Died On This Date (June 10, 2009) Barry Beckett / Produced Records By Bob Seger, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams Jr.

Barry Beckett
February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009

barryBarry Beckett was a respected Nashville session musician as well as a producer who’s resume is a veritable who’s who of popular music.  Over the years he’s produced classic recordings by the likes of Bob Dylan, Hank Williams Jr., Bob Seger, Joan Baez, Dire Straits, Etta James, Jerry Jeff Walker to name just a few.  As a musician, Beckett was part of both the storied Fame AND Muscle Shoals rhythm sections, working on such pop music milestones as “Land of 1000 Dances” (Wilson Pickett), “When A Man Loves A Woman” (Percy Sledge), and “Torn Between Two Lovers” (Mary MacGregor).   He passed away in his home at the age of 66.

Thanks to Craig Rosen of Number1Hits for the assist.

Died On This Date (June 9, 1993) Arthur Alexander / Country Soul Singer

Arthur Alexander
May 10, 1940 – June 9, 1993

arthurAlthough he was probably the most important figure from the country-soul scene of the ’60s and ’70s, Arthur Alexander was by no means a house hold name.  But as a songwriter, he DID have some heavy weight fans in the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones, being the only artist to have songs covered by all three.  Alexander’s songs have also been recorded or performed live by George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, the Hollies, Esther Phillips, Humble Pie, Joe Tex,  and even Pearl Jam, to name a few.  Alexander all but retired from the music business in the ’80s, finding work as a bus driver.  Thanks to renewed interest in his songs during the early ’90s, Arthur Alexander mounted a comeback, but suffered a fatal heart attack within a few months of signing a new record deal.

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Died On This Date (June 6, 2006) Billy Preston / Soul Legend

Billy Preston
September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006

Besides winning a Grammy for his own work, keyboardist Billy Preston made major contributions to some of the greatest names in pop music history. He can be heard playing alongside the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, the Jackson 5, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and of course, the Beatles, sometimes being credited as “the 5th Beatle.” In fact he is one of only two non-Beatles to receive performance credit on any Beatles album – the other being Tony Sheridan. Preston signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records in 1969 and began a streak of hits that included “Nothing From Nothing,” “Will It Go Round In Circles,” and the Grammy winning, “Outta Space.” The ’70s found Preston very active mostly recording and touring with the Rolling Stones. The ’80s however, were a dark time for Preston as he had a few run-ins with the law. He was arrested and convicted of insurance fraud for setting his own house on fire, and in 1991 he was arrested for attacking a prostitute after discovering he was a transvestite and not of legal age. Most of his troubles were likely attributed to his dependency on cocaine and alcohol. He beat those demons in the early ’90s and got back to work mostly in a support capacity on the keyboards, working with the likes of Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood. Preston had kidney problems throughout his later life, likely due to his substance abuse problems. He received a kidney transplant in 2002. Billy Preston died of kidney failure on June 6, 2006.

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Died On This Date (June 1, 1991) David Ruffin / The Temptations

David Ruffin
January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991

As one-time lead singer of the Temptations, David Ruffin is arguable the greatest lead voice to come out of Motown. From 1965’s “My Girl,” to “All I Need” and “I Wish It Was Rain,” Ruffin’s voice defined the group and perhaps the era. But mounting friction caused mostly by Ruffin’s swelling ego along with his addiction to cocaine began to tear the group apart, so he was replaced in 1968. Ongoing legal problems with Motown along with his growing dependency on drugs kept his post-Temptations career from reaching the level his true talent deserved. But in 1989, things appeared to be turning around when the Temptations were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Ruffin subsequently made peace with the other members of the group. He began working with Eddie Kendricks and Dennis Edwards, but within little over a year, Ruffin died of a drug overdose. There is some mystery about the circumstances leading to his death, like how he ended up at the hospital in Philadelphia, or what happened to $45,000 he was allegedly carrying before his death. There was even talk that his overdose might have been planned. But the official ruling nonetheless, was “accidental overdose.”   Ruffin’s mysterious death wasn’t the only one to haunt the Temptations. Founding member Paul Williams also died under suspicious circumstances.

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Died On This Date (May 31, 2000) Johnnie Taylor / Soul Singer

Johnnie Taylor
May 5, 1938 – May 31, 2000

Johnnie Taylor was one of those rare talents who could adapt his style to fit whatever the current trend was looking for. He found success with gospel, soul, blues, doo wop, and disco. Taylor’s first break came in 1957 when he replaced Sam Cooke as front man of the Soul Stirrers, the influential gospel group. In 1961, he signed to Cooke’s label, Star Records. But when Cooke was murdered in 1964, Taylor moved back to Memphis where he was signed to the legendary Stax Records where he had a string of R&B hits that primarily showcased his smooth crooning. Then came the mid ’70s, and Taylor found himself on CBS Records where in 1976, he delivered one of disco’s biggest smashes, “Disco Lady.” That song would become the very first single to be certified Platinum by the RIAA. It went on to sell more than two million copies. By the ’80s, disco was dead and so was Taylor’s ascension to the top, so he went back to where it all began and signed with Malaco Records, a label that let him revisit the sound of his early career, the blues. His career stayed active through the late ’90s, but on May 31, 2000, Johnnie Taylor suffered a fatal heart attack.

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