Died On This Date (May 20, 1964) Rudy Lewis / The Drifters
themusicsover Rudy Lewis
August 23, 1936 – May 20, 1964
After a run singing with the Clara Ward Singers, Rudy Lewis joined the Drifters as part of the group’s second generation that followed Clyde McPhatter. In the group alongside Ben E. King, Lewis sang lead on such classic recordings as “Some Kind Of Wonderful,” “On Broadway,” and “Up On The Roof.” He also sang most of King’s songs in concert since King was not permitted to tour with the group. On May 21, 1964, Lewis was scheduled to go into the studio to record their future hit, “Under The Boardwalk,” but his body was found in his bed, dead from the night before. Cause of death was never determined, as some accounts claimed he overdosed, while others said he choked to death in his sleep, likely due to binge eating. Johnny Moore went on to record the song.
What You Should Own
Henry “Butch” Stone is best remembered as a singer and saxophonist with Les Brown & His Band of Renown. Stone learned to play the sax as a child and went on to play, as well as sing, in his high school band. By the ’40s, he was playing in Brown’s band with whom he stayed for many years. Stone’s “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” was very popular at the time. Throughout his career, Stone entertained American soldiers as part of Bob Hope’s shows well over a dozen times. He passed away at the age of 96.
Susannah McCorkle was an American jazz vocalist who made a name for herself during the late ’70s to early ’90s thanks to her quietly intensive voice. She signed to respected jazz label, Concord Records in the early ’90s and released two critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums. Around that time, she also made recordings for the Smithsonian Institution, being the youngest artist to do so at the time. McCorkle was also a published author, having penned short stories for Cosmopoliton and Madamoiselle as well as essays in the New York Times Magazine. McCorkle was a breast cancer survivor, but suffered from depression for many years. She took her own life at the age of 55 by leaping from the balcony of her Manhattan apartment.
Ian Curtis was the troubled singer and main songwriter for the Manchester rock band, Joy Division. Even as a young boy, Curtis showed signs of being a gifted writer, and by his late teens, he was turning his focus on becoming a rock performer. By 1978 he was fronting Joy Division. His lyrics were dark, sad and intensely hopeless. On stage, Curtis, who was epileptic, would mimic those fits while dancing. Unless of course he was having an actual seizure on stage. Fans sometimes didn’t know the difference. On May 18, 1980, two weeks after what would be Joy Division’s final show, Ian Curtis hanged himself in his kitchen. Some have speculated that the drugs he took for epilepsy and the exhaustive touring may have contributed to his desire to take his life. Others claim it was his disappointment over his failed marriage. Following the death of Curtis, the other members of Joy Division went on to form New Order.