10/10/1926 - 05/29/2005
Oscar Brown, Jr (October 10, 1926 – May 29, 2005) was not a man easily defined. He was known as songwriter, composer, actor, singer, director, producer and playwright. He was also an activist, a visionary, and a social commentator...
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01/09/1939 - 03/07/2009
Jimmy Boyd (January 9, 1939 – March 7, 2009) was an American singer, musician, and actor. He was best known for his recording of the novelty song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
02/07/1864 - 08/03/1933
Arthur Francis Collins (February 7, 1864 – August 3, 1933) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was an American singer who recorded a significant number of early records. With tenor singer Byron G. Harlan, Collins recorded the first song...
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02/17/1940 - 04/05/2006
Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic. Pitney was amon...
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Gene Vincent (Vincent Eugene Craddock)
02/11/1935 - 10/12/1971
Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935–October 12, 1971), better known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula...
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04/23/1936 - 12/06/1988
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer-songwriter and musician, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. His greatest success came with Monument...
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08/10/1928 - 06/13/2010
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. Although he may be best known today as the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he became a national televisio...
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Alex Chilton (William Alexander Chilton)
12/28/1950 - 03/17/2010
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton (December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010) was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the...
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02/03/1935 - 05/17/1996
Johnny "Guitar" Watson (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996) was an American blues and funk guitarist and singer. John Watson, Jr. was born in Houston, Texas. His father John Sr. was a pianist, and taught his son the instrument. But yo...
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03/31/1913 - 09/23/2006
Etta Baker (March 31, 1913 – September 23, 2006) was a Piedmont blues guitarist and singer. Etta’s music ranges over a century of music styles and influences from 19th century parlor music to post-WW II electric blues.
05/13/1909 - 11/05/1956
Arthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. (October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso. He was nearly blind.
Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all tim...
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02/01/1948 - 08/06/2004
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. (February 1, 1948 – August 6, 2004), better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popula...
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Bo Diddley (Ellas Otha Bates)
12/30/1928 - 06/02/2008
Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter (usually as Ellas McDaniel), and inventor.
Tom Fogerty (Thomas Richard Fogerty)
11/09/1941 - 08/06/1990
Thomas Richard "Tom" Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was a musician best known as the guitarist in Creedence Clearwater Revival and the elder brother of John Fogerty, the lead singer and guitar player in that band.