Musician

Died On This Date (July 1, 2011) Charlie Craig / Celebrated Nashville Songwriter

Charlie Craig
September 30, 1938 – July 1, 2011

Charlie Craig was a respected Nashville songwriter whose Grammy nominated catalog includes hits he penned for the likes of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Travis Tritt.  A gifted musician as well, Craig began performing in clubs when he was barely out of high school. By the time he hit his early 30s, he was living in Nashville and forging a name for himself as a songwriter to reckon with.  He remained in demand for the next 40 years.  In 2009, he released his autobiography, Old Memories and Me.    Charlie Craig was 73 when he died of cancer on July 1, 2011.

Thanks to Ken Morton, Jr. at The Nashville Sound for the assist


Died On This Date (June 30, 2011) Ruth Roberts / Wrote “Meet The Mets”

Ruth Roberts
DOB Unknown – June 30, 2011

Ruth Roberts was a song and jingle writer who is best remembered for co-writing the catchy and iconic New York Mets anthem, “Meet The Mets.”  Written in 1961, the tune was initially intended to encourage New Yorkers to welcome the new team to a city that was already home to the storied New York Yankees.  The song however, became the team’s anthem and proudly lived on for the next 50 years.  Roberts, who was also an excellent pianist, wrote numerous other hits as well.  She began selling her songs while still in high school, often at the famous songwriting mecca, the Brill Building in New York City.   Her hits included “The First Thing Ev’ry Morning,” recorded by Dean Martin, and “Mr. Touchdown USA.”  Ruth Roberts was 84 when she passed away on June 30, 2011.

Thanks to Scott Miller for the assist



Died On This Date (June 30, 2011) Ron “Byrd” Foster / Drummer For The Silencers; Roy Buchanan

Ron Foster
DOB Unknown – June 30, 2011

Ron “Byrd” Foster was a respected Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rock drummer who made significant contributions to the sound of such bands as the Silencers, Iron City Rockers, and Red Hot & Blue.  He also played and sang on a handful of Roy Buchanan’s albums during the mid ’70s.   Foster was still in high school when he was hired on by a local band to go on the road for the summer.  He soon landed a gig with local blues rock band, the Igniters.  After his run with the Igniters, Foster played with Buchanan and by the time new wave was taking hold in the US, he found himself playing in Silencers whose claim to fame is that their video for “Peter Gun/Remote Control/Illegal” aired on the very first broadcast day of MTV in 1981.  He later played with Joe Grushecky in Iron City Rockers as well as several other bands over the next two decades.   During the ’90s, Foster moved to Florida where he worked as a session drummer.  During the 2000s, he battled diabetes, cirrhosis, and ultimately, cancer.  On June 30, 2011, Ron “Byrd” Foster died of liver cancer.  He was 61.



Died On This Date (June 28, 2011) Benton Flippen / Bluegrass Great

James Benton Flippen
July 18, 1920 – June 28, 2011

Benton Flippen was an influential fiddle player who was one of the last surviving notable old-timey musicians of his generation.  Born into a long line of musically talented Flippens and raised in northeast North Carolina, Flippen first learned to play the banjo as a youngster, but switched to the fiddle after hearing one of his uncles play.  His first regional band of note was the Green Valley Boys.  During the late ’60s, he joined Camp Creek Boys, and eventually, the Smokey Valley Boys, with whom he played until 1985.  The latter earned numerous awards and accolades during Flippen’s tenure.  He was also a respected composer, having penned such tunes as “Fiddler’s Reel,” “Benton’s Dream,” and “Smokey Valley Breakdown.”  Flippen continued to draw sizable crowds well into his golden years, even as recently as 2008 when he headlined an Old Time music convention at the age of 88.  Benton Flippen was 90 when he passed away in hospice care on June 28, 2011.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Old Time, New Times - Benton Flippen


Died On This Date (June 22, 2011) Jared Southwick / Guitarist For The Dream Is Dead

Jared Southwick
DOB Unknown – June 22, 2011

Photo by Kris Arnold

Jared Southwick was the lead guitarist for Indianapolis hardcore band, The Dream Is Dead.  Formed in 2000, the band soon brought on Southwick who had been playing with another local band, Harakiri.  The group went on to release a handful of records over the next decade.  Jared Southwick reportedly died in an area hospital of an unspecified liver and kidney condition.  He was 34 years old.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Letter of Resignation - EP - The Dream Is Dead