Died On This Date (December 18, 2011) Ralph MacDonald / Percussionist & Hit Songwriter
themusicsover Ralph MacDonald
March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011
Ralph MacDonald was an in-demand percussionist and hit songwriter who could count two of the biggest R&B songs of the ’70s as his own. Growing up in a musical family in Harlem, New York, MacDonald first picked up the steelpan as a youngster. By the time he was 17, he had already played his first big gig at a local Harry Belafonte show. He continued on with Belafonte for the next ten years until parting ways in 1971. MacDonald soon became one of contemporary music’s most in-demand session players, performing on countless R&B, jazz and disco records. The list of those he recorded with includes George Benson, Paul Simon, Jimmy Buffett, Carole King, Average White Band, the Brothers Johnson, Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, and David Bowie. MacDonald also released several albums under his own name. His song, “Calypso Breakdown” can be heard on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. As a songwriter, MacDonald scored to massive c0-writing hits; “Where Is The Love,” the 1971 hit for Roberta Flack, and “Just The Two Of Us,” the Grammy-winning hit for Bill Withers in 1981. Ralph MacDonald was 67 when he died of lung cancer on December 8, 2011.
Thanks to Paul Bearer for the assist.
Bob Brookmeyer was an American jazz musician, arranger and composer who is most often remembered for his contributions to Gerry Mulligan’s Quartet during the late ’50s. He went on to work with the likes of 
Nicholas Bliss was a Chicago area jazz trumpeter who came to some prominence during the 1970s. Born in Iowa, Bliss moved with his family to Chicago when he was just seven years old. He took up the trumpet during high school and was awarded a scholarship to De Paul University to study music. Before long, Bliss was making a name for himself throughout the nightclubs of Chicago. During the ’70s, he led a Dixieland band at the city’s storied private prohibition styled speakeasy, the Gaslight Club. It has been reported that the nightclub was Hugh Hefner’s inspiration for his Playboy Clubs. Bliss performed at the Gaslight Club for many years and also acted as its talent booker for a time. When the nightclub added locations in Paris, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC, he oversaw the musicians at those locales as well. After retiring from performing, Bliss became president of the local musicians union, serving from 1977 to 1982. Nicholas Bliss died of kidney failure on December 13, 2011. He was 90.
Bill Tapia was arguably the greatest if not longest working ukulele player the world has ever known. Born in Honolulu, HI, Tapia was only 10 when he was entertaining American troops who were stationed in Hawaii during WWI. Before he knew it, Tapia was touring with vaudeville shows and playing on steam ships between Hawaii and the mainland. When the ukulele became all the rage during the ’40s and ’50s, Tapia was the teacher to the stars, tutoring the likes of Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, and 
Al Vega was a legendary jazz pianist who, over a career that spanned some 70 years, entertained crowds throughout the Boston, MA clubs alongside the likes of