Died On This Date (September 30, 2012) Raylene Rankin / The Rankin Family

Raylene Rankin
1960 – September 30, 2012

Raylene Rankin was the co-lead singer for influential Canadian Irish folk group, the Rankin Family.  Formed in 1989, the group, which also included siblings, Jimmy, Cookie, Heather, John Morris, and David, won numerous awards, including six Juno Awards – Canada’s answer to the Grammys.  Shortly after the Rankin Family formed, they began self-releasing their music on cassette.  By the early ’90s, they were signed to EMI Records and touring all over Canada and beyond.  The 1992 EMI re-release of their Fair Thee Well Love sold more than 500,000 in its initial years.  The group released several more albums through the years including the quadruple platinum North Country, and their most recent, 2009’s These Are The Moments.  Meanwhile, Raylene released a handful of solo albums as well.  During the she early 2000s, Raylene was diagnosed with cancer, and on September 30, 2012 she died of breast cancer.  She was 52 when he passed away.

 

Thanks to Ken Morton, Jr. at The Nashville Sound for the assist.

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The Rankin Family

Died On This Date (September 27, 2012) R. B. Greaves / Had Hit With “Take A Letter Maria”

Ronald “R.B.” Greaves
November 28, 1943 – September 27, 2012

R.B. Greaves was an American singer whose biggest hit came in 1969 with “Take A Letter Maria.”  Born on an American Air Force base in Guyana – and a cousin of Sam Cooke, Greaves grew up on an Indian Reservation back in the US.  To further his career, Greaves eventually moved to England where he performed under the name of Sonny Childe in his band, the TNTs.  During the late ’60s, he wrote “Take A Letter Maria” which was initially recorded by both Stevie Wonder and Tom Jones.  In 1969, Greaves recorded it under his own name and released it on Atco Records.  The song shot to #2 on the Billboard singles chart and went on to sell well over two million copies by the end of 1970.  Greaves followed that with a series of covers that also charted. That list includes “Always Something There To Remind Me” and “Whiter Shade Of Pale.”  R.B. Greaves was 68 when he passed away on September 27, 2012.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus at Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.

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R.B. Greaves - R.B. Greaves

Died On This Date (October 2, 2012) Big Jim Sullivan / Legendary UK Session Guitarist; Played On Over 1000 Charting Singles

Jim Sullivan
February 14, 1941 – October 2, 2012

Big Jim Sullivan was one of the most requested and prolific session guitarists that England ever produced.  Over a career that spanned over 50 years, he played on around 1000 records that charted in the UK, more than 50 reached number one.  Legend has it that he played on upwards of 3000 records a year during the height of his career.  Sullivan was just 14 when he started learning to play the guitar, and in just two years, he was playing professionally.  In 1959, he joined a band called the Wildcats who were backing Marty Wilde at the time.  The following year, the Wildcats backed Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent on the infamous UK tour that ultimately took Cochran’s life.  Over the next two decades, Sullivan became one of the most in-demand guitarists in the business.  He also gave a young Ritchie Blackmore guitar lessons and helped convince Jim Marshall to make his now famous amps.  During this time, Sullivan was one of the earliest to make use of feedback, the fuzzbox and talkbox, which was made into more or less a household name by Peter Frampton on his classic Frampton Comes Alive album of 1976. The short list who employed Sullivan to play on their records is made up of the Kinks, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Dusty Springfield, Marianne Faithfull, David Bowie, Donovan, and Frank Zappa.  He was also a familiar face playing alongside Tom Jones on his American variety show.  Sullivan also found time to record several albums of his own as well. Big Jim Sullivan was 71 when he passed away on October 2, 2012.  He was reportedly suffering from diabetes and heart disease at the time of his death.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus at Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.