Died On This Date (May 8, 2011) Cornell Dupree / Jazz and R&B Guitar Great
themusicsover Cornell Dupree
December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011
Cornell Dupree was a respected jazz and R&B guitarist who, over the course of his career, played on records by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Joe Cocker, and Brook Benton. In his early years, Dupree could be found playing in the legendary Atlantic Records house band. He was also a founding member of the much respected jazz funk combo, Stuff. Besides those listed above, Dupree also recorded with such greats as Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Sam & Dave, and Wilson Pickett. Additionally, Dupree released several of his own albums, his most popular being 1994’s Bop ‘n’ Blues. Cornell Dupree had been suffering from emphysema and had been waiting for a lung transplant when he passed away on May 8, 2011. He was 68.
John Walker was a the co-lead singer of the Walker Brothers, a popular California-born “British” rock band during the ’60s. Ironically, the band moved to England while British bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were taking over America. As a sort of rock version of the Righteous Brothers, the band became immensely popular in England, with a fan club that once counted more members than even the Beatles’. During the early ’60s, Walker began building a name for himself throughout the hip Hollywood night spots while working with the likes of Phil Spector, the Monkees, and 
Odell Brown was a jazz organist who is best remembered for penning the 
David Mason was a classically trained trumpet player who is perhaps best remembered for his iconic solo on the Beatles’ hit, “Penny Lane.” Mason was born in London and studied music at the Royal College of Music where he went on to teach of some 30 years. He eventually became the featured trumpet in the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the English Chamber Orchestra, among others. In 1967, while the Beatles were working on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Paul McCartney caught a performance by Mason on television. That next day, producer George Martin invited Mason to come down to the studio and play on “Penny Lane,” which would become one of the Beatles most beloved songs. It is Mason’s piccolo trumpet that can be heard prominently in the song that would ultimately make it on to the Magical Mystery Tour album. David Mason died of leukemia on April 29, 2011. He was 85.
Dag Stokke was the touring keyboardist for popular Norwegian metal band, TNT. Formed in 1982, the band benefited from heavy video play on MTV in 1985. Stokke came on board in 1987 and performed at the band’s live shows until 1992 and then again from 1996 until the time of his death. Although he wasn’t an official member of TNT, Stokke played on all of their albums between 1992 and 2010. In January of 2011, Stokke learned he was suffering from cancer, and played his final gig with the band that following March 5th. Dag Stokke was 44 when he died of cancer on April 27, 2011.