Died On This Date (May 15, 2011) Bob Flanigan / Lead Singer Of The Four Freshmen
themusicsover Bob Flanigan
August 22, 1926 – May 15, 2011
Bob Flanigan was the founder and lead singer of influential jazz vocal group, the Four Freshmen. Formed in 1948 while they were still students at Butler University, the group went on to release numerous hit records and perform in front of sold-out audiences the world over. They would be cited as direct influences on the likes of the Manhattan Transfer, the Lettermen, and most notably, Brian Wilson who often gave credit to the group’s vocal harmonies for guiding his vision of the Beach Boys sound. It was Flanigan’s distinctive high pitch that could be heard above the others on most of the group’s recordings. He was also an accomplished trombonist and bass guitarist, in fact all the original members played instruments, which separated them from other vocal groups of the era. Upon retiring in 1992, Flanigan retained the rights to the group’s name and was involved in selecting new members. Bob Flanigan was 84 when he died of congestive heart failure on May 15, 2011. Co-founder, Ross Barbour passed away just three months later.
What You Should Own
M-Bone was a Los Angeles rapper and member of up-and-coming hip-hop group, Cali Swag Disrict. Formed in 2010, the group scored a hit with “Teach Me How To Dougie,” which ultimately cracked the the Top 30 on the Billboard singles chart. Signed to Capitol Records, Cali Swag District’s debut album was expected to be released in 2011. M-Bone was shot and killed during an apparently random drive-by shooting outside an Inglewood, California liquor store on May 15, 2011. He was 22.