Rock

Died On This Date (July 10, 2008) Stu Sobol / Artist Manager

Stu Sobol

May 25, 1958 – July 10, 2008

Stu Sobol began his career at retail, working for Wherehouse Records in Van Nuys, California. In later years, Sobol went into artist management, establishing his solid with Spivak Sobol Entertainment and later, The Firm after the two companies merged. Over his twenty year career in management, Sobol oversaw the careers of Seether, A Perfect Circle, Yellowcard, Vanessa Carlton, and Zach de la Rocha. Sobol also served on the City of Calabasas Traffic And Transportation Commission. He died of complications from pneumonia on July 10, 2008. He was 50.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.



Died On This Date (July 8, 2009) John McDonald Jr. aka Midnight / Crimson Glory

Midnight (Born John McDonald Jr.)
1962 – July 8, 2009

midnightKnown simply as Midnight, John McDonald was the founding lead singer of ’80s progressive metal band, Crimson Glory.   Formed in 1982 in Sarasota, Florida, Crimson Glory quickly made their mark as one of the most revered metal acts in the area.  Dawning full-face masks in the beginning, the band was soon earning recognition in best-of polls with Midnight being named Most Outstanding Male Vocalist at 1989’s Tampa Music Awards.  During the ’90s, Midnight left the band and more or less disappeared from the scene.  He died of liver and kidney failure at 47 years old on July 8, 2009.

What You Should Own

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Transcendence - Crimson Glory

Died On This Date (July 7, 1993) Mia Zapata / The Gits

Mia Zapata
August 25, 1965 – July 7, 1993

Member of the 27 Club

Mia Zapata was the powerful lead singer of the highly influential Seattle punk band, the Gits.   As a child growing up in Louisville, Zapata was exposed to music by some of the greatest voices in America, Hank Williams, Ray Charles, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.  While at a Ohio college during the mid ’80s, Zapata co-founded the Gits.  In 1989, the band moved to Seattle to be closer to what was quickly becoming a scene of like-minded bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney.  The band quickly built a local following partly due the release of a handful of solid singles and their critically acclaimed debut album, Frenching The Bully.   Things appeared to be on the verge of taking off for the band when tragedy struck.  In the early morning hours of July 7, 1993, Zapata left a friend’s apartment to presumably walk or catch a cab home.  She never made it.  Police reports indicate that she was beaten, raped and strangled at approximately 2:15 am, her body left in a “Christ like” pose in the middle of the street.  Her murder would go unsolved for ten years until a DNA match linked a Florida man to the crime.  He was convicted of Mia Zapata’s murder on March 25, 2004

What You Should Own

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Frenching the Bully - The Gits

Died On This Date (July 7, 2006) Syd Barrett / Pink Floyd

Roger “Syd” Barrett
January 6, 1946 – July 7, 2006

Syd Barrett was, most famously, a founding member and singer of Pink Floyd. Though only active in music for about seven years and heard on just two Pink Floyd albums, Barrett left an indelible mark on rock music and influenced countless followers. Even such contemporaries as Pete Townshend, Paul McCartney, Marc Bolan and David Bowie have acknowledged much respect for his work. Post-Barrett Pink Floyd albums, Wish You Were Here and Dark Side Of The Moon paid tribute to the man. Barrett left Pink Floyd in 1968 for what many believe was mental illness (perhaps schizophrenia) worsened by heavy drug use. After two solo albums, Barrett retired to a quiet and mostly secluded life of painting and gardening. In fact many were surprised to learn that was still alive when his passing was announced in 2006. Syd Barrett died of pancreatic cancer on July 7, 2006.

What You Should Own

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The Piper At the Gates of Dawn (40th Anniversary Complete Edition) - Pink Floyd

On This Date (July 7, 2008) Hugh Mendl / Influential Decca Producder

Hugh Mendl
August 6, 1919 – July 7, 2008

Hugh Mendl started his music career in the early ’40s when his grandfather, then chairman of Decca Records gave him his first job as a producer at the label.  He stayed there for some 40 years.  Over the years, the label followed Mendl’s great ear by signing such acts as Lonnie Donegan, the Moody Blues, Genesis, David Bowie and John Mayall.  One act that the label famously did ignore his pleas to sign was the Beatles.  Mendl eventually grew disillusioned with business and retired to become an antique dealer.  He passed away in 2008 at the age of 89.