Died On This Date (February 18, 2013) Pat Egan / Relapse Records

Pat Egan
DOB Unknown – February 18, 2013

pat-egan-relapseA fixture of the New York metal scene, Pat Egan was a beloved music industry veteran who spent the past 10 years at iconic Metal label,  Relapse Records. He was, most recently, their Director of Retail Sales and Marketing.  In his capacity at Relapse, Egan was directly involved in the successes of Mastodon, Baroness, and High On Fire, to name a few.  His passion for the job and metal music in particular made him a favorite within the retail community as well as with artists and management companies.  Egan began his music career at Long Island retail giant, Looney Tunes where he ultimately served as store manager.  He later worked at the Pavement, KOCH and Energy labels before landing at Relapse.  Most, if not all who came in contact with Egan praised him.  Pat Egan was hospitalized in late 2012 with pneumonia, but never fully recovered before passing away on February 18, 2013.

Died On This Date (February 18, 2013) Kevin Ayers / Influential English Singer-Songwriter; Soft Machine

Kevin Ayers
August 16, 1944 – February 18, 2013

kevin-ayersKevin Ayers was an English musician who was largely responsible for the birth of the British psychedelic movement of the ’60s.  Born in Kent, Ayers was in college when he immersed himself in the storied Canterbury scene where a collective of progressive rock, avant-garde and free jazz commingled to create something new and exciting.  He soon found himself playing alongside Robert Wyatt in the Wilde Flowers.  In 1966, the band morphed into Soft Machine with Ayers starting out on bass and shared vocals but later switching to guitar.  Soft Machine quickly grew a strong local following, often performing with Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd.  In early 1967, they released their first single, “Love Makes Sweet Music” b/w “Feelin’ Reelin’ Squeelin’,” making it one of the first British psychedelic singles ever released.  It pre-dated Pink Floyd’s debut single by a month.  Soft Machine followed with their self-titled debut in December of 1968, and although the Chas Chandler/Tom Wislon produced effort is widely considered a classic, it failed to excite more than die-hard fans of the movement until many years later.  After an extensive U.S. tour supporting Jimi Hendrix, Ayers sold his guitar to Noel Redding and planned to retire to the beaches of Ibiza forever.  Before leaving however, Hendrix gave him an acoustic guitar and made him promise to not give up songwriting.  Whether it was the beautiful locale or the guitar, Ayers found fast inspiration for songs that would make up his solo debut, Joy of a Toy.  The album was released in 1969 on Harvest Records, also home to Pink Floyd at the time.  His follow-up album, Shooting at the Moon, included future star in his own right, Mike Oldfield, on bass.  Ayers continued to perform and record until once again retreating to seclusion during the late ’70s.  He briefly resurfaced to record and release 1988’s Falling Up which trumpeted his “comeback” with mostly glowing reviews only to see him go underground again soon thereafter.  By the late ’90s, he was living a reclusive life in southern France, but in 2005, he began to create music again, and with the encouragement upon learning that young bands like the Go-Betweens and Teenage Fanclub were enthusiastically citing him as an influence, he completed and released The Unfairground in 2007.  Members of Roxy Music, Teenage Fanclub, and Neutral Milk Hotel, among others, appear on the album.  It was another critical triumph.  Kevin Ayers was 68 when he passed away on February 18, 2013.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

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Died On This Date (February 17, 2013) Mindy McCready / Country Music Star

Mindy McCready
November 30, 1975 – February 17, 2013

mindy-mccreadyMindy McCready was a hugely successful country music singer whose debut album, 1996’s Ten Thousand Angels sold over 2 million copies.  Born in South Florida, McCready began singing when she was just three years old.  When she was just 18, she moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music.  Quickly signed to BNA Records, McCready’s debut album was released to much fanfare and ultimately yielded four hit singles with “Guys Do It All The Time” reaching #1.  That was followed by four more albums and several hit country singles.  In all, McCready landed on the Country Singles chart twelve times and sold over 3 million albums.  During McCready’s later years, she was involved in a few rocky relationships that continually fed the tabloids with troubling stories of abuse and drug addiction.  In 2008, she was hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt, and in 2010, was again hospitalized for a possible drug overdose that appeared to have been unintentional.  Over the years, McCready had legal issues that were mostly attributed to substance abuse.  In 2010, she appeared on the Celebrity Rehab reality program after which she was said to be looking forward to getting back into the studio.  In April of 2012, McCready gave birth to her second child, and in January of 2013, the boy’s father, producer David Wilson, was found in his home of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.  On February 17, 2013, Mindy McCready reportedly took her own life.  She was 37.

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Died On This Date (February 16, 2013) Tony Sheridan / Early Beatles Collaborator

Tony Sheridan (Born Anthony McGinnity)
May 21, 1940 – February 16, 2013

tony-sheridanTony Sheridan was an early English rock and roll singer, guitarist and songwriter who is most often recognized for his work with the pre-fame Beatles.  He holds the honor of being only one of two non-Beatles to ever be credited on one of the groups recordings – the other being Billy Preston.  Sheridan is also the only non-Beatle to sing lead on a single with them that charted (“My Bonnie”). Sheridan took an early liking to music, and at age seven, already knew how to play the violin.  He soon switched to the guitar, and by the time he was 16, he was fronting his own band.  Within a few years, he was either backing or sharing the stage with American musicians while they toured through the UK.  That list includes Gene Vincent, Conway Twitty, and Eddie Cochran.  During the early ’60s, Sheridan was recording in Hamburg and generally hired pick-up bands to back him on stage.  In 1961, thanks to a mutual admiration, he hired the Beatles, who at the time, were made up of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Pete Best.  Polydor producer, Bert Kaempfert, caught their act and convinced Sheridan to record with them.  The songs recorded during those 1961 sessions included, most famously, “My Bonnie,”  “The Saints,” “Cry For A Shadow,” and “Ain’t She Sweet.”  The latter two were utilized by the Beatles.  The 1st US pressing of “My Bonnie”/”The Saints” is one of the most collectible 45’s out there with a mint copy fetching $15,000 back in 2007.  During the mid-’60s, Sheridan moved his style to a more jazz and blues sound but unfortunately, most of his fans didn’t go along for the ride.  Although his record sales dwindled, he still remained a popular live act for many years.  In 1967, Sheridan went over the Vietnam to perform for the American troops.  During one such trip, he and his band were fired upon, killing one musician and leading to false reports that Sheridan himself, was killed. For his efforts during the war, the US Army made Sheridan an honorary Captain.  He continued to perform and record until heart surgery forced him into retirement in 2012. Tony Sheridan was 72 when he passed away on February 16, 2013.

Thanks to Brett Ortone at Go Aloha Entertainment for the assist.

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Died On This Date (February 14, 2014) Tim Dog / Popular East Coast Rapper

Tim Dog (Born Timothy Blair)
January 1, 1967 – February 14, 2013

tim-dogStraight outta the Bronx, Tim Dog was not shy about proclaiming his disdain for West Coast rap with his 1991 hit, “Fuck Compton.”  The popular N.W.A.-targeting “diss” song appeared on his 1991 debut, Penicillin on Wax and sparked wax responses from the likes of DJ Quik, Compton’s Most Wanted, and Dr. Dre among others.  The song ultimately landing on XXL Magazine’s Top 25 Diss Tracks Of All Time. Dog followed up with Do Or Die two years later along with two other albums in the mid 2000s.  Earlier in his career, Dog recorded with Ultramagnetic MCs as well as Ultra with Kool Keith.  On the business side, Dog held high-ranking positions at Rap Legends Recordings, Our Turn Records, Big Xity Entertainment, and BMC Management.  In 2012, Dog was the subject of a Dateline NBC episode due to his 2011 involvement in an online dating scam for which he was sentenced to five years probation.  On February 14, 2013, Tim Dog died from a seizure reportedly triggered by a long battle with diabetes.  He was 46.

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