Cranford Hamilton Nix Jr. (January 17, 1969 - March 12, 2002), also known as Crannie or Little Man, was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was the lead singer and guitarist of punk band The Malakas.

Early life

Nix was born on January 17, 1969 in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

. His father, Cranford Nix Sr. (November 15, 1932 - October 14, 2012), was a one-time professional banjo player who played with

Lester Flatt Lester Raymond Flatt (June 19, 1914 – May 11, 1979) was an American bluegrass guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his collaboration with banjo picker Earl Scruggs in the duo Flatt and Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades, ...

and

Earl Scruggs Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012) was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-fin ...

. He also played banjo on

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

' album ''

The Supremes Sing Country, Western and Pop ''The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop'' is the fourth studio album recorded by the Supremes, issued by Motown in February 1965. The album was presented as a covers/tribute album of country songs, as Ray Charles had done with his album '' ...

''. Nix was a heroin addict and an alcoholic and had been sent to rehab four times. He escaped from rehab three of those times but stayed and completed it the fourth time. His time in rehab inspired him to write his song "Cigarettes and Heroin".

Music career

Nix was a member of the punk rock garage band The Malakas, in which he was the vocalist and guitarist. Alongside him were the bassist, DJ Holman, and the drummer, Greg Crampton. They were signed with I-94 Recordings.

Personal life

Nix had two children. He married Natatia Nix in the 2000s.

Death

Nix was found dead of a heroin overdose by his father on March 12, 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nix, Cranford 1969 births 2002 deaths Musicians from Detroit Deaths by heroin overdose in the United States 20th-century American musicians People from Berkley, Michigan