Died On This Date (March 31, 1986) O’Kelly Isley / Isley Brothers
themusicsover O’Kelly Isley
December 25, 1937 – March 31, 1986
Born on Christmas Day, 1937, O’Kelly Isley would, along with his brothers, Ronald Isley, Vernon Isley and Rudolph Isley grow up to write and record some of the greatest songs of R&B. Such hits as “Shout,” “It’s Your Thing,” and “The Lady (Part 1).” The Isley Brothers’ songs have been recorded by the, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Yardbirds, Alicia Keys, Aaliyah, the Beatles, and many many more! And who could forget the great scene in Animal House when Otis Day & The Knights’ version of “Shout!” made a great movie even better. O’Kelly Isley passed away from a sudden heart attack in 1986. He was 48.
What You Should Own
Music pioneer Archie Bleyer served many purposes in the music industry. He was a musician, band leader, recording artist and producer, but will likely be most remembered for his label, Cadence Records. He was leading his own big band by the mid-’30s and throughout the ’40s and ’50s he was leading the orchestra for Arthur Godfrey’s TV show. Bleyer started Cadence Records in 1952 where he helped develop the careers of Andy Williams, Julius LaRosa and the Chordettes. In the mid-’50s he struck gold by signing the Everly Brothers and producing many of their biggest hits. As American musical tastes changed in the early ’60s, Cadence had trouble competing with the bigger labels who were having huge successes with the likes of the Beatles. Bleyer closed Cadence in 1964 and sold the masters to Andy Williams. Archie Bleyer passed away on March 20, 1989 from Parkinson’s Disease.
Norman “Hurricane” Smith was a British engineer and producer who worked closely with George Martin and who could count the Beatles, Pink Floyd and the Pretty Things among his successes. He was lead engineer on every song the Beatles ever recorded at EMI Studios. After being promoted to A&R and Producer at EMI, he signed Pink Floyd to the label. And along with his work with both Pink Floyd and the Pretty Things, he reluctantly helped usher in what would become known as psychedelic rock. In the early 1970s, Smith recorded under the name Hurricane Smith and had a couple of hits including “Don’t Let It Die” and “Oh Babe, What Would You Say?.”