Died On This Date (March 4, 2011) Johnny Preston / Had Hit With “Running Bear”
themusicsover Johnny Preston (born Johnny Courville)
August 18, 1939 – March 4, 2011
Johnny Preston was a rock ‘n roll pioneer who is perhaps best remembered for is 1960 #1 hit, “Running Bear.” Preston was still in his teens when he and his band caught the attention of JP “The Big Bopper” Richardson at a local club. Richardson was so impressed by the singer, that he gave Preston a tune he had penned to record. That song was “Dancing Bear,” and when they put it to record, it included Richardson and future country icon, George Jones, on backing vocals. The record was a huge hit, reaching #1 on both the U.S. and U.K. charts. Unfortunately, Richardson never saw its success since it was released shortly after he perished in the plane crash that also took the lives of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. Preston released a handful of other charting singles over the next couple of years, but none came close to the success of “Dancing Bear.” He did however, continue to perform well into the 2000s and was once recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame as a pioneer of the genre. Johnny Preston died of heart failure on March 4, 2011. He was 71.
What You Should Own
Eddie Kirkland was a Jamaican born, American raised blues singer and musician who, thanks to his nearly non-stop touring life was dubbed “The Gypsy Of The Blues.” Kirkland was still a young teen when he ran away from home hidden in the truck of a traveling medicine show. When the show ultimately packed it in, he went back to school and then joined the army. Following his discharge after WWII, he moved to Detroit and met up with 
Rick Coonce is perhaps best remembered as a long time drummer for popular Los Angeles rock band, the Grass Roots. The Grass Roots sold millions of albums and charted several times on both sales and radio charts during the late ’60s and early ’70s. Records like “Lets Live For Today,” “Midnight Confessions,” and “Temptation Eyes” are considered staples from the era. Coonce provided the back beat for the band during their hit period of 1967 to 1971. After leaving the group in 1971, he moved to Canada where he continued to record and perform with other bands. Rick Coonce was 64 when he passed away on February 26, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Mark Tulin is best remembered as the bassist for influential ’60s garage psych band, the Electric Prunes. Formed in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California in 1965, the band churned out several era-defining songs including “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night,” “Get Me To The World On Time,” and “Kyrie Eleison/Mardi Gras (When the Saints),” which was prominently featured in the iconic film, Easy Rider. Tulin was active in the group from its inception until 1968 and then for a reunited configuration from 2001 until his passing. In 2009, he was asked by Billy Corgan to join Smashing Pumpkins, first in the studio for the recording of Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, and later to fill in on a few live dates. Tulin also joined Corgan in his 
Darryl Morden was a music journalist whose media included radio, print, television and the internet. Over the course of his career, his features could be found in such respected outlets as the Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Buzzine, examiner.com, and Launch/Yahoo. At one point, Morden was the head writer and producer of American Top 4o with Casey Kasem, and later Shadoe Stevens. He also created, produced and edited the World Chart Show, the first of its kind dedicated to world-wide audience. Darryl Morden died of cancer on February 25, 2011.