Died On This Date (April 24, 2001) Al Hibler / Sang For Duke Ellington
themusicsover Al Hibler
August 16, 1915 – April 24, 2001
Al Hibler was a blind singer who spent most of the 1940s singing Duke Ellington’s orchestra. In the mid ’50s he signed to Decca Records where he scored to massive hits, “Unchained Melody” and “He,” both selling over a million copies. His unusual vocal delivery made him a favorite across the US. In the late ’50s, Hibler turned his attention toward the Civil Rights Movement and was arrested twice while participating in anti-segregation marches. Because of his overtly political actions, record company executives began to shy away from him. All but one, that is … Frank Sinatra, who signed him to his Reprise Records in 1961. Beyond that, Hibler recorded only sporadically and made but a few special guest appearances throughout the ’80s and ’90s. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 85.
DJ Hideo was a very popular and highly respected Los Angeles DJ who is perhaps best remembered as the mix show director, production assistant and on-air turntablist at local powerhouse radio station, KKBT, “The Beat.” While there, Hideo build a sizable following thanks to his on-air spinning for the popular Steve Harvey and John Salley programs, among others. Hideo became a key fixture of L.A.’s hip hop scene while performing with some of the biggest names of the genre as well as DJ’ing at high-profile events. Throughout the years, he has opened for the likes of Coolio, Ludacris and Xzibit. He also produced and hosted the West Coast Takeover show on Sirius/XM. By doing all this and more, Hideo rightfully earned the moniker of “The Hardest Working DJ On The West Coast.” On April 24, 2010, DJ Hideo, age 42, died after a long struggle with colon and liver cancer.
Known amongst fans of gospel music as the “Godfather Of Gospel,” the Rev. Timothy Wright pleased crowds and with his uplifting songs, usually backed by a powerful choir. He died of undisclosed causes on April 23, 2009 at the age of 61. Wright released several albums over his career, two of which were nominated for Grammys, and one reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s Gospel chart. In July of 2008, Wright’s car was struck by a wrong-way driver, sending him to the hospital with life threatening injuries and killing his wife and teenage grandson.