Died On This Date (July 10, 2011) Travis Bean / Innovative Guitar Maker
themusicsover Clifford Travis Bean
August 21, 1947 – July 10, 2011
Travis Bean was a Los Angeles, California area electric guitar maker who helped revolutionize the instrument during the 1970s. In 1974, he launched Travis Bean Guitars to mass produce high-end electric guitars that had solid aluminum necks instead of the customary wood ones. Besides giving the instruments a unique tone and durability, the metal added heft and cost to the guitars, upwards of $1000 each, which was a fairly large sum at that time. Loyal fans of Bean’s guitars included Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Keith Richards and Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones, and jazz great, Stanley Jordan. Bean also constructed a similar bass guitar that was used by the likes of Bill Wyman. Bean halted production of the guitars in 1979 rather than compromise on the quality to meet lower cost demands. Over 3600 guitars and basses came off the line during the five years of production. Bean returned with another round of similar guitars and basses during the late ’90s. Travis Bean was 63 when he died on July 10, 2011 following a long battle with cancer.
Facundo Cabral was a beloved Argentine folk singer who was recognized for his politically charged songs that dealt with protest, spirituality, and social commitment. Born into poverty in La Plata, Argentina, Cabral is said to have once walked over 1800 miles at the age of 9 to find work in order to support his six siblings and mother after his father abandoned them. After spending time in reform school, Cabral claimed to have met a vagabond who set him straight and encouraged him to follow a path of music. He went on to write countless songs and poems that inspired millions. His signature song, “No soy de aqui, ni soy de alla,” was just one of many that have since been covered by other major Latin singers. In 1978, Cabral lost his wife and son in a plane crash, and it took no less than Mother Teresa herself to challenge him to rise from the depression that followed and travel to India to work with lepers. He eventually re-found his muse, and although he was eventually crippled, nearly blind, and battled cancer, he continued to tour much of the world to entertain his devoted fans. He also found time to write 66 books. In 1996, Cabral was named Messenger Of Peace by UNESCO, and was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. On July 9, 2011, while on tour in Guatemala City, the 74-year-old Facundo Cabral died as his body was riddled by no fewer than 8 bullets from gunmen who had pulled alongside his SUV in three separate vehicles. While some initial reports indicated that Cabral was the target, others speculated that his driver, a concert promoter named Henry Farinas, was the intended victim. Farinas, along with Cabral’s agent, David Llanos received non-life threatening injuries in the attack. Upon hearing the news, Guatemala’s president Alvaro Colom immediately called for three days of national mourning while messages of condolence and grief poured in from other Latin American leaders.
Kenny Baker was a legendary bluegrass fiddle player who is perhaps best remembered for the 25 years he served in 
