Tag Archives: 1980s

Tina Turner

On May 24, 2023, Anna Mae Bullock aka Tina Turner died aged 83. She was singer, author, dancer and actress, referred to as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, began her career with Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm in 1957. In 1958, under the name Little Ann, she released her first record, “Boxtop”. In 1960, she debuted as Tina Turner with the duet single “A Fool in Love”. The duo Ike & Tina Turner became “one of the most formidable live acts in history”. In the 1980s, Turner made a great comeback, and in the decades that followed she sold over 100 million records worldwide, and became one of  the best-selling recording artists of all time. She won twelve “Grammy Awards”, three “Grammy Hall of Fame” awards and a “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award”. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked her among the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” and the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. She was twice inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, with Ike Turner in 1991 and as a solo artist in 2021. In 2005, she was recipient of the “Kennedy Center Honors” and “Women of the Year” award. As leader Tina Turner released nine albums.

Gene Page

On August 24, 1998, Eugene Edgar Page Jr. aka Gene Page, died aged 58. He was a conductor, composer, arranger, and record producer, one of the most successful arrangers and conductors from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s, who worked on more than 200 Platinum and gold records. He created specific sound in the arrangements, and work with numerous artists including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, George Benson, The Jackson 5, Jefferson Starship, The Righteous Brothers, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Roberta Flack, Elton John, Leo Sayer, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Frankie Valli, Helen Reddy, Lionel Richie, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Donna Loren, Martha and The Vandellas, Cher, Barry White, The Love Unlimited Orchestra, and Dionne Warwick. Page released four solo albums and composed soundtracks for few movies.

Hideto Matsumoto

On May 2, 1998, Hideto Matsumoto, died aged 33. He was singer-songwriter, musician (guitar) and record producer. He was the lead guitarist of the rock band X Japan, founding member of the band Zilch, and had a successful solo career. X Japan rose to prominence in the late 80s and early 90s, credited as founders of the Japanese visual kei movement. Hide was seen as an icon of the Japanese youth rebelling against the country’s conformist society, and his death was labeled “the end of an era”. More than 70,000 people attended his funeral on May 7th, with security of 100 police officers, 170 security guards, police boats and helicopters. 21 people were hospitalized for injuries caused by the massive crowd at the funeral.