On July 31, 2025, Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez died aged 86. He was musician (accordion, bajo sexto), singer and composer, known for having played conjunto, norteño and tejano. He was member of the Texas Tornados, Los Super Seven and the Free Mexican Airforce. Jiménez recorded and performed with Dr. John, David Lindley, The Rolling Stones, Peter Rowan, Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. He received numerous awards and honors, including “Lifetime Achievement Awards” from the “Grammys”, “Americana Music Awards”, “Tejano Music Awards” and Billboard magazine. As leader, Jiménez released 27th studio and one live album.
Tag Archives: Billboard
Gerald “Jerry” Wexler
On August 15, 2008, Gerald “Jerry” Wexler died aged 91. He was music journalist and producer, one of the main music industry personalities in the period from the 50s through the 80s. He played significant role in signing and producing many of most famous music acts of that period, including Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles, the Allman Brothers, Chris Connor, Wilson Pickett, Dire Straits and Dusty Springfield. Wexler coined the term “Rhythm and Blues” while writing for “Billboard” magazine in the late 1940s. In 1987, Wexler was inducted to the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and in 2017 to the “National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame”.
Roy Orbison
On December 6, 1988, Roy Kelton Orbison died aged 52. He was musician (guitar, harmonica), singer and songwriter, thanks to his distinctive and impassioned voice, named “Caruso of Rock” and nicknamed the Big O. In the period between 1960 and 1964, 22 of his songs placed on the Billboard Top 40. In 1987, Roy Orbison was inducted in the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” and in “Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame”; in 1989 in the “Songwriters Hall of Fame”. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked him at number 37 on its list of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” and number 13 on the list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time’. In 2002, “Billboard” magazine ranked Orbison at number 74 in its list of the “Top 600 Recording Artists”. Orbison won six “Grammy Awards”, including “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1998.
Beastie Boys: Licensed To ill
On November 15, 1986, “Def Jam” label released “Licensed to ill”, the debut Beastie Boys studio album. It was recorded in 1986, and was produced by Rick Rubin, Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 217 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and in 2013 the same magazine named it the best debut album of all time. “Licensed to Ill” was the first rap album to top the Billboard album chart. In February 1987, the album was certified Platinum in the US by “RIIA’.
Personnel:
- Mike D (Michael Louis Diamond) – vocals, drums
- MCA (Adam Nathaniel Yauch) – vocals, bass
- Ad – Rock (Adam Keefe Horovitz) – vocals, guitar, programing
- Kerry King– lead guitar
- Keene Carse – trombone
- Danny Lipman – trumpet
- Tony Orbach – tenor saxophone
- Steven Ett – engineer
- Joe Blaney – mixing
- Steve Byram – art direction
- World B. Omes (David Gambale) – cover art
- Sunny Bak– photography
Track listing:
All tracks by Mike D, MCA, Ad-Rock and Rick Rubin, except where noted.
- Rhymin & Stealin
- The New Style
- She’s Crafty
- Posse in Effect
- Slow Ride
- Girls
- (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)
- No Sleep till Brooklyn
- Paul Revere – Adam Horovitz,Darryl McDaniels, Rick Rubin, Joseph Simmons
- Hold It Now, Hit It
- Brass Monkey
- Slow and Low – Darryl McDaniels, Rick Rubin, Joseph Simmons
- Time to Get Ill
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
On February 4, 1977, “Warner Bros” label released “Rumours”, the eleventh Fleetwood Mac studio album. It was recorded in 1976, at “Criteria Studios” in Miami; “Record Plant Studios” in Los Angeles; “Zellerbach Auditorium” in Berkeley and “Wally Heider Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut. “Rumours” won “Grammy Award for Album of the Year” in 1978, the three major US trade publications – “Billboard”, “Cash Box, and Record World”, named it “Album of the Year” for 1977. The album has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. Rumours has received Diamond certifications in several countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia. “Rumours” was certified 11 x Platinum in UK by the “BPI”; it has received a “Diamond Award” in US by “RIAA” for a 20 x Platinum certification or 20 million units shipped. In 1998, magazine “Q” ranked “Rumours” at number three in its list of “50 Best Albums of the 70’s’; in 1999, “Vibe” featured it as one of “100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century”; in 2003, “VH1” ranked “Rumours” at number 16 during its “100 Greatest Albums Countdown” and magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked it at number 25 in its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.
Personnel:
- Lindsey Buckingham – vocals, guitars, dobro, percussion
- Stevie Nicks– vocals
- Christine McVie – vocals, keyboards
- John McVie– bass guitar
- Mick Fleetwood– drums, percussion, harpsichord
- Desmond Strobel – design
- Larry Vigon – calligraphy
- Herbert W. Worthington– photography
Track listing:
- Second hand News – Lindsey Buckingham
- Dreams – Stevie Nicks
- Never Going Back Again – Lindsey Buckingham
- Don’t Stop – Christine McVie
- Go Your Own Way – Lindsey Buckingham
- Songbird – Christine McVie
- The Chain – Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, Stevie Nicks
- You Make Loving Fun – Christine McVie
- I Don’t Want to Know – Stevie Nicks
- Oh Daddy – Christine McVie
- Gold Dust Woman – Stevie Nicks
Dave Brubeck
On December 5, 2012, David Warren “Dave” Brubeck died aged 91. He was musician (piano), bandleader and composer, regarded as one of the great post-bop jazz innovators and one of the most influential and popular artists in the jazz history. Brubeck was author of numerous jazz standards, including “In Your Own Sweet Way”, “The Duke”. “Pick Up Sticks”, “Unsquare Dance” and “Blue Rondo à la Turk”. “The Dave Brubeck Quartet” album “Time Out” released in 1959, was based upon the use of time signatures that were unusual for jazz such as 9/8 and 5/4. The album featured Paul Desmond’s track “Take Five”, peaked at #2 on the “Billboard” pop albums chart, has been certified platinum by the “RIAA”, and became one of the best selling jazz albums of all time. As a recognition for his work, Brubeck received many awards, including:
- Connecticut Arts Award (1987)
- National Medal of Arts, National Endowment for the Arts (1994)
- Down Beat Hall of Fame (1994)
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1996)
- Doctor of Sacred Theology, Doctorate honoris causa, University of Fribourg, Switzerland (2004)
- Laetare Medal(University of Notre Dame) (2006)
- BBC Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)
- Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy (2008)
- Inducted into California Hall of Fame (2008)
- Eastman School of MusicHonorary Degree (2008)
- Kennedy Center Honor (2009)
- George Washington University Honorary Degree (2010)
- Honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey (2011)
Additionally, the main-belt asteroid “5079 Brubeck” was named after Brubeck.
Nirvana: Nevermind
On September 24, 1991, “DGC” label released “Nevermind” the second Nirvana studio album. It was recorded in 1991, at “Sound City Studios”, in Van Nuys, and “Smart Studios”,in Madison, and was produced by Butch Vig. The album was certified Diamond in the US by the “RIIA”. “Nevermind” has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.
Personnel:
- Kurt Cobain – lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
- Krist Novoselic – vocal, bass
- Dave Grohl – drums, backing vocals
- Chad Channing– cymbals, drums
- Kirk Canning – cello
All compositions by Kurt Cobain, except where noted.
- Smells Like Teen Spirit – Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic
- In Bloom
- Come as You Are
- Breed
- Lithium
- Polly
- Territorial Pissings – Kurt Cobain, Chet Powers
- Drain You
- Lounge Act
- Stay Away
- On a Plain
- Something in the Way
Metallica: Same
On August 12, 1991, “Elektra” label released the self-titled, fifth Metallica album (known as “The Black Album”). It was recorded October 1990 – June 1991, at “One on One Recording Studios” and was produced by Bob Rock, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich. The album received worldwide critical acclaim and became the band’s best selling album ever. As of November 2014, the album has spent 328 weeks on the “Billboard” album chart, making it one of the ten longest-running discs of all time. The album was certified 16× Platinum in the USA by the “RIAA”. On December 13, 2012, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 225 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.
Personnel:
- James Hetfield– lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, lead guitar and harmony guitar solo
- Kirk Hammett– lead guitar
- Jason Newsted– bass guitar, backing vocals
- Lars Ulrich– drums, percussion
- Michael Kamen– orchestral arrangement
Track listing:
All lyrics by James Hetfield.
- Enter Sandman – James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett
- Sad but True –James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
- Hotter Than Thou – James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
- The Unforgiven – James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett
- Wherever I May Roam – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
- Don’t Tread on Me – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
- Through the Never – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
- Nothing Else Matters – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
- Of Wolf and Man – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett
- The God That Failed – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
- My Friend of Misery – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich, Jason Newsted
- The Struggle Within – James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich
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