Died On This Date (June 10, 2010) Barbara Skydel / Veteran Booking Agent
themusicsover Barbara Skydel
DOB Unknown – June 10, 2010
Barbara Skydel was a well-known and respected booking agent for the better part of the last forty years. She began her career with Premier Talent Agency where she immediately proved her worth by taking on Led Zeppelin’s legendary 1969 U.S. west coast tour. Skydel soon found herself working with such acts as Bruce Springsteen, Grand Funk Railroad, Van Halen, U2, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. By the mid ’80s, she was a partner at the firm, which by then was one of the biggest in the world. As the first female executive at a major talent agency, Skydel earned the respect of both peers and artists alike. No less than U2’s Bono had referred to her as “Aunty Barbara.” In 2002, Premier merged with the William Morris Agency where Skydel remained as Senior Vice President until her retirement in 2009. Later acts that she handled included Sebastian Bach, the Pretenders, Keith Richards and the Who. Barbara Skydel passed away on June 10, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Ragamuffin was a really cool cat whose connection to popular music goes back to the Spring of 1989 when bands like Guns ‘n’ Roses, Poison and his favorite treat, Ratt ruled the boulevards near his first home in Glendale, California. Even within those first few weeks of his life, it was quite apparent that Ragamuffin was taken with the music that constantly played throughout his apartment, and in particular, the dancehall reggae of such artists as Yellowman, Buju Banton, and Luciano. He therefore became known as Ragamuffin, a form of dancehall whose sound is primarily made up of electronic music. in 1995, Ragamuffin moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, the so-called birthplace of Rock & Roll and home to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. While in Cleveland, Ragamuffin lived through the most snowfall in Cleveland history. Back in Southern California in 1999, Ragamuffin reached an international audience when he was featured in a short essay called “The Cat Doctor,” in the best selling book, Chicken Soup For The Cat & Dog Lover’s Soul. Throughout his long and healthy life, Ragamuffin survived the torment of three dogs, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a hot drive across the country, and countless hairballs. Sadly, Raggamuffin’s health began to deteriorate as he neared 20 years old. He was laid to rest on June 9, 2008, leaving behind canine brother and sister, Marley and Nicki.
Although he was probably the most important figure from the country-soul scene of the ’60s and ’70s, Arthur Alexander was by no means a house hold name. But as a songwriter, he DID have some heavy weight fans in the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, being the only artist to have songs covered by all three. Alexander’s songs have also been recorded or performed live by George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, the Hollies, 
Elmer Alley’s career spanned radio, television, cable television and the record industry, but he is probably best known as one of the creators of Nashville’s Fan Fair and Opryland. As a recording engineer, Alley worked on records by, among others,