Died On This Date (May 13, 2011) Jack Richardson / Canadian Record Producer
themusicsover Jack Richardson
July 23, 1929 – May 13, 2011
Jack Richardson was a respected Canadian record producer who was ultimately honored by having the Juno Awards’ Producer of the Year Award named after him. He was also an instructor at the most prestigious music schools in Canada. While working for an ad agency in 1968, Richardson created a bottle-cap reimbursement campaign for the Canadian Coca-Cola company. Those who purchased designated Cokes could collect the bottle caps and ultimately redeem them for a promotional album, A Wild Pair, which featured the Guess Who on one side and the Staccatos (later known as the Five Man Electrical Band) on the other. The campaign was so successful that the album reportedly would have achieved gold status had it been an “official” release. Richardson went on to produce several Guess Who albums and singles including their biggest hits, “These Eyes” and “American Woman.” He also produced Bob Seger’s landmark album, Night Moves, as well has hit albums by the likes of Alice Cooper, Poco, Badfinger, and the Irish Rovers. His son, Garth Richardson is an in-demand producer as well who has worked with Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and System Of A Down. Jack Richardson was 81 when he passed away on May 13, 2011.
Thanks to Roch Parisien for the assist.
Born in Russia, Natasha Shneider, was a multi-instrumentalist and singer for, most notably, ’90s rock band Eleven. Shneider moved to the United States, where her band, with former Red Hot Chili Pepper, Jack Irons and husband, Alain Johannes, had a few minor hits through the early ’90s thanks to their hard alternative rock sound that was part grunge and part funk-metal. In later years, Shneider and Johannes lent their talents on recordings by No Doubt, Chris Cornell, and Queens Of The Stone Age, with whom they also toured. Natasha Shneider lost her battle with cancer on July 2, 2008.
Hillel Slovak was the founding guitarist of Los Angeles Alterna-Funk-Metal gods, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and by some accounts, their true heart and soul. Thanks in part to Slovak’s passion for funk, the band were able to create an alchemy of sonic power that married the best of funk, punk rap and metal into something that has since been imitated but never equaled. It should also be noted that Slovak actually taught Chili Peppers’ Mike “Flea” Balzary how to play the bass and the world would never be the same. Meeting in high school, the band was formally launched in 1983 and quickly hit the local stages. Their super high energy sound and shows quickly launched them to the top of the local scene and secured them a deal with EMI Records. It was around this time that Slovak began to experiment with heroin which lead to turmoil within the band as the drug began to adversely affect his playing. He was in and out of the group over the next few years, but to fans, he was and will always be as much a part of RHCP as anyone. Sadly, Slovak died of an heroin overdose on June 25, 1988.
Besides winning a Grammy for his own work, keyboardist Billy Preston made major contributions to some of the greatest names in pop music history. He can be heard playing alongside the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, 
