Died On This Date (February 27, 1986) Robbie Basho / Progressive Folk Guitarist
themusicsover Robbie Basho
August 31, 1940 – February 27, 1986
Robbie Basho was a folk guitarist who is best remembered for his skills on the steel string guitar. Unlike similar contemporaries like John Fahey, Sandy Bull and Leo Kottke, Basho generally incorporated elements of Indian, or raga music into his compositions. Over the course of his career, Basho released several albums on such respected labels as Vanguard, Windham Hill and Fahey’s Takoma. On February 27, 1986, Robbie Basho died accidentally when a chiropractor’s adjustment ruptured blood vessels in his neck, causing him to die from a stroke. He was 45.
What You Should Own
Ray Kane was one of Hawaii’s most revered slack-key guitarists. After learning to play the ukulele as a child, Kane switched over to the slack-key guitar. By the early ’60s, Kane was performing in front of amazed audiences and recording albums that would eventually total more than a dozen. In 1987, he was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. Kane died of respiratory failure at the age of 82.
Bobby Espinosa was a founding member and keyboardist for influential East Los Angeles jazz-rock band, El Chicano. Formed in the late ’60s, the band built a sizable following as part of fledgling scene of Latino bands that were creating pop music by marrying elements of R&B, jazz, Latin, rock, funk and soul. Other like-minded groups included Tierra, War, and to the north, Santana. The band is best remembered for their hits, “Viva Tirado,” “Tell Her She’s Lovely,” and their cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.” Records like these helped popularize what has been called “brown-eyed soul.” Espinosa was born in Los Angeles and took a liking to music at an early age as his parents filled the home with the sounds of Salsa music. He learned to play the keyboards, and as a teenager, he joined local surf band, Mickey and the Invaders. He soon helped form the VIPs, which would eventually develop into El Chicano. The band continued to stay active, recording numerous albums and touring the world, ever since. They are considered direct influences on future generations of Chicano bands which include Los Lobos, Quetzal and Ozomatli. Bobby Espinosa was 60 when on February 27, 2010, he passed away following a long illness.
Nathan Scott was a prolific composer and arranger who had over 100 film and TV music credits to his name. Over a career that spanned from the early ’40s through the ’70s, Scott helped create the music of such television shows as Lassie, Dragnet, My Three Sons, Rawhide, and The Twilight Zone. His film credits include The Color Purple and Wake of the Red Witch. He was also the father of Grammy-winning saxophonist, Tom Scott. Nathan Scott died of natural causes on February 27, 2010.
