Jimmy Ellis (Nov. 15, 1937 – March 8, 2012), lead singer for the Trammps, known for their hit “Disco Inferno”, died Thursday, March 8, 2012 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He was 74…

Sherman in 2002.

Robert Bernard Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 5, 2012) was an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Richard Morton Sherman. Some of the Sherman Brothers’ best known songs were incorporated into movies and animations like Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Slipper and the Rose, Charlotte’s Web and the theme park song of “It’s a Small World (After All)”.

Robert B. Sherman died in London on March 5, 2012. He was aged 86. A public funeral was held for him on March 9, 2012 at Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Culver City and he was later buried there…

Don Cornelius at the 40th anniversary event for Soul Train.

In the early-morning hours of February 1, 2012, officers responded to a report of a shooting at 12685 Mulholland Drive and found Cornelius with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead by the Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner. According to former Soul Train host, Shemar Moore, Cornelius may have been suffering from early onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and his health had been in decline…

Yauch performing in 2007

Adam Nathaniel Yauch (pronounced /ˈjaʊk/; born August 5, 1964) is a founding member of hip hop trio the Beastie Boys. He is frequently known by his stage name, MCA, and other pseudonyms such as Nathanial Hörnblowér. Yauch was born an only child in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Frances and Noel Yauch, who is a painter and architect. His father was Catholic and his mother was Jewish. In high school, he taught himself to play the bass guitar, and formed Beastie Boys. They played their first…

Tony Sly

Anthony J. Sly (born November 4, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman of seminal punk rock band No Use for a Name. Most recently, he is also known for his acoustic solo career, with one acoustic split album he released with Lagwagon frontman Joey Cape and two solo albums of his own. Tony Sly joined No Use for a Name in 1989, when he was 18 and a half years old. He was the vocalist and lead guitarist. Their first album Incognito was released in 1990 on the label New Red Archives and featured a heavy…

Robin Gibb at the meet-and-greet after the Dubai Jazz Festival on 1 March 2008

Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE (born 22 December 1949) is a singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice and elder brother Barry. Born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the trio started their musical career in Australia, and found major success when they returned to England. With record sales estimated in excess of 100 million, the Bee Gees became one of the most successful pop groups of all time. Born to Barbara (née Pass) and Hugh Gibb on the Isle of Man, Robin was…

Donna Summer in 2009

LaDonna Adrian Gaines (born December 31, 1948), known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach number one on the US Billboard chart. She also charted four number-one singles in the United States within a thirteen-month period. Donna Summer was…

Onstage, October 1, 2005

Chuck Brown (born August 22, 1936) is a guitarist and singer who is affectionately called “The Godfather of Go-go”. Go-go is a subgenre of funk music developed in and around Washington, D.C. in the mid- and late 1970s. While its musical classification, influences, and origins are debated, Brown is regarded as the fundamental force behind the creation of go-go music. Brown’s musical career began in the 1960s playing guitar with Jerry Butler and The Earls of Rhythm, joining Los Latinos in 1965…

Helm playing mandolin in 1971

Mark Lavon “Levon” Helm (born May 26, 1940), is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band. Helm is known for his deeply soulful, country-accented voice, and creative drumming style highlighted on many of The Band’s recordings, such as “The Weight”, “Up on Cripple Creek”, “Ophelia” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”. His 2007 comeback album Dirt Farmer earned the…

Montrose in 1974

Ronnie Montrose (born November 29, 1947, San Francisco, California, United States) is an American rock guitarist who has headed his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Dan Hartman, Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter. In 1969, he started out in a band called Sawbuck…