Died On This Date (April 20, 2012) Bert Weedon / Influential English Electric Guitarist

Bert Weedon
May 10, 1920 – April 20, 2012

Bert Weedon was a popular British guitarist during the 1950s and 1960s.  Although he leaned more easy listening that rock, he was a direct influence on the likes of Brian May, Keith Richards, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Pete Townshend – many of whom learned to play from his Play In A Day tutorials.  Weedon was just 12 when he decided he wanted to be a professional musician, and by his late teens, he was already fronting his own band and sharing the stage with Stephane Grappelli and George Shearing.  During the ’50s, he played in the BBC Show Band, played on several early British rock and roll records as a session man, and accompanied American stars when they played in London and beyond.  In that capacity, Weedon performed with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Judy Garland, to name a few.  Bert Weedon was 91 when he passed away on April 20, 2012.

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Once More With Feeling - Bert Weedon

Died On This Date (March 24, 2012) Nick Noble / Popular ’50s Pop Singer

Nick Noble
June 21, 1926 – March 24, 2012

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Nick Noble grew up to be a singer who was responsible for a handful of pop hits during the mid-1950s.  Between 1955 and 1957, Noble scored hits with “The Bible Tells Me So,” “To You My Love,” “Fallen Star,” and “Moonlight Swim.”  He came back with a moderate hit, “Hello Out There,” in 1962.  Noble enjoyed a brief comeback in 1978 when he had an Adult Contemporary and Country Top 40 hit with “Stay With Me.”  He reportedly recorded 109 singles over his career.  Nick Noble was 85 when he passed away on March 24, 2012.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.

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Moonlight Swim - The Best Of - Nick Noble

Died On This Date (January 10, 2012) Cliff Portwood / English Footballer Turned Pop Singer

Cliff Portwood
October 17, 1937 – January 10, 2012

Cliff Portwood was a 14-year veteran of English football before launching a career as a singer.  After retiring from the game and moving to South Africa where he coached, Portwood began competing in radio station contests.  During the early ’70s, he won a recording contract in Australia, so he moved to Melbourne.  Over the next several years, he earned five gold records and became a familiar face on such television Australian programs as The Penthouse.  Throughout his singing career, Portwood performed with the likes of Keith Moon, Dick Emory, and Frankie Vaughan.  In the early ’80s, he moved back to England where in 1982, he recorded “Up There O’ England,” a World Cup song, with members of the 1966 FIFA World Cup team.  It was re-released for the 2010 games. In later years, Portwood spent winters in Florida where here found success as a cabaret singer.  Cliff Portwood died of lung disease on January 10, 2012.  He was 74.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.

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Cliff Portwood

Died On This Date (January 1, 2012) Yafa Yarkoni / Iconic Israeli Singer

Yafa Yarkoni
December 24, 1925 – January 1, 2012

Known as Israel’s “Songstress of the Wars,” Yafa Yarkoni began to find popularity during the late ’40s.  She earned her nickname thanks to her frequent performances for Israeli troops during wartime.  During Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, Yarkoni joined an Israel Defense Forces singing group with whom she sang “Bab el-Wad,” a song which has become a standard and is sung each year on Israel’s Memorial Day.  Yarkoni’s list of fan favorites also includes “Road To Jerusalem” and “Don’t Say Goodbye, Say I’ll See You.”  She suffered from Alzheimer’s Diseases in later years and made her last television appearance in 2007.  Yafa Yarkoni was 86 when she passed away on January 1, 2012.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin of 2+ Printing for the assist.



Died On This Date (December 28, 2011) Kaye Stevens / Popular Singer & Actress During The ’60s

Kaye Stevens
July 21, 1933 – December 28, 2011

Kaye Stevens was a popular entertainer who initially found her audience during the 1960s.  Stevens’ big break came one night when Debbie Reynolds, who was headlining the Riviera in Las Vegas, fell ill.  Stevens was called in at the last-minute, and club bookers quickly took notice.  Before she knew it, Stevens was playing up and down the Las Vegas Strip and at clubs in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, and beyond.  She even secured an opening slot on dates with the Rat Pack,  Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis, Jr. During the mid ’60s, Stevens visited Vietnam as part of one of Bob Hope’s popular USO Tours.  She released a handful of albums during her career as well.  Stevens was also a familiar face on television throughout the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, appearing on numerous game shows and guest starring on several series programs.  Kaye Stevens was 79 when she passed away on December 28, 2011.  She had reportedly been suffering from breast cancer.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin at 2+ Printing for the assist.