The Rest In Peace & Remembrance Thread #2
- Thread starter sandersidle
- Start date
RIP Neil Armstrong 
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Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
Legendary songwriter Hal David dies in LA at 91
Sep 1, 7:38 PM (ET)
By BOB THOMAS and CHRISTOPHER WEBER
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hal David, the stylish, heartfelt lyricist who teamed with Burt Bacharach on dozens of timeless songs for movies, television and a variety of recording artists in the 1960s and beyond, has died. He was 91.
David died of complications from a stroke Saturday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to his wife Eunice David.
He had suffered a major stroke in March and was stricken again on Tuesday, she said.
"Even at the end, Hal always had a song in his head," Eunice David said. "He was always writing notes, or asking me to take a note down, so he wouldn't forget a lyric."
Bacharach and David were among the most successful teams in modern history, with top 40 hits including "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head,""(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "That's What Friends Are For." Although most associated with Dionne Warwick, their music was recorded by many of the top acts of their time, from the Beatles and Barbra Streisand to Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin. They won an Oscar for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), Grammys and Tonys for the songs from the hit Broadway musical "Promises, Promises."
Full story at Iwon/AP News.
Sep 1, 7:38 PM (ET)
By BOB THOMAS and CHRISTOPHER WEBER
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hal David, the stylish, heartfelt lyricist who teamed with Burt Bacharach on dozens of timeless songs for movies, television and a variety of recording artists in the 1960s and beyond, has died. He was 91.
David died of complications from a stroke Saturday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to his wife Eunice David.
He had suffered a major stroke in March and was stricken again on Tuesday, she said.
"Even at the end, Hal always had a song in his head," Eunice David said. "He was always writing notes, or asking me to take a note down, so he wouldn't forget a lyric."
Bacharach and David were among the most successful teams in modern history, with top 40 hits including "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head,""(They Long to Be) Close to You" and "That's What Friends Are For." Although most associated with Dionne Warwick, their music was recorded by many of the top acts of their time, from the Beatles and Barbra Streisand to Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin. They won an Oscar for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" (from the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), Grammys and Tonys for the songs from the hit Broadway musical "Promises, Promises."
Full story at Iwon/AP News.
I will show my age and say 'Man, Starship sure has changed since I saw them on tour back in the 80's!' I'm not sure but I think the only one in the band that was there back then is Mickey Thomas.
Lead guitarist for Starship dies in Nebraska
Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54
Susan
Lead guitarist for Starship dies in Nebraska
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Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54
Susan
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
Early laptop designer Moggridge dies at 69
Sep 9, 5:50 PM (ET)
NEW YORK (AP) - Bill Moggridge, a British industrial designer who designed an early portable computer with the flip-open shape that is common today, has died. He was 69.
The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum said Moggridge, its director since 2010, died on Saturday from cancer.
Moggridge is credited with the design of the Grid Compass, a computer that had a keyboard and yellow-on-black display that sold for $8,150 when it was released in 1982. It was encased in magnesium and seen as rugged, and was used by the U.S. military.
The computer made its way into outer space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.
Full story at Iwon/AP News.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
'Down in the Boondocks' songwriter Joe South dead at 72
http://todayentertainment.today.com...oondocks-songwriter-joe-south-dead-at-72?lite
By The Associated Press
Singer-songwriter Joe South, who penned hits like "Games People Play," and "Down in the Boondocks" in the 1960s and 70s, has died. He was 72.
South, whose real name was Joseph Souter, died Wednesday at his home in Buford, Ga., northeast of Atlanta, according to Butch Lowery, president of the Lowery Group. The company published South's music. Lowery said South died of heart failure, but did not know any other details. South also wrote the Grammy-nominated "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden."
South was an inductee in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He played guitar on Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools," Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" and albums by Eddy Arnold and Marty Robbins.
Sep 9, 5:50 PM (ET)
NEW YORK (AP) - Bill Moggridge, a British industrial designer who designed an early portable computer with the flip-open shape that is common today, has died. He was 69.
The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum said Moggridge, its director since 2010, died on Saturday from cancer.
Moggridge is credited with the design of the Grid Compass, a computer that had a keyboard and yellow-on-black display that sold for $8,150 when it was released in 1982. It was encased in magnesium and seen as rugged, and was used by the U.S. military.
The computer made its way into outer space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985.
Full story at Iwon/AP News.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
'Down in the Boondocks' songwriter Joe South dead at 72
http://todayentertainment.today.com...oondocks-songwriter-joe-south-dead-at-72?lite
By The Associated Press
Singer-songwriter Joe South, who penned hits like "Games People Play," and "Down in the Boondocks" in the 1960s and 70s, has died. He was 72.
South, whose real name was Joseph Souter, died Wednesday at his home in Buford, Ga., northeast of Atlanta, according to Butch Lowery, president of the Lowery Group. The company published South's music. Lowery said South died of heart failure, but did not know any other details. South also wrote the Grammy-nominated "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden."
South was an inductee in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He played guitar on Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools," Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" and albums by Eddy Arnold and Marty Robbins.
jafox
CSI Level Two
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
'Pink Panther' actor Herbert Lom dead at 95
Sep 27, 9:21 AM (ET)
By CASSANDRA VINOGRAD and JILL LAWLESS
LONDON (AP) - Herbert Lom, the Czech-born actor best known as Inspector Clouseau's long-suffering boss in the "Pink Panther" movies, died Thursday, his son said. He was 95.
Alec Lom said his father died peacefully in his sleep.
Herbert Lom had a handsomely lugubrious look that was suited to comedy, horror and everything in between. It served him well over a six-decade career in which roles ranged from Napoleon Bonaparte - whom he played twice - to the Phantom of the Opera.
The London-based star appeared in more than 100 films, including "Spartacus" and "El Cid," and acted alongside film greats including Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas.
But Lom was most famous for playing Charles Dreyfus, boss to Peter Sellers' befuddled Clouseau in the popular "Pink Panther" series, from "A Shot in the Dark" in 1964 to "Son of the Pink Panther" in 1993.
"It was a delight to him later in his career to be cast by Pink Panther producer and director Blake Edwards in a comedy role opposite Peter Sellers, and he hugely enjoyed that move," Alec Lom said. "He had many funny stories about the antics that he and Peter Sellers got up to on the set. It was a nightmare working with Peter because he was a terrible giggler and, between my father and Peter's laughter, they ruined dozens and dozens of takes."
Born Herbert Karel Angelo Kuchacevic ze Schluderpacheru in Prague in 1917, Lom came to Britain at the start of World War II and began his career as a radio announcer with the BBC's overseas service.
His first major movie role was as Napoleon in 1942's "The Young Mr. Pitt." The career that followed saw him cast often as a villain.
In "The Ladykillers," one of the best-loved British films of the 1950s, Lom played a member of a ruthless crime gang fatally outsmarted by a mild-mannered old lady.
Horror roles included the title character in Hammer Studios'"The Phantom of the Opera" in 1962, and Van Helsing in 1970's "Count Dracula," opposite Christopher Lee.
A postwar American career was stymied when Lom was denied a visa, though he later appeared on U.S. TV series including "The Streets Of San Francisco" and "Hawaii Five-O."
In the 1950s, Lom also had success on the London stage playing the King of Siam in the original London production of the "The King And I" at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, opposite Valerie Hobson.
Sep 27, 9:21 AM (ET)
By CASSANDRA VINOGRAD and JILL LAWLESS
LONDON (AP) - Herbert Lom, the Czech-born actor best known as Inspector Clouseau's long-suffering boss in the "Pink Panther" movies, died Thursday, his son said. He was 95.
Alec Lom said his father died peacefully in his sleep.
Herbert Lom had a handsomely lugubrious look that was suited to comedy, horror and everything in between. It served him well over a six-decade career in which roles ranged from Napoleon Bonaparte - whom he played twice - to the Phantom of the Opera.
The London-based star appeared in more than 100 films, including "Spartacus" and "El Cid," and acted alongside film greats including Charlton Heston and Kirk Douglas.
But Lom was most famous for playing Charles Dreyfus, boss to Peter Sellers' befuddled Clouseau in the popular "Pink Panther" series, from "A Shot in the Dark" in 1964 to "Son of the Pink Panther" in 1993.
"It was a delight to him later in his career to be cast by Pink Panther producer and director Blake Edwards in a comedy role opposite Peter Sellers, and he hugely enjoyed that move," Alec Lom said. "He had many funny stories about the antics that he and Peter Sellers got up to on the set. It was a nightmare working with Peter because he was a terrible giggler and, between my father and Peter's laughter, they ruined dozens and dozens of takes."
Born Herbert Karel Angelo Kuchacevic ze Schluderpacheru in Prague in 1917, Lom came to Britain at the start of World War II and began his career as a radio announcer with the BBC's overseas service.
His first major movie role was as Napoleon in 1942's "The Young Mr. Pitt." The career that followed saw him cast often as a villain.
In "The Ladykillers," one of the best-loved British films of the 1950s, Lom played a member of a ruthless crime gang fatally outsmarted by a mild-mannered old lady.
Horror roles included the title character in Hammer Studios'"The Phantom of the Opera" in 1962, and Van Helsing in 1970's "Count Dracula," opposite Christopher Lee.
A postwar American career was stymied when Lom was denied a visa, though he later appeared on U.S. TV series including "The Streets Of San Francisco" and "Hawaii Five-O."
In the 1950s, Lom also had success on the London stage playing the King of Siam in the original London production of the "The King And I" at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, opposite Valerie Hobson.
Mac&Adam Fan
Pathologist
When I saw the show, Webster, I had no idea that Alex and Susan were married in real life.
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
'Emmanuelle' star Sylvia Kristel dies at age 60
Oct 18, 7:22 AM (ET)
By MIKE CORDER
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Actress Sylvia Kristel, the Dutch star of the hit 1970s erotic movie "Emmanuelle," has died of cancer at age 60.
Her agent, Features Creative Management, said in a statement Thursday that Kristel died in her sleep Wednesday night. Kristel, a model who turned to acting in the 1970s, had been fighting cancer for several years.
Her breakthrough came in "Emmanuelle," a 1974 erotic tale directed by Frenchman Just Jaeckin, about the sexual adventures of a man and his beautiful young wife, played by Kristel, in Thailand.
She went on to star in several sequels to "Emmanuelle," as well as in Hollywood movies including "Private Lessons" in 1981.
Oct 18, 7:22 AM (ET)
By MIKE CORDER
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Actress Sylvia Kristel, the Dutch star of the hit 1970s erotic movie "Emmanuelle," has died of cancer at age 60.
Her agent, Features Creative Management, said in a statement Thursday that Kristel died in her sleep Wednesday night. Kristel, a model who turned to acting in the 1970s, had been fighting cancer for several years.
Her breakthrough came in "Emmanuelle," a 1974 erotic tale directed by Frenchman Just Jaeckin, about the sexual adventures of a man and his beautiful young wife, played by Kristel, in Thailand.
She went on to star in several sequels to "Emmanuelle," as well as in Hollywood movies including "Private Lessons" in 1981.
Dynamo1
Head of the Swing Shift
Natina Reed, R&B singer (Blaque)/actress, 32
ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities say R&B singer Natina Reed, known as a member of the female group Blaque, was killed Friday (Oct. 26) after being stuck by a car in metro Atlanta. The Gwinnett County Police Department said in a news release Sunday that the 32-year-old Reed was hit late Friday while in the roadway at an intersection on U.S. 29 near Lilburn.olice say the driver called 911 for help, and someone tried to revive Reed on the scene. She was later pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center.
It’s unclear why Reed was in the road. Police say the driver wasn’t at fault and won’t be charged. Blaque’s hits included “808” and “Bring It All to Me” in the late ‘90s. Reed was also in the movie “Bring It On,” released in 2000. Reed would have turned 33 on Sunday.
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Bill Dees, songwriter (Oh Pretty Woman, It's Over), 73
Bill Dees, a Texas-born singer/songwriter known for his writing collaboration on some of Roy Orbison's biggest hits, died Oct. 24 in Mountain Home, Arkansas following a battle with brain cancer. He was 73.
Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Dees played guitar and sang with a band called "The Five Bops," gaining enough recognition to perform on an Amarillo, Texas radio station. He eventually made his way to Nashville, where his meeting Orbison led to a collaboration that produced a string of successful songs for Monument Records including the hits "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "It's Over." In 1967, Dees co-wrote all the songs for the Orbison album and MGM motion picture The Fastest Guitar Alive.
Beyond his work with Orbison, Bill Dees wrote hundreds of songs, a number of which were recorded by performers such as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Glen Campbell, Billy Joe Royal, Frank Ifield, Mark Dinning and Gene Pitney. In 2000, he recorded his own album titled Saturday Night At The Movies, a compilation of songs previously sung by Orbison that had been written with Dees and some that Dees had written alone.
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Mary Campbell, music journalist (AP), 78
NEW YORK (AP) - Mary Campbell, whose childhood affection for the big bands and opera she heard on her radio set the stage for four decades as a music writer for The Associated Press, died Friday (Oct. 19). She was 78.
Campbell died in Bloomington, Ind., according to her sister, Ruth Miller.
From symphony to rock 'n' roll, from Duke Ellington to Beverly Sills to the Dixie Chicks, Campbell covered the entertainment scene, earning respect from the artists she wrote about and devotion from the public who followed her profiles and reviews.
"Mary Campbell is a most admired reporter, not only because she writes so well but also because she knows an interesting story when she hears about it," celebrated conductor-tenor Placido Domingo once said.
At a party for the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary in the 1990s, Mary Travers politely greeted the many luminaries in attendance but spent much of the evening huddled in a corner with Campbell, catching up with her old friend.
"It will be hard to think of The Associated Press without Mary Campbell on its staff," said crooner Tony Bennett upon her retirement in 2000.
Few witnessed as much rock history as Campbell. She was there when the Beatles played Shea Stadium in 1965, reporting that their show was "better than the World Series, the All-Star Game and 50 grand slam homers rolled into one." She interviewed Elton John before he even had a recording contract. She would recall talking to Janis Joplin around the time of Woodstock, and how the singer confided being torn between the rock 'n' roll life and her desire to raise a family.
One of her favorite stories was visiting the set of "Saturday Night Live" in 1976, when George Harrison was a guest. The ex-Beatle, seated in his dressing room, was initially abrupt with Campbell, offering one-word responses to her questions. Then, a second guest joined the conversation: Paul Simon, who greeted Campbell so warmly that Harrison, too, opened up.
"Mary was completely and authentically herself, which charmed her colleagues and the many performers she interviewed over the years, from Tony Bennett to Mick Jagger to members of the New York Philharmonic," said Kristin Gazlay, an AP vice president and managing editor. "If you met her, it's impossible to ever forget her. She is greatly missed."
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Larry Sloan, publisher ("Mad-Libs" co-founder), 89
TIME.com - Larry Sloan, publisher of one of the world’s best-loved language games, died Sunday (Oct. 14). The Mad Libs series of books has brought roars of laughter to the American households since the 1960s. He was 89.
Mad Libs, in which players complete sentences with random words and then read back the results, was originally shunned by book publishers and game manufactures. But now, more than 110 million copies have been reportedly sold, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Mad Libs series has become a roadtrip favorite: all you need to play is a pen and some basic knowledge of grammar.
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B.B. Cunningham, singer/keyboardist (The Hombres, Jerry Lee Lewis), 70
AP/E!News.com - B.B. Cunningham, a longtime keyboardist and backup singer for legendary rocker Jerry Lee Lewis as well as leader of his own band The Hombres, was gunned down early Sunday morning (Oct. 14) in Memphis. He was 70.
Police said Cunningham was working as a security guard at an apartment complex on Memphis' southeast side, when he heard a gunshot at the neighboring Cherry Crest apartments and went to investigate about 2 a.m., according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Police didn't provide details, but they said when officers arrived, both the 70-year-old Cunningham and a 16-year-old boy were found dead from gunshot wounds.
Born Blake Baker Cunningham Jr., the keyboardist and singer established a national reputation in 1965 as a member of the touring version of Ronnie and the Daytonas, known for the song "G.T.O." That band eventually became the Hombres.
Cunningham's perhaps best known for his distinctive organ riff and gravely vocals on The Hombres' garage rock classic "Let It All Hang Out," which hit #12 on the Billboard Top 40 Pop Chart in Fall 1967 - the group's only charting hit. Cunningham was joined in that group by guitarist Gary McEwen, bassist Jerry Masters and drummer Johnny Hunter. Hunter committed suicide in February 1976 at age 34. Cunningham's brother, Bill, was a member of The Box Tops.
After the Hombres' career slowed, Cunningham went to work behind the scenes at the famed Sounds of Memphis Studios. In 1971, he moved to Los Angeles where he served as chief engineer at Independent Recorders, working with the likes of Billy Joel, Elton John, and Lou Rawls.
Cunningham ultimately returned to Memphis a few years later and launched his own studio. He had been a member of Lewis' band since 1997. His solo album, "Hangin' In," was released in 2003.
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Tim Johnson, Nashville songwriter, 52
Tim Johnson, a hit songwriter who served as a board member at the Nashville Songwriters Association International and mentored numerous writers, died Sunday (Oct. 21) after a lengthy cancer battle. He was 52. A Noti, Oregon native, Johnson was known for co-writing the singles "I Let Her Lie" by Daryle Singletary, "God Only Cries" by Diamond Rio, "Do You Believe Me Now" by Jimmy Wayne, "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" by Kellie Pickler, and "She Misses Him" by Tim Rushlow.
ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities say R&B singer Natina Reed, known as a member of the female group Blaque, was killed Friday (Oct. 26) after being stuck by a car in metro Atlanta. The Gwinnett County Police Department said in a news release Sunday that the 32-year-old Reed was hit late Friday while in the roadway at an intersection on U.S. 29 near Lilburn.olice say the driver called 911 for help, and someone tried to revive Reed on the scene. She was later pronounced dead at Gwinnett Medical Center.
It’s unclear why Reed was in the road. Police say the driver wasn’t at fault and won’t be charged. Blaque’s hits included “808” and “Bring It All to Me” in the late ‘90s. Reed was also in the movie “Bring It On,” released in 2000. Reed would have turned 33 on Sunday.
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Bill Dees, songwriter (Oh Pretty Woman, It's Over), 73
Bill Dees, a Texas-born singer/songwriter known for his writing collaboration on some of Roy Orbison's biggest hits, died Oct. 24 in Mountain Home, Arkansas following a battle with brain cancer. He was 73.
Born and raised in the Texas Panhandle, Dees played guitar and sang with a band called "The Five Bops," gaining enough recognition to perform on an Amarillo, Texas radio station. He eventually made his way to Nashville, where his meeting Orbison led to a collaboration that produced a string of successful songs for Monument Records including the hits "Oh, Pretty Woman" and "It's Over." In 1967, Dees co-wrote all the songs for the Orbison album and MGM motion picture The Fastest Guitar Alive.
Beyond his work with Orbison, Bill Dees wrote hundreds of songs, a number of which were recorded by performers such as Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Skeeter Davis, Glen Campbell, Billy Joe Royal, Frank Ifield, Mark Dinning and Gene Pitney. In 2000, he recorded his own album titled Saturday Night At The Movies, a compilation of songs previously sung by Orbison that had been written with Dees and some that Dees had written alone.
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Mary Campbell, music journalist (AP), 78
NEW YORK (AP) - Mary Campbell, whose childhood affection for the big bands and opera she heard on her radio set the stage for four decades as a music writer for The Associated Press, died Friday (Oct. 19). She was 78.
Campbell died in Bloomington, Ind., according to her sister, Ruth Miller.
From symphony to rock 'n' roll, from Duke Ellington to Beverly Sills to the Dixie Chicks, Campbell covered the entertainment scene, earning respect from the artists she wrote about and devotion from the public who followed her profiles and reviews.
"Mary Campbell is a most admired reporter, not only because she writes so well but also because she knows an interesting story when she hears about it," celebrated conductor-tenor Placido Domingo once said.
At a party for the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary in the 1990s, Mary Travers politely greeted the many luminaries in attendance but spent much of the evening huddled in a corner with Campbell, catching up with her old friend.
"It will be hard to think of The Associated Press without Mary Campbell on its staff," said crooner Tony Bennett upon her retirement in 2000.
Few witnessed as much rock history as Campbell. She was there when the Beatles played Shea Stadium in 1965, reporting that their show was "better than the World Series, the All-Star Game and 50 grand slam homers rolled into one." She interviewed Elton John before he even had a recording contract. She would recall talking to Janis Joplin around the time of Woodstock, and how the singer confided being torn between the rock 'n' roll life and her desire to raise a family.
One of her favorite stories was visiting the set of "Saturday Night Live" in 1976, when George Harrison was a guest. The ex-Beatle, seated in his dressing room, was initially abrupt with Campbell, offering one-word responses to her questions. Then, a second guest joined the conversation: Paul Simon, who greeted Campbell so warmly that Harrison, too, opened up.
"Mary was completely and authentically herself, which charmed her colleagues and the many performers she interviewed over the years, from Tony Bennett to Mick Jagger to members of the New York Philharmonic," said Kristin Gazlay, an AP vice president and managing editor. "If you met her, it's impossible to ever forget her. She is greatly missed."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Larry Sloan, publisher ("Mad-Libs" co-founder), 89
TIME.com - Larry Sloan, publisher of one of the world’s best-loved language games, died Sunday (Oct. 14). The Mad Libs series of books has brought roars of laughter to the American households since the 1960s. He was 89.
Mad Libs, in which players complete sentences with random words and then read back the results, was originally shunned by book publishers and game manufactures. But now, more than 110 million copies have been reportedly sold, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Mad Libs series has become a roadtrip favorite: all you need to play is a pen and some basic knowledge of grammar.
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B.B. Cunningham, singer/keyboardist (The Hombres, Jerry Lee Lewis), 70
AP/E!News.com - B.B. Cunningham, a longtime keyboardist and backup singer for legendary rocker Jerry Lee Lewis as well as leader of his own band The Hombres, was gunned down early Sunday morning (Oct. 14) in Memphis. He was 70.
Police said Cunningham was working as a security guard at an apartment complex on Memphis' southeast side, when he heard a gunshot at the neighboring Cherry Crest apartments and went to investigate about 2 a.m., according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Police didn't provide details, but they said when officers arrived, both the 70-year-old Cunningham and a 16-year-old boy were found dead from gunshot wounds.
Born Blake Baker Cunningham Jr., the keyboardist and singer established a national reputation in 1965 as a member of the touring version of Ronnie and the Daytonas, known for the song "G.T.O." That band eventually became the Hombres.
Cunningham's perhaps best known for his distinctive organ riff and gravely vocals on The Hombres' garage rock classic "Let It All Hang Out," which hit #12 on the Billboard Top 40 Pop Chart in Fall 1967 - the group's only charting hit. Cunningham was joined in that group by guitarist Gary McEwen, bassist Jerry Masters and drummer Johnny Hunter. Hunter committed suicide in February 1976 at age 34. Cunningham's brother, Bill, was a member of The Box Tops.
After the Hombres' career slowed, Cunningham went to work behind the scenes at the famed Sounds of Memphis Studios. In 1971, he moved to Los Angeles where he served as chief engineer at Independent Recorders, working with the likes of Billy Joel, Elton John, and Lou Rawls.
Cunningham ultimately returned to Memphis a few years later and launched his own studio. He had been a member of Lewis' band since 1997. His solo album, "Hangin' In," was released in 2003.
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Tim Johnson, Nashville songwriter, 52
Tim Johnson, a hit songwriter who served as a board member at the Nashville Songwriters Association International and mentored numerous writers, died Sunday (Oct. 21) after a lengthy cancer battle. He was 52. A Noti, Oregon native, Johnson was known for co-writing the singles "I Let Her Lie" by Daryle Singletary, "God Only Cries" by Diamond Rio, "Do You Believe Me Now" by Jimmy Wayne, "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind" by Kellie Pickler, and "She Misses Him" by Tim Rushlow.