Died On This Date (September 25, 2012) Paul Kirby / Walk The West; Cactus Brothers
themusicsover Paul Kirby
DOB Unknown – September 25, 2011
Paul Kirby was a Nashville singer-songwriter who fronted the popular roots rock band, Walk The West and later, Cactus Brothers. Decades before anyone thought up the name, “Americana” as a music genre, Kirby was marrying rock ‘n roll with rough-and-tumble country music. Formed with his brother, Will Kirby and schoolmate John Goleman in 1984, Walk The West quickly built a sizable local following thanks to their blistering live shows and growing arsenal of original songs. They were quickly snapped up by Capitol Records just as major labels were trying to find their own contributions to the “cow punk” scene that was suddenly in vogue. The band had a couple of minor hits thanks in part to video play on MTV and opening slots for the likes of the Smithereens and the Ramones. Walk The West never released a follow-up for Capitol and disbanded within the next few years. During the early ’90s, Kirby resurfaced with the more adventurous Cactus Brothers who were definitely more “alt” than “country,” but nonetheless found a home on Liberty Records who was currently riding the high of Garth Brooks. The band released two albums and appeared in the film Pure Country before again being dropped by their label. Kirby and Walk The West reunited for a special event in Nashville in 2008, and then again just weeks before his untimely death. According to the Nashville Scene, Paul Kirby died of cardiac arrest on September 25, 2011. He was 48. Fellow Cactus Brother David Schnaufer died in 2006.
What You Should Own
Vesta Williams was an American R&B singer who achieved a bit of fame during the late ’80s and early ’90s. Born in Ohio, but transplanted to Los Angeles while still a child, Williams was surrounded by music from an early age no doubt thanks to a father who was a disc jockey. After launching her career when she got out of high school, Williams began finding work as a session singer – working with the likes of Joe Sample, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Stephanie Mills. That lead to a contract with A&M Records and the release of her debut, Vesta, in 1986. Over the next several years, Williams scored hits with records like “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” “Sweet, Sweet Love,” and “Congratulations.” Her most recent album release was 2007’s Distant Lover. According to 
Wilma Lee Cooper was an accomplished bluegrass and country performer who joined the ranks of the Grand Ole Opry in 1957. Born and raised on West Virginia, Cooper was just a child when she began singing in her family gospel group, the Leary Family. In 1939, she married fellow musician, Stoney Cooper with whom she went on to perform and record with as Wilma Lee & Stoney Copper and the Clinch Mountain Clan. Throughout the late ’50s and early ’60s, the duo released a series of charting records that included “Big Midnight Special” and “The Tramp On The Street.” After her husband passed away in 1977, Cooper continued on as a solo artist until a stroke in 2001 forced her retirement. She did however, return to the Opry stage in 2010 as part of a group sing-along to celebrate the venue’s grand re-opening. As reported in 