Archive for the ‘Obituaries’ Category
Carl Gardner of the Coasters dead at 83
Written by admin on June 13, 2011 – 8:30 pm -Lead singer of The Coasters, Carl Gardner, sadly died on Sunday, June 12 of heart failure and vascular dementia at at Port St. Lucie Hospice Home. He was 83.
Gardner was born on April 29, 1928 in Tyler, Texas, to a black father and Comanche Indian mother. He began singing as a young child and during high school had a regular spot singing on local radio before a racially-motivated sacking. After a brief spell in the army, he joined the group The Robins in the early 1950s. It was while a member of The Robins that what was to be a fruitful association with the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller began. The pair had penned several songs for The Robins, including “Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” and this brought them to the attention of Atlantic Records who offered Leiber and Stoller a contract to produce the group at Atlantic. The group would become The Coasters, with an original line-up of Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Leon Hughes and Bobby Nunn. The latter two were replaced by Cornell Gunter and Will “Dub” Jones in 1957 to form the classic Coasters’ line-up.
Tags: Carl Gardner, Carl Gardner death, Leiber and Stoller, the Coasters, the Robins, Yakety Yak
Posted in Obituaries, Rock 'n' roll | 2 Comments »
Kathy Kirby dies aged 72
Written by admin on May 20, 2011 – 7:09 pm -| English singer Kathy Kirby died yesterday (May 19) aged 72 after a short illness.
Kirby was born Kathleen O’Rourke on October 20, 1938 in Ilford, Essex. Her break into showbusiness came in the mid-1950s when an impromptu performance at a local dance hall led to her being signed up by bandleader Bert Ambrose, who became her mentor and manager. |
 |
Tags: Dance On, Kathy Kirby, Kathy Kirby death, Secret Love, The Man I Love
Posted in 60s pop, Obituaries | Comments Off on Kathy Kirby dies aged 72
John Walker dies aged 67
Written by admin on May 8, 2011 – 10:12 pm - |
Founding member of The Walker Brothers, John Walker, died at his Los Angeles home on Saturday (May 7) after a six-month battle with liver cancer. As a member of The Walker Brothers, Walker had hits with classic tracks such as “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine (Any More)” and “Make It Easy On Yourself.” |
Tags: Gary Walker, John Walker, Scott Walker, The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore, The Walker Brothers
Posted in 60s pop, Obituaries | Comments Off on John Walker dies aged 67
Phoebe Snow dies aged 60
Written by admin on April 26, 2011 – 7:17 pm -| American singer-songwriter, Phoebe Snow, died today in Edison, New Jersey. The 60-year-old had been in a coma since suffering from a brain haemorrhage in January 2010.
Phoebe Snow was perhaps best known for her 1975 hits “Poetry Man” and “Harpo’s Blues,” from her self-titled debut album. These successes led to her being nominated for a best new artist Grammy Award in 1975. |
 |
Tags: Harpo's Blues, Phoebe Snow, Phoebe Snow death, Phoebe Snow Natural Wonder, Poetry Man
Posted in Obituaries | Comments Off on Phoebe Snow dies aged 60
Folk singer Gil Robbins dies aged 80
Written by admin on April 10, 2011 – 5:56 pm - |
American folk singer, Gil Robbins, has died at his home in Esteban Cantu, Mexico, aged 80. Robbins’ best known work was with the early ’60s group The Highwaymen. |
Tags: Gil Robbins, The Highwaymen
Posted in Folk, Obituaries | Comments Off on Folk singer Gil Robbins dies aged 80
