RIP: Guitarist & Composer Al Caiola dies at 96

Legendary guitarist Alexander "Al" Caiola died Wednesday (November 9) at the age of 96. Al was one of the top studio musicians in New York in the '50s and '60s, playing on such hits as "Diana" and "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" with Paul Anka, Percy Faith's "Theme From 'A Summer Place'", "Mack The Knife" and "Dream Lover" for Bobby Darin, Neil Sedaka's "Calendar Girl", Johnny Mathis' "Chances Are", "Mrs. Robinson" from Simon & Garfunkel and Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" (that's only a fraction of the songs he played on even for those artists). As a recording artist himself, he charted with the TV theme "Bonanza (#19 in 1961) and the movie theme "The Magnificent Seven" (#35-1961). All told, the Jersey City, New Jersey native recorded over 50 albums. He played on hundreds of commercial jingles and issued a series of best-selling guitar instruction books.

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