Catching up

It's been a while since my last blog. Since then I've moved to the country and I'm enjoying rural life, but there are fewer opportunities to go to gigs or find good records. Moving my collection was a major concern and the removal guys said it was the heaviest move they had ever done. Amazing just how heavy a box load of LPs can be. Having got here I didn't have internet access for a couple of weeks but now I am back online and I've been checking out the list of artists who have died over the last few weeks.
First off, Anita Humes (69), lead singer of the Essex - a 'girl group' which consisted of four marines (later three) and one girl - lead singer Anita. They scored big in 1963 with Easier Said Than Done and A Walkin' Miracle and then faded away. I have the US issues of their first two LPs, named after their big hits, issued on the Roulette label which are now pretty collectable.
Another death is that of Jimmy Dean, 81, best known for his smash hit Big Bad John in 1961, who had nine singles issued on Philips and CBS in the UK. He was a country singer, TV host, actor (he appeared in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever in 1971) and businessman (he created a well known US brand of sausages).
Another loss is Marvin Isley, 56, youngest member of the Isley Brothers, who played bass with the Isley Brothers band from 1973 onwards, left for a spell in Isley-Jasper-Isley, before leaving the band after suffering from diabetes.
Other deaths that I have failed to report are Crispian St Peters, who had hits with The Pied Piper and You Were On My Mind in the 60s and apparently lived in the same house in Swanley throughout his life, and. going further back, singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.Lena Horne, who died last month at the age of 92.