Died On This Date (May 9, 2009) Travis Edmonson / Bud & Travis

Travis Edmonson
September 23, 1932 – May 9, 2009

TravisTravis Edmonson is, along with Bud Dashiell, best remembered as the folk duo, Bud & Travis, who gained popularity in the early ’60s.  Growing up near the Arizona/Mexican border, Edmonson’s music was became heavily influenced by the Latin sounds he heard as a child.  Part of the duo’s success was due to the fact that they included many Spanish songs in their act.  Another factor was their beautiful harmonies and their excellent guitar work.  During the early ’60s, Edmonson took a break from Dashiell and forged out on his own.  No less than Frank Sinatra signed him to his Reprise label.   Edmonson continued as a solo act until an untimely stroke in 1982 left him paralyzed, after which he kept active as a songwriter and arranger.  Travis Edmonson passed away after years of struggling with Parkinson’s Disease and other afflictions.  He was 76.

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Died On This Date (May 8, 2010) Francisco Aguabella / Popular Afro-Cuban Percussionist

Francisco Aguabella
October 10, 1925 – May 8, 2010

Francisco Aguabella was a revered Afro-Cuban, jazz and Salsa percussionist who was also a sacred drummer of the Santeria religion.  Born and raised in Cuba, Aguabella picked up his first instrument at 12, and ultimately left home in his mid-20s to pursue his music career. He performed all over the world, appeared in the Shelley Winters film, Mambo, and played at the White House.    Over the course of his career, Aguabella performed with  Frank Sinatra, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, Carlos Santana, Cal Tjader, and the Doors to name a few.  In 1992, he was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship from the Endowment for the Arts.  Francisco Aguabella was 84 when he died of cancer on May 8, 2010.

Thanks to NAMM Historian, Dan Del Fiorentino for the assist.

Died On This Date (May 1, 2009) Danny Gans / Las Vegas Entertainer

Danny Gans
October 25, 1956 – May 1, 2009

A long time headliner in Las Vegas, Danny Gans was known as “The Man of Many Voices.”   Before he went into entertainment, Gans played baseball for the Durham Bulls, but an injury derailed his sports career so he set his sights on Broadway where he perfected his one man show.  In 1996, he moved to Las Vegas, starting at the Stratosphere.  He eventually moved his show to the Rio, the Mirage, the Encore, and most recently, the Encore.  The sign advertising his show is reportedly the largest free-standing marquee in the world.  In 1992, Gans portrayed Dean Martin in the CBS miniseries, Sinatra.  Danny Gans died unexpectedly at the age of 52.  Reports indicate that Gans died of an accidental reaction to prescribed medications he was taking.



Died On This Date (April 26, 1984) Count Basie / Jazz Legend

William “Count” Basie
March 24, 1904 – April 26, 1984

basie1Count Basie is one of most important jazz musicians and band leaders in American history.  Born in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1904, Basie was encouraged by his mother to learn the piano, paying 25 cents a lesson for the young boy.  Dropping out of junior high school, he took a job at a local movie house where one day when the regular pianist failed to show up for work, Basie took over playing behind the silent films.  He never looked back.  By his late teens he was playing at local parties, dances and talent shows, and when he wasn’t playing, he was hustling for his next gig.  In the mid ’20s, Basie was fully immersed in the jazz scene that was building in Harlem.  He would lead his Count Basie Orchestra on and off for the next fifty years.  Throughout his astounding career, Basie played for royalty around the world;  recorded with a who’s who of popular music – from Frank Sinatra to Duke Ellington, from Billie Holiday to Sarah Vaughan; won nine Grammys;  had four songs selected to the Grammy Hall of Fame;  appeared on television and in film; and performed at John F. Kennedy’s inaugural ball.  He passed away of pancreatic cancer on April 26, 1984 at the age of 79.

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Count Basie

Died On This Date (April 24, 2001) Al Hibler / Sang For Duke Ellington

Al Hibler
August 16, 1915 – April 24, 2001

Al Hibler was a blind singer who spent most of the 1940s singing Duke Ellington’s orchestra. In the mid ’50s he signed to Decca Records where he scored to massive hits, “Unchained Melody” and “He,” both selling over a million copies. His unusual vocal delivery made him a favorite across the US. In the late ’50s, Hibler turned his attention toward the Civil Rights Movement and was arrested twice while participating in anti-segregation marches. Because of his overtly political actions, record company executives began to shy away from him. All but one, that is … Frank Sinatra, who signed him to his Reprise Records in 1961. Beyond that, Hibler recorded only sporadically and made but a few special guest appearances throughout the ’80s and ’90s. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 85.