Died On This Date (June 19, 2013) Slim Whitman / Country Music Legend
themusicsover Ottis “Slim” Whitman
January 20, 1923 or 1924 – June 19, 2013
Slim Whitman was an American country singer, songwriter and guitarist who is perhaps best remembered for his high voice and yodeling skills. Highly influential, even George Harrison and Michael Jackson have cited Whitman as an influence. Born in Tampa, Florida, Whitman served in the US Navy during World War II before launching his music career. While working in a shipyard, he was given the opportunity to sing on a local Tampa radio station only to be heard by Col. Tom Parker of Elvis Presley fame who helped secure Whitman his first recording contract with RCA Records in 1948. A series of country hits followed until 1955, when he scored his first #1 pop hit with “Rose Marie.” The record sat at the top of the UK charts for an unprecedented 11 weeks until Bryan Adams broke the record in 1991. In 1979, Whitman appeared in one of the earliest infomercials on television. The piece is considered THE most successful one ever, responsible for selling 1.5 million copies of his All My Best greatest hits album. Over the course of his career, Whitman sold over 120 million albums which include his most recent, 2010’s Twilight On The Trail, his first new studio album in 26 years. Slim Whitman died of heart failure on June 19, 2013. He was 90 years old.
What You Should Own
Darondo was a San Francisco funk and soul singer who found his career reignited during the late 2000s thanks to a few key film and TV song placements and reissues of his early recordings. Although not a household name, Darondo is considered one of the greats of ’70s soul by those in the know. With a flair for style and a somewhat unique and soulful voice, Darondo was a cult hero at best since he started making records during the ’60s. By the early ’70s, Darondo’s career seemed to be taking off. He opened for Sly Stone and somehow earned enough money to drive around in a lavish Rolls Royce complete with a bar, hot plate, phone, and table that slid out of the trunk. Some swore he was a pimp, which he has always denied, although he generally dressed the part. In 1973, he had a minor hit with “Didn’t I,” following which his career stalled thanks in part to legal disputes with his then-manager. But the song (and Darondo’s career) began picking up steam for a comeback when a London DJ started playing it in 2008. Fans of Breaking Bad might remember hearing it over the opening credits during the “Cancer Man” episode of the first season. Darondo’s songs have also been featured in such recent films and television programs as Saint John Of Las Vegas, Life On Mars, Night Catches Us, and Jack Goes Boating. Much of Darondo’s music has been lovingly compiled or re-released by Omnivore Recordings and Ubiquity/Luv N Haight Records. Darondo was 67 when he died of heart failure on June 9, 2013.
Marvin Junior was a founding member of the influential doo-wop group, the Dells. Formed initially as the El-Rays in 1952, the vocal group released one single for Checker Records before changing their name and moving on to the legendary Vee-Jay Records in 1955. The following year, they released their first hit single, “Oh What A Night” which reached the Top 5 on the R&B charts and went on to sell over a million copies. Rolling Stone magazine lists it at #260 on their survey of the Top 500 Songs of All Time. The Dells went on to have several more Top 40 hits including “Stay In My Corner,” “There Is,” and “Always Together.” For over four decades, the group continued to tour and released more than 25 original albums which, in many cases, helped define their individual labels’ sound. The group recorded new material as recently as 2002’s Open Up My Heart: The 9/11 Album. In 1991, Junior and other members of the Dells worked as consultants on Robert Townsend‘s hit movie, The Five Heartbeats which was more or less inspired by them. They continued touring up until Marvin Junior, age 77, died in his sleep on May 29, 2013. He had reportedly been struggling from kidney failure and a weak heart. The group’s 
Clarence Burke, Jr. was the front man for the legendary soul group, the Five Stairsteps. Formed by five siblings in 1965, the “First Family of Soul,” as they were known, is perhaps best remembered for their Top 10 single, “O-o-h Child,” which was released in 1970. Throughout the years, the song has been covered, sampled and used in films and television countless times. Burke was not only the lead singer of the group, but was also their guitar player, choreographer and primary songwriter. During the mid ’70s, the Stairsteps, as they were then known, were introduced to the 
