Died On This Date (March 15, 2015) Mike Porcaro / Bassist For Toto; Session Great

Mike Porcaro
May 29, 1955 – March 15, 2015

mike-porcaroMike Porcaro is perhaps best remembered as the longtime bassist for Toto, however, he didn’t become an official member until he replaced original bassist, David Hungate, in 1982.  He went on to tour and record with the band until his retirement in 2007. He can be heard on such Toto albums as Isolation, Fahrenheit,  The Seventh One, and their popular soundtrack to the motion picture Dune. As an in-demand session player, Porcaro’s list of credits reads like a who’s who of popular music of the past five decades.  That list includes albums by Aretha Franklin, Cher, Country Joe McDonald, Dan Fogelberg, Donna Summer, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sparks, Steve Perry, Stevie Nicks, and Wanda Jackson.  In 2007, Porcaro retired from playing due to a numbness he was feeling in his fingers, and three years later, it was announced that he was suffering from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or as it is more commonly known, “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”  On March 15, 2015, Mike Porcaro finally lost his brave battle with the disease.  He was 59.

What You Should Own

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Died On This Date (May 17, 2012) Donna Summer / Disco Icon

Donna Summer (Born LaDonna Gaines)
December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012

Donna Summer was a world-renowned American R&B singer who hit her stride during the disco era.  Unlike many of her contemporaries, Summer, with her mezzo-soprano vocal range, needed very little studio trickery for her vocals.  Coming of age in Boston during the early ’60s, Summer spent countless hours listening to records by and imitating the likes of the Supremes and Martha & the Vandellas. By then she had already been singing in church gospel groups.  As the ’60s rolled on, Summer discovered the powerhouse vocals of Janis Joplin, who, along with the early girl groups, influenced her own singing. Upon hearing Joplin sing on her Big Brother and the Holding Company records, she decided that’s what she wanted to do, so she joined her first band as lead singer, the psychedelic rock outfit, Crow.   That brought her to New York City where she focused on Broadway.  Her first role of significance was in the European company of Hair!. In 1975, Summer cut her first record, “Love To Love You Baby,” which although banned by most American radio stations due to its raw sexuality, became an instant smash in Europe.  From there it was a deal with Neil Bogart’s Casablanca Records who began pumping an extended version of the song to underground discos and Summer’s massive gay following was born.  She went on to release several albums that helped define the disco era and became the first artist to have three consecutive #1 albums that were two-record sets.  During the ’80s, Summer broke away from disco by adding a more rock sound to her records, and even though she had tracks on the soundtracks for the blockbuster films, Flashdance and Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the decade was not terribly kind to her.  She continued to make records well into the 2000s – some faring better than others, but for the most part were very well received.  Throughout her career, Summer was recognized with five Grammy awards (17 nominations), three multi-platinum albums, 11 gold albums, an NAACP Image Award, and six American Music Awards.  Her songs have been covered (or sampled) by Sheena Easton, David Guetta, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and many more.  Donna Summer passed away after a long struggle with cancer on May 17, 2012.  She was 63.

What You Should Own

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On the Radio - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2 - Donna Summer

Died On This Date (August 29, 1994) Michael Peters / Famed Choreographer

Michael Peters
August 6, 1948 – August 29, 1994

Michael PetersMichael Peters was a much-respected choreographer for such high profile music videos as Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” Donna Summer’s “Love To Love You Baby,” Pat Benatar’s “Love Is A Battlefield,” and of course, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Beat It,” in which he portrayed one of the gang leaders.  In 1982, Peters won a Tony Award for his choreography work on the Broadway musical Dreamgirls.  He died of AIDS related causes at the age of 46.



Died On This Date (May 8, 1982) Neil Bogart / Co-Founder of Casablanca Records

Neil Bogart (Born Neil Bogatz)
February 3 1943 – May 8, 1982

bogartNeil Bogart is best remembered as co-founder of Casablanca Records, the one time home of such acts as KISS, Angel, Donna Summer, the Village People, Parliament and Cher.  Casablanca was one of the labels closely associated with the rise of disco.  In the late ’70s, Bogart founded Boardwalk Records which he hoped would be to new wave what Casablanca was to disco.  Joan Jett was one of the flagship artists of the label.  Bogart died of lymphoma at the age of 39.