Died On This Date (August 8, 2013) Cowboy Jack Clement / Legendary Nashville Producer, Musician & Songwriter
themusicsover Jack Clement
April 5, 1931 – August 8, 2013
Cowboy Jack Clement was a successful record producer, songwriter and session player who worked with a wide range of artists over a career that spanned 60 years. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Clement was still in his teens when he first picked up the guitar. After serving in the Marines during the late ’40s/early ’50s, he co-founded his first band, a bluegrass outfit named Buzz and Jack & the Bayou Boys. In 1954, he went to work at Sun Studios where he worked on early recordings by the likes of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins. As his career continued, Clement produced such iconic records as Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” George Jones‘ “She Still Thinks I Care,” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” for Jerry Lee Lewis who he is credited for having discovered. As a songwriter, Clement penned tunes that have been recorded by the likes of Cash, Dolly Parton, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Tom Jones. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 1973. He is also a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Music City Walk of Fame. In April of 2013, it was announced that the Country Music Hall of Fame would include him in their class of 2013. In 1987, U2 hired Clement to produce tracks for their Rattle and Hum album at Sun Studios. He worked on “When Love Comes To Town” “Love Rescue Me,” and “Angel Of Harlem.” Parts of the sessions can be seen in the Rattle and Hum film. In recent years, Clement could be heard during his weekly radio program on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel. Cowboy Jack Clement was 82 when he passed away in his home. Cause of death was not immediately released.
James Gray is perhaps best remembered as the one-time keyboardist for successful Canadian alt-country band, Blue Rodeo. Gray joined the group during the early ’90s, just in time to play on their hit album of 1993, Five Days In July. The video for the album’s “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” quickly became a staple on MTV helping them gain a foothold in the US. Over the next decade, Gray toured and recorded with the band as they grew in popularity in both Canada and around the world. His last album with the group was 2005’s Are You Ready. Outside of Blue Rodeo, Gray played with such outfits as Hopping Penguins, Whitenoise, and Vital Signs. James Gray died unexpectedly from a heart attack on August 5, 2013. He was 52.
George Duke was a highly regarded jazz musician, singer, composer and producer who successful crossed over to R&B and pop throughout the years. Born and raised in the San Francisco area, Duke began picking up various instruments at an early age. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in trombone and composition while Minoring in the contrabass. He later went on the earn a Master’s in composition. Armed with these credentials, Duke kicked his music career into high gear upon graduating from college. It was during the mid ’60s that he started dabbling in what would become known as jazz fusion and more avant-garde styles. Over the course of his career, he released nearly 50 albums which oftentimes touched on funk, R&B, Latin jazz, and most notably, jazz fusion, the style he helped create the blueprint for. As a collaborator, the list of artists he worked with reads like a pop music encyclopedia. It includes Jean-Luc Ponty, 
JJ Cale was an American singer-songwriter who gave us some of rock music’s most iconic songs. Widely considered a songwriter’s songwriter, Cale’s most famous tunes are “Cocaine” and “After Midnight” which were made into hits by Eric Clapton, and “Call Me The Breeze” a hit for Lynyrd Skynyrd. The seemingly endless list of others who recorded his songs includes 
Faye Hunter is perhaps best remembered as the original bassist for influential jangle pop band, Let’s Active. Formed by Mitch Easter in 1981, the band, which also included Sara Romweber on drums, played their first gig opening for their friends, R.E.M., before becoming a college radio and critic darlings. Their first video, “Every Word Means No,” became a moderate hit on MTV and helped pave the road for college rock and what would become known as indie rock. Hunter played on the band’s first three releases, Afoot (1983), Cypress (1984), and Big Plans For Everybody (1986) before departing. Other acts with whom Hunter collaborated included Marshall Crenshaw, Chris Stamey, and the Windbreakers. She contributed to a Let’s Active tribute album in 2003. Faye Hunter was 59 when she reportedly took her own life on July 20, 2013.