Died On This Date (October 28, 2010) Bobby Porter / Pittsburgh Area Punk Legend
themusicsover Bobby Porter
July 24, 1951 – October 28, 2010
Bobby Porter was beloved punk singer who called the Pittsburgh area home. A veteran of the Vietnam war, Porter first surfaced in the area as an R&B singer during the mid ’70s. But by the end of the decade, he became taken by the city’s burgeoning punk scene and successfully transitioned into it. Over the years he fronted such punk bands as Thin White Line and Young Lust, and built a solid following thanks to his strong soulful voice and his energetic performances. Bobby Porter was 59 when he died of cancer on October 28, 2010.
Stella Salamone was a popular Cleveland, Ohio metal disc jockey who, for over 20 years was known as the “Thrash Queen” at non-commercial station, WRUW-FM. She was most recently, the co-host of the station’s popular, Domestic Decay program. For many years, Salamone was an integral part of Cleveland’s punk, metal and thrash scenes. She was even credited for being the first area DJ to play grindcore. While still in her teens, Salamone first appeared as a guest DJ on WUJC’s Metal on Metal, and never looked back. Stella Salamone was 44 when she passed away after being taken off life support at an area hospital. Reports indicated that she had been found unconscious in her home a few days prior and that she had suffered a bad reaction to pain medications.
James Phelps was a pioneering Gospel and R&B singer who, over the course of his long career worked with 
Gregory Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae singer who the New York Times once called, “the most exquisite voice in reggae.” After competing in a slew of talent contests while in his teens, Isaacs began making his first recordings during the late ’60s. In 1973, he released “My Only Lover” which became a huge hit and has been cited as the birth of the lovers rock sub-genre of reggae. He went on to work the biggest reggae producers and musicians, releasing several more hit records. By the end of the decade, Isaacs was one of reggae’s most important figures. During the ’80s, he released Night Nurse – the album and single of the same name are essential to any legitimate reggae collection. Sadly however, Isaacs developed a severe drug addiction that took a toll on his voice and lead to a short term in jail. Upon his release, he continued to make many more albums, leading to 2008’s Brand New Me, which some critics were calling a return to form. Over the course of his 40-year career, he released upwards of 500 albums. On October 25, 2010, Gregory Isaacs died of lung cancer. He was 59.
Andy Kotowicz was a beloved music industry executive who is best known for his many years working at indie giant, Sub Pop Records. At the time of his passing, Kotowicz was the Vice President of Sales and Director of Marketing. He also dabbled in A&R, bringing such acts as Mudhoney and Pissed Jeans to the label. Prior to Sub Pop, Kotowicz worked briefly at Spongebath Records. Kotowicz was involved in a car accident on October 21st, 2010 after which he was taken to a local hospital where he was placed on life support. His young daughter, who was also in the car, was pulled to safety. On October 23, Andy Kotowicz was taken off life support and passed away from injuries sustained in the accident. He was 37 years old.