Died On This Date (April 19, 2005) Rick Lewis / The Silhouettes
themusicsover Rick Lewis
September 23, 1933 – April 19, 2005
At 71 in 2005, Rick Lewis was the last surviving member of doo wop group, the Silhouettes. Although credited to the entire group, Lewis was the songwriter of their huge hit, “Get A Job,” which by many accounts is the quintessential doo wop song. The group performed the song numerous times on American Bandstand, and it was later featured in movies such as American Graffiti and Stand By Me. Lewis died of multiple organ failure on April 19, 2005 at the age of 71.
Dee Holmes was a beloved singer who made a name for herself throughout the New Jersey Shore music scene and beyond. She also worked as a voice instructor. During the early ’70s Holmes sang back-up in the Bruce Springsteen Band, the legendary forerunner of the more familiar E Street Band. Holmes reunited with Springsteen when she sang with him on “My City Of Ruins” for the televised 9/11 fundraiser, America: A Tribute To Heroes. She reportedly sang with Springsteen on numerous other occasions throughout the years as well. Dee Holmes was 63 when she passed away on April 16, 2010.
Robert Brookins began singing at the tender age of four, and never looked back. After winning a Motown talent search in 1974, he joined a group called Afterbach whose debut was produced by Earth Wind & Fire’s Maurice and Verdine White. Brookin’s vocals were featured on George Duke’s self titled release of 1986. He soon signed to MCA Records for whom he recorded a handful of acclaimed R&B albums. Over his career he worked with the likes of Stephanie Mills, Deniece Williams, the Whispers, Jeffrey Osbourne, and Bobby Brown. Robert Brookins died of a heart attack at the age of 46.
Thurston Harris was an American R&B singer who fronted the South Central Los Angeles vocal group, the Lamplighters in the early ’50s. He later became what many call a “one-hit wonder”, but what a hit it was! His recording of “Little Bitty Pretty One” shot to #6 on the American pop charts and is considered to this day one of the most popular records of the era. Listen to it below; you’ll likely recognize it from a film or television program. Harris scored a couple other minor hits at the end of the ’50s, “Do What You Did,” and “Runk Bunk.” He passed away of a heart attack in 1990 at the age of 58.
Johnnie Johnson was a jazz and blues pianist who joined forces with Chuck Berry with whom he spent over twenty years collaborating on such rock ‘n’ roll classics as “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” and “Nadine,” even though he never received song-writing credits or royalties. It has been reported that “Johnnie B. Goode” was actually inspired by Johnson. After his run with Berry, Johnson was all but retired from music and working as a bus driver in St. Louis until he heard the praise being given him by the likes of Keith Richards. That motivated him to get back into music and record his first album in 1987 which lead to him sharing the stage with such luminaries as Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Bo 
