Died On This Date (August 26, 2005) Denis “Piggy” D’Amour / Voivod
themusicsover Denis D’Amour
September 24, 1959 – August 26, 2005
Denis D’Amour was the guitarist for Canadian thrash metal band, Voivod who were one of the first Canadian thrash bands to gain popularity outside of Canada. They, along with Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax were ushered in the thrash metal movement of the mid ’80s. Trained in classical violin, D’Amour later switched to guitar, later adding more of a King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Rush approach to his unique guitar playing. D’Amour was diagnosed with colon cancer in the summer of 2005. Having progressed at an alarming rate, surgery was not an option, so D’Amour died as a result of the cancer on August 26, 2005 at the age of 45.
What You Should Own
Allen Woody was a bass player best remembered for his work with the Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule. Woody joined the Allman Brothers when they reunited in 1989. He played on such albums as Seven Turns, Shades Of Two Worlds, and Where It All Begins. In 1994, Woody and Warren Haynes formed Gov’t Mule, first as an Allman’s side project, then as a full-fledged band in 1997. Woody died of a heroin overdose on August 26, 2000.
Raised by parents who were Pentacostal ministers, Eddie Lusk was exposed to gospel music at a very young age. And although he, himself became ordained in 1968, he couldn’t resist the call of the blues music he heard around him on Chicago’s south side. A pianist since childhood, Lusk went on to play with some of the biggest names in contemporary blues. That list includes 
Aaliyah Haughton was a Brooklyn-born star on the rise when her life was tragically cut short. Raised in Detroit, she caught the singing bug early in life, leading her to perform on Star Search as as child and score a recording contract with famed Jive Records at just 12 years old. Her debut album, Age Aint Nothing But A Number sold an astonishing 2 million units. Her follow-up, One In A Million sold over 8 million world wide. Haughton was also getting started as an actress, appearing in 2000’s Romeo Must Die which lead to her title role in Queen Of The Damned. She released her third album, Aaliyah in 2001, and her career was on a serious roll when she found herself in the Bahamas to film the first video for the first single, “Rock The Boat.” On August 25th, after filming of the video was complete, Haughton and 8 other crew and passengers boarded a small plane to fly back home. The plane, loaded with heavy equipment and gear had trouble on take-off, crashing about 200 feet past the runway. All nine on the flight were killed. Aaliyah Haughton was just 22 years old.
Stan Kenton was a popular jazz pianist and band leader who made his mark as part of the West Coast jazz scene of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s. He was considered an innovator in his day – taking what others called a “dance band,” and filling it out to what he preferred to call an “orchestra.” In doing so, he created what was then labeled a “wall of sound,” a term hijacked by Phil Spector in later years. His influence can be heard today across America’s high school and college jazz bands. Stan Kenton died on August 25, 1979 following a stroke. He was 67.