A a member of vocal group, the Jordanaires, Hugh Jarrett added a rich bass to the many classic recordings of Elvis Presley. Recording over 50 albums with Presley, Jarret can be heard on such songs as “Love Me Tender,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog,” and “Love Me Tender.” Jarrett also toured with Presley and appeared in several of his films and television appearances, included his legendary debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. An in-demand session singer, Jarrett also sang with the likes of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Dottie West, Eddie Arnold, Patsy Cline, andWayne Newton. Hugh Jarrett died of complications from an earlier automobile accident.
Jeanine Deckers (Born Jeanne-Paule Deckers)
October 17, 1933 – March 29, 1985
As a Belgian nun, Jeanine Deckers earned a place in pop culture due to her international hit single, “Dominique,” released in 1963. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November of that year, many US radio stations played the song in heavy rotation as part of their tributes to the late President. This lead to Deckers becoming a popular concert draw around the United States and beyond as well as an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in January of 1964. Hollywood took notice and cast Debbie Reynolds in a film entitled The Singing Nun which Deckers denounced as pure fiction. The following year, Sally Field was cast as the lead in a television comedy, The Flying Nun, a spoof of sorts on the film. By 1968, Deckers’ music career was over and she had left the convent to open a school for autistic children. The Belgian government came calling for their share of the profits from her first album (over $50,000), which she claimed went to the convent, making her exempt. She eventually lost the court case that ensued. Around this time she developed an addiction to drugs and alcohol and was suffering from depression and nervous breakdowns. Blaming financial problems in a note left behind, Deckers took her own life by an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol on March 29, 1985. Ironically and without her knowledge, Deckers was awarded $300,000 in back royalties that very day. The amount was significantly greater than the money she owed.
William Ludwig Jr. was the son of the founder of the Ludwig Drum Company, and eventually become its leader. Ludwig Jr.’s most celebrated contribution to rock ‘n’ roll came in the form of a drum set that he built for Ringo Starr. It has been reported that Starr was so proud to play a Ludwig set, that he asked the company to build a special kit with the their logo on the bass drum for the Beatles’ first televised appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. This of course, contributed to Ludwig’s tremendous growth in the ’60s, with Ludwig Jr. at the helm. William Ludwig Jr. died of natural causes on March 22, 2008. He was 91 years old.
Brad Delp was the unmistakable voice of Tom Scholz’s arena-rock band Boston, one of the break-out acts of the 1970s. Born in 1951, Delp was one of countless teenagers who, after witnessing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, knew that rock ‘n roll was to be his life’s calling. Delp first began working with Scholz in the latter’s 1969 band, Mother’s Milk. The group was soon renamed Boston and released its self-titled debut in 1976. With hits like “More Than A Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” and “Foreplay/Long Time,” the album propelled the group into the international spotlight and, with over 17 million copies sold, became the biggest selling debut album in history. It still stands as one of the iconic releases of the era. It’s quick follow-up, Don’t Look Back sold an astonishing four million in just its first month, and went on to sell seven million. The group’s Third Stage followed in 1986, and in 1991, Delp left the group to form RTZ. Delp and Scholz reunited in Boston in 1994, but as would be expected, they never achieved the success of their first releases. It should be noted that Delp wrote or co-wrote several of Boston’s songs over the years. In later years, he performed in various groups or projects. On March 9, 2007, Brad Delp shocked friends, family, and fans by taking his own life when, on the eve of his wedding, he lit two charcoal barbecues in a sealed bathroom. He was 55 when he died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Jimmy Boyd was a popular ’50s and ’60s television actor as well as a singer and musician who is best remembered for his 1952 recording of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” Recorded just before he hit his teens, the song as gone on to sell an astonishing 60,000,000 copies ever since. Thanks to its popularity, Boyd became a popular fixture on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Frank Sinatra Show, The Tonight Show, and American Bandstand, to name a few. Although Boyd had opportunities to make rock ‘n roll records, including with legendary producer Sam Phillips, he was working with Mitch Miller who hated the new style of music. Boyd was very loyal to Miller who had signed him to Columbia Records, but as a pop singer. During the mid ’60s, Boyd finally started making more rock-leaning records when he worked with the likes of Bobby Darin,Terry Melcher and Leon Russell. One such record was for a song written by Barry Gibb of Bee Gees fame – it helped Boyd land a recording contract with A&M. Jimmy Boyd was 70 when he died of cancer on March 7, 2009.