Joey Ramone

popular name: Hawkshaw Hawkins

date_of_death: March 5, 1963

age: 41

cause_of_death: Plane crash

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Hawkshaw Hawkins was an American country music singer popular from the 1950s into the early 1960s. He was known for his rich, smooth vocals and music drawn from blues, boogie and honky tonk. At 6 foot 5 inches tall, Hawkins had an imposing stage presence and he dressed more conservatively than some other male country singers. In 1962 he recorded his biggest hit, "Lonesome 7-7203". It first appeared on the Billboard country chart as a March 2, 1963 release, three days before Hawkins died. The song was absent from the charts for the two weeks following his death, but re-appeared on March 23 and spent 25 weeks on the chart, four of them at No. 1. Hawkins died in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and was married to country star Jean Shepard.

popular name: Billie Holiday

date_of_death: July 17, 1959

age: 44

cause_of_death: Pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by cirrhosis of the liver

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Billie Holiday is considered one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time. Her singing expressed an incredible depth of emotion that spoke of hard times and injustice as well as triumph. Though her career was relatively short and often erratic, she left behind a body of work as great as any vocalist before or since. When Holiday died, The New York Times published a short obituary on page 15 without a byline. She left an estate of $1,000, and her best recordings from the 1930s were mostly out of print. Holiday's public stature grew in the following years. In 1961, she was voted to the Down Beat Hall Of Fame, and soon after Columbia reissued nearly one hundred of her early records. In 1972, Diana Ross' portrayal of Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe. Holiday was posthumously nominated for 23 Grammy awards.

popular name: Woody Herman

date_of_death: October 29, 1987

age: 74

cause_of_death: Complications from congestive heart failure, emphysema, and pneumonia

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Woody Herman (1913–1987) was a major figure in American jazz, known for leading a series of innovative big bands over five decades. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he was a child performer in vaudeville before turning to music full-time, mastering the clarinet and saxophone. Herman rose to prominence in the 1930s and 1940s with his orchestra, “The Herd,” which became famous for blending swing with more modern, experimental sounds. Unlike many bandleaders of his era, he embraced change, incorporating elements of bebop and later jazz styles, and nurturing young talent such as Stan Getz and Zoot Sims. His bands produced hits like “Woodchopper’s Ball” and “Caldonia,” and were known for their energetic, blues-infused style. Herman remained active as a performer and bandleader until his death in 1987, leaving a legacy as a forward-thinking musician who helped bridge the swing era and modern jazz.