Those We Lost — June 29

Honoring those we lost on June 29 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.

Shorty Long

Born May 20, 1940 — Died June 29, 1969

Title: Soul singer, songwriter, musician, and Motown recording artist

Shorty Long was a Motown artist connected to the label’s Soul Records imprint, known for songs like “Function at the Junction” and the original “Devil with the Blue Dress On.” His career was cut short when he died in a boating accident, but his music remains part of Motown’s more bluesy, playful, and rhythm-driven side.

Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten

Born January 5, 1893 — Died June 29, 1987

Title: Folk and blues musician, songwriter, guitarist, and banjo player

Elizabeth Cotten was a self-taught left-handed guitarist whose upside-down playing style became known as “Cotten picking.” Her song “Freight Train” became a folk standard, and her later-life rediscovery showed that Black musical genius is not always recognized when it first appears.