Blues and rock and roll pioneer Joseph Vernon “Big Joe” Turner Jr. died from a heart attack at the age of  74 on Nov. 24, 1985. Turner was one of the earliest musicians to meld R&B with a boogie-woogie style and is credited for helping to spur the rock and roll music evolution. Turner’s cornerstone hits include Shake, Rattle and Roll, which would later be covered by rock outfit Bill Haley & His Comets in 1954. In 1987, Turner was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

 (Photo: Heinrich Klaffs/Wikicommons)