Died On This Date (December 9, 1981) Sonny Til / Doo Wop Singer
themusicsover Sonny Til (Born Earlington Tilghman)
August 18, 1928 – December 9, 1981
Sonny Til was the lead singer of the Orioles, an influential doo-wop group that was one of the first of the genre to rise to prominence. Til formed the group in the late ’40s, making them, buy some accounts, R&B’s first vocal group. Over the course of their career, they scored with hits like “Crying in the Chapel,” “It’s Too Soon to Know,” and “It’s Gonna Be a Lonely Christmas.” Their songs have been covered by Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Elvis Presley, and more. Sonny Til fronted the group until he passed away from heart failure due to diabetes in 1981. He was 53 years old.
“Dimebag Darrell” Abbott is best remembered as the founding guitarist for metal band, Pantera. Formed with his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul in 1981, the band evolved from its early glam leanings into one of thrash metal’s most influential bands by the end of their run. In 1992, the band released what would become their breakthrough album, Cowboys From Hell, which is generally included in any legitimate survey of the greatest metal albums of all time. In 2003, the band broke up due to internal politics. The Abbott brothers went on to form Damageplan, whose debut album, New Found Power, debuted in the top 40 of the album charts and went on to sell modestly. While on a Damageplan tour in Ohio on December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darryl’s life came to a tragic end in an eerily similar to, yet much bloodier fashion than 
Over a career that spanned nearly 40 years, Marty Robbins was one of the most popular country artists of his generation. To escape a home life that was less than ideal, Robbins enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17. And while serving in WWII, he spent much of his down time learning to play the guitar. When he returned home to the states, he pursued his show business career, eventually landing his own local radio show in Phoenix, Arizona. When touring country star, Little Jimmy Dickens guested on Robbins’ show and heard him perform, he helped him get a record deal with Columbia Records. Before long, Robbins was the toast of Nashville and a favorite performer at the Grand Ole Opry. Over the course of his career, Robbins released several charting country hits including his most popular and oft covered, “El Paso,” which won him a Grammy in 1959. He won two more Grammys over the next decade. On December 8, 1982, Marty Robbins died of complications from a cardiac surgery at the age of 57.
