Died On This Date (March 17, 1997) Jermaine Stewart / R&B Singer
themusicsover William Jermaine Stewart
September 7, 1957 – March 17, 1997
Jermaine Stewart was an American R&B singer who scored a few hits during the mid-1980s. He is best known for 1984’s “The Word Is Out,” and 1986’s “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off.” One of Stewart’s earliest professional gigs was as a dancer on Don Cornelius’ popular Soul Train television program. From there Stewart was hired on by Shalamar as a background singer and dancer. He later recorded backing vocals on Culture Club’s immensely popular Colour By Numbers album. Stewart went on to release four of his own albums during the ’80s, spawning such hits as “Jody,” “Say It Again,” “The Word Is Out,” and of course, “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off.” Jermaine Stewart died of AIDS-related liver cancer on March 17, 1997. He was 39.
What You Should Own
Ferlin Husky was a country music singer who launched his career in 1945 and released a string of hits that stretched through the mid ’70s. During WWII Husky, a Merchant Marine, entertained the troops on his ship. After the war, he landed a recording contract with Capitol Records thanks to the help of 
Nathaniel Hall, who was more commonly known by his stage name, Nate Dogg, was a popular rapper and singer who got his start on the same Long Beach, California streets as Snoop Dogg and Warren G. His smooth voice was one of the greatest to come out of the G-Funk era of hip-hop. Hall began singing in his church choir when he was a child, then dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Marines where he served for three years. After his return to the Long Beach area, Hall joined up with fellow Rollin 20 Crips gang members, Snoop Dogg and Warren G to form a rap group, 213. Together they recorded their first demo at a local record store, and when Dr. Dre heard it, he offered Hall a slot to sing on his now legendary The Chronic album. From there, Hall got signed to Dre and Suge Knight’s Death Row Records. Over the next several years, he released a handful of albums and was nominated for four Grammys. Either singing on his own records or guesting on others, Hall appeared on the Singles chart over 40 times. In December of 2007, Hall suffered a stroke which reportedly left the left side of his body paralyzed. He suffered a second stroke in September of 2008 but was expected to make at least a partial recovery with physical therapy. On March 15, 2011, Nate Dogg suffered yet another stroke and died. He was 41.
David Emmanuel, known professionally as Smiley Culture was a popular reggae singer and DJ who had several UK hits during the ’80s. His two most popular were 1984’s “Cockney Translation” and “Police Officer.” As a DJ for Saxon Studio International sound system, Emmanuel worked with the likes of Maxi Priest and Tippa Irie. In 1986 he appeared alongside David Bowie, Ray Davies and Sade in the Julien Temple film, Absolute Beginners. On March 15, 2011, David Emmanuel, age 48, died during a reported police raid on his home. Early reports indicate he was killed by a self-inflicted stab wound but that a local watchdog group was investigating. In a twist of irony, his 1984 hit, “Police Officer” told the story of a time he was arrested for marijuana possession but was let go when an officer recognized him as a reggae star.