Died On This Date (January 25, 1986) Albert Grossman / Legendary Artist Manager

Albert Grossman
May 21, 1926 – January 25, 1986

Albert Grossman is best remembered as an artist manager representing, among others, Bob Dylan between 1962 and 1970.  He also co-founded the Newport Folk Festival with George Wein in 1959.  In 1961, Grossman put three folk singers together, Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers, otherwise known as Peter, Paul and Mary.  Over the years, Grossman also represented John Lee Hooker, Johnny Average, Ian & Sylvia, Odetta, Janis Joplin, and the Band.  Grossman also built the legendary Bearsville Recording Studio outside of Woodstock, NY and formed Bearsville Records.  Acts like Todd Rundgren, Foghat, NRBQ and Jesse Winchester recorded for the label. On January 25, 1986, Albert Grossman died of a heart attack while flying from the U.S. to London aboard the Concorde.  He was 59 years old.



Died On This Date (December 10, 1999) Rick Danko / The Band

Rick Danko
December 29, 1942 – December 10, 1999

rick-danko

Rick Danko was a rock musician, singer and songwriter best known for his time spent in The Band, arguably Canada’s most celebrated band.   Around 1960, Danko found himself opening a show for Ronnie Hawkins, whose back up band, the Hawks included Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm.  Hawkins was impressed enough after hearing Danko to invite him to join his band on rhythm guitar, later switching to bass.  The Hawks eventually added Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson and split from Hawkins in 1963.  They continued on touring throughout Canada and the northern U.S. until they got a call from Bob Dylan asking them to support him on the road.   Going simply as the Band by the late ’60s, they secured a deal with Capitol Records and delivered their debut, Music From Big Pink, one of rock music’s true masterpieces.  That was followed by albums like The Band, Stage Fright, and Cahoots which only added more songs to one of rock’s finest catalogs.  Danko sang lead on many of the groups best songs.  On Thanksgiving night of 1976, the Band performed what would be their final show as that unit at San Francisco’s Winterland.  To the surprise of the audience, the Band proved to be the greatest backing band of all times as a cavalcade of the era’s most respected performers showed their own respect by joining them on stage throughout the evening.  That list included Neil Young, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, and Dylan, each arguably giving the single greatest live performance of their careers.  Fortunately, the evening was captured on film by Martin Scorsese, who released it theatrically as The Last Waltz, often noted as one of popular music’s greatest concert films.  Following the break up of the Band, Danko recorded a handful of albums that sold moderately at best.  In later years he participated in re-formed, but not complete, versions of the Band.  By the late ’90s, he was suffering from drug and alcohol addictions possibly attributed to injuries sustained in a car accident, as well as weight issues that put him in the obese range.  On December 10, 1999, Rick Danko, age 56, died in his sleep.

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The Last Waltz - The Band

Died On This Date (October 23, 2008) Danny Dill / Wrote “Long Black Veil”

Danny Dill (Born Horace Dill)
September 19, 1925 – October 23, 2008

Danny Dill is primarily remembered as a Nashville songwriter, although he did work as a backing musician during the ’40s and ’50s.  He also recorded several records of his own.  His songs have been recorded by Bobby Bare and Jim Reeves among others.  His most famous song, “Long Black Veil,” has been recorded by the likes of Lefty Frizzell(who had the first hit with it), Johnny Cash, Dave Matthews, the Band, Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, the Stranglers, the Byrds and Jerry Garcia.  Danny Dill, 83, passed away on October 23, 2008.