Died On This Date (August 9, 1974) Bill Chase, Wally Yohn, John Emma, Walter Clark / Chase
themusicsover Bill Chase
October 20, 1934 – August 9, 1974
Wally Yohn
DOB Unknown – August 9, 1974
John Emma
DOB Unknown – August 9, 1974
Walter Clark
DOB Unknown – August 9, 1974
Bill Chase, John Emma, Wally Yohn and Walter Clark were members Chase, an early ’70s jazz rock band whose sound was not dissimilar to Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears. Formed in the late ’60s by Bill Chase, a trumpet player who had previously played with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson, the band released their debut album in 1971. That album, Chase earned them a Best New Artist Grammy nomination. Known for their rousing live shows, the band toured the world, in many cases blowing the headlining act off the stage. They recorded a few more albums and had some personnel changes over the next couple of years. While working on their fourth album in August of 1974, the band were en route to perform at a fair in Minnesota. Bad weather caused the plane to crash, killing Bill Chase, Wally Yohn, Walter Clark and John Emma as well as the pilot and a female passenger.
With his band, Samson, Paul Samson helped usher in the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal of the late ’70s. With contemporaries like Iron Maiden, Motorhead and Girlschool, Samson brought a cleaner, more progressive sound to the metal that originated from the likes of Black Sabbath. Forming the band in 1978, Samson built a steady cult following over it’s six-year existence. At one point, the band was fronted by Bruce Bruce who later changed his name back to Bruce Dickinson and left to join Iron Maiden. Samson’s guitar could also be heard on Ram Jam’s 1977 hit, “Black Betty.” Samson died of cancer while recording a Samson comeback album in 2002.
Although Michael Viner is likely best remembered as a pioneer in the audio books industry, he did make a significant mark on music as well. Viner was a record producer and label executive during the ’70s. While at MGM Records, Viner signed the likes of Debby Boone. As a producer, he worked with 
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