Joey Ramone

popular name: Jimmie Lunceford

date_of_death: July 12, 1947

age: 45

cause_of_death: Coronary occlusion

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Jimmie Lunceford was one of the most underrated American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleaders in the golden years of the Swing Era. Any list of the greatest bands of the swing era usually starts with those of Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington. Except in select circles, Jimmie Lunceford's orchestra is apt to be farther down the list. Yet the Lunceford band, for a few brief years in the 1930's, was one of the most exciting big jazz bands that ever played. The Lunceford band managed to be both tightly rehearsed and loose enough to swing with a tangible swagger, and its arrangements constantly took listeners by surprise, both with its original compositions and in its unexpected treatment of pop songs. But the Lunceford Orchestra didn't last as long as Basie, Goodman or Ellington simply due to the fact that Jimmie Lunceford was tight with a dollar. For the rest of the 1930's the Lunceford band rolled along on a seeming stream of success. But toward the end of the decade the cozy family began to disintegrate. The band spent months on the road playing endless one-night stands because that brought in more money than longer engagements. The money came in, but it did not filter down. There were occasional days off (without pay) and even vacations were unpaid. ''When you're young, you can go a long way on ambition,'' Ed Wilcox said afterward. ''But when you get older you want some of the things older people have, and Jimmie didn't want to give enough money. Jimmie was used to treating us like little boys who left Memphis with him, but we had become grown men and we needed more.''

popular name: Johnny Ramone

date_of_death: September 15, 2004

age: 55

cause_of_death: Prostate cancer

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Johnny Ramone was the hard right conservative punk with an affinity for serial killers and nazi memorabilia. But without his discipline, anger and guitar - there would be no Ramones. His wife, Linda, as well as rock stars such as Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante and hard-rocker Rob Zombie, were at his bedside when the end came about 3:00 in the afternoon of September 15th, 2004

popular name: Johnny Winter

date_of_death: July 16, 2014

age: 70

cause_of_death: Emphysema combined with pneumonia

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: When it comes to the world of blues and rock 'n' roll, few names command as much respect and admiration as Johnny Winter. A true guitar virtuoso and a master of his craft, Winter's influence on the genre is immeasurable. John Dawson Winter III was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He burst onto the world blues scene in the 1960s, dazzling crowds with his fast licks while his trademark long, white hair flew about from under his cowboy hat. He and his brother Edgar — both born with albinism — were both renowned musicians. From the opening notes of "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo", his blues-infused rock anthem, to the soulful wails of "Still Alive and Well" and the electrifying riffs of "Mean Mistreater", each song showcases Winter's unparalleled skill as a guitarist and his ability to seamlessly blend blues, rock, and boogie-woogie into a sound uniquely his own. Rolling Stone magazine listed him as the No. 63 best guitar player of all time in 2015. He released more than two dozen albums and was nominated for several Grammy Awards, winning his first one posthumously in 2015 for Best Blues Album for “Step Back.” Johnny Winter, who played at Woodstock in 1969, was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988.