Died On This Date (March 15, 2011) Tsutomo Katoh / Co-Founder Of Electronic Instrument Company, KORG
themusicsover Tsutomo Katoh
DOB Unknown – March 15, 2011
Tsutomo Katoh was the co-founder and chairman of Japanese electronic musical instrument giant, Korg Corporation. Launched with Tadashi Osanai in 1962, Korg went on to become a world leader in the manufacturing and sales of keyboards, synthesizers, recording equipment, audio processors, guitar amps and more. Tsutomo Katoh passed away on March 15, 2011 after a long battle with cancer. He was 87.
Owsley “Bear” Stanley was a sound engineer and former notorious LSD cook who was reportedly the first to manufacture large quantities of the drug. His high-quality LSD, often given away for free, became plentiful in the San Francisco area during the mid ’60s so is credited for being an essential piece of the hippie movement. As a respected sound engineer, Stanley was employed by (and also helped finance) the Grateful Dead. He met members of the group during Ken Kesey’s famed acid tests of 1966 and became their first sound man. He also co-designed their iconic “Steal Your Face” skull logo with Bob Thomas. It was Stanley who developed the advanced high fidelity live sound system used by the Grateful Dead. He also helped launch Meyer Sound, the respected concert sound system manufacturer. During his years with the Grateful Dead, Stanley started the practice of taping the band’s rehearsals and live shows – this lead to the phenomenon of audience-generated tapes that spread well beyond the Dead. He also made countless live recordings during the ’60s and ’70s of such acts as Jefferson Airplane, 
Ronnie Hammond was the lead singer for successful southern rock band, the Atlanta Rhythm Section. The group itself was born out of a group of in-demand studio musicians from the Atlanta, Georgia area. When the band was recording their first album in 1972, Hammond happened to show up at the studio as an assistant engineer, and once the guys heard him sing, they asked him to join the band. Hammond sang for ARS on their first six albums, during their peak years. In 1978, they released Champagne Jam which included the popular single of the same name. It would become their biggest hit and take them from playing clubs and into arenas and stadiums. In August of that same year, the band was invited by President Jimmy Carter to play at the White House. Hammond left the group in 1982 to pursue a solo career. He reunited with them in 1988 and continued on for the next decade or so. On March 14, 2011, Ronnie Hammond died of heart failure. He was 60.
Todd Cerney was a brilliant songwriter, musician, and producer who was based in Nashville, Tennessee. Born in Detroit, Cerney moved to Nashville during the ’70s to further his career. His songs have been recorded by George Strait, Tanya Tucker, Jon Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Cheap Trick to name a few. His hits include the Grammy-nominated “I’ll Be Loving You” (Restless Heart) and the country chart topping “Good Morning Beautiful” (Steve Holy). As an in-demand session player, Cerney has performed live or recorded with a list of superstars that includes the Dixie Chicks, the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, and Jackson Browne. In November of 2010, Todd Cerney suffered a brain seizure and subsequently learned he had stage four melanoma cancer. On March 14, 2011, Cerney died as a result of the cancer.