Died On This Date (June 17, 1986) Kate Smith / Iconic American Vocalist
themusicsover Kate Smith
May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986
Kate Smith was a popular singer in the 1940s and beyond. She is best remembered for her powerful version of Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.” Smith’s career began singing on radio in the early ’30s. She became a big star of the day thanks to her NBC Radio program, Kate Smith Sings, and subsequent shows on CBS. In March of 1969, hockey’s Philadelphia Flyers played a recording of Smith’s “God Bless America” before a home game and began a trend of mostly winning games when the song was played. Smith joined the fun by making special appearances to sing it from time to time. To this day, royalties from her performance of “God Bless America” are donated to either the Boys or Girls Club. Kate Smith died of diabetes at the age of 79.
What You Should Own
Karl Mueller played bass for Minneapolis alternative rock band, Soul Asylum who came out of the same scene that gave us Husker Du and the Replacements. But while the latter were building critical and commercial success, Soul Asylum seemed to have a hard time getting out of their shadows. But that all changed in 1992 with the release of Grave Dancers Union. The first single, “Runaway Train” became a worldwide hit thanks to a striking video that put focus on the plight of runaway teens. The video struck a chord and suddenly, Soul Asylum became household names. The band even performed at Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Ball. The band was on a lengthy hiatus by the end of the ’90s, and were beginning to work up new material when Mueller was diagnosed with throat cancer in May of 2004. He would succumb to the cancer on June 17, 2005 at the age of 41.
Eon was a pioneer in the genres of techno and house music. His 1992 Void Dweller album is considered one of the best. He is also known for the rave hit, “Spice” from 1990. He found his early audiences thanks to airplay on London’s pirate radio stations. Eon died of complications from pneumonia on June 17, 2009.