Died On This Date (August 16, 1997) Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan / World Famous Punjabi Singer

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
October 13, 1948 – August 16, 1997

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a popular Punjabi singer and musician who played a form of Islamic music.  In 2006, Time magazine included him of a list of Asian heroes, while Spin called him one of 1998’s most influential musicians.  Khan found an audience in the West thanks to his work with Peter Gabriel which began in the mid ’80s, and later with Eddie Vedder and Massive Attack.  His 1997 Intoxicated Spirit received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Folk album.  Over the course of his 30+ year career, he recorded an astonishing 125 albums.   Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died of cardiac arrest while awaiting a kidney transplant.  He was 48 years old.

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The Greatest Hits of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Died On This Date (August 16, 2005) Vassar Clements / Bluegrass Great

Vassar Clements
April 5, 1928 – August 16, 2005

Vassar Clements was an influential fiddler who, although mostly associated with bluegrass, also performed swing and jazz.  Self taught at the age of seven, it was only a matter of time before Clements successfully auditioned for Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys.   He played and recorded with Monroe for the better part of seven years, after which he went off to become one of Nashville’s most in demand session fiddlers.  The list of artists he recorded with is staggering.  It includes Faron Young, John Hartford, Earl Scruggs, Jim & Jesse, the Grateful Dead, Paul McCartney, the Monkees, Dickey Betts, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Linda Ronstadt, and Jimmy Buffett.   Clements played on over 200 albums including nearly two dozen of his own.  In 2005, he won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Performance.  Vassar Clements died of cancer on August 16, 2005.  He was 77.

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Vassar Clements

Died On This Date (August 16, 2002) Ola Belle Reed / Respected Folk Singer-Songwriter

Ola Belle Reed (Born Ola Campbell)
August 18, 1916 – August 16, 2002

Ola Belle Reed was a respected folk and old-timey singer-songwriter and banjo player.  She got her start playing with the North Carolina Ridge Runners in 1936.  In 1945, Reed was offered a slot in Roy Acuff’s band, but she declined.   In 1949, she married another musician, Bud Reed, who played with her both on record and live for many years to come.  Reed wrote upwards of 200 songs throughout her career, with a couple going on to be recorded by Del McCoury, Tim O’Brien and Marty Stuart.  Over the years, the Reeds opened a handful of music-themed amusement parks in Pennsylvania.  Legends likes of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and Ralph Stanley have all graced their stages from time to time.   Ola Belle Reed suffered a stroke in 1987 and remained bedridden until her death on August 16, 2002.  She would have been 86 the next day.

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Rising Sun Melodies - Ola Belle Reed

Died On This Date (August 15, 2008) Jerry Wexler / Legendary Producer & Label Head

Jerry Wexler
January 10, 1917 – August 15, 2008

In the studio with Aretha Franklin

Jerry Wexler was best known as a music producer who was responsible for some of the greatest music from the 1950s through the 1980s.  He also coined the phrase “rhythm and blues” while he was editor of Billboard magazine before he became a partner of Atlantic Records in 1953.  While at Atlantic he either produced or signed some of the all time greats of popular music.  That list includes Wilson Pickett, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan and the Allman Brothers.  He retired from the music business in the late ’90s, and passed away of congestive heart failure in 2008.

Thanks to the Jeff Ballenberg for the assist.