November 13

 

Rock and roll lost one of its most soulful architects today in 2016 when Leon Russell passed away peacefully in his sleep at 74, ending the life of the "Master of Space and Time" whose piano work, songwriting, and Mad Dogs & Englishmen leadership made him one of music's most respected session men and solo artists…

 

Entertainment broke barriers today in 1960 when Sammy Davis Jr. married Swedish actress May Britt in one of the first high-profile celebrity interracial marriages, courageously defying racist taboos and death threats during an era when such unions were still illegal in many states…

 

Tragedy struck the Lewis family today in 1973 when Jerry Lee Lewis Jr. was killed in a car accident near Hernando, Mississippi at just 19, devastating The Killer with the loss of his eldest son who had shown promise as a drummer…

 

Jazz lost a brilliant voice far too soon on this day in 1998 when pianist Kenny Kirkland was found dead of a heart attack in his New York apartment at just 43, silencing the versatile musician who had bridged jazz and pop with Sting, Wynton Marsalis, and countless others…

 

Southern rock's guitar poet Toy Caldwell was born on this day in 1947, the Marshall Tucker Band founder whose melodic lead work and songwriting on classics like "Can't You See" helped define the genre before his death from cocaine-related heart failure in 1993…

 

Blues royalty continued when John Hammond Jr. was born on this day in 1943, the son of legendary record producer John Hammond whose own dedication to acoustic blues kept traditional forms alive while discovering Stevie Ray Vaughan and maintaining authentic connections to the music's roots.