Died On This Date (June 19, 2013) Chet Flippo / Respected Music Journalist
themusicsover Chet Flippo
1943 – June 19, 2013
Chet Flippo was a respected author and music journalist who, over the course of his career was the Editorial Director at CMT and Billboard‘s Nashville Bureau Chief. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Flippo served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War before earning a degree in Journalism from University of Texas. Although his name is practically synonymous with country music for many fans, he was also wrote about rock music as well. As a contributor to Rolling Stone while he was earning his Master’s during the ’70s, Flippo championed many of the rock musicians of the era. Before leaving the magazine in 1980, he served as the its New York Bureau Chief and Senior Editor. He also contributed features to numerous periodicals like the New York Times, Q Magazine, and TV Guide. From there he went to Billboard and later CMT/cmt.com Throughout his career, Flippo penned several books on music as well. They include Your Cheatin’ Heart: A Biography of Hank Williams, It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll: My On-The-Road Adventures With The Rolling Stones, “Graceland: The Living Legacy of Elvis Presley, and Yesterday: The Unauthorized Biography of Paul McCartney. Chet Flippo died of pneumonia on June 19, 2013. He was 69.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number 1 Albums for the assist.
Andy Johns was an English record producer and engineer whose resume reads like an encyclopedia of rock. Still in his teens, Johns hit the ground running working as Eddie Kramer‘s second engineer on recordings by the likes of 
Roosevelt Jamison was songwriter, artist manager and publicist whose most notable contribution to popular music was the soulful gem he wrote, “That’s How Strong My Love Is.” First recorded by O.V. Wright in 1964, the song had a remarkable life, which found its way on to records by 
George Gallacher was the co-founder and lead singer of ’60s psychedelic pop band, the Poets. Formed in Glasgow, Scotland 1962, the band we’re an instant local hit thanks to their marriage of blues, hard R&B, and melodic pop. They were often compared to early Kinks and the Small Faces. The hipper kids also liked their fashion sense – ruffled shirts, velvet jackets, and tight pants. By 1964, the Poets were one of the biggest concert draws in all of Scotland, and legendary artist manager and producer, Andrew Loog Oldham took note. The Rolling Stones manager took the group on and even prompted the Stones to mention them in interviews on occasion. He produced their first single for Decca, “Now Were Thru.” Although they never went on to release an entire album, nor had singles sell much beyond Scotland, most garage rock rarity collections which chronicle the era include at least one of their recordings. By the early ’70s, the group had disbanded, but came back together for a show or two in 2011. On August 25, 2012, George Gallacher was behind the wheel of his car when he suddenly became ill. He was immediately taken to a local hospital where he died of undisclosed reasons. He was 68.
Gary Cox is best remembered as the founding lead guitarist for legendary American power pop band, Artful Dodger. Formed in Fairfax, Virginia in 1973, the band enjoyed a brush with fame and a loyal cult following thanks to their Beatles/Stones/Faces influenced sound. They were often compared to the Raspberries. In 1975, the band was signed to Columbia Records who released their debut self-titled album which was produced by Jack Douglas of Aerosmith fame. Even though the album was a critical fave and the band toured nearly non-stop – even opening several 1976 dates for KISS, the album failed to sell much beyond their core fan base. A couple more albums followed before Cox left the group in 1981. He rejoined the Artful Dodger for a reunion in 1991 and then again in the mid 2000s. In between, Cox ran his own professional event disc jockey service and worked as a physical therapy assistant. Gary Cox died of a brain tumor on August 12, 2012. He was 59.
