Died On This Date (March 26, 2004) Jan Berry / Jan and Dean
themusicsover Jan Berry
April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004
With Dean Torrence, Jan Berry successfully recorded as Jan and Dean, one of the true pioneers of what would become known as surf music. Along with the Beach Boys, they ruled the genre during the late ’50s through the mid ’60s. Their smash hits included “Surf City,” “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena,” and the prophetic “Dead Man’s Curve.” If being pop stars didn’t take enough time, Berry was also an exceptional college student attending both UCLA and what is now known as the UC Irvine School Of Medicine. Two years into med school, tragedy struck. While on his way to a business meeting, Berry crashed his Corvette into a parked gardener truck on a Beverly Hills road not far from the actual “Dead Man’s Curve” of Sunset Blvd. The accident left Berry with brain damage and partial paralysis from which he never fully recovered. He was able to stay productive through the ’70s and ’80s as a producer and sometime performer and was involved with several Jan and Dean reissue packages into the 2000s. Berry passed away at age 62.
What You Should Own
Ted Jarrett was an early R&B producer and songwriter who played a key role in the development of the Nashville rhythm and blues sound. He was one of just a handful of songwriters who penned #1 hits on both the R&B and country charts. His most famous songs were “Love Love Love” and “You Can Make it if You Try,” which was recorded by the Rolling Stones for their debut album. His songs were also recorded by the likes of 
Music pioneer Archie Bleyer served many purposes in the music industry. He was a musician, band leader, recording artist and producer, but will likely be most remembered for his label, Cadence Records. He was leading his own big band by the mid-’30s and throughout the ’40s and ’50s he was leading the orchestra for Arthur Godfrey’s TV show. Bleyer started Cadence Records in 1952 where he helped develop the careers of Andy Williams, Julius LaRosa and the Chordettes. In the mid-’50s he struck gold by signing the Everly Brothers and producing many of their biggest hits. As American musical tastes changed in the early ’60s, Cadence had trouble competing with the bigger labels who were having huge successes with the likes of the Beatles. Bleyer closed Cadence in 1964 and sold the masters to Andy Williams. Archie Bleyer passed away on March 20, 1989 from Parkinson’s Disease.