Died On This Date (April 8, 2011) Roger Nichols / Producer & Engineer

Roger Nichols
September 22, 1944 – April 8, 2011

Roger Nichols was a respected producer and recording engineer who over the course of his career, accumulated seven Grammys.  Most closely associated with Steely Dan, Nichols also worked with the likes of John Denver, the Beach Boys, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa, and Diana Ross, to name just a few.  Raised in Southern California, Nichols went to high school with Zappa with whom he made his earliest tapes.  After graduating from college where he studied nuclear physics, Nichols first found work has a nuclear operator at the San Onofre nuclear power plant north of San Diego.  But in the mid ’60s he moved back over to music and opened his own recording studio.  In 1970, he went to work for ABC Dunhill Records where he met Walter Becker and Donald Fagen who were hired writers for the label.  Within a year, Nichols was behind the board for the birth of Becker’s and Fagen’s group, Steely Dan.  He would go on to engineer such landmark albums as their Pretzel Logic, Aja, Countdown To Ecstasy, and Gaucho.  He earned Grammys for his work on Aja, Gaucho, Two Against Nature, FM, and John Denver’s All Aboard!.  Roger Nichols was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May of 2010, and died from it on April 8, 2011.  He was 66.

Died On This Date (January 29, 2011) Bruce Jackson / Longtime Concert Sound Engineer For Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Jackson
DOB Unknown – January 29, 2011

Bruce Jackson was a sound engineer who helped Bruce Springsteen create his storied concert experiences as his concert sound engineer for over ten years.  Jackson started with Springsteen during his historic Darkness On The Edge Of Town tour of 1978 and stayed on board through 1987’s Tunnel Of Love  Express tour.   And if that weren’t impressive enough, Jackson also worked with the likes of Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and Barbra Streisand over the years.  He was also an experienced pilot.  On January 29, 2011, Bruce Jackson was killed when the plane he was flying crashed in Southern California.

Died On This Date (September 24, 2010) Dick Griffey / Founder Of SOLAR Records

Dick Griffey
November 16, 1938 – September 24, 2010

Dick Griffey is best remembered as the founder of influential R&B label, SOLAR (Sound Of Los Angeles Records).  Formed in 1977, the label was one of the most successful R&B labels outside of Motown.  Griffey launched his music career during the ’60s when he became part owner of a Los Angeles nightclub, Guys and Dolls which played host to shows by the likes of Ike & Tina Turner and Isaac Hayes.  He soon went on to work as a talent scout for the influential TV dance program, Soul Train.  That lead to a partnership with show creator, Don Cornelius with Soul Train Records.  For some reason, the label folded within two years, so Griffey built SOLAR from its ashes.  The label was one of the most influential urban labels during the late ’70s and ’80s thanks in part to Griffey’s ability to find talent that were much more than the majority of one-dimensional disco and dance acts of the era.  The label roster included the Whispers, Klymaxx, Midnight Starr, Lakeside, and the Deele.  The latter featured a young Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Antonio “L.A.” Reid.   Griffey was also a successful concert promoter for a time, setting up tours for the likes of Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Aretha Franklin.  During the ’90s, Griffey had a part in the birth of Death Row Records, the label founded by Suge Knight and Dr. Dre.  On September 24, 2010, Dick Griffey passed away while recuperating from heart surgery.  He was 72.



Died On This Date (August 13, 1971) King Curtis / Saxophone Legend

“King Curtis” Ousley
February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971

King Curtis was a revered tenor saxophonist who, as a session man, played on hits by the likes of the Coasters, Aretha Franklin, and Buddy Holly.  His most famous playing can be heard on “Yakety Yak” by the Coasters.   He also released several albums on his own before his career was tragically cut short.  According to reports, Ousley was carrying an air conditioner up to his New York apartment during a sweltering heat wave.  En route, he was met by two men doing drugs who wouldn’t let him pass.  In the resulting scuffle, Juan Montanez fatally stabbed Ousley.  Sam Moore has claimed that he and Aretha Franklin witnessed the attack as they were arriving to visit Ousley.  Franklin and Stevie Wonder each performed at his funeral.

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King Curtis - Live At Fillmore West - King Curtis

Died On This Date (August 3, 2010) Bobby Hebb / Had Huge Pop Hit With “Sunny”

Bobby Hebb
July 26, 1938 – August 3, 2010

Bobby Hebb was a Nashville singer-songwriter who had a huge pop hit with “Sunny” in 1966.  No less an authority than Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) lists it at #25 on its list of the top 100 songs of the century.  “Sunny” is also one of the most covered songs in pop music history.  It has been recorded by James Brown, Del Shannon, Stevie Wonder, Nick Cave, and Frank Sinatra, to name a few.  Hebb’s first break came when he was still just a child.  After performing on a local television program, he landed a spot playing spoons behind Roy Acuff on the Grand Ole Opry.  He later sang back up on Bo Diddley’s recording of “Diddley Daddy.”  On the day following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Hebb’s brother, Harold Hebb was stabbed to death in a fight outside a Nashville club.  Those two events rocked Hebb’s world enough that he sought solace in his songwriting, which lead to the optimistic lyrics of “Sunny.”  The song soon became an international hit and helped land Hebb a spot opening for the Beatles on their U.S. tour.  He continued to release respectable hits over the years as well as pen a few for others.  Bobby Hebb was 72 when he passed away on August 3, 2010.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.

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Sunny - Bobby Hebb