Singer

Died On This Date (June 12, 2011) Carl Gardner / The Coasters

Carl Gardner
April 29, 1928 – June 12, 2011

Carl Gardner was the founder and front man of ’50s R&B group, the Coasters.  Formed with Bobby Nunn, Billy Guy, Leon Hughes, and Adolph Jacobs in 1955, the Coasters went on to have several iconic hits including “Yakety Yak,” “Poison Ivy,” and “Charlie Brown – all of which had Gardner singing lead.  The Coasters were one of the few vocal groups of their era that were considered as much rock ‘n roll as they were R&B.  In fact, when the inaugural group of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were announced in 1987, the Coasters were included on that list.  Carl Gardner, the last surviving member of the original Coasters passed away from congestive heart failure on June 12, 2011.  He was 83.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist

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The Coasters

 

Died On This Date (June 11, 2011) Seth Putnam / Lead Singer Of Anal C**t

Seth Putnam
May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011

Seth Putnam was the founder and lead singer of grindcore band, Anal Cunt (A.C., AxCx)  Formed in the Boston, Massachusetts area in 1986, A.C. found its loyal following thanks in part to their aggressive playing and controversial lyrics.  In their early days, they generally went into the studio or hit the stage with no pre-written music or lyrics and developed their songs as they went along.  Over the course of the next 25 years, A.C. released eight equally offensive to some studio albums and several EP’s and compilations.   Outside of the band, Putnam performed in numerous side projects and lent his vocals to recordings by the likes of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, and Napalm Death.  In October of 2004, Putnam went into a coma after overdosing on a large quantity of Ambien.  Whether or not he was attempting suicide was never made clear.  Seth Putnam died of a heart attack on June 11, 2011.  He was 43.

Thanks to Mike Woodford for the assist.

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I Like It When You Die - Anal Cunt


Died On This Date (June 10, 2011) Darryl Pandy / Popular House Music Singer

Darryl Pandy
DOB Unknown – June 10, 2010

Darryl Pandy was a Chicago, IL area singer who has been credited for helping bring house music to a much wider audience. Known for his six-octave voice, Pandy sang lead on Farley Jackmaster Funk’s 1986 cover of Isaac Hayes’, “Love Can’t Turn Around,” the first house record to chart on the UK singles chart.  When it was re-released in 1996, it again charted in the UK, making it one of the few singles to hit the Top 40 there twice.  Farley and Pandy released other singles together as well, including “Free Man” and “He’s My Best Friend.”  Pandy recorded numerous other records away from Pandy as well.  Darryl Pandy passed away following a long illness on June 10, 2011.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

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Farley Jackmaster Funk - Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk

Died On This Date (June 3, 2011) Benny Spellman / R&B Singer Who Gave Us “Fortune Teller”

Benny Spellman
December 11, 1931 – June 3, 2011

Benny Spellman was an R&B singer who released two significant hits during the 1960s.  His “Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette),” written by Allen Toussaint, cracked the Top 30 on the R&B charts, while his original version of “Fortune Teller” went on to be recorded by the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Hollies, and more recently, as a duet by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.  Spellman also collaborated with Huey “Piano” Smith and sang back up on the Ernie K-Doe hit, “Mother In Law.”  Although he went on to work outside the music business by the early ’70s, Spellman continued to perform at festivals and such for many years.  Benny Spellman died of respiratory failure on June 3, 2011.  He was 79.

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Benny Spellman Selected Favorites - Benny Spellman


Died On This Date (June 3, 2011) Andrew Gold / Popular ’70s Singer-Songwriter

Andrew Gold
August 2, 1951 – June 3, 2011

Andrew Gold was an American Singer-Songwriter who, over a career that spanned nearly four decades, scored hits with “Oh What A Lonely Boy,” “Thank You For Being A Friend,” “Never Let Her Slip Away,” and “Final Frontier.”  Born into a show business family – his mother, Marni Nixon provided the singing voices for many actresses in musicals, while his father, Ernest Gold was an Oscar-winning composer, Gold joined their ranks by his early 20s.  His first band of note, Bryndle, included Kenny Edwards, Karla Bonoff, and Wendy Waldman.  During that period, he played a key role in the early popularity of Linda Ronstadt.  Gold played on most of her early solo albums, including Heart Like A Wheel.  He was also a part of her band for several years.   As a solo artist, Gold released (and wrote for others) numerous singles that helped define the ’70s southern California sound and later found homes on popular television and film soundtracks.  “Lonely Boy” can be heard during pivotal scenes in Boogie Nights and Water Boy, while “Thank You For Being A Friend” became the iconic theme song to The Golden Girls.   His “Final Frontier” went on to become the theme to another hit show, Mad About You, and was the wake-up call aboard the Mars Pathfinder in 1996.  Over the course of his career, Gold played on countless major hits for a who’s who of popular music.  That list includes Art Garfunkel, Eric Carmen, Stephen Bishop, Cher, 10cc, and Jackson Browne.  Andrew Gold died of a heart attack on June 3, 2011.  He was 59.

Thanks to David Plastik of eRockPhotos for the assist.

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Thank You for Being a Friend: The Best of Andrew Gold - Andrew Gold