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: Yma Sumac

date_of_death: November 1, 2008

age: 86

cause_of_death: Colon cancer

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Yma Sumac (pronounced Eema) was a Peruvian coloratura soprano who was one of the most famous exponents of exotica music during the 1950s. Sumac became an international success based on her extreme vocal range. It was often reported that she had five octave vocal range. However at the peak of her singing career recordings document closer to a four-and-a-half octave range. Impressive given that even the most classically trained vocalist might reach a range of three octaves on a good day.

popular name: Albert Ayler

date_of_death: November 25, 1970

age: 34

cause_of_death: Suicide by drowning

claim_to_fame: Music

best_know_for: Ayler was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist, singer and composer and the older brother of jazz trumpeter Donald Ayler. Ayler began recording music during the free-form jazz era of the 1960s and evoked incredibly strong and disparate reactions from critics and fans alike. Said Jon Goldman, an enthusiast who knew and recorded both brothers here. "It was out of the mainstream. It's still way out of the mainstream." On November 25, 1970, his body was found floating in the East River, at the foot of Congress Street Pier, in Brooklyn.