Died On This Date (March 28, 1958) W.C. Handy / Father Of The Blues
themusicsover William Christopher Handy
November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958
W.C. Handy was born in Florence, Alabama in a log cabin that was built by his grandfather. By the time he was a teenager he was playing both trumpet and clarinet in a band. He would become a teacher by trade and was soon writing songs that would become blues standards. His “St. Louis Blues” as recorded by Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong is considered one of the finest songs of the era. Along with his autobiography, Handy wrote five books on the subject of music, blues and African-American life in the early 20th century. In 1943, Handy was blinded as a result of a fall from a subway platform. He passes away at the age of 84 from pneumonia. An estimated 25,000 people attended his funeral while an additional 125,000 gathered in nearby streets to pay their respects.
Ian Dury was one of rocks most beloved cult heroes. Besides making quirky music, he had a somewhat odd appearance partially due to childhood polio, and that endeared him to his devoted fans. Dury signed to the legendary Stiff Records in 1978 where he began to release songs that combined elements of punk and disco which at the time were mortal enemies. Songs like “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” and “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” made him a star in England and built him that cult following in the US. His quirky lyrics and thick cockney accent kept him from breaking out of that cult status beyond the UK. The 80s found Dury devoting more time to his other passion, acting as he appeared in several TV shows and movies, including The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover and Roman Polanski’s Pirates. In 1998 Dury made public his battle with colon cancer and that the disease had spread to his liver. He lost his battle to the disease on March 27, 2000.
Peter Herolzheimer was a German jazz musician who played the trombone and lead his own band for many years. Over the course of his career, he has played with the likes of Al Jarreau, 
Eazy-E was a groundbreaking rapper who, along with his group, N.W.A. was a pioneer of the gangsta rap genre. During the mid ’80s, Eazy-E co-formed N.W.A. while also starting his own label, Ruthless Records, through which he released the group’s records. In 1988, N.W.A. released their landmark album, Straight Outta Compton, which made a massive impact on both music and pop culture in general. With its hard hitting lyrics strewn with violence and profanity, it offered a glimpse of the inner city life, appealing to both urban kids and those from the suburbs alike. The album sold over three million copies and is often cited as one of the most important albums of all time. Shortly after the release of it, Eazy-E released his own Eazy-Duz-It which also sold in the multi-million copy range. N.W.A. group broke up in 1991, reportedly over money issues. Eazy-E continued to release solo albums through the early ’90s. On March 16, 1995, Eazy-E went to the hospital complaining of what he assumed were asthma-related issues. But to the shock of friends, family and fans, he was diagnosed with AIDS and died as a result of it just ten days later. He was 31 years old.
