Died On This Date (January 4, 1986) Phil Lynott / Thin Lizzy
themusicsover Phil Lynott
August 20, 1949 – January 4, 1986
Phil Lynott was the lead singer, bassist and primary songwriter for the popular ’70s Irish rock band, Thin Lizzy. Formed in 1969, the band gained international fame during the mid ’70s with such rock hits as “The Boys are Back in Town,” “Jailbreak,” and “Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me in its Spotlight).” Their 1978 live album, Live and Dangerous sits alongside Frampton Comes Alive and Kiss Alive as one of the definitive albums of its generation and one of the best live rock albums of all time. Lynott released a handful of solo albums beginning in 1980, the best of which being Solo in Soho. Thin Lizzy called it quits in 1984. On Christmas Day, 1985, Lynott collapsed in his home, and was brought to an area hospital where it was discovered he was suffering from a kidney and liver infection, a result of his drug and alcohol abuse. He died while still in the hospital’s intensive care unit on two weeks later as a result of heart failure and pneumonia. Phil Lynott was 36 when he passed away on January 4, 1986.
What You Should Own
Don Kirshner was a music publisher, producer, songwriter-manager, and television host who rightfully earned the nickname, The Man With The Golden Ear. His music career began during the ’50s when he and his partner, Al Nevins, launched Aldon Music, a publishing company that included such future superstar talent as Neil Diamond, 
Bill Aucoin was a highly successful artist manager who, over the course of some 30 years, represented the likes of KISS, Billy Idol, Manowar, Billy Squier, and Starz, to name a few. After studying film in college, Aucoin was heading down a road to becoming a cinematographer when, in 1973, he discovered KISS and began managing them through the first decade of their career. His vision and the fact that he funded their first tour out of his pocket helped pave the way for the band’s massive success. They parted ways in the early ’80s, but worked together again on DVD packages in later years. Bill Aucoin died of complications associated with prostate cancer on June 28, 2010. He was 66.
Bruce Fairbairn was a Canadian trumpet player, but made a huge mark on popular music as a rock producer. Fairbairn hit his stride in the ’80s producing such albums as Loverboy’s Get Lucky, Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, Aerosmith’s Permanent Vacation, and later, Bon Jovi’s New Jersey, Aerosmith’s Pump, Poison’s Flesh and Blood, Van Halen’s Balance, AC/DC’s The Razor’s Edge Kiss’ Psycho Circus, and many more. It was while working on Yes’ Ladder, in May of 1999 that Jon Anderson discovered Bruce Fairbairn’s body in his home. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Neil 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.