Died On This Date (June 3, 2012) Bobby Durango / Rock City Angels
themusicsover Bobby Durango
DOB Unknown – June 3, 2012
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.
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 
Chuck Brown was an influential American guitarist, singer and songwriter who is largely credited for creating go-go, an offshoot of funk that popped up in Washington DC during the mid ’70s. What separates go-go from all the rest is its use of call-and-response, wild street percussion, and long jams. Brown got his start playing with Jerry Butler during the early ’60s. Before he knew it, he was working solo and putting out a string of hits that included “I Need Some Money” and “Bustin’ Loose,” which is used by MLB’s Washington Nationals to celebrate their home runs. Brown went on to record the theme song for The Sinbad Show during the mid ’90s. In recent years, much of his music has reached younger audiences by way of sampling – Nelly’s 2002 #1 hit, “Hot In Here” contains a portion of “Bustin’ Loose.” In 2010, Brown was nominated for his first Grammy for the song, “Love.” He has been cited as a direct influence on such go-go legends as Trouble Funk and EU and is so beloved by his hometown of Washington DC, that they named a street after him – Chuck Brown Way. Chuck Brown was 75 when he passed away on May 16, 2012.
