Died On This Date (June 9, 1993) Arthur Alexander / Country Soul Singer

Arthur Alexander
May 10, 1940 – June 9, 1993

arthurAlthough he was probably the most important figure from the country-soul scene of the ’60s and ’70s, Arthur Alexander was by no means a house hold name.  But as a songwriter, he DID have some heavy weight fans in the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, being the only artist to have songs covered by all three.  Alexander’s songs have also been recorded or performed live by George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, the Hollies, Esther Phillips, Humble Pie, Joe Tex,  and even Pearl Jam, to name a few.  Alexander all but retired from the music business in the ’80s, finding work as a bus driver.  Thanks to renewed interest in his songs during the early ’90s, Arthur Alexander mounted a comeback, but suffered a fatal heart attack within a few months of signing a new record deal.

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Died On This Date (June 9, 2008) Elmer Alley / Helped Create Opryland

Elmer Alley
DOB Unknown – June 9, 2008

elmerElmer Alley’s career spanned radio, television, cable television and the record industry, but he is probably best known as one of the creators of Nashville’s Fan Fair and Opryland. As a recording engineer, Alley worked on records by, among others, Hank Williams and Burl Ives.  He passed away on June 9, 2008 at the age of 87.

Died On This Date (June 9, 2008) Nick Sanderson / The Gun Club, Earl Brutus

Nick Sanderson
1961 – June 9, 2008

Nick Sanderson, was the one-time drummer for seminal rock band, the Gun Club as well as the singer in the highly influential Earl Brutus,  but his carer started in the Manchester industrial band, Clock DVA in 1983.  About a year later, Sanderson was backing then-former Gun Club singer, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, who would later invite him to join a re-formed Gun Club.  Following Pierce’s death in 1997, Sanderson joined Earl Brutus as singer.  In recent years, he was playing in a band called Freeheat alongside Jim Reid of the Jesus and Mary Chain.   Nick Sanderson died of lung cancer in 2008.

Died On This Date (June 8, 2010) Walt Woodward III / Drummer For The Scream

Walt Woodward III
February 10, 1959 – June 8, 2010

Walt Woodward III was a respected rock drummer who is perhaps best remembered for his work with the Scream, who were one of the more popular bands along L.A.’s storied Sunset Strip during the late ’80s and early ’90s.   In 1991, the band released its debut album, Let It Scream on Disney’s Hollywood Records.  The video for their “Man In The Moon” received moderate play on MTV.  Woodward played in several other bands throughout his career.  Walt Woodward III was 51 when he passed away on June 8, 2010.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Benjie Gordon at The Hair Up There for the assist.



Died On This Date (June 8, 2010) Crispian St. Peters / Had Pop Hit With “The Pied Piper”

Crispian St. Peters (Born Robin Smith)
April 5, 1939 – June 8, 2010

Crispian St. Peters was a popular English pop singer-songwriter who is perhaps best dismembered for his two mid ’60s, “You Were On My Mind” and “The Pied Piper.”  St. Peters launched his music career in during the late ’50s, at first performing as part of various groups until finally going out under his own name and signing with Decca Records in 1965.  “The Pied Piper” was a Top 5 hit in the U.S. and quickly became his signature song.  He continued to stay active for the better part of the next three decades until a stroke in 1995 resulted in his retirement.  Crispian St. Peters was 71 when he passed away on June 8, 2010.

Thanks to Ed Hardy for the assist.

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