Died On This Date (August 30, 2013) Chris Lighty / Managed 50 Cent, Diddy, Mariah Carey, Ja Rule

Chris Lighty
DOB Unknown – August 30, 2012

Chris Lighty was a respected artist manager who counted Sean “Diddy” Combs, Mariah Carey, Ja Rule and 50 Cent as clients.  Raised in New York City, Lighty landed his first significant gig in 1988 with Russell Simmon’s Rush Management.  After learning the ropes and building a solid reputation as a man who could build brands, Lighty formed Violator Management.  His early roster included Busta Rhymes, L L Cool J, and Missy Elliott.  Before long, Lighty was representing some of the biggest names in entertainment, and while doing so, becoming one of the most significant business forces in rap history.  Chris Lighty reportedly died from a self-inflected gunshot wound at his home on August 30, 2012. He was 44.

Thanks Kelly Samojlik at New Releases Now for the assist.

Died On This Date (August 8, 2009) Michael Viner / ’70s Producer & Label Head

Michael Viner
1944 – August 8, 2009

vinerAlthough Michael Viner is likely best remembered as a pioneer in the audio books industry, he did make a significant mark on music as well.  Viner was a record producer and label executive during the ’70s.  While at MGM Records, Viner signed the likes of Debby Boone.  As a producer, he worked with Sammy Davis Jr. on his biggest hit, “Candy Man,” and produced the Incredible Bongo Band’s minor hit, “Apache.”   That song would become one of the foundations of rap and hip-hop, being sampled by the likes of Moby and LL Cool J.  Viner passed away of cancer at the age of 65.

Died On This Date (July 26, 2010) Melvin Bliss / Heavily Sampled ’70s Soul Singer

Melvin Bliss
DOB Unknown – July 26, 2010

Born in Chicago, Melvin Bliss began his career in music at the age of six, first performing gospel and then moving on to jazz.  In 1973, he released “Synthetic Substitution” a soul record that went on to become one of the most sampled songs in music history even though it was an obscure b-side.  Below is a partial list of songs that borrowed elements from Bliss’ recording.  Melvin Bliss was 75 when he passed away on July 26, 2010.

Where You’ll Hear Melvin Bliss Samples

From the-breaks.com

3XDope – “Funky Dividends”
Alkaholiks – “Bullshit”
Alkaholiks – “Turn the Party Out”
Almighty RSO – “One in the Chamba”
Big Daddy Kane – “Just Rhymin’ with Biz”
Big Daddy Kane – “Looks Like a Job for. . .”
Biz Markie – “Cool V’s Tribute to Scratching”
Blessed Union of Soul – “Let Me Be the One”
Boss – “Comin’ to Getcha”
Brotha Lynch Hung – “24 Deep”
Brothers Like Outlaw – “The Real McKoy”
Chubb Rock – “My Brother”
Chubb Rock – “The Night Scene”
Coolio – “I Remember”
Criminals at Large – “Times are Getting Hard”
Da King & I – “Flip Da Scrip”
De la Soul – “Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa”
De la Soul – “Potholes in My Lawn”
De la Soul – “Sh.Fe.MC’s”
Deee-Lite – “I Won’t Give Up”
Def Jef – “Black to the Future”
Depeche Mode – “In Your Room”
Digital Underground – “Tie the Knot”
DJ Honda – “Out for Cash”
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince – “Groove”
DOC – “Mind Blowin'”
Dr. Octagon – “A Visit to the Gynecologyst”
Dr. Octagon – “Wild and Crazy”
Eazy-E – “Eazy Street”
En Vogue – “Hold On”
EPMD – “Mr. Bozack”
EPMD – “Scratch Bring it Back”
Gang Starr – “Code of the Streets”
Gang Starr – “Dwyck”
Ghostface Killah – “Deck’s Beat”
Ghostface Killah – “Mighty Healthy”
Goats – “Do the Digs Dug”
Gravediggaz – “Bang Your Head”
Gravediggaz – “Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide”
Group Home – “So Called Friends”
Guru – “Take a Look (At Yourself)”
Guru – “Transit Ride”
Ice Cube – “2 N the Mornin'”
Ice T – “Depths of Hell”
Ice T – “Original Gangster”
Imani Coppola – “It’s All about Me, Me and Me”
King & I – “Flip Da Scrip”
Leaders of the New School – “Bass is Loaded”
LL Cool J – “Crossroads”
MadKap – “Here Comes the Break”
Masta Ace – “Saturday Nite Live”
MC Lyte – “Never Had Nothing Like This”
Mellow Man Ace – “Silly Rabbit”
Method Man – “All I Need”
Naughty by Nature – “O.P.P.”
Naughty by Nature – “On the Run”
Naughty by Nature – “Yoke the Joker”
Nice & Smooth – “Cake & Eat it Too”
Nice & Smooth – “Pump it Up”
Nikki D – “The Beauty Shop”
NWA – “Alwayz into Somethin'”
NWA – “Real Niggaz Don’t Die”
ODB – “Cuttin’ Headz”
Onyx – “Nigga Bridges”
Onyx – “Throw Ya Gunz”
Orb – “Supernova at the End of the Universe”
Papa Chuk – “Make Way for the Rudeboy”
Peanut Butter Wolf – “I Will Always Love H.E.R.”
Penthouse Players Clique – “P.S. Phuk U2”
Pharcyde – “Ya Mama”
PM Dawn – “On a Clear Day”
Public Enemy – “Don’t Believe the Hype”
Public Enemy – “Miuzi Weighs a Ton”
Redman – “I’m a Bad”
Redman – “Jam 4 U”
Run-DMC – “Wreck Shop”
Scarface – “For Real”
Scarface – “Murder by Reason of Insanity”
Schoolly D – “Saturday Night”
Slick Rick – “Venus”
Sloan – “Stove”
Souls of Mischief – “A Name I Call Myself”
Special Ed – “5 Men and a Mic”
Tim Dog – “I Ain’t Takin’ No Shorts”
Tone Loc – “On Fire”
Too $hort – “Hoes”
Tupac – “The Streetz R Death Row”
Tupac – “When I Get Free II”
Ultramagnetic MCs – “Ego Trippin'”
Ultramagnetic MCs – “Pluckin Cards”
WC & the Maad Circle – “A Crazy Break”
Wu-Tang Clan – “Bring Da Ruckus”
Wu-Tang Clan – “Clan in Da Front”
Wu-Tang Clan – “Method Man”



Died On This Date (November 1, 2008) Shakir Stewart / Def Jam Exec VP

Shakir Stewart
April 12, 1974 – November 1, 2008

Shakir Stewart was a successful record company executive who was, most recently, Sr. VP of Island Def Jam Music Group as well as Executive VP of Def Jam.  In Stewart’s first job out of college, he signed Beyonce to a publishing deal as a staffer at Hitco Music Publishing.  From there he became an A&R consultant for LaFace Records, a label owned by Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Antonio “L.A.” Reid. He brought Ciara to the label.  He later moved to the Def Jam family where he signed or oversaw such acts as Young Jeezy, Nas, LL Cool J and Rick Ross.  He quickly moved up the ranks within the company.  Shakir Stewart took his own life with a gun on November 1, 2008.  He was 34 years old.



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Died On This Date (September 12, 2007) Bobby Byrd / Discovered and Performed With James Brown

Bobby Byrd
August 15, 1934 – September 12, 2007

Bobby Byrd was a young gospel and soul singer when, in 1952 while playing in a baseball game against the prisoners of a Georgia prison, he met inmate, James Brown.  Brown was reportedly singing for the other inmates.  Byrd was so impressed that he helped arrange for Brown’s parole.  Over the next 20 years, Byrd helped guide Brown’s career while singing and writing songs with him.  He was the leader of Brown’s back-up group, the Blue Flames.  Byrd released his own records in the ’70s.  His music has been sampled by the likes of Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and LL Cool J.  Bobby Byrd died of cancer at the age of 73.