Died On This Date (July 11, 2014) Tommy Ramone / The Ramones
themusicsover Tommy Ramone (aka Thomas Erdelyi; Born Erdélyi Tamás)
January 29, 1952 – July 11, 2014
Thomas Erdelyi, later to be more widely known by his stage name, Tommy Ramone, was the founding drummer for the highly influential rock band, the Ramones. Until he passed away, Erdelyi had been the last surviving member of the original foursome. Formed with former high school classmates, Douglas Colvin (Dee Dee Ramone), John Cummings (Johnny Ramone), and Jeffrey Hyman (Joey Ramone) in 1974, the Ramones were considered by many to be the first real punk band. When discussing his Underground Garage channel on Sirius Satellite, Little Steven Van Zandt described its programming as “groups that inspired the Ramones, groups inspired by the Ramones, and the Ramones.” Originally slated to be the band’s manager with Hyman on drums, Erdelyi was quickly moved behind the kit when Hyman realized he couldn’t keep up with the tempo of the songs they were writing. He pretty much became drummer by default since no one else wanted to. Erdelyi remained in the band until 1978. He played on and co-produced the band’s first three studio albums as well as their 1979 live album, It’s Alive. Erdelyi was also an accomplished producer as well, most notably of the Replacements‘ Tim album. He returned to the Ramones camp to produce their 1984 album, Too Tough To Die. Tommy Ramone was 62 when he died in hospice care following treatment for bile duct cancer.
Thanks to Harold Lepidus at Bob Dylan Examiner for the assist.
What You Should Own
Charlie Haden was an American jazz bassist who was most notably part of the Free Jazz movement of the ’50s and ’60s. It was his work in Ornette Coleman‘s quartet during that time that endeared him to fans and critics alike. The Coleman albums on which he played been called “game changers”, but it was 1959’s The Shape Of Jazz To Come that is considered a landmark of the genre. During the late ’60s and early ’70s, Haden worked with the great Keith Jarrett, playing on several albums that received critical acclaim as well. In 1969, Haden formed the Liberation Music Orchestra whose output was more politically based, with Carla Bley contributing heavily. Haden’s most commercially successful period began in the late ’80s with the formation of his Quartet West. The configuration released albums well into the 2000s, The list of artists with whom Haden recorded over the years was not limited to jazz and includes Elvis Costello, Ginger Baker, Beck, Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, and Robert Downey Jr. Haden’s children have enjoyed careers in music as well – his son Joshua Haden is a member of the indie rock band, Spain, while his triplet daughters, Petra Haden, Tanya Haden, and Rachel Haden make up the acclaimed alt-country band, the Haden Triplets. Charlie Haden was 77 when he passed away on July 11, 2014, following a lengthy illness.
John Spinks is perhaps best remembered as the founding and longtime guitarist and primary songwriter for Manchester, UK power pop trio, the Outfield. Formed in 1984, the band enjoyed tremendous success thanks to heavy video rotation on MTV when that actually mattered. The band’s debut album, Play Deep sold over 3 million copies in the US alone thanks primarily to its biggest hit single, “Your Love.” That song has since been covered by the likes of Less Than Jake, Wyclef Jean with Eve, and the Butchies. It is believed that the record has been sampled over 1000 times – by Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, and B.o.B. to name a few. The band’s second album, 1987’s Bangin’, was nowhere near as successful as Play Deep, but it nonetheless went Gold in the US thanks to its three singles, 
Bobby Womack is widely considered one of the greatest R&B singers and songwriters the world has ever known. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Womack began his career singing in the family group, the Womack Brothers. Legend has it that when he was just eight years old, he broke a string on his father’s guitar, so the elder Womack replaced it with a shoelace and handed it back to his son who began to play it well enough that his dad went out and bought him one of his very own. The Womack Brothers began touring the Gospel circuit and soon caught the ear of 
Gerry Goffin was arguably America’s most prolific hit lyricist. During the second half of the 20th century, no fewer than 50 songs that he penned the lyrics for made the Top 40. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Goffin married Carole King who also happened to be his song writing partner throughout the ’60s. As part of the legendary Brill Building collective, Goffin and King wrote such pop and rock standards as “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “Take Good Care Of My Baby,” “The Loco-Motion,” “Go Away Little Girl,” and “Pleasant Valley Sunshine.” The seemingly endless list of artists who made their songs into hits includes