Died On This Date (June 6, 2010) Dana Key / Christian Musician; DeGarmo & Key
themusicsover Dana Key
December 30, 1953 – June 6, 2010
Dana Key was a prominent Christian rock musician who is perhaps best remembered as one half of DeGarmo & Key, a duo he had with Eddie DeGarmo. Formed in 1978, DeGarmo & Key released several popular Christian based albums throughout the the ’80s and ’90s, many of which nominated for Grammy and Dove awards. In 1985, their “Six Six Six” became the first video by a Christian music act to air on MTV. Key was also a direct descendant of Francis Scott Key who wrote the “Star Spangled Banner.” After he retired from performing, Key ran the popular Memphis independent label, Ardent Records. On June 6, 2010, Dana Key died unexpectedly of a ruptured blood clot. He was 56 years old.
The son of a sharecropper, Sleepy John Estes began to perform while working as a field hand at the age of 19. He played guitar and sang at local picnics and parties around his neighborhood in Brownsville, TN. At 30, he entered the studio to record such sides as “Drop Down Mama” and “Someday Baby Blues” first on Victor Records and later Delmark, Decca and Bluebird. Not an exceptional guitarist, Estes was recognized for a great voice that was filled with the passion and pain he sang about. 
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