but the songs live on forever

Musician Rock

Died On This Date (May 9, 2012) Celso Chavez / Possum Dixon

themusicsover 1 Comment

Celso Chavez
March 22, 1968 – May 9, 2012

Celso Chavez was the founding guitarist for ’90s pop/punk band, Possum Dixon.  Formed in Los Angeles in 1989, Possum Dixon built a sizable following amongst fans of the blossoming Silver Lake scene.  In 1993, the band signed to Interscope Records and went on to release such albums as Possum Dixon and Star Maps.  Their video for “Watch the Girl Destroy Me” from their debut album found a welcome home at MTV.  Their last album for Interscope, 1998’s New Sheets, was produced by Ric Ocasek.  Celso Chavez was 44 when he died of complications from a staph infection on May 9, 2012.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number 1 Albums for the assist.



Musician Rock

Died On This Date (May 9, 2012) Clive Welham / Early Bandmate Of Syd Barrett and David Gilmour

themusicsover No Comments

Clive Welham
DOB Unknown – May 9, 2012

Clive Welham was an English drummer whose brush with fame came during the early ’60s,when he played with pre-Pink Floyd Syd Barrett and then, David Gilmour.  In 1962, Welham was playing alongside Barrett in a band called Geoff Mott and the Mottoes.  Within a couple of years, Barrett went off to join what was to become Pink Floyd, while Welham and Gilmour moved on to play in the Ramblers, the Four Posters and ultimately, Jokers Wild before Gilmour was hired to replace Barrett in Pink Floyd.   Clive Welham passed away on May 9, 2012 following a long illness.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.



Bluegrass Musician Singer

Died On This Date (May 8, 2012) Everett Lilly / Bluegrass’ The Lilly Brothers

themusicsover No Comments

Everett Lilly
July 1, 1924 – May 8, 2012

Photo by Michael Keller

Everett Lilly was a respected mandolin picker who, along with his brother, Bea Lilly, were known to the bluegrass world as the Lilly Brothers.  The Lilly Brothers got started singing on their local Appalachia radio stations during the 1940s, and folks took to their sound which has been likened to that of the Blue Sky Boys and the Monroe Brothers.  In 1952, they moved to Boston and are largely credited to bringing bluegrass to New England.   They quickly became a popular draw at area folk clubs, coffee houses, and festivals.  The Lilly Brothers went on to record several albums for such labels as Folkways and Prestige.  Prior to going off with his brother, Lilly played and sang for Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, and performed on the Grand Ole Opry as part of their Foggy Mountain Boys.  He also played on several of their early records.   In recent years, Lilly performed alongside his sons in the Lilly Mountaineers.  Everett Lilly was 87 when he passed away on May 8, 2012.

Thanks to Amy Cool Dorsey for the assist.

 

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com



Blues Musician Singer Songwriter

Died On This Date (May 6, 2012) Michael “Iron Man” Burks /Arkansas Blues Man

themusicsover No Comments

Michael Burks
July 30, 1957 – May 6, 2012

Photo by Paul Natkin

Born in Milwaukee, WI,  Michael “Iron Man” Burks was an exceptional electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.  By the time he was just five years old, Burks was already making beautiful noise on his guitar standing alongside his father who once played with Sonny Boy Williamson II.  During the early ’70s, Burks moved with his family to Camden, Arkansas where his father opened a juke joint.  Before he knew it, Burks was fronting the house band who played behind numerous visiting blues greats.  After the club closed during the ’80s, Burks all but left the music business altogether to earn a better living at Lockheed.  He eventually returned to making music full-time, releasing his debut album, From The Inside Out, in 1997.  Over the next two decades, Burk released three more albums for the esteemed Alligator Records while entertaining blues lovers around the world.  Upon returning from a European tour on May 6, 2012, Michael “Iron Man” Burks collapsed at the Atlanta International Airport and ultimately died from what was reported to have been a heart attack.  He was 54.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

I Smell Smoke - Michael Burks

R&B Singer

Died On This Date (May 5, 2012) Sweet Joe Russell / The Persuasions

themusicsover No Comments

Jesse “Sweet Joe” Russell
September 25, 1939 – May 5, 2012

Photo by Susana Millman

Sweet Joe Russell was an influential vocalist who, for the better part of five decades, sang with the a capella group, the Persuasions. Formed in Brooklyn in 1962, the Persuasions first found an audience on local street corners.  In 1970, after hearing them sing over the telephone, Frank Zappa signed them to his Straight Records and released their debut record, A Capella.  They went on to release numerous albums and record or tour with the likes of the Grateful Dead, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Joni Mitchell, and Liza Minnelli.  And it was Russell, with his sweet tenor, who was called “the voice of the Persuasions.”  Sweet Joe Russell died on May 5, 2012, after a long battle with diabetes.  He was 72.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Acappella - The Persuasions

« Previous Page — Next Page »

You Missed

Classic Rock Rock Singer

Alex Ligertwood, Santana Vocalist and Rock Journeyman, Dies at 79

Americana Country Musician Singer Songwriter

David Allan Coe, Defiant Voice of Country’s Outlaw Era, Dies at 85

Classic Rock Folk Musician Singer Songwriter

Beverley Martyn, Gifted British Folk Singer, Dies at 79

Americana Musician Rock Singer Songwriter

Jon Dee Graham, Influential Austin Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 67