Died On This Date (April 22, 2003) Felice Bryant / Wrote Many Pop Hits
themusicsover Felice Bryant
August 7, 1925 – April 22, 2003
Along with her husband Boudleaux, Felice Bryant, wrote such early pop hits as “Bye Bye Love,” “Rocky Top,” and “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” the last two being big hits for the Everly Brothers. The future Mr. & Mrs. Boudleaux met in 1945 and so began a successful songwriting partnership (and marriage) that would last some forty years. During that time, they wrote songs for a virtual who’s who of popular music. That list includes Tony Bennett, the Grateful Dead, Dean Martin, Ray Charles, Nazareth, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, Simon & Garfunkel, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and Sarah Vaughan. Together they penned over 1500 recorded songs which obviously landed them into several songwriter halls of fame. Felice Bryant passed away from natural causes on April 22, 2003.
Carl Albert was perhaps best known as a singer for San Francisco heavy metal band, Vicious Rumors. The band was formed by Geoff Thorpe in 1979, and featured Albert singing out front from 1988 to 1993. Prior to that, he fronted Villain and Ruffians. He died on April 22, 1995 as a result of a car accident.
By most accounts, Sandy Denny was THE British folk rock singer of her generation. Having been the only person outside of Led Zeppelin to sing on one of their albums doesn’t hurt that credential. Denny can be heard dueting with Robert Plant on “The Battle Of Evermore.” Putting aside a possible career in nursing, Denny set her sights on music and became the voice of British folk rock band, Fairport Convention. Within two years she and the band parted ways, which in retrospect, was probably not the wisest choice, as neither she nor the band were ever to match the greatness they had achieved together. Other than her involvement with Led Zeppelin, her ’70s solo material never garnered much more than a cult following. Her own personal insecurities along with a growing substance abuse problem kept her from attaining the fame she craved. Her excessive drinking and smoking began to damage her voice, and by her last few albums, heavy string arrangements were added to compensate. Sandy Denny died on April 21, 1978, a month after she fell down some stairs at her parents’ house. Cause of death was determined to be a traumatic mid-brain hemorrhage.
Steve Marriott is best known for his aggressive guitar playing in the Small Faces and later, Humble Pie. Growing up, his parents encouraged him to act in live theater, and at the age of 13 he auditioned for and was cast in the role of the Artful Dodger in the London cast of Oliver. Following his successful run, his parents enrolled him in a prestigious acting school which led to numerous parts in British films, TV and radio. But Marriott’s first love was always music, and in 1965, he was fronting the Small Faces with Kenney Jones, 
