Died On This Date (November 17, 2003) Arthur Conley / Soul Great
themusicsover Arthur Conley
January 4, 1946 – November 17, 2003
Arthur Conley was a gifted soul singer and dynamic performer whose 1967 single, “Sweet Soul Music” is considered one of the era’s greatest R&B songs, and to this day, a staple of Bruce Springsteen’s live shows. After slugging it out on his own since 1959, Conley was, in 1967, “discovered” by Otis Redding, who began teaching him the ways of the music business and helping him land a better record deal. The two quickly co-wrote “Sweet Soul Music” which hit #2 on the US pop chart and became a top hit across Europe. Conley released several records during his career but none were able to catch the same excitement as “Sweet Soul Music, so in the late ’70s, he all but retired and moved to Europe where he continued to work, but not as much as he had during the ’60s and early ’70s. Arthur Conley was 57 when he died of intestinal cancer.
What You Should Own
Warren Zevon was one of rock’s greatest songwriters. He could write a better song title than most can write full songs. He first gained prominence as part of the same ’70s Los Angeles rock community that spawned the Eagles, Jackson Browne, and Linda Ronstadt, Zevon crafted songs that were beautifully ironic and at times, darkly humorous. He was, as the saying goes, a songwriter’s songwriter. Over the years he gave us such classic tunes as “Send Lawyers, Guns and Money,” “Werewolves Of London,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “Hasten Down The Wind,” and “Carmelita.” Throughout most of the ’80s and ’90s, Zevon could be seen from time to time filling in for Paul Shaffer on Late Night With David Letterman. In 2002, Zevon was diagnosed with a cancer that has been linked to asbestos. Instead of seeking traditional treatment, Zevon set out to create his final masterpiece, The Wind. The album featured a list of friends paying him back for the impact he had had on them. That list included Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, 