Thomas “Papa Dee” Allen
July 18, 1931 – August 30, 1988
Papa Dee Allen was a pianist, vibist and soprano saxophonist who is best remembered as a percussionist for American R&B/Funk/Rock band, War. The band was immensely popular thanks to such classic staples as “Low Rider,” “Cisco Kid” and “Spill The Wine.” Allen wrote one of the bands other big hits, “The World Is A Ghetto.” While performing with the band in concert, Papa Dee collapsed and never recovered. He was 57 when he passed away.
Charles Miller is best remembered as an original member of one of the premier ’70s funk bands, War. Raised in the Los Angeles area, Miller began playing a variety of instruments while still in high school, eventually settling on the saxophone and flute. While in college he began finding local gigs, even landing a recording sessions with Ray Charles and live performances with Brenton Wood. He eventually hooked up with Harold Brown, Papa Dee Allen, and Howard E. Scott and formed a band called Night Shift, which would soon be re-christened War by Eric Burdon and include Lee Oskar. War’s fusion of jazz, funk, R&B and Latin coupled with the raw British vocals of Burdon made a hit out of their 1970 single, “Spill the Wine.” In 1975, the band, sans Burdon, released Why Can’t We Be Friends? which included the Miller sung hit, “Low Rider,” one of the most popular songs to come out of the era. Charles Miller was murdered in a botched robbery just two weeks before his 41st birthday. The crime has never been solved.
Bobby Espinosa was a founding member and keyboardist for influential East Los Angeles jazz-rock band, El Chicano. Formed in the late ’60s, the band built a sizable following as part of fledgling scene of Latino bands that were creating pop music by marrying elements of R&B, jazz, Latin, rock, funk and soul. Other like-minded groups included Tierra, War, and to the north, Santana. The band is best remembered for their hits, “Viva Tirado,” “Tell Her She’s Lovely,” and their cover of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl.” Records like these helped popularize what has been called “brown-eyed soul.” Espinosa was born in Los Angeles and took a liking to music at an early age as his parents filled the home with the sounds of Salsa music. He learned to play the keyboards, and as a teenager, he joined local surf band, Mickey and the Invaders. He soon helped form the VIPs, which would eventually develop into El Chicano. The band continued to stay active, recording numerous albums and touring the world, ever since. They are considered direct influences on future generations of Chicano bands which include Los Lobos, Quetzal and Ozomatli. Bobby Espinosa was 60 when on February 27, 2010, he passed away following a long illness.