Andy Williams in 1969

Howard Andrew “Andy” Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American popular music singer. He recorded seventeen Gold and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials. Most recently, he performed at his Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri, which was named after the Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini song “Moon River”, with which he is closely identified…

Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. He was one of only eleven EGOTs – those who have been awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. He was also one of only two people to have won those four prizes and a Pulitzer Prize (the other being Richard Rodgers). Hamlisch also won two Golden Globes…

Bob Welch (left) and recording engineer Jimmy Robinson at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California.

Robert Lawrence “Bob” Welch (August 31, 1945 – June 7, 2012) was an American musician. A former member of Fleetwood Mac, Welch had a successful solo career in the late 1970s. His singles included “Hot Love, Cold World”, “Ebony Eyes”, “Precious Love”, and his signature “Sentimental Lady”…

Dunn playing in 2007

Donald “Duck” Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.’s and as a session bassist for Stax Records, which specialized in blues and gospel-infused southern soul which became known as Memphis Soul. At Stax, Dunn played on thousands of records including hits by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, and many others. Dunn also performed on recordings with The Blues Brothers, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Isaac Hayes, Levon Helm, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Wilson Pickett, Guy Sebastian, Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Roy Buchanan, Steely Dan, Tinsley Ellis and Arthur Conley…

Dick Clark in 1961

Dick Clark (born Richard Augustus Wagstaff Clark, Jr.; November 30, 1929 – April 18, 2012) was an American radio personality and television personality, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting American television’s longest-running variety show, American Bandstand, from 1957 to 1987. He also hosted the game show Pyramid and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which transmitted Times Square’s New Year’s Eve celebrations worldwide. He is also best known for his trademark sign-off, “For now, Dick Clark. So long!”, accompanied with a military salute…

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…