Died On This Date (June 9, 2012) Abram Wilson / Jazz Trumpeter & Singer
themusicsover Abram Wilson
August 30, 1973 – June 9, 2012
Abram Wilson was a respected New Orleans raised jazz musician and singer. Just nine years old when he first picked up the trumpet, Wilson received his education at the New Orleans Center For Creative Arts and later, Ohio Wesleyan University. He rounded out his musical training at the prestigious Eastman School of Music. After graduation, Wilson formed his first band of note, the Abram Wilson Quintet who performed with Roy Hargrove and appeared on record with Ruth Brown. By the early 2000s, Wilson had relocated to London where he collaborated with numerous musicians while recording a handful of albums of his own. On June 9, 2012, Abram Wilson passed away following his battle with cancer. He was 39.
What You Should Own
Known professionally as Lil’ Phat, Melvin Vernell was an Atlanta area rapper who collaborated with Trill Entertainment’s Webbie and Lil’ Boosie on the 2008 hit song, “Independent,” which reached #9 on the Billboard singles chart and twice topped the rap charts. On his own, Lil’ Phat released a handful of records including Life Of A Yungsta and Death Before Dishonor. Police reports indicate that on June 7, 2012, Lil’ Phat was shot by an assailant or assailants in an area hospital parking structure. Neither the suspect(s) nor a motive were initially determined. Lil’ Phat was 19.
Doc Watson was an influential American singer, guitarist, and songwriter whose vast catalog of songs influenced several generations of folk, country, and bluegrass musicians. Born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, Watson lost his eyesight before his first birthday due to an infection. But that by no means stopped him from picking up whatever instrument was handed to him. First it was the harmonica around age five, then the banjo at age 11, and ultimately, the guitar on which he mastered a style of flat-picking that the world had yet to hear and would seldom be matched since. Although Watson was a popular draw wherever he played throughout the ’40s and ’50s, it wasn’t until the storied folk revival of the ’60s – when college kids took to the music like never before or since, that his popularity reached new heights. Throughout his career, Watson received countless awards which included seven Grammys, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a National Medal Of Arts from President Bill Clinton. In 1988, he launched Merlefest to honor his son and music partner, Merle Watson, who was killed in a tractor accident in 1985. The Wilkesboro, North Carolina festival has grown to be one of the premier music gatherings in the United States with Watson playing host and sharing the stage with the likes of Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, 
Donna Summer was a world-renowned American R&B singer who hit her stride during the disco era. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Summer, with her mezzo-soprano vocal range, needed very little studio trickery for her vocals. Coming of age in Boston during the early ’60s, Summer spent countless hours listening to records by and imitating the likes of the Supremes and Martha & the Vandellas. By then she had already been singing in church gospel groups. As the ’60s rolled on, Summer discovered the powerhouse vocals of 