Died On This Date (June 15, 2011) Wild Man Fischer / Unconventional Singer-Songwriter

Larry “Wild Man” Fischer
November 6, 1944 – June 15, 2011

Wild Man Fischer was a cultish singer-songwriter whose unconventional music and actions could be attributed to mental illness.  He’s been called severely paranoid schizophrenic, manic depressive, and an acid casualty.  Fischer was kicked out of high school for singing in class, and at 16 was institutionalized after attacking his mother with a knife.  Upon his release the following year, he landed on the  streets of Los Angeles where he continued to sing his outlandish songs to pedestrians at just 10 cents each.  Another venue he enjoyed was Dodger Stadium where he serenaded fans while selling peanuts.  He also entered area talent shows, and it was at one of these that he caught the attention of Solomon Burke who took him on tour with him.  By the late ’60s, Fischer was hanging out along West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip where he opened for the likes of Iron Butterfly and Bo Diddley.  He was soon spotted by Frank Zappa who recorded his first album, An Evening With Wild Man Fischer in 1968.  He went on to perform with Art and Artie Barnes and recorded additional albums on his own through the ’80s.  His 1975 Go To Rhino Records was the first album ever released by the esteemed Rhino label.  Throughout his career, Fischer worked with such luminaries as Linda Ronstadt, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Tom Waits, and oddly enough, Rosemary Clooney, with whom he dueted on 1986’s “It’s A Hard Business.”  In recent years he has performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, while making other random appearances.  He is also the subject of a recent documentary, Derailroaded: Inside The Mind Of Wild Man Fischer.  Wild Man Fischer was 66 when he passed away on June 15, 2011.  Cause of death was not immediately released, but he was reportedly suffering from heart issues.

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Wild Man Fischer

Died On This Date (March 13, 2011) Owsley Stanley / LSD Icon; Longtime Soundman for Grateful Dead

Augustus Owsley Stanley
January 19, 1935 – March 13, 2011

Owsley “Bear” Stanley was a sound engineer and former notorious LSD cook who was reportedly the first to manufacture large quantities of the drug.  His high-quality LSD, often given away for free, became plentiful in the San Francisco area during the mid ’60s so is credited for being an essential piece of the hippie movement.  As a respected sound engineer, Stanley was employed by (and also helped finance) the Grateful Dead.  He met members of the group during Ken Kesey’s famed acid tests of 1966 and became their first sound man.  He also co-designed their iconic “Steal Your Face” skull logo with Bob Thomas.   It was Stanley who developed the advanced high fidelity live sound system used by the Grateful Dead.  He also helped launch Meyer Sound, the respected concert sound system manufacturer.  During his years with the Grateful Dead, Stanley started the practice of taping the band’s rehearsals and live shows – this lead to the phenomenon of audience-generated tapes that spread well beyond the Dead.  He also made countless live recordings during the ’60s and ’70s of such acts as Jefferson Airplane, Miles Davis, Janis Joplin, Santana, and Johnny Cash to name just a few.   Owsley and his exploits have been documented in (or at least inspired) such songs as “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix, “Kid Charlemagne” by Steely Dan, and numerous others.  On March 13, 2011, Owsley Stanley was killed when the car he was driving swerved off a road near his home in Queensland, Australia.  The car reportedly went down an embankment and crashed into some trees killing Owsley and injuring his wife.  He was 76.



Died On This Date (August 2, 1972) Brian Cole / The Association

Brian Cole
September 8, 1942 – August 2, 1972

coleBrian Cole’s first foray into show business was as a stand-up comic and actor, eventually joining the Association as bassist.  The group had two pop hits with “Along Comes Mary” and “Cherish.”  Their other claim to fame was that the were the opening act for the legendary 1967 Monterey Pop Festival which first introduced many to the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Otis Redding.  It was also considered by some historians as the beginning of the “Summer of Love.”   The band continued to build an audience over the next few and were about to embark on their 1972 when Brian Cole was found dead of a heroin overdose in his room.  He was just 29.

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The Association: Greatest Hits - The Association

Died On This Date (July 25, 1984) Big Mama Thornton / Blues Legend

Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton
December 11, 1926 – July 25, 1984

Big Mama Thornton gave the world two of the greatest songs in rock history, “Hound Dog” and “Ball and Chain.”  And they  would become signature songs for two of America’s biggest rock icons.  Just starting out in the early ’50s, Thornton, along with producer Johnny Otis, worked up a hard electric blues version of “Hound Dog” which was given to her by the songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller.  Her’s being the first recording of the song, she sat at the top of the R&B charts for seven weeks.  Elvis Presley rocked the song up a bit three years later, sending his career into the stratosphere.  Unfortunately, Thornton’s career didn’t take the same path.  She worked consistently throughout the ’50s and ’60s, but was never able to duplicate the success of “Hound Dog.”  And while her career was on an upswing in late ’60s, she wrote and recorded “Ball and Chain” for Arhoolie Records.  The song found its way to the great Janis Joplin who added her own sass to it on stage at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, a watershed moment in her career.  Sadly though, Thornton was again unable to capitalize on the success.  As the year’s progressed so did Thornton’s abuse of alcohol.  By the early ’80s, the once “Big Mama” was but a shadow of herself, weighing less than 100 pounds.  She died of heart and liver problems on July 25, 1984.

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Hound Dog: The Peacock Recordings - Big Mama Thornton

Died On This Date (July 11, 1937) George Gershwin / Iconic Composer

George Gershwin (Born Jacob Gershowitz)
September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937

Although his career spanned just around twenty years due to his untimely death, George Gerswhin, along with his brother Ira Gershwin, created some of the most popular music of all time.  His compositions can, to this day, be heard on Broadway, in classical concert halls, films and television.  Many of his songs have become standards and have been recorded by the biggest names in show business.  That list includes Barbra Streisand, Sting, Janis Joplin, Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, Diana Ross, Billie Holiday, John Coltrane and Louis Armstrong.  George Gershwin died at the age of 38 during surgery for what was a brain tumor.  There have been some who disputed that a tumor caused his death.

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