Died On This Date (June 4, 2001) John Hartford / Influential Folk & Bluegrass Pioneer

John Hartford (Born John Harford)
December 30, 1937 – June 4, 2001

Photo by Jerry Brendle

John Hartford was a beloved folk singer-songwriter who was also proficient in several stringed instruments.  He is probably mostly associated with the banjo and fiddle.   Hartford mastered those instruments while still in his mid teens, and by the time he was in college, he had already built a name for himself throughout the St. Louis music scene.  Hartford released his first album, Looks At Life, on RCA Records in 1966.  A year later, he put out its follow-up album, which included the song, “Gentle On My Mind.”  Soon made into a pop hit by Glen Campbell, the tune earned Hartford two Grammys.  It has also been covered by Elvis Presley, R.E.M., Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, and Dean Martin, to name a few.   During the ’70s, Hartford released a string of albums that would lay the foundation for the “newgrass” movement to follow – a more electrifying form of bluegrass, sometimes even incorporating drums.   His 1976, Mark Twang earned Hartford another Grammy while his contributions to the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack of 2000 landed him yet another.  Hartford battled Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma for the better part of the the last 20 years of his life, finally forcing him to retire from the road in 2001.  It wasn’t long after that he died as a result of the disease on June 4, 2001.  He was 63.

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John Hartford

 

Died On This Date (March 24, 2010) John Ciambotti / Bassist For Clover; Played With Elvis Costello

John Ciambotti
DOB Unknown – March 24, 2010

john-ciambottiJohn Ciambotti was a respected bass player who, as part of the ’70s group Clover, played in Elvis Costello’s band for the recording of My Aim is True.  Clover formed in 1967, and while building a San Francisco following, it served as a launching pad for the likes of Huey Lewis and Jeff Porcaro.  In 1977, the group was hired to back Costello on what would be his much-lauded debut album.  When Clover broke up in 1978, Ciambotti went on to be one of the industry’s most reliable session players.  He has played on landmark recordings by the likes of Carlene Carter, John Prine and Lucinda Williams.  In recent years, Ciambotti worked as a chiropractor and holistic healer specializing on musicians.  On March 24, John Ciambotti, age 67, died of an apparent abdominal aneurysm.




Died On This Date (November 25, 1974) Nick Drake / Influential English Singer-Songwriter

Nick Drake
June 19, 1948 – November 25, 1974

nickdrakeNick Drake was an English singer-songwriter who in spite of selling in the neighborhood of just 5000 copies of each of his albums when released, went on to become one of the most influential and respected artists of his generation.  Drake came to relative prominence during the British folk movement of the late ’60s and early ’70s.  Oft compared to the likes of Syd Barrett, Donovan and Van Morrison, Drake released just three albums between 1969 and 1972.  They barely registered a blip back then, and the fact that Drake resisted performing live or granting interviews did nothing to help them find their audience.  Suffering from depression and insomnia for much of his life, Drake let those demons populate his dark songs.  During Drake’s final month’s, he became very reclusive, avoiding friends and family.  Mental illness had obviously taken hold of Drake’s spirit.   On November 25, 1974, Nick Drake, 26, died of an overdose of antidepressants in his parents home.  Local officials ruled it a suicide, though many close to him and with him during his final days strongly believe it was an accidental overdose.  Interest in Drake’s music continued to grow throughout the ’80s and ’90s as popular artists like Lucinda Williams, Elliott Smith, REM’s Peter Buck, and Robert Smith and of the Cure began citing him as an influence.  His songs also began finding new fans from numerous film and TV placements, including the usage of “Pink Moon” in a popular Volkswagen commercial in 2000.

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Pink Moon (Remastered) - Nick Drake

 

Died On This Date (November 2, 1966) Mississippi John Hurt / Blues Legend

Mississippi John Hurt
July 3, 1893 (or March 8, 1892) – November 2, 1966

Although he was small in stature, picked the guitar lightly, and sang almost in a whisper, Mississippi John Hurt’s influence on folk and blues was huge.  He learned to play the guitar before he was ten, and by the early 1920s, he had already been playing in front of crowds at local barn dances.  In 1928, and on the recommendation of a friend who had recently won an Okeh Records contract in a talent contest, Hurt was asked to audition for the label.  He was signed that same year and given two recording sessions that produced collection of sides that sadly, never had a chance to develop since Okeh soon went under due to the Great Depression.  Hurt soon retired from the music business and went back to his life as a sharecropper.   Fast forward about 35 years to 1963.  The folk revival was in full swing when music historian, Tom Hoskins heard those old recordings and sought out to find Hurt.  He tracked him down still living in Avalon, Mississippi and convinced him to move to Washington DC and relaunch his music career.  Hurt’s set at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival was that of legend, and he was subsequently signed to legendary folk label, Vanguard Records.  He went on to tour the country and even perform on the Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.  Hurt’s music influenced a new generation of singer-songwriters from blues to country to folk.  Mississippi John Hurt died of a heart attack on November 2, 1966.  In 2001, Morgana Kennedy and the folks at Vanguard records released Avalon Blues: A Tribute to the Music of Mississippi John Hurt.  It contained versions of John Hurt songs by the likes of Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Ben Harper, Beck and John Hiatt.

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Mississippi John Hurt: Complete Studio Recordings - Mississippi John Hurt