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Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery; April 29, 1945 March 16, 1970) best known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, most notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye. Terrell's career began as a teenager, first recording for Scepter/Wand Records, before spending nearly two years as a member of James Brown's Revue, recording for Brown's Try Me label. After a period attending college, Terrell recorded briefly for Checker Records, before signing with Motown in 1965. With Gaye, Terrell scored seven Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Terrell's career was interrupted when she collapsed into Gaye's arms as the two performed at a concert at HampdenSydney College on October 14, 1967, with Terrell later being diagnosed with a brain tumor. She had eight unsuccessful surgeries before succumbing to the illness on March 16, 1970 at the age of 24.
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Selena (April 16, 1971 March 31, 1995) was an American singer, songwriter, spokesperson, actress, and fashion designer. Called the Queen of Tejano music, her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. Billboard magazine named her the "top Latin artist of the '90s", the "best selling Latin artist of the decade". She was called the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices, by media outlets. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all-time and is credited for catapulting a music genre into the mainstream market. On March 31, 1995, Selena was shot dead by Yolanda Saldívar, her friend and former employee of her Selena Etc. boutiques, Selena was 23. Two weeks after her death, George W. Bushgovernor of Texas at the timedeclared her birthday Selena Day in Texas. Her posthumous crossover album, Dreaming of You (1995), debuted atop the Billboard 200, making Selena the first Latin artist to accomplish this feat. In 1997, Warner Bros. released Selena, a film about her life and career, which starred Jennifer Lopez as Selena. As of 2012, Selena has sold over 60 million albums worldwide.
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Robert Johnson (May 8, 1911 August 16, 1938) was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. Johnson's shadowy and poorly documented life and death at age 27 have given rise to much legend, including the Faustian myththat he sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads to achieve success. As an itinerant performer who played mostly on street corners, in juke joints, and at Saturday night dances, Johnson had little commercial success or public recognition in his lifetime. It was only after the reissue of his recordings in 1961, on the LP King of the Delta Blues Singers, that his work reached a wider audience. Johnson is now recognized as a master of the blues, particularly of the Mississippi Delta blues style. He is credited by many rock musicians as an important influence; Eric Clapton has called Johnson "the most important blues singer that ever lived." Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence in its first induction ceremony, in 1986. In 2010, David Fricke ranked Johnson fifth in Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".
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Gram Parsons (November 5, 1946 September 19, 1973) Parsons is best known for his work within the country music genre; he also popularized what he called "Cosmic American Music", a hybrid of country, rhythm and blues, soul, folk, and rock. Besides recording as a solo artist, he played with the International Submarine Band, The Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Brothers. His relatively short career is described by AllMusic as "enormously influential" for country and rock, "blending the two genres to the point that they became indistinguishable from each other." Several years of alcoholism and drug abuse severely deteriorated his health, and he died in 1973 at the age of 26. Since his death, Parsons has been recognized as an extremely influential artist, credited with helping to found both country rock and alt-country. He never agreed with the term "country rock", as he felt his work should not be categorized into a single genre because it was rather a unique blend of many genres and styles of music with his own personal twang. His posthumous honors include the Americana Music Association "President's Award" for 2003, and a ranking at No. 87 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."
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Jim Morrison (December 8, 1943 July 3, 1971) best remembered as the lead singer of the Doors. Because of his songwriting, wild personality, performances, and the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and death, he is regarded by critics and fans as one of the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock music history. In the later part of the 20th century, he was one of the popular culture's most rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing the generation gap and youth counterculture. He was also well known for improvising spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. Morrison was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", and number 22 on Classic Rock magazine's "50 Greatest Singers In Rock". Ray Manzarek said Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion". Morrison was sometimes referred to by other monikers, such as "Lizard King" and "King of Orgasmic Rock". Morrison developed an alcohol dependency during the 1960s. He died at the age of 27 in Paris, apparently from an accidental heroin overdose. No autopsy was performed, and the exact cause of Morrison's death is still disputed. Morrison is interred at Père Lachaise Cemetery in eastern Paris. (AP Photo)
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Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain (AP Photo)
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Ritchie Valens (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens' recording career lasted eight months, as it abruptly ended when he died in a plane crash, Valens was 17. During this time, he had several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which he adapted from a Mexican folk song. Valens transformed the song into one with a rock rhythm and beat, and it became a hit in 1958, making Valens a pioneer of the Spanish-speaking rock and roll movement. On February 3, 1959, on what has become known as "The Day the Music Died", Valens died in a plane crash in Iowa, an accident that also claimed the lives of fellow musicians Buddy Holly and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as pilot Roger Peterson. (AP Photo)
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Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) considered the premier female blues vocalist of the Sixties; her raw, powerful and uninhibited singing style, combined with her turbulent and emotional lifestyle, made her one of the biggest female stars in her lifetime. She died of a drug overdose in 1970, aged 27, after releasing three albums. A fourth album, Pearl, was released a little more than three months after her death. AP Photo
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Amy Winehouse (14 September 1983 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter known for her deep expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul (sometimes labelled as blue-eyed soul and neo soul), rhythm and blues, and jazz. Winehouse's debut album, Frank (2003), was a critical success in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her follow-up album, Back to Black (2006), led to five 2008 Grammy Awards, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made her the first British female to win five Grammys, including three of the general field "Big Four" awards: Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Winehouse won three Ivor Novello Awards: in 2004, Best Contemporary Song for "Stronger Than Me"; in 2007, Best Contemporary Song again, this time for "Rehab"; and in 2008, Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love Is a Losing Game." She also won the 2007 Brit Award for Best British Female Artist, having been nominated for Best British Album, with Back to Black. Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011, aged 27. Her album Back to Black posthumously became, for a time, the UK's best-selling album of the 21st century. In 2012, Winehouse was ranked 26th on VH1's 100 Greatest Women In Music. The BBC has called her "the pre-eminent vocal talent of her generation." (AP Photo)
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Singer Sharon Jones performs in a scene from the documentary "Miss Sharon Jones!" (theplaylist.net)
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets members of the audience after giving a speech on the economy after touring Futuramic Tool & Engineering, in Warren, Mich., Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) ** FILE **
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FILE - In this Aug. 4, 2016, file photo, Senate Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid of Nev. introduces Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a rally in Las Vegas. Reid said in a conference call on Aug. 11, 2016, he is convinced that Clinton will nominate Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court if she is elected president. Senate Republicans have blocked Garland's confirmation since President Barack Obama nominated him in Marc (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton gives a speech on the economy after touring Futuramic Tool & Engineering, in Warren, Mich., Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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A new video purportedly released by the Islamic State terrorist group showed a man accused of "homosexual acts" being pushed off the roof of a tall building as children watched.
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This Jan. 26, 2016, file photo shows a sign over the Flint River in Flint, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
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Disgraced ex-Congressman Mark Foley was spotted sitting behind Donald Trump at a Florida rally Wednesday. He's seen to Mr. Trump's right wearing a black blazer and red shirt, raising his right hand. (CNN)
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X returns to the DMV Friday. (Gary Leonard)
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A man attempting to scale Trump Tower talks with a New York Police officer through a window that was broken out by police Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, in New York. The man spent more than 2 hours scaling the glass facade of Trump Tower using large suction cups, climbing as high as the 21st floor before police officers grabbed him and hauled him to safety through an open window. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
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Mike Pence (Dayton Daily News via Associated Press)
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The Joker fights for screen time in "Batman: The Killing Joke," now available on Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.