Died On This Date (April 7, 1981) Kit Lambert / Managed The Who

Kit Lambert
May 11, 1935 – April 7, 1981

kitKit Lambert was the son of British composer, Constant Lambert. After a stint in the army he returned to Britain to work in film. He teamed up with director Chris Stamp to make a documentary about an unknown band. That band was the High Numbers who would later become better known as the Who. The film would never be finished as Lambert decided to manage the Who instead. It was Lambert who convinced Pete Townshend to move on from their simple pops songs and start to create the more complex sounds that would result in their classic Tommy album. The resulting success of the Who ultimate lead to the demise of their relationship with Lambert who was eventually replaced. The ’70s were not good to Lambert as he continued to deal with a substance abuse problem. At one point he was made a Ward of the Court in order to avoid prison on drug charges. Because of this, he barely saw any money from the fortune that was made of off his productions of Who and Jimi Hendrix albums. Kit Lambert died on April 7, 1981 of a cerebral hemorrhage he suffered after falling down the stairs at his mother’s house.



Died On This Date (April 7, 2000) Heinz Burt / The Tornados

Heinz Burt
July 24, 1942 – April 7, 2000

Heinz Burt is best known for his bass work in the British instrumental rock band, the Tornados whose biggest contribution to rock ‘n’ roll was their hit instrumental, “Telstar.”  It was the first number one record on the American charts by a British rock band and went on to sell over 5 million copies worldwide. Unfortunately due to a copyright dispute over the song coupled with the Tornados’ legal obligation working as Billy Fury’s back-up band, they could not collect any royalties for the next six years and were disallowed to tour in support of their hit record. Once the dust settled, the Tornadoes tried unsuccessfully to get things going, so they all went their separate ways. Burt continued on with a solo career and even spent some time in a pantomime group in the ’70s. One of his backing bands included drummer, Mick Underwood, and a young guitarist by the name of Richie Blackmore. Later in life Burt took part in brief Tornados reunions and enjoyed playing along the revival circuit. He was so passionate about performing live that he did so even while confined to a wheel chair just two weeks before his death. Heinz Burt died on April 7, 2000 from the effects of motor neurone disease. He was 57.

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The Tornados

Died On This Date (April 7, 2010) Graciela Perez-Grillo / The First Lady Of Latin Jazz

Graciela Perez-Grillo
August 23, 1915 – April 7, 2010

Known as the “First Lady of Latin Jazz,” Graciela Perez-Grillo was pioneering Afro-Cuban jazz singer who got her start in New York City during the 1940s.  Perez-Grillo was born in Cuba to a musical family that also included fellow Latin jazz great, Machito.  Perez-Grillo won several Grammys and even lead her own big band in 1942, making her the first woman in history to do so.  She was best known for songs like “This is Graciela,” and “That’s the Way I Am.”  Graciela Perez-Grillo was 94 when she passed away on April 7, 2010.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.



Died On This Date (April 7, 1989) Clyde Moody / The Hillbilly Waltz King

Clyde Moody
September 19, 1915 – April 7, 1989

Clyde Moody was one of bluegrass’ founding fathers.  In his early years, Moody played with Merle Travis, Grandpa Jones and the Delmore Brothers.  He was also one of the originals in Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys.  Moody’s most lasting contribution to bluegrass was “Shenandoah Waltz,” a million-seller for him and an oft-covered standard.  Clyde Moody was 73 when he passed away on April 7, 1989.



Died On This Date (April 7, 1994) Lee Brilleaux / Dr. Feelgood

Lee Brilleaux
May 10, 1952 – April 7, 1994

Photo by Bob King

Lee Brilleaux was the lead singer and sometime slide-guitarist for the British pub rock band, Dr. Feelgood. Formed in 1971, Dr. Feelgood worked non-stop until Brilleaux’s death in 1994, never straying far from the basic hard-punching rock ‘n’ roll that endeared them to a strong core of loyalists. Their live shows become something of legend thanks in part to  Brilleaux’s passionate singing. Their first few albums were downright smashes in the UK, but failed to catch on in the US. The core of the group was done by the early ’80s as their style of music was pushed aside for punk, but Brilleaux soldiered on, casting new members into the band. By this point he had given up on making it big as a recording artist and devoted his energy to the club circuit. Dr. Feelgood continued to draw large audiences in their homeland up until Brilleaux was diagnosed with cancer in the early ’90s. He passed away on April 7, 1994 at the age of 41.

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Dr. Feelgood