Died On This Date (December 2, 2009) Aaron Schroeder / Wrote Several Hits For Elvis
themusicsover Aaron Schroeder
September 7, 1926 – December 2, 2009
Aaron Schroeder was a producer and prolific songwriter who reportedly penned upwards of 2000 tunes. Elvis Presley recorded seventeen of his songs, including the hits “A Big Hunk of Love,” “It’s Now or Never,” and “Stuck on You.” Other legends to make hits out of Schroeder’s songs were Roy Orbison, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Perry Como and many more. He also wrote the theme song for the Saturday morning cartoon, Scooby Doo Where Are You?. As a producer, Schroeder worked with, among others, Jimi Hendrix, Gene Pitney and Barry White. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, Aaron Schroeder, 84, passed away on December 2, 2009.
Sam Maghett, more commonly known as Magic Sam, was a respected Chicago blues musician who began building a following during the early ’50s thanks in part, to his distinctive tremolo, or “trembling” style of play. He was part of a new generation of blues musician that was breathing new life into the genre. That group including Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. Maghett landed a record deal in the late ’50s and although none of his records charted, they are considered very influential upon future generations of Chicago blues musicians. The momentum of Maghett’s career was cut short when he was drafted into the army, deserted after just a few weeks, resulting in a six month jail term. Magic Sam scored a few minor hits during the early ’60s, but suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 32.
Jack Cooke was a bluegrass bassist and singer best remembered for his time playing in Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys. Cooke first came to prominence as part of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys with whom he played from 1956 to 1960. He played on some of Monroe’s biggest hits, including the classic, “Big Mon.” After leaving Monroe, he fronted his own band for a few years until getting the call to join Stanley in 1970. He played in the Clinch Mountain Boys up until early 2009. Cooke received a Grammy in 2002 as part of the Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley album, Lost in the Lonesome Pines. Jack Cooke, 72, passed away at a local hospital on December 1, 2009.