Died On This Date (September 30, 2012) Raylene Rankin / The Rankin Family
themusicsover Raylene Rankin
1960 – September 30, 2012
Raylene Rankin was the co-lead singer for influential Canadian Irish folk group, the Rankin Family. Formed in 1989, the group, which also included siblings, Jimmy, Cookie, Heather, John Morris, and David, won numerous awards, including six Juno Awards – Canada’s answer to the Grammys. Shortly after the Rankin Family formed, they began self-releasing their music on cassette. By the early ’90s, they were signed to EMI Records and touring all over Canada and beyond. The 1992 EMI re-release of their Fair Thee Well Love sold more than 500,000 in its initial years. The group released several more albums through the years including the quadruple platinum North Country, and their most recent, 2009’s These Are The Moments. Meanwhile, Raylene released a handful of solo albums as well. During the she early 2000s, Raylene was diagnosed with cancer, and on September 30, 2012 she died of breast cancer. She was 52 when he passed away.
Thanks to Ken Morton, Jr. at The Nashville Sound for the assist.
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Chavela Vargas was a Costa Rico-born singer who grew up to be one of the most respected singer of Mexican Rancheras the world has ever known. When she was just 14, Vargas moved to Mexico to pursue her dream of singing, but it wasn’t until 1961 that she recorded her first album, Noche de Bohemia. She spent the next 50 years making up for lost time with the release of more than 80 albums. She was immensely popular during the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, keeping company with the likes of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Augustin Lara. Vargas more or less retired during the late ’70s, but came back to the stage strong in 1991. In 2003 – at the age of 83 – Vargas made her Carnegie Hall debut. Chavela Vargas was 93 when she passed away on August 5, 2012.
Known as the Polka King, Eddie Blazonczyk rose to prominence during the 1950s. He first began playing at Polish festival in and around Chicago as Happy Eddie and his Polka Jesters. For a time during his early years, he made pop music as Eddie Bell and the Bel-Aires, even performing on American Bandstand. But in 1962, he returned to polka and formed the Versatones. He quickly became the biggest name in American polka. In 1963, he founded his own record label, Bel-Aire Records. Throughout the years, Blazonczyk released over 30 albums, with his 1986 release, Another Polka Celebration earning him a Grammy. And in 1998, he was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. After suffering a stroke, Blazonczyk retired from performing in 2002. Eddie Blazoczyk was 70 when he passed away on May 21, 2012.
Jimmy Little was a popular Australian aboriginal singer-songwriter who, over a career that spanned some 60 years, became one of the first indigenous musicians to find mainstream success in that country. Influenced by the likes of 
Bridie Gallagher was an influential Irish singer who, over a career that spanned more than 50 years became known as one of the nation’s must important female vocalists. Known as “The Girl From Donegal,” Gallagher became Ireland’s first international pop star thanks to such records as 1956’s “A Mother’s Love’s A Blessing.” That was followed by another popular single, “The Boys From County Armagh” from her successful debut album, The Girl From Donegal. Before she knew it, Gallagher was playing to sell-out crowds at the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Sydney Opera House. She went on to sell millions of records and perform the world over until her retirement in 2000. Bridie Gallagher passed away in hour Belfast home on July 9, 2011. She was 87.
