Died On This Date (May 3, 2011) Odell Brown / Jazz Musician; Wrote Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”
themusicsover Odell Brown Jr.
1938 – May 3, 2011
Odell Brown was a jazz organist who is best remembered for penning the Marvin Gaye hit, “Sexual Healing.” Brown was just 4 years old when he began playing the keyboards – mostly old classical pieces – until he found his groove with jazz. By the mid ’60s, he had settled in Chicago where he formed Odell Brown & the Organizers which was touted by no less than Billboard magazine as the Best New Group in 1966. He built a sizable following during the late ’60s and early ’70s for his live performances at which he played what could be classified as soul-jazz or jazz-funk. One such audience member was Gaye who couldn’t get one of his numbers out of his head, so he put some words to it, and “Sexual Healing” was born. Released in 1982, the single was a Top 5 hit around the world and has since been covered by the likes of Michael Bolton, Phish, Soul Asylum, and Sarah Connor. Sadly however, Brown was bottoming out at the time – he watched his song win a Grammy at a Skid Row bar in Los Angeles. He eventually got his life and career back on track and moved to the Minneapolis area where he continued to record and perform. Over the course of his career, Brown worked with Johnny Nash, Minnie Riperton, and Curtis Mayfield. Odell Brown was 70 when he passed away on May 3, 2011. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Loleatta Holloway was a beloved soul and disco singer who, over the course of a career that spanned more than 40 years, landed numerous singles on the pop, R&B and dance charts. Her hits included such dance floor fillers as “Love Sensation” and “Hit and Run,” as well as the soulful ballad, “Cry To Me.” But it might have been her powerful vocal parts (sampled) in Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch’s 1991 #1 smash “Good Vibrations” that she is most often associated with. The song would signal a comeback for Holloway and help propel Marky Mark (aka Mark Wahlberg) to an eventual world-class film career. It was Holloway’s original recording of “Love Sensation” that is predominantly featured on the record. Holloway began her career as a Gospel singer in Chicago, at one time even singing with the great 
Nathaniel Hall, who was more commonly known by his stage name, Nate Dogg, was a popular rapper and singer who got his start on the same Long Beach, California streets as Snoop Dogg and Warren G. His smooth voice was one of the greatest to come out of the G-Funk era of hip-hop. Hall began singing in his church choir when he was a child, then dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Marines where he served for three years. After his return to the Long Beach area, Hall joined up with fellow Rollin 20 Crips gang members, Snoop Dogg and Warren G to form a rap group, 213. Together they recorded their first demo at a local record store, and when Dr. Dre heard it, he offered Hall a slot to sing on his now legendary The Chronic album. From there, Hall got signed to Dre and Suge Knight’s Death Row Records. Over the next several years, he released a handful of albums and was nominated for four Grammys. Either singing on his own records or guesting on others, Hall appeared on the Singles chart over 40 times. In December of 2007, Hall suffered a stroke which reportedly left the left side of his body paralyzed. He suffered a second stroke in September of 2008 but was expected to make at least a partial recovery with physical therapy. On March 15, 2011, Nate Dogg suffered yet another stroke and died. He was 41.
Herman Ernest was a respected New Orleans drummer who, over the course of his career appeared on countless records including those with the likes of Kermit Ruffins, Shemekia Copeland, Jeremy Davenport, and Dr. John. Ernest, who was also known as “Roscoe” to friends and fans, called his hard-hitting style of drumming, “diesel funk.” He spent many years playing with Dr. John – appearing 0n numerous albums over the past two decades as well as on stage as part of his Lower 911 Band. His last appearance with him was on December 30, 2010. Herman Ernest died on March 6, 2011 following a long battle with cancer. He was 59.