Died On This Date (March 28, 1974) Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup / Mississippi Blues Great
themusicsover Arthur Crudup
August 24, 1905 – March 28, 1974
Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup was a Mississippi blues man who, even though his “That’s Alright, Mama” became one of Elvis Presley’s biggest hits, he still had to work most of his life as a laborer and moonshiner to put food on the table. And even though there are countless other covers of his tunes, he still lived in near poverty for his entire life. Besides Presley, artists like Bob Dylan, Creedance Clearwater Revival, John Lee Hooker, Wanda Jackson, Elton John, Junior Wells and the Stray Cats owe a lot more than just gratitude to Arthur Crudup who had to labor most of his life until he passed away from complications of heart disease and diabetes at 71.
Dale Hawkins was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who launched his career in Louisiana during the mid ’50s. He was one of the earliest to take the rock and rockabilly of 
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was a somewhat outrageous blues and rock ‘n roll singer and musician whose biggest hit, “I Put a Spell On You,” and spooky stage theatrics influenced the likes of Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath. Even Bruce Springsteen has borrowed from Hawkins by coming out of a coffin to kick off his shows around Halloween. After serving in WWII where he was reportedly captured and tortured, Hawkins came home to the U.S. where he became a middleweight boxing champ, and later, a recording artist. In 1956, he released “I Put a Spell On You,” which went on to become a radio staple each year in October and has since been recorded or performed by the likes of Creedance Clearwater Revival, 
Tom Fogerty is best remembered as the founding guitarist for Creedance Clearwater Revival alongside his younger brother, John Fogerty. Prior to his days in CCR, Fogerty had a group, Spider Webb & The Insects that were signed to Del-Fi Records, but broke up before they could release any records. In the mid ’60s, Fogerty joined up with his brother in the Golliwogs who eventually changed their name to Creedance Clearwater Revival. CCR went on to become one of America’s most popular rock bands, releasing such huge hits as “Bad Moon Rising,” “Proud Mary” and “Fortunate Son.” Over the course of just five years, the band released a series of albums that are now considered classic rock staples. In spite of the band’s success, Fogerty quit the band in 1971 partly due to his strained relationship with his brother. Fogerty’s solo debut album of 1971 was a minor hit which reached #78 on the Billboard charts. Tom Fogerty died of AIDS at the age of 48. He had been infected with HIV from a blood transfusion.
