Died On This Date (November 23, 1995) Junior Walker / R&B Sax Great
themusicsover Junior Walker (Born Autry Mixon Jr.)
June 14, 1931 – November 23, 1995
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.
What You Should Own
John Osnes was a beloved lounge pianist and singer who first came to prominence in New York City where he played standards and Broadway hits. Over the course of his career, he entertained at private functions held by the likes of Al Gore, Rupert Murdoch and Neil Simon. In 2005, Osnes moved to Los Angeles where he quickly turned The Piano Bar in Hollywood into a favorite entertainment destination for the city’s beautiful people. On November 22, 2008 while walking home from an engagement, Osnes allegedly got into an altercation with a driver he felt came to close to him while walking in a crosswalk. Words and anger ensued and Osnes was allegedly killed during a physical confrontation with the driver. Swedish rapper David Jassey was later arrested for the murder of Osnes.