Singer

Died On This Date (June 25, 1976) Johnny Mercer / Songwriter; Cofounder of Capitol Records

Johnny Mercer
November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976

Johnny Mercer was a popular songwriter whose many songs made stars out of their singers during the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.  He gave us such standards as “Days Of Wine And Roses,” “P.S. I Love You,” “Jeepers Creepers,” “Day In, Day Out,” and “Hooray For Hollywood” to name just a few.  Mercer moved to Hollywood in 1935 and became one if the most in-demand songwriters in film.  In 1942 he along with Buddy DeSylva and Glen Wallichs started Capitol Records where I used to work.  In 1975, Mercer learned he had an inoperable brain tumor which lead to his death on June 25, 1976.

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Capitol Collectors Series: Johnny Mercer - Johnny Mercer

 

Died On This Date (June 24, 2008) Ira B. Tucker / Sang Lead For The Dixie Hummingbirds

Ira B. Tucker
May 17, 1925 – June 24, 2008

Ira B. Tucker, 2nd from left

Ira B. Tucker Sr. was the lead singer for the celebrated gospel vocal group, the Dixie Hummingbirds.  Joining the group at the age of 13, Tucker fronted them for the next 70 years.  They have been called a direct inspiration for the likes of Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Paul Simon, B.B. King, Jackie Wilson and Aretha Franklin.  Tucker died of heart failure at the age of 83.



Died On This Date (June 24, 2009) Bill Harrell / Bluegrass Picker

Bill Harrell
September 14, 1934 – June 24, 2009

bharrellBill Harrell was a bluegrass pioneer who helped build the scene in the acoustic music Washington DC/Baltimore area.  He began playing the guitar as a child and by the time he was in college, bluegrass was his music of choice.  Over the years, Harrell performed and recorded with many of the areas great players.  He’s also performed on Porter Wagoner’s and Jimmy Dean’s television programs.  He died following a stroke at the age of 74.

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Bill Harrell & The Virginians: Classic Bluegrass - Bill Harrell & The Virginians

 

Died On This Date (June 24, 2010) JoJo Billingsley / Back Up Singer For Lynyrd Skynyrd

JoJo Billingsley (Born Deborah Jo White)
1952 – June 24, 2010

JoJo Billingsley was a songwriter and vocalist who is perhaps best remembered as a member of the “Honkettes,” the so-nicknamed back-up singers for Lynyrd Skynyrd for nearly four years.  Billingsley joined the group in 1975, touring the world during their peak years.  That all came to a tragic end on October 20, 1977 when she was the only member of the band not killed in a plane crash that took the lives of Ronnie Van Zant, Cassie Gaines, Steve Gaines, Dean Kilpatrick (the band’s road manager) the pilot and co-pilot.  Billingsley has always maintained that she had a dream that the plane would crash just two nights prior and tried to stop the others from taking it.  The accident lead her to devote her life to the Lord as both a singer and later, minister.  In 2006, she reunited with the then-current members of Lynyrd Skynyrd at a their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  She also performed with members of the group at occasional charity or memorial events in recent years.  Jojo Billingsley was 58 when she died of cancer on June 24, 2010.

Thanks to Craig Rosen of Number1Albums for the assist.



Died On This Date (June 22, 1969) Judy Garland

Judy Garland
June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969

Judy Garland was a star of stage, screen and a record through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years.  Starting out on vaudeville with her sister act, The Gumm Sisters (she was born Francis Gumm), would go on to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, an Emmy and several Grammys.  Best known for her iconic role as Dorothy in 1939’s The Wizard Of Oz, Garland also wowed audiences with her standing-room-only concert performances.  She was considered by many to be the greatest female entertainer the US had ever produced.  Despite her years of success and respect, Garland lived in a personal hell, no thanks in part to studio executives who told her she was too fat or unattractive.  That lead to an addiction to weight loss pills and other drugs.  Garland also suffered through financial troubles, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes.  She reportedly attempted suicide on more than one occasion but finally succumbed to an accidental overdose of barbiturates on June 22, 1969, leaving behind two daughters, Lorna Luft and Liza Minnelli, as well as son, Joey Luft.

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Judy At Carnegie Hall - Judy Garland