seems i recall something about a little bit of musical talent
by these nobody's below...

Maurice Gibb (singer/songwriter) -- Dead. Heart attack/intestinal blockage. Died January 12, 2003. Born December 22, 1949. Part of the Bee Gees (the one with the hat), briefly married to Lulu in the early '70s

Johnny Paycheck (singer) -- Dead. Emphysema. Died February 18, 2003. Born May 31, 1937. Singer of the hit song "Take This Job and Shove It"

Fred Rogers (writer/actor/minister/musician) -- Dead. Stomach cancer. Died February 27, 2003. Born March 20, 1928. Mister Rogers has left the neighborhood...

Nina Simone (singer) -- Dead. Died April 21, 2003. Born February 21, 1933. "I Put a Spell on You"

Felice Bryant (Songwriter) -- Dead. Cancer. Died April 22, 2003. Born August 7, 1925. Co-wrote many songs with Boudleaux, including "Wake Up, Little Susie"

June Carter Cash (singer/actress) -- Dead. Complications of heart surgery. Died May 15, 2003. Born June 23, 1929. Married to Johnny Cash, appeared in The Apostle

Herbie Mann (flutist) -- Dead. Prostate cancer. Died July 1, 2003. Born April 16, 1930. Performer/composer who put the "fusion" in jazz by combining Carribean and African rhythms

N!xau (bushman/actor) -- Dead. Died July 1, 2003. Born 1944. The unlikely star of The Gods Must Be Crazy

Barry White (man with velvet voice) -- Dead. High blood pressure/kidney failure. Died July 4, 2003. Born September 12, 1944. Barry White's Greatest Hits, "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe"

Buddy Ebsen (actor/dancer) -- Dead. Died July 6, 2003. Born April 2, 1908. Well-known as Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, but was first-cast as the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard of Oz before a make-up allergy forced him out

Celia Cruz (singer/actress) -- Dead. Brain cancer. Died July 16, 2003. Born October 21, 1925. Cuban salsa singer

Gisele MacKenzie (singer, actress) -- Dead. Colon cancer. Died September 5, 2003. Born January 10, 1927. Your Hit Parade

Warren Zevon (singer/songwriter) -- Dead. Lung cancer. Died September 7, 2003. Born January 24, 1946. "Werewolves of London" , diagnosed with inoperable cancer in late 2002, but outlived his doctor's prediction by about six months and produced one last album The Wind

Johnny Cash (man-in-black) -- Dead. Complications of diabetes and lung ailments. Died September 12, 2003. Born February 26, 1932. Country singer and songwriter, married to singer June Carter Cash for over 30 years. Had many health problems, but outlived his wife by several months.

Sheb Wooley (singer/actor) -- Dead. Leukemia. Died September 16, 2003. Born April 10, 1921. While most-known as a one-hit wonder for "One-eyed, One-horn Flying Purple People Eater," he was a country western singer and character actor in Western

Elliott Smith (singer/songwriter) -- Dead. Suicide. Died October 21, 2003. Born August 6, 1969. Nominated for an Oscar for "Miss Misery" for Good Will Hunting

Franco Corelli (opera singer) -- Dead. Stroke. Died October 29, 2003. Born April 8, 1921. Italian opera star who made his Met debut the same night as Leontyne Price

Bobby Hatfield (singer) -- Dead. Died November 5, 2003. Born August 10, 1940. One of the Righteous Brothers, famous for "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

Don Gibson (songwriter/singer) -- Dead. Died November 17, 2003. Born April 3, 1928. Wrote songs like "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "Oh Lonesome Me"

Michael Kamen (composer) -- Dead. Heart attack/Complications of Multiple Sclerosis. Died November 18, 2003. Born April 15, 1948. Wrote scores for movies like Brazil and X-Men

Gary Stewart, singer, musician - She's Acting Single, I'm Drinking Doubles