Born January 1969 Cranford would or should have just turned 50 but sadly never made it this far. Cranford left behind a wife and two children when he checked out in 2002 from drug releated issues.

Cranford headed up his band The Malakas as well as playing solo sadly he didn’t make it long enough to record a lot of the songs he was working on which are available on his website. Cranford struggled with addiction during his brief life but he was able to write some great tunes like the one we’re playing here he pretty much wrote straight from the head and the heart singing about what he saw and how he was living.  I thought he was a massive talent and its such a shame that he never got to show off those songs to a wider audience.  R.I.P Cranford Gone but not forgotten.

Also on this day in 2013 Iron Maiden Drummer Clive Burr lost his battle with multiple sclerosis. Burr was Maidens drummer between 79 and 82. R.I.P. Clive had previously plied his trade with Samson before moving onto Maiden and played on their three finest records before being replaced after falling foul of Harris. Strangely enough, Burr went on to replace his replacement Nicko McBrain in Trust.  funny old world eh? Oh and for all you metal fans The guy who fired Burr celebrates his Birthday today Born in 1956 Happy Birthday Steve Harris.

But we can’t have all this sadness without a ripple of light coming through on this day so Happy Birthday Graham Coxon guitarist with Blur who was born on this day in Germany to English parents and finally Peter Doherty was also born on this day in 1979.