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Kansas frontman Robby Steinhardt died July 17, 2021

Robert Eugene Steinhardt (May 25, 1950 – July 17, 2021), known as Robby Steinhardt, was an American rock violinist and singer best known for his work with the group Kansas, for which he was co-lead singer and frontman along with keyboardist Steve Walsh. Robby Steinhardt was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1950 and grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and was the adopted son of Ilse and Milton Steinhardt, who was the director of music history at the University of Kansas. Robby started violin lessons at age eight and was classically trained, attended Lawrence High School and was the concertmaster during…
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Rapper and singer Biz Markie died July 16, 2021

Marcel Theo Hall (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021) was known as Biz Markie and was an American rapper and singer. He was best known for his 1989 single “Just a Friend”, which became a Top 40 hit in several countries, was ranked 81st on VH1’s 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders in 2000, and was Number 100 on VH1’s list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs of all time in 2008. Biz Markie was born in Manhattan in Harlem, New York City on April 8, 1964 and was raised on Long Island, where he spent his teenage years. Biz Markie…
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Skid Row’s Johnny Solinger died June 26, 2021

John Preston Solinger (August 7, 1965 – June 26, 2021) was known as Johnny Solinger and was an American singer known for being the lead vocalist of the hard rock/heavy metal band Skid Row from 1999 to 2015. Johnny Solinger moved to the Dallas–Fort Worth area as a young boy, where he was exposed to hard rock and country music, and fell in love with them both. In 1990, he formed the rock band Solinger in Dallas, recording four independent records “Solinger”, “Solinger II”, “Chain Link Fence”, and “Solinger Live”. He enjoyed live performance and radio success throughout the Southwest….
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Singer B J Thomas sadly died May 29, 2021

B J Thomas (August 7, 1942 – May 29, 2021) was born Billy Joe Thomas and was an American singer widely known for his pop, country and Christian hits of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Some of his most popular include “Hooked on a Feeling” (1968), “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (1969), “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” (1975),[2] “Don’t Worry Baby” (1977) and “Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love” (1983). “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance…
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Earl Simmons aka DMX sadly died on April 9, 2021

Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot” in 1998, to both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling 251,000 copies within its first week of release. Overall, DMX sold over 74 million records worldwide. Earl Simmons was born in either Baltimore, Maryland, or Mount Vernon, New York, depending on what you read, to 19-year-old Arnett Simmons and 18-year-old Joe Barker. His father was an artist who painted watercolor paintings of street scenes…
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The Quiet Beatle George Harrison died on November 29, 2001.

George Harrison: The Quiet Beatle’s Enduring Legacy George Harrison (February 25, 1943 – November 29, 2001) was an English musician, singer, songwriter, and philanthropist who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of The Beatles. Though often overshadowed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Harrison’s contributions to the band and the music world were profound. His introduction of Indian music to Western audiences, his spiritual pursuits, and his solo career cemented his legacy as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Early Life and Musical Beginnings Born in Liverpool, England, to Harold and Louise Harrison, George was…
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Reggae Legend Bunny Wailer died March 2, 2021

Bunny Wailer (April 10, 1947 – March 2, 2021) was born Neville O’Riley Livingston and was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with the legendary Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he is considered one of the longtime standard-bearers of reggae music. Bunny Wailer was born in Kingston, Jamaica and spent his earliest years in the village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish where he first met Bob Marley, and the two young boys befriended each other quickly. The boys both came from single-parent families…
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Mary Wilson from The Supremes died February 8, 2021

Mary Wilson (March 6, 1944 – February 8, 2021) was an American singer who gained worldwide recognition as a founding member of The Supremes, along with Florence Ballard, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown. The Supremes who were the most successful Motown act of the 1960s and the best-charting female group in U.S. chart history, as well as one of the best-selling girl groups of all-time. Mary Wilson was born March 6, 1944, to Sam, a butcher, and Johnnie Mae Wilson in Greenville, Mississippi. She was the eldest of three children and the family moved to Chicago, and at age three,…
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Singer Jimmie Rodgers sadly died January 18, 2021.

James Frederick Rodgers (September 18, 1933 – January 18, 2021) was an American singer known as Jimmie Rodgers. Rodgers had a run of hits and mainstream popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. His string of crossover singles ranked highly on the Billboard Pop Singles, Hot Country and Western Sides, and Hot Rhythm and Blues Sides charts; in the 1960s, Rodgers had more modest successes with adult contemporary music. This Jimmie Rodgers should not be confused with The Father of Country Music Jimmie Rodgers who died May 26, 1933. Jimmie Rodgers was born in Camas, Washington, the second son of Archie…
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The Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine died on January 29, 2021

Hilton Stewart Paterson Valentine (May 21, 1943 – January,29 2021), known as Hilton Valentine, was an English skiffle and rock and roll musician who was the original guitarist in The Animals. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and into Hollywood’s Rock Walk of Fame in 2001 with the other members of The Animals. Hilton Valentine was born in North Shields, Northumberland, England, and was influenced by the 1950s skiffle craze. His mother bought him his first guitar in 1956 when he was 13, he taught himself some chords from a book called “Teach…
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