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Chita Rivera

Posted in Saint Anthony's Catholic Cemetery with tags , , , , on April 29, 2024 by Cade

January 23, 1933 – January 30, 2024

Broadway legends aren’t super rare, but Broadway icons are much more precious and exceptional. And friends, Chita Rivera was an ICON.

Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in Washington D.C., the dancer, actress and singer who would eventually become “Chita Rivera” took dance lessons as a teenager and found her way to New York by way of her growing reputation. By the time she was 18, she was already getting dancing roles in hit Broadway musicals like Guys and Dolls and Can-Can. Then, in 1957, Rivera landed her first featured role: Anita in a new musical called West Side Story.

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Bessie Smith

Posted in Mount Lawn Cemetery with tags , on April 22, 2024 by Cade

bsmith3April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937

Combining deep-seated poverty, a troubled childhood and one of the most powerful singing voices ever known is enough to lead anyone to take up residence in the music genre known as “the blues.” But, once in a lifetime – perhaps, in SEVERAL lifetimes – it leads to someone making an entire empire out of it.

Columbia records dubbed Bessie Smith the “Queen of the Blues.” The moniker didn’t last long. By the time her career was in full swing in the late 1920’s, Smith had taken her rightful place at the top of the music world with the more apt title “EMPRESS of the Blues.”

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Jim Croce

Posted in Haym Salomon Memorial Park with tags , , on April 1, 2024 by Cade

January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973

Jim Croce was a singer-songwriter whose instantly recognizable songs were popular in the early 1970s. His legend and impact only grew in the wake of his untimely death at the age of just 30.

Hits like “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels),” and “Time in a Bottle” remain well-loved to this day.

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George Michael

Posted in Highgate Cemetery with tags , on December 25, 2023 by Cade

June 25, 1963 – December 25, 2016

From the years 1987 to 1992, there were 2, maybe 3, entertainers in the world more famous than George Michael. As one half of the ubiquitous ’80s English pop-duo, Wham!, Michael was already a household name when he launched his solo career. Wham! spawned a Gold album (Fantastic), a 6x Platinum album (Make it Big) and 11 Top-10 singles in the UK (6 in the US). George was the primary songwriter for the group and never hid his ambitions to be a solo artist.

In 1987, with bandmate Andrew Ridgeley’s blessing, Michael recorded his first foray into post-Wham! superstardom: A duet with Aretha Franklin called “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”. As was the trend, the song hit #1 in both the US and the UK. Later that year, he released his first solo album, Faith, and his meteoric rise hit the stratosphere.

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Tammi Terrell

Posted in Mount Lawn Cemetery with tags , , , on October 30, 2023 by Cade

April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970

This particular post should be a thrilling tale of resilience and overcoming incomprehensible adversity. It should be a celebration of the long and extraordinary career of a talented superstar.

It should be.

But life, as we know too well, is not always as it should be. Tammi Terrell was born Thomasina Montgomery in Philadelphia. The young girl loved to sing. She found solace in her music in defiance of the mounting horrors of her teenage years. Despite surviving a vicious sexual assault, Terrell remained focused and by the time she was 15, she had signed her first recording contract.

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Yves Montand

Posted in Père Lachaise Cemetery with tags , , on October 2, 2023 by Cade

October 13, 1921 – November 09, 1991

Italian-born French singer and actor Yves Montand dropped out of school at age 11 to help his family make ends meet. He spent his spare time in movie theatres watching American comedies and westerns and decided he wanted to become a performer. He worked his way up through local amateur nights and eventually landed in Paris where he met the legendary singer Édith Piaf. Under Piaf’s guidance, Montand became a popular crooner and a successful career was launched.
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Aretha Franklin

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , on December 19, 2022 by Cade

March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018

Aretha Louise Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1942. Her father, a Baptist minister, moved the family to Detroit when Aretha was 5 years-old to preach at New Bethel Baptist Church. After her mother died in 1952, 10 year-old Aretha found solace through singing in the church. It was immediately apparent to everyone who heard, that there was something special about her. She continued to sing and gain attention and by the time she turned 18, she signed a recording contract with Columbia records. Though her time with Columbia taught her about the business and generated a few minor hits, it would take a change for the world to finally meet Ms. Franklin. In 1966, Aretha Franklin signed with Atlantic records and exploded onto the international music landscape.

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Bobbie Smith

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , , , on December 12, 2022 by Cade

April 10, 1936 – March 16, 2013

The Spinners were a popular American R&B vocal group that formed in 1954 in a housing project outside of Detroit. The group got their professional start at Tri-Phi Records, which was eventually absorbed into Berry Gordy’s Motown label. While they paid their dues alongside hitmakers like the Temptations and the Four Tops, the Spinners’ success was finally realized when they left Motown and signed with Atlantic records in the early 1970’s. Through all the highs and lows, the most consistent lead vocal was that of Robert “Bobby” Smith. Bobby – or “Bobbie” as he sometimes spelled it – led the Spinners on certified Gold singles like “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” the duet with Dionne Warwick “Then Came You” and “I’ll Be Around.” The latter – originally a B-side – was an unexpected success as DJs preferred playing it to the A-side single. It became the Spinners’ first million-selling record and their first #1 hit.

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Lawrence Payton

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , , , on November 28, 2022 by Cade

March 2, 1938 – June 20, 1997

Lawrence Payton spent 43 years as part of one of the most successful R&B acts of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. That act was the Four Tops and Payton was often cited as the musical backbone of the group. He was responsible for many of the Tops’ most memorable harmonies and arrangements.

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Pervis Jackson

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (MI) with tags , , , on October 3, 2022 by Cade

May 17, 1938 – August 18, 2008

For more than half a century, Pervis Jackson was the swagger-filled bass voice of the hugely successful R&B group, the Spinners. Jackson was a founding member of the group along with fellow long-time Spinners Billy Henderson, Henry Fambrough and Bobbie Smith. Originally based in Detroit, the Spinners signed with Motown Records in 1963, but only found moderate success. Encouraged by another Detroit artist that was experiencing great success, Aretha Franklin, the group let their Motown contract end and signed with Atlantic Records.

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