Rock

Died On This Date (November 29, 1998) Butch McDade / Amazing Rhythm Aces

David “Butch” McDade
February 24, 1946 – November 29, 1998

Butch McDade is best remembered as the founding drummer and sometime vocalist for country-rock band, the Amazing Rhythm Aces.  With a sound that has been compared to the Eagles, the Amazing Rhythm Aces found moderate popularity during the late ’70s after forming out of the ashes of a band lead by Jesse Winchester who moved to Canada to avoid the Vietnam draft.  The band released several albums during the ’70s and ‘8os and won a Grammy for the song, “The End Is Not In Site.”  Outside of the Amazing Rhythm Aces, McDade played in the touring bands of, among others, Roy Clark, Leon Russell, and Lonnie Mack.  Butch McDade was 52 when he died of cancer on November 29, 1998.

Died On This Date (November 29, 1992) Paul Ryan / English Singer-Songwriter

Paul Ryan
October 24, 1948 – November 29, 1992

L-R: Paul Ryan, Barry Ryan

Paul Ryan was a British singer-songwriter and producer who, along with his twin brother, Barry, performed as Paul & Barry Ryan during the ’60s.  Paul eventually left the limelight to concentrate on his songwriting.  His “Eloise” became a hit for the then-solo, Barry in 1968.  The song found a new life when the Damned’s cover of it landed at #3 on the UK singles chart in 1986.  Frank Sinatra and Dana Scallon also made hits out of Paul Ryan’s songs.  He was 44 when he died of cancer on November 29, 2009.

 



Died On This Date (November 26, 1973) John Rostill / The Shadows

John Rostill
June 16, 1942 – November 26, 1973

rostillJohn Rostill was an English musician and songwriter who is perhaps best remembered as a bassist for one of England’s most successful rock groups, the Shadows.  With 69 UK charting singles (including 17 #1s) they have been recognized as England’s third most successful charted singles act in history.  Only Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley sit above them.  They are also credited for being one of the very first and most influential rock bands to come to prominence in the years leading up to the Beatles.  After playing around London, at times backing such visiting acts as the Everly Brothers, Rostill was hired by the Shadows as a replacement for  Brian Locking.  He played with the band from 1963 to 1968.  After the group broke up in 1968, Rostill performed in Tom Jones’ touring band during the early ’70s.  He was also a successful songwriter, having been recorded by Presley and Olivia Newton-John (“Let Me Be There,” “If You Love Me, Let Me Know,” and “Please Mr. Please”).  By late 1973, the Shadows had reformed and Rostill was about to join back with them when tragedy struck.  On November 26, 1973, John Rostill, 31, was accidentally electrocuted while working in his home studio.

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The Shadows

Died On This Date (November 25, 1974) Nick Drake / Influential English Singer-Songwriter

Nick Drake
June 19, 1948 – November 25, 1974

nickdrakeNick Drake was an English singer-songwriter who in spite of selling in the neighborhood of just 5000 copies of each of his albums when released, went on to become one of the most influential and respected artists of his generation.  Drake came to relative prominence during the British folk movement of the late ’60s and early ’70s.  Oft compared to the likes of Syd Barrett, Donovan and Van Morrison, Drake released just three albums between 1969 and 1972.  They barely registered a blip back then, and the fact that Drake resisted performing live or granting interviews did nothing to help them find their audience.  Suffering from depression and insomnia for much of his life, Drake let those demons populate his dark songs.  During Drake’s final month’s, he became very reclusive, avoiding friends and family.  Mental illness had obviously taken hold of Drake’s spirit.   On November 25, 1974, Nick Drake, 26, died of an overdose of antidepressants in his parents home.  Local officials ruled it a suicide, though many close to him and with him during his final days strongly believe it was an accidental overdose.  Interest in Drake’s music continued to grow throughout the ’80s and ’90s as popular artists like Lucinda Williams, Elliott Smith, REM’s Peter Buck, and Robert Smith and of the Cure began citing him as an influence.  His songs also began finding new fans from numerous film and TV placements, including the usage of “Pink Moon” in a popular Volkswagen commercial in 2000.

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Pink Moon (Remastered) - Nick Drake

 

Died On This Date (November 24, 1991) Freddie Mercury / Queen

Freddie Mercury (Born Farrokh Bulsara)
September 5, 1946 – November 24, 1991

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Born Farrokh Bulsara in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Freddie Mercury would become one of rock’s most beloved and dynamic performers as the lead singer of Queen.  When Mercury was 17, he and his family fled Zanzibar to London due to the Zanzibar Revolution.  Mercury had been performing in bands since his school days, and he wasn’t about to stop when he got to London.  When he graduated from college in the late ’60s, he played in a handful of bands until he joined up with Brian May and Roger Taylor and later John Deacon, in what would soon be called Queen.  The band became one of the biggest musical acts during the ’70s and ’80s thanks in part to Mercury’s operatic voice and jaw dropping showmanship.  One show in particular, Queen’s comeback of sorts during the Live Aid concerts of 1985, has been called the greatest live performance in the history of rock music.  Mercury wrote many of the band’s biggest hits, including “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Are The Champions,” “Killer Queen,” and arguably their greatest, “Bohemian Rhapsody.”  In the spring of 1987, Mercury was reportedly diagnosed with AIDS, though it wouldn’t be officially announced publicly until November 23, 1991.  Freddie Mercury died the next day of bronchial pneumonia as a result of AIDS.

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A Night At the Opera - Queen