2012

Died On This Date (February 15, 2012) Clive Shakespeare / Co-founder Of Sherbet

Clive Shakespeare
June 3, 1949 – February 15, 2012

Photo by Lewis Morley

Clive Shakespeare was an English-born Australian guitarist and producer whose band Sherbet, which he co-founded in 1969, went on to become one Australia’s most popular rock bands during the ’70s.  With hits like “Howzat,” “Summer Love,” and “Cassandra” the band became huge in their homeland, while finding additional fans all over the world.  The group had several Australian gold and platinum albums and were reportedly the first from there to reach over $1 million dollars in sales.  The group was managed by the legendary Roger Davies who has also counted such clients as Tina Turner, Olivia Newton-John, Cher, and Janet Jackson.  Sherbet disbanded in 1979 but reunited throughout the years.  As a producer, Shakespeare collaborated with the likes of popular Australian singer-songwriter, Paul Kelly.  Clive Shakespeare died of prostate cancer on February 15, 2012.  He was 62.  Former band mate, Harvey James passed away on January 15, 2011.

Thanks to Paul Bearer for the assist.

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Sherbet

Died On This Date (February 14, 2012) Dory Previn / Renowned Songwriter

Dory Previn
October 22, 1925 – February 14, 2012

Dory Previn was an American singer-songwriter and lyricist who counted several Academy Award nominations to her credit.  Beginning in the late ’50s, Previn, along with her then-husband and songwriting partner, Andre Previn, wrote numerous songs for such films as Pepe, Two for the Seesaw, and Valley of the Dolls.  Their songs have been recorded by such music luminaries as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Dionne Warwick, and Sammy Davis, Jr., to name just a handful.  After parting ways with her husband in 1969, Previn launched a successful career as a singer-songwriter.  Over the next decade, she released a half-dozen albums, including 1972’s Reflections in a Mud Puddle, which Newsweek magazine named one of the best albums of the year, while the New York Times lauded it as one of the best singer-songwriters of 1972.   She went on to win two Emmys for music she created for television, and wrote two autobiographies as well as a one-woman play.  Dory Previn passed away on February 14, 2012.  She was 86.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.

 

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Dory Previn

Died On This Date (February 14, 2012) Tonmi Lillman aka Otus / Drummer For Lordi

Tonmi Lillman
June 3, 1973 – February 14, 2012

Tonmi Lillman was a Finnish musician who is perhaps best remembered as the most recent drummer in the outrageous metal band, Lordi.  Formed in 1996, Lordi gained a worldwide fan base thanks in part to their elaborate monster costumes and live shows that drew influence from the likes of KISS and Alice Cooper.  Lillman joined the band in 2010 under the character name, Otus, and stayed with them until his passing.  He unfortunately never had the chance to play on one of their albums.  Other bands he played with include To/Die/For, Sinergy, and Kylähullut.  Lillman was an in-demand studio player as well, performing on countless hard rock albums throughout his career.  He was also a talented graphic artist who worked on package design and/or videos for Mind Of Doll, Vanguard, Sinergy, and many more.  Tonmi Lillman was 38 when he passed away on February 14, 2012.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Paul Bearer for the assist.

 

Died On This Date (February 13, 2012) Jodie Christian / Jazz Piano Great

Jodie Christian
February 2, 1932 – February 13, 2012

Photo by Javet M. Kimble

Jodie Christian was an esteemed jazz pianist whose contributions to free jazz and bebop can’t be denied.  Throughout his career, Christian performed and recorded with the likes of Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, and Eddie Harris.  He also fronted his own band which recorded several acclaimed albums as well.  In 1965, Christian co-founded the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, which was a non-profit that encouraged, supported, and promoted jazz musicians.  Jodie Christian was 80 when he passed away on February 13, 2012.

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Died On This Date (February 11, 2012) Whitney Houston / Pop Music Icon

Whitney Houston
August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012

Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF

Whitney Houston was an R&B singer who, by most accounts was one of the biggest female pop stars of all time.  Born in Newark, New Jersey to a musical family that also included mother, Cissy Houston and cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick.   Her godmother was none other than Aretha Franklin.  Following an early career that included fashion modeling and back-up singing for the likes of Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson, and Lou Rawls, Houston found herself taken in by legendary hit maker, Clive Davis, who signed her to his Arista Records and released her self-titled debut in February, 1985.  The album, which spawned several hit singles, went on to sell an astonishing 25 million albums worldwide.  Her follow-up album, Whitney, became the first album by a female artist in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard album charts.  Over the next several years, Houston released hit after hit.  In 1992, she starred opposite Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard. The romantic-thriller was the 2nd highest grossing film worldwide that year, while Houston’s soundtrack went on to sell over 45 million copies thanks to such hits as “I’m Every Woman, “Run To You,” and of course, her cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which sold over 12 million copies itself.  The soundtrack reached #1 in virtually every country that does such tracking.  On January 7, 1991, while the United States was locked in the Persian Gulf War, Houston performed what many consider the greatest version of the “Star Spangled Banner” that the Super Bowl has ever known.  It was quickly released as a single and became the first and only time the national anthem was a massive pop hit.  Houston donated her share to the American Red Cross.  The following year, Houston married former New Edition member and rap star, Bobby Brown.  The two had a daughter together but divorced in 2006.  After several years of personal set-backs, Houston returned with a new album, I Look To You, in 2009.  The album hit #1 in the US and went on to sell over 3.5 million copies worldwide.  It was her first #1 album since The Bodyguard.  In September of 2011, Houston announced that she was going to produce and star in a remake of the 1976 film, Sparkle.  On February 11, 2012, while in Los Angeles for the Grammys, Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hilton Hotel room bathtub.  Officials later ruled that she accidentally drowned as a result of a heart condition and chronic drug use.   She was 48.

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Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston