Died On This Date (May 31, 2000) Johnnie Taylor / Soul Singer

Johnnie Taylor
May 5, 1938 – May 31, 2000

Johnnie Taylor was one of those rare talents who could adapt his style to fit whatever the current trend was looking for. He found success with gospel, soul, blues, doo wop, and disco. Taylor’s first break came in 1957 when he replaced Sam Cooke as front man of the Soul Stirrers, the influential gospel group. In 1961, he signed to Cooke’s label, Star Records. But when Cooke was murdered in 1964, Taylor moved back to Memphis where he was signed to the legendary Stax Records where he had a string of R&B hits that primarily showcased his smooth crooning. Then came the mid ’70s, and Taylor found himself on CBS Records where in 1976, he delivered one of disco’s biggest smashes, “Disco Lady.” That song would become the very first single to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. It went on to sell more than two million copies. By the ’80s, disco was dead and so was Taylor’s ascension to the top, so he went back to where it all began and signed with Malaco Records, a label that let him revisit the sound of his early career, the blues. His career stayed active through the late ’90s, but on May 31, 2000, Johnnie Taylor suffered a fatal heart attack.

What You Should Own

The Very Best of Johnnie Taylor - Johnnie Taylor

Died On This Date (May 30, 1993) Sun Ra / Acclaimed Jazz Innovator

Herman “Sun Ra” Blount
May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993

Jazz innovator Herman Blount (aka Sun Ra)was born either in Birmingham, Alabama or on another planet, as he would like us to believe. Wherever he came from, his influence on contemporary music is as big as the persona he created. Hard Bop, Swing, Poet, Avant Garde, Big Band Leader, Philosopher, Pianist, Composer, Organist, Cosmic, Educator, Student, American, Extraterrestrial…are all words that make up Sun Ra. Much of Blount’s life remained a mystery for decades. What is known is that he was a skilled pianist in his early teens, and by his mid teens he was performing semi professionally. At twenty, he joined a touring group that he eventually took over and renamed the Sonny Blount Orchestra. Two years later the band was dissolved when he accepted a scholarship to Alabama A&M. It is said that while in college, Blount experienced some sort of mind altering event that would start him on the journey that would lead him to eventually become Sun Ra. He and his “Arkestra” stayed extremely active into the early ’90s, only slowing down when Blount suffered a stroke in 1990. Within a couple of years Sun Ra was too ill to go on so he moved back to Birmingham where he passed away while suffering from a bout of pneumonia. He was 79 (maybe!).  Sun Ra been credited for being a direct influence on the likes of Sonic Youth, New York Dolls, George Clinton, King Crimson, Phish, Frank Zappa, and many many more.

What You Should Own

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Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy & Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow - Sun Ra and His Myth Science Arkestra

Died On This Date (May 30, 2003) Mickie Most / Record Producer

Mickie Most
June 20, 1938 – May 30, 2003

Mickie Most with Suzi Quatro on left

Mickie Most was an English producer and label owner who had a run of Number One hits with a stable of artists that included the Animals, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and Herman’s Hermits.  Most started his career as a performer in London coffee houses where he met future partner and Led Zeppelin manager, Peter Grant.  He had a semi-successful run during the late ’50s and early ’60s but grew tired of the touring so he explored opportunities on the business side of music.  He started out in sales and merchandising and soon landed a gig in production at Columbia Records.  His first act was a little band he found called the Animals who he helped record a worldwide hit with “House Of The Rising Sun,” and in turn received a Grammy for Producer Of The Year in 1964.  Then came Herman’s Hermits who had a string of hits that at one time rivaled the Beatles.   Other artists he recorded included Lulu, Jeff Beck, the Seekers, Nancy Sinatra, the Yardbirds and Brenda Lee.   In 1968, Most partnered with Peter Grant to open RAK Management and a year later, RAK Publishing and RAK Records.  Artists signed to RAK Records included Suzy Quatro, Sweet, Hot Chocolate, and Chris Spedding.  By the ’80s, he had discovered Kim Wilde and produced her worldwide smash, “Kids In America.”  And later appeared as a harsh judge on a British television talent program called New Faces, which no doubt helped create a future television star by the name of Simon Cowell.  Most died of mesothelioma, a cancer generally associated with the exposure to asbestos.

Died On This Date (May 30, 2010) Anthony “Little Benny” Harley / Founding Father Of Go-Go

Little Benny (Anthony Harley)
September 26, 1963 – May 30, 2010

Anthony Harley was a much-respected Washington D.C. area trumpet player who, over the course of his career played a key role in the city’s funk and go-go scene.  Better known as Little Benny, Harley came to prominence as part of Rare Essence during the early ’90s go-go scene which also included Trouble Funk and EU.  Part of the funk family, go-go music adds congas, cowbells, whistles, and band/audience chant interaction.  It was a style of music that was born in Washington DC, and Harley was a significant piece of its infancy.  He eventually left Rare Essence to form his own group, Little Benny & The Masters, with whom he performed up until his death.  On May 30, 2010, Anthony Harley, age 46, passed away in his sleep.

Died On This Date (May 30, 1980) Carl Radle / Played Bass For Eric Clapton

Carl Radle
June 18, 1942 – May 30, 1980

Carl Radle played bass alongside some of the most influential performers in rock history. During the ’60s and ’70s, Radle could be seen and heard playing with Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Delaney & Bonnie, Joe Cocker, Dave Mason, JJ Cale, George Harrison, Leon Russell and most famously, Eric Clapton with whom he worked as part of Derek And The Dominos. Much more than just a sideman-for-hire playing on an occasional track, Radle was a significant contributor to Cocker’s Mad Dogs And Englishmen and Harrison’s Concert For Bangladesh. In fact, there are probably three seminal rock concert films from the era, Mad Dogs And Englishmen Tour, The Concert For Bangladesh, and the Band’s The Last Waltz. Radle appeared in all three. Radle is also credited for bringing Clapton back into the studio and out touring after a three year hiatus which thankfully ended in 1974. He is often cited as being a “musician’s musician” and regularly appears near the top of “greatest bassists of all times” lists. And with all this talent came the trappings. Carl Radle died of a kidney failure brought on by alcohol and narcotics abuse. He was 37.