Singer

Died On This Date (July 10, 2010) Sugar Minott / Reggae Legend

Lincoln “Sugar” Minott
May 25, 1956 – July 10, 2010

Sugar Minott was a reggae pioneer who began his career during the late ’60s as a member of the African Brothers.  Their early recordings are noted to have shown the Rastafaris’ influence on the development of reggae music.  Minott soon went to work at Coxsone Dodd’s legendary Studio One as a back up musician, singer and overall apprentice, eventually branching out to make his first solo records there.  His recordings of the late ’70s and early ’80s are considered some of the biggest influences on reggae’s dancehall scene.  He also released several UK charting roots and lovers rock style records throughout the ’80s.  Meanwhile, Minott operated one of Jamaica’s most popular sound systems which was set up in public parks and afforded countless young reggae artists their first opportunities to perform in front of an audience.  He also produced records by the likes of Daddy Freddy, Horace Andy and Barrington Levy.  Others with which he collaborated were  Sly & Robbie and Mikey Dread, to name a couple.   Sugar Minott was 54 when he died in a Kingston hospital.  Cause of death was likely due to a heart conditioned he suffered from.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number 1 Albums for the assist.

What You Should Own

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Nice It Up - The Best of Sugar Minott - Sugar Minott

Died On This Date (July 10, 2009) Bob Willis / “Mr. Country Gospel”

Bob Willis
February 23, 1934 – July 10, 2009

bobwillisBob Willis was a preacher and respected country singer and songwriter, so much so that he has been called “Mr. Country Gospel.”  Willis began writing straight country songs when he was just twelve years old but switched to country gospel when he turned his focus to the ministry at age 26.  Over his career, Willis published over 140 songs and had songs recorded by over 100 artists including Jimmie Davis.  Bob Willis passed away at the age of 75.

 


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 8, 2009) Dani Baquet-Long / Celer

Dani Baquet-Long
1983 – July 8, 2008

danibaquet
Photo by Will Long

Dani Baquet-Long was half of the husband-and-wife ambient duo, Celer. Besides performing and recording with her husband, Will Long, Baquet-Long made worked solo as Chubby Wolf.  According to Long’s post on the pair’s myspace page, he found Baquet-Long unconscious in bed during the morning ours of July 8th.  After paramedics arrived and revived her, she fell into a coma and passed away.  She was 26 years old.

What You Should Own

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Dying Star - Celer

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