Died On This Date (January 19, 2006) Wilson Pickett / Soul Legend

Wilson Pickett
March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006

The great Wilson Pickett was a soul performer and songwriter who would be responsible for some of the genre’s greatest recordings.  He began his career in Gospel, but with a flair for showmanship akin to Little Richard and James Brown, it wasn’t long before he made the jump to secular R&B.  In 1965, Pickett began recording a series of hits that included, “In the Midnight Hour,” “Land of 1000 Dances,” “Ninety Nine and a Half Won’t Do,” and “Mustang Sally.”  His songs have been recorded by the greatest acts in rock music.  That list includes Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Los Lobos, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Grateful Dead, to name just a few.  Pickett continued to make records well into the ’90s, though his hit-making days ended back in the mid ’70s.  And he made concert performances up all the way up until 2004, only to step down due to health reasons.  On January 19, 2006, 64 year-old Wilson Pickett died of a heart attack.

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Wilson Pickett

Died On This Date (January 19, 1998) Carl Perkins / Rockabilly Icon

Carl Perkins
April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998

carl-perkinsCarl Perkins was a rockabilly icon whose early successes helped raise Sun Records to its legendary status.  He and label mates, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis were dubbed the Million Dollar Quartet.  His biggest claim to fame was of course, “Blue Suede Shoes,” but many of his other songs have been recorded by the likes of Presley, Cash, the Judds, the Beatles (collectively and individually), Brian Setzer, and Patsy Cline.  Perkins stayed busy touring, recording and appearing on radio and television through most of the ’50s and early ’60s but found his music falling out of favor at radio during the British Invasion of the mid ’60s.  In later years he collaborated with such greats as Paul McCartney, John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Bono, and Bob Dylan.  In 1992, Perkins learned he had throat cancer and was 65 when he died as a result of it on January 19, 1998.

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Carl Perkins

Died On This Date (January 19, 2000) Josh Clayton-Felt / School Of Fish

Josh Clayton-Felt
1967 – January 19, 2000

Josh Clayton-Felt is best remembered as the lead singer for Boston-area psychedelic pop band, School of Fish.  Formed in 1989, the band signed with Capitol Records just as “alternative rock” was beginning to fuel a feeding frenzy at the major labels.  The band’s debut self-titled album included the swirling “3 Strange Days,” a modern rock radio hit at the time.  The band’s follow-up album failed to click, so School of Fish called it quits, sending Clayton-Felt off on a solo career.  In 1996, he signed with A&M Records and had another moderate hit which lead to a tour with Tori Amos.  In late 1999, Josh Clayton-Felt was diagnosed with testicular cancer which lead to his death on January 19, 2000.

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Died On This Date (January 19, 2007) Denny Doherty / The Mamas & The Papas

Denny Doherty
November 29, 1940 – January 19, 2007

Denny Doherty was a founding member of ’60s rock band, the Mamas and the Papas.  The group, that also included  John Phillips, Michelle Phillips and Cass Elliot, formed in 1965 and found worldwide fame and success with songs like “California Dreamin,” and “Monday Monday.”  Following the group’s breakup in 1968, Doherty released a handful of solo albums and singles, but nothing came close to matching the success he had with the Mamas and the Papas.  He reunited with Phillips in a 1982 version of the group that included MacKenzie Phillips and Spanky MacFarlane, but that was short-lived.  In later years, he produced an off-Broadway show, Dream a Little Dream that was based on the Mamas and the Papas.  He also did voice over work for Canadian broadcast television.  Denny Doherty was 66 when he died of an abdominal aneurysm on January 19, 2007.

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If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (The Mamas and The Papas) - The Mamas & The Papas

Died On This Date (January 19, 2010) C.T. Tucker / Beloved New Jersey Blues Musician

C.T. Tucker (Born Christopher Harshorne)
DOB Unknown – January 19, 2010

Photo by Alison Goessling

C.T. Tucker was a popular northwestern New Jersey R&B band leader and restaurateur.  His band, Blue Sparks From Hell, formed in 1977 and played upwards of 250 shows a year while occasionally sharing the bill with the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mel Tillis, Doc Watson, Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters.  The band was a local favorite thanks to its lively shows that incorporated blues, R&B and swing.  During the ’90s, Tucker opened Tucker’s Breakfast King which served breakfast and lunch during the day, and then re-opened as a venue in the evenings.  Acts such as the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Loudon Wainwright III graced its stage.   In later years, Tucker and his wife ran an animal casting business which provided critters for film and television.  On January 19, 2010, C.T. Tucker died of lymphoma at the age of 57.

Thanks to Diane Schaer for the assist.