Died On This Date (August 16, 1997) Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan / World Famous Punjabi Singer
themusicsover Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
October 13, 1948 – August 16, 1997
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a popular Punjabi singer and musician who played a form of Islamic music. In 2006, Time magazine included him of a list of Asian heroes, while Spin called him one of 1998’s most influential musicians. Khan found an audience in the West thanks to his work with Peter Gabriel which began in the mid ’80s, and later with Eddie Vedder and Massive Attack. His 1997 Intoxicated Spirit received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Folk album. Over the course of his 30+ year career, he recorded an astonishing 125 albums. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died of cardiac arrest while awaiting a kidney transplant. He was 48 years old.
What You Should Own
Kyu Sakomoto was one of Japan’s most influential pop stars as well as a popular actor. Since he sang in Japanese, he was basically unknown to English speaking music fans, however, he did have an American hit with “Sukiyaki” in 1963. Released on Capitol Records, it became the first, and since, only Japanese sung song to hit #1 on the pop charts. It stayed there for three weeks. R&B group, A Taste Of Honey released an English cover of the song in 1981, while Latin pop star, 
Biggie Tembo was the charismatic lead singer and primary songwriter for the Zimbabwe band, Bhundu Boys. Formed in 1981, the Bhundu Boys were very popular thanks to their unique style that married the local “chimurenga” music with elements of American rock, disco and country. During the mid ’80s, their music began turning on new fans beyond Africa. Both Elvis Costello and Eric Clapton raved about them, and Madonna invited them to open her Wembley Stadium. Due to internal politics, Tembo left the band in 1990. He committed suicide five years later.
Suzanne Tamim was one of Lebanon’s most celebrated pop stars when she was found murdered in her Dubai apartment on July 28, 2008. The beauty queen got her professional start thanks to an appearance on a Lebanese talent program in 1996. She went on to record a few popular albums. Her lifeless body was found in her apartment, he throat having been slit. Two alleged hired hit men were subsequently arrested, tried and sentenced to death by hanging, but their sentences were overturned pending retrial in March of 2010.