New Members of Rock & Roll Heaven, Part Seven

Inside The Rock Era salutes those who have passed in 2016 as we continue our Rock & Roll Heaven* tribute:

Sonny James died February 22 at the age of 87 in Nashville, Tennessee.

James enjoyed his biggest hit in 1957 with the #1 "Young Love".











Joan Marie Johnson, one of the founding members of the Dixie Cups, died October 3, according to Barbara Ann Hawkins, another member of the group and a cousin to Johnson.

Johnson (right in photo) passed away of congestive heart failure in New Orleans, Louisiana at the age of 72.  

The Dixie Cups had five career hits, but none bigger than their first, the great song "Chapel Of Love".  It soared to #1 in 1964 and stayed there three weeks.

Terry Johnson, drummer with the Mar-Keys, the famous session band for Stax Records who scored the huge hit "Last Night", died March 19 at age 72.

"Last Night" is one of The Top 100 Instrumentals of the Rock Era*. 

Marshall Jones, co-founder, bassist and percussionist of the Ohio Players, died of cancer May 27 at the age of 75.

The Players were one of the leading exponents of Funk at the time, and reached #1 with "Love Rollercoaster" in 1975.

Kitty Kallen died January 7 in Cuernavaca, Mexico at age 94. 

 Kallen is best known for her #1 smash "Little Things Mean A Lot" just prior to the beginning of the Rock Era.  Her biggest hit after 1955 was "My Coloring Book" in 1963.