Died On This Date (August 5, 2013) George Duke / Highly Regarded Jazz & Pop Musician
themusicsover George Duke
January 12, 1946 – August 5. 2013
George Duke was a highly regarded jazz musician, singer, composer and producer who successful crossed over to R&B and pop throughout the years. Born and raised in the San Francisco area, Duke began picking up various instruments at an early age. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in trombone and composition while Minoring in the contrabass. He later went on the earn a Master’s in composition. Armed with these credentials, Duke kicked his music career into high gear upon graduating from college. It was during the mid ’60s that he started dabbling in what would become known as jazz fusion and more avant-garde styles. Over the course of his career, he released nearly 50 albums which oftentimes touched on funk, R&B, Latin jazz, and most notably, jazz fusion, the style he helped create the blueprint for. As a collaborator, the list of artists he worked with reads like a pop music encyclopedia. It includes Jean-Luc Ponty, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, his cousin Dianne Reeves, George Clinton, Cannonball Adderley, Anita Baker, and most consistently, Frank Zappa for whom he played on over a dozen albums. In 1988, Duke served as the musical director at the Nelson Mandela tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in London. In recent years, his music was sampled by Daft Punk, Common, Mylo, and many more. In July of 2013, he released DreamWeaver as a tribute to his wife who passed away in 2012. George Duke was 67 when he passed away on August 5, 2013. Cause of death was not immediately released.
What You Should Own
Known as the “Lion of the Blues” as well as the “
Darondo was a San Francisco funk and soul singer who found his career reignited during the late 2000s thanks to a few key film and TV song placements and reissues of his early recordings. Although not a household name, Darondo is considered one of the greats of ’70s soul by those in the know. With a flair for style and a somewhat unique and soulful voice, Darondo was a cult hero at best since he started making records during the ’60s. By the early ’70s, Darondo’s career seemed to be taking off. He opened for Sly Stone and somehow earned enough money to drive around in a lavish Rolls Royce complete with a bar, hot plate, phone, and table that slid out of the trunk. Some swore he was a pimp, which he has always denied, although he generally dressed the part. In 1973, he had a minor hit with “Didn’t I,” following which his career stalled thanks in part to legal disputes with his then-manager. But the song (and Darondo’s career) began picking up steam for a comeback when a London DJ started playing it in 2008. Fans of Breaking Bad might remember hearing it over the opening credits during the “Cancer Man” episode of the first season. Darondo’s songs have also been featured in such recent films and television programs as Saint John Of Las Vegas, Life On Mars, Night Catches Us, and Jack Goes Boating. Much of Darondo’s music has been lovingly compiled or re-released by Omnivore Recordings and Ubiquity/Luv N Haight Records. Darondo was 67 when he died of heart failure on June 9, 2013.
Marvin Junior was a founding member of the influential doo-wop group, the Dells. Formed initially as the El-Rays in 1952, the vocal group released one single for Checker Records before changing their name and moving on to the legendary Vee-Jay Records in 1955. The following year, they released their first hit single, “Oh What A Night” which reached the Top 5 on the R&B charts and went on to sell over a million copies. Rolling Stone magazine lists it at #260 on their survey of the Top 500 Songs of All Time. The Dells went on to have several more Top 40 hits including “Stay In My Corner,” “There Is,” and “Always Together.” For over four decades, the group continued to tour and released more than 25 original albums which, in many cases, helped define their individual labels’ sound. The group recorded new material as recently as 2002’s Open Up My Heart: The 9/11 Album. In 1991, Junior and other members of the Dells worked as consultants on Robert Townsend‘s hit movie, The Five Heartbeats which was more or less inspired by them. They continued touring up until Marvin Junior, age 77, died in his sleep on May 29, 2013. He had reportedly been struggling from kidney failure and a weak heart. The group’s 
Clarence Burke, Jr. was the front man for the legendary soul group, the Five Stairsteps. Formed by five siblings in 1965, the “First Family of Soul,” as they were known, is perhaps best remembered for their Top 10 single, “O-o-h Child,” which was released in 1970. Throughout the years, the song has been covered, sampled and used in films and television countless times. Burke was not only the lead singer of the group, but was also their guitar player, choreographer and primary songwriter. During the mid ’70s, the Stairsteps, as they were then known, were introduced to the 