Died On This Date (June 27, 1986) Joe Maphis / 50s’ Country Music Guitar God
themusicsover Otis “Joe” Maphis
May 12, 1921 – June 27, 1986
Known as the “King of the Strings,” Joe Maphis was arguably one of country music’s most accomplished electric guitarists, or at the very least, one of its most exciting to watch and hear. Maphis began making a name for himself as part of the Bakersfield scene of the ’40s and ’50s. He released several records, the most successful being “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (and Loud, Loud Music).” Throughout his career, Maphis played with such luminaries as Wanda Jackson, Rick Nelson, and Rose Maddox, and is said to have been an influence on no less than Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. Joe Maphis was 65 when he passed away on June 27, 1986
What You Should Own
Jackie Washington was one of those artists that was referred to as both a jazz and blues singer. Born in Ontario, Canada, Washington taught himself how to play the guitar at thirteen. This helped the family during the depression as he and his brothers began performing to earn extra money for their large family. During the late ’40s, Washington became Canada’s first African American disc jockey, hosting a jazz show on a Hamilton radio station. Washington’s career as a musician kicked into high gear during the folk revival of the ’60s, becoming a regular along Canada’s folk and blues festival circuits. Besides making several albums of his own, including four excellent titles for Vanguard Records, Washington appeared on recordings by such greats as 
Sergio Vega was a popular Mexican singer who, along with his brothers, gained fame as Los Hermanos Vega after moving to Phoenix, Arizona during the ’80s. They eventually returned to Mexico and began releasing hit records under the name, Los Reyes del Norte. By 2000, Vega retired from the music business only to make a much welcomed return as a solo artist in 2004. He released several records that landed on the Billboard Latin Music charts over the next few years. Reports indicate that during the early hours of June 27, 2010, Vega and his band were traveling by vehicle in or near Sinoloa, Mexico when they were involved in a violent altercation with passengers of another vehicle. Sergio Vega, who was 40 years old, was fatally shot during the incident.
Son Thomas was a Mississippi born Delta blues musician who made the rounds of the area’s juke joints before making his first recordings in the late ’60s. A documentary of his life, Delta Blues Singer: James “Sonny Ford” Thomas, was released in 1970. Thomas passed away on June 26, 1998 at the age of 71. His headstone was paid for by John Fogerty.
Johnny Jenkins was a flashy electric blues guitarist who, during the early ’60s lead a Memphis band called the Pinetoppers. In 1962, Jenkins and the band were at the legendary Stax studio working on a new record when his driver – Jenkins didn’t have a driver’s license – was offered a chance to record a track during some leftover studio time. That driver happened to be 