Music History Events: Deaths
January 6, 1992 Steve Gilpin (vocalist for MI-sex) dies after a severe car accident leaves him in a coma in Southport, Queensland, Australia, at age 42.
December 30, 1991 Doo wop singer Richard Blandon (of The Dubs, The Paragons) dies in New York at age 57.
November 24, 1991 Eric Carr of Kiss dies of heart cancer at age 41.
November 15, 1991 Producer Jacques Morali, who created The Village People, dies of AIDS at age 44.
November 9, 1991 Singer/actor Yves Montand, age 70, dies of a heart attack in France while filming the movie IP5: The Island of Pachyderms. Oddly enough, he plays an old man who dies of a heart attack.
November 7, 1991 R&B musician Carter Cornelius (of Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose), also known as Prince Gideon Israel, dies of a heart attack at age 43.
November 2, 1991 Rock n' roll hitmaker Mort Shuman, co-writer of "Viva Las Vegas," dies of cancer at age 54.
October 31, 1991 Joseph Papp, producer of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical A Chorus Line, dies of cancer at age 70.
October 28, 1991 Blues singer Billy Wright dies of a pulmonary embolism at age 59.
October 25, 1991 Margo Sylvia (lead singer of The Tune Weavers) dies of a heart attack and stroke in San Diego, California, at age 55. Known for the 1957 hit ''Happy, Happy Birthday Baby."
October 25, 1991 The renowned concert promoter Bill Graham, who ran the Fillmore and Fillmore East venues, dies in a helicopter crash returning home from a Huey Lewis & the News concert. Graham, 60, provided a more intimate and elegant concert experience with improved sound and even light shows. Some of his bigger productions included The Band's "Last Waltz" final concert and the Grateful Dead's New Year's Eve shows.
October 17, 1991 After years of alcohol abuse, "Sixteen Tons" singer Tennessee Ernie Ford dies in Reston, Virginia at 72.
October 4, 1991 R&B singer J. Frank Wilson dies at age 49, after years of alcohol abuse takes its toll.
September 17, 1991 MC5 lead singer Rob Tyner has a heart attack in the driveway of his home in Berkley, Michigan and dies at age 46.
July 15, 1991 Bert Convy (of The Cheers) dies of a brain tumor at age 57. The actor and singer had gone on to become a popular game show host of Super Password and Win, Lose, or Draw.
June 6, 1991 Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz dies of liver cancer at age 64. His ashes are poured from his saxophone case by his grandson off the coast of Marina del Rey, California.
June 1, 1991 David Ruffin, who sang lead on the The Temptations' classics "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," dies from an adverse reaction to cocaine at age 50. Family members suspect foul play when Ruffin's money belt - which held over $40,000 in proceeds from the group's tour - turns up empty.
May 24, 1991 Gene Clark (tambourine player for The Byrds), suffering from a bleeding ulcer, dies at age 46 after years of drug and alcohol abuse.
May 19, 1991 Odia Coates, known for a string of '70s duets with Paul Anka, including the #1 "(You're) Having My Baby," dies of breast cancer at age 49.
May 8, 1991 Bohemian-born pianist Rudolf Serkin dies of cancer at age 88.
May 4, 1991 Punk rocker Simon Wilde (bassist for D.O.A.) dies of a brain tumor at age 33.
April 20, 1991 Steve Marriott (guitarist, vocalist for The Small Faces, Humble Pie) dies in a house fire, possibly caused by a cigarette, at age 44.
April 17, 1991 Jack Yellen, lyricist and screenwriter who wrote "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1929), dies in Concord, New York, at age 98.
March 22, 1991 Dave Guard of The Kingston Trio dies of lymphoma at age 56.
March 21, 1991 Leo Fender, founder of Fender Musical Instruments, dies at age 81 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
March 14, 1991 Rock and roll lyricist Doc Pomus dies of lung cancer at age 65.
February 24, 1991 Honky tonk entertainer Webb Pierce dies of pancreatic cancer at age 69. Known for the 1955 chart-topper "In The Jailhouse Now."
February 9, 1991 Gospel singer Reverend James Cleveland dies at age 59.
January 1, 1991 Buck Ram - producer, songwriter, and arranger - dies in Las Vegas, Nevada, at age 83. Produced all recordings by The Platters.
December 7, 1990 Soul singer Dee Clark, known for the 1961 hit "Raindrops," dies of a heart attack at age 52.
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