Died On This Date (July 11, 2014) Charlie Haden / American Jazz Great

Charlie Haden
August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014

charlie-hadenCharlie Haden was an American jazz bassist who was most notably part of the Free Jazz movement of the ’50s and ’60s.  It was his work in Ornette Coleman‘s quartet during that time that endeared him to fans and critics alike.  The Coleman albums on which he played been called “game changers”, but it was 1959’s The Shape Of Jazz To Come that is considered a landmark of the genre. During the late ’60s and early ’70s, Haden worked with the great Keith Jarrett, playing on several albums that received critical acclaim as well.  In 1969, Haden formed the Liberation Music Orchestra whose output was more politically based, with Carla Bley contributing heavily.  Haden’s most commercially successful period began in the late ’80s with the formation of his Quartet West.  The configuration released albums well into the 2000s, The list of artists with whom Haden recorded over the years was not limited to jazz and includes Elvis Costello, Ginger Baker, Beck, Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr, and Robert Downey Jr.   Haden’s children have enjoyed careers in music as well – his son Joshua Haden is a member of the indie rock band, Spain, while his triplet daughters, Petra Haden, Tanya Haden, and Rachel Haden make up the acclaimed alt-country band, the Haden Triplets.  Charlie Haden was 77 when he passed away on July 11, 2014, following a lengthy illness.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com

Died On This Date (June 4, 2012) George Marino / Legendary Recording Engineer

George Marino
1947 – June 4, 2012

George Marino was a much-respected mastering engineer whose talents can be heard on such iconic albums as AC/DC’s Highway To Hell, Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions, Guns N’ Roses Appetite For Destruction, Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy, and Whitney Houston’s Whitney.  Marino’s began his career as a musician, playing guitar in various bands in New York City. In 1967, he was hired by Capitol Records as a librarian and assistant in their New York studio.  After Capitol closed the studio, he went to work at the Record Plant before landing at Sterling Sound in 1973.  It was there that he worked on many of the most iconic albums of the rock era.  Besides those mentioned above, Marino worked on albums by Metallica, Coldplay, Cyndi Lauper, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, and many more.  Throughout his career, he was recognized with three Grammys including Arcade Fire’s Suburbs in 2011.  George Marino died of lung cancer on June 4, 2012.



Died On This Date (December 8, 1980) John Lennon / The Beatles

John Lennon
October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980

john-lennon

John Lennon was to some, the leader of the Beatles.  As guitarist and primary songwriter along with Paul McCartney, it was Lennon’s vision and drive that helped transform the young Liverpool skiffle band into the game-changing band that would become arguably the greatest pop band in history.  Lennon was given his first guitar when he was 16, and within a year, he formed his first band, the Quarrymen.  The following year he met McCartney at one of their shows and asked him to join the band based solely on his ability to tune a guitar and his knowledge of songs.  They would soon become the Beatles with the addition of George Harrison and Ringo Starr.  Over the next decade, the Beatles would change the face of popular music and would go on to be the biggest selling group in history.  Following the break up of the Beatles in 1970, Lennon began releasing albums with his wife and sometime musical partner, Yoko Ono. Songs like “Imagine,” “Cold Turkey,” “Happy X-Mas (War Is Over),” and “Whatever Gets You Through The Night” kept Lennon relevant during a time that saw many changes throughout America and beyond.  In November of 1980, Lennon’s Double Fantasy was released to rave reviews and strong fan anticipation due to the fact that Lennon had been all but invisible raising his son Sean.  His last albums was 1975’s Rock ‘n’ Roll, a collection of covers with no new compositions by Lennon.  Before that, it was 1974’s Walls and Bridges.  Just three weeks after the release of Double Fantasy, and while still enjoying the overwhelming response to the album, Lennon was walking outside of his New York City apartment building only to be senselessly shot and killed by deranged fan, Mark David Chapman.  John Lennon was 40 years old when he was murdered, and the world was never the same.

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John Lennon