Southern Rock

Died On This Date (April 28, 1980) Tommy Caldwell / Marshall Tucker Band

Tommy Caldwell
November 9, 1949 – April 28, 1980

Tommy Caldwell was best known as the bassist the Marshall Tucker  Band from 1973 until his death in 1980.   The charismatic performer was the crowd-pleaser of the band.  He also sang backup and wrote some of their songs, including “Melody Ann,” their only song on which he sang lead.  His final performance with the band came on the night of April 19, 1980 which was later released as Live On Long Island.  Caldwell died just ten days later from injuries he suffered in a jeep accident.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

The Marshall Tucker Band: Greatest Hits - The Marshall Tucker Band

Died On This Date (March 16, 2005) Jakson Spires / Blackfoot

Jakson Spires
DOB Unknown – March 16, 2005

jakson-spiresJakson Spires was the founding drummer for Southern rock’s Blackfoot.  Formed in 1970, the band had a handful of hit albums during the late ’70s and early ’80s.  Blackfoot went from being the house band at a Gainesville, Florida topless bar in 1970 to opening for the Who in 1979.  Spires either wrote or co-wrote almost every song in the band’s catalog, including hits, “Highway Song” and “Fly Away.”  As a session player, he recorded with the likes of Phil Lynott and Willie Dixon.  Jackson Spires died of a brain aneurysm on March 16, 2005.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Strikes - Blackfoot

Died On This Date (March 10, 2005) Danny Joe Brown / Molly Hatchet

Danny Joe Brown
August 24, 1951 – March 10, 2005

As lead singer and songwriter for Molly Hatchet, Danny Joe Brown helped the Southern Rock band achieve success with such hits as “Flirtin’ With Disaster” and “Satified Man.” After an early stint in the US Coast Guard, Brown helped form the band which would be named after a 17th Century prostitute who earned her name by chopping off the heads of her johns. Diabetes started to take its toll on Brown so he was forced to retire from the band in 1980. He had a massive stroke in 1998 and passed away from renal failure due to the diabetes on this date in 2005.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Flirtin' With Disaster - Molly Hatchet

Died On This Date (February 26, 1995) Frank O’Keefe / The Outlaws

Frank O’Keefe
March 18, 1950 – February 26, 1995

frank-o'keefeFrank O’Keefe was and early bassist for southern rock band, the Outlaws.  Although the band was riding high on a string of what would eventually become classic rock staples, O’Keefe decided to leave the band after suffering a broken neck from a fall in July, 1976.  The trials of a hectic life on the road also helped in that decision.  That neck injury lead to his reliance on pain medication for the rest of his life.  On February 26, 1995, O’Keefe’s lifeless body was found by his roommate in his Clearwater, FL home.  He apparently died as a result of drug and alcohol abuse.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Outlaws - The Outlaws

Died On This Date (February 25, 1993) Toy Caldwell / Marshall Tucker Band

Toy Caldwell
November 13, 1947 – February 25. 1993

Photo by David Plastik – Click To Order Quality Prints – Discount code: 10OFF

Toy Caldwell is best remembered as a founding guitarist for southern rock’s Marshall Tucker Band.  In 1973, he helped form the band with his brother, bassist and lead singer, Tommy Caldwell.   During the ten years with the group, Caldwell played on what would become the band’s most successful albums.  He also wrote most of the group’s  songs during their prime years.  After leaving the Marshall Tucker Band in 1983, he formed the less successful Toy Caldwell Band.  Toy Caldwell was 45 when he died of respiratory failure on February 25, 1993.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

The Marshall Tucker Band: Greatest Hits - The Marshall Tucker Band