Died OnThis Date (July 30, 2011) Trudy Stamper / Grand Ole Opry Pioneer
themusicsover Trudy Stamper (Born Gertrude McClanahan)
DOB Unknown – July 30, 2011
Trudy Stamper was a country music pioneer who is perhaps best remembered for her tireless work on building the Grand Ole Opry brand. Born and raised in Nashville, Stamper moved to New York City after college in order to pursue a career on the stage. It was while back home visiting and talking up the theater scene, that she was overheard by an executive at the powerful WSM radio station and offered the chance to be one of the first female radio personalities in the United States. While at WSM, Stamper hosted a shopping program and acted in several of the station’s soap operas until eventually moving off microphone to a position in artist relations for the Grand Ole Opry. Through her New York connections, Stamper was able to bring the Opry to Carnegie Hall for two nights in 1947. The performances which included Minnie Pearl and Ernest Tubb, helped introduce the Opry and country music in general to more “cosmopolitan” audiences. She also handled Opry bookings and artist contracts for many years and eventually became the Public Relations Director for WSM and the Opry. In 1961, Stamper publicized the Opry’s second event at Carnegie Hall. That bill included Bill Monroe, Jim Reeves, Grandpa Jones, Faron Young, and one of her best friends, Patsy Cline. She retired from the music business in 1964. Trudy Stamper was 94 when she passed away on July 30, 2011.
Gene McDaniels was an American singer who scored six U.S. hits during the early 1960s. He was one of a group of African-Americans who successfully bridged the gap between jazz and early rock ‘n roll. McDaniels’ hits included “Tower Of Strength” which peaked at #5 on the pop charts, and “A Hundred Pounds Of Clay” which reached #3 in 1961 and sold over one million copies. McDaniels was also a successful songwriter, with his late ’60s output sometimes gravitating toward protest. He has been covered by Less McCann, D’Angelo, George Benson, and Roberta Flack who took his “Feel Like Making Love” to #1, earning him a Best Song Grammy and Flack a Best Record and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy. McDaniels can also be seen in such films as It’s Trad, Dad!, The Young Swingers, and Uptown Saturday Night. He continued to make music well into the 2000s, his last album being 2009’s Evolution’s Child. Gene McDaniels was 76 when he passed away on July 29, 2011.
Frank Foster was a jazz saxophonist, composer, and arranger who is most often associated with 
Joe Arroyo, also known as El Joe, was a popular tropical and salsa singer who was considered one of Caribbean music’s greatest interpreters. A gifted vocalist since childhood, Arroyo was already singing at popular music venues around his hometown by the age of 10, and during the early ’70s, he landed his first record deal with the respected Discos Fuentes label. He went on to become very popular and successful thanks to his ability to marry elements of salsa, soca, merengue, and zouk. One of his biggest hits, “Rebelion,” is considered one of the greatest salsa songs of all time. Unfortunately, with the success came the drugs and Arroyo battled abuse for many years. That and other health issues forced him to take breaks from his career on several different occasions. On July 26, 2011, Joe Arroyo died of multi-organ failure after spending nearly a month in the hospital. He was 55.
Mike Reaves was a guitarist in alternative metal band, Full Devil Jacket. Formed as Voodoo Hippies in Jackson, Tennessee, the band changed its name to Full Devil Jacket just before being signed to Island Records during the late ’90s. The band went on to release an EP and their self-titled full length debut which quickly went gold. The band was a popular live draw and toured with the likes of Creed, Stone Temple Pilots, and Type O Negative. Following his departure from Full Devil Jacket, Reaves played with Travisty and collaborated with 3 Legged Dog, Jasmine Cain and Randy Lovelace. During the spring of 2010, Reaves was diagnosed with prostate cancer which ultimately took his life on July 25, 2011. He was 52.