Died On This Date (June 9, 2012) Abram Wilson / Jazz Trumpeter & Singer
themusicsover Abram Wilson
August 30, 1973 – June 9, 2012
Abram Wilson was a respected New Orleans raised jazz musician and singer. Just nine years old when he first picked up the trumpet, Wilson received his education at the New Orleans Center For Creative Arts and later, Ohio Wesleyan University. He rounded out his musical training at the prestigious Eastman School of Music. After graduation, Wilson formed his first band of note, the Abram Wilson Quintet who performed with Roy Hargrove and appeared on record with Ruth Brown. By the early 2000s, Wilson had relocated to London where he collaborated with numerous musicians while recording a handful of albums of his own. On June 9, 2012, Abram Wilson passed away following his battle with cancer. He was 39.
What You Should Own
Bob Welch was a Los Angeles singer-songwriter who is perhaps best known for his three years in Fleetwood Mac as well as for his solo releases of the 1970s. Raised in a show business family, Welch first learned to play the clarinet as a child, but by his early teens he had moved on to the guitar. After some time at UCLA, he joined a vocal group, the Seven Souls, as their guitarist. In 1967, they recorded a single, “I’m No Stranger,” for Okeh Records . Although the record didn’t sell much initially, its b-side, “I Still Love You,” became a valuable Northern Soul collectible in later years. After the group broke up in 1969, Welch played around with other outfits until joining Fleetwood Mac in 1971. Primarily a British blues act at the time, Fleetwood Mac began to evolve into a hit-making rock band thanks in part to Welch’s strong sense of melody. Their albums with Welch were much different from what they were previously known for – and that was not a bad thing. Mystery To Me, released in 1973, was arguably the best of the Welch era. Although not a big-seller, the album’s “Hypnotized” became an FM staple and probably the most recognizable Fleetwood Mac song until the later releases with Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham. In 1974, Welch parted ways with the band in order to further his solo career. And with the release of 1977’s French Kiss, there was no denying that he was a star. The album went on to sell more than a million copies thanks to such hits as “Ebony Eyes” and a re-record of Fleetwood Mac’s “Sentimental Lady” which cracked the Top 10 on the US charts. He followed that up about 15 months later with the gold-selling Three Hearts. He continued to release albums and tour well into the 2000s. Bob Welch was 66 when he reportedly took his own life on June 7, 2012. He had been suffering from health related issues prior to his death.
Faruq Z. Bey was a jazz saxophonist who made his mark on popular music by way of free jazz. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Bey found inspiration in jazz icons like 
Pete Casey was a legendary Chicago guitarist who is most often associated with 
Doc Watson was an influential American singer, guitarist, and songwriter whose vast catalog of songs influenced several generations of folk, country, and bluegrass musicians. Born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, Watson lost his eyesight before his first birthday due to an infection. But that by no means stopped him from picking up whatever instrument was handed to him. First it was the harmonica around age five, then the banjo at age 11, and ultimately, the guitar on which he mastered a style of flat-picking that the world had yet to hear and would seldom be matched since. Although Watson was a popular draw wherever he played throughout the ’40s and ’50s, it wasn’t until the storied folk revival of the ’60s – when college kids took to the music like never before or since, that his popularity reached new heights. Throughout his career, Watson received countless awards which included seven Grammys, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a National Medal Of Arts from President Bill Clinton. In 1988, he launched Merlefest to honor his son and music partner, Merle Watson, who was killed in a tractor accident in 1985. The Wilkesboro, North Carolina festival has grown to be one of the premier music gatherings in the United States with Watson playing host and sharing the stage with the likes of Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, 