Died On This Date (November 5, 2002) Billy Guy / The Coasters
themusicsover Billy Guy
June 20, 1936 – November 5, 2002
Billy Guy is best remembered as the bass vocalist in the 1950s R&B vocal group, the Coasters. It is he who sang lead on “Searchin,” “Run Red Run,” and numerous others. The Coasters were one of the few vocal groups that were considered as much rock ‘n roll as they were R&B. In fact, when the inaugural group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced in 1987, the Coasters were included on that list. Guy was also respected for his comedic abilities, as evident on a handful of comedy records he made outside of the Coasters. In later years, Guy worked as a producer, working on several albums between the late ’60s and early ’70s. Billy Guy, 66, died of cardiovascular disease in his Las Vegas home on November 5, 2002.
What You Should Own
Johnny Horton was a popular country singer, musician and songwriter who came to prominence during the 1950s. His main contribution to popular music was that it was he who ushered in the so-called historical ballad craze of the late ’50s. His 1959 single “The Ballad of New Orleans” was one of the most popular songs of the decade and earned him a Best Country Record Grammy. Other songs like “Sink the Bismarck” and “North to Alaska” were popular with country music fans and history buffs alike. On November 5, 1960 while driving home from an Austin, Texas performance, Johnny Horton, 35, was killed when his car was hit head-on by a drunk driver.
Eugene Powell was a Mississippi born Delta blues musician who, like so many of his peers, picked up the guitar while still a child. During his early career, Powell, who was also proficient on the banjo, violin and harmonica, occasionally performed and recorded with the Mississippi Sheiks. Sometimes performing under the name of Sonny Boy Nelson, Powell built a strong regional following throughout the ’30s and ’40s. But as rock ‘n roll and R&B began to take root, his music began to fall out of favor with young audiences so he was all but retired during the ’50s. He experienced a bit of a comeback during the folk revival of the ’60s, and was encouraged to record and tour the festival circuit. He signed to Adelphi Records in the early ’70s and recorded such sides as “Street Walkin’,” “Suitcase Full of Trouble,” “44 Blues,” and “Meet Me in the Bottoms.” By the ’90s, Powell’s health began to ail so he was living in a nursing facility. He passed away on November 4, 1998.
Byron Lee was a Jamaican musician, band leader and producer who has been credited for introducing the electric bass to Jamaica. He formed the Dragonaires in the early ’50s. They went on to become one of the most successful and influential ska bands Jamaica has ever known. As a producer, Lee worked with the likes of the Maytals. He later bought a recording studio and turned it into the best of it’s kind in Jamaican, hosting the Rolling Stones and Paul Simon among other major acts. In 2007, it became known that Lee was being treated for bladder cancer. Although he was no longer able to perform with the Dragonaires, he continued on in a management capacity. Byron Lee died of cancer at the age of 73.
Fred “Sonic” Smith was the founding guitarist for Detroit proto punk band, the MC5. Formed in 1964 with Wayne Kramer, 