Queen Candice Anderson

popular name: Elvin Shepherd

date_of_death: June 2, 1995

age: 72

cause_of_death: Undisclosed

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Elvin "Shep" Shepherd was a legendary saxophonist whose career spanned half a century. He traveled with such big name bands as Buck Clayton, Bill Doggett, Billy Ekstine, Erskin Hawkins, Lucky Milinder, and Nat Towles. During his storied career he also accompanied such artists as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Ray Price, Della Reese, and Dakota Staton.

popular name: Sandy Denny

date_of_death: April 21, 1978

age: 31

cause_of_death: Traumatic mid-brain hemorrhage and blunt force trauma from several falls

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Sandy Denny has been described as the pre-eminent British folk rock singer who was successful as a solo artist and as the lead singer of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention. For most fans of classic rock, she is remembered as the only female voice to ever grace a Led Zeppelin song. Sadly she suffered from depression, alcoholism, and self-harm which took it's toll on her personal and professional life. She died after a series of falls from stairwells that were labeled "accidental" by the coroners office.

popular name: Arthur Crudup

date_of_death: March 28, 1974

age: 68

cause_of_death: Stroke

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Arthur William "Big Boy" Crudup was an American Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his songs "That's All Right" (1946), "My Baby Left Me" and "So Glad You're Mine", later recorded by Elvis Presley in the mid-1950s. His songs "Mean Old 'Frisco Blues", "Who's Been Foolin' You" and "That's All Right" were popular in the South even though he did not tour regularly due to stage fright. These and his other songs "Rock Me Mama", "So Glad You're Mine", and "My Baby Left Me" have been recorded by many artists, including Slade, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Creedence Clearwater Revival and helped launch Elvis Presley's career. You would think that Crudup could sit back and enjoy living off the royalties - but that would not be the case. He was cheated out of his royalties his entire life by producer Lester Melrose and others as his catalog was sold to different record companies. After making a living outside of music, in the late 1960s Crudup was “rediscovered,” and, for the first time in his career, he was playing concerts with large audiences, mostly at colleges. He played such venues as the Newport Jazz Festival and the Mariposa Folk Festival and even traveled to Europe where he was enthusiastically received. Just before he died Arthur was touring with Bonnie Raitt. He was finally beginning to get the recognition he richly deserved, but not the money. Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup died of a stroke on March 28, 1974. He never collected his due. He was laid to rest at Bethel Memorial Gardens in Franktown, VA.