Ted Jarrett was an early R&B producer and songwriter who played a key role in the development of the Nashville rhythm and blues sound. He was one of just a handful of songwriters who penned #1 hits on both the R&B and country charts. His most famous songs were “Love Love Love” and “You Can Make it if You Try,” which was recorded by the Rolling Stones for their debut album. His songs were also recorded by the likes of Earl Gaines, Ruth Brown, and Hank Ballard. Over a career that spanned 50 years, Jarrett also worked in radio and ran his own label. He was 83 when he passed away on March 21, 2009.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.
Delmar “Dale” Hawkins
August 22, 1936 – February 13, 2010
Dale Hawkins was a singer, songwriter and guitarist who launched his career in Louisiana during the mid ’50s. He was one of the earliest to take the rock and rockabilly of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly and marry it with the deep Louisiana blues he grew up hearing around him. It was the birth of swamp rock that would later reach the masses thanks to the likes of Elvin Bishop and Creedance Clearwater Revival. In 1957, Hawkins released “Susie Q,” a single that took up both sides of the record. It peaked at #27 on the singles chart but was eventually recognized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll. The song has been since covered by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Gene Vincent, Johnny Rivers, the Velvet Underground, Bruce Springsteen, and most famously, Creedance Clearwater Revival in 1968. Hawkins was reportedly the third artist ever to perform on American Bandstand and the first white person to perform at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. During the late ’50s, he hosted his own dance show for NBC-TV, The Dale Hawkins Show. Later, he worked as a producer and label executive, most notably for RCA Records. He began working as a social worker during the late ’80s. In 2006, Dale Hawkins learned he had colon cancer which would be the ultimate cause of his death on February 13, 2010. He was 73 years old.
Jalacy “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins
July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was a somewhat outrageous blues and rock ‘n roll singer and musician whose biggest hit, “I Put a Spell On You,” and spooky stage theatrics influenced the likes of Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath. Even Bruce Springsteen has borrowed from Hawkins by coming out of a coffin to kick off his shows around Halloween. After serving in WWII where he was reportedly captured and tortured, Hawkins came home to the U.S. where he became a middleweight boxing champ, and later, a recording artist. In 1956, he released “I Put a Spell On You,” which went on to become a radio staple each year in October and has since been recorded or performed by the likes of Creedance Clearwater Revival, Ray Charles, Iggy Pop, Marylin Manson, and more recently, She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward). In later years, Hawkins collaborated with Dread Zeppelin and the Fuzztones. He’s also shared the stage with the Clash, the Rolling Stones and Fats Domino. On February 12, 2000, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, age 70, died following surgery for an aneurysm. It has been estimated that he left behind as many as 75 children to many different mothers.
Buddy Holly (Born Charles Holley)
September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959
Buddy Holly was a gifted singer-songwriter who, even though his career lasted just a year and a half, was arguably the most important figure in the birth of rock ‘n roll. Holly was more of a traditional country artist before being inspired by Elvis Presley and Bill Haley to add elements of rockabilly into his music in 1955. The following year, he was signed by Decca Records and formed his back-up band, the Crickets. Over the next eighteen months, Holly released one hit single after another. They included “Peggy Sue,” “That’ll Be the Day,” and “Oh Boy.” These songs became a direct influence on the likes of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. Just as Holly’s career was beginning to take off, tragedy struck. February 3, 1959…it’s been called “the day the music died.” While on a U.S. mid west tour called the Winter Dance Party, Holly, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, and Ritchie Valens were on a small Beechcraft airplane en route from Mason City, IA to Moorhead, MN. The winter weather was taking its toll on the traveling musicians. Waylon Jennings had originally been slated to fly ahead, but gave up his seat to Richardson at the last minute. Shortly after take off, the plane carrying rock ‘n roll’s brightest new stars crashed into an empty field killing everyone on board. Initial reports blamed pilot error on Roger Peterson, but future examinations vindicated him, putting the blame squarely on the bad weather conditions. Buddy Holly was 22 at the time of his death.
Willie Dixon is best remembered as one of the few main architects of the Chicago blues sound. As a singer, bassist and prolific songwriter, Dixon was one of themost influential figures of the era. He was also considered one of the key bridges between blues and rock ‘n roll. Dixon wrote such blues staples as “Little Red Rooster,” “Hoochie Coochie Man,” and “I Ain’t Superstitious” and has been covered by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Cream, the Faces, Bob Dylan, Queen, the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones. In later years, Dixon worked to secure royalties and copyrights for blues artists who had been exploited int the past. He suffered from diabetes for many years and succumbed to heart failure at the age of 76.