Died On This Date (August 22, 2008) Ralph Young / Sandler & Young
themusicsover Ralph Young (Born Ralph Israel)
July 1, 1918 – August 22, 2008
Ralph Young is best remembered as half of the duo, Sandler & Young which he formed during the ’60s with fellow singer, Tony Sandler. Signed to Capitol Records in 1966, the duo went on to release 22 albums and toured the world. They were also a popular draw in Las Vegas throughout the ’70s and ’80s and made regular television appearances on such programs as the Ed Sullivan Show, Merv Griffin Show, and the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Sandler & Young retired in 1983 but reunited on ocassion, the most recent being in 2003. Ralph Young passed away in his home at the age of 90.
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Robert Moog is best known for his groundbreaking invention, the Moog Synthesizer, which helped revolutionize music, and became an essential instrument for electronic music in particular. A highly educated electrical engineer by trade, Moog founded two electronic instrument companies and was a vice president at Kurzweil during the ’80s. In 1969, he was awarded his first patent for a synthesizer that utilized a keyboard. He went on to hold several more related patents. Moog has twice been recognized by the Grammys for his contributions to popular music. Since its invention, the Moog Synthesizer was utilized by such musicians as Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, John Cage and Walter Carlos (now Wendy Carlos), whose Switched On Bach and the soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange are became landmark recordings. Robert Moog was 71 when he died of a brain tumor on August 21, 2005.
Johnny Carter was a tenor vocalist in the doo wop groups, the Flamingos and later, the Dells. He joined the Dells in 1960, and stayed with them for the better part of 50 years. Elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of both the Flamingos and the Dells, Carter is one of a select few that have been inducted twice. He passed away on August 21, 2009 at the age of 75. Co-founder, 
Jerry Finn was a well-respected producer who lent his talents to a who’s who of alternative rock, artists like Blink-182, Green Day, Sum 41, AFI, Rancid, the Offspring, Morrissey, Alkaline Trio and many others. While working on a Morrissey release in July of 2008, Finn suffered a massive brain hemmorage. Never regaining consciousness, he was taken off life support on August 9 and passed away twelve days later. He was just 39.