Donald McPherson
July 9, 1941 – July 3, 1971
Donald McPherson was the founding lead singer of R&B vocal trio, the Main Ingredient. Formed in 1964, the group scored a few top 40 R&B hits during the late ’60s. Strickened with leukemia, Donald McPherson died just days short of his 30th birthday in 1971. He was replaced by Cuba Gooding, Sr. who sang lead on such later hits as “Everybody Plays The Fool.”
Luther Vandross
April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005
Luther Vandross was one of America’s most successful R&B singers during the ’80s and ’90s, selling over 25 million albums and scoring eight Grammy wins. In the early part of his career, Vandross sang back up for the likes of Robert Flack, David Bowie, Diana Ross, Bette Midler, and Barbra Streisand. By 1981, Vandross was on his way to becoming a superstar in his own right. The new decade saw him release hit after hit with songs like “Never Too Much,” “A House Is Not A Home,” and “Stop The Love.” But perhaps his biggest legacy is his 1989 recording of Terry Steele’s “Here And Now,” one of the most popular wedding songs out there. In 1985, tragedy struck in the form of a fatal car accident. While at the wheel, Vandross crossed a center divider and crashed into two oncoming vehicles, killing one of his passengers. Vandross pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter and later reached an out-of-court financial settlement with the victim’s family. Vandross continued to stay active through the ’90s and into the early 2000’s. Suffering from diabetes and hypertension, Vandross suffered a stroke in early 2003. He suffered a fatal heart attack on July 1, 2005.
Phyllis Hyman
July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995
Phyllis Hyman was an American R&B singer who first came to prominence as Norman Connors’ duet partner on his 1975 cover of the Stylistics’ “Betcha By Golly Wow.” Throughout her career, Hyman scored several R&B hits including a Top Ten hit with “Can’t We Fall In Love Again” in 1981. That same year, Hyman received a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her work in Sophisticated Ladies. In 1985, she recorded the theme song for the James Bond film, Never Say Never Again. Hyman reportedly suffered from personal and financial troubles and took her own life by overdose at the age of 45.
Richard “Pistol” Allen
August 12, 1932 – June 30, 2002
Richard “Pistol” Allen was a drummer for Motown’s Funk Brothers, the acclaimed session band the provided the sound for many of the greatest songs in American history. His shuffle style drumming could be heard on such classics as the Supremes’ “Baby Love,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” and the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself.” During the ’50s, Allen began playing in clubs throughout Detroit, and it was there that he befriended Motown’s legendary drummer, Benny Benjamin who ultimately helped him get into the Motown family in 1961. In 2002, Allen was a key figure in the critically acclaimed documentary on the Funk Brothers, “Standing In The Shadows Of Motown.” He died of cancer a short time later.
Frederick “Shorty” Long
May 20, 1940 – June 29, 1969
Shorty Long was a singer, songwriter and producer associated with the Motown family for many years. His “Devil With The Blue Dress On” was the very first record to be released on Motown imprint, Soul Records. A later cover of it by Mitch Ryder would become a rock n’ roll standard. In 1968, he released “Here Comes The Judge,” which became his biggest hit. He was, incidentally, the only Motown artist outside of Smokey Robinson that was permitted to produce his own records. Shorty Long died in a Detroit River boating accident at the age of 29.
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