Died On This Date (October 7, 2009) Steve Ferguson / NRBQ
themusicsover Steve Ferguson
November 21, 1948 – October 7, 2009
Steve Ferguson is best remembered as a founding guitarist of the New Rhythm and Blues Quintet (later Quartet), or NRBQ. Formed in 1967 in Miami, Florida, the group has amassed a fanatical cult following for its musical gumbo of R&B, jazz, rockabilly, blues, country, and bar-band rock ‘n roll. After playing on just two albums, including a collaboration with Carl Perkins, Ferguson left the group to launch a solo career. Over the next couple of decades, Ferguson kept busy either playing solo, collaborating with former NRBQ band mates, or producing the likes of Johnnie Johnson, Chuck Berry’s former pianist. Although not a name that is recognizable to most music fans, Steve Ferguson is considered one of the era’s greatest and perhaps most underrated guitar players. He died of cancer at the 61 on October 7, 2009.
What You Should Own
Smiley Lewis was a New Orleans R&B artist who got his start in the clubs throughout the French Quarter during the late ’30s. He released his first album, Here Comes Smiley Lewis on DeLuxe Records in 1947. In 1950, producer Dave Bartholomew recorded Lewis for Imperial Records. The sessions resulted in his biggest hits, “Tee Nah Nah,” “The Bells Are Ringing,” and the first recorded version of the R&B standard, “I Hear You Knocking” which would later be recorded by the likes of Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dave Edmunds, and Canned Heat. His “Blue Monday” became a hit for Domino while his “One Nigh,t” as covered by 
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Mike Alexander was the founding bassist for English thrash metal band, Evile. The group originally formed in 2000 as a cover band called Metal Militia, and then morphed into Evile in 2004. They soon signed to Earache Records and are now considered the spark of the current thrash metal revival. Over the years they’ve shared the stage with the likes of Machine Head and Megadeth. They released their debut album for Earache in 2007 and their second in September of 2009. While touring to promote the new album, Mike Alexander collapsed the morning after a show in Sweden. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 32.