Joey Ramone

popular name: Fritz Kreisler

date_of_death: January 29, 1962

age: 86

cause_of_death: Heart failure

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Making his professional debut at the age of 13, Fritz Kreisler is considered the one of the greatest, if not the greatest, violinist ever to play the instrument. His technique was animated by a riveting vibrato the likes of which no one had previously possessed or even imagined, and he used it constantly, even in passagework. Kreisler owned several antique violins made by luthiers Antonio Stradivari, Pietro Guarneri, Giuseppe Guarneri, and Carlo Bergonzi. He was the owner of the great Guarneri "del Gesu" violin of 1733 which was donated to the Library of Congress.

popular name: Clyde McPhatter

date_of_death: June 13, 1972

age: 39

cause_of_death: Heart, liver, and kidney disease brought on by alcohol abuse

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Clyde McPhatter was an American rhythm and blues, soul, and rock and roll singer. He was one of the most widely imitated R&B singers of the 1950s and early 1960s and was a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and rhythm and blues. Only 39 at the time of his death, he had struggled for years with alcoholism and depression, broke and despondent over a mismanaged career that made him a legend but hardly a success. McPhatter left a legacy of over 22 years of recording history. He was the first artist to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first as a solo artist and later as a member of the Drifters. Upon his death, he was laid to rest at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.

popular name: Arthur Smith

date_of_death: April 3, 2014

age: 93

cause_of_death: Natural causes

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith was a musician, composer, and record producer, as well as a radio and TV host. He produced the first nationally syndicated country music show on television: The Arthur Smith Show". A talented and respected country music instrumental composer, guitarist, fiddler, and banjo player his first big hit recording was the instrumental "Guitar Boogie", which he wrote and recorded in 1945. It sold over three million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. Renamed "Guitar Boogie Shuffle", it became a rock and roll hit by Frank Virtue and the Virtues. Virtue served in the Navy with Smith and counted him as a major influence. Other musicians who have been influenced by Smith include Nashville studio ace Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland, Roy Clark, and Glen Campbell. Smith was also noted for his "Feudin' Banjos" (1955), which was also recorded by Lester Flatt. It was revived as "Dueling Banjos" and used as a theme song in the popular film, Deliverance (1972). Released as a single, it became a hit, played on Top 40, AOR, and country stations alike. It reached the Top Ten and hit #1 in the US and Canada. Just a few of the dozens of awards and accolades he received during his lifetime include: BMI Song of the Year Award 1973, Grammy - Dueling Banjos (1973), Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) Special Citation of Achievement, The Broadcasters Hall of Fame – North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (1990), South Carolina Hall of Fame (1998), Legends Award – Western Film Festival (2003) and BMI Legendary Songwriter Award (2006). Charlie passed away in 2014 at the age of 93. He was laid to rest at Magnolia Memorial Gardens in Charlotte, North Carolina.