Musician

Died On This Date (March 22, 2005) Rod Price / Foghat

Rod Price
November 22, 1947 – March 22, 2005

Rod Price was one of rock music’s greatest slide guitarists. Best known as for his work as lead guitarist for Foghat, Price’s electrifying assault helped propel the band to the top of the pack in America during the 1970s. After leaving the band in 1980, Price pretty much vanished from the music scene until he re-joined the group in the mid-90s. They were never able to recapture the glory, so they again parted ways in 1999 when Foghat’s singer, Dave Peverett was diagnosed with cancer. In the early 2000s, Price was making a solid living as a solo artist and teaching guitar. Tragically, he died after falling down his stairs while having a heart attack.

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Fool for the City - Foghat

Died On This Date (March 22, 1996) Don Murray / The Turtles

Don Murray
November 8, 1945 – March 22, 1996

An avid surfer, drummer Don Murray spent much of his youth surfing along the south bay area of Southern California.  During high school he joined a Westchester band called the Nightriders, which included Al Nichols (guitar), Howard Kaplan (tenor sax), Chuck Portz (bass), and Glen Wilson (drums).  According to Mark Volman,  “The name would change again to The Crossfires with the addition of Dale Walton on Rhythm guitar and Mark Volman on sax. Dale would eventually be replaced by Tom Stanton. Jim Tucker would replace Stanton and that line-up of Nichol, Kaylan, Portz, Murray, Kaplan (Kaylan) & Volman would become the Turtles.”  On January 1, 1996, Murray entered the surf for what would be his last time. Just two days later he was admitted into the hospital for a routine ulcer surgery. He died from post- operative complications two months later.

Special thanks to Mark Volman for the assist.

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Save The Turtles:  The Turtles Greatest Hits - The Turtles

Died On This Date (March 22, 2008) Jason Rae / Musician & Husband of Corinne Bailey Rae

Jason Rae
DOB Unknown – March 22, 2008

Jason Rae was saxophone player and the husband of Corinne Bailey Rae.  He played in a funk band called the Haggis Horns who released their debut album Hot Damn! in September 2007, and who have played with Bailey and Amy Winehouse.  Rae met Bailey while he was working at a Leeds club and she was a college student.  On March 22, 2008, Rae was found dead of an accidental overdose of methadone and alcohol.  He was 31.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number 1 Albums for the assist.



Died On This Date (March 22, 1991) Dave Guard / The Kingston Trio

Donald “Dave” Guard
November 19, 1934 – March 22, 1991

dave-guardDave Guard was an influential American folk singer, best remembered as a founding member of the Kingston Trio.  Formed in 1957, the group helped launch the folk revival of the ’60s while becoming one of the first groups to enjoy big sales on the LP format.  Their first hit single, “Tom Dooley” is considered one of the most important songs of the era.  Artists like Brian Wilson, Joan Baez, Lindsey Buckingham, Jimmy Buffet, and Tim Buckley have all been cited as having been influenced by the Kingston Trio.  Guard left the group in 1961 and formed the Whiskeyhill Singers who released one album and sang a handful of songs on the soundtrack for How The West Was One.  After the Whiskeyhill Singers, Guard kept busy working with other artists while writing and recording music.  He all but retired from the public eye during the final two decades of his life, making only a few local public appearances and Kingston Trio semi-reunions.  On March 22, 1991, Dave Guard died of lymphoma.  He was 56 years old.

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The Kingston Trio

Died On This Date (March 22, 1986) Mark Dinning / Had Hit With “Teen Angel”

Mark Dinning
August 17, 1933 – March 22, 1986

 

One of nine siblings, Mark Dinning recycled an old song written by one of his sisters (of the Dinning Sisters) and turned it into an early rock ‘n’ roll hit. That song was “Teen Angel” which is one of those classic tragedies that tells the chilling story of a young lover killed when her car is stalled on the train tracks. It went to #1 on the Billboard charts even though some stations felt it was too morbid to play. Dinning died of a heart attack at age 52.