Died On This Date (May 9, 1999) Shel Silverstein / Respected Singer-Songwriter
themusicsover Shel Silverstein
September 25, 1932 – May 9, 1999
Shel Silverstein was, among many other things, a musician, composer, and singer-songwriter. Over the course of his career, he released no fewer than a dozen albums and amassed a catalog of songs which include those that have been recorded by Dr. Hook, Belinda Carlisle, Emmylou Harris, Bobby Bare, Lou Rawls, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Loretta Lynn, to name just a few. Silverstein’s most celebrated songs were “The Cover of the Rolling Stone,” a huge hit for Dr. Hook, and “A Boy Named Sue,” whose iconic Johnny Cash recording won him a songwriter Grammy in 1970. On May 10, 1999, Shel Silverstein was found in his home, dead of a heart attack. Although official reports indicate that he could have died on either May 9th or 10th, most sources cite the 9th as the day of his passing.
What You Should Own
Larry “L.A.” Johnson was a respected filmmaker who worked with Neil Young for the better part of forty years. Coming from a similar school of film making ideals that made stars out of Martin Scorsese and Brian DePalma, Johnson’s first break came in 1969 when he was hired as a sound recordist for the Woodstock concert film. His tremendous work on the landmark film earned him an Academy Award nomination in 1971. It was while working at Woodstock that Johnson met Young, and it was thanks to that chance meeting, Johnson was soon hired by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to film a never-released concert film that captured a series of shows in 1970. Eight years later, Young hired Johnson to capture live footage for a concert movie to be called Rust Never Sleeps, which became one of the genre’s greatest films. Young went on to put Johnson in charge of his film production company, Shakey Pictures, where he produced Weld, Neil Young: Silver and Gold, Year of the Horse, Greendale and other Young vehicles. Out side of his work with Young, Johnson also collaborated with the likes of Belinda Carlisle, New Edition, Bobby Brown, and Bob Dylan. On January 21, 2010, Larry Johnson died of an apparent heart attack. He was 62.