Died On This Date (February 16, 2013) Tony Sheridan / Early Beatles Collaborator
themusicsover Tony Sheridan (Born Anthony McGinnity)
May 21, 1940 – February 16, 2013
Tony Sheridan was an early English rock and roll singer, guitarist and songwriter who is most often recognized for his work with the pre-fame Beatles. He holds the honor of being only one of two non-Beatles to ever be credited on one of the groups recordings – the other being Billy Preston. Sheridan is also the only non-Beatle to sing lead on a single with them that charted (“My Bonnie”). Sheridan took an early liking to music, and at age seven, already knew how to play the violin. He soon switched to the guitar, and by the time he was 16, he was fronting his own band. Within a few years, he was either backing or sharing the stage with American musicians while they toured through the UK. That list includes Gene Vincent, Conway Twitty, and Eddie Cochran. During the early ’60s, Sheridan was recording in Hamburg and generally hired pick-up bands to back him on stage. In 1961, thanks to a mutual admiration, he hired the Beatles, who at the time, were made up of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon and Pete Best. Polydor producer, Bert Kaempfert, caught their act and convinced Sheridan to record with them. The songs recorded during those 1961 sessions included, most famously, “My Bonnie,” “The Saints,” “Cry For A Shadow,” and “Ain’t She Sweet.” The latter two were utilized by the Beatles. The 1st US pressing of “My Bonnie”/”The Saints” is one of the most collectible 45’s out there with a mint copy fetching $15,000 back in 2007. During the mid-’60s, Sheridan moved his style to a more jazz and blues sound but unfortunately, most of his fans didn’t go along for the ride. Although his record sales dwindled, he still remained a popular live act for many years. In 1967, Sheridan went over the Vietnam to perform for the American troops. During one such trip, he and his band were fired upon, killing one musician and leading to false reports that Sheridan himself, was killed. For his efforts during the war, the US Army made Sheridan an honorary Captain. He continued to perform and record until heart surgery forced him into retirement in 2012. Tony Sheridan was 72 when he passed away on February 16, 2013.
Thanks to Brett Ortone at Go Aloha Entertainment for the assist.
What You Should Own
Straight outta the Bronx, Tim Dog was not shy about proclaiming his disdain for West Coast rap with his 1991 hit, “Fuck Compton.” The popular N.W.A.-targeting “diss” song appeared on his 1991 debut, Penicillin on Wax and sparked wax responses from the likes of DJ Quik, Compton’s Most Wanted, and Dr. Dre among others. The song ultimately landing on XXL Magazine’s Top 25 Diss Tracks Of All Time. Dog followed up with Do Or Die two years later along with two other albums in the mid 2000s. Earlier in his career, Dog recorded with Ultramagnetic MCs as well as Ultra with Kool Keith. On the business side, Dog held high-ranking positions at Rap Legends Recordings, Our Turn Records, Big Xity Entertainment, and BMC Management. In 2012, Dog was the subject of a Dateline NBC episode due to his 2011 involvement in an online dating scam for which he was sentenced to five years probation. On February 14, 2013, Tim Dog died from a seizure reportedly triggered by a long battle with diabetes. He was 46.
Reg Presley was the front man for legendary British garage band, the Troggs. Their biggest hit came with their 1966 cover of Chip Taylor’s “Wild Thing” which reached #1 on the Billboard singles chart that year. Their version came in at #257 on Rolling Stone‘s list of The Top 500 Songs of All Time. Their follow-up single, “With A Girl Like You” was nearly as popular in the UK, but failed to ignite in the US. Their three most popular singles, the two listed above along with “Love Is All Around,” sold over a million copies each. Besides the impact their “Wild Thing” continues to have on rock music to this day, the band itself can take at least partial credit for influencing the birth of punk and garage rock. As a songwriter, Presley’s biggest hit was “Love Is All Around,” which was another big hit in the UK, but barely cracked the Top 100 in the US. It did however, enjoy a new life when Wet Wet Wet topped the UK charts with it in 1994. At over 1.8 million copies sold at the time, it was the tenth biggest selling single in England. Th royalties Presley enjoyed from its sales went to fund his research on crop circles on which he wrote the 2002 book, Wild Things They Don’t Tell Us. Presley continued to tour with the Troggs up until his retirement in 2012 due to health concerns. Reg Presley was 71 when he died of cancer and a series of strokes on February 4, 2013. Troggs founding drummer, 
Patty Andrews, along with her two older sisters, 
Ann Rabson was an influential blues singer and musician who is often recognized for helping bring blues women to the forefront of the genre. Over a career that began in 1962, Rabson performed and recorded as a solo act and as part of an acoustic blues collective known as Sapphire, the Uppity Blues Women. Over the course of her career, she received several 