BIRTHDAYS
1930     Ray Agee, singer-songwriter, b. Dixons Mills, AL, USA.
1965     Tim 'Herb' Alexander, drums. Member group: 'Primus'
1960     Afrika Bambaataa, Hip-Hop DJ, b. New York (South Bronx), NY, USA.
1927     Walter Bishop, Jr., Piano, b. New York, NY, USA, d. Jan 24, 1998, New York, NY, USA.
1930     Claude Bolling, Piano/Composer/bandleader b. Cannes France
1922     John Brim, guitar/harmonica, b. Hopkinsville, KY
1917     Morty Corb, Bass, b. San Antonio, TX, USA. d. Jan. 13, 1996
1971     Joey DeFrancesco, organ, piano, keyboards, trumpet, vocals, b. Philadelphia PA, USA.
1921     Martin Denny, leader/composer/pianist. d. March 2, 2005, Hawai'i Kai, Hawaii, Age: 93. Best recalled tunes: "Quiet Village", and "The Enchanted Sea"
1959     Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, Singer/songwriter/producer, b. Indianapolis, IN, USA.
1906     Kai Ewans, Alto Sax/clarinet/vocals/Leader, b. Horsholm, Denmark, d. April 3, 1988. né: Kai Peter Anthon Nielson
1927     George Freeman, guitar, b. Chicago, Illinois, USA
1928     Rosco Gordon, piano/vocals/composer, b. Memphis, TN, U.S.A., d. July 11, 2002 New York (Queens), NY, U.S.A. (Coronary). Often called "The father of 'Ska'", he composed the dance song "The Chicken", and worked on such songs as "Booted", and "No More Doggin'". Among the groups with whom he worked are Bobby "Blue" Bland, Johnny Ace, The Beale Streeters, Earl Forest and Duke Robillard.
1957     Steven Gustafson, bass/guitar. Member group: '10,000 Maniacs'
1956     Lon Hannah, guitar/vocals, b. Pasadena, CA, USA. Member: 'Sons of the Pioneers'.
1950     Eddie Hazel, guitar, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. d. Dec. 23, 1992, Plainfield, NJ, USA. (complications from liver failure) with groups 'Parliament,' 'Funkadelic', and solo artist.
1928     Robert Klein, label owner (Abkro), b. Syracuse, NY
1970     Kenny Lattimore, R&B vocals, b. Washington, D.C., USA.
1929     Barbara Lea, vocals, b. Detroit, Michigan, USA. née: Barbara LeCoq (the family name was subsequently changed to Leacock)
1906     Fud Livingston, composer/arranger/Tenor-alto sax, clarinet, b. Charleston SC, USA. d. March 25, 1957, in New York, NY. USA.
1928     Fraser MacPherson, Tenor-alto sax, flute, Clarinet, b. St. Boniface, MB, Canada, d. Sept. 28, 1993. Raised in Victoria, BC. In 1948. moved to Vancouver, BC, and became a "bop" style saxist. In 1956-'57, was in New York City studying with flutist Henry Zlotnick, and saxist Vincent James Abato. For next 20 years or so, was a first-call studio musician, also played with the 'Vancouver Symphony Orchestra', and worked as a sideman in various bands. 1950-'54, with Bob Reid, Chuck Barber, and Lance Harrison orchs., and about 1950-'51, was on both CBC radio and TV first with the Ray Norris Quintet and later with Doug Parker and trombonist Dave Robbins on 'Jazz Workshop,' broadcast. Between 1961-'63, fronted own quintet featuring Carse Sneddon on trumpet and valve trombone, and Chris Gage on piano. From 1963-'64 led string orchestra on his onw CBC series 'The Pretty Sounds of Jazz'. Between 1964-70, was backing such stars as Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Earl "Fatha" Hines. In 1975 MacPherson formed a trio with guitarist Oliver Gannon and bassist Wyatt Ruther. Toured to the USSR in 1978, and again in 1981, 1984, and 1986. In 1979, played Montreux at the Hague, Holland, Has toured Canada playing the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1982 and 1984, the Edmonton Jazz Festival in 1984 and 1986, and the Vancouver Jazz Festival. Occasion in the USA Played at the Concord and the Kool Jazz Festivals in Detroit, Michigan with Rosemary Clooney. In 1986 toured to Australia. The many other stars that he has backed on recordings include the 'Canadian Jazz All-Stars' (with Jones, Ed Bickert, Jim Galloway, Terry Clarke and Dave Young), Anita O'Day, Eiji Kitamura, Dave McMurdo, Oliver Jones, and Charles Mountford. In 1987, was made a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 1993, shortly before his death, won the Oscar Peterson Trophy.
1940     Phil Mason, Cornet, trumpet, b. London, England, UK
1928     Jerzy Matuszkiewicz, Sax/clarinet/composer/leader, b. Jaslo, Poland
1984     Mandy Moore, Pop vocals, b. Nashua, New Hampshire, USA.
1938     Weldon Myrick, staff musician 'Grand Ole Opry'/steel guitar, b. Jayton, TX, USA.
1932     Nate Nelson, vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. June 1, 1984, Boston, MA, USA. Member group: 'The Flamingos', and The Platters.
1953     Terre Roche, (folk) guitar/vocals, b. New York, NY, USA (raised in New Jersey). Member group: 'The Roches'. The Roche family children included Maggie, Terre, Suzzy, and a brother, David, all of whom learned to play folk songs by watching Laura Weber on public television. (For Christmas 1964, 13-year-old Maggie had been given a guitar.) In the 1960s, while still teenagers, the duo of Maggie and Terre were signed by Marilyn Lipsius' Coffee House Circuit, an agency that booked acts at colleges. They spent two years performing on the college circuit, ending up in San Francisco, with the remnants of the "hippie" movement. In 1971, Maggie introduced herself to Paul Simon, and the duo became his protégés and singing backup vocals on "Was a Sunny Day" on his second solo album, "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" (1973).
1947     Karl Russell, vocals, b. Columbus, OH, USA. Member: 'Hues Corporation'
1914     Noah Ryder, piano, b. Nashville, TN, USA. Member: 'Deep River Boys'
1959     Brian Setzer, (rock) guitarist/vocalist, b. Massapequa Park NY, USA. Member: 'The Stray Cats'
1898     Fiddlin' Arthur Smith, fiddler, b. Bold Springs, TN, USA.
1936     Bobbie Smith, vocals. Member group: 'The Detroit Spinners', 1980 UK No.1 and US No.2 single "Working My Way Back To You". The "Detroit Spinners" were formed in 1955 at Ferndale High School, near Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., and originally known as 'The Domingos', 'The Detroit Spinners' were originally comprised of: Henry Fambrough (b. 10th May 1935, Detroit, MI, USA.), Robert 'Bobbie' Smith (b. April 10, 1937, Detroit, MI, USA.), Billy Henderson (b. Sept 8, 1939, Detroit, MI, USA. d. Feb. 2, 2007, Daytona Beach, FL, USA. -Some sources claim b. Aug. 9, 1939 (some claim b. Sept. 8), Detroit, MI, USA), Pervis Jackson, (b. May 17, 1938) and George Dixon. Later, Philippé Soul Wynn (a.k.a. Phillip Walker. b. April 3, 1941, Detroit, MI, USA. d. July 14, 1984, Oakland, California, USA.), and G.C. Cameron (b. Jackson, Mississippi, USA.) joined. Although not a member, producer and songwriter Harvey Fuqua b. July 27, 1929, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. sang lead on the group's single, 'That's What Girls Are Made For', which reached number 5 in the USA R & B charts and reached the Pop Top 30. Edgar 'Chico' Edwards then replaced Dixon in 1963, and in 1970. G.C. Cameron replaced Chico Edwards
1913     Henry "Butch" Stone, all reeds/vocals, b. New York, NY, USA. Butch played briefly with Jack Teagarden in 1940; with Larry Clinton in 1941; and with Les Brown's band from 1941 into 70s. He also worked with Frank Reysen and Van Alexander.
1947     "Bunny" Wailer, (Reggae) percussion/singer-songwriter, b. Kingston, Jamaica. né: Neville O'Riley Livingston. Member group: 'Bob Marley and the Wailers' ('Simmer Down', 'Rude Boy'), and solo artist.
1894     "Fess" Williams, Clarinet/ alto sax/Leader, b. Danville, KY, USA. d. Dec. 17, 1975. né Stanley R. Williams
1944     Danny Woods, vocals. Member: 'Chairman Of The Board
1921     Sheb Wooley, C&W singer-songwriter/actor, b. Enick, OK, USA. d. Sept. 16, 2003, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. (leukemia). aka: Ben Colder. Sheb spent his youth working as a cowboy. At the age of 15, he formed his own radio band "The Plainview Melody Boys". Starting In 1950, and for a dozen years, he played minor supporting roles in various Hollywood films. ( He was one of the four gunslingers who stalke d Gary Cooper in the 1952 western film classic 'High Noon.) In 1958, he had a giant hit record with his own song 'The Purple People Eater', and he followed it with a string of humorous Country ditties, often recorded under the name Ben Colder. Some of the silly songs included "Talk Back Blubbering Lips", "Sunday Morning Fallin' Down", "Harper Valley PTA (Later That Same Day", "The Happiest Squirrel in the Whole U.S.A.", and "Fifteen Beers Ago." He played the part of the scout Pete Nolan on the hit TV series '"Rawhide" (1959)'. After the Sixties, He worked only infrequently as an actor, concentrating mostly on the music business.
1938     Denny Zeitlin, Piano, b. Chicago, IL, USA.

         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1956.    The Stratocaster guitar was patented by Leo Fender.
1956.    Famed vocalist Nat King Cole attacked by white supremacist group while on stage in Birmingham, Alabama.
1958.    Harold "Chuck" Willis, songwriter, died in Atlanta, GA, USA. Age: 30.
1970.    Ralph Escudero, bass, died in Puerto Rico. Age: 71
1986.    Linda Creed, songwriter, died in Ambler, PA, USA. Age: 37
1989.    Bessie Griffin, vocals, died in Culver City, CA, USA. Age: 67 Member: 'The Caravans' and 'The Southern Harps'
1994.    Jimmy Lyons, Founder (Monterey Jazz Festival), died in San Luis Obisbo, CA, USA. Age: 78
2003.    Noel Fox, singer with the 'Oak Ridge Boys 1969-1972' died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 63

         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1942    "Tangerine", Jimmy Dorsey Orch.
     1942    "Who Wouldn't Love You", Kay Kyser Orch.
     1948    "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" - Art Mooney Orch.
     1948    "Manana" - Peggy Lee
     1948    "Anytime" - Eddy Arnold
     1948    "Now is the Hour" - Bing Crosby
     1956    "Blue Suede Shoes" - Carl Perkins
     1956    "The Poor People of Paris" - Les Baxter
     1956    "(You've Got) The Magic Touch" - The Platters
     1956    "Heartbreak Hotel" - Elvis Presley
     1961    "Daddy's Home", Shep & The Limelites
     1964    "Can't Buy Me Love" - The Beatles
     1964    "Twist and Shout" - The Beatles
     1965    "I'll Be Doggone", Marvin Gaye
     1965    "Cast Your Fate To The Wind", Sounds Orchestral
     1965    "Last Time, The", Rolling Stones
     1965    "I'll Never Find Another You", Seekers
     1971    "Chick-A-Boom (Don't Ya Jes Love It)", Daddy Dewdrop
     1971    "Never Can Say Goodbye", Jacksons
     1972    "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" - Roberta Flack
     1972    "My Hang-Up is You" - Freddie Hart
     1976    "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again", Barry Manilow
     1976    "Misty Blue", Dorothy Moore
     1976    "Welcome Back", John Sebastian
     1982    "Don't You Want Me", Human League
     1982    "Ebony & Ivory", Paul McCartney
     1982    "Other Woman, The", Ray Parker Jr.
     1982    "Always On My Mind", Willie Nelson
     1988    "Devil Inside - INXS
     1988    "Famous Last Words of a Fool" - George Strait
     1988    "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" - Billy Ocean