Jhonn Balance, founder of the experimental industrial band Coil, died on Nov. 13 in a fall. He was 42. Born Geoffrey Laurence Burton in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England, he took the surname Rushton as a boy after his mother remarried, but later adopted the stage name Jhonn Balance. A singer and percussionist, he played in several … Continue reading
Rap artist O.D.B., a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, collapsed and died on Nov. 13 in a Manhattan recording studio. Cause of death was not released. He was 35. Although his legal name was Russell Tyrone Jones, O.D.B. went by many monikers: Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Dirt McGirt, Joe Bannanas, Osiris, Unique Ason and Big … Continue reading
Howard Keel, an actor who starred in MGM musicals and on the TV soap opera “Dallas,” died on Nov. 7 of colon cancer. He was 85. Born Harold Clifford Leek in Gillespie, Ill., Keel was raised by a religious mother and an abusive, alcoholic father. His parents banned entertainment of any kind so he left … Continue reading
Time magazine once described Robert Merrill as “one of the Met’s best baritones.” The acclaimed opera singer performed for 31 consecutive seasons at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and tackled nearly every baritone role in the operatic repertoire, including Escamillo in “Carmen” and Figaro in “The Barber of Seville.” But Merrill was also known … Continue reading
Abbott Vaughn Meader’s career skyrocketed during John F. Kennedy’s tenure in the White House — and ended the moment the president was assassinated in Dallas. Meader was Camelot’s court jester, known for gently poking fun at the Kennedys on the 1962 album “The First Family.” The album was the fastest-selling record of its time. It … Continue reading
Bruce Palmer, the original bass guitarist of Buffalo Springfield, died on Oct. 1 of a heart attack. He was 58. Born in Nova Scotia and raised in Toronto, Palmer picked up his first guitar at the age of 10. In his teens, he played with area rock groups, such as the Swinging Doors and Jack … Continue reading
Dolly Rathebe, the “Ella Fitzgerald” of South Africa, died on Sept. 16 after suffering a stroke. She was 76. Born Josephine Malatsi, she adopted the name Dolly Rathebe after launching a career as a nightclub singer in Johannesburg to support her family. Rathebe was only 19 years old when she starred in the 1949 film … Continue reading
Although Donald Yetter Gardner played many instruments, directed church choirs and produced community musical events, he was best known for writing the song “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.” On Dec. 5, 1944, Gardner was teaching music at an elementary school in Smithtown, N.Y. During a second grade music class, the … Continue reading
Izora Rhodes Armstead, a singer in two disco/pop acts, died on Sept. 16 of heart failure. She was believed to be 62. One-half of the Weather Girls and Two Tons O’ Fun, Armstead was best known for singing “It’s Raining Men,” a hit song that became an anthem in the gay club scene. Born in … Continue reading
Skeeter Davis, a Grammy-nominated singer and veteran of the Grand Ole Opry, died on Sept. 19 after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 73. Born Mary Frances Penick in Dry Ridge, Ky., she adopted the name Skeeter Davis in high school after a fateful meeting with Betty Jack Davis. The girls formed an … Continue reading