Died On This Date (February 7, 2015) Joe B. Mauldin / Bassist For The Crickets
themusicsover Joe B. Mauldin
July 8, 1940 – February 7, 2015
Joe B. Mauldin is best remembered as the influential double-bassist for Buddy Holly & the Crickets. Born in Lubbock, Texas, Mauldin’s first band of note was the Four Teens, which he joined in 1955. Two years later, he joined up with Holly and the Crickets who went on to record some of the most iconic songs in the history of music, among them, “That’ll Be The Day,” “Rave On,” and “Peggy Sue.” The Crickets have been rightfully acknowledged as a direct inspiration to many important bands to follow, including the Beatles. After Holly died in 1959, Mauldin performed with various incarnations of the Crickets. He also became a recording engineer, contributing to the sound of such artists as Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, and Herb Alpert. Joe B. Mauldin died of cancer on February 7, 2015. He was 74.
What You Should Own
Popsy Dixon was the drummer and harmony vocalist for American Soul/Gospel/Blues group, the Holmes Brothers. Formed in 1978, the trio built a legion of loyal followers thanks to their heavenly harmonies and overall sound that was once described by the New York Times as “deeply soulful, uplifting and timeless.” It was Dixon’s impeccable drumming and beautiful falsetto that made the group complete. Formed in Christchurch, Virginia, the Holmes Brothers moved to Harlem during the ’80s to try their luck in the city’s blues clubs. They signed their first record deal in 1989 and went on to release 12 albums, including three that landed in the top five of the Billboard Blues Album charts. The list of artists they recorded with includes Joan Osborne, Willie Nelson, Peter Gabriel, and Van Morrison. In 2014, they received an National Endowment For The Arts National Heritage Fellowship. Popsy Dixon was 72 when he died of liver cancer on January 9, 2014.
Andrae Crouch was a Gospel music pioneer in that he almost single-handedly crossed it over to the mainstream over the course of his career. Crouch took to music at an early age, and had already written his first Gospel song by the time he was 14. In 1960, he formed his first group, the Church of God in Christ Singers, that also counted 
Little Jimmy Dickens was a much-beloved American country music singer whose career spanned an astonishing 78 years. At the time of his passing, he was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, which he joined in 1948. Launching his career during the late ’30s, Dickens initially performed at a local radio station while attending West Virginia University, but decided to quit school in order to focus on his career. He went on to tour the U.S. playing at various radio stations until he caught the ear of 