Connie “Pee Wee” Crayton
December 18, 1914 – May 18, 1985
Pee Wee Crayton was a brilliant Texas blues guitarist stylistically similar to T-Bone Walker but a bit more soul leaning. One of his first recordings landed at the top of the Billboard R&B charts in 1948. Crayton continued to record and tour well into the ’70s. In recent years, Morgana Kennedy at Vanguard Records exposed Crayton’s music to new fans around the world. He died of a heart attack on May 18, 1985.
Kevin Gilbert was a much respected songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who, over the course of his career, collaborated with the likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Eddie Money. He was also a member of the moderately successful early ’90s prog rock band, Toy Matinee. Around that time, Gilbert and Toy Matinee band mate, Bill Bottrell would get together with a group of songwriters for weekly sessions they called “The Tuesday Music Club.” To one such session he brought then-girlfriend, Sheryl Crow, which eventually lead to Crow’s debut album of the same name. Gilbert co-wrote several of he multi-million seller’s songs. In later years, he recorded several albums, both solo and as part of other groups. He also found plenty of work creating music for television. Kevin Gilbert was 29 when he died of what some believe was autoerotic asphyxiation.
Johnny “Guitar” Watson
February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996
Johnny “Guitar” Watson was a dynamic electric guitarist whose profound influence can be heard in blues, rock, soul, R&B, funk and hip-hop. Given his first guitar at eleven, Watson would soon be called a “prodigy” and would be exchanging licks with Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and Albert Collins. And this all before he turned 15. By his late teens, he was living in Los Angeles and making a name for himself throughout the Southern California juke joints. The crowds quickly grew as music lovers gathered to catch a glimpse of this fancy dresser with the showy aggressive style of guitar playing. And apparently that guitar playing wasn’t his only source of income, respected author Peter Guralnick has claimed that Watson was an actual pimp. Watson’s influence can readily be heard throughout the hip-hop community through samples on tracks by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Redman, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Mary J. Blige. Watson suffered a fatal heart attack on May 17, 1996 while on stage in Japan.
June Carter was born into country music’s iconic Carter Family on May 23, 1929. By the time she was just ten, she was performing as part of the family group. In 1961, the Carter Family went on the road with Johnny Cashwhere a romance blossomed between June and Johnny. Two years later, Carter co-wrote “Ring Of Fire,” apparently inspired by Cash, who made it one of country music’s greatest recording’s ever. In 1968, Carter and Cash married. In later years, Cash would publicly credit Carter for saving his life by forcing him to kick his legendary drug habits. Together Carter and Cash recorded several songs together, including the Grammy-winning “Jackson,” and “If I Were A Carpenter.” Carter set her sites on writing and acting during the ’70s and ’80s, publishing two autobiographies and appearing in The Apostle, and on television’s Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. She returned to recording in the late ’90s, releasing the Grammy-winning Press On in 1999. June Carter Cash died unexpectedly on May 15, 2003 due to complications from heart surgery.
Bob Wills was a Texas born western swing musician and songwriter. He is referred to as the “King of Western Swing.” As a child, when Wills wasn’t picking cotton, he was learning to play the mandolin and fiddle. Throughout the ’40s, Wills and his Texas Playboys were the most popular musical act in the country not only because they were outstanding musicians, but because Wills continued to “break the rules” of popular music. Wills continued to draw sizable crowds and sell plenty of records throughout the ’50s. In 1962, he suffered his first of two heart attacks in as many years. After his recovery, he continued on until 1962 when he suffered a life changing stroke in that he was left paralyzed on his right side. Another stroke in December of 1973 left Wills in a coma until his death on May 13, 1975.