Died On This Date (February 4, 2013) Donald Byrd / Jazz Great
themusicsover Donald Byrd
December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013
Donald Byrd was an influential jazz trumpeter who successfully brought jazz into R&B, funk, and later hip hop. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Byrd was proficient at his instrument at a young age. In fact, he performed with Lionel Hampton before graduating from high school. After serving in the United States Air Force where he played in the band, Byrd earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music. While pursuing his master’s in New York City, he was hired by Art Blakey to play in his Jazz Messengers. After leaving Blakey in 1956, Byrd played with some of the greatest names jazz has ever known. That list includes Eric Dolphy, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, and Thelonious Monk. During the ’70s, Byrd steered his horn toward fusion and R&B. Although he had been recording influential albums for Blue Note Records as far back as 1959, it wasn’t until 1973’s Black Byrd that he delivered what would become the label’s biggest selling album. He continued to release best sellers for many years to come. Byrd was also an educator, having taught at Rutgers, NYU, and Howard University, to name a few. In all, Byrd earned three Master’s degrees, a Doctorate and law degree. During the ’90s, Byrd collaborated with hip hop great, Guru of Gang Starr fame on the latter’s Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 which was one of the first albums to back rap with live jazz musicians and give it a hip hop production. The landmark album was followed by a second volume that also featured Byrd. He also contributed to the evolution of hip hop through the use of sampling. Pieces of his music can be heard in cuts by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, and Naughty By Nature. Donald Byrd was 80 when he passed away on February 4, 2013. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Thanks to Harold Lepidus from Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.
What You Should Own
Reg Presley was the front man for legendary British garage band, the Troggs. Their biggest hit came with their 1966 cover of Chip Taylor’s “Wild Thing” which reached #1 on the Billboard singles chart that year. Their version came in at #257 on Rolling Stone‘s list of The Top 500 Songs of All Time. Their follow-up single, “With A Girl Like You” was nearly as popular in the UK, but failed to ignite in the US. Their three most popular singles, the two listed above along with “Love Is All Around,” sold over a million copies each. Besides the impact their “Wild Thing” continues to have on rock music to this day, the band itself can take at least partial credit for influencing the birth of punk and garage rock. As a songwriter, Presley’s biggest hit was “Love Is All Around,” which was another big hit in the UK, but barely cracked the Top 100 in the US. It did however, enjoy a new life when Wet Wet Wet topped the UK charts with it in 1994. At over 1.8 million copies sold at the time, it was the tenth biggest selling single in England. Th royalties Presley enjoyed from its sales went to fund his research on crop circles on which he wrote the 2002 book, Wild Things They Don’t Tell Us. Presley continued to tour with the Troggs up until his retirement in 2012 due to health concerns. Reg Presley was 71 when he died of cancer and a series of strokes on February 4, 2013. Troggs founding drummer, 