Died On This Date (March 4, 1986) Richard Manuel / The Band
themusicsover Richard Manuel
April 3, 1943 – March 4, 1986
Richard Manuel was a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and singer who is best remembered as a long-time member of perhaps the greatest “back up” band in history, the Band. Manuel first started working with his former Band mates when, at just 17, he joined rockabilly great, Ronnie Hawkins’ backing band, the Hawks. About two years later, that unit morphed into the Band, which would count Manuel, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson as its most celebrated members. Manual mostly played piano in the group. When Bob Dylan decided to go electric during the mid ’60s, it was the Band he called to serve as his backing band. And when he went on hiatus after being injured in a motorcycle accident in 1967, the Band holed up in a big pink house in Woodstock, New York to record what would become their acclaimed debut album, Music From Big Pink. Manuel wrote its “Tears of Rage” (with Dylan), “In A Station,” “We Can Talk,” and “Lonesome Suzy.” The band continued to release respected albums and collaborate with other performers, all culminating in a remarkable “farewell concert” on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. In front of an unsuspecting audience, the Band gave the show like no other, sharing the stage with such invited guests and admirers as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Dylan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Van Morrison and more. Each artists’ performance was arguably the single greatest of their careers. The evening was captured on film by Martin Scorsese and released as The Last Waltz, considered one of rock music’s greatest concert films. Sadly however, Manual was a chronic substance abuser along the way. His inner demons finally got the best of him when, on March 4, 1986, he hung himself in his hotel room after a show. Richard Manual was 42 when he died.
What You Should Own
Glenn Hughes (not to be confused with Glenn Hughes of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple) was an original vocalist in one of disco music’s most famous and most lasting institutions, the Village People. He was primarily known for his leather biker outfits and awesome handlebar mustache which made him a pop culture icon well beyond the group. And although straight himself, Hughes was cast in a gay leather archetype, thereby becoming a face of that subculture. Around 1976, Hughes responded to producer, 
Ron Banks was a founding member of longtime Detroit soul vocal group, the Dramatics. Formed in 1962, various formations of the group have stayed together ever since, with Banks being one of the last two originals. During the ’70s, the Dramatics had two big pop hits, “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” and “In The Rain.” The former sold more than one million copies and the latter reached the #1 on the R&B charts. “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” was such a respected song at the time, that it was featured during the opening credits of the landmark Wattstax concert film of 1972. Their 1978 album Do What You Wanna Do, was their most popular, going gold at the time. In 1993, the Dramatics sang on Snoop Dogg’s “Doggy Dogg World.” In November of 2009, Ron Banks performed what would be his last show with the Dramatics. On March 4, 2010, the 58-year-old singer died of what appears to have been a heart attack.
Mike Patto was the lead singer of British progressive jazz rock fusion band, Patto. Formed in 1970, the band never sold many records, but thanks to a great live show, they did manage to land a deal with Island Records in 1972. The band released three studio albums and a live album before breaking up in 1973. Not to be forgotten, Patto’s “The Man,” was featured in previews for the popular 2009 comedy, Observe and Report. In 1974, Patto briefly joined Spooky Tooth, with whom he recorded one album, The Mirror, before they broke up. On March 4, 1979, Mike Patto died of lymphatic leukemia at the age of 36.