Rock

Died On This Date (March 31, 1996) Jeffrey Lee Pierce / The Gun Club

Jeffrey Lee Pierce
June 27, 1958 – March 31, 1996

Photo by Hank Grebe

Perhaps best known as the front man for L.A. blues-infused rock band, the Gun Club, Jeffrey Lee Pierce also worked for Bomp Records, wrote for a handful of punk ‘zines, and ran the Blondie fan club.  With the Gun Club, Pierce made an influential though not commercial impact on music with their swampy blues punk sound that drew strongly from such blues giants as Charley Patton and Howlin’ Wolf.  Gun Club were a direct influence on the White Stripes, Screaming Trees and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.  By the ’90s, Pierce was struggling with personal demons and drugs, leading to a marked decline in his creative output.   He died of a brain hemorrhage on the final day of March, 1996.  He was just 37.

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Fire of Love - The Gun Club

Died On This Date (March 26, 2005) Paul Hester / Crowded House

Paul Hester
January 8, 1959 – March 26, 2005

Photo by David Plastik - Click To Order Quality Prints - Discount code: 10OFF
Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF

Paul Hester was the much-adored drummer Australian new wavers Split Enz for about a year before they called it quits. Split Enz leader, Neil Finn and Hester went on to form Crowded House with bassist Nick Seymour. The band’s catchy pop tunes would help usher in what we now know as “Alternative Rock” and would gain them world-wide fame. But ten years into the ride, Hester decided to leave the group to devote more time to his new daughter. His post-House life was just as, if not more, productive. He opened a restaurant and made numerous regular appearances on Australian radio and television including a recurring role as Paul the Cook on The Wiggles. He also hosted a popular ten-part variety-type show called Hessie’s Shed followed by the concert series, The Max Sessions. Tragically, Hester hanged himself on March 26, 2005. To many fans it was a shock to learn that Hester reportedly suffered from depression, since he always seemed so happy and fun-loving on stage.

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Photo by David Plastik - Click To Order Quality Prints - Discount code: 10OFF
Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF

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Crowded House - Crowded House

Died On This Date (March 26, 2006) Nikki Sudden / English Post Punk Singer-Songwriter

Nikki Sudden
July 15, 1956 – March 26, 2006

nikkiNikki Sudden was an English post-punk singer-songwriter who, along with his brother Epic Soundtracks, built a loyal following in Swell Maps and later Nikki Sudden & the Jacobites.  Fans gravitated toward Sudden’s music due in part to its sound that was noticeably influenced by early Stones, Faces, T.Rex and Johnny Thunders.   Sudden died after a show on March 26, 2006.  He had been working on a new album which was released later that year.

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Treasure Island - Nikki Sudden

Died On This Date (March 26, 2009) John Mayhew / Drummer For Genesis

John Mayhew
March 27, 1947 – March 26, 2009

John Mayhew was an English drummer who is best remembered as the third one in the progressive rock band, Genesis.  He joined the group in 1969, replacing John Silver.  He was then replaced by Phil Collins a year later.  During his short tenure, Mayhew played on Tresspass.   Not much is known about Mayhew’s post-Genesis life, many in fact, assumed he had died since rumors circulated that he had never claimed a royalty check.  He did resurface at a Genesis convention in 2006.  John Mayhew passed away on March 26, 2009.

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Trespass - Genesis

Died On This Date (March 26, 2004) Jan Berry / Jan and Dean

Jan Berry
April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004

With Dean Torrence, Jan Berry successfully recorded as Jan and Dean, one of the true pioneers of what would become known as surf music. Along with the Beach Boys, they ruled the genre during the late ’50s through the mid ’60s. Their smash hits included “Surf City,” “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena,” and the prophetic “Dead Man’s Curve.” If being pop stars didn’t take enough time, Berry was also an exceptional college student attending both UCLA and what is now known as the UC Irvine School Of Medicine. Two years into med school, tragedy struck. While on his way to a business meeting, Berry crashed his Corvette into a parked gardener truck on a Beverly Hills road not far from the actual “Dead Man’s Curve” of Sunset Blvd. The accident left Berry with brain damage and partial paralysis from which he never fully recovered. He was able to stay productive through the ’70s and ’80s as a producer and sometime performer and was involved with several Jan and Dean reissue packages into the 2000s. Berry passed away at age 62.


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Jan and Dean