R.I.P1990's

Del Shannon (1934-1990)
Del Shannon (December 30, 1934 – February 8, 1990) was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.Suffering from depression, Shannon committed suicide on February 8, 1990, with a .22 caliber rifle at his home in Santa Clarita, CA. Following his death, the four surviving Wilburys honored him by recording a version of "Runaway." Lynne also co-produced Shannon's posthumous album, Rock On, released on Silvertone in 1991.Shannon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, and his contributions have been recognised by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.In 2005, Del Shannon was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. In 2007, Shannon's recording of "Runaway" was voted the #1 Legendary Michigan Song. Del has had two other recordings recognised as Legendary Michigan songs: "Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow The Sun)" in 2008 and "Hats Off to Larry" in 2009.-For more info:http://www.delshannon.com

Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990)
Date of Birth 3 October 1954, Dallas, Texas, USA
Date of Death 27 August 1990, East Troy, Wisconsin, USA (helicopter crash).Electric guitar player, vocalist and leader of the blues band "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble" which also included Chris Layton on drums, Tommy Shannon on bass guitar and Reese Wynans on electric keyboards.Before his death, recorded the album "Family Style" with his brother Jimmie. They had always attempted to record an album together before, and they joked about their bands' schedules always conflicting: whenever Double Trouble was recording a new album in the studio, the Fabulous Thunderbirds were on tour, and when Double Trouble was on tour, the Thunderbirds were recording in the studio.-For more info:http://www.srvofficial.com

Freddie Mercury (1946-1991)
Birth Name Farrokh Bomi Bulsara
Date of Birth 5 September 1946, Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Date of Death 24 November 1991, Kensington, London, England, UK Their first album, "Queen", came out in 1973. But their real breakthrough was "Killer Queen", on the album "Sheer Heart Attack", which was released in 1974. They became immortal with the single "Bohemian Rhapsody", on the 1975 album "A Night At The Opera". After setting foot in the US in 1980, with "Another One Bites The Dust", they had a bad period. Their album "Flash Gordon" went down the drain, because the movie Flash Gordon (1980) flunked. Their next, "Hot Space", also wasn't a great success. Only the song "Under Pressure", which they sang together with David Bowie, made a difference. In 1983, they took a year off. But, in 1984 they were totally back with their new album, called "The Works". It contained great hits, such as "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want To Break Free". In 1985 Freddie made his first big solo-album, "Mr. Bad Guy". He and the band had been in a bit of an argument, and he wanted to do something on his own. The album was loved by the fans, but didn't do to well. But the band got back together again, after their famous performance at Live Aid, in 1985. At the end of the year, they started working on their new album, "A Kind Of Magic". They also held their most famous tour ever, the "Magic Tour". They did Wembley Stadium twice, and held their very last concert in Knebworth, in front of 125.000 people. After 1986, it went silent around Queen. It was in 1987 or '88, when Freddie told the band he had AIDS, and only had a few years to live. After Freddie told the band, he refused to talk about it anymore. He was afraid that people would buy their records out of pity. He said he wanted to keep making music as long as possible. And he did. His second big solo-album, "The Great Pretender", got out in 1987. After that, he flew to Spain, where he made the magnificent album "Barcelone", together with Montserrat Caballé, whom he saw performing in 1983. Because Freddie loved opera, he became a huge fan of her. For him, this album was like a dream becoming reality. The single "Barcelona" went huge, and was also used as a theme song for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. After Barcelona, he started working with the band again. They made "The Miracle", which was released in 1989. It was a success, with hits as "Breakthru", "I Want It All" and "The Invisible Man". After "The Miracle", Freddie's health got worse. They wanted to do one more album, called "Innuendo." They worked on it in 1990 and early 1991. Every time when Freddie would feel well, he came over to the studio and sang. After "Innuendo" was released in January 1991, they made two video clips. The first one was the video clip of "I'm Going Slightly Mad", shot in March 1991. Because Freddie was very thin, and had little wounds all over his body, they used a lot of make-up. He wore a wig, and the clip was shot in black and white. Freddie's final video clip was released in June 1991. The clip, "These Are The Days Of Our Lives", later turned out to be his goodbye song, the last time he appeared on film. You could clearly see he was ill, but he still hadn't told the world about his disease. Rumours went around that he some kind of terrible disease. This rumor was confirmed by Freddie himself, one day before he passed on. Which he did on the morning of Sunday the 24th of November 1991. His death was seen as a great loss for the world of music.-For more info:http://www.queenonline.com

Eric Carr (1950-1991)
Paul Charles Caravello (July 12, 1950 – November 24, 1991), better known by his stage name Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left the band in 1980. He remained a band member until he became ill with heart cancer and died in 1991.-For more info:http://www.ericcarr.com

Roger Miller (1936-1992)
Roger Dean Miller (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs. His most recognized tunes included the chart-topping country/pop hits "King of the Road", "Dang Me" and "England Swings", all from the mid-1960s Nashville sound era.After growing up in Oklahoma and serving in the United States military, Miller began his musical career as a songwriter in the late 1950s, penning such hits as "Billy Bayou" and "Home" for Jim Reeves and "Invitation to the Blues" for Ray Price. He later started a recording career and reached the peak of his fame in the late-1960s, but continued to record and tour into the 1990s, charting his final top 20 country hit "Old Friends" with Willie Nelson in 1982. Later in his life, he wrote the music and lyrics for the 1985 Tony-award winning Broadway musical Big River, in which he also acted.Miller died from lung cancer in 1992, and was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame three years later. His songs continued to be recorded by younger artists, with covers of "Tall, Tall Trees" by Alan Jackson and "Husbands and Wives" by Brooks & Dunn, each reaching the number one spot on country charts in the 1990s. The Roger Miller Museum in his home town serves as a tribute to Miller.Miller was a lifelong cigarette smoker. During a television interview Miller once explained that he composed his songs from "bits and pieces" of ideas he wrote on scraps of paper. When asked what he did with the unused bits and pieces, he half-joked, "I smoke 'em!" Miller died of lung and throat cancer in 1992, at the age of 56 shortly after the discovery of a growth under his vocal cords.-For more info:http://www.rogermiller.com

Conway Twitty (1933-1993)
Conway Twitty (September 1, 1933 - June 5, 1993), born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was one of the United States' most successful country music artists of the 20th century. He also enjoyed success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006. From 1971–76, Twitty received a string of Country Music Association awards for duets with Loretta Lynn. A former member of the Grand Ole Opry, he was inducted into both the Country Music and the Rockabilly Halls of Fame.Twitty became ill while performing in Branson, Missouri, and was in pain while he was on the tour bus. He died in Springfield, Missouri, at Cox South Hospital from an abdominal aortic aneurysm.-For more info:http://conwaytwitty.com

Frank Zappa (1940-1993)
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, electric guitarist, record producer, and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, electronic, orchestral, and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist.Most of Zappa's projects came to a halt in 1990, when he was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. The disease had been developing unnoticed for ten years and was considered inoperable.After his diagnosis, Zappa devoted most of his energy to modern orchestral and Synclavier works. In 1993 he completed Civilization, Phaze III shortly before his death. It was a major Synclavier work which he had begun in the 1980sFrank Zappa died on Saturday, December 4, 1993 in his home surrounded by his wife and children. At a private ceremony the following day, Zappa was interred in an unmarked grave at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles.On Monday, December 6 his family publicly announced that "Composer Frank Zappa left for his final tour just before 6:00 pm on Saturday.-For more info:http://www.zappa.com

Kirk Cobain (1967-1994)
Date of Birth 20 February 1967, Aberdeen, Washington, USA Date of Death 5 April 1994, Seattle, Washington, USA Birth Name Kurt Donald Cobain.In 1985 Kurt left Aberdeen for Olympia where he formed the band Nirvana in 1986. In 1989 Nirvana recorded their debut album Bleach under the independent label Sub-Pop records. Nirvana became very popular in Britain and by 1991 they signed a contract with Geffen. Their next album Nevermind became a 90s masterpiece and made Kurt's Nirvana one of the most successful bands in the world. Kurt became trampled upon with success and found the new lifestyle hard to bear. In February 1992 Kurt married Courtney Love, the woman who was already pregnant with his child, Frances Bean Cobain. Nirvana released their next album Incesticide later that year. The album appealed to many fans due to the liner notes, which expressed Kurt's open-mindedness. In September 1993 Nirvana released their next album, 'In Utero', which topped the charts. On March 4, 1994, Kurt was taken to hospital in a coma. It was officially stated as an accident but many believe it to have been an unsuccessful suicide attempt. Family and friends convinced Kurt to seek rehab. Kurt was said to have fled rehab after only a few days from a missing person's report filed by Courtney Love. On April 8th Kurt's body was found in his Seattle home. In his arms was a shotgun, which had been fired into his head. Near him laid a suicide note written in red ink. It was addressed to his wife Courtney Love and his daughter Frances Cobain. Two days after Kurt's body was discovered people gathered in Seattle, they began setting fires, chanting profanities, and fighting with police officers. They also listened to a tape of Courtney reading sections of the suicide note left by Kurt. The last few words were "I love you, I love you".-For more info:http://www.cobain.com

Gerry Garcia (1942-1995)
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead.Though he vehemently disavowed the role, Garcia was viewed by many as the leader or "spokesman" of the group.One of its original founders, Garcia performed with The Grateful Dead for their entire three-decade career (1965–1995). Garcia also founded and participated in a variety of side projects, including the Saunders-Garcia Band with longtime friend Merl Saunders, Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, and Legion of Mary.Garcia co-founded the New Riders of the Purple Sage with John Dawson and David Nelson. He also released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists over the years as a session musician. He was well known by many for his distinctive guitar playing and was ranked 13th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"On August 9, 1995, at 4:23 AM, Garcia's body was discovered in his room at the rehabilitation clinic.The cause of death was a heart attack.Garcia had long struggled with drug addiction,weight problems, and sleep apnea,all of which contributed to his physical decline.-For more info:http://www.jerrygarcia.com

John Panozzo (1948-1996)
John Anthony Panozzo (September 20, 1948 – July 16, 1996) was the drummer for the American rock band Styx.Panozzo grew up in the Roseland neighborhood, the south side of Chicago, Illinois with his fraternal twin brother, Chuck (born 90 minutes apart). At age 7, the twins took musical lessons from their uncle in which John took an interest in drums and percussion. They attended Catholic school and eventually they were part of a 3-piece accordion band in which John played drums and Chuck played guitar. They would play weddings at age 12 and were paid $15 apiece.Then, in 1961, John, Chuck, and their neighbor, Dennis DeYoung, formed a band called the Tradewinds in which John played drums, Chuck played guitar, and Dennis played the accordion and sang. They played local rock and roll gigs at bars and began gaining popularity as a garage band on the south side. In 1968, Chuck switched to bass and they added guitarists/vocalists James "J.Y." Young and John Curulewski, changing their name to TW4. The band signed to Wooden Nickel Records and changed their name to Styx.Years of partying with Styx and excessive drinking began to take a toll on his liver. In the mid-1990s, as Styx was about to embark on its first tour with the classic line-up since 1983, John fell seriously ill and began battling cirrhosis of the liver, eventually dying of gastrointestinal hemorrhaging; he was 47 years old.The band dedicated their 1996 Return to Paradise tour to him, and Tommy Shaw, who had earlier replaced Curulewski, wrote the song "Dear John" as the band's final tribute to their drummer and friend.-For more info:http://www.styxworld.com

  



Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)
Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac (or simply Pac) and Makaveli, was an American rapper. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide,making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. Rolling Stone Magazine named him the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time.In addition to his status as a top-selling rap artist, he was a promising actor and a social activist. Most of Shakur's songs are about growing up amid violence and hardship in ghettos, racism, problems in the society and conflicts with other rappers. His work is known by many for often advocating egalitarianis Shakur was initially a roadie and backup dancer for the alternative hip hop group Digital Underground.Shakur became the target of lawsuits and experienced other legal problems. In 1994, he was shot five times and robbed in the lobby of a recording studio in New York City. Following the event, Shakur grew suspicious that other figures in the rap industry had prior knowledge of the incident and did not warn him; the controversy helped spark the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry.He was later convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to one-and-a-half to four-and-a-half years in prison.After serving eleven months of his sentence, he was released from prison on an appeal financed by Marion "Suge" Knight, the CEO of Death Row Records. In exchange for Suge's assistance, Shakur agreed to release three albums for the Death Row label.In September 1996, Shakur was the victim of a drive-by shooting in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada. After being taken to the University Medical Center, he died of respiratory failure and cardiac arres.-For more info:http://www.tupac.org

The Notorious B.I.G (1972-1997)
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), was an American rapper. He was popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again) or simply Biggie, Frank White (after the main character of the 1990 film King of New York),and by his primary stage name The Notorious B.I.G..Raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, Wallace grew up during the peak years of the 1980s crack epidemic and started dealing drugs at an early age. When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he was a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream.The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A.. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000. Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow",[4] dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time.He has sold 17 million albums in the United States.-For more info:http://www.notoriousonline.org

Michael Hutchence (1960-1997)
Michael Kelland John Hutchence (22 January 1960 – 22 November 1997) was an Australian singer-songwriter, most famous for his work with rock band INXS.On the morning of 22 November 1997, Hutchence, aged 37, was found dead in his room, Room 524, at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Double Bay, Sydney (now the Stamford Plaza).The New South Wales Coroner determined that Hutchence's death was the result of suicide. The Coroner's Report states: "An analysis report of the deceased's blood indicates the presence of alcohol, cocaine, Prozac and other prescription drugs. On consideration of the entirety of the evidence gathered I am satisfied that the deceased was in a severe depressed state on the morning of the 22nd November, 1997, due to a number of factors, including the relationship with Paula Yates and the pressure of the on-going dispute with Bob Geldof, combined with the effects of the substances that he had ingested at that time.-For more info:http://www.michaelhutchenceinfo.com

Grandpa Jones (1913-1998)
Louis Marshall Jones (October 20, 1913–February 19, 1998), known professionally as Grandpa Jones, was an American banjo player and "old time" country and gospel music singer. He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.In January 1998, Jones suffered a stroke after his second show performance at the Grand Ole Opry. He died on February 19, 1998, aged 84. Jones was buried in the Luton Memorial Methodist Church cemetery in Nashville.-For more info:http://www.grandpajones.net

Tammy Wynette (1942-1998)
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette (May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998), was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of country music's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists.She was known as the First Lady of Country Music, and one of her best-known songs, "Stand by Your Man", was one of the biggest selling hit singles by a woman in the history of the country music genre. Many of Tammy Wynette's hits dealt with classic themes of loneliness, divorce and the difficulties of male-female relationships. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, she dominated the country charts, scoring 17 number one hits. Along with Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, she defined the role of female country vocalists in the 1970s.Her 1969 marriage to country singer George Jones (which would end in divorce in 1975) created country music's "first couple." The pair recorded a series of duet albums and singles, which charted throughout the 1970s, concurrent to their respective solo hits.After years of medical problems,[citation needed] numerous hospitalizations, approximately twenty-six major surgeries and an addiction to large doses of pain medication, Tammy Wynette died, while sleeping on her couch, on April 6, 1998. Tammy's doctor from Pennsylvania claimed she died of a blood clot in her lung. There was no autopsy until 1999. She was 55. Despite her persistent illnesses, she continued to perform until shortly before her death and had other performances scheduled. Wynette's funeral was held on April 9, 1998 and, at the same time, a public memorial service was under way at Nashville's original Grand Ole Opry building (Ryman Auditorium), with a crypt interment at Nashville's Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.-For more info:http://www.tammywynette.com

Roy Rogers (1911-1998)
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye (November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), was an American singer and cowboy actor, as well as the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants chain. He and his wife Dale Evans, his golden palomino Trigger, and his German Shepherd dog, Bullet, were featured in over one hundred movies and The Roy Rogers Show. The show ran on radio for nine years before moving to television from 1951 through 1957. His productions usually featured a sidekick, often either Pat Brady, (who drove a jeep called "Nellybelle") or the crotchety George "Gabby" Hayes. Roy's nickname was "King of the Cowboys". Dale's nickname was "Queen of the West."Rogers died of congestive heart failure on July 6, 1998. Rogers was residing in Apple Valley, California at the time of his death. He was buried at Sunset Hills cemetery in Apple Valley.-For more info:http://www.royrogers.com

Dusty Springfield (1939-1999)
Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien, OBE (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known as Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. Of all the female British pop artists of the 1960s, she made one of the biggest impressions on the American market. Owing to her distinctive sensual sound, she was one of the most notable white soul artists.Born to an Irish Roman Catholic family that loved music, O'Brien learned to sing at home. She scored her first hits as a member of the pop-folk vocal trio The Springfields. Her solo career began in 1963 with the upbeat pop hit, "I Only Want To Be With You". Her following hits included "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself", "Wishin' and Hopin'" and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me".A fan of American pop music, she campaigned to bring the little-known soul singers to a wider British audience by devising and hosting the first British performances of the top-selling Motown Records artists in 1965. Her rendition of "The Look of Love", written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, was included on the soundtrack of the James Bond movie Casino Royale (1967) and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song. The marked changes of pop music in the mid-1960s left many female pop singers out of fashion. To boost her credibility as a soul artist, Springfield went to Memphis, Tennessee, to record an album of pop and soul music with the Atlantic Records main production team. Dusty in Memphis earned Springfield a nomination for the Grammy Award and it received the Grammy Hall of Fame award. International polls list the album among the greatest of all time. Its standout track "Son of a Preacher Man" was an international Top 10 hit in 1969. Subsequently, Springfield's success dipped for eighteen years. Collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys returned her to the Top 20 of the British and American charts with "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "Nothing Has Been Proved" and "In Private". In 1995, Springfield was diagnosed with breast cancer, which eventually caused her death in 1999.Springfield was voted the Top British Female Artist in the New Musical Express reader's polls at the height of the British Invasion in 1964, 1965, and in 1968. Interest in Springfield's early output was revived in 1994, due to the inclusion of "Son of a Preacher Man" on the soundtrack of the movie, Pulp Fiction. She is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the U.K. Music Hall of Fame. International polls have named Springfield among the best female rock artists of all time.-For more info:http://www.dusty-springfield.com

  


Rick Danko (1942-1999)
Richard Clare "Rick" Danko (December 29, 1942 – December 10, 1999) was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.On December 10, 1999, just days after the end of a brief tour of the Midwest that included two shows in the Chicago area and a final gig at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Danko's heart gave out, and he died in his sleep at his home in Marble town, New York, near Woodstock.-For more info:http://theband.hiof.no

Hank Snow (1914-1999)
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980. This total includes the number 1 hits "I'm Moving On", "The Golden Rocket", "I Don't Hurt Anymore", "Let Me Go, Lover!", "I've Been Everywhere", and "Hello Love" as well as other top ten hits. He is a member of both the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Music Hall of Fame.Snow died in 1999 at his Rainbow Ranch in Madison, Tennessee and was interred in the Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville. Minnie died in 2003.-For more info:http://www.hanksnow.com

Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999)
Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, rhythm and blues, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly. From these works and others, he is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music.He was also a multi-instrumentalist who played the guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums.Curtis Mayfield died on December 26, 1999 at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia due to his steadily declining health subsequent to his paralysis. He is remembered as a modest man with great musical insight and sensitivity.-For more info:http://curtismayfield.com