Died On This Date (June 25, 2006) Arif Mardin / Notable Producer & Arranger
themusicsover Arif Mardin
March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006
Born to a well-to-do family in Istanbul, Turkey, Arif Mardin, moved to the United States in 1958, having been awarded a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. After graduating, Mardin moved to New York City to break into the music business. He took a job at Atlantic Records as assistant to fellow Turkish immigrant, Nesuhi Ertegun. Within no time, Mardin became the label engineer and producer and eventually Sr. Vice President of the company. Along with Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler, he would be credited for creating the legendary “Atlantic Sound.” Over his career he produced hits by a who’s who of popular music, and in doing so was awarded a dozen Grammys and over 40 gold and platinum records. Artists that he produced include Barbra Streisand, the Bee Gees, Diana Ross, Queen, Aretha Franklin, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Dusty Springfield, and many more. Arif Mardin died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 74.
Linda Creed was a successful songwriter best known for several chart-topping hits closely associated with the Philly Sound of the 1970s. Her break came in 1970 when 
There isn’t enough room here to list the world-class artists who have recorded or covered songs written by the great Doc Pomus. From 
Lesley Duncan was a moderately successful English folk singer during the late ’60s and ’70s. After working on her own during the early part of her career, Duncan hooked up with Elton John in 1970 to sing a duet of her “Love Song” which appeared on his Tumbleweed Connection album. It remains one of just a handful of songs John recorded that was penned by someone outside of his and Bernie Taupin’s creative circle. Duncan went on to provide backing vocals on such albums as John’s Madman Across The Water, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and the Alan Parsons Project’s Eve. During the ’70s, she lent her vocal talents to recordings by 
Dusty Springfield was one of Britain’s most popular female singers of the ’60s. What endeared her to fans was the sensuality she added to what was being defined as “white soul.” Over the course of her early career, Springfield scored hits with such songs as “I Only Want To Be With You,” “Wishin’ and Hopin,'” the Academy Award winning, “The Look of Love,” and her most iconic hit, “Son of a Preacher Man.” In 1969, Springfield, in a move she felt would better legitimize her talent, went to Nashville to work with some of the city’s best session players. What they came up with, was Dusty in Memphis, arguably one of popular music’s greatest albums. It earned her a Grammy nomination as well as a home in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Springfield all but disappeared from the public eye for nearly two decades until, in 1987, her career was resurrected by of all acts, the Pet Shop Boys. Their collaboration on “What Have I Done To Deserve This?” shot to #2 on both the U.K. and U.S. charts and was one of the era’s most popular videos on MTV. Her career got another boost in 1994, when “Son of a Preacher Man” was prominently featured in Quentin Tarantino’s landmark film, Pulp Fiction. That same year however, Springfield was diagnosed with breast cancer, but she continued to work until her final live performance in December of 1995. On March 2, 1999, 59-year-old Dusty Springfield died as a result of the cancer.
