John Poulos
DOB Unknown – March 26, 1980
John Poulos was the original drummer for the Buckinghams, one of the best-selling American rock bands of the late ’60s. The band scored several Top 20 hits in 1967 including “Kind of a Drag” which sat atop the charts for two weeks. In later years, Poulos got into artist management. He passed away on March 16, 1980, apparently of drug related causes.
Alvis “Buck” Owens
August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006
Buck Owens was a country music legend who, over the course of a forty-five year career almost single-handedly popularized what became known as the “Bakersfield sound.” Drawing on traditional honky-tonk, the “Bakersfield sound” is best described as a more twangy and electrified rock ‘n roll version of country. It was the antithesis of the popular “countrypolitan” of the era. In all, Owens released nearly 40 studio albums along with 9 live albums, from which came 21 #1 singles. His most celebrated are “Act Naturally” and “I’ve Got the Tiger By the Tail.” Throughout the years, his songs have been covered by the likes of the Beatles (with Ringo Starr on lead vocals), Dwight Yoakam, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Johnny Rivers and Cake. Owens was also a popular sight on television for many years. Besides being the host for the popular variety program Hee Haw for nearly twenty years, he was a regular guest on many other television programs during the ’70s and ’80s. Owens also owned several radio stations along with the Crystal Palace, his popular nightclub/restaurant/museum in Bakersfield, California, where he made regular appearances literally up until his death. On March 25, 2006, 76-year-old Buck Owens died in his sleep just hours after one such performance. It is believed that he suffered a heart attack.
Dan Seals
February 8, 1949 – March 25, 2009
Dan Seals had a string of pop and country hits both as a solo artist and as one half of England Dan & John Ford Coley. Seals’ hits included “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight” (England Dan & John Ford Coley), “Bop,” “Meet Me In Montana” (with Marie Osmond), and “Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold).” Seals was born in Texas on February 8, 1949 into a musically talented family that included brother Jim Seals (Seals & Crofts), and cousins Johnny Duncan, Troy Seals, Chuck Seals and Brady Seals of Little Texas. Dan Seals was 61 when he died of lymphoma on March 25, 2009.
Gene Puerling
March 31, 1929 – March 25, 2008
Gene Puerling, the one-time leader and celebrated vocal arranger of the Hi-Lo’s passed away March 25, 2010 of complications from diabetes. He was 78. His group’s complex vocal arrangement were said to influence Brian Wilson, the Mamas and the Papas, the Gatlin Brothers, Take 6 and the Manhattan Transfer who earned Puerling a Grammy for his 1981 arrangement of “A Nightingale Sang In Washington Square.”
Neil Aspinall
October 13, 1942 – March 24, 2008
Neil Aspinall is best remembered as the Beatles’ road manager, personal assistant, and later, the head of their entertainment conglomerate, Apple Corps. A childhood friend of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, Aspinall was first brought on board to shuffle the band from show to show in a van. As his responsibilities grew, he became an integral part of the band’s overall marketing. For the package design of the Sgt. Pepper’s album for instance, it was Aspinall who went out and found the photographs of the famous people who adorn its cover. He also contributed musically to a handful of Beatles recordings. Aspinall can be heard playing harmonica on “Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite,” playing an Indian lute on “Within You Without You,” and singing background on “Yellow Submarine.” Aspinall was also involved in many aspects of the Beatles well beyond their time together as a band. In the late 2000s, he oversaw the remastering of the band’s historic catalog re-release of 2009. Neil Aspinall was 66 when he died of lung cancer on March 24, 2008.
Thanks to Craig Rosen of Number1Albums for the assist.
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