Died On This Date (February 9, 1997) Brian Connolly / The Sweet
themusicsover Brian Connolly (born Brian McManus)
October 5, 1945 – February 9, 1997
Born in Scotland, Brian Connolly grew up to become the lead singer of the internationally acclaimed ’70s glam rock band, Sweet (sometimes referred to as The Sweet). When Connolly was a teen, he moved with his family to England where he eventually joined a band that included Ian Gillan and Mick Tucker. After the 1968 break-up of the band, Connelly and Tucker recruited Steve Priest and Frank Torpey to form a group that would eventually be known as Sweet. Over the next decade, the band released a series of albums that made them international superstars by successfully marrying the best of bubblegum with that of glam rock. Albums like Desolation Boulevard, Give Us A Wink and Level Headed produced iconic hits like “Ballroom Blitz,” “Fox on the Run,” “Action,” and “Love is Like Oxygen.” Connelly left the Sweet in 1978 and tried without much success to launch a solo career. He suffered multiple heart attacks in 1982 but soldiered on through the mid ’90s, either on his own or in reformatted versions of Sweet. On February 9, 1997, Brian Connelly, age 51, died liver failure that was likely brought on by many years of heavy alcohol consumption.
What You Should Own
Max Yasgur was just your average dairy farmer in upstate New York who unwittingly became a pop culture icon after he offered up his farm for a music festival that would become known as Woodstock. An unlikely supporter of “hippies” and their music, it has been reported that Yasgur leased the farmland to event organizers after a bad year for hay production. His apparent fee of $50,000 would help him purchase hay for his cows in the coming year. In the end, Yasgur, a staunch Republican who supported the Vietnam War, was a perfect host to his thousands of counter-culture guests, even providing free food and water to many. Yasgur sold the farm and moved to Florida in 1971 – likely due to the fact that many locals turned against him for hosting the festival. On February 9, 1973, Max Yasgur died of a heart attack at the age of 53.
The Cuban born Cachaito Lopez was a highly regarded bassist who is best remembered for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club during the late ’90s. He was featured in Wim Wenders’ award-winning 1999 documentary about the group. Lopez was considered one of Cuba’s greatest bassists and had a career that spanned some 60 years. In 2001, he released his only solo album, Cachaito. Cachaito Lopez passed away due to complications from prostate surgery on February 9, 2009. He was 76 years old.
Percy Faith was a Canadian composer and band leader who has been called “The Father of Easy Listening.” His compositions, many for film soundtracks, were very popular during the ’50s and ’60s, with many becoming standards in later years. Faith also worked as an arranger for the likes of Tony Bennett and Doris Day. Over the course of his career, Faith released over 80 albums. His popular recordings during that time included “Song From The Moulin Rouge,” and the 1961 Grammy-winning “Theme From A Summer Place.” Percy Faith was 76 when died of cancer on February 9, 1976.