A look back at some of the notable artists and other music luminaries who died in 2007.
Leading Irish concert promoter Jim Aiken, 74, Feb. 27 in Belfast, Ireland.
Aiken brought the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and the Rolling
Stones to Ireland and organized performances by Elton John, Garth Brooks and
Luciano Pavarotti among others. Apart from concert promotion, he was
involved in radio and introduced Ireland to retail giant HMV. His company, Aiken Promotions, is now run by his son Peter.
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Legendary mariachi singer Antonio Aguilar, 88, June 20. Known for his
powerful voice and flair in performance, Aguilar, aka "el Charro de Mexico,"
launched his career in 1950, recording more than 150 albums and selling 25
million-plus copies. Aguilar made his film debut in 1952 with "Un Rincon
Cerca del Cielo," later acting in 150 films, including "The Defeated"
alongside John Wayne. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in
2000.
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Music mogul Don Arden, 81, July 21 in Los Angeles. The father of Sharon
Osbourne, Arden propelled the likes of Black Sabbath, Gene Vincent, Electric
Light Orchestra and the Small Faces to fame. At 14, he started in the
entertainment business as a singer/comedian. Notorious for his aggressive
and unflinching business methods, Arden chronicled his career in the 2004
autobiography "Mr. Big: The Autobiography of Don Arden-The Al Capone of
Rock."
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WEA VP of credit, Bob Baker, 49, Sept. 24 in Studio City, Calif. Prior to
his role at WEA, Baker headed up Warner Home Video's credit department after
previously holding the same position with PolyGram. Baker was the music
industry's senior credit executive, often assuming a leadership role when
retail chains experienced financial difficulties.
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Comedian and Rat Pack member Joey Bishop, 89, Oct. 17 in Newport Beach,
Calif. Bishop appeared on CBS and NBC with comedy outfit "The Bishop
Brothers" before launching his ABC sitcom, "The Joey Bishop Show." As a
member of the Rat Pack, he headlined Las Vegas nightclubs and hosted President John F. Kennedy's inaugural ball.
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Veteran tour producer Sal Bonafede, 74, Feb. 14 in Los Angeles. Bonafede
served for more than 30 years as Neil Diamond's tour manager, and also
worked with a roster of acts including Celine Dion, the Doors, John Denver, Bob Dylan and Frank Sinatra. He played a key role in Michael Jackson's international Bad tour. As a booking consultant, he worked with the United Center in Chicago and the HP Pavilion in San Jose, among others.
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Gospel singer J. Robert Bradley, 87, May 3 in Nashville. A favorite of the
late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bradley was known for his deep baritone and magnetic performances in churches and gospel concerts. He first sang as part
of Lucie Campbell's Good Will Singers quartet. After touring throughout the
1930s he studied classical music and later recorded singles for Apollo and
Decca Records.
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Tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, 57, Jan. 13 in New York. Brecker and his
brother Randy played in pianist/composer Horace Silver's quintet and started
jazz-rock fusion group the Brecker Brothers. In 1987 his self-titled debut
was named album of the year by Downbeat and Jazziz magazines. Brecker's
career spanned more than three decades and earned him 11 Grammy Awards. His most recent release, "Wide Angels," won two Grammys in 2004.
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Music photographer Joel Brodsky, 67, March 1 in Stamford, Conn. Brodsky shot
more than 400 album covers throughout his career, including landmarks by Van
Morrison, Isaac Hayes and Kiss. In 1966, he opened a studio in New York,
where he took the iconic images for many of the Doors' releases including
"The Best of the Doors." Brodsky also shot for ads by Avon and Bloomingdale's, and directed TV commercials for Revlon.
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Singer/songwriter/arranger/musician Bobby Byrd, 73, Sept. 12 in Loganville,
Ga. Byrd helped launch the career of James Brown, welcoming into the Gospel
Starlighters, who would later become the Flames. Byrd played the organ and
sang backup vocals for two decades, contributing to such landmark albums as
Brown's "Live at the Apollo."
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Hawthorne Heights guitarist Casey Calvert, 26, Nov. 24 in Washington, D.C.
Calvert played on both of the band's albums, "The Silence in Black and
White" and "If Only You Were Lonely." The latter reached No. 3 on The
Billboard 200.
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Jazz performer/composer and wife of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane,
Alice Coltrane, 69, Jan. 12 in Los Angeles. Coltrane, a pianist/organist,
brought the harp to the jazz bandstand. Aside from managing and archiving
her husband's estate, she founded the Vedantic Center, a spiritual commune
in Los Angles.
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Guitarist/vocalist for multiplatinum rock band Boston Brad Delp, 55, March 9 in New Hampshire. Delp's soaring tenor gave voice to Boston's hits,
including the Billboard top 10 songs "More Than a Feeling," "Don't Look
Back," "Amanda" and "We're Ready." The band's albums twice topped The
Billboard 200, and the first three combined to sell 28 million copies in the
United States. After a stint in band RTZ, Delp rejoined Boston in 1994.
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The Mamas & the Papas singer Denny Doherty, 66, Jan. 19 in Toronto.
Doherty's soaring vocals dominated such hits as "California Dreamin' " and
"Monday, Monday." He began his music career with Halifax dance band Peter
Power, later singing with several folk groups including the Hepsters and the
Colonials. The Mamas & the Papas broke into the North American pop charts in
1966, winning a Grammy Award. Doherty also hosted CBC Halifax TV's "Denny's
Sho*," (the asterisk wasn't explained), took dramatic roles at the Neptune
Theatre and voiced all characters for the TV series "Theodore Tugboat."
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South African reggae artist Lucky Dube, 43, Oct. 18 in Johannesburg. One of
South Africa's most successful recording artists, Dube began his career as a Mbaqanga artist (Zulu traditional) before discovering reggae. Throughout his
career, he issued more than 20 albums; several of his apartheid-era
releases, among them, "Think About the Children" and "Prisoner," achieved platinum status there.
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Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow, 52, Nov. 25 in Las Vegas. The metal band,
initially formed in the mid-'70s with guitarist Randy Rhoads, later reached
No. 5 on The Billboard Hot 100 with its Slade cover "Cum On Feel the Noize."
The band's 1983 album, "Metal Health," topped The Billboard 200 and sold more than 6 million copies.
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Recording engineer Esmond Edwards, 80, Jan. 20 in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Starting as a Prestige Records clerk, he became a producer, and later, helmed MGM's Verve label. He also served as VP of A&R for Chess Records, and is responsible for helping develop the sound of musicians like Miles Davis
and John Coltrane.
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Broadway singer/recording artist Robert Goulet, 73, Oct. 30 in Los Angeles.
Goulet's performance as Sir Lancelot in "Camelot" won a World Theatre Award.
He performed for the White House and Queen Elizabeth II, in addition to
regular dates on the Las Vegas strip. He scored two top 10 albums and won
Grammy and Tony Awards. His name also graces the Hollywood and Canadian
Walks of Fame.
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TV mogul/songwriter/singer and actor Merv Griffin, 82, Aug. 12 in Los
Angeles. Griffin hosted "The Merv Griffin Show" for 24 years and created
game shows "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune," as well as a business empire
that included casinos and radio stations. He sang on a national radio show
in the '40s and founded Panda Records, recording the first American album on
magnetic tape. His '50s chart hit, "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts"
sold 3 million copies.
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Producer/singer/songwriter Lee Hazlewood, 78, Aug. 4 in Henderson, Nevada.
Hazlewood produced dongs for Duane Eddy and created his own label, Viv,
hiring country singer Sanford Clark to record his song "The Fool," which
made the top 10. His hit with Nancy Sinatra, "These Boots Are Made for
Walkin' " topped the charts in 1966.
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Legendary crooner Don Ho, 76, April 14, in Waikiki, Hawaii. Ho began
performing at his parents' neighborhood bar in Hawaii and continued
entertaining Hawaiian tourists for decades, clad in his trademark
raspberry-tinted sunglasses. In addition to his famous show in Waikiki-a mix
of songs, jokes, double-entendres, Hawaiian history and audience
participation-he was known for his signature tunes "Tiny Bubbles," "I'll
Remember You," and "With All My Love."
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Stell Guitar Hall of Fame member John Hughey, 73, Nov. 18 in Hendersonville,
Tenn. Hughey joined Conway Twitty's band in 1968 and spent 20 years touring
and recording in the studio with his boyhood friend. After a short stint
with Loretta Lynn, he toured with Vince Gill for 12 years before retiring
from the road in 2002. His studio résumé includes sessions with Lynn, Gill,
Dickie Betts, Elvis Presley, Isaac Hayes, Dean Martin, George Strait, Willie
Nelson and Marty Stuart.
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Funk Brothers member Joe Hunter, 79, Feb. 2 in Detroit. Hunter, the leader
of Motown Records' studio musicians the Funk Brothers, created the backup
sound for hits like "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Papa Was a
Rollin' Stone." The Funk Brothers, who recorded backup on much of Motown's
recordings, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
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Singer/songwriter Luther Ingram, 69, March 19 in St. Louis. Ingram recorded
with producers Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller in 1966, relocating to Memphis
two years later to record a string of hits for the Stax-distributed Koko
label. One of Stax's chart mainstays, he had his first top 10 R&B hit in
1970 with "Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One)." Other hits
include 1972's "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right," which
reached No. 3 on The Billboard Hot 100.
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Trombonist Generoso Jimenez, 90, Sept. 15 in Miami. Jimenez redefined the
role of the trombone in Cuban music and Latin Jazz, playing in the original
Orquestra Aragon lineup and in Chico O'Farrill's band. He collaborated with
singers ranging form Gloria Estefan to Beny Moré. His 2002 release
"Generoso, Qué Bueno Toca Usted" was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.
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Legendary CBGB owner Hilly Kristal, 75, Aug. 28. Kristal worked as a folk
singer and later manager of the Village Vanguard before opening Hilly's,
which would become CBGB in 1973. Helping revive the Bowery and East Village,
CBGB, known for its revolutionary "open booking" policy, served as a
launching pad for the Ramones, Television, Blondie, Talking Heads and the
Patti Smith Group. Later, its all-ages Sunday shows provided a home for the
burgeoning hardcore punk scene.
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Big-voiced '50s singer Frankie Laine, 93, Feb. 6 in San Diego. With such
songs as "That's My Desire" and "Mule Train," Laine was a regular feature on
the top 10 and was often referred to as America's No. 1 song stylist. His
variety show, "Frankie Laine Time," ran from 1955-1956 on CBS and he also
appeared in films and sang the themes to "Rawhide" and "Blazing Saddles."
Laine achieved 21 gold records and sold more than 250 million albums.
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Christian music industry visionary Jarrell McCracken, 79, Nov. 7 in Waco,
Texas. McCracken founded one of the largest Christian entertainment
companies, Word Inc., in 1951, publishing works from evangelical leaders and
representing such artists as Amy Grant and Sandi Patti. He is credited for
pioneering mainstream distribution for Christian artists.
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Jazz saxophonist/arranger Tommy Newson, 78, April 28 in Virginia. Newsom
began his career in bands with Charlie Byrd, Benny Goodman and Vincent Lopez
before becoming a studio musician for Merv Griffin. He was hired in 1962 as a member of Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show" band. He continued to work as a composer/arranger for such TV broadcasts as "Night of 100 Starts" and the
40th annual Tony Awards, receiving Emmy Awards for both.
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Opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti, 71, Sept. 6 in Moderna, Italy. Pavarotti
had the widest reach of any opera singer of his time. For some 40 years, he
was featured on more than 110 releases, including 18 albums that hit No. 1
on Billboard's classical chart. In the Nielsen SoundScan era alone, his
recordings sold more than 12.9 million copies. He performed with pop stars
from U2 to Mariah Carey as well, raising millions of dollars for charities
across the globe.
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Recording artist Bobby "Boris" Pickett, 69, April 25 in Los Angeles.
Pickett's Boris Karloff impressions enabled his Halloween anthem "Monster
Mash" to hit the Billboard charts three times, reaching No. 1 in 1962,
re-entering in 1970 and appearing a third time in 1973 at No. 10. Pickett's
other songs to chart were "Monster's Holiday" at No. 30 in 1962 and
"Graduation Day," which reached No. 80 in 1963.
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UGK rapper Pimp C, 33, Dec. 4 in Los Angeles. With partner Bun B, rapper Pimp C (born Chad Butler) formed UGK and helped put hardcore Texas hip-hop in the spotlight. Pimp C's 2006 solo album, "Pimpalation," reached No. 3 on The Billboard 200. In August 2007, UGK released "Underground Kingz," its first studio album in five years. The set debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, a first for the group.
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Billionaire chairman and founder of Spanish media conglomerate Grupo PRISA
Jesús de Polanco, 77, July 21 in Madrid. The PRISA empire now includes
Spanish daily El País, sports daily Diario AS, business newspaper Cinco
Dias, TV broadcaster Cuatro, radio channel Cadena SER and editorial group
Grupo Santillana, among others. Polanco is also credited with having
restored free press in Spain during the '70s, as the country transitioned to
democracy. His son, Ignacio Polanco Moreno, was designated PRISA's chairman earlier this year.
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Regional Mexican singer Beto Quintanilla, 58, March 18. Recording for indie
Frontera Records and achieving fame with a daring arsenal of topical
narrative songs knows as corridos, Quintanilla was known as "el Leon de los
Corridos" (the Lion of Corridos). In 2007, Quintanilla released his most
popular work, "Tragedias Reales de la Vida," which not only did well on
Latin music charts, but made its way onto The Billboard 200.
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Tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman, 75, Sept. 2 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Redman
released his first recording, "Look for the Black Star," in 1960 after
reacquainting with classmate Ornette Coleman. Redman also played with
Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra and spent five years with the
American Quartet.
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Acclaimed be-bop drummer/composer Max Roach, 83, Aug. 16 in New York. Roach recorded more than 70 albums, with such luminaries as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. He co-founded Debut Records in 1952 with
Charles Mingus and released groundbreaking live album "Jazz at Massey Hall."
A long time civil rights advocate, he released "We Insist! Freedom Now
Suite," which featured vocals by Abbey Lincoln and discussed the African-American struggle for equality, in 1960. Roach's work was awarded
the MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant.
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American coloratura soprano Beverly Sills, 78, July 2 in New York. Sills
became a child radio star at age 4 and, as a TV personality, she
guest-hosted "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, helmed "PBS Live From
Lincoln Center" broadcasts and even performed with the Muppets. After
landing a spot at the New York City Opera and singing during its
inauguration at Lincoln Center, Sills became general director as well as fund-raiser and spokeswoman/chairwoman for the Lincoln Center Organization.
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TV personality/news anchor Tom Snyder, 71, July 29. Snyder was an anchor at
a number of stations before hosting NBC's "The Tomorrow Show." His memorable musical moments include John Lennon's final TV interview and U2's first American TV performance.
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Former Ramones manager Linda Stein, 62, Oct. 31 in New York. Once married to Sire Records founder Seymour Stein, the couple helped build the careers of
such acts as Madonna and the B-52's. Linda Stein arranged a number of the Ramones' overseas performances, which are credited for sparking the U.K.
punk scene. After leaving the Ramones, she went into real estate and was
known as a realtor to the stars with such clients as LaToya Jackson, Sting
and Billy Joel.
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Influential German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, 79, Dec. 5 in Kurten, Germany. Stockhausen rose to fame with avant-garde, electronic compositions in the 1960s, drawing acclaim from such pop artists as Paul McCartney. His image appears on the album cover to the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.
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Australian rock legend Billy Thorpe, 60, Feb. 28 in Sydney. Thorpe played his first gig at age 10. His first band, the Planets, performed with Jerry
Lee Lewis and Little Richard, and when he was 16, his band Billy Thorpe &
the Aztecs had the No. 1 record in Australia. His 1979 release "Children of
the Sun" reached No. 41 on The Billboard Hot 100. He wrote two
autobiographies, "Sex and Thugs and Rock'n'Roll," which sold more than
150,000 copies, and "Most People I Know (Think I'm Crazy)," which became the
No. 1-selling book in Australia.
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Country Music Hall of Fame member and Western swing/honky-tonk stylist Hank
Thompson, 82, Nov. 3 in Fort Worth, Texas. Thompson's career helped bridge
the gap between the jazz- and blues-influenced Western swing bands of the
'30s and the electric guitar-driven sound that dominated the country charts
in the '50s. His Billboard chart history spans 1948-83, with 79 titles on
Hot Country Songs and 19 entries on Top Country Albums. Thompson was the
first country artist to record in high-fidelity stereo and receive corporate
tour sponsorship.
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TV pioneer, record producer/talent scout and Grand Ole Opry icon Porter
Wagoner, 80, Oct. 28 in Nashville. Wagoner earned a record contract with RCA
Victor in 1952, and his syndicated "The Porter Wagoner Show" ran for 21
years, launching Dolly Parton's career, among others. A 50-year member in
the Opry, he ultimately became the show's senior spokesman. Wagoner's hit
list includes 81 singles on Hot Country Songs and 38 titles on Top Country
Albums.
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Entertainment publicist Paul Wasserman, 73, Nov. 18 in Los Angeles.
Wasserman worked early on with Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys and
the Beatles' Apple Records; he helmed an entertainment publicity wing for ad
agency D'Arcy, Masius, Benton & Bowles, and in the early '90s created his
own company, the Wasserman Group. Clients included the Rolling Stones, Bob
Dylan, U2 and the Who as well as actors Lee Marvin, Jack Nicholson and
Dennis Hopper.
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Promotions veteran and R&B pioneer Hy Weiss, 84, March 20 in New Jersey.
Weiss started his career in the industry as a salesman for R&B labels
Exclusive, Modern, Jubilee and Apollo before creating Old Town Records with
his brother Sam. In the '60s and '70s he oversaw the promotions department
at Stax Records where his artist roster included Johnny Taylor, the Staple
Singers and Rufus Thomas.
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Factory Records and Hacienda Nightclub founder Tony Wilson, 57, Aug. 10 in
England. A reporter for Granada Television with a seminal music program, "So
It Goes," Wilson founded Factory Records in 1979, signing acts Joy Division
(which later became New Order) and the Happy Mondays. The Hacienda, which
opened in 1982, set the scene for the acid house era of the '80s. Wilson
also established the annual music convention In the City.
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Legendary lyricist/composer Hy Zaret, 99, July 2 in Connecticut. Zaret
co-wrote the hit "Unchained Melody," which ASCAP named one of the 25
most-performed songs of the 20th century. Zaret received the Songwriters
Hall of Fame Towering Song Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for best song for the movie "Unchained."
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Jazz performer/composer/jazz-fusion pioneer Joe Zawinul, 75, Sept. 11.
Zawinul played piano for such greats as Dinah Washington and Cannonball
Adderley. In 1970, he founded the influential and Grammy Award-winning band
Weather Report, with Wayne Shorter on sax.
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