Died On This Date (April 25, 2002) Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes / TLC

Lisa Lopes
May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002

Lisa Lopes was part of the Grammy winning R&B singing trio TLC, and was on her way to super-stardom when her life was tragically cut short at the age of 30.  TLC hit huge in 1992 with the release of Ooooooohhh…On The TLC Tip which sold in the neighborhood of six million copies.  They followed that up with the 15 million-selling CrazySexyCool.  By 1999, TLC albums had sold upwards of 30 million units, easily making them one of the most successful female groups of all time.  In the early 2000s, Lopes was off on a solo career, guest rapping on several hit records while working on her own solo debut which came out in 2001.  But in the spring of 2002, Lopes was taking a break from working on her second solo album as well as TLC’s fourth album by visiting Honduras.  On April 25,  Lopes was killed when the SUV she was driving rolled several times after swerving to miss another car.  Lopes was thrown from the vehicle and died from injuries she sustained.

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CrazySexyCool - TLC

 

 

Died On This Date (April 25, 1992) Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod / Chilliwack; Headpins

Brian MacLeod
June 25, 1952 – April 25, 1992

Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod is best remembered as a guitarist for Canadian rock band, Chilliwack from 1979 to 1984.  He also formed a side band with other members of Chilliwack called the Headpins during that period.  MacLeod occasionally played drums and keyboards, sang and acted as co-producer on some of Chilliwack’s records.  In 1982, he won a Juno award for his production work on the band’s Opus X.   MacLeod died of brain cancer on April 25, 1992 at the age of 39.

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Anthology - Chilliwack

Died On This Date (April 25, 2008) Humphrey Lyttleton / British Jazz Legend; Performed With Radiohead

Humphrey Lyttelton
May 23, 1921 – April 25, 2008

Humphrey Lyttelton was a British jazz musician and host of the Radio 4 comedy program, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. He began playing the trumpet in 1936 and continued to perform live in recent years. In 1956, Lyttelton was the first jazz musician to enter the pop Top 20 with his Bad Penny Blues which was produced by Joe Meek. At the time, Lyttelton was at odds with the British musicians union because he liked to perform with American musicians like Sidney Bechet. The union strictly forbade that at the time. Lyttelton died as a result of an aortic aneurysm.

Lyttelton can be heard playing on Radiohead’s “Life In A Glasshouse” from the 2001 Amnesiac album. Below is a clip of him with Radiohead as they perform in on the BBC.

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Humphrey Lyttleton

Died On This Date (April 25, 2007) Bobby “Boris” Pickett / Had Huge Hit With “Monster Mash”

Bobby “Boris” Pickett
February 11, 1938 – April 25, 2007

Bobby Pickett was best known for his novelty smash, “Monster Mash,” an homage to such horror classics as Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Released in 1962, it quickly became a million seller and reached #1 on the US charts, and reentered the charts two more times over the next decade. The song became a staple on Dr. Demento’s radio program and continues to be celebrated every year during the days leading up to Halloween. A little known fact is that Leon Russell can be heard playing piano on the track. Pickett died of leukemia on April 28, 2007.

Died On This Date (April 25, 2010) Susan Reed / Post WWII Folk Star

Susan Reed
January 11, 1926 – April 25, 2010

Susan Reed was a popular American folk singer and musician who came to prominence during the mid-’40s.  She was one of the leading voices during the folk revival that also included Woody Guthrie and Burl Ives.  By the time she was 20, Reed was filling New York City nightclubs with sets that were dominated by Irish ballads accented by her playing the harp and zither.  She released several albums throughout her career, but after being blacklisted during the late ’50s, she pretty much retired from the business.  Susan Reed was 84 when she died of natural causes on April 25, 2010.