Pete Brown was a British poet who became a songwriter and collaborator with the supergroup Cream. He wrote the lyrics to “Sunshine of Your Love," one of the band's most successful songs.

This tribute is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

The tributes were written and recorded by longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan, who also is the creator behind Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can listen to "Sunshine of Your Love" on YouTube.

To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

If you'd like to learn more about Brown, check out his 2010 autobiography, "White Rooms & Imaginary Westerns: On the Road with Ginsberg, Writing for Clapton and Cream — An Anarchic Odyssey."

The tributes in this series are fascinating glimpses into the lives and impact of those who made the soundtracks of our lives. Although some of Sheldon's subjects are less famous than others, you may find that their songs and stories are equally worth your time. I sure did.

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Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.

In today's tribute, writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan shares insights about the life of Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian singer-songwriter who had his first U.S. hit with "If You Could Read My Mind." This is one of 44 tributes to artists, songwriters and producers who passed away in 2023.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to featured songs.

You can listen to Sheldon's story about Lightfoot on the WGCU website, where he posts once a week, or hear "If You Could Read My Mind" on YouTube. (And to get on Sheldon’s Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.)

The comments on YouTube are worth reading. There are many expressions of gratitude for Lightfoot's music. One person wrote that Lightfoot had a voice that "makes you feel he's singing just for you." There's a Prime video about him that also looks interesting. It's called "Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind."

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.

In the late 1950s, Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins started a doo-wop group with George Clinton. Originally called the Parliaments, the group eventually became Parliament-Funkadelic, one of the most influential bands of the 1970s.

Haskins also had a solo career. In the chapters, you'll see an image of the cover of his 1976 album, "A Whole Nother Thang." It has a nice picture of him.

Longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan wrote this tribute to Haskins, who died in March last year. This is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can link to “I Got A Thing, You Got A Thing, Everybody Got A Thing" on YouTube. On the recording, Sheldon and I both misspoke when we said "Everyone Got A Thing. Sorry about that. I've also seen it referred to as "Everybody's (possessive) Got A Thing." Maybe both are correct!

To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.

In 1951 when she was only 22, singer April Stevens had her first hit, and the hits kept coming. This tribute to Stevens is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

The tributes were written and recorded by longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan, who also is the creator behind Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can watch Stevens and her brother, Nino Tempo, sing the Grammy-winning “Deep Purple" on YouTube.

To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.

In 1968, singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte hosted "The Tonight Show" for a week. He discussed the issues of the day with a stellar list of guests including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The documentary about that week is called "The Sit-In," available on Peacock. Here, you can find out more and scroll down to watch the trailer.

This tribute to Belafonte, featuring writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan, is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs.

You can listen to Sheldon tell Belafonte's story on the WGCU website, where he posts once a week, or hear today's featured song, “Day-O,” on YouTube. (And to get on Sheldon’s Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.)

If you want to learn more about Belafonte, you can buy his 2012 memoir, "My Song," in paperback or audiobook. It's available on Amazon , which also has quite a few of Belafonte's CDs and a couple of vinyl records. The LP "Best of Harry Belafonte" features "Day-O" on the cover.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.

In this tribute, you'll learn about the anomalies in the life of singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell, who had a hit with "What You Won't Do for Love."

Longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan wrote this tribute, which is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can link to “What You Won't Do for Love" on YouTube.

To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.

Gary Rossington's love for baseball launched him into a music career that lasted to the end of his life. This tribute to Rossington, written and recorded by longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan, is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can link to “What’s Your Name” on YouTube. (To get on Sheldon's Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.)

Amazon carries four books about Rossington available on Kindle and in paperback, apparently all published immediately after his death. You can go to the chapters to see the cover of one of the books — by Tony Alexander — which has a nice shot of Rossington.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.

Jim Gordon was a brilliant and successful drummer who played with some of the biggest names in music. He also had a tragic life.

Longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan wrote this tribute to Gordon, who received a writing credit for "Layla," one of Eric Clapton's most popular songs. This is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can link to “Layla" on YouTube.

To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

If you want to learn more about Gordon, you can check out Joel Selvin's book, "Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon," published in 2024.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.