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: Nico

date_of_death: July 18, 1988

age: 49

cause_of_death: Cerebral hemorrhage after falling from a bicycle

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Nico was a German-born marginal singer, songwriter, musician, model, and actress. She had small roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) and Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls (1966). In 1967, at the insistence of Warhol, she sang on four songs of the Velvet Underground's debut album "The Velvet Underground & Nico". At the same time, she started a solo career and released "Chelsea Girl". Neither of albums was a commercial success. In Los Angeles Nico's friend and lover, Jim Morrison, suggested that she start writing her own material. Soon after John Cale of The Velvet Underground became her musical arranger and produced The Marble Index, Desertshore, The End... and other subsequent albums. Yet despite having access to and working with Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones), Bob Dylan, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Lou Reed, Tim Hardin, Tim Buckley, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Jackson Browne, Nico was unable to find an audience larger than a small club. This was in part that she was notoriously unpleasant to work with, addicted to heroin, abused alcohol and was partial deaf which made it difficult to hold a tune. After a concert in Berlin in June 1988, she went on holiday in Ibiza to rest and died as the result of a cycling accident.

popular name: Big Walter Horton

date_of_death: December 8, 1981

age: 60

cause_of_death: Heart disease

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Big Walter “Shakey” Horton was legendary blues harmonica and vocalist and while much less known than Little Walter or Sonny Boy Williamson #2, was one of the greatest harp players in the history of the blues. While he recorded very little under his own name, his talent graced the records of Memphis Minnie, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Williams, Willie Dixon and Eddie Taylor. Horton (who is said to have been somewhat shy) was not a natural group leader and therefore produced few solo albums. His best work is as a sideman; his backup harmonica and virtuoso harp solos have graced many great Chicago blues recordings -- turning an otherwise good cut into a dynamite jam. Sadly his final years were marked by few opportunities, no recording contract and an excessive amount of alcohol. He died in extreme poverty at the age of 60 from heart disease. According to Willie Dixon, Big Walter "was the best blues harmonica player in the world."