Died On This Date (July 3, 2008) Noel Sayre / Black Swans; Pretty Mighty Mighty
themusicsover Noel Sayre
DOB Unknown – July 3, 2008
Noel Sayre was a respected young violinist from the Columbus, OH area. Born in West Virginia, Sayre studied music at Ohio University. He played with the West Virginia and Portsmouth Symphony Orchestras. After moving permanently to Columbus in the mid ’90s, Sayre played with rock band, Pretty Mighty Mighty before forming his own band, the Black Swans. Sayre reportedly suffered a heart attack while swimming in a community swimming pool. He passed away after being on life support at an area hospital. He was 37.
Born in Russia, Natasha Shneider, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer for, most notably, ’90s rock band Eleven. Shneider moved to the United States, where her band, with former Red Hot Chili Pepper, Jack Irons and husband, Alain Johannes, had a few minor hits through the early ’90s thanks to their hard alternative rock sound that was part grunge and part funk-metal. In later years, Shneider and Johannes lent their talents on recordings by No Doubt, Chris Cornell, and Queens Of The Stone Age, with whom they also toured. Natasha Shneider lost her battle with cancer on July 2, 2008.
Luther Vandross was one of America’s most successful R&B singers during the ’80s and ’90s, selling over 25 million albums and scoring eight Grammy wins. In the early part of his career, Vandross sang back up for the likes of Robert Flack, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Bette Midler, and Barbra Streisand. By 1981, Vandross was on his way to becoming a superstar in his own right. The new decade saw him release hit after hit with songs like “Never Too Much,” “A House Is Not A Home,” and “Stop The Love.” But perhaps his biggest legacy is his 1989 recording of Terry Steele’s “Here And Now,” one of the most popular wedding songs out there. In 1985, tragedy struck in the form of a fatal car accident. While at the wheel, Vandross crossed a center divider and crashed into two oncoming vehicles, killing one of his passengers. Vandross pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter and later reached an out-of-court financial settlement with the victim’s family. Vandross continued to stay active through the ’90s and into the early 2000’s. Suffering from diabetes and hypertension, Vandross suffered a stroke in early 2003. He suffered a fatal heart attack on July 1, 2005.
Dennis Brown was a Jamaican reggae star who, over the course of his astonishing 30-year career made over 75 albums. He was much respected by peers and fans the world over for his lovers rock style of reggae. One fan in particular carried tremendous weight within the community, that being 