Singer

Died On This Date (December 23, 1994) Dan Hamilton / Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds

Dan Hamilton
June 1, 1946 – December 23, 1994

Photo courtesy of Danielle Plancich
Photo courtesy of Danielle Plancich

Dan Hamilton was the founding lead singer and guitarist of Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds, a soft-rock band who came to prominence thanks to a string of hits during the ’70s.  Before the formation of the band however, Hamilton found some success as a songwriter, penning “Diamond Head,” which was a minor hit for the Ventures.  Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds formed in 1965 as the T-Bones, the backing band for Hamilton’s brother, actor Judd Hamilton who had just been signed to Liberty Records.   In 1970, they signed their own deal and changed their name to Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds.  It was then they began releasing such hits as “Don’t Pull Your Love,” and “Fallin’ In Love.”  In 1993, Hamilton suddenly developed an illness that baffled his doctors.  He went from a physically active man to one who had difficulty walking and doing most other physical activities.  It was eventually determined that he was suffering from a rare hormone disorder called Cushing’s Syndrome.  Dan Hamilton was 48 when he died as a result of the condition on December 23, 1994.



Died On This Date (December 23, 2006) Dutch Mason / Canadian Blues Legend

Norman “Dutch” Mason
February 19, 1938 – December 23, 2006

dutch-mason

Dutch Mason was a Canadian musician and singer who fans dubbed, the Prime Minister of the Blues.  Mason began his music career during the ’50s in rock ‘n roll and rockabilly, but switched to the blues during the ’60s.  By the ’70s, he was one of the most popular touring acts throughout Canada.  Over the course of his career, he released over a dozen albums and was nominated for at least two Juno Awards, Canada’s version of the Grammys.  He also hosted his own yearly blues festival where performers from all over the world came to play.  Dutch Mason, 68, passed away from health related issues on December 23, 2006.

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Dutch Mason

Died On This Date (December 22, 2002) Joe Strummer / The Clash

Joe Strummer (Born John Mellor)
August 21, 1952 – December 22, 2002

Joe Strummer was the co-founding lead singer of the Clash, arguably the most influential band on modern rock.  The Clash made their professional debut on America’s bicentennial, July 4, 1976, in support of the Sex Pistols at a Sheffield, England club.  They soon signed with CBS Records and began releasing some of rock music’s most important albums.  It was the band’s seamless marriage of punk, reggae and rockabilly along with their politically charged lyrics that endeared them to both critics and fans alike.  Their ambitious by punk standards double-album, London Calling, was selected by Rolling Stone magazine as the best album of the ’80s even though it was released in 1979.  Much like the Beatles in their time, the Clash made many a young kid around the world pick up a guitar and start a band.  Along with the Sex Pistols, they laid the foundation of what would eventually be called alternative rock.  Following the break up of the Clash in 1986, Strummer contributed to the Sid and Nancy soundtrack and gave a hand to former Clash mate, Mick Jones’ new band, Big Audio Dynamite, as well as the Pogues.    Strummer also made a go at acting, appearing in such films as Walker, Straight To Hell, and Mystery Train.  By 1999, Strummer had formed a new group called the Mescaleros, a band that carried on in the spirit of the Clash.  They made three albums together before Strummer’s untimely death.  On December 22, 2002, Joe Strummer, 50, died suddenly of a congenital heart defect.

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London Calling - The Clash

Died On This Date (December 22, 1985) D. Boon / The Minutemen

Dennes “D.” Boon
April 1, 1958 – December 22, 1985

d-boon

Member of the 27 Club

D. Boon was the founder, lead singer, guitarist and primary lyricist for Southern California punk band, the Minutemen. Formed in 1980, the trio included bassist Mike Watt and George Hurley on drums.  Though mostly underground, their influence on alternative rock can not be denied, particularly on bands like Sublime.  The band recorded four albums and eight EPs for SST Records, helping bring the label international acclaim.  In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine selected Boon as the 89th greatest guitarist of all time and included the Minutemen’s Double Nickels on The Dime on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.  On December 22, 1985, Boon was laying in the back of the band’s tour van when they got in an accident along an Arizona highway.  Because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt, Boon was thrown from the van and was killed instantly at the age of 27.

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Double Nickels On the Dime - Minutemen

Died On This Date (December 22, 1939) Ma Rainey / Blues Icon

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey
September, 1882 or April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939

Called the Mother of the Blues, Ma Rainey was one of it’s earliest stars as well as one of it’s first generation to record.  She was a direct influence on Bessie Smith and no doubt, countless more.   She began her music career as a vaudeville performer at just 14.  Several years later, Smith joined that same troupe as a dancer and soon learned to sing the blues from Rainey.  In 1923, Rainey made her first recording, and over the next five years, she recorded more than 100 songs, including “C.C. Rider” (better known as “See See Rider”), “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and “Bo Weevil Blues.”  Over the years, she was backed by such musicians as Louis Armstrong, Coleman Hawkins, and Fletcher Henderson.   With the music of blues’ first generation falling out of favor by the early ’30s, Rainey retired to run a couple of theaters in her hometown in 1932.  On December 22, 1939, Ma Rainey died of a heart attack.

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Ma Rainey