Died On This Date (April 21, 1970) Earl Hooker / Blues Guitar Great

Earl Hooker
January 2, 1929 – April 21, 1970

Earl Hooker was born into a family that already had one great bluesman, cousin John Lee Hooker.  Hooker taught himself to play the guitar at ten years old, and was soon living in Chicago where he honed his skills at a music school.  In Chicago, Hooker began making a name for himself by playing alongside the likes of Bo Diddley on street corners.  By the early ’50s, Hooker was living in Memphis playing with Ike Turner and Sonny Boy Williamson II.  Hooker died at the age of 41 as a result of tuberculosis.

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Simply The Best - Earl Hooker

Died On This Date (April 21, 1978) Sandy Denny / Fairport Convention

Sandy Denny
January 6, 1947 – April 21, 1978

By most accounts, Sandy Denny was THE British folk rock singer of her generation. Having been the only person outside of Led Zeppelin to sing on one of their albums doesn’t hurt that credential. Denny can be heard dueting with Robert Plant on “The Battle Of Evermore.” Putting aside a possible career in nursing, Denny set her sights on music and became the voice of British folk rock band, Fairport Convention. Within two years she and the band parted ways, which in retrospect, was probably not the wisest choice, as neither she nor the band were ever to match the greatness they had achieved together. Other than her involvement with Led Zeppelin, her ’70s solo material never garnered much more than a cult following. Her own personal insecurities along with a growing substance abuse problem kept her from attaining the fame she craved. Her excessive drinking and smoking began to damage her voice, and by her last few albums, heavy string arrangements were added to compensate. Sandy Denny died on April 21, 1978, a month after she fell down some stairs at her parents’ house. Cause of death was determined to be a traumatic mid-brain hemorrhage.

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No More Sad Refrains - The Anthology - Sandy Denny

Died On This Date (April 21, 2003) Nina Simone / Iconic Jazz Singer

Nina Simone
February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003

Nina Simone was a vocalist whose style defied categorization. She might have been a jazz singer to one, but another would call her soul. To another, gospel, and yet to another, R&B. but above all, she was just great, having been nominated for a Grammy 15 times. With over 40 studio and live albums to her credit, and as a civil rights activist, she made an indelible contribution to African-American culture. Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys have all cited her as a major influence. Simone passed away in her home on April 21, 2003 after a long illness.

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Nina Simone

Died On This Date (April 21, 2008) Al Wilson / Had Hit With “Show And Tell”

Al Wilson
June 19, 1939 – April 21, 2008

Al Wilson was an R&B singer who scored a hit record with “Show And Tell” in 1973.   He began performing publicly at the age of just 12 in a spiritual quartet he formed himself.  They sang at local churches around his hometown of Meridian, MS.  Wilson continued recording as recently as 2001 when he re-recorded many of his classic hits.  He passed away of kidney failure at the age of 68.

Thanks to Craig Rosen of Number1Albums for the assist.

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Show and Tell: The Best of Al Wilson - Al Wilson