Died On This Date (April 26, 1984) Count Basie / Jazz Legend
themusicsover William “Count” Basie
March 24, 1904 – April 26, 1984
Count Basie is one of most important jazz musicians and band leaders in American history. Born in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1904, Basie was encouraged by his mother to learn the piano, paying 25 cents a lesson for the young boy. Dropping out of junior high school, he took a job at a local movie house where one day when the regular pianist failed to show up for work, Basie took over playing behind the silent films. He never looked back. By his late teens he was playing at local parties, dances and talent shows, and when he wasn’t playing, he was hustling for his next gig. In the mid ’20s, Basie was fully immersed in the jazz scene that was building in Harlem. He would lead his Count Basie Orchestra on and off for the next fifty years. Throughout his astounding career, Basie played for royalty around the world; recorded with a who’s who of popular music – from Frank Sinatra to Duke Ellington, from Billie Holiday to Sarah Vaughan; won nine Grammys; had four songs selected to the Grammy Hall of Fame; appeared on television and in film; and performed at John F. Kennedy’s inaugural ball. He passed away of pancreatic cancer on April 26, 1984 at the age of 79.
What You Should Own
Lisa Lopes was part of the Grammy winning R&B singing trio TLC, and was on her way to super-stardom when her life was tragically cut short at the age of 30. TLC hit huge in 1992 with the release of Ooooooohhh…On The TLC Tip which sold in the neighborhood of six million copies. They followed that up with the 15 million-selling CrazySexyCool. By 1999, TLC albums had sold upwards of 30 million units, easily making them one of the most successful female groups of all time. In the early 2000s, Lopes was off on a solo career, guest rapping on several hit records while working on her own solo debut which came out in 2001. But in the spring of 2002, Lopes was taking a break from working on her second solo album as well as TLC’s fourth album by visiting Honduras. On April 25, Lopes was killed when the SUV she was driving rolled several times after swerving to miss another car. Lopes was thrown from the vehicle and died from injuries she sustained.
Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod is best remembered as a guitarist for Canadian rock band, Chilliwack from 1979 to 1984. He also formed a side band with other members of Chilliwack called the Headpins during that period. MacLeod occasionally played drums and keyboards, sang and acted as co-producer on some of Chilliwack’s records. In 1982, he won a Juno award for his production work on the band’s Opus X. MacLeod died of brain cancer on April 25, 1992 at the age of 39.
British jazz musician and host of the Radio 4 comedy program, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. He began playing the trumpet in 1936 and continued to perform live in recent years. In 1956, Lyttelton was the first jazz musician to enter the pop Top 20 with his Bad Penny Blues which was produced by 