Died On This Date (November 15, 2016) Holly Dunn / Had Numerous Country Hits

Holly Dunn
August 22, 1957 – November 15, 2016

holly-dunnHolly Dunn is perhaps best remembered for her 1986 country hit, “Daddy’s Hands,” but she had several more hits throughout the late ’80s and early ’90s.  After graduating from college where she played in a local band, Dunn moved to Nashville to follow her dreams of becoming a country singer and songwriter.  initially finding work as a session singer and songwriter for CBS Records, Dunn began turning heads when her (and brother Chris Waters‘) “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet,” became a top 10 hit for Louise Mandrell.  The following year, she signed with MTM Records who released her self-titled debut which spawned three moderate hit singles until the fourth, “Daddy’s Hands,” brought her national acclaim.  Over the course of her career, she released 10 albums which contained 21 charting singles.  Outside of making records and touring, Dunn found time to work as a popular morning DJ at WWWW in Detroit, MI.  She also co-hosted Opry Backstage for TNN for about two years.  In 2003, she announced her retirement so she could spend more time on her other hobby, art. Her paintings have been displayed in a gallery in Santa Fe, NM.  In March of 2016, Dunn was diagnosed with ovarian cancer which ultimately took her life on November 15, 2016.  She was 59.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com

Died On This Date (November 13, 2016) Leon Russell / Legendary Musician, Songwriter & Producer

Leon Russell (Born Claude Russell Bridges)
April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016

Photo by Carl Lender
Photo by Carl Lender

Leon Russell was a celebrated musician, singer, songwriter and producer whose early work as a session player alone was enough to rightfully find him a home in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Add to that his credits as a songwriter, and you have one of the most respected artists we have ever known.  Born in Oklahoma, Russell began playing the piano at just four years old.  By high school, he and schoolmate David Gates, of future Bread fame, had a band together. Over the next couple of years Russell needed a fake ID to play the clubs of Tulsa. And then, at just 16 years old, he headed to Los Angeles to take a crack at becoming a session musician. Russell quickly built a solid reputation and became one of the first people called into the studio or on stage to lend his talents.  The list of artists or their producers that mad that call is staggering – it includes the Byrds, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, B.B. King, the Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, and the Beach Boys.  And as part of the famed Wrecking Crew of L.A. studio musicians, the list goes on. Russel’s first hit as a songwriter came by way of Joe Cocker‘s 1969 recording of his “Delta Lady.”  As the ’70s dawned, Russell began making his own albums while producing others.  And thanks in part to the success of “Delta Lady,” he became a go-to songwriter for hopeful pop and rock stars.  In 1970, he released his self-titled debut. The album spawned one of his most famous songs, “A Song For You” which has been covered by a diverse list of artists that includes Ray Charles, Zakk Wylde, Andy Williams, Herbie Hancock with Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson, and Amy Winehouse. Russell spent the rest of the ’70s on a seemingly endless recording and touring cycle. He eventually slowed down, but became no less productive and influential.  The next three decades found him working with the likes of New Grass Revival and Bruce Hornsby while releasing several more of his own albums which leaned more bluegrass and country than much of his ’70s output. In 2010, Elton John (who called Russell his biggest influence as a pianist, singer and songwriter) and Bernie Taupin partnered with Russell on The Union, which resulted in a return-to-the-charts for both. The outstanding album, produced by T-Bone Burnett, and credited equally to both John and Taupin, entered the Billboard charts at No. 3, Russell’s highest charting album since 1972 and John’s highest since 1976.  Rolling Stone called it one of the best 30 albums of 2010.  The new-found exposure for Russell found him touring heavily up through the first half of 2016 when a heart attack sidelined him. Not discouraged, plans were being made to hit the road again in 2017.  Unfortunately, while still recovering from the heart attack, Leon Russell died quietly in his sleep on November 14, 2016.  He was 74.

t

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com

Died On This Date (November 7, 2016) Leonard Cohen / Canadian Singer-Songwriter

Leonard Cohen
September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016

Photo by Takahiro Kyono
Photo by Takahiro Kyono

Leonard Cohen was a revered Canadian poet, author, and most famously, singer-songwriter.  Over a career that spanned almost 50 years, Cohen provided the dimly-lit smoky-bar soundtrack for people who needed hope, lost faith, felt despair, or longed for love. Initially planning a career as an author and poet, Cohen wanted to reach more people, so he switched gears and found himself singing and performing in New York City at the relatively late age of 33.  He quickly became an unlikely pop star – rugged baritone voice, simple chord structures, and a private, guarded life within a profession that celebrated extroversion. His career might have seemed over when upon the release of his most famous song, 1984’s “Hallelujah,” his label head reportedly told him, “Look, Leonard; we know you’re great, but we don’t know if you’re any good,” before dropping him.  But his songs eventually caught on, and younger generations of singer-songwriters borrowed them to include in their own canons.  “Hallelujah” alone was recorded by over 200 artists, including Bob Dylan, Justin Timberlake, k.d. lang,  John Cale, and most famously, Jeff Buckley.  In all, Cohen’s tunes have been covered by more than 2000. That list includes such greats as Johnny  Cash, Nick Cave, Willie Nelson, R.E.M., and Tori Amos. In 2008, at the age of 74, and facing financial ruin, Cohen embarked on an ambitious (and triumphant!) world tour that would last about three years before his health started to get the better of him. After getting well, he hit the road again doing a seemingly endless series of impassioned shows that ran north of three hours a piece.  That lasted through December of 2013, when he fell ill again.  But Cohen refused to be bound by his health and set out to record what would be the final two albums of his lifetime, 2014’s Popular Problems, and this year’s You Want it Darker, recorded in his home with him in a wheelchair and singing many of the sessions in physical pain.  That album was released just two weeks before his death, and served as a profound self-eulogy in much the same way as David Bowie‘s Lazarus.  It has been reported, thankfully, that excluding his last album, his late-life career revival earned him around $10 million. Leonard Cohen was 82 when he passed away on November 7, 2016.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com

Died On This Date (May 21, 2016) Nick Menza / Former Drummer of Megadeth

Nick Menza
July 23, 1964 – May 21, 2016

nick-menzaNick Menza was an American metal drummer who is best remembered for playing in Megadeth during a period that many consider their greatest.  Born into a musical family – his father was Don Menza, longtime sax player for Buddy Rich – Menza started playing drums at the age of two.  He began playing professionally at 18 and soon found work as a session player covering many genres of music. His most notable early gig was on recordings for John Fogerty. In 1989, Menza was asked to join Megadeth although he had played with the band live on occasion going back a year prior.  His contributions to Megadeth were felt immediately.  Menza played on the band’s next for studio albums, including the two that many consider the band’s greatest, Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction.  On stage, he added a new force to band’s live show, most notably due to his skills on the double bass drum kit.  Menza left Megadeth due to knee problems in 1998.  He went on to play in bands over the years until his most recent, OHM.  It was with OHM that he was playing at a club in Studio City, CA when he died unexpectedly of  heart failure on May 21, 2016.  He was 51.

What You Should Own

Click to find at a amazon.com
Click to find at a amazon.com


Died On This Date (May 17, 2016) Guy Clark / Revered Texas Singer-Songwriter

Guy Clark
November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016

guy-clarkGuy Clark was the true embodiment of a “songwriter’s songwriter.”  Born in Texas, Clark’s name is rarely excluded when conversations turn to the greats from that state. Alongside contemporaries like Townes Van Zandt and Jerry Jeff Walker, Clark laid down the foundation for what is now simply called Texas Music or Texas Country.  His lyrics, served over mostly sparse blues folk instrumentation, tended to come as close to being called literature as songs could get.  As a performer – and most of the time armed with little more than his acoustic guitar or maybe a second and a fiddle, Clark could leave an audience holding its collective breath in anticipation of the next word coming from his mouth – and many times, that was during his talk leading up to the song. He eventually settled in Nashville where he and his wife, Susanna Clark, often welcomed local songwriters into their home where they could work on perfecting their craft in informal workshops.  This open houses often hosted the likes of Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and Steve Young.  Clark’s songs have been hits for such country luminaries as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Ricky Skaggs, and Rodney Crowell.  For his own recordings, Clark garnered numerous accolades, including a Best Folk Album Grammy for his 2014 release, My Favorite Picture of You.  On May 17, 2016, Guy Clark died following a courageous battle against cancer.  He was 74.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com