Singer

Died On This Date (June 17, 2012) Brian Hibbard / The Flying Pickets

Brian Hibbard
November 26, 1946 – June 17, 2012

Brian Hibbard was a Welsh singer and actor who made his mark on popular music as lead singer of the a capella  group, the Flying Pickets.  Formed by Hibbard in 1982, the group which was made up of his acting friends, found their audience by bringing a capella singing to pop music.  In 1983, their vocal rendition of Yazoo’s “Only You” reached the top of the UK charts and stayed there for five weeks.  The song was also popular across Europe as well as in Canada where it cracked the top 20.  Although the group scored a couple more minor hits, they failed to achieve the amount of success they had with their first single.  Hibbard left the group in 1986 to form another outfit, but eventually found himself acting full-time again.  As an actor, he had significant roles in Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and Doctor Who, to name a few.  In 1994, he reunited with the Flying Pickets for one album.  In 2000, Brian Hibbard was diagnosed with prostate cancer which ultimately took his life on June 17, 2012. He was 65.

Thanks to Henk de Bruin for the assist.

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The Best of the Flying Pickets - The Flying Pickets

Died On This Date (June 9, 2012) Abram Wilson / Jazz Trumpeter & Singer

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.

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Ride! Ferris Wheel to the Modern Day Delta - Abram Wilson

Died On This Date (June 7, 2012) Lil’ Phat / Up-And-Coming Atlanta Rapper

 Lil Phat (Born Melvin Vernell III)
DOB Unknown – June 7, 2012

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.

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Trap-A-Holics Present: Death Before Dishonor - Lil Phat

Died On This Date (June 3, 2012) Bobby Durango / Rock City Angels

Bobby Durango
DOB Unknown – June 3, 2012

Photo by Janiss Garza

Bobby Durango is perhaps best remembered as the lead singer of the ’80s hard rock band, Rock City Angels.  Formed out of the ashes of a punk band called the Abusers – Durango performing as Bobby Bondage, Rock City Angels eventually morphed into a glam-by-way-of punk band that built a sizable following on their home turf of South Florida.  By the late ’80s, they found themselves in Hollywood and Durango was going by Bobby St. Valentine.  Numerous line up changes later, including a stint with pre-21 Jump Street Johnny Depp on guitar, the band caught the attention of Geffen Records who signed them to a lucrative deal.  The band released their debut album, Young Man’s Blues in 1988 and subsequently toured with the likes of Joan Jett and the Georgia Satellites before focusing on their second album.  Unfortunately for bands like Rock City Angels, it was the early ’90s and bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and their grunge brethren to the north, were starting to draw kids – and record labels – away from the hair and post-hair metal bands of the Sunset Strip, so Geffen dropped them before their new album came together. The band eventually broke up but reunited to record Use Once & Destroy in 2001.  Durango continued on with the group, in one form or another, for the better part of the next decade and were reportedly working on a new album to be released in late 2012.  But Bobby Durango passed away unexpectedly on June 3, 2012.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

Thanks to Janiss Garza for the assist.

Died On This Date (May 29, 2012) Doc Watson / Folk Music Icon

Arthel “Doc” Watson
March 2, 1923 – May 29, 2012

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, Earl Scruggs, Del McCoury, and Willie Nelson to name just a few.  The annual event draws an estimated 80,000 each year.  On May 29, 2012, Doc Watson passed away shortly following colon surgery.  He was 89.

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Doc Watson - Doc Watson