike. Their ambitious by punk standards double-album, London Calling, was selected by Rolling Stone magazine as the best album of the ’80s even though it was released in 1979. Much like the Beatles in their time, the Clash made many a young kid around the world pick up a guitar and start a band. Along with the Sex Pistols, they laid the foundation of what would eventually be called alternative rock. Following the break up of the Clash in 1986, Strummer contributed to the Sid and Nancy soundtrack and gave a hand to former Clash mate, Mick Jones’ new band, Big Audio Dynamite, as well as the Pogues. Strummer also made a go at acting, appearing in such films as Walker, Straight To Hell, and Mystery Train. By 1999, Strummer had formed a new group called the Mescaleros, a band that carried on in the spirit of the Clash. They made three albums together before Strummer’s untimely death. On December 22, 2002, Joe Strummer, 50, died suddenly of a congenital heart defect.
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Dave Dudley was a popular country singer who is best remembered for his truck-driving themed records. Beginning with his 1961 charting record, “Maybe I Do,” Dudley released a string of hits throughout the next two decades. His best known songs were “Truck Drivin’ Son-of-a-Gun,” “Six Days On The Road,” and “The Pool Shark.” Dudley’s record sales waned during the ’80s, but he continued to be a popular concert draw. He also accepted an invitation to join the Nashville Teamsters Truck Drivers Union around that time. On December 22, 2003, Dave Dudley died of a heart attack at the age of 75.