Died On This Date (May 5, 2012) Sweet Joe Russell / The Persuasions
themusicsover Jesse “Sweet Joe” Russell
September 25, 1939 – May 5, 2012
Sweet Joe Russell was an influential vocalist who, for the better part of five decades, sang with the a capella group, the Persuasions. Formed in Brooklyn in 1962, the Persuasions first found an audience on local street corners. In 1970, after hearing them sing over the telephone, Frank Zappa signed them to his Straight Records and released their debut record, A Capella. They went on to release numerous albums and record or tour with the likes of the Grateful Dead, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Joni Mitchell, and Liza Minnelli. And it was Russell, with his sweet tenor, who was called “the voice of the Persuasions.” Sweet Joe Russell died on May 5, 2012, after a long battle with diabetes. He was 72.
Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.
What You Should Own
Judy Garland was a star of stage, screen and a record through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years. Starting out on vaudeville with her sister act, The Gumm Sisters (she was born Francis Gumm), would go on to win an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, an Emmy and several Grammys. Best known for her iconic role as Dorothy in 1939’s The Wizard Of Oz, Garland also wowed audiences with her standing-room-only concert performances. She was considered by many to be the greatest female entertainer the US had ever produced. Despite her years of success and respect, Garland lived in a personal hell, no thanks in part to studio executives who told her she was too fat or unattractive. That lead to an addiction to weight loss pills and other drugs. Garland also suffered through financial troubles, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. She reportedly attempted suicide on more than one occasion but finally succumbed to an accidental overdose of barbiturates on June 22, 1969, leaving behind two daughters, Lorna Luft and Liza Minnelli, as well as son, Joey Luft.
