Died On This Date (July 26, 1992) Mary Wells / ’60s R&B Great
Mary Wells
May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992
Mary Wells was an American R&B singer whose voice helped usher in the Motown sound with such earl hits as 1964’s “My Guy.” Although Wells’ only #1 hit, it will go down in history as the song that broke the Beatles’ 1964 chart-topping streak. After a few moderate hits, Wells left Motown in 1965 and made a comparatively small amount of recordings until she all but retired in 1970. The late ’80s found Wells launching a much-welcomed comeback, releasing a couple well-received albums. But then in 1990, Wells was diagnosed with larynx cancer for which she had to spend what was left of her money on treatment. Thankfully friends and fans like Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Martha Reeves, Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart and more donated large sums of money to help her out. On July 26, 1992, while in a hospital getting treated for pneumonia, Wells passed away from the effects of the cancer at the age of 49.
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Al Goodman was a respected baritone soul singer who was part of the ’70s hit-making group, the Moments. Formed in during the late ’70s, the Moments released their first record in 1968 and soon found themselves topping the R&B charts with tracks like “Love on a Two Way Street,” “If I Didn’t Care,” and “Look At Me (I’m In Love).” Hip Hop fans may recognize elements of “Love on a Two Way Street” throughout Jay Z’s 2009 hit, “Empire State Of Mind.” During the late ’70s, the group that also included Harry Ray and Billy Brown, rechristened themselves Ray, Goodman and Brown and delivered several more slow jam hits throughout the ’80s. Al Goodman was 63 when he passed away on July 26, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.

Born in Chicago, Melvin Bliss began his career in music at the age of six, first performing gospel and then moving on to jazz. In 1973, he released “Synthetic Substitution” a soul record that went on to become one of the most sampled songs in music history even though it was an obscure b-side. Below is a partial list of songs that borrowed elements from Bliss’ recording. Melvin Bliss was 75 when he passed away on July 26, 2010.

Roy Hamilton was a popular and influential R&B singer in the ’50s. A former heavy weight Golden Gloves boxer, Hamilton began his musical career as part of the gospel group, the Searchlight Singers in the late ’40s. Over the course of his career as a solo artist, Hamilton scored several Top 15 hits including, “Unchained Melody,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and “Don’t Let Go.” He is said to have been a direct influence on the Righteous Brothers and 