Died On This Date (July 14, 2013) Curly Lewis / Western Swing Fiddle Legend
themusicsover Julian “Curly” Lewis
1924 – July 14, 2013
Curly Lewis was an influential fiddle player who, over a career that spanned 80 – yes, 80 years, played on some of the greatest western swing records ever made and helped popularize the genre. At the age of 11, Lewis won a fiddle contest that was sponsored by Bob Wills who probably would have hired him on the spot had he not been just a kid. By the time Lewis was 20, he had relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma where he landed a job playing with Johnny Lee Wills with whom he’d stay for more than a decade. He later spent time playing with Wills and later still, in Leon McAulliffe’s Cimarron Boys and Hank Thompson. Lewis played what turned out to be his last gig in February of 2013 at his induction into the National Fiddlers Hall Of Fame in Tulsa. Curly Lewis was 88 when he passed away on July 14, 2013.
Teddy Days was a bassist who is best remembered for his time playing bass in Los Angeles speed metal pioneers, Hellion. Days played in the band for a short period during the early ’90s and appeared in a rough cut of a video in the works for “Stormrider,” a track from their 1991 release, The Black Book. It is unclear if he actually played on the song and album. According to a Facebook post by Hellion’s Ann Boleyn, Teddy Days, 48, passed away on July 10, 2013. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Alan Myers is best remembered as the drummer for Devo during their most successful period. Brought into the fold to replace Jim Mothersbaugh in 1976, Myers played on Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo and Freedom of Choice. Are We Not Men reached #14 on the Billboard charts and spawned the band’s biggest hit, “Whip It.”. By 1987, Myers had left the group to pursue other musical interests. He went on to play with such bands as Babooshka, Jean Paul Yamamoto, Skyline Electric, and Swahili Blonde. Alan Myers lost his battle with cancer on June 24, 2013.
Kevin McDade was the bassist and lead singer of the up-and-coming Los Angeles stoner metal band, Behold! The Monolith. With a sound influenced by such acts as Celtic Frost, Motorhead and Black Sabbath, Behold! The Monolith were no strangers to positive press from the likes of Decibel, Terrorizer, blabbermouth.net and Metal Hammer. They self-released their debut EP in 2008 and their self-titled full-length album in 2009 Defender, Redeemist in 2012. McDade had been part of the trio since 2007. Kevin McDade was killed in a car accident on June 22, 2013.
Slim Whitman was an American country singer, songwriter and guitarist who is perhaps best remembered for his high voice and yodeling skills. Highly influential, even 