Died On This Date (July 3, 1972) Mississippi Fred McDowell / Blues Icon
themusicsover Mississippi Fred McDowell
January 12, 1904 – July 3, 1972
Mississippi Fred McDowell was born outside of Memphis and picked up the guitar at the age of 14. By his early 20s, McDowell was playing dances in and around Memphis, mastering the art of the slide guitar. In the late ’50s, he was exposed to a larger audience thanks to recordings he made for folklorist, Alan Lomax. He was a direct influence on Bonnie Raitt, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, the Rolling Stones and countless others. McDowell died of cancer at the age of 67.
What You Should Own
Although he was proficient at a number of wind instruments, 
Born in Russia, Natasha Shneider, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer for, most notably, ’90s rock band Eleven. Shneider moved to the United States, where her band, with former Red Hot Chili Pepper, Jack Irons and husband, Alain Johannes, had a few minor hits through the early ’90s thanks to their hard alternative rock sound that was part grunge and part funk-metal. In later years, Shneider and Johannes lent their talents on recordings by No Doubt, Chris Cornell, and Queens Of The Stone Age, with whom they also toured. Natasha Shneider lost her battle with cancer on July 2, 2008.