Died On This Date (August 15, 2012) Bob Birch / Journeyman Bassist; Played With Elton John, Billy Joel, Cher
themusicsover Bob Birch
July 14, 1956 – August 15, 2012
Bob Birch was a respected bassist who worked both in the studio and on the road with some of pop music’s biggest stars. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Birch was exposed to the greats at Motown at an early age. Fist playing the saxophone, Birch won several awards while in school. He eventually took up the bass and earned a scholarship to Wayne State from which he graduated with a degree in music. During the early ’80s, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. During his early days in L.A., Birch played on a multi-platinum Jazzercise album. One of Birch’s first gigs as a touring bassist was for Jose Feliciano. In 1992, Birch was hired by Elton John and went on to be his primary touring and studio bassist. The list of artists Birch also performed live or recorded numbers in the dozens if not hundreds. It includes Billy Joel, Cher, George Michael, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Gregg Allman, Brian Wilson, and Bruce Hornsby. He also played on such soundtracks as The Scorpion King and The Replacements. Bob Birch died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on August 15, 2012. He was 56.
Brent Grulke was the creative director for the South By Southwest (SXSW) music conference for the past 30 years, and by all accounts was the driving force in making it the world-renowned annual event it is today. In charge of booking acts, Grulke’s passion for music brought the conference from a regional event that launched with around 200 performers vying for the attention of record companies, to a must-attend gathering that now draws 2000 performers from around the world. To the delight of music fans (disgust of some traditionalists), SXSW has become an event that also includes popular artists who have new music to pitch. In recent years, it has played host to Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, and Lil’ Wayne, to name just a few superstar acts. Prior to his tenure at SXSW, Grulke worked as a tour manager, producer, and label executive, as well as an editor for the Austin Chronicle. Brent Grulke was 52 when he died of a heart attack on August 13, 2012.
Von Freeman was an influential jazz saxophonist who was revered the world over by fans of hard bop. Even though his skills matched that of say, 
Ranking Trevor was a Jamaican singer who, during the 1970s, helped popularize the usage of “toasting” which was an early form of rap that eventually gave birth to hip-hop. Ranking Trevor launched his career as a deejay while in his early teens, and by the time he turned 15, he had already cut his first record. Most of Ranking Trevor’s recordings were made at the legendary Channel One studio. His most famous were “Caveman Skank” and “Three Piece Chicken and Chips,” both of which charted in England. Because of his popularity in the UK, he lived there through most of the ’70s and ’80s, but ultimately settled back in Jamaica during the ’90s. On August 7, 2012, Ranking Trevor died from injuries he sustained when he was thrown from his motorcycle during an apparent accident with an automobile. The date of Ranking Trevor’s birth vary from source to source, but most put his age at 60 at the time of his death.
Marvin Hamlisch was a New York City born composer who is one of just two people (the other being Richard Rodgers) to have won an Emmy, an Oscar, a Tony, a Grammy, and a Pulitzer Prize. His total count was four Emmys, three Oscars, one Tony, four Grammys, one Pulitzer Prize, plus two Golden Globes. A child prodigy, Hamlisch was just seven when he was accepted to Julliard’s pre-college division. Years later, his first job was as Barbra Streisand’s rehearsal pianist for Funny Girl. His movie score credits include The Way We Were, The Sting, Ordinary People, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Sophie’s Choice. For Broadway, he composed the award-winning score for A Chorus Line among others. A songwriter as well, Hamlisch wrote hits for Lesley Gore and Carly Simon. Marvin Hamlisch was 68 when, on August 6, 2012, he died following a brief illness. Cause of death was not immediately released.