Died On This Date (November 11, 1990) Ronnie Dyson / Sang “Aquarius” In Hair! Musical
themusicsover Ronnie Dyson
June 5, 1950 – November 11, 1990
Ronnie Dyson was an R&B singer and stage actor who is best remembered for his lead part in the ’70s Broadway sensation, Hair!. It was Dyson who sang the production’s biggest hit, “Aquarius,” which became one the the counterculture’s anthems. Dyson continued to released moderately successful records throughout the ’70s and ’80s, including “(If You Let Me Make Love to You) Why Can’t I Touch You?”, a top 10 hit in 1970. Ronnie Dyson was just 40 when he passed away from heart failure on November 11, 1990.
What You Should Own
What separated James Booker from the countless other New Orleans pianists of his era was that he was a virtuoso on the instrument and could just as easily play classical as he could R&B, blues and jazz. In 1949, Booker made his first record for the storied Imperial Records and was soon doing session work for the likes of Fats Domino and Lloyd Price. He was just 15. Booker released a handful of records during the early ’60s, but he was struggling with a growing drug habit. His career hit an upswing in the mid ’70s, when he wowed the crowd at the 1975 New Orleans Jazzfest. That resulted in a record deal with the respected Island Records and tours with the likes of 
Bobby Nunn was an R&B singer who first came to some prominence as a singer in the ’50s vocal group, the Coasters. During those early years, Nunn also made a handful of recordings with 
Billy Guy is best remembered as the bass vocalist in the 1950s R&B vocal group, the Coasters. It is he who sang lead on “Searchin,” “Run Red Run,” and numerous others. The Coasters were one of the few vocal groups that were considered as much rock ‘n roll as they were R&B. In fact, when the inaugural group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced in 1987, the Coasters were included on that list. Guy was also respected for his comedic abilities, as evident on a handful of comedy records he made outside of the Coasters. In later years, Guy worked as a producer, working on several albums between the late ’60s and early ’70s. Billy Guy, 66, died of cardiovascular disease in his Las Vegas home on November 5, 2002.