Died On This Date (February 8. 2012) Jimmy Sabater Sr. / Latin Music Great
themusicsover Jimmy Sabater
April 11, 1936 – February 8, 2012
Born and raised in Spanish Harlem area of New York City, Jimmy Sabater, Sr. took a liking to the Latin music he constantly heard in and around the neighborhood. As a teenager, he was particularly moved by the what he heard coming from Tito Puente, Machito, and Willie Bobo, so he took up the timbales. He was also possessed one of the smoothest voices Latin music has ever known. By the mid ’50s, Sabater was part of a collective called the Joe Cuba Sextet who quickly found appreciative fans throughout the clubs of Harlem as well at resorts in upstate New York. The group recorded several landmark albums over the next three decades including 1966’s Wanted Dead or Alive (Bang! Bang! Push Push Push) which was the first boogaloo album to sell over 1 million copies. Sabater left Cuba’s band in 1977 and went on to sing and play for Al Levy and Eddie Palmieri, among others. He also released a handful of his own albums on the legendary Fania Records. Jimmy Sabater Sr. was 75 when he died of natural causes on February 8, 2012.
Thanks to Eric Foss at Secret Stash Records for the assist.
What You Should Own
Wando was a popular Brazilian singer-songwriter who launched his career in 1969. A classically trained guitarist, he went on to release numerous albums over the next three decades. Throughout his career, his songs were recorded by several other Brazilian singers, and one even appeared in a popular Brazilian soap opera. His last album, Fêmeas was released in early 2012. On February 8, 2012, Wando died in a local hospital of heart related issues. He was 66.
Snuffy Smith was a notable luthier as well as a banjo picker himself who, over the course of his career, was entrusted by countless musicians for repairs and such. Working out of North Carolina, Smith developed the Snuffy Smith Bridge which is the preferred bridge of banjo pickers of all stripes and is sold all over the world. In fact, some Gibson banjos come already fitted with his bridge. Smith was reportedly suffering from different health issues in recent year and died of an apparent heart attack on February 4, 2012.
Phil Brown was the bassist for the English power pop band, the Records. After earlier being considered to play in Free and Mott the Hoople, Brown was hired by the Records. Formed during the late ’70s, the band went on to build a formidable cult following with some loyalists going as far as calling them the “British Big Star.” Drawing inspiration from the likes of Badfinger and the Raspberries, the Records began putting out records in 1979. That year’s Shades In Bed included the catchy single, “Starry Eyes,” which went on to become one of power pop’s most enduring songs. Although signed to Virgin Records, the band failed to catch on beyond cult status in the US, and split up in 1982. After the Records, Brown collaborated with 
Mike Kelley was a respected visual artist as well as a founding member of Detroit underground noise rock band, Destroy All Monsters. Formed while Kelley was an art student in 1973, the band built a sizable cult following even though they never released a proper album. Kelley left the group in order to attend California Institute of the Arts in 1976. Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth released a 3-CD anthology of the band in 1994. Perhaps Kelley’s most notable contribution to popular music however, came by way of the iconic cover art he created for Sonic Youth’s 1992 album, Dirty (see below). Mike Kelley was 57 when he apparently took his own life on February 1, 2012.
![Dirty (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered] - Sonic Youth](https://i0.wp.com/ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/images/web/linkmaker/badge_itunes-lrg.gif?w=640){kind=icon}