Elvin Shepherd

popular name: Bob Casale

date_of_death: February 17, 2014

age: 61

cause_of_death: Heart failure

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Bob Casale was a founding member of the influential new wave band Devo. Often referred to as "Bob 2" to distinguish him from bandmate Bob Mothersbaugh, Casale played rhythm guitar and keyboards, contributed backing vocals, and was a key part of Devo's sonic experimentation with synthesizers and sampling. He joined Devo in the early 1970s alongside his older brother Gerald Casale, one of the band's conceptual founders. Casale was known for his technical expertise and grounded demeanor, often serving as the stabilizing force within the band. He contributed to all of Devo’s studio albums, including their 1980 breakthrough Freedom of Choice, which featured the hit single "Whip It." Beyond his work with Devo, Casale worked as an audio engineer and producer, collaborating with Mark Mothersbaugh’s Mutato Muzika on numerous film, television, and commercial projects. He continued to perform with Devo during their reunions and later tours. Upon Bob Casale's unexpected passing, his grave can be found at Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent, Ohio.

popular name: Jimmie Rodgers

date_of_death: May 26, 1933

age: 35

cause_of_death: Tuberculosis

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Jimmie Rodgers was an American singer, songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmic yodeling. During his all-to brief career, Rodgers was known as "The Singing Brakeman" and "America's Blue Yodeler". Born in 1897 in Meridian, Mississippi, Jimmie learned to play guitar while working on the railroad as a water boy and brakeman. He was influenced by the music played and the songs sung by the African American railway workers he met at the railway yard and around town – their call-and-response singing style during work and the blues songs they sang made a distinctive mark on Rodgers’ sound. He also spent time in Meridian’s opera house, vaudeville theaters, and hotels where he heard jazz, parlor music, and popular tunes, all of which also provided inspiration. During what later became known as the Bristol sessions, Rodgers recorded solo as he was deserted by his band after a disagreement. A second session with Rodgers was later arranged in Camden, New Jersey, that produced "Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas)". The song became a success and it propelled Rodgers to national fame, while it assured him a recording career that produced over 100 songs for the label. As the Father of Country Music, Jimmie Rodgers has been inducted into The Country Music Hall of Fame, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Blues Hall of Fame, The Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame and the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine placed Rodgers at number 11 on the 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time list.

popular name: Blind Willie McTell

date_of_death: August 19, 1959

age: 61

cause_of_death: Stroke

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: “Blind Willie” McTell was one of the great blues musicians of the 1920s and 1930s who continued to play through the 1950s. Displaying an extraordinary range on the twelve-string guitar, this Atlanta-based musician recorded more than 120 titles during fourteen recording sessions. His voice was soft and expressive, and his musical tastes were influenced by southern blues, ragtime, gospel, hillbilly, and popular music. At a time when most blues musicians were poorly educated and rarely traveled, McTell was an exception. He could read and write music in Braille. McTell's influence extended over a wide variety of artists, including the Allman Brothers Band, who covered his song "Statesboro Blues", and Bob Dylan, who paid tribute to him in his 1983 song "Blind Willie McTell" and covered a number of his songs throughout his career. Blind Willie was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1981.