Died On This Date (February 6, 1998) Falco / Had Hits With “Rock Me Amadeus” & “Der Kommissar”
themusicsover Falco (Born Johann Holzel)
February 19, 1957 – February 6, 1998
Falco was an Austrian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who scored four massive international hits during the ’80s. His biggest in the U.S. were 1981’s “Der Kommissar” and 1986’s “Rock Me Amadeus.” “Der Kommissar” makes Falco the first to have a German language song go to #1 in the United States. Falco was a gifted musician growing up, so he dropped out of high school at 17 to pursue his calling. In those early days, he sang in a jazz-rock band and later played bass in an Austrian punk band. Following that, Falco released a string of hits that stretched through the early ’90s. On February 6, 1998, Falco was killed when he got into an accident with a bus in the Dominican Republic. He was 40 years old.
What You Should Own
Vince Guaraldi was a jazz pianist who is best remembered for his beloved theme music for The Peanuts cartoons. Guaraldi spent the early years of his professional career playing and recording with Cal Tjader. He made is recording debut on The Cal Tjader Trio and then launched his solo career in 1959. In 1962, his “Cast Your Fate to the Wind,” which was actually a B-side, won a Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. Thanks to the success and sound of that song, Guaraldi caught the attention of the producer of a Peanuts documentary. He was soon hired to compose the music for 1965’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s “Linus and Lucy” has since become one of the most recognized pieces of music in the world and the de facto theme song of the entire Peanuts franchise. In all, Guaraldi scored 16 Peanuts specials and a Peanuts animated feature film. On February 6, 1976, Vince Guaraldi died of a heart attack in between his sets at a nightclub near his home. He was 47.
Hugo Montenegro was a popular film score composer and orchestra leader whose most popular work came out during the ’60s and ’70s. His use of synthesizers became a major influence upon contemporary electronic musicians. He was also embraced by fans of space pop and lounge music during the ’90s. Montenegro had several hits with his interpretations of film scores of the time. His cover of the theme song of Clint Eastwood’s The Good The Bad and The Ugly made it to #2 on the Billboard pop chart. Montenegro also created the theme songs for I Dream Of Jeannie and Here Come the Brides for television. He died of emphysema on February 6, 1981.
Sir John Dankworth was a highly regarded English jazz saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. Dankworth gravitated toward music while still a child, so he took piano, violin, and finally, clarinet lessons. As a teen, attended the Royal Academy of Music, and by the late ’40s, he was an up-and-coming star of the British jazz scene. During his early years, he played with the likes of 