Those We Lost
Those We Lost — August 12
Aug
Honoring those we lost on August 12 — remembered for what they gave, and for what they left behind.
Luther Allison
Full name: Luther Sylvester Allison
Born Aug 17, 1939 — died Aug 12, 1997
Blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, bandleader, and Chicago blues powerhouse.
Allison carried the electric Chicago blues tradition onto international stages with fiery guitar work and emotionally direct vocals. A late-career resurgence brought major honors and new audiences, and his live performances helped keep the blues urgent, expansive, and contemporary.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Born Dec 22, 1960 — died Aug 12, 1988
Painter, draftsman, cultural critic, and leading figure in contemporary American art.
Basquiat moved from Lower Manhattan graffiti to international galleries while centering Black history, anatomy, language, music, colonialism, and power. His layered symbols and urgent mark-making challenged the art establishment and made him one of the most influential artists of the late twentieth century.
