Died On This Date (August 16, 2008) Ronnie Drew / The Dubliners
themusicsover Ronnie Drew
September 16, 1934 – August 16, 2008
Best remembered as the front man of the Dubliners, Ronnie Drew was a world renowned Irish folk musician and singer. He formed the group in the early ’60s and soon they were one of Ireland’s most popular folk bands thanks to many shows throughout the pubs and hotels in Dublin and beyond. Drew left the group in the mid ’90s and found a new audience thanks to collaborations with the likes of Dropkick Murphys, U2’s The Edge, the Pogues and Christy Moore. He died after a long struggle with cancer on August 16, 2008. He was 73.
What You Should Own
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a popular Punjabi singer and musician who played a form of Islamic music. In 2006, Time magazine included him of a list of Asian heroes, while Spin called him one of 1998’s most influential musicians. Khan found an audience in the West thanks to his work with Peter Gabriel which began in the mid ’80s, and later with Eddie Vedder and Massive Attack. His 1997 Intoxicated Spirit received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Folk album. Over the course of his 30+ year career, he recorded an astonishing 125 albums. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died of cardiac arrest while awaiting a kidney transplant. He was 48 years old.
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Vassar Clements was an influential fiddler who, although mostly associated with bluegrass, also performed swing and jazz. Self taught at the age of seven, it was only a matter of time before Clements successfully auditioned for 