Died On This Date (July 10, 2013) Teddy Days / One Time Bassist For Hellion

Teddy Days
DOB Unknown – July 10, 2013

teddy-daysTeddy Days was a bassist who is best remembered for his time playing bass in Los Angeles speed metal pioneers, Hellion.  Days played in the band for a short period during the early ’90s and appeared in a rough cut of a video in the works for “Stormrider,” a track from their 1991 release, The Black Book.  It is unclear if he actually played on the song and album.  According to a Facebook post by Hellion’s Ann Boleyn, Teddy Days, 48, passed away on July 10, 2013.  Cause of death was not immediately released.



Died On This Date (July 10, 2013) Peppie Marchello / The Good Rats

Peppie Marchello
1948 – July 10, 2013

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

Peppie Marchello was the front man of the group Rolling Stone once called “the world’s most famous unknown band,” Long Island, New York’s the Good Rats.  Formed while Marchello was in college during 1964, the group, originally called U-Men, achieved moderate success but remained largely a cult band throughout their run.  In 1969, now going by the Good Rats, they released their self-titled debut which was followed by their most popular album, 1974’s Tasty.  Meanwhile, the band built a sizable following thanks to their live performances fronted by the charismatic Marchello.  More solid albums followed throughout the ’70s and ’80s along with key opening slots for the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Rush, and KISS, but none of that was quite enough to push the band beyond cult status – to the amazement of many.  Since then, Marchello continued on with one variation of the band or another right up until the time of his passing.  He also spent some years performing, writing and producing with his son, Gene Marchello under the band name, Popzarocca.  On July 10, 2013, Peppie Marchello suffered a fatal heart attack.  He was 68.

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Died On This Date (July 9, 2013) Jim Foglesong / Legendary Record Label Executive

Jim Foglesong
July 26, 1922 – July 9, 2013

jim-foglesongJim Foglesong was a longtime record company executive who, for the better part of 50 years, helped countless country music performers become household names.  A singer himself, Foglesong began singing in church before he turned four years old, and by the time he was in high school, he was singing on local radio stations throughout Charleston, West Virginia.  During WWII, Foglesong performed at USO shows while serving in the Army.  After his service ended, he enrolled in college where he studied music.  After graduating and moving to New York City, he found himself working as a session singer on recordings by the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Connie Francis, Neil Sedaka, and Dion & the Belmonts.  During the early ’50s, Foglesong worked at Columbia Records where he helped start Epic Records.  While there, he began producing records. He eventually moved to RCA where he produced records by the likes of Robert Goulet and Doris Day.  By the late ’70s, he was working in Nashville where the list of artists he went on to work with reads like an encyclopedia of country music.  During that time he also found himself running labels like Dot and MCA Records.  In 1984, he was named president of Capitol Records’ Nashville division where he signed Garth Brooks.   Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, Reba McEntire, and George Strait are just a few of the country stars whose recording careers he helped guide. After retiring from the record business in the early ’90s, Foglesong went into education.  He served as the music business department head at Trevecca Nazarene College and taught a music business class at Vanderbilt University, both in Nashville.  In 2004, he was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Jim Foglesong was 90 when he passed away on July 9, 2013.


Died On This Date (July 4, 2013) Bernie Nolan / Actress & Lead Singer Of The Nolans

Bernadette Nolan
October 17, 1960 – July 4, 2013

bernie-nolanBernie Nolan was an Irish actress and singer who fronted the popular all-sister pop group, the Nolans.  Formed initially the Singing Nolans in 1963, the act was made up of the entire Nolan family, including mom and dad and two brothers.  The group had moderate success throughout the UK before the sisters split off as the Nolan Sisters (and eventually the Nolans) in 1974.  After receiving their break on Cliff Richards‘ television show, the group began making regular appearances on several UK programs.  In 1975, they landed the opening slot on Frank Sinatra‘s European tour which was followed by a support gig for Englebert Humperdinck.  The Nolans went on to release a series of disco hits including “I’m in the Mood for Dancing,” Gotta Pull Myself Together,” and “Attention To Me.”  In all, they sold millions of albums including 9 million, in Japan where they found tremendous success.  In the early ’90s, Bernie left the group to concentrate on her acting career.  She built a respectable resume over the next two decades before returning to music in 2004 when she released a charity single, “Macushla” which reached #38 on the UK charts.  She followed that a year later with her first solo album, All By Myself.  In 2010, reports began to surface that Bernie was suffering from breast cancer.  Later that year, she announced that she was cancer free, but by October of 2012, the cancer had returned.  Bernie Nolan ultimately died of the cancer on July 4, 2013.  She was 52.

Thanks to Kim Shepard for the assist.

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Died On This Date (June 25, 2013) Mark Fisher / Designed Stages For U2, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones & More

Mark Fisher
April 20, 1947 – June 25, 2013

mark-fisherMark Fisher was an esteemed British architect whose contribution to popular music came by way of tour stages he designed some of the biggest tours in history.  His highlights include the Rolling Stones‘ 1989 Steel Wheels 1994 Voodoo Lounge stages, U2‘s 2009 360 stage, and Pink Floyd‘s 1980 The Wall stage.  He also developed stages for tours by Madonna, Tina Turner, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Williams and Lady Gaga to name a few.   Mark Fisher died in his sleep while in hospice care on June 25, 2013.  He was 66.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus at Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.