Died On This Date (November 24, 2008) Michael Lee / Drummed For Robert Plant; Thin Lizzy
themusicsover Michael Lee (Born Michael Pearson)
November 19, 1969 – November 24, 2008
Michael Lee was a respected English drummer who, after a short career as the with ’90s rock band, Little Angels, began recording and touring with many of the era’s greatest musicians. His first gig of magnitude came in 1991 when he toured as part of the Cult’s band. In 1993, he began working with Robert Plant on record and on tour. That lead to a Led Zeppelin reunion of sorts when Plant began collaborating with Jimmy Page as Page and Plant. While working with Plant, Lee co-wrote “Please Read the Letter” which won a Grammy for Plant and Alison Krauss in 2009. Throughout his career, Lee also collaborated with a reconfigured Thin Lizzy, Quireboys, Lenny Kravitz, Ian Gillan, and Echo & The Bunnymen. Michael Lee died of an epileptic seizure in his home at the age of 39.
Junior Walker was a saxophone player whose band, Junior Walker and the All Stars became part of the Motown family in 1961. In 1965, the band released the Walker penned “Shotgun” which reached the top of the Billboard R&B chart, and hit #4 on the pop chart. The tune became Walker’s signature song even though it was followed by several other hits over the next few years. Walker had another top 5 pop hit with “What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)” in 1969. In 1981, rock band, Foreigner took tapes of old Walker sax solos to put together their own “solo” to use as the centerpiece of their hit single, “Urgent.” On November 23, 1995, Junior Walker died of cancer at the age of 64.
