themusicsover 
Lyman Woodard was a much respected Detroit jazz organist who, if he weren’t living in the shadow of Motown, might have been more of a household name. Woodard kept busy during the late ’60s and ’70s by either fronting his own Latin and Afro-Cuban influenced jazz band, or by recording with many of the Motown acts. He also served as the musical director for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas during that time. On stage with his own band, Woodard was legendary for his rousing and rollicking live shows. Lyman Woodard was 66 when he passed away due to ill health.
Mark Sallings was a gifted Delta blues harmonica player who was one of the most sought-after Memphis side men throughout his career. Sallings learned to play the harmonica while in his early years of high school, and soon after he graduated, he went to work as a session player at Stax studios. During the ’80s, he worked with country singer, David Lynn Jones with whom he toured and recorded. In the ’90s, Sallings formed his own band, the Famous Unkowns and recorded a couple of his own albums. On February 25, 2009, 56-year-old Mark Sallings died as a result of a car accident.
David Soyer was a brilliant cellist who formed the respected Guarneri String Quartet in 1964. He played until his retirement in 2001, after which, the group continued on for another eight years. Soyer launched his musical life at the age of nine when he took up the piano, but he switched to the cello two years later. Outside of the Guarneri String Quartet, he played in the Army band during WWII and the NBC Studio Orchestra. Soyer was also a faculty member at such prestigious music schools as Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music. David Soyer passed away on February 25, 2010, the day after his 87th birthday.
Webb Pierce was a popular country singer whose career spanned the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Based on chart success, he was the most popular country performer of the 1950s. His biggest hit, “There Stands The Glass” is considered one country music’s greatest songs and has been recorded by the likes of Willie Nelson, Wanda Jackson, Van Morrison, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Up until his retirement in 1982, Pierce charted 96 singles. Besides, “There Stands The Glass,” his most popular were “In The Jailhouse Now,” and “Why Baby Why.” Pierce was just as well-known for his lavish lifestyle as he was for his music. He drove two Cadillacs that were lined with silver dollars, wore elaborate Nudie suits, and had a $30,000 swimming pool fashioned after a guitar. Webb Pierce was 69 when he died of pancreatic cancer on February 24, 1991.
