Died On This Date (December 15, 1979) Jackie Brenston / Had Hit With “Rocket 88”
themusicsover Jackie Brenston
August 15, 1930 – December 15, 1979
Jackie Brenston was an R&B singer and musician whose biggest claim to fame was, as part of Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm, wrote and sang lead on “Rocket 88,” considered by many to be the very first rock ‘n roll song. The record, credited to Jackie Brenston & His Rhythm Cats was released on Chess Records and quickly reached the top of the R&B singles chart where it stayed for over a month. In later years, Bernston worked with Lowell Fulson and Earl Hooker. Jackie Bernston, 49, died of a heart attack on December 15, 1979.
Kurt Winter was a songwriter and guitarist who replaced Randy Bachman in the Guess Who in 1970. He wrote a few of the songs hits, including Hand Me Down World and Bus Rider. He left the group in 1974 and became a successful businessman. In later years, he participated in various reunions of the group. Kurt Winter, 51, died of kidney failure on December 14, 1997.
Chuck Schuldiner was a rock singer, songwriter and guitarist who has been called the “father of death metal” for creating a genre by marrying the best elements of British metal bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest with those of thrash bands like Slayer and Mercyful Fate. Schuldiner began learning the acoustic guitar before he was ten-year old, but soon grew tired of it, so his parents bought him an electric guitar and amps which he took too with a vengeance. In 1983, he formed his first band, Mantas who eventually morphed into Death, a band that would define the death metal genre, much in the same way 
