Died On This Date (March 20, 2015) A.J. Pero / Adrenaline Mob; Twisted Sister

Anthony “A.J.” Pero
October 14, 1959 – March 20, 2015

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A.J. Pero was a hard-hitting American drummer who is best remembered for his many years playing with Twister Sister, as well as his recent years behind the drums for Adrenaline Mob.  Born in Brooklyn, New York, Pero took to the drums at an early age, and by the time he was in high school, he was playing in local bands.  In 1982, he joined Twisted Sister who, within two years, became one of the biggest bands in the world thanks to their hook-laden loud teen anthems and MTV-perfect videos.  Although Twisted Sister cringed at the “glam metal” moniker many placed on them, they were heavily influenced by such ’70s glam acts as KISS, New York Dolls, and Alice Cooper.  Pero left to group in 1986, but returned for periodic reunions, and then permanently rejoined the group when they officially reformed in 2003.  In 2013, while still playing with Twisted Sister, he joined Adrenaline Mob, another hard and heavy band formed and fronted by Russell Allen of Symphony X fame.   It was while touring with Adrenaline Mob that A.J. Pero died of a heart attack on March 20, 2015.  He was 55 years old.

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Died On This Date (March 15, 2015) Mike Porcaro / Bassist For Toto; Session Great

Mike Porcaro
May 29, 1955 – March 15, 2015

mike-porcaroMike Porcaro is perhaps best remembered as the longtime bassist for Toto, however, he didn’t become an official member until he replaced original bassist, David Hungate, in 1982.  He went on to tour and record with the band until his retirement in 2007. He can be heard on such Toto albums as Isolation, Fahrenheit,  The Seventh One, and their popular soundtrack to the motion picture Dune. As an in-demand session player, Porcaro’s list of credits reads like a who’s who of popular music of the past five decades.  That list includes albums by Aretha Franklin, Cher, Country Joe McDonald, Dan Fogelberg, Donna Summer, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sparks, Steve Perry, Stevie Nicks, and Wanda Jackson.  In 2007, Porcaro retired from playing due to a numbness he was feeling in his fingers, and three years later, it was announced that he was suffering from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or as it is more commonly known, “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”  On March 15, 2015, Mike Porcaro finally lost his brave battle with the disease.  He was 59.

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Died On This Date (February 27, 2015) Charmayne Maxwell / Co-founder Of Brownstone

Charmayne “Maxee” Maxwell
DOB Unknown – February 27, 2015

charmayne-maxwellCharmayne Maxwell was a founding member of the ’90s R&B vocal group, Brownstone.  Formed in 1994, Brownstone soon found themselves signed to Michael Jackson‘s MJJ Records.  In January of 1995, they released their first album, From The Bottom Up, that included their biggest hit, “If You Love Me,” which was nominated for a Best R&B Performance Grammy.  From The Bottom Up sold over a million copies in the US alone. Their list of hit singles also includes “Grapevyne,” “Pass The Lovin’,” and their cover of the Eagles classic, “I Can’t Tell You Why.”  Brownstone released just one more album, 1997’s Still Climbing.  On Friday, February 27, 2015, Charmayne Maxwell reportedly bled to death from injuries she sustained after accidentally falling onto a broken wine glass.  She was 46.

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Died On This Date (February 21, 2015) Clark Terry / American Jazz Great

Clark Terry
December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015

clark-terryClark Terry was an American jazz trumpeter who is widely considered one of the most influential and popular jazz musicians of his time.  Terry launched his career during the early ’40s, just in time to serve in the US Navy Band during World War II.  After his discharge, Terry went on to perform with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and later, Quincy Jones, among others, as well as leading his own bands. As one of the most recorded artists jazz music has ever known, Terry appeared on nearly 1000 known recordings.  Throughout his career, he wrote over 200 jazz songs, performed for seven US Presidents, and put on several jazz festivals and jazz camps.  In 1991 he was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Award, and in 2010, he became one of only five trumpet players to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.  A lifetime student of jazz as well as a respected educator, Clark held sixteen honorary doctorates.  He was even knighted in Germany.  Clark Terry was 94 when he passed away on February 21, 2015.

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Died On This Date (February 16, 2015) Lesley Gore / Had Iconic Hit with “It’s My Party”

Lesley Gore (Born Lesley Goldstein)
May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015

lesley-goreBorn in New York City, Lesley Gore was just 16 years old when she recorded her first, and biggest hit, “It’s My Party,” a song that helped define her generation.  Several major hits followed including, “You Don’t Own Me,” “Judy’s Turn To Cry,” and “She’s A Fool.”  In 1965, Gore received a Grammy nomination for “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows,” and another nominations came 1981, but this time as a co-writer for “Out Here On My Own,” from the immensely popular Fame soundtrack.  Gore acted in several television shows throughout her career as well, most notably, portraying Pussycat, one of Catwoman’s cohorts, in two episodes of Batman.  Gore continued to tour well into the ’90s and released what would become her final album, the critically acclaimed Ever Since, in 2005.  Lesley Gore lost her battle with cancer on February 16, 2015.  She was 68.

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