Musician

Died On This Date (December 27, 2004) Hank Garland / Nashville Studio Legend

Walter “Hank” Garland
November 11, 1930 – December 27, 2004

Hank Garland was respected session guitarist who was part of country music’s legendary Nashville A-Team who played on most of the greatest records during the ’50s and ’60s.  Garland picked up the guitar at the age of six, and by the time he was 12 he was playing on local radio stations, and within two years of that, he moved to Nashville to further his career.  Like his friend Chet Atkins, Garland stood out above the rest for the fact that he was so skilled at marrying country with jazz in his playing.  When he was 19, Garland released his biggest hit, “Sugarfoot Rag,” which went on to sell over a million copies.  Between 1957 and 1961, Garland recorded and performed live with Elvis Presley, adding his signature sound to such records as “Big Hunk O’ Love” and “Little Sister.”  Over the years he also played with Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty, Bob Dylan, and Marty Robbins, to name a few.  He also collaborated with such jazz icons as Charlie Parker and George Shearing.  Garland did his part to improve race relations at the time by hiring African-American jazz musicians to perform with him to the dismay to some in Nashville.  In 1961, Garland was seriously hurt in a car accident that some have speculated was purposely caused by a rival.  Either way, Garland ended up in a coma for several days and incurred injuries that left him unable to record again. Hank Garland was 74 when he passed away on December 27, 2004.

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Hank Garland

Died On This Date (December 27, 2010) Bill Maddox / Rock Drummer; Played With Eric Johnson

Bill Maddox
DOB Unknown – December 27, 2010

Bill Maddox was a respected Austin, Texas drummer who is perhaps best remembered for his association with guitar great, Eric Johnson.  Maddox and Johnson first began playing together during the mid ’70s in the acclaimed jazz rock fusion band, Electromagnets.  Since then, Maddox has performed with the Eric Johnson Band, Omar & the Howlers, and Alien Love Child.   In the morning hours of December 27, 2010, Bill Maddox was allegedly shot and killed during a struggle with a burglar in his own home.  The alleged intruder was injured as well and taken to a local hospital by the authorities.  Maddox was 54.

Thanks to Don Smith for the assist.



Died On This Date (December 27, 2011) Rory J. Thomas / Respected Australian Jazz Musician

Rory J. Thomas
November 13, 1942 – December 27, 2010

Photo By Gene Ramirez

Rory J. Thomas was, among many other things, a gifted Australian jazz musician, conductor, and film documentarian.  Thomas was just five years old when he first took up the piano, and by the time he was a young adult, he had played in such popular local bands as the Questions and Doug Parkinson in Focus.   After graduating college in Sydney, Thomas received a scholarship to the world-renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.  While there, he found work as a late night disc jockey and field reporter for a local radio station.  One of his assignments was to cover the historic Woodstock music festival in 1969.  That was followed by music festivals across Europe during breaks from his studies.   He was also involved in the musical arrangements for the original Broadway production of Godspell and was later invited to be the musical director of the Australian production of the show.  During the ’80s, Thomas launched a long and respected career as a music educator in Australia, the U.S., and France.  During the final years of his life, Thomas was still teaching at times over 12 hours a day, all while undergoing chemotherapy.  He was awarded many honors over his long career, including being knighted by the French government in 2009, the first time that honor has ever been handed to an Australian jazz musician.  Rory J. Thomas, 68, died on December 27, 2010 following a 7-year battle with cancer.

Thanks to Anne Bentley for the assist.



Died On This Date (December 26, 2010) Teena Marie / Had Several R&B Hits

Teena Marie
March 5, 1956 – December 26, 2010

Teena Marie was a singer, songwriter, and producer who had a string of R&B hits throughout the ’80s and ’90s.  By all accounts, she was one of the most successful white female R&B performers in history.  Born and raised in Los Angeles, Marie landed a job at Motown Records in the late ’70s.  It was there that she met Rick James who took her under his wing and helped her sculpt an image and sound that would take her to the top of the R&B and pop charts.  Her hits included “I’m a Sucker For Your Love,” I Need Your Lovin’,” and of course, 1984’s “Lovergirl,” which hit #4 on the US singles charts.   Marie was still making great music through 2009 and was headlining in Las Vegas up until the time of her passing.  Teena Marie was 54 when she died on December 26, 2010.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Jill Wheeler for the assist.

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Ultimate Collection: Teena Marie - Teena Marie

Died On This Date (December 17, 2010) Captain Beefheart / Rock Legend

Captain Beefheart (Born Don Glen Vliet)
January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010

Captain Beefheart was a respected, innovative, and highly influential rock musician who launched his 40-year career in 1964.  A multi-instrumentalist with a powerful voice, Beefheart found himself at the top 1960s avant-garde rock heap.  He was a high school classmate of Frank Zappa with whom he occasionally recorded and performed with.  In 1969, Beefheart released his groundbreaking opus, Trout Mask Replica on Zappa’s Straight Records.  Sonically, the album found itself somewhere in the middle of blues, psychedelia, jazz and rock.  In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine positioned it at #58 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.   It is commonly cited as an influence on post-punk and alternative rock.    Beefheart could count no less than Paul McCartney and John Lennon as fans – at one point they had planned to make him the first artist on their experimental label, Zapple, but the idea for the label was scrapped.  Others he is said to have influenced are the Velvet Underground, the Residents, Throbbing Gristle, and arguably, the entire industrial movement.  He retired from music in 1982 to put more focus on his talents as a visual artist.  It has been reported that his paintings can command as much as $40,000.  Captain Beefheart died on December 17, 2010 of complications from Multiple Sclerosis.  He was 69.

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Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band