Died On This Date (June 18, 2012) Victor Spinetti / Actor In Three Beatles Films
themusicsover Victor Spinetti
September 2, 1929 – June 18, 2012
Victor Spinetti was a Welsh comedic actor who made his mark on popular music by appearing in three Beatles movies – the only person outside of the band to do so. A respected actor of stage and screen (both big and small), Spinetti also worked as a session drummer and author throughout his life. Over the course of his movie career, Spinetti appeared in over 30 films including the Beatles classics, A Hard Day’s Night (1964), Help! (1965), and Magical Mystery Tour (1967). He can also be heard on one of the Beatles’ beloved Christmas recordings to fans. Victor Spinetti died of pancreatic cancer on June 18, 2012. He was 82.
Thanks to Kelly Wilson at New Releases Now for the assist.
Brian Hibbard was a Welsh singer and actor who made his mark on popular music as lead singer of the a capella group, the Flying Pickets. Formed by Hibbard in 1982, the group which was made up of his acting friends, found their audience by bringing a capella singing to pop music. In 1983, their vocal rendition of Yazoo’s “Only You” reached the top of the UK charts and stayed there for five weeks. The song was also popular across Europe as well as in Canada where it cracked the top 20. Although the group scored a couple more minor hits, they failed to achieve the amount of success they had with their first single. Hibbard left the group in 1986 to form another outfit, but eventually found himself acting full-time again. As an actor, he had significant roles in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and Doctor Who, to name a few. In 1994, he reunited with the Flying Pickets for one album. In 2000, Brian Hibbard was diagnosed with prostate cancer which ultimately took his life on June 17, 2012. He was 65.
Scott Johnson was a respected stage manager and drum tech who, over the course of his career worked with several British bands including Keane, White Lies, and most recently, Radiohead. On June 16, 2012, while he was working as Radiohead’s drum tech, Johnson was reportedly on their stage as it was being set up for a show in Toronto, Canada. In what appeared to have been an accident, Johnson was struck and killed when the top portion of the stage collapsed and fell on him. Initial reports indicated that three others were injured in the collapse as well. Scott Johnson was 33 when he died from his injuries.
Abram Wilson was a respected New Orleans raised jazz musician and singer. Just nine years old when he first picked up the trumpet, Wilson received his education at the New Orleans Center For Creative Arts and later, Ohio Wesleyan University. He rounded out his musical training at the prestigious Eastman School of Music. After graduation, Wilson formed his first band of note, the Abram Wilson Quintet who performed with Roy Hargrove and appeared on record with 
Bob Welch was a Los Angeles singer-songwriter who is perhaps best known for his three years in Fleetwood Mac as well as for his solo releases of the 1970s. Raised in a show business family, Welch first learned to play the clarinet as a child, but by his early teens he had moved on to the guitar. After some time at UCLA, he joined a vocal group, the Seven Souls, as their guitarist. In 1967, they recorded a single, “I’m No Stranger,” for Okeh Records . Although the record didn’t sell much initially, its b-side, “I Still Love You,” became a valuable Northern Soul collectible in later years. After the group broke up in 1969, Welch played around with other outfits until joining Fleetwood Mac in 1971. Primarily a British blues act at the time, Fleetwood Mac began to evolve into a hit-making rock band thanks in part to Welch’s strong sense of melody. Their albums with Welch were much different from what they were previously known for – and that was not a bad thing. Mystery To Me, released in 1973, was arguably the best of the Welch era. Although not a big-seller, the album’s “Hypnotized” became an FM staple and probably the most recognizable Fleetwood Mac song until the later releases with Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. In 1974, Welch parted ways with the band in order to further his solo career. And with the release of 1977’s French Kiss, there was no denying that he was a star. The album went on to sell more than a million copies thanks to such hits as “Ebony Eyes” and a re-record of Fleetwood Mac’s “Sentimental Lady” which cracked the Top 10 on the US charts. He followed that up about 15 months later with the gold-selling Three Hearts. He continued to release albums and tour well into the 2000s. Bob Welch was 66 when he reportedly took his own life on June 7, 2012. He had been suffering from health related issues prior to his death.