Died On This Date (December 2, 1982) David Blue / Greenwich Village Folk Singer
themusicsover David Blue (Born Stuart Cohen)
February 18, 1941 – December 2, 1982
David Blue was a folk singer songwriter who came to prominence as part of the Greenwich Village scene that also produced Eric Andersen, Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs. Blue’s most famous song, “Outlaw Man” was made so thanks to being covered by the Eagles on their Desperado album. Blue turned to acting during the mid-’70s, appearing in a Wim Wenders film as well as Human Highway, directed by Neil Young. David Blue, 41, suffered a fatal heart attack while jogging on December 2, 1982.
What You Should Own
Eric Woolfson was a much respected Scottish musician, songwriter and singer who is best remembered as one-half of the driving force behind the Alan Parsons Project. Woolfson started out mostly as a songwriter, penning songs for the likes of Marianne Faithfull, Peter Noone and the Tremeloes. In the early ’70s, he got into artist management, guiding the careers of Carl Douglas of “Kung Fu Fighting” fame and an up-and-coming producer, Alan Parsons who had previously engineered the Beatles’ Abbey Road and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. In 1975, the two began collaborating creatively and the Alan Parsons Project was born. Over the next decade, the group released such popular prog rock albums as I Robot, Pyramid and Eye in the Sky. Overall, they sold in excess of 40 million albums. By the early ’90s, Woolfson and Parsons parted ways with Woolfson moving into musical theater. Woolfson was later diagnosed with cancer and died from the disease on December 2, 2009. He was 64.
Sam Maghett, more commonly known as Magic Sam, was a respected Chicago blues musician who began building a following during the early ’50s thanks in part, to his distinctive tremolo, or “trembling” style of play. He was part of a new generation of blues musician that was breathing new life into the genre. That group including Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. Maghett landed a record deal in the late ’50s and although none of his records charted, they are considered very influential upon future generations of Chicago blues musicians. The momentum of Maghett’s career was cut short when he was drafted into the army, deserted after just a few weeks, resulting in a six month jail term. Magic Sam scored a few minor hits during the early ’60s, but suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 32.
