Born on Christmas Day, 1937, O’Kelly Isley would, along with his brothers, Ronald Isley, Vernon Isley and Rudolph Isley grow up to write and record some of the greatest songs of R&B. Such hits as “Shout,”“It’s Your Thing,” and “The Lady (Part 1).” The Isley Brothers’ songs have been recorded by the, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Yardbirds, Alicia Keys, Aaliyah, the Beatles, and many many more! And who could forget the great scene in Animal House when Otis Day & The Knights’ version of “Shout!” made a great movie even better. O’Kelly Isley passed away from a sudden heart attack in 1986. He was 48.
Jeanine Deckers (Born Jeanne-Paule Deckers)
October 17, 1933 – March 29, 1985
As a Belgian nun, Jeanine Deckers earned a place in pop culture due to her international hit single, “Dominique,” released in 1963. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November of that year, many US radio stations played the song in heavy rotation as part of their tributes to the late President. This lead to Deckers becoming a popular concert draw around the United States and beyond as well as an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in January of 1964. Hollywood took notice and cast Debbie Reynolds in a film entitled The Singing Nun which Deckers denounced as pure fiction. The following year, Sally Field was cast as the lead in a television comedy, The Flying Nun, a spoof of sorts on the film. By 1968, Deckers’ music career was over and she had left the convent to open a school for autistic children. The Belgian government came calling for their share of the profits from her first album (over $50,000), which she claimed went to the convent, making her exempt. She eventually lost the court case that ensued. Around this time she developed an addiction to drugs and alcohol and was suffering from depression and nervous breakdowns. Blaming financial problems in a note left behind, Deckers took her own life by an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol on March 29, 1985. Ironically and without her knowledge, Deckers was awarded $300,000 in back royalties that very day. The amount was significantly greater than the money she owed.
Joe Williams (Born Joseph Goreed)
December 12, 1918 – March 29, 1999
Joe Williams has been called the last great big-band singer. His beautiful baritone has been heard alongside such greats as Lionel Hampton and Coleman Hawkins, and carried him to prominence with the Count Basie Orchestra during the ’50s. He continued to perform and record alongside the greatest names in jazz over the next three decades, earning numerous awards including a Grammy and a star along Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Williams worked up until he passed away of natural causes at the age of 80.
Maurice Jarre was a three-time Oscar-winning French composer best known for his scores for such films as Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, A Passage To India and Dead Poets Society. He composed music for more than 150 over his career. He is the father of Jean-Michel Jarre, a revered composer and musician as well. Maurice Jarre passed away at 84 as a result of cancer.
Annunzio Paolo Mantovani
November 15, 1905 – March 29, 1980
The undisputed King of Easy Listening passed away on this date in 1980. If you’re under 40, you likely never heard of Mantovani unless you worked in record store in the ’70s or ’80s. He released over 40 albums in the US, 11 of which landing in the Top 10. Mantovani passed away in his home at the age of 74.