A lot of artists have passed away recently, so it only seems fitting to send them off in a big musical wake!
First up is Joe Cocker. The unique British singer got his biggest break when he toured with Leon Russell [Hall of Fame] as part of the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour (one of the first, that I can remember that actually had a name.) FM radio was inundated with tracks from this album for probably at least a year. As much as I liked The Box Tops’ version of “The Letter,” I was unprepared–and pleasantly surprised, when Joe’s version came out. Please note that the sax solo is performed by the legendary Bobby Keys–who played with everyone from Carly Simon to The Rolling Stones, who also is no longer with us!:
One of the funniest guys in Country Music over the past 60+ years was Little Jimmy Dickens. He seemed to be loved and appreciated by every performer, but he also had his own musical legacy. Here he is in his prime on “The Bobby Lord Show,” singing his big hit, “May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose!:
I was lucky enough to see Alberta Adams the last time she played the “Concert of Colors” in 2010. It’s hard to believe she was 93 at the time. Alberta passed away on Christmas Day. She was always considered to be the Queen of Detroit Blues. Here she is doing a song written for her by Pat Proughty that pretty much summed up her feelings for the city that she spent most of her life. Here’s “Detroit is My Home.”:
