STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
It was a most sad year for music. We lost Pete Seeger, songwriter and singer Bobby Womack, conductor Christopher Hogwood, Joe Cocker and many others. Here's the sound of some of their voices.
(SOUNDBITE OF RADIO SHOW, "CASEY KASEM'S AMERICAN TOP 40")
CASEY KASEM: Hello again, and welcome to American Top 40. My name's Casey Kasem.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BYE BYE LOVE")
EVERLY BROTHERS: (Singing) Bye bye, love. Bye bye, happiness. Hello, loneliness. I think I'm going to cry.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "IT'S ALL OVER NOW")
JOHNNY WINTER: (Singing) Well, baby used to play out all night long. She made me cry. She did me wrong.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST #1: (Playing guitar).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RAPPER'S DELIGHT")
SUGARHILL GANG: (Singing) Come on, Hank, sing that song. Check it out. I'm the C A S N the O V A and the rest is F L Y. You see, I go by the code of the doctor of the mix. And these reasons, I'll tell you why.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL")
THE RAMONES: (Singing) Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock 'n' roll high school.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "KICKS")
PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS: (Singing) And don't it seem like kicks just keep getting harder to find. And all your kicks ain't bringing you peace of mind.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I FEEL FREE")
CREAM: (Singing) I can walk down the street. There's no one there, though the pavement's one huge crowd. I can drive down the road. My eyes don't see, though my mind wants to cry out loud, though my mind wants to cry out loud.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
JOSE FELICIANO: (Singing in Spanish).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FEELIN' ALRIGHT")
JOE COCKER: (Singing) Seems I've got to have a change of scene. Every night I have the strangest dream.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST #2: (Playing trumpet).
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED ORCHESTRA #1: (Playing composition).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "A RED, RED ROSE")
JEAN REDPATH: (Singing) Oh, my love's like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?")
PETE SEEGER: (Singing) Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST #3: (Playing bass).
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST #4: (Playing Spanish guitar).
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST #5: (Playing mandolin).
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED BAND: (Playing jazz).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EVERYBODY'S SOMEBODY'S FOOL")
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (Singing) Everybody's somebody's fool. The world is the biggest school.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST #6: (Playing instrument).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THE LADIES WHO LUNCH")
ELAINE STRITCH: (Singing) A matinee, a Pinter play, perhaps a piece of Mahler's. I'll drink to that.
(SOUNDBITE OF UNIDENTIFIED SONG)
UNIDENTIFIED ORCHESTRA #2: (Playing composition).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKENHEARTED")
JIMMY RUFFIN: (Singing) What becomes of the brokenhearted who had love that's now departed? I know I've got to find some kind of peace of mind maybe.
INSKEEP: Jimmy Ruffin closes out our tribute to some musicians we lost this year. For more, visit nprmusic.org.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKENHEARTED")
RUFFIN: (Singing) But for me, they come a tumbling down. Every day heartaches grow a little stronger. I can't stand this pain much longer. I walk in shadows searching for light. Cold and alone, no comfort inside. Hoping and praying for someone who cares.
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