George “Buddy” Tate
February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001
Buddy Tate was an influential tenor saxophonist. He played in Count Basie’s band from 1939 to 1948. In 1953, Tate formed his own band, and in later years worked with Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton. Buddy Tate was 87 when he passed away on February 10, 2001.
Brian Connolly (born Brian McManus)
October 5, 1945 – February 9, 1997
Born in Scotland, Brian Connolly grew up to become the lead singer of the internationally acclaimed ’70s glam rock band, Sweet (sometimes referred to as The Sweet). When Connolly was a teen, he moved with his family to England where he eventually joined a band that included Ian Gillan and Mick Tucker. After the 1968 break-up of the band, Connelly and Tucker recruited Steve Priest and Frank Torpey to form a group that would eventually be known as Sweet. Over the next decade, the band released a series of albums that made them international superstars by successfully marrying the best of bubblegum with that of glam rock. Albums like Desolation Boulevard, Give Us A Wink and Level Headed produced iconic hits like “Ballroom Blitz,” “Fox on the Run,” “Action,” and “Love is Like Oxygen.” Connelly left the Sweet in 1978 and tried without much success to launch a solo career. He suffered multiple heart attacks in 1982 but soldiered on through the mid ’90s, either on his own or in reformatted versions of Sweet. On February 9, 1997, Brian Connelly, age 51, died liver failure that was likely brought on by many years of heavy alcohol consumption.
Max Yasgur
December 15, 1919 – February 9, 1973
Max Yasgur was just your average dairy farmer in upstate New York who unwittingly became a pop culture icon after he offered up his farm for a music festival that would become known as Woodstock. An unlikely supporter of “hippies” and their music, it has been reported that Yasgur leased the farmland to event organizers after a bad year for hay production. His apparent fee of $50,000 would help him purchase hay for his cows in the coming year. In the end, Yasgur, a staunch Republican who supported the Vietnam War, was a perfect host to his thousands of counter-culture guests, even providing free food and water to many. Yasgur sold the farm and moved to Florida in 1971 – likely due to the fact that many locals turned against him for hosting the festival. On February 9, 1973, Max Yasgur died of a heart attack at the age of 53.
Bill Haley
July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981
Bill Haley was a popular rockabilly band leader who came to be known as the Father of Rock ‘n Roll thanks, in part, to his “Rock Around the Clock” record of 1954. Haley was just 13 when he got his first professional gig entertaining at a local auction in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1951, he formed a band with whom he’d soon come to be known as Bill Haley & His Comets. Two years later, their “Crazy Man, Crazy” became the first rock ‘n roll song to crack the Billboard singles chart where it peaked at #15. In April of 1954, Haley released “Rock Around the Clock” to little fanfare. His next single, a cover of Big Joe Turner’s “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” sold over a million copies and became the first rock ‘n roll song to crack the British charts. In 1955, the all-but-forgotten “Rock Around the Clock” appeared in the credits for the groundbreaking film, Blackboard Jungle. In a matter of weeks, the song sat at the top of the U.S. singles chart. The song found a new audience with the nostalgia fueled youth of the 1970s thanks to prominent placement in the American Graffiti film and Happy Days television series. Haley remained active on the road well into the ‘7os, but in the spring of 1980, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Bill Haley was 55 when he died in his home on February 9, 1981. Cause of death was listed as heart failure, but the brain tumor likely played a role.
Orlando “Cachaito” Lopez
February 2, 1933 – February 9, 2009
The Cuban born Cachaito Lopez was a highly regarded bassist who is best remembered for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club during the late ’90s. He was featured in Wim Wenders’ award-winning 1999 documentary about the group. Lopez was considered one of Cuba’s greatest bassists and had a career that spanned some 60 years. In 2001, he released his only solo album, Cachaito. Cachaito Lopez passed away due to complications from prostate surgery on February 9, 2009. He was 76 years old.
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