O/T: The Day The Music Died

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Posted By: barrysloate

As long as we're playing:

No rock star died a stranger death than Keith Relf, the lead singer of the Yardbirds. He was playing his electric guitar at his home in 1976 when the ground wire malfunctioned and he was electrocuted. His son found his body on the floor of their basement.

And nobody mentioned July 2, 1969, another dark day in rock history.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Trivia question for Ted...and others can play too.

When Sal Mineo was murdered, he was returning from play rehearsal. Name the play.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

Answer to your Trivia ?

After Dean and Adams death's, when Sal Mineo died, I was startled.

Sal Mineo was in the play...."P.S. Your Cat Is Dead" when he died in 1976.

We were on our way to Florida when we heard this sad news on the car radio.
I haven't forgot it.

Then, 5 years later, Natalie's drowning occurred; and, I broke down and cried.
It was just too much to comprehend, since "Rebel" was one of my favorite movies
that I saw as a kid.

Very, very strange !



TED Z

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Posted By: barrysloate

Good one Ted- didn't think I would fool you. Certainly the three lead actors of "Rebel" all dying young and tragically is a bizarre story, and sad indeed. It's affected me too.

I always wondered what James Dean would have been like if he had lived. He did not even make it to the release of "Rebel." By the time it hit the theatres he was already gone.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

I think that you are thinking of James Dean's last movie....GIANT.

Hate to correct you, but "Rebel" was his 2nd movie. And, I am sure you know Dean's 1st movie.
But, did you know why Hollywood re-released it in 1955 ?


Edited to add that Dean's 1st movie "East of Eden" and his 2nd "Rebel Without Cause" were both
re-released after his death



TED Z

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Hey Joann, have you seen the movie Bounce? That's about what you describe, Ben Afflek and Gwyneth Paltrow. Interesting movie...

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

There are quite a few musicians who died untimely deaths (accidental or otherwise) including Mama Cass Elliot, Janis Joplin and Keith Moon.

Oddly, Moon was Paul McCartney's guest at a film preview of The Buddy Holly Story on the night he overdosed.

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Posted By: Rob

How about Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones!!!

Also Dennis Wilson's death was tragic.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Rob- I alluded to Brian Jones when I cited the July 2, 1969 date in my earlier post.

Ted- I think I've got you on this one. Dean's three movies in order were in fact East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause, and Giant. But I am almost certain Rebel hit the movie theatres in October, 1955, after his death. And Giant was released in 1956.

Please see if you can find out more. I think I'm right.

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Posted By: dennis

rebel was released oct 27 about one month after deans death(9/30)giant was released nov 1956.

if you have never seen cronenbergs crash. this is one of the highlites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AABkczpcvIM

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Posted By: Brian

...

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Posted By: J.McMurry

speaking of Jones, there was a book written in the late 70's/early 80's by a former Stones "insider" who claimed that he witnessed Brian Jones being murdered,(he admits he was high at the time) I think the title of the book was "up and down with the Rolling Stones" very interesting read.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Originally it was assumed Brian Jones drowned in his swimming pool (ironic since he swam regularly and was apparently quite proficient). It was later discovered that Jones had been in a dispute with one of the workers at his estate throughout his final day, and at an evening party, this man had gotten into the pool with Brian and continued the argument. Brian was asthmatic and kept an inhaler nearby. The worker, who was much larger than him, started pushing Brian underwater, exacerbating his breathing problem. On the last push, Jones sank to the bottom of the pool. Everyone panicked at that point and quickly left the party.

The worker died in the 1990's, and near the end of his life confessed "I did Brian in." At least that is the story I read. Can't confirm it.

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Posted By: LenK

Brian Jones was an asthmatic...his inhaler was found at the side of the pool he drowned in....the autopsy revealed his internal organs to be in the condition of a man in his 50's (Jones was 26 at the time of his death).....imo he just drowned....his body gave out after all of the self-abuse

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Posted By: Dave

How about Cliff Burton from Metallica. He was killed in a bus accident in Sweden he went through the window and the bus crushed him.
There are alot of others Gene Vincent,Tommy Bolin,Marc Bolan(T REX),Eddie Cochran and Frankie Lyman i think he died in his mothers bathroom! And you can't forget the greatest drummer of all time John Bonham.
Brian Jones, the house he lived and died in was once owned by the writer of Winnie the Pooh.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Len- he very well may have drowned but that would assume he was swimming alone. According to later accounts, there were several people with him that night. I guess there is no way to ever know for sure.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (circa 1956) made Frankie Lymon an instant Rock star at age 13.

At age 25 Frankie was gone.....a tragic victim of heroin addiction.


TRIVIA ?

Frankie Lymon (and the Teenagers) shared the stage with The Platters during the late '50s......

what links Frankie to The Platters ?


TED Z

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Posted By: barrysloate

Frankie Lyman had a romantic relationship with Zola Taylor of the Platters. They were later married.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

We are both batting 1.000 with each other's Trivia quizzes today.

I guess I have to come up with a tougher quiz.

TED Z

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Posted By: Richard L.

Well, since we are O/T and today marks the 50th anniversary, thought I'd come over from the non-sport side and share a scan. 1957 Topps Hit Stars the "Crickets".

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Posted By: barrysloate

Ted- I looked it up. I don't even know who Zora Taylor is.

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Posted By: Dave

Is the 57 Hit Stars card for sale i have been looking for that for awhile!

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Posted By: Butch & Co.

Just one more item pertinent to the OP, before the day's over, FWIW...
The wife of one of the guys at this ID actually danced with Valens at a sock-hop in Buffalo in December '58...

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Posted By: Rob

Sorry to keep this going, but did anyone mention Bobby Fuller and the crazy circumstances around his death?

Also are there any Nick Drake or Sandy Denny fans out there?

Thanks - Rob

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Posted By: John K

Reminising is my fave Buddy Holly song. I played the 45 over and over. Check it out. He was huge. My guess is that he listened to a lot of Hank Williams.

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Posted By: LenK

Rob....Bobby Fuller's death is an open-ended story...was found in his car in Hollywood, beaten beyond recognition and with gasoline in his lungs...the coroner ruled it a suicide!....rumour has it that Fuller was seeing the girlfriend of a mobster

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Posted By: Rob

Yea, I knew that Fuller's death was rumored to be somehow connected to the mob. A few of his songs are really good examples of classic 60's rock 'n' roll. And "I Fought The Law" has been covered countless amounts of times.

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

Don't know if anyone's familiar with the story of r&b singer Johnny Ace's death, though I have a feeling Ted might be. After a string of hits in the early 50's, Ace supposedly shot himself to death with a 22 revolver,while playing Russian Roulette, backstage at the Civic Auditorium, in Houston, on Christmas Day.

Not surprisingly, his biggest hit then became the postmortem release, "Pledging My Love", which was a huge "crossover" hit and thus, because of it's popularity with white teens, helped in developing the popularity of rock & roll.

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

The Bobby Fuller Four's follow-up to "I Fought the Law" was "Love's Made a Fool of You", originally recorded by - Buddy Holly.

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Posted By: Rob

Yes Johnny Ace is an often forgot about pioneer of Rock. Two other pioneers Bill Haley and Clyde McPhatter basically drank themselves to death, correct? Also I know there were some similar circumstances surrounding the death of blues guitarist Roy Buchanan (committed suicide).

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

Yes, McPhatter and Haley were, according to what I have heard, very bitter, sad figures at the end. Buchanan received nowhere near the recognition his talent deserved.

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Posted By: LenK

Steve Marriot (The Small Faces and Humble Pie) died in a fire.....this is the singer Robert Plant borrowed heavily from

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Posted By: Mark Evans

I can't resist chiming in. I was 9 years old on the Day the Music Died. I recall the crash.

Roy Buchanan hanged himself in Fairfax County (Va) jail, not too far from my Falls Church home, after his wife had him picked up for threatening behavior as a result of drinking, as I recall.

Also, a propos of prior posts, on the way to dinner the other night I drove by the high school attended by Jim Morrison and Cass Elliot (George Washington, Alexandria). John Phillips attended the school as well.

Mark

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Posted By: Rob

Yea it is amazing about Buchanan, because I saw him not too long before he died on some PBS special and he was great!