Died On This Date (May 4, 2012) Adam Yauch / MCA Of The Beastie Boys
themusicsover Adam Yauch
August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012
Known on stage as MCA, Adam Yauch was a founding member of influential hip hop trio, the Beastie Boys. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Yauch taught himself how to play the bass and formed the Beastie Boys while still in high school. Initially a hardcore punk band, the Beasties began transitioning toward hip hop with their 1983 12-inch record, “Cookie Puss” – which quickly became an underground dance hit in New York City. Within a year, they were full-on hip hop. In 1986, the group released their debut full length, Licensed To Ill, which, with a little help from MTV, made them international stars. The raucous video for the album’s “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)” is one of MTV’s most popular videos of all time. Licensed To Ill went on to sell over 40 million albums worldwide and is considered one of the most influential albums of its era. The Beasties released several more charting albums over the next two decades and in 2012 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Yauch directed many of the group’s videos along with their groundbreaking concert film, Awesome, I Fuckin’ Shot That, which was released in 2006. Away from the Beasties, Yauch produced such albums as Bad Brains‘ Build A Nation. His likeness appeared in video games like NBA Street V3, Tony Hawks Proving Ground, and NBA Jam. In 2009, Adam Yauch learned began treatment for cancerous gland. He ultimately died of cancer on May 4, 2012. He was 47.
What You Should Own
Levon Helm was a rock musician, singer and songwriter best known for his time spent in the Band, one of Canada’s most celebrated rock bands. Helm was still a few years shy of his teens when he first took up the guitar. The drums were soon to follow. After graduating from high school, he was invited by Ronnie Hawkins to join his back up band, the Hawks. Hawkins later recruited Canadian musicians, 
Scott Riccuiti was a respected Boston, Massachusetts area singer-songwriter and guitarist who had been entertaining folks throughout the area going back to at least the mid ’80s. As a member of Childhood, Riccuiti successfully competed in Boston battle-of-the-bands, culminating in their victory in radio juggernaut, WBCN’s Rock ‘n Roll Rumble in 1987. That lead to respectable video play on MTV for the band. Childhood ultimately disbanded in 1993. Other groups in which Riccuiti played included Pistol Whipped, A Pony For My Birthday, Huck, and Preacher Roe. And other acts he performed with on stage over the years include Shana Morrison and 
Jimmy Little was a popular Australian aboriginal singer-songwriter who, over a career that spanned some 60 years, became one of the first indigenous musicians to find mainstream success in that country. Influenced by the likes of 