December 3, 2012 by Amy Gold
During the week of November 25, 2012, oldies fans mourned the passing of Chris Stamp (former manager of The Who), Earl "Speedo" Carroll (lead singer of the Cadillacs), songwriter Frank Dycus, and Mickey "Guitar" Baker (of Mickey and Sylvia).
Also this week, the Rolling Stones kicked off their 50th anniversary concert series in London, "Not Fade Away," a film set in the 1960s by David Chase, made its premier, and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" turned 30. Also, historic interviews from the 1980s of Mick Jagger, Tony Bennett, B.B. King, and other musical icons are now available as streaming audio from the Library of Congress website.
November 25, 2012: Chris Stamp, Former Manager Of The Who, Passes Away
Chris Stamp died on November 24, 2012 at age 70 from cancer at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He co-managed The Who with Kit Lambert through 1975 and co-founded this band's record label, Track Records. As Roger Daltrey put it, he was a man without whom we wouldn't be the band we were.
Stamp is survived by his wife Calixte, two daughters, and several grandchildren.
Source: Chris Stamp, Who Helped Launch The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Dead at 70 | Billboard
November 26, 2012: Earl "Speedo" Carroll, Lead Singer Of The Cadillacs, Passes Away
Earl "Speedo" Carroll died on November 25, 2012 in Manhattan at age 75 from complications of diabetes and a recent stroke. Carroll was the lead singer of the Cadillacs, a doo-wop group famous for "Speedoo" and "Peek-A-Boo" which became Billboard Top 40 hits in the late 1950s. After the Cadillacs disbanded, he joined the Coasters in 1961 and spent two decades with this group before rejoining a new incarnation of the Cadillacs. From 1982-2005, Carroll also worked as a janitor at P.S. 87, a public elementary school where he was loved by all the children.
Source: Earl Carroll, Lead Singer of the Cadillacs, Dies at 75 - NYTimes.com
November 26, 2012: Rolling Stones Kick Off 50th Anniversary Concert Series
On November 25, the Rolling Stones kicked off a series of concerts to celebrate their 50th anniversary at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London in front of 20,000 fans. They were joined by Mary J. Blige, Jeff Beck, and former bandmates Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor. This show was the first of two in London before the band plays three more shows in the U.S.
November 26, 2012: Elton John Dedicates Concert To Chinese Dissident
During a concert in Beijing, Elton John dedicated his performance to Ai Weiwei, an artist and an outspoken critic of the Chinese government and social injustices in China. His dedication was met with mostly silence and murmuring from the audience.
Source: Elton John Dedicates Concert to Chinese Dissident - NYTimes.com
November 26, 2012: Songwriter Frank Dycus Passes Away
Frank Dycus died on November 23, 2012 at age 72 in Lyons, GA. From the 1970s on, he penned many songs that became top country hits, including included George Jones' "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair," George Strait's "Marina del Ray" and "Unwound," and Mark Chesnutt's "Gonna Get a Life." He was twice voted SESAC's songwriter of the year.
Source: CMT : News : Songwriter Frank Dycus Dies at Age 72
November 28, 2012: Library Of Congress Streams Interviews With Iconic Musicians
In the 1980s, record executive Joe Smith conducted hundreds of hours worth of interviews of such musical icons as Mick Jagger, Tony Bennett, and B.B. King. Smith donated his collection to the Library of Congress and these historic interviews can be heard on the Library Of Congress website in streaming audio.
Source: Library of Congress streams interviews with iconic musicians - latimes.com
November 29, 2012: 1950s Guitarist Mickey Baker Passes Away
Mickey "Guitar" Baker died on November 27, 2012 at age 87 at his home near Toulouse, France. He was one half of the Mickey And Sylvia duo famous for "Love Is Strange" (1957) and a string of other hits that continued through the early 1960s. Baker also has a long career as a session guitarist and has accompanied a host of famous bands and artists over the years. He is ranked in the Top 100 of Rolling Stone Magazine’s greatest guitarists.
Source: Mickey Baker, 1950s guitarist heard on 'Dirty Dancing,' dies at 87 - The Washington Post
November 29, 2012: The Who Join Grammy Nominations Concert Lineup
"The Grammy Nominations Concert Live" will air on CBS December 5th. The Who will be among those bands and artists in this years concert lineup.
Source: The Who Join Grammy Nominations Concert Lineup | Music News | Rolling Stone
November 30, 2012: David Chase Recalls Teenage Love Of The Rolling Stones In 'Not Fade Away'
Screenwriter, director, and producer David Chase, famous for "The Sopranos" and other hit TV series, created a coming of age movie set in in the 1960s, "Not Fade Away," which was inspired by his memories of having grown up during this era. This movie premiered in late November In L.A. and Austin, TX.
Source: David Chase Recalls Teenage Love of the Rolling Stones in New Film | Movies News | Rolling Stone
November 30, 2012: Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Turns 30
On November 30, 1982, Michael Jackson's released his 6th studio album, Thriller," and since then, it has become, and currently remains, the best selling album of all time. Billboard.com celebrates the 30th anniversary of this groundbreaking album and reviews each song.
Source: Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' At 30: Classic Track-By-Track Review | Billboard
