Died On This Date (June 26, 2006) Johnny Jenkins / Blues Guitarist
themusicsover Johnny Jenkins
March 5, 1939 – June 26, 2006
Johnny Jenkins was a flashy electric blues guitarist who, during the early ’60s lead a Memphis band called the Pinetoppers. In 1962, Jenkins and the band were at the legendary Stax studio working on a new record when his driver – Jenkins didn’t have a driver’s license – was offered a chance to record a track during some leftover studio time. That driver happened to be Otis Redding, and the song he recorded was “These Arms Of Mine,” which would launch his career. Jenkins played on that track and was eventually offered the lead guitar position in Redding’s band, but declined – as the story goes – because he was afraid of flying. Redding, of course died a few years later in a plane crash. In the meantime, Jenkins was building his own following, thanks in part to his flashy guitar playing and on-stage gimmicks that were later replicated by one of his biggest fans, Jimi Hendrix. Although he had released a couple of critically acclaimed albums, Jenkins found only moderate success so he all but retired from the music business in the early ’70s. One of his early albums, Ton-Ton Maoute!, featured young session player Duane Allman and is considered to be a southern blues/rock essential. He made a brief comeback during the mid ’90s and released three more albums. Johnny Jenkins was 67 when he died of a stroke on June 26, 2006.
What You Should Own
Michael Jackson was arguably the most iconic and influential performer popular music has ever known. Coming from working class beginnings in Gary, Indiana, Jackson and his brothers began entertaining audiences along the chitlin’ circuit as the Jackson Five. Young Michael was just six years old at the time. Within just a few years, the group was topping the music charts with songs like “ABC” and “I’ll Be There,” while becoming a brand within itself thanks to many television appearances including a cartoon based on their likenesses. In 1978, now out on his own, Jackson played the part of the Scarecrow in the The Wiz, a musical adaptation of the Wizard Of Oz. It was while working on the film that Jackson met music producer, Quincy Jones who agreed to produce Off The Wall, his breakthrough album. In 1982, Thriller was released, and the world changed. With a slew of pop hits and the dynamic music videos that accompanied them, Jackson was tailor made for the young MTV. Jackson’s fame and record sales skyrocketed. Thriller went on to become one of the greatest selling albums of all times. On March 25, 1983 Jackson performed on a television special celebrating the 25th anniversary of Motown Records. During his performance of “Billie Jean,” Jackson shocked and amazed nearly 50 million viewers with his “moonwalk” dance move, a moment that has been likened to the Beatles’ and 
Lawrence Payton had the tenor voice of the great soul group, the Four Tops. He also worked at times, as their producer. With the Tops, Payton was one of the Motown’s signature groups, recording hit after hit for the label beginning in 1964. Such hits included, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” “Standing In The Shadows Of Love,” and “I Can’t Help Myself.” The group and Motown parted ways in 1972, with the Tops signing to ABC Dunhill Records where they had a brief resurgence with “Keeper Of the Castle,” and “Aint No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got).” They continued to record moderately successful records through the ’70s and reunited with Motown in time to celebrate the label’s 25th anniversary in 1983 after which they recorded a few more albums and toured with the Temptations. The Four Tops continued touring and recording until the passing of Lawrence Payton in 1997. He died of cancer on June 20, 1997, but not before be elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Charles Smith was co-founder of and guitarist for the great disco/funk group, Kool & The Gang. Along with the other members of the group, Smith’s background was in jazz, but married it with funk, dance, R&B and pop to become one of the biggest acts of the ’70s thanks to such hits as “Jungle Boogie,” “Hollywood Swinging,” “Ladies Night,” and “Celebration.” Smith is credited for writing or co-writing some of the group’s biggest hits. He died after a long undisclosed illness on June 20, 2006.
