Colectiv Nightclub Fire Kills 32, Including 3 Members of the Band…
Goodbye to Gravity [was] a Romanian metalcore band from Bucharest. At their “Mantras of War” CD release party on October 30, 2015 at Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, the band’s pyrotechnics display set a deadly fire, greatly accelerated by polyurethane foam used in the club to dampen sound waves, and 32 people died, while many more were hospitalized. Vocalist Andrei Galut, bassist Alex Pascu and drummer Bogdan Lavinius were hospitalized with injuries, and guitarists Vlad Telea, Laurentiu Varlan, and Mihai Alexandru died.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodbye_to_Gravity
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COUNTRY SINGER TOMMY OVERSTREET DIES
Tommy Overstreet (September 10, 1937–November 2, 2015) was an American country singer. Often known simply as “T.O.” by fans and radio disc jockeys, Overstreet has five top five hit singles in the Billboard country charts and 11 top 10 singles. His popularity peaked in the 1970s. He lived in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Overstreet grew up in both Houston and Abilene, Texas. He decided on a singing career when he was very young, influenced largely by his cousin, “Uncle” Gene Austin. Austin was a singing star of the 1920s and 1930s.
Overstreet’s musical career started when he was 17, singing on country and western star Slim Willet’s television show in Abilene. In the late 1950s, Overstreet started a group called “The Shadows.”
He first recorded at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico, along with Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs. In 1960, Overstreet recorded in New York City at Roulette Records, with Doc Severinsen on trumpet, Sam “The Man” Taylor on saxophone and the Ray Charles Singers singing backup.
In 1967, Overstreet was hired to manage Dot Records in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1970, he decided to pursue a recording career, quickly establishing himself as a country hit maker that very year with a top five hit, “Gwen (Congratulations),” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard country music chart.
Overstreet made frequent guest appearances on the TV variety show Hee Haw. His highest charting Billboard hit was 1972’s “Ann (Don’t Go Runnin’),” which went to No. 2.
His other top-20 hits were “I Don’t Know You Anymore” (#5 in 1971), “Heaven is My Woman’s Love” (#3 in 1972), “Send Me No Roses” (#7 in 1973); “I’ll Never Break These Chains” (#7 in 1973), “(Jeannie Marie) You Were a Lady” (#7 in 1974), “If I Miss You Again Tonight” (#8 in 1974), “I’m a Believer” (#9 in 1975), “That’s When My Woman Begins” (#6 in 1975), “If Love was a Bottle of Wine” (#11 in 1976), “Don’t Go City Girl on Me” (#5 in 1977), “Yes, Ma’am” (#12 in 1978, and “Fadin’ In, Fadin’ Out” (#11 in 1978).
Overstreet died at his home in Oregon on November 2, 2015.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Overstreet
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Other Notable Musicians’ Deaths…
November 2015
3: Normand L’Amour (fr), 85, Canadian singer-songwriter, heart attack.
2: Nolyn Cabahug, 59, Filipino tenor classical singer, renal failure; Tommy Overstreet, 78, American country singer; David Stock, 76, American composer and conductor.
October 2015
31: Mihai Alexandru, Romanian guitarist, Vlad Telea, 37, Romanian guitarist, and Laurentiu Varlan, 30, Romanian guitarist, all of the band Goodbye to Gravity, and all died from injuries sustained in the Colectiv nightclub fire.
30: Zehra Deovic, 76, Bosnian sevdalinka and folk singer; Ronald Shawger, 55, American principal cellist (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra), multiple sclerosis.
29: Jacques Delécluse, 82, French percussionist; Tony Van Frater, 51, British musician (Red Alert), heart attack.
28: John Adie, 69, British festival promoter, co-founder of Two Moors Festival; Diane Charlemagne, 51, British singer (Urban Cookie Collective), cancer.