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Robbin Crosby 6/2002

robbin-crosbyJune 6, 2002 – Robbin Crosby (Ratt) was born Robbinson Lantz Crosby on August 4, 1959 in La Jolla, California. His dad was a teacher and wrote important historic documentary books about California.

In the mid 1970s Crosby played in the San Diego bands Mac Meda, Metropolis, Xcalibur and Secret Service. In 1980, Crosby was in the band Phenomenon which also featured Parramore McCarty later of Warrior and released one single. The same year he also recorded a live demo with the band Aircraft, which also featured Rob Lamothe, later in Riverdogs with Dio/Whitesnake/Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell.

Crosby joined the Los Angeles rock band Ratt, in 1981 just after the name change from Mickey Ratt. In 1983 the band scored a recording contract and Crosby would end up co-writing many of Ratt’s songs including “Round and Round”, “Wanted Man” and “Lay it Down”. The album Out of the Cellar went to triple platinum based on Crosby’s co-penned “Round and Round”.

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Sharon Redd 5/1992

sharon-reddMay 1, 1992 – Sharon Redd was born October 19, 1945 in Norfolk, Virginia

Her parents were Gene Redd and Katherine Redd. Gene Redd was a producer and musical director at King Records, and her stepfather performed with Benny Goodman’s orchestra. Her brother Gene Redd Jr. was a songwriter and producer for Kool & the Gang and BMP. Her sister Pennye Ford is also a singer with two albums to her credit and known for her work as the main singer for Snap!

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Freddie Mercury 11/1991

freddie-mercury-4November 24, 1991 – Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5th 1946 on the island of Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania in East Africa.  He spent time in a boarding school in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, where he studied piano and it was not long before this charismatic young man joined his first band, the Hectics. He was of Indian Parsi descent and his early childhood was in India, which gave him the title “Britain’s first Asian rock star.

After moving to London with his family in the 1960s, Mercury attended the Ealing College of Art where he befriended a number of musicians including future bandmates, drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May. Following graduation, he joined a series of bands and sold second-hand clothes in the Kensington Market in London, as well as had a job at Heathrow Airport. In April 1970, he joined with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor who had previously been in a band called SmileIn 1969, Mercury joined up with a group called Ibex as their lead singer. He played with a few other bands before joining forces with Taylor and May in the early 70s. They met up with bassist John Deacon in 1971, and the quartet—who Mercury dubbed Queen—played their first gig together in June of that year. Continue reading Freddie Mercury 11/1991

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Alan Murphy 10/1989

Alan Murphy (35) – guitarist with Level 42 – was born on November 28th 1953 in Islington, London.

Murphy’s first musical group was called Blackmass and consisted of Murphy, Roy Phillips, James Hedges, Terry Eden, Steve Paget, and Vincent Duffy. Blackmass was named in tribute to Deep Purple founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, an early influence of Murphy’s. The band fell apart when their equipment was stolen.

Murphy then performed with Fusion Orchestra for the better part of 1975. In 1982, he handled on-stage guitar duties for London-based new wave vocalist Zaine Griff (originally from New Zealand), performing music that was in many ways a stylistic precursor to the sound of Go West that he would help forge several years later. In 1984, Murphy worked on the album Cold in a Warm Climate with the band Paparazzi, becoming a member in preparation for a major European tour. When Paparazzi unexpectedly dissolved over internal disagreements and managerial problems, Murphy was recruited to play on the debut album of Go West in 1985, shortly thereafter becoming an official member and a key component in their sound.

Murphy was then enlisted to support Kate Bush on The Tour of Life, which took in Europe and the UK in 1979. Both a live video and EP were released with material taken from this tour. He also contributed to her albums Never for Ever (1980), The Dreaming (1982), Hounds of Love (1985), The Sensual World (1989), and the single “Rocket Man”.

In 1988, Murphy was asked to replace Level 42 guitarist Boon Gould, and recorded with the band on their album, Staring at the Sun (1988). A live album was recorded during this period, Live at Wembley. This was one of the last major projects that Murphy worked on before his death.

Murphy was a session man who worked with many artists, including Rod Stewart on the Atlantic Crossing Tour in 1976, David Bowie, Ace on their No. 1 hit “How Long”, Nick Heyward, Long John Baldry, Joan Armatrading, Mike and the Mechanics, Amii Stewart, Andrew Caine, Eikichi Yazawa, Scritti Politti, So, Iain Williams and Miquel Brown. Alan also shared an extensive and fruitful writing partnership with his distant cousin Michael Finbarr Murphy who wrote and played guitar for Heatwave, Central Line and Diana Ross among others.

Sometime in the mid 1980s Alan Murphy contracted HIV from a homosexual relationship and weakened by AIDS, he died of pneumonia on October 19, 1989. He was 35.

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Ricky Wilson 10/1985

Ricky Wilson (32) – B52’s – was born on March 19, 1953, to Bobby Jack Wilson, a fireman and a veteran of the United States Army, and Linda J. Wilson (née Mairholtz) in Athens, Georgia. He was the older brother of Cindy Wilson. At an early age, Wilson developed an interest in music and learned how to play folk guitar from the PBS series Learning Folk Guitar. Upon entering Clarke Central High School, Wilson had upgraded to a Silvertone guitar and, to tape his music, purchased a two-track tape recorder with money earned from a summer job at the local landfill.

In mid-1969, Wilson met former Comer resident Keith Strickland at the local head shop The Looking Glass. The two shared common interests in music and Eastern mysticist culture and quickly became friends. collaborated in writing and performing music, loosely calling themselves Loon, and aspired to perform live.

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