Died On This Date (September 27, 1995) Alison Steele / Pioneering FM Disc Jockey
themusicsover Alison Steele (Born Ceil Loman)
January 26, 1937 – September 27, 1995
Alison Steele was a popular disc jockey at New York’s WNEW, one of the country’s first FM stations to switch to a progressive album-track oriented format during the ’60s. For many years, Steele hosted the night shift, becoming known as “The Nightbird” to her many fans, most of whom were young male adults attracted to her sexy smoky voice. Jimi Hendrix’s “Night Bird Flying” was inspired by Steele. In later years Steele worked as a correspondent for CNN and did numerous voice-overs for television and radio. Alison Steele was 58 when she died of stomach cancer on September 27, 1995.
Jimmy McCulloch was a rock guitarist who played with Thunderclap Newman, Stone the Crows, and most famously, Paul McCartney’s band Wings from 1974 to 1977. His most celebrated contribution to Wings was his lead guitar work on “Junior’s Farm.” Jimmy McColluch died of a heroin overdose at the age of 26.
Beau Velasco was the founding drummer for up-and-coming electro-punk band, The Death Set. Formed in Australia in 2005, the band quickly moved to New York City and then settled in Baltimore where they began to build a following for their aggressive genre-bending music. In 2008, they signed to hip indie label, Counter Records, who released their debut album, Worldwide to positive reviews. Beau Valesco died on September 27, 2009. Cause of death was not immediately released.
John Bonham is best remembered as the powerful drummer for legendary British rock band Led Zeppelin and was arguably the greatest drummer rock has ever known. In 1968, Bonham was asked to join the new band guitarist, Jimmy Page was forming after the break-up of the Yardbirds. He had been recommended by singer, Robert Plant who had worked with Bonham some years earlier in a blues band called Crawling King Snakes. The Led Zeppelin line-up was rounded out with bassist, John Paul Jones. Over the next several years, Led Zeppelin grew in immense popularity due to their genre defining albums and explosive live shows. Bonham’s drumming was as important to the mix as anything else in the band. And his drum solos became a thing of legend, perhaps even introducing the concept to other young bands. One Bonham signature song in particular, “Moby Dick,” sometimes included solos as long as 30 minutes. With Led Zeppelin, Bonham played on some of rock music’s greatest songs. That list includes “Whole Lotta Love,” “Kashmir,” “Immigrant Song,” and of course, “Stairway To Heaven.” On September 24, 1980, Bonham was drinking heavily both prior to, and during band rehearsals. After calling it quits later that night, the band went to Page’s Windsor, England home to sleep. Sometime after midnight, the sleeping Bonham was placed in a bed for the night. He was found dead by Jones and a friend later that afternoon. John Bonham was dead at the age of 32. Cause of death was ruled pulmonary edema, having suffocated from breathing in his own vomit while passed out.