Died On This Date (February 14, 2010) Doug Fieger / Leader Of The Knack

Doug Fieger
August 20, 1952 – February 14, 2010

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Doug Fieger is best remembered as the lead singer and primary songwriter for Detroit new wave band, the Knack.  Formed in 1978, with Berton Averre, Prescott Niles, and Bruce Gary,  the group seemingly came out of nowhere with a huge hit, “My Sharona,” that has since become a musical icon of the era.  With their power pop songs and clean-cut image during a time when punk and heavy metal were battling for the attention of young teens, the Knack offered an alternative that was more akin to the early Beatles.  Their debut album, Get The Knack, that also included their second hit single, “Good Girls Don’t,” sat at the top of the U.S. album chart for six weeks while selling over 2 million copies.  It’s follow-up, …But The Little Girls Understand went gold, but for the most part, the band’s huge fan base was beginning to move on.   The Knack broke up in 1982, but reformed a few times over the years ever since.  Before his tenure with the Knack, Fieger played bass and sang lead for ’70s country rock band, Sky.  He also played bass in German prog band, Triumvirat during 1974.  Doug Fieger, age 57,  died of cancer on February 14, 2010.  He had been battling the disease for a few years.

Thanks to Craig Rosen of number 1 albums for the assist.

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Get the Knack - The Knack

Died On This Date (February 14, 2002) Mick Tucker / Sweet

Michael “Mick” Tucker
July 17, 1947 – February 14, 2002

Mick Tucker is best remembered as the drummer for the internationally acclaimed ’70s glam rock band, Sweet (sometimes referred to as The Sweet).  In  1968,  Tucker and Brian Connolly, with whom he played in a band that also included Ian Gillan, 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.”  Tucker played in different formations of the band up until 1991.  He was 54 when he died following a long struggle with leukemia on February 14, 2002.

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Sweet

Died On This Date (February 14, 2009) Louie Bellson / Jazz Great

Louie Bellson (Born Luigi Belassoni)
July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009

louis-bellsonLouie Bellson was one of jazz’s greatest drummers.  If there were a Mt. Rushmore of jazz drummers, Bellson would likely sit there alongside Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich.  During a career that spanned over 70 years, he played with nearly every jazz icon of the 20th century.  That list includes Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington and Pearl Bailey, to whom he was married for nearly 40 years.  Their adopted daughter, Dee Dee Bellson, a successful jazz singer in her own right, also passed away in 2009.  Bellson’s most significant contribution to jazz was perhaps his use of two bass drums, which became standard practice to future generations.   Louis Bellson was 84 when he passed away from complications of a broken hip and Parkinson’s Disease on February 14, 2009.

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Louie Bellson

Died On This Date (February 14, 1989) Vincent Crane / ’60s Prog Keyboardist

Vincent Crane (Born Vincent Cheesman)
May 21, 1943 – February 14, 1989

vincent-craneVincent Crane was a progressive rock keyboardist who is perhaps best remembered for his collaborations with Arthur Brown.  In 1968, Crane played in Brown’s group, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, on their self titled debut.  That album, which was executive-produced by Pete Townsend, included the underground rock hit, “Fire.”  In 1969, Crane and another band member, Carl Palmer (later of Emerson, Lake and Palmer) left to form Atomic Rooster who had a handful of UK rock hits in the ’70s and early ’80s.  Crane also collaborated with Rory Gallagher, Peter Green and Dexy’s Midnight Runners throughout his career.  On February 14, 1989, 45-year-old Vincent Crane died of an overdose of pain killers.  Atomic Rooster’s John Du Cann passed away in 2011.

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In Hearing of Atomic Rooster (Expanded Deluxe Edition) - Atomic Rooster

Died On This Date (February 14, 2010) Lee Freeman / Co-Founder Of Strawberry Alarm Clock

Lee Freeman
November 8, 1949 – February 14, 2010

Lee Freeman is best remembered as a founding guitarist and co-lead singer for ’60s psychedelic rock band, Strawberry Alarm Clock.  Formed in Glendale, California in 1967, the band scored a handful of charting hits, including their biggest, “Incense and Peppermints.”  Freeman was still in high school when, in 1965, he co-founded and sang lead for local garage band, Thee Sixpence.  Within a couple of years, the group evolved into Strawberry Alarm Clock, a name chosen to pay tribute to the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever.” “Incense and Peppermints” took a bit longer than most singles to become popular, but by the time it did, it propelled the group’s debut album to #11 on the Billboard charts.  It ended up being their only album to chart.  Over the next couple of years, they shared the bill with the likes of the Who, Country Joe & The Fish, the Beach Boys, and Jimi Hendrix.  Strawberry Alarm Clock disbanded in 1971, but reunited permanently in 1982.  In recent months, Freeman and the group were working on new material for potential release on a label owned by Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.   Lee Freeman died on February 14, 2010 following a long struggle with cancer.  He was 60.

Thanks to Bryan for the help

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Strawberry Alarm Clock