Roberto Cantoral was a Mexican singer-songwriter who, over the course of some 60 professional years, scored several hit records including “El Reloj” and “El Triste.” Many of his songs are considered standards of Spanish language music. As a songwriter, it has been reported that upwards of 1000 artists have covered his songs. That list includes Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, Luis Miguel, and Placido Domingo. In later years, he composed music for popular telenovelas. Roberto Cantoral was 75 when he died following a massive heart attack on a flight from Brownsville, Texas to Mexico City. The plane made an emergency landing in Toluca, Mexico where he was pronounced dead.
Mike Seeger was a traditional folk singer and musician who was a direct influence on Bob Dylan. It was his passion for traditional folk music that struck a chord with the younger generations who explored the genre and incorporated it into their own music. Born into a musical family – Pete Seeger was his half-brother – Seeger taught himself to play the guitar at the age of 18. He soon began making and collecting field recordings of old-timey musicians. In 1958, Seeger co-founded an old-time string band called the New Lost City Ramblers who were instrumental in the folk revival of the 1960s. Throughout his career, Seeger was nominated for six Grammys. In July of 2009, Mike Seeger went into hospice care after a long battle with cancer. He succumbed to the disease on August 7, 2009 at the age of 75.
Rick James (Born James Johnson)
February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004
Although Rick James is best remembered for his funk classics, “Super Freak” and “Give It To Me Baby,” his first gig of note was the Canadian R&B band he shared with Neil Young and future Buffalo Springfield bassist, Bruce Palmer. It was 1964, and the group was the Mynah Birds. They signed to Motown, but before anything could happen, their disgruntled ex-manager informed the label that James was AWOL from the Navy, so the debut album was shelved and the group broke up. Young and Palmer moved to America (Los Angeles) and Buffalo Springfield were soon born. Meanwhile, James turned himself in and spent a year in the brig. He eventually moved to Los Angeles where, by the late ’70s, he was in the midst of his own solo career. In 1981 he released his break through album, Street Songs, which included the hits, “Give It To Me Baby,” and of course, “Super Freak,” which would cement his prominent place in funk. Special nod to MC Hammer for memorializing “Super Freak” in his mega-hit, “You Can’t Touch This.” By the early ’90s though, James’ career took a back seat to his widely publicized drug and legal problems. Addicted to crack, he was convicted to two years in prison for kidnap and sexual assault in a sensational case that also resulted in a $2 million dollar civil lawsuit against him. Failed comeback attempts followed his release from prison in 1996. And on August 6, 2004, Rick James was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment at the age of 56. The cause of death was ruled an enlarged heart even though he had a significant amount of drugs in his system, but not enough to have killed him.
Willy DeVille (Born William Borsay)
August 25, 1950 – August 6, 2009
Willie DeVille was a much respected American singer, songwriter and musician who came to prominence fronting his own band, Mink DeVille, the one-time house band for legendary NYC club, CBGB’s. Although it’s difficult to label DeVille’s music, he had no problem fitting with the punk and new wave artists of the era with his musical stew of R&B, rock, cabaret, roots, blues, New Orleans, and country. Mink DeVille as a band was over by the mid ’80s, but DeVille continued to have a successful career (at least at the cultish level) well into the 2000s. Throughout his career, he worked with the likes of Brenda Lee, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler andDoc Pomus to name a few. It was discovered that DeVille had pancreatic cancer in June of 2009 while being treated for Hepatitis C. He died of the cancer at the age of 58.
John Hughes is best remembered as a writer or director of some of the most popular coming-of-age films of the ’80s. He was also responsible for introducing many new bands to American audiences thanks to their prominent placement in his films and soundtracks. Too most, John Hughes films were the first place they heard what would now be called “alternative” rock when it was still in it’s infancy. Movies like The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Sixteen Candles, and Ferris Beuller’s Day Off featured future hits like Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me,” Yello’s “Oh Yeah,” Spandau Ballet’s “True,” and OMD’s “If You Leave.” And so golden was his touch, that MCA Records gave him his own boutique record label at the time. John Hughes died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of 59.