Died On This Date (December 1, 1969) Magic Sam / Chicago Blues Man

Sam Maghett
February 14, 1937 – December 1, 1969

Sam Maghett, more commonly known as Magic Sam, was a respected Chicago blues musician who began building a following during the early ’50s thanks in part, to his distinctive tremolo, or “trembling” style of play.  He was part of a new generation of blues musician that was breathing new life into the genre.  That group including Buddy Guy and Otis Rush.  Maghett landed a record deal in the late ’50s and although none of his records charted, they are considered very influential upon future generations of Chicago blues musicians.  The momentum of Maghett’s career was cut short when he was drafted into the army, deserted after just a few weeks, resulting in a six month jail term.  Magic Sam scored a few minor hits during the early ’60s, but suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 32.

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West Side Soul - Magic Sam

Died On This Date (November 24, 1985) Big Joe Turner / Influential Jump Blues Singer

Big Joe Turner
May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985

Big Joe Turner was a jump blues singer who has been rightfully called “The Boss of the Blues.”  He is also considered to be one of the direct influences on early rock ‘n roll.  Turner’s career began during the 1920s as a singing bartender in around his hometown of Kansas City.  He eventually moved to New York City where, in 1938, legendary talent scout, John Hammond Sr. gave him a slot on the groundbreaking From Spiritual to Swing concerts.  By the early ’40s, Turner was living in Los Angeles where he worked with the likes of Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie, and Meade Lux Lewis.  In 1951, Turner signed with the up-and-coming label, Atlantic Records where he began releasing a string of upbeat songs that would help establish rock ‘n roll as a new art form.  Such records included  “Sweet Sixteen,” “Chains of Love,” “Corrine Corrina” and “Shake Rattle and Roll,” which would be made into hits by Bill Haley and Elvis Presley.   Turner returned to a more traditional blues sound during the ’60s.  Big Joe Turner was 74 when he suffered a fatal heart attack on November 24, 1985.

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Joe Turner

Died On This Date (November 23, 2008) Robert Lucas / Canned Heat

Robert Lucas
DOB Unknown – November 23, 2008

robertlucas

Robert Lucas was one of four lead singers to front Canned Heat since its inception in 1965.  Popular for it’s boogie blues rock anthems like “Going Up The Country” and “On The Road Again,” the band never stopped after the early deaths of it’s co-founders, Al Wilson and Bob Hite.  Lucas fronted the band twice during recent years, first in 1994 for about six years, and then again in 2005 for three years.  He left the group to further a solo career which saw the recording of seven albums.  Throughout his career, Lucas lent his guitar and harmonica skills to such legends as Big Joe Turner, Pee Wee Crayton, and Lowell Fulson.  On November 23, 2008, Robert Lucas, 46, died of an apparent drug overdose.



Died On This Date (November 18, 1971) Junior Parker / Memphis Blues Singer

Junior Parker (Born Herman Parker)
May 27, 1932 – November 18, 1971

juniorJunior Parker was a Memphis blues and R&B singer and musician who became successful thanks to a voice that has been described as “velvet smooth.”  He began playing the local blues circuit while still in his teens, and by the early ’50s,  he had already performed  alongside Sonny Boy Williamson, B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland,  and Howlin’ Wolf.    In 1951,  Parker formed the Blue Flames who cut their first record with the help of Ike Turner.  The record lead to a deal with Sam Phillips Sun Records where he released a string of hits including the top 5 R&B hit, “Feelin’ Good,” and “Mystery Train,” which was later made into a hit by Elvis Presley.   Parker continued to make records well into the ’60s, but none achieved the success of his earlier recordings.  Junior Parker was 39 when he died during surgery for a brain tumor.

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Junior Parker

Died On This Date (November 17, 2006) Ruth Brown / Early R&B Great

Ruth Brown (Born Ruth Weston)
January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2007

ruthbrown

Ruth Brown was an R&B singer who, like her idols, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday became one of popular music’s most important vocalists of her generation.  So vital was she, that her young label at the time, Atlantic Records, would come to be known as “The House That Ruth Built.”  After running away from home with trumpeter and future husband, Jimmy Brown, in 1945,  Brown began singing in clubs in the Washington DC area.  A local disc jockey caught her act and recommended her to Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic.  She soon signed to the fledgling label and began releasing a string of R&B hits that included “Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” “So Long,” “Oh What a Dream” and “I’ll Wait For You.”  Brown stepped away from the business to raise her family during the ’60s, but came back strong during the mid ’70s when she starred in a Broadway musical, Black and Blue, which won her an Tony and a Grammy for the soundtrack.  She also had a role on the sitcom, Hello Larry and in the John Waters film, Hairspray.  Brown became and advocate for musicians’ rights during the late ’80s, and in 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  On November 17, 2006, Ruth Brown, 78, died of complications from a stroke and heart attack she had suffered the previous month.

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Ruth Brown