Died On This Date (June 4, 2009) David Carradine / Actor and Musician

John “David “Carradine
December 8, 1936 – June 4, 2009

guitarDavid Carradine was an internationally known actor most famous for his leading role in the ’70s television series, Kung Fu and for his role as Bill in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies.  Carradine was also a singer-songwriter who released at least one album entitled As Is.  In fact, he always fancied himself a musician first who just happened to fall into acting when he took a class in college.  Throughout his film career, it wasn’t unusual to find Carradine’s characters playing music.  He was also an occasional performer and local clubs.  David Carradine was 72 when he was found dead in a Bangkok hotel on June 9, 2009.   Cause of death was attributed to accidental asphyxiation.

Thanks to Jeff Ballenberg for the assist.


 

Died On This Date (June 4, 2001) John Hartford / Influential Folk & Bluegrass Pioneer

John Hartford (Born John Harford)
December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001

Photo by Jerry Brendle

John Hartford was a beloved folk singer-songwriter who was also proficient in several stringed instruments.  He is probably mostly associated with the banjo and fiddle.   Hartford mastered those instruments while still in his mid teens, and by the time he was in college, he had already built a name for himself throughout the St. Louis music scene.  Hartford released his first album, Looks At Life, on RCA Records in 1966.  A year later, he put out its follow-up album, which included the song, “Gentle On My Mind.”  Soon made into a pop hit by Glen Campbell, the tune earned Hartford two Grammys.  It has also been covered by Elvis Presley, R.E.M., Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, and Dean Martin, to name a few.   During the ’70s, Hartford released a string of albums that would lay the foundation for the “newgrass” movement to follow – a more electrifying form of bluegrass, sometimes even incorporating drums.   His 1976, Mark Twang earned Hartford another Grammy while his contributions to the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack of 2000 landed him yet another.  Hartford battled Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma for the better part of the the last 20 years of his life, finally forcing him to retire from the road in 2001.  It wasn’t long after that he died as a result of the disease on June 4, 2001.  He was 63.

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John Hartford

 

Died On This Date (May 23, 2008) U. Utah Phillips / American Folk Singer and Union Organizer

Bruce U. “Utah” Phillips
May 15, 1935 – May 23, 2008

Utah Phillips was a  great folk singer, poet and much respected labor organizer.  Phillips first picked up a ukulele when he was a child but soon switched to guitar after he moved to Yellowstone Park to work on a road crew.  It was there that he was exposed to the music of Jimmie Rodgers and Gene Autry.  After the Korean War, Phillips began to turn his focus on politics and worker unions, going as far as unsuccessfully running for Senate as part of the Peace & Freedom Party.   Phillips continued to use his voice and writing as a weapon to defend what he felt were injustices toward his fellow-man.   Phillips performed and recorded into his early ’70s, but died of  heart disease at the age of 73.

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Died On This Date (May 9, 1999) Shel Silverstein / Respected Singer-Songwriter

Shel Silverstein
September 25, 1932 – May 9, 1999

Shel Silverstein was, among many other things, a musician, composer, and singer-songwriter.  Over the course of his career, he released no fewer than a dozen albums and amassed a catalog of songs which include those that have been recorded by Dr. Hook, Belinda CarlisleEmmylou Harris, Bobby Bare, Lou Rawls, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Loretta Lynn, to name just a few.  Silverstein’s most celebrated songs were “The Cover of the Rolling Stone,” a huge hit for Dr. Hook, and “A Boy Named Sue,” whose iconic Johnny Cash recording won him a songwriter Grammy in 1970.   On May 10, 1999, Shel Silverstein was found in his home, dead of a heart attack.  Although official reports indicate that he could have died on either May 9th or 10th, most sources cite the 9th as the day of his passing.

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Died On This Date (May 9, 2009) Travis Edmonson / Bud & Travis

Travis Edmonson
September 23, 1932 – May 9, 2009

TravisTravis Edmonson is, along with Bud Dashiell, best remembered as the folk duo, Bud & Travis, who gained popularity in the early ’60s.  Growing up near the Arizona/Mexican border, Edmonson’s music was became heavily influenced by the Latin sounds he heard as a child.  Part of the duo’s success was due to the fact that they included many Spanish songs in their act.  Another factor was their beautiful harmonies and their excellent guitar work.  During the early ’60s, Edmonson took a break from Dashiell and forged out on his own.  No less than Frank Sinatra signed him to his Reprise label.   Edmonson continued as a solo act until an untimely stroke in 1982 left him paralyzed, after which he kept active as a songwriter and arranger.  Travis Edmonson passed away after years of struggling with Parkinson’s Disease and other afflictions.  He was 76.

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