Jazz

Died On This Date (June 25, 1976) Johnny Mercer / Songwriter; Cofounder of Capitol Records

Johnny Mercer
November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976

Johnny Mercer was a popular songwriter whose many songs made stars out of their singers during the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.  He gave us such standards as “Days Of Wine And Roses,” “P.S. I Love You,” “Jeepers Creepers,” “Day In, Day Out,” and “Hooray For Hollywood” to name just a few.  Mercer moved to Hollywood in 1935 and became one if the most in-demand songwriters in film.  In 1942 he along with Buddy DeSylva and Glen Wallichs started Capitol Records where I used to work.  In 1975, Mercer learned he had an inoperable brain tumor which lead to his death on June 25, 1976.

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Capitol Collectors Series: Johnny Mercer - Johnny Mercer

 

Died On This Date (June 24, 2010) Fred Anderson / Noted Jazz Musician

Fred Anderson
March 22, 1929 – June 24, 2010

Fred Anderson was an influential Chicago jazz saxophonist who, over the course a career that spanned six decades, earned critical praise in the free jazz and avant garde styles.   After teaching himself to play the sax as a child, Anderson moved with his family to Chicago where he began his formal training.  By the late ’60s, he was the dean of Chicago’s underground jazz scene.  In the early ’80s, Anderson became the owner of the Velvet Lounge, a club that soon found itself at the center of the city’s thriving jazz scene.  Over the course of his career, he released several influential albums on such labels and Delmark and Okka.  Fred Anderson was 81 when, on June 24, 2010,  he died following a heart attack.

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21st Century Chase - Fred Anderson, Jeff Parker, Kidd Jordan, Harrison Bankhead & Chad Taylor

 

Died On This Date (June 23, 2008) Dave Carpenter / Jazz Bass Journeyman

Dave Carpenter
November 4, 1959 – June 23, 2008

Dave Carpenter was a much respected jazz bassist who,  most recently was playing in a trio alongside Peter Erskine and Alan Pasqua.  Born in Dayton, Ohio, Carpenter first took up the trumpet but switched to bass by his early teens.  After graduating from college, he played with three of jazz’s then living greatest talents, Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman.  By the late ’80s, Carpenter was living in Los Angeles working in the studio with the likes of Ringo Starr, Celine Dion, Herbie Hancock and Barry Manilow.  Dave Carpenter suffered a fatal heart attack in his home on June 21, 2008.  He was 48.

Died On This Date (June 22, 1969) Judy Garland

Judy Garland
June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969

Judy Garland was a star of stage, screen and a record through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years.  Starting out on vaudeville with her sister act, The Gumm Sisters (she was born Francis Gumm), would go on to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, an Emmy and several Grammys.  Best known for her iconic role as Dorothy in 1939’s The Wizard Of Oz, Garland also wowed audiences with her standing-room-only concert performances.  She was considered by many to be the greatest female entertainer the US had ever produced.  Despite her years of success and respect, Garland lived in a personal hell, no thanks in part to studio executives who told her she was too fat or unattractive.  That lead to an addiction to weight loss pills and other drugs.  Garland also suffered through financial troubles, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes.  She reportedly attempted suicide on more than one occasion but finally succumbed to an accidental overdose of barbiturates on June 22, 1969, leaving behind two daughters, Lorna Luft and Liza Minnelli, as well as son, Joey Luft.

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Judy At Carnegie Hall - Judy Garland

 

Died On This Date (June 22, 1982) Sonny Stitt / Jazz Great

Edward “Sonny” Stitt
February 2, 1924 – June 22, 1982

Sonny Stitt was an influential jazz saxophonist who amassed an incredible catalog of over 100 albums over his career.  He is considered one of the greatest musicians of the bebop and hard bop sub genres, often compared to Lester Young and Charlie Parker.    He began his career during the early ’40s, soon working with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and later, Billy Eckstine, Dexter Gordon, Bud Powell, and Miles Davis. His first album came out in 1950, and he continued recording right up until he died of a heart attack on June 22, 1982.

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Sonny Stitt