Died On This Date (October 10, 2009) Stephen Gately / Boyzone

Stephen Gately
March 17, 1976 – October 10, 2009

gatelyStephen Gately was a founding member and co-lead singer of the immensely popular Irish boy band, Boyzone.  Formed in 1993, the group had six #1 singles in the UK and four #1 albums, with sales in the neighborhood of 20 million albums overall.  The group broke up in 2000, so Gately released a solo album, which was just as popular with fans throughout the UK.  He also spent his time acting in theater productions as well as on British television.  Boyzone reformed in 2008 for a series of successful concerts and recordings.  In the months leading up to his death, Gately was working on a book.  Stephen Gately was found dead in his apartment in Spain on October 10, 2009.  Initial reports indicate that no foul play, drugs or alcohol are suspected, with some believing that he died of natural causes at the age of 33.

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Died On This Date (October 7, 1959) Mario Lanza / Iconic Tenor

Mario Lanza (Born Alfred Cocozza)
January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959

Mario Lanza was an American tenor vocalist and actor who was a household name during the ’40s and ’50s.  He was arguably the biggest opera draw of his generation as well as a direct influence on Luciano Pavorotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras.  He transitioned to film in the late ’40s, starring in The Midnight Kiss, The Toast of New Orleans and The Great Caruso. Lanza was the first artist ever signed to the RCA Victor label as well as the first to two and a half million albums.  Ailing in his later years, Mario Lanza died of a pulmonary embolism at just 38 years of age.

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The Mario Lanza Collection (Remastered) - Mario Lanza

Died On This Date (October 6, 1985) Nelson Riddle / Respected Band Leader

Nelson Riddle
June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985

Nelson Riddle was an orchestra bandleader who was hired by Capitol Records in 1950 to arrange for their stable of the era’s great vocalists.  While at Capitol, Riddle worked with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin and Keely Smith.   During the ’60s and ’70s, Riddle worked primarily in film and television, arranging and scoring the Batman series, and such films as Ocean’s Eleven, Robin and the Seven Hoods, and The Great Gatsby, for which he won an academy award.  During the ’80s, Riddle worked with Linda Ronstadt’s popular and critically acclaimed series of pop standard albums.  His work as arranger, earned him two Grammys.  Nelson Riddle died of liver ailments in 1985.  He was 64 years old.

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Nelson Riddle

Died On This Date (September 22, 1989) Irving Berlin / Iconic Songwriter

Irving Berlin
May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989

berlinMost agree that Irving Berlin was one of the greatest songwriters in history.  A very prolific writer, he reportedly wrote over 1500 songs over a career that spanned some 60 years.  Many of his songs became standards loved the world over.  That list includes “White Christmas,” “God Bless America,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” and “Puttin’ On The Ritz.”  He also wrote the scores to nearly 40 Broadway shows and major Hollywood films, earning him eight Oscar nominations.  Irving Berlin died in his sleep at the age of 101.



Died On This Date (September 22, 2008) Connie Haines / Prolific Big Band Singer

Connie Haines (Born Yvonne JaMais)
January 20, 1921 – September 22, 2008

With Frank Sinatra
With Frank Sinatra

Connie Haines was a prolific big band singer whose voice could be heard on over 200 recordings.  She was just four years old when she began performing publicly, and by the time she reached her early teens, she was a regular on local radio programs.   Throughout her career, Haines performed or recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Harry James and Frankie Laine.  She died of myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease, at the age of 87.