Died On This Date (September 7, 1925) John Work Jr. / Music Folklorist
themusicsover John Wesley Work, Jr.
August 6, 1871 or 1873 – September 7, 1925
John Wesley Work Jr. was an educator, musicologist, and is recognized as the first African-American collector of folk music. Work formed choral groups while attending Fisk University during the late 1800s and went on to study at Harvard at teach. By the turn of the century, he was collecting and later publishing slave songs and spirituals. One of those was “Go Tell It On The Mountain” which has become a Gospel standard that some believe he may have co-written. He later formed his own publishing company, Work Brothers and Hart, and was the director of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Work’s son John Wesley Work III was a respected song collector and composer as well. John Wesley Work Jr. passed away on September 7, 1925.
Chuck Greenberg was a musician, producer and composer who is best remembered as the leader of Shadowfax, a Grammy-winning band that is generally thought of as “New Age.” Greenberg launched his music career during the ’70s and was soon was tapped to perform in the Bee Gees’ back-up band on one of their U.S. tours. He soon moved to Los Angeles where he formed Shadowfax. The band built a loyal fanbase thanks to it’s ability to marry elements of rock, world, jazz and folk music. They would become one of the few New Age bands to cross over to a pop audience. The band traveled the world playing to adoring fans until Septembe 4, 1995 when Chuck Greenberg died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He was 44. 
Mike Edwards was a respected English cellist who is perhaps best remembered for his years playing with the Electric Light Orchestra. He joined the group for their earliest gigs of 1972, but departed roughly three years later. Classically trained, Edwards apparently had little interest in any music outside of baroque, let alone rock, but made an exception to play of several of ELO’s most famous albums. That list includes ELO II, On The Third Day, and Eldorado. On September 3, 2010, Mike Edwards was driving near his home in Devon, England, when a 1300 pound bale of hay accidentally came loose from a tractor, rolled down a hill, landed on his van and crushed it, killing him instantly. He was 62.
Noah Howard was a New Orleans-born saxophonist who is best remembered for his contributions to free jazz. Howard played with 
