Died On This Date (November 14, 2011) Jackie Leven / Scottish Singer-Songwriter

Jackie Leven
June 18, 1950 – November 14, 2011

Jackie Leven was an influential Scottish folk singer who actually first found recognition as part of a new wave band, Doll by Doll.  The group, formed by Leven in 1975, was critically acclaimed, but never quite caught on like many of its peers, perhaps due to their darker sound.  Following the break up of Doll by Doll in 1983, Leven went on to have a notable solo career during which time he released over 20 albums.  In 1984, Leven was randomly attacked and strangled which left him unable to speak for nearly two years.  In 1994, Leven signed with the influential Cooking Vinyl Records, who was also home, at one point of another, to Billy Bragg, Prodigy, Killing Joke, and the Lemonheads, to name a few.  He released his final album, Wayside Shrines And The Code Of The Traveling Man, in September of 2011.  Jackie Leven died of lung cancer on November 14, 2011.  He was 61.

Thanks to Paul Bearer for the assist.

What You Should Own

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Forbidden Songs of the Dying West - Jackie Leven

Died On This Date (November 14, 2011) Lee Pockriss / Wrote Hit Pop Songs

Lee Pockriss
January 20, 1924 – November 14, 2011

Lee Pockriss was a New York born songwriter who wrote or co-wrote several pop hits during the ’50s and ’60s.  He also scored music for film and Broadway.  Pockriss’ biggest hit came by way of 1960’s “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” which he co-wrote with Paul Vance.  The song as recorded by Brian Hyland shot to #1 on the Billboard charts and has since been used in countless commercials, films and TV shows.  Pockriss also penned “Catch A Falling Star” (Perry Como), “Tracy” (the Cuff Links), “Johnny Angel” (Shelley Fabares), and “My Little Corner” (Anita Bryant).  For Broadway, he wrote the songs for Tovarich which earned him a Grammy nomination.  Pockriss’ film work includes Stagecoach, The Phantom Tollbooth, and The Subject Was Roses.   He also wrote several songs for Sesame Street during the ’80s.  Lee Pockriss was 87 when he passed away on November 14, 2011.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.



Died On This Date (November 13, 2011) Charlie Phillips / Hampton Grease Band

Charlie Phillips
DOB Unknown – November 13, 2011

Photo by Phil Libben

Charlie Phillips was a beloved bassist and drummer who, during the ’60s, played in several bands, including the Hampton Grease Band. The group was fronted by Bruce Hampton and included Phillips’ brother, Glenn Phillips.  Hampton Grease Band built a sizable underground following for their unconventional blues rock sound and shared the stage with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead.  They have been likened to Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart. Outside of music, Phillips worked as a teacher, played competitive softball, and practiced law, working with many bands and musicians over the years.  Charlie Phillips was 65 when he passed away in his sleep on November 13. 2011.  Cause of death was initially believed to be heart failure.

Thanks to Steve Cabral for the assist.

Died On This Date (November 13, 2011) Doyle Bramhall / Influential Texas Singer-Songwriter & Drummer

Doyle Bramhall
February 17, 1949 – November 13, 2011

Doyle Bramhall was a much respected Texas singer-songwriter and drummer who was a fixture of the Austin music scene since the 1970s.   Bramhall was still in high school when he joined fellow Texan, Jimmy Vaughan in the Chessmen, whose biggest claim to fame was opening for Jimi Hendrix in Dallas.  During the early ’70s, Bramhall moved to Austin where he formed the Nightcrawlers which also included Vaughan’s younger brother, Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar.  Bramhall went on to contribute several songs to Stevie Ray’s albums, including “Dirty Pool” and “Life By The Drop.”  He also played drums on the Vaughan Brothers’ album, Family Style.  Bramhall recorded a handful of his own albums over the years as well, including 2003’s Fitchburg Blues which reached #6 on the Billboard Blues Chart, as well as 2007’s Grammy-nominated Is It News.  His son, Doyle Bramhall II is a respected Texas musician as well.  Doyle Bramhall was 62 when he passed away in his home on November 13, 2011.  Cause of death was not immediately released, but reports indicate that he had been ill.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.

What You Should Own

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Is It News - Doyle Bramhall

Died On This Date (November 13, 2011) Yvonne “Miss Dixie” Fasnacht / Iconic New Orleans Gay Club Owner

Yvonne Fasnacht
DOB Unknown – November 13, 2011

Yvonne Fasnacht was an accomplished New Orleans clarinet and saxophone player, as well as the proprietor of Dixie’s Bar Of Music, one of the city’s most revered jazz clubs.  Fasnacht first learned to play her instruments while attending trade school, and before she knew it, she was playing in such all girl outfits as Southland Rhythm Girls and the Smart Set.  These gigs afforded her the opportunity to tour the US and even appear in a Hollywood short film.  In 1949, Fasnacht opened Dixie’s Bar of Music which quickly became one of New Orleans’ hottest clubs where rich and poor; gay and straight; and celebrity and common folk could all co-mingle and have a good time.  The club has been cited as one of the country’s first openly gay bars, and it was Fasnacht who created a safe and accepting environment, even in the face of local authorities who raided the joint fairly regularly.  The club, which operated until 1964, became a magnet for Hollywood elite as well. It was not uncommon to find the likes of Truman Capote, Rock Hudson, Gore Vidal, or Danny Kaye sitting at a table.  The club’s place in New Orleans history is so well-regarded, that the 35-foot mural of jazz greats that hung on one of its walls is now on display at the New Orleans US Mint as part of the Louisiana State Museum.  As reported by WWLTV, Yvonne Fasnacht passed away on November 13, 2011.  She was 101.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.