Died On This Date (June 30, 2011) Jimmy Roselli / Popular Italian-American Crooner
themusicsover Jimmy Roselli
1925 – June 30, 2011
Jimmy Roselli was an American pop singer who made his mark during the ’50s and ’60s. Considered one of the most important Italian-American singers of the era, Roselli could easily hold court with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Perry Como. He had not even hit his teens when he began singing in local Hoboken, New Jersey clubs, and when Roselli was 14, he got his first break by winning a radio amateur hour. His next one came in 1946 when he was offered a slot on a Jimmy Durante bill. Durante was so impressed by his singing, that he made theater management double Roselli’s pay. And since Durante was one of the most popular performers at the time, Roselli continued to win new fans as he continued to perform with him. What made him so popular was that he had a perfect pitch for the traditional songs of Naples. That endeared him to the immigrants who longed for the music from back home. Over the course of his long career, Roselli released over 30 albums and scored hits with “There Must Be A Way, ” “Mala Femmina,” and “When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New” to name a few. He was also a popular live draw, performing sell-out shows in Atlantic City, and at New York’s Copacabana and Palace Theater. It was at the latter that he and comic Pat Cooper partnered for a popular two-man show. It should be noted that unlike Sinatra, Roselli apparently kept the mob at arm’s reach, by not letting them give his career any assistance. For that, he shared a love/hate relationship with them – they loved his music, but hated the fact that they couldn’t control his career. Roselli retired in 2004, moved to Florida, and on June 30, 2011, passed away at the age of 85.
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Jay Dee Springbett was perhaps best known as a judge on Australian Idol, the country’s version of the immensely popular televised talent show, American Idol. The Australian program began in July of 2003, with Springbett coming on to replace the controversial Kyle Sandilands in 2009. As a judge, Springbett quickly became known as the “nice guy.” Born in the UK, Springbett spent six years as a respected A&R rep for Sony Music where he was directly involved with the careers of Guy Sebastian, Natalie Bassingthwaighte, and Human Nature, to name a few. Jay Dee Springbett was 36 when he was found dead in his apartment on June 30, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released, but authorities did not suspect foul play.
Benton Flippen was an influential fiddle player who was one of the last surviving notable old-timey musicians of his generation. Born into a long line of musically talented Flippens and raised in northeast North Carolina, Flippen first learned to play the banjo as a youngster, but switched to the fiddle after hearing one of his uncles play. His first regional band of note was the Green Valley Boys. During the late ’60s, he joined Camp Creek Boys, and eventually, the Smokey Valley Boys, with whom he played until 1985. The latter earned numerous awards and accolades during Flippen’s tenure. He was also a respected composer, having penned such tunes as “Fiddler’s Reel,” “Benton’s Dream,” and “Smokey Valley Breakdown.” Flippen continued to draw sizable crowds well into his golden years, even as recently as 2008 when he headlined an Old Time music convention at the age of 88. Benton Flippen was 90 when he passed away in hospice care on June 28, 2011.
Fred Steiner was among many things, a prolific composer for radio, and later film and television. Steiner’s radio drama credits include This Is Your FBI and Suspense. For television, he composed music for Star Trek, Lost In Space, The Twilight Zone, and Dynasty, to name a few. His film credits include The Greatest Story Ever Told, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and The Color Purple, for which he shared an Academy Award nomination. Fred Steiner passed away on June 23, 2011 following a stroke. He was 88. His daughter, Wendy Waldmen was a singer-songwriter who was in Bryndle with Karla Bonoff, 
