Died On This Date (July 18, 1966) Bobby Fuller / Rock ‘n Roll Great

Bobby Fuller
October 22, 1942 – July 18, 1966

Pound for pound, Bobby Fuller’s remarkable output could stack up against any of his peers even though it was cut tragically short after just two years. Songs like “I Fought The Law,” “Let Her Dance,” and “Another Sad and Lonely Night” are just a few of his classic rock ‘n roll recordings that have either been covered by major artists or cited as major influences. Growing up, Fuller idolized fellow Texan, Buddy Holly, and at an early age decided he wanted to be a rock ‘n roll singer as well. Starting in the early ’60s, Fuller began to make a name for himself in the El Paso area clubs, and by 1964, he was living in Los Angeles, chasing his dreams. It was while in Los Angeles, he formed the Bobby Fuller Four and convinced legendary producer Bob Keane to sign them to Mustang Records. Keane’s other claim to fame was discovering a young Ritchie Valens. With a sound that was equal parts Buddy Holly, Tex Mex, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Elvis, Little Richard and the Ventures, Fuller began putting out such instant hit records as “Let Her Dance,” “Love’s Made A Fool Of You,” and of course, the great “I Fought the Law.” And then, almost as quickly as it started, it all came to a tragic and mysterious end. In what the incompetent police ruled a “suicide,” Fuller was found with multiple wounds to his body, covered in gasoline, and left for dead in a parked car outside his apartment. The scene, not only unsecured by police, was never dusted for fingerprints. Fuller’s mother claimed that the police told her that he had been dead for two hours, even though she had been with him just 30 minutes prior. And one witness even came forward claiming they saw a police officer discard a gas can into a nearby dumpster. But the case was never solved. Many speculate that the perpetrators fled the scene before they were able to burn the car and body. And adding to the mystery, the LAPD case files remain lost to this day. A 2002 novel entitled The Dead Circus by John Kaye further fuels the fire by including a “fictional” subplot that has Frank Sinatra ordering the hit on Fuller because he did not like him dating his daughter.

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I Fought the Law - The Best of Bobby Fuller Four - Bobby Fuller Four

Died On This Date (July 18, 1988) Nico / Velvet Underground

Nico (Born Christa Päffgen)
October 16, 1938 – July 18, 1988

Nico was a German-born singer, actress and model who is best remembered for her work with Velvet Underground as well as Andy Warhol.  As a young adult, Nico worked as a model, appearing in such magazines as Vogue and Elle.   After landing the lead in the 1963 French film, The Strip-Tease, Nico recorded the Serge Gainsbourg produced theme song.  In 1965, Nico recorded her first single with the help of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.  It was around this time that Nico began working with Andy Warhol who managing the Velvet Underground at the time.  The band reluctantly agreed to let Nico sing lead on three songs on their 1967 debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico,  considered one of the most influential albums of the era.  The partnership soon dissolved with Nico moving on to a critically acclaimed solo career.  She recorded and performed into the 1980s.  On July 18, 1988, Nico fell from her bicycle after suffering a minor heart attack.  Unconscious, she was taken to a hospital where she was misdiagnosed with heat stroke.  She died the next day of a cerebral hemorrhage from the fall.

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The Velvet Underground / Nico (Deluxe Edition) - The Velvet Underground

Died On This Date (July 18, 2001) Mimi Fariña / ’60s Folk Great

Mimi Fariña (Born Margarita Baez)
April 30, 1945 – July 18, 2001

MimiMimi Fariña was a folk singer-songwriter who came of age during the ’60s folk revival in America.  A few years younger than sister, Joan Baez, Fariña performed at many of the same clubs and festivals, including the legendary Newport Folk Festival.  In 1963, she met writer and singer-songwriter, Richard Fariña, and within a year, they were married.  Together the recorded a couple of noteworthy albums as Mimi & Richard Fariña for revered label, Vanguard Records, also home to Morgana Kennedy.  On the night of Mimi’s 21st birthday, Richard left the party on his motorcycle only to be killed in an accident.  Vanguard released a third album of “rarities.”  By the ’70s, Fariña was performing and recording but her attention turned more toward activism.  In 1974, she founded Bread and Roses, an organization that puts together free concerts for people bound to hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons.  Over the years she’s had such artists as Bonnie Raitt, Odetta, Pete Seeger and Carlos Santana perform at such shows.   By the ’80s, Fariña was rarely performing or recording as she becoming more and more involved with Bread And Roses and other human rights organizations and events.  Mimi Fariña passed away of neuroendocrine cancer in 2001.  She was 56.

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Mimi and Richard Farina: The Complete Vanguard Recordings - Mimi and Richard Farina

Died On This Date (July 18, 2011) Richard “Big Stiff” Konwinski / Florida Punk Pioneer; Founder Of Stiff Pole Records

Richard “Big Stiff” Konwinski
January 17, 1961 – July 18, 2010

Richard Konwinski was a longtime champion of the Tampa, Florida area punk scene.  After growing up in Michigan, Konwinski uprooted in 1981 and moved to Florida.  He quickly became entrenched in the local punk scene, which actually stretched down to the southern tip of the state.  After spending much of his time at concerts by local acts as well as by the bigger acts who toured through the area, Konwinski decided to start his own label, Stiff Pole Records with childhood friend, Tim Hubbard.  Over the next decade the label built a following by releasing records by such acts as Pink Lincolns, GoToHells, and No Fraud.  Konwinski all but shuttered the label by the end of the ’90s, only to revive it during the latter part of the 2000s.  Bands recently signed to the label include Last Great Hope and the Doll Parts.  Richard Konsinski’s health was reportedly ailing during his final years.  He was 49 when he ultimately passed away on July 18, 2010.  Cause of death was not immediately released.