Died On This Date (July 26, 2013) JJ Cale / Legendary American Singer-Songwriter
themusicsover John “JJ” Cale
December 5, 1938 – July 26, 2013
JJ Cale was an American singer-songwriter who gave us some of rock music’s most iconic songs. Widely considered a songwriter’s songwriter, Cale’s most famous tunes are “Cocaine” and “After Midnight” which were made into hits by Eric Clapton, and “Call Me The Breeze” a hit for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The seemingly endless list of others who recorded his songs includes Waylon Jennings, Widespread Panic, Tom Petty, and Carlos Santana. Born in Oklahoma City, but raised in Tulsa, Cale set his sights on Los Angeles during the early ’60s. He found work there in a recording studio and at the Whiskey a GoGo, but after not getting much notice, Cale was ready to pack it all in and try something else when he got a call that Clapton wanted to record “After Midnight.” With his career finally on track, Cale went on to release a number of acclaimed albums over the next four decades. His biggest hit single as a performer was 19702s “Crazy Mama” which reached #22 on the Billboard charts. In 2006, he and Clapton were awarded a Grammy for their album, The Road To Escondido. JJ Cale passed away on July 26, 2013 following a heart attack. He was 74.
What You Should Own
Faye Hunter is perhaps best remembered as the original bassist for influential jangle pop band, Let’s Active. Formed by Mitch Easter in 1981, the band, which also included Sara Romweber on drums, played their first gig opening for their friends, R.E.M., before becoming a college radio and critic darlings. Their first video, “Every Word Means No,” became a moderate hit on MTV and helped pave the road for college rock and what would become known as indie rock. Hunter played on the band’s first three releases, Afoot (1983), Cypress (1984), and Big Plans For Everybody (1986) before departing. Other acts with whom Hunter collaborated included Marshall Crenshaw, Chris Stamey, and the Windbreakers. She contributed to a Let’s Active tribute album in 2003. Faye Hunter was 59 when she reportedly took her own life on July 20, 2013.
It wasn’t until T-Model Ford was 58 when he learned how to play the guitar, but he certainly made up for lost time over the last 20 years of his life. Born in Mississippi, Ford waited until his 70s before he launched his music career. His style has been described as a blend of raw Delta, Chicago, and juke joint blues. Following a troubled life as an illiterate blue-collar worker who later served 2 years on a chain-gang for murder, Ford turned things around when he began putting his life experiences into his music. Unable to read music or tabs, he developed his own way of playing that even he couldn’t define. During the late 90s, Ford was discovered by the owners of Fat Possum Records who went on to release his first five albums to critical praise. He went to release 3 more albums and continued touring until 2012. T-Model Ford died of respiratory failure on July 16, 2013. He was likely 93 years old*.
Curly Lewis was an influential fiddle player who, over a career that spanned 80 – yes, 80 years, played on some of the greatest western swing records ever made and helped popularize the genre. At the age of 11, Lewis won a fiddle contest that was sponsored by 
Cory Monteith was a Canadian actor-come-singer who is best remembered for portraying popular high school quarterback/glee club stand-out, Finn Hudson, in Fox Television’s widely popular program, Glee. Balancing the fine line between big-man-on-campus as the leading jock and social outcast as a member of the school’s glee club, Monteith brought compassion and idealism to a role that attempted to break down teenage stereotypes while examining social caste systems. The show’s break-out first season of 2009 almost single-handedly changed the focus of school vocal groups around the world by featuring choral treatments of and dynamic dance routines to some of pop music’s biggest hits. The cast’s first hit, the pilot’s rousing version of Journey‘s “Don’t Stop Believin,” became an internet sensation and brought the song back to the top of the charts for the first time since it’s 1981 release while selling over a million copies. Monteith provided co-lead vocals with cast mate and real life girlfriend, Lea Michele. Other stand-out tracks that featured Monteith on lead or co-lead included Rick Springfield‘s “Jessie’s Girl,” the Doors‘ “Hello, I Love You,” and Queen‘s “Somebody To Love.” On July 13, 2013, 31-year-old Cory Monteith, was found dead in a Vancouver, Canada hotel room. According to official reports released on July 16th, , he died from an accidental overdose of heroin and alcohol.