Archive for Singers

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Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin

Posted in Hillside Memorial Park with tags , , on March 19, 2013 by Cade
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March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008

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December 25, 1913 – July 27, 2012

Actress/dancer Cyd Charisse and crooner Tony Martin were married for 60 years, a rarity for a Hollywood couple.

Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea) had a storied career throughout the so-called Golden-Age of Hollywood.  Her stunning looks and remarkable dancing made her a popular star.  She is probably most known to audiences for her turn opposite Gene Kelly in the “Broadway Melody Ballet” in 1952’s Singin’ In The Rain.

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Elvis Presley

Posted in Graceland with tags , , on March 19, 2013 by Cade

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January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977

Elvis Aaron Presley was a little-known singer/songwriter who struggled his entire career to find an audience.

OR…perhaps it’s more accurate to say that he was one of the biggest pop-phenomena in the history of the world.

The “King of Rock and Roll” – a title that barely scratches his impact on popular music –  was a talented singer, actor and hip-jiggler who starred in more than 30 movies and had over 35 number one singles.  His rise to stardom, at the perfect intersection of time, history and relevance  ushered in a new era of music that was both ground-breaking and controversial.  He paved the way for nearly every rock and roll artist to follow.  He was simply without peer.

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Nat King Cole

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , on March 17, 2013 by Cade

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March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965

Nathaniel Adams Coles was born in Alabama, raised in Chicago, and, from an early age, began a long career in music that would lead to him becoming one of the most recognizable voices of the 20th century.  Nat dropped the “s” from his last name and picked up the nursery-rhyme-inspired middle name “King” and burst his buttery-voiced way into the Big Band, Jazz and Pop music worlds. Also a gifted pianist, Cole made a lasting impact with such mega-hits as “Unforgettable,” “L-O-V-E” and “The Christmas Song.” He was also the first African-American to host his own television variety program, The Nat King Cole Show.

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Billie Holiday

Posted in St. Raymond's Cemetery with tags , , on March 15, 2013 by Cade

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April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959

A revolutionary Jazz vocalist known to many as “Lady Day,” Billie Holiday had no equal.  Her life was filled with hardship and drama from the beginning:

Underage prostitution? Check.
Drugs and alcohol? Check.
Abusive relationships? Check.
Married to a mafia enforcer? Check.
Arrested in a drug raid of her hospital room as she lay dying? Check.

She crammed a lot of life, both good and bad, into 44 brief years.

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Dinah Shore

Posted in Forest Lawn Cathedral City, Hillside Memorial Park with tags , , on March 15, 2013 by Cade
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February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994

One of the most popular Big Band-era female vocalists, Frances Rose “Dinah” Shore was probably most known for her later work in television – specifically The Ed Wynn Show, Colgate Comedy Hour and a number of self-titled variety programs. She worked with everyone from Bob Hope to Nat “King” Cole, Bing Crosby, Jack Lemmon and Ella Fitzgerald – racking up an impressive number of Emmys along the way.

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Melvin Franklin

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , , on March 12, 2013 by Cade

Photo of TemptationsOctober 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995

The Temptations were a lot of things. Groundbreaking. Unpredictable. Entertaining. And a total mess. David Melvin English, AKA Melvin Franklin, was the foundation of the group, both vocally and temperamentally.   His mellow bass vocals became one of the Temptations’ most recognizable features.  Franklin and long-time friend, Otis Williams, were the only two original members to never leave the group. Continue reading →

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Aaliyah

Posted in Ferncliff Cemetery with tags , on March 12, 2013 by Cade

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January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001

Aaliyah Haughton was an R&B superstar in the making.  In the years since she first came on the pop music scene, Aaliyah has sold more than 25 million records.  Her first hit single, the Grammy nominated “Try Again” coincided with her first starring role in a film, 2000’s Romeo Must Die. She was well on her way to becoming a crossover star in both music and Hollywood when her life was tragically cut short.  On August 25, 2001, the overloaded charter plane carrying Aaliyah and her crew crashed after takeoff in the Bahamas while returning from shooting the music video for “Rock the Boat.” Continue reading →

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Cass Elliot

Posted in Mt. Sinai Memorial Park with tags , , , on March 7, 2013 by Cade

Photo of Mama Cass

September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974

Known to the world as “Mama Cass,” Ellen Naomi Cohen, AKA Cass Elliot, was a singer and member of the American vocal group, the Mamas & the Papas.  Elliot’s voice can be heard prominently on many of their best-known recordings, including “California Dreamin'” and “Monday Monday.”

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Ray Charles

Posted in Inglewood Park Cemetery with tags , , on March 7, 2013 by Cade

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September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004

Ray Charles Robinson’s beginnings in Georgia and Florida were tough.  Already dealing with the realities of extreme poverty, Ray witnessed his brother drown in a wash tub at the age of  5. He also began to lose his sight around the same time and, by the time he was 7 years-old, was completely blind.

Fast forward a little bit and things went alright for Ray.  Despite struggles with legal issues and substance abuse, Charles had a meteoric career in music using jazz, blues, rock and gospel influences to become one of the best-selling artists of all time. His impact on music was staggering.  He successfully crossed over into the pop and country mainstream, becoming one of the first African-American artists to do so. He consistently ranks in the Top 10 on lists of the top singers/entertainers/performers of all time.

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Jim Morrison

Posted in Père Lachaise Cemetery with tags , , , on March 5, 2013 by Cade

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December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971

James Douglas Morrison, AKA “The Lizard King,” was a poet, songwriter and the lead singer of the influential American rock band, the Doors. Energetic, soulful and wild, he set the showmanship standard for many future frontmen.

And he LOOOOVED heroin.

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