Died On This Date (April 11, 2001) Sandy Bull / Folk Guitar Great
Sandy Bull
January 1, 1941 – April 11, 2001
Sandy Bull was a musical genius. Best known for his brilliant folk guitar playing, he was also a master of the banjo, aud, pedal steel and other stringed instruments. Like Vanguard Records label mate, John Fahey, Bull’s finger-picking incorporated various styles of music – in Bull’s case, classical, jazz and middle Eastern. And like Fahey, he rose to prominence during the ’60s folk revival and influenced the likes of Leo Kottke, Ry Cooder, Richard Thompson, and later, M. Ward. Bull struggled with drug addiction which forced him into early retirement in the early ’70s. After successfully completing rehab, Bull was back in the studio and on stage by the early 80s. He died of lung cancer on April 11, 2001 at the age of 60.
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Laura Nyro was not only a well-respected performer, she penned numerous classic songs that became major hits for others. In just a matter of two years, she wrote such hits as “Wedding Bell Blues” (the 5th Dimension), “And When I Die” (Blood, Sweat & Tears), “Eli’s Coming” (Three Dog Night), and “Stoney End” (Barbra Streisand) among others. Nyro spent her career feeling uncomfortable about the celebrity part of pop music so she kept a low profile and retired a couple of times. Nyro passed away from ovarian cancer on April 8, 1997 at the age of 49.
As a Belgian nun, Jeanine Deckers earned a place in pop culture due to her international hit single, “Dominique,” released in 1963. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November of that year, many US radio stations played the song in heavy rotation as part of their tributes to the late President. This lead to Deckers becoming a popular concert draw around the United States and beyond as well as an appearance on the
Dave Guard was an influential American folk singer, best remembered as a founding member of the Kingston Trio. Formed in 1957, the group helped launch the folk revival of the ’60s while becoming one of the first groups to enjoy big sales on the LP format. Their first hit single, “Tom Dooley” is considered one of the most important songs of the era. Artists like Brian Wilson, Joan Baez, Lindsey Buckingham, Jimmy Buffet, and 
