April 2010 – Page 7 – The Music's Over

Died On This Date (April 24, 2008) Tristram Cary / Electronic Music Pioneer

themusicsover April 24, 2010 0 Comments

Tristram Cary
May 14, 1925 – April 24, 2008

Tristram Cary was a British composer and pioneering electronic musician. But his greatest contribution to popular music was probably the EMS VCS3 portable synthesizer which he co-designed. The instrument became very popular with such English electronic and prog acts as Pink Floyd, Brian Eno and Roxy Music. He also wrote music for British television show, Dr. Who, as well as some British films.

What You Should Own

tristramcaryLP — Click to find at amazon.com

Arranger Composer Jazz Musician

Died On This Date (April 24, 2008) Jimmy Giuffre / Jazz Great

themusicsover April 24, 2010 1 Comments

Jimmy Giuffre
April 26, 1921 – April 24, 2008

Jimmy Giuffre was a respected jazz composer and arranger and also was also known for his stylish saxophone and clarinet skills. Getting his start as Woody Herman’s arranger in 1947, he went on to become of the main forces of West coast jazz. In 1961, Giuffre formed a trio with Paul Bley and Steve Swallow who, though not very successful at the time, went down in history as one of the most important groups in jazz history. Giuffre went on to teach at NYU and later the New England Conservatory of Music through the ’90s. He suffered from Parkinson’s Disease throughout his later life and passed away on April 24, 2008 at the age of 86.

What You Should Own

jimmygiuffreLP — Click to find at amazon.com

Easy Listening Jazz Singer

Died On This Date (April 24, 2001) Al Hibler / Sang For Duke Ellington

themusicsover April 24, 2010 0 Comments

Al Hibler
August 16, 1915 – April 24, 2001

Al Hibler was a blind singer who spent most of the 1940s singing Duke Ellington’s orchestra. In the mid ’50s he signed to Decca Records where he scored to massive hits, “Unchained Melody” and “He,” both selling over a million copies. His unusual vocal delivery made him a favorite across the US. In the late ’50s, Hibler turned his attention toward the Civil Rights Movement and was arrested twice while participating in anti-segregation marches. Because of his overtly political actions, record company executives began to shy away from him. All but one, that is … Frank Sinatra, who signed him to his Reprise Records in 1961. Beyond that, Hibler recorded only sporadically and made but a few special guest appearances throughout the ’80s and ’90s. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 85.

Disc Jockey Musician

Died On This Date (April 24, 2010) DJ Hideo / Popular Los Angeles DJ

themusicsover April 24, 2010 0 Comments

DJ Hideo
1967 – April 24, 2010

DJ Hideo was a very popular and highly respected Los Angeles DJ who is perhaps best remembered as the mix show director, production assistant and on-air turntablist at local powerhouse radio station, KKBT, “The Beat.” While there, Hideo build a sizable following thanks to his on-air spinning for the popular Steve Harvey and John Salley programs, among others. Hideo became a key fixture of L.A.’s hip hop scene while performing with some of the biggest names of the genre as well as DJ’ing at high-profile events. Throughout the years, he has opened for the likes of Coolio, Ludacris and Xzibit. He also produced and hosted the West Coast Takeover show on Sirius/XM. By doing all this and more, Hideo rightfully earned the moniker of “The Hardest Working DJ On The West Coast.” On April 24, 2010, DJ Hideo, age 42, died after a long struggle with colon and liver cancer.

What You Should Own

djhideoDVD — Click to find at amazon.com

Musician Punk Rock Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (April 23, 1991) Johnny Thunders / New York Dolls

themusicsover April 23, 2010 1 Comments

Johnny Thunders (Born John Genzale Jr.)
July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991

Born in Queens, NY, Johnny Thunders formed his first band while in high school. At the time, he went by the name Johnny Volume, and that band was Johnny and the Jaywalkers. By the late ’60s he was hanging out down around Bleeker Street where he hooked up with Arthur “Killer” Kane and Billy Murcia. Their first band together was called Actress, but when David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain came on board a couple of years later, the name was changed to New York Dolls, Johnny Volume became Johnny Thunders, and the rest is history. The Dolls released two albums that were virtually ignored by the public (including most of those that now claim to have been fans back in the day…you know, just like the Ramones). By 1975, the band had broken up, but they would continue to strongly influence bands like the Sex Pistols and Guns ‘n Roses, and whatever crawled out of the gutter in between. Thunders went on to form the Heartbreakers with former Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan and Richard Hell. They recorded on and off until 1984, at one point moving to London where they were very popular with the up-and-coming punk bands. Thunders also recorded a few solo albums during this time, including the awesome So Alone, which featured a stellar cast of allegedly drug-fueled guests including Phil Lynott, Steve Marriott, Paul Cook, Steve Jones, and Chrissie Hynde. The album featured the beautifully sad and perhaps autobiographical “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory.” All the while, Thunders himself was falling deeper into the clutches of heroin abuse. In 1991, while in New Orleans, Johnny Thunders was found dead in his hotel room. Although the cause of death was never stated in the autopsy, it was widely assumed that he died of a methadone abuse. Not without controversy, others have sworn that foul play was involved, pointing to strong evidence that he was killed perhaps by drug dealers who were after his large stash of methadone. It was also reported that the autopsy revealed he was suffering from advanced stages of leukemia. Whatever the case, local police never bothered to open a criminal investigation.