Died On This Date (October 30, 2010) Sean “The Captain” Carasov / Record Label Exec
themusicsover Sean Carasov
November 17, 1961 – October 30, 2010
Sean “The Captain” Carasov was a respected music industry executive who launched his career in the mid ’80s. In those early years he acted as the Beastie Boys’ road manager and more – working for Russell Simmons at the time – on the inaugural tour. If there was ever a “fourth Beastie,” by all accounts, it might very well have been Carasov. An expert on and lover of hip-hop, he had no difficulty landing A&R gigs at such labels as Jive, Atlantic and Mammoth just as the genre was starting to explode. His successes include signing A Tribe Called Quest and curating the popular Menace II Society soundtrack. Carasov also contributed numerous articles to music magazines from France to Japan. In later years, he handled music supervision for the film, American Pimp and was did A&R for ARTISTdirect Records. Sean Carasov was 48 when he took his own life on October 30, 2010.
Bobby Porter was beloved punk singer who called the Pittsburgh area home. A veteran of the Vietnam war, Porter first surfaced in the area as an R&B singer during the mid ’70s. But by the end of the decade, he became taken by the city’s burgeoning punk scene and successfully transitioned into it. Over the years he fronted such punk bands as Thin White Line and Young Lust, and built a solid following thanks to his strong soulful voice and his energetic performances. Bobby Porter was 59 when he died of cancer on October 28, 2010.
Stella Salamone was a popular Cleveland, Ohio metal disc jockey who, for over 20 years was known as the “Thrash Queen” at non-commercial station, WRUW-FM. She was most recently, the co-host of the station’s popular, Domestic Decay program. For many years, Salamone was an integral part of Cleveland’s punk, metal and thrash scenes. She was even credited for being the first area DJ to play grindcore. While still in her teens, Salamone first appeared as a guest DJ on WUJC’s Metal on Metal, and never looked back. Stella Salamone was 44 when she passed away after being taken off life support at an area hospital. Reports indicated that she had been found unconscious in her home a few days prior and that she had suffered a bad reaction to pain medications.
James Phelps was a pioneering Gospel and R&B singer who, over the course of his long career worked with