Died On This Date (February 21, 2008) Joe Gibbs / Reggae Producer

Joe Gibbs (Born Joel Gibson)
1943 – February 21, 2008

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Joe Gibbs was a respected Jamaican reggae producer.  He first began making records out of the back of his electronics repair shop during the late ’60s.  One of his earliest collaborators was Lee Scratch Perry.  In 1968, he formed his own record label, Amalgamated Records, home of one of rocksteady’s earliest hits, Roy Shirley’s “Hold Them.”  In 1972, he and engineer, Errol Thompson put together a house band that included the great Earl “Chinna” Smith, Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, and together they generated hundreds of records, with over 100 becoming #1 singles in Jamaica.  In 1977, Gibbs produced Culture’s Two Sevens Clash, considered to be one of the most influential albums on the growing punk scene.  He continued to produce some of reggae’s most successful records well into the later years of his life.  Joe Gibbs was 65 when he suffered a fatal heart attack on February 21, 2008.



Died On This Date (February 21, 2008) Calvin Owens / Respected Jazz Trumpeter

Calvin Owens
April 23, 1929 – February 21, 2008

calvin-owensCalvin Owens was a respected jazz and blues trumpeter and band leader from Houston, Texas.  He started learning to play the trumpet at the age of 13, and after graduating from high school, he turned professional by touring with a vaudeville act.  In 1953, Owens began working with B.B. King, eventually becoming his bandleader.  He played with him until 1957,  when he landed a job at Peacock Records as a session player.   Owens went on to play with the likes of T-Bone Walker and Junior Parker.  In the late ’70s, he reunited with King for another handful of years, contributing to his Grammy winning, Blues ‘n’ Jazz album.  On February 21, 2008, Calvin Owens, 78, died of kidney failure while recuperating from a surgery to treat liver cancer.

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Died On This Date (February 21, 2009) Bruce Moody / Bluegrass Guitar Picker

Bruce Moody
March 14, 1940 – February 21, 2009

bruce-moodyBruce Moody was a respected bluegrass guitar player from the mountainous region of North Carolina.  He started learning to play the guitar at the age of 14, and by his early 20s, he was touring with his uncle, Clyde Moody, one of bluegrass’ founding fathers.  In later years, Moody played with the Toe River Valley Boys, the Bluegrass Gentleman, the Jones Brothers and the Log Cabin Boys.  Bruce Moody passed away on February 21, 2009, just a couple of weeks shy of his 69th birthday.



Died On This Date (February 21, 1982) Murray The K / Lendary Disc Jockey

Murray “the K” Kaufman
February 14, 1922 – February 21, 1982

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Murray Kaufman, or Murray the K, was a famous radio disc jockey during the early days of rock ‘n roll.  He got his start in radio during the late ’40s, and by the mid ’60s, he was hosting the popular evening slot on New York City radio powerhouse, WINS.  It was there that he created the persona of the “wacky DJ” that would be imitated by thousands of radio personalities to this day.  Around this time, Kaufman  became one of the first American DJ’s to embrace and promote the Beatles.  By doing so, he became a friend of the band and common companion when they came through New York City.  He subsequently became the first to be called “the fifth Beatle.”    After WINS went to a news format in 1965, Kaufman moved over to the newly growing FM side of radio where he became a pioneer of playing album cuts and blocks of songs by the same artist, or those that followed a theme.  It was then that he became one of the first to support Bob Dylan after he went electric.  Outside of the radio station, Kaufman was one of the few promoters at the time to put together interracial rock ‘n roll live shows where the likes of Dionne Warwick, the Doors, Cream, the Four Tops and Bobby Vinton could all share the stage.  In later years, Kaufman produced several rock ‘n roll compilation albums and also produced and hosted a popular rock ‘n roll TV show.  During the ’70s, he consulted the popular Beatlemania stage show.  Murray “the K” Kaufman died of cancer on February 21, 1982.  He was 60 years old.