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'Death Rock' Pioneer Jody Reynolds Dies

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Jody Reynolds, whose tragic musical tale of a suicidal lover, 'Endless Sleep,' kick-started the "death rock" craze of the late '50s and early '60s, had died in Palm Desert, Calif. He was 75 years old.

In 'Endless Sleep,' an appropriately dirgelike rockabilly ballad written by Reynolds, the singer's girlfriend attempts to drown herself in the ocean after a quarrel. At the song's conclusion, our hero rescues his distraught lady from "an angry sea." Later songs in the teen tragedy genre, such as Mark Dinning's 'Teen Angel,' Ray Peterson's 'Tell Laura I Love Her' and the Shangri-Las' 'Leader of the Pack' felt no such need, happily killing off its protagonists.

The song, which peaked at No. 5 in 1958, was the only hit for the Denver native, who grew up in Oklahoma and Arizona before relocating to California, where he based his career. Reynolds was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1999.

Dearly Departed Musicians

    Ralph Joseph "Jody" Reynolds, Nov. 7: The rockabilly singer, whose lone Top 10 hit 'Endless Sleep' ushered in a wave of similar songs about teens and tragedy in the late 1950s, died of liver cancer. He was 75.

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    Mitch Mitchell, Nov. 12: The rock durmmer, left, and last surviving member of the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience, was found dead of apparent natural causes in a Portland hotel room at age 61. The leader of the band overdosed in 1970, while bassist Noel Redding, right, died in 2003.

    Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

    Miriam Makeba, Nov. 10: THe South African singing legend who was banned from her own country for more than 30 years under apartheid died from a heart attack after collapsing on stage in Italy. She was 76.

    AP

    Shakir Stewart, Nov. 1: The Island Def Jam executive who became head of the legendary rap label following Jay-Z's departure, killed himself on Nov. 1. Police say he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 34 years old.

    Merl Saunders, Oct. 24: The rock and jazz keyboardist who recorded albums with music titans like The Grateful Dead and Miles Davis, died at the age of 74 after complications from a stroke.

    Christopher Felver, Corbis

    Dee Dee Warwick, Oct. 18: The soul songstress died after months of declining health. Warwick, the sister of soul legend Dionne, also achieved a great deal of success, both as a solo artist as well as with her sister.

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    Levi Stubbs, Oct. 17: The iconic lead singer, second from left, who gave voice to Four Tops classics like "Reach Out I'll Be There" and "Baby I Need Your Loving" died at 72 from complications of cancer and a stroke. Abdul Fakir, far left, is now the sole living member of the original quartet.

    AP

    Nick Reynolds, Oct. 1: The Kingston Trio led the folk music uprising in the late 1950s, paving the way for the Dylans and the Baezs of the world. Reynolds, right with Dave Guard and Bob Shane, had been in the hospital with acute respiratory disease before his family took him off life support. He was 75.

    AP

    Norman Whitfield, Sept. 16: The Motown tunesmith responsible for anthems like 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' 'Car Wash' and 'War' died shortly after awakening from a diabetes-related coma. He was 67.

    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    Richard Wright, Sept. 15: With Pink Floyd, he unleashed new sounds from his collection of synths and organs that gave the band its signature psychedelic sheen. Wright, who also wrote mammoth cuts like "Us and Them" for the band, died following a battle with cancer. He was 65.

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