Corey Daum (Born Corey James)
DOB Unknown – January 24, 2009
Corey Daum was a guitarist for heavy metal stalwarts, Lizzy Borden from 1989 to 1996 although it’s not clear if he played on any of their albums. Daum was killed on a Nashville highway when the driver of the vehicle in which he was a passenger crashed into a concrete wall. The alleged drunk driver was charged with vehicular homicide. Corey Daum was 39 years old when he died.
Larkin Allen Collins
July 19, 1952 – January 23, 1990
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Allen Collins was a founding guitarist of and sometime co-writer for southern rock giants, Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band’s ride to fame was partially due to songs co-written by Collins. That list includes “That Smell,” “Free Bird,” and “Gimme Three Steps.” When Ronnie Van Zant and others from the band were killed in a plane crash in 1977, Collins went on to have success with the Rossington-Collins Band. Their biggest hit was 1980’s “Don’t Misunderstand Me.” Tragedy struck Collins again in 1986 when he caused a car accident that killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Since he was under the influence, he was charged with vehicular manslaughter. He accepted a plea which kept him out of jail, but had him, among other penalties, speak out against drunk driving at all future Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts. Collins died of pneumonia, brought on by the paralysis on January 23, 1990. He was 37 years old.
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Terry Kath was the founding lead guitarist for the massively popular jazz/rock fusion band, Chicago. Formed while most of the members were in college, the group went on to sell over 120 million albums while charting the most singles of any act during the ’70s. What separated Chicago from other rock groups of the era was their use of a horn section as a lead instrument. And it could only take a guitarist as talented as Kath to shine through. He was such a guitar wizard, that many of his parts, some of which are instantly recognizable, were recorded in one take. Kath can also be heard singing lead on several Chicago songs, most notably, “Colour My World” and “Make Me Smile.” On January 23, 1978, Kath was with one of the crew members after a party. While at the roadie’s home, Kath grabbed an unloaded pistol and jokingly put it to his head and fired several empty shots. He then grabbed a second pistol, thinking it was also unloaded, and fired a bullet into his head, killing him instantly. He was 31 years old.
Edward “Kid” Ory
December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973
Kid Ory was one of Dixieland jazz’s most influential trombonists. His was one of the most popular New Orleans jazz bands during the first decade of the 20th century. It was the one-time home to such greats as King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. Ory moved to Los Angeles in 1919 and quickly became the premier New Orleans jazz band there. It was in Los Angeles that he began making records. He moved to Chicago during the mid ’20s and retired from the business during the Depression years. He came back in 1944 and for the better part of the next twenty years, he was the top New Orleans jazz band in the country. Ory retired completely in 1966 and passed away on January 23, 1973 at the age of 86.
Peter Sweval (Born Piet Sweval)
April 13, 1948 – January 23, 1990
Peter Swevel was the founding bassist for New Jersey pop band, Looking Glass. In 1972, they released their only hit, “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” which shot to #1 on the singles chart while selling over a million copies. No honorable ’70s pop collection is complete without it. After Looking Glass broke up in 1974, Swevel and Jeff Grob formed Starz, a hard rock band that also had one big hit, “Cherry Baby.” The band signed with Capitol Records and built a sizable cult following that still exists to this day. Musically, Starz has been compared to Aerosmith, Kiss and Cheap Trick, and have been cited as a direct influence on the likes of Motley Crue and Poison. Peter Swevel, age 42, passed away on January 23, 1990 of unknown causes.