BIRTHDAYS
1939     Jorge Anders, Sax, b. Buenos Aires, Argentina
1934     Bob Anderson, bass, b. Bolivar, TN, USA.
1946     Lenny Baker, sax, b. Whitman, MA, USA. of 'Sha Na Na'
1964     Mark 'Bez' Berry, producer/remixer, b. Manchester, England, UK. Member group: 'Happy Mondays', 'Black Grape'
1924     Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Guitar/Harmonica/Vocals, b. Vinton, Louisiana, USA, d. Sept. 10, 2005.
1933     Laurie Chescoe, Drums, b. London, England
1928     Ken Colyer, Cornet, b. Great Yarmouth, England, d. 1988
1970     Greg Eklund, drums/vocals. Member group: 'Everclear'
1939     Gus Galbraith, trumpet, b. Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 1962, Gus was a member of the Johnny Dankworth Orchestra, that also included Alan Branscombe (piano); Ron Simmonds, Gus Galbraith, Kenny Wheeler and Leon Calvert (trumpets)l John Dankworth, Danny Moss, Art Ellefson, and Roy East (saxes); Ed Harvey, Tony Russell (trombones); Ron Snyder, (tuba); Bassist Kenny Napper and drummer Ronnie Stephenson. Gus also led the 'Gus Galbraith Sextet', among which were Saxophonist Dick Morrissey (b. May 9, 1940 in Horley, England. aka. Richard Edwin Morrissey), and alto saxophonist Pete King. CAUTION: Do not confuse this trumpeter Gus Galbraith, with guitarist Barry Galbraith (see the December 18 calendar).
1938     Hal Galper, Piano, b. Salem, MA. USA. Authored book 'The Touring Musician'. Among the Jazzmen with whom he worked are Stan Getz, Cannonball Adderley, and Chuck Mangione. Led his own Hal Galper Quintet
1953     Danny Gottlieb, Drums, b. New York, NY. USA
1939     Glen D. Harding, piano, b. Wellington, TX, USA.
1932     Freddy Hill, Trumpet, b. Jacksonville, FL. USA
1958     Andy Kyriacou, drums/vocals. Member group: 'Modern Romance', a group originally called 'The Leyton Buzzards' changed to 'Modern Romance' in the early 1980s with David Jaymes (bass guitar and vocals), Geoffrey Deane (Vocals -Deane left to be replaced by Michael Mullins), John Du Prez (Trumpet), Robbie Jaymes (Keyboards), Paul Gender (Guitars) and Andy Kyriacou (Drums). Geoffrey Deane later wrote the TV sitcom "Babes in the wood", and Andy Kyriacou represented the island of Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest.
1949     Kyle Lehning, Records producer, b. Cairo, IL, USA.
1925     Billy Liebert, C&W sessions multi-instrumentalist/conductor, b. Detroit, MI, USA.
1929     Walt Levinsky, clarinet/alto sax, d. Dec. 1999
1906     "Little Brother Montgomery", (Blues) piano/vocals, b. Kentwood, LA, USA. d. Sept. 6, 1985, Champaign, IL, USA. Influencing the likes of "Sunnyland Slim", and Otis Spann, pianist "Little Brother's" lengthy career spanned both the earliest years of Acoustic blues history, and Chicago's electrified scene of the 1950s.
1918     Anthony "Tony" Mottola, Guitar/composer, b. Kearney, NJ. USA, d. Aug. 10, 2004, Denville, NJ, USA. Played with George Hall, and Raymond Scott Orchestras. Also worked as Arranger for the Perry Como TV Show. Often worked with fellow guitarist Al Caiola.
1913     Rose "Chee Chee" Murphy, vocals/piano, b. Xenia, OH, USA.
1921     Virginia O'Brien, Actress/comedic vocals. Film work only.
1925     Leo Parker, Alto/Baritone Sax, b. Washington, DC, USA. d. 1962, USA. Among the groups with whom he worked are Billy Eckstine's Big Band, "Sir" Charles Thompson, Illinois Jacquet's Band, and with Dizzy Gillespie.
1953     Rick Moranis, vocals, b. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1947     Walt Richmond, C&W vocals, b. Tulsa, OK, USA. Member group: "The Tractors,"
1937     James Rivers, tenor-alto sax, b. New Orleans, LA, USA.
1935     Paul Rothchild, record producer, b. Brooklyn, NY, USA. This Elektra Records producer worked with such artists as Janis Joplin, Love, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and the Doors, among others. Rothchild, the son of an opera singer, studied classical conducting before becoming entranced by the early 1960s 'Folk' music scene.
1926     Jimmy Rowser, Bass, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. This seldom heard bassist has worked with such men as Benny Goodman, Jerry Dodgion, Rudy Van Gelder, Steuart Liebig, Miroslaw Kudykowski, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, David Spinozza, Ralph MacDonald, Hilton Ruiz, and others.
1907     Miklos Rozsa, composer (films), b. Budapest, Hungary, d. July 27, 1995, Los Angeles, California, USA. (after a series of Strokes)
1923     Beatrice Smith, vocals, b. Tulsa, OK, USA.
1944     Skip Spence, guitar/drums, b. Windsor, Ontario, Canada. d. April 16, 1999, Santa Cruz, CA, USA (Cancer: 2 days before his 53rd birthday). né: Alexander Lee Spence. The original drummer for the group 'Jefferson Airplane drummer', --although he was a guitarist and had never played drums before joining the group. Spence left after their first album and then joined the group 'Moby Grape'. In 1968, during a recording session, Spence flipped out and some accounts tell of him running amok with a fire axe in the recording studio. He was subsequently committed to New York's Bellevue Hospital. His career continued, he played and also recorded solo but, sadly, continuing mental illness and deteriorating health prevented from reaching a fully functional state.
1953     Fred Stride, composer/leader/teacher, In addition to Jazz compositions, he has also written concert music for for the CBC Vancouver Orchestra and the Vancouver Symphony. He has received numerous commissions and broadcasts from the CBC, and a number of his works have been released on CD by CBC Records.
1943     Clyde Stubblefield, drums, b. Chattanooga, TN, USA.
1974     Trina & Tamara (Powell), R&B vocals, b. Gary, IN, USA. Sisters of singer Jesse Powell. In 1983, the family relocated to Philadelphia, PA, where all four siblings -- and their mother Emerald -- performed in the family group 'Sheer Joy'.
1941     Mike Vickers, guitar/reeds. b.Southampton, Hants, England. Member group: 'Manfred Mann'.
1886     Leon "Abner" Weaver, C&W vocals, b. Ozark, MO, USA. Member group: 'The Weaver Bros. & Elviry'
1947     James Woods, actor/singer, b. Vernal, UT, USA.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1936.    Gene Autry recorded "Back In The Saddle Again."
1936.    Milton Brown, pioneer Western Swing leader/vocalist, died in Crystal Springs, TX, USA. Age: 32. "Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies"
1973.    Willie "The Lion" Smith, piano, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 75
1974.    Johnny Young, guitar/mandolin, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 56
1983.    Buddy Savitt, sax, died in Somers Point, NJ, USA. Age: 52
1996.    Bernard Edwards, bass, died in Toyko, Japan. Age: 43
1996.    Mike Leander, producer, died in ?Majorca, Spain, Age: 54
2001.    Billy Mitchell, Bebop tenor sax, died in Rockville Centre, New York, USA. Age: 74. He had played in the Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie bands.
2003.    Harry Dailey, (C&W) songwriter, died in Falls Church, VA, USA. Age: 51.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1936. "Back in the Saddle Again", recorded by Gene Autry.
     1941 "Dolores", -Tommy Dorsey (also Bing Crosby and Harry James)
     1941 "Alexander The Swoose", -Kay Kyser
     1946 "Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The Inside)", -Dinah Shore
     1947 "Peg O' My Heart", Harmonicats
     1947 "Heartaches", Harry James
     1947 "I Can't Begin To Tell You", -Harry James
     1948 "Anytime" - Eddy Arnold
     1948 "Now is the Hour" - Bing Crosby
     1948 "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" - The Art Moonie Orchestra
     1952 "I'm Yours", - Don Cornell
     1952 "Delicado", - Percy Faith
     1953 "Say You're Mine Again", -Como, Perry
     1956 "Heartbreak Hotel" - Elvis Presley
     1956 "Blue Suede Shoes" - Carl Perkins
     1956 "The Poor People of Paris" - Les Baxter Orch.
     1956 "Long Tall Sally" - Little Richard
     1960 "Stairway To Heaven", -Neil Sedaka
     1964 "Ronnie", -Four Seasons
     1964 "Can't Buy Me Love" - The Beatles
     1964 "Twist and Shout" - The Beatles
     1970 "Love On A Two-Way Street", Moments
     1970 "Cecilia", Simon and Garfunkel
     1970 "Everything is Beautiful", - Ray Stevens
     1972 "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" - Roberta Flack
     1980 "Call Me" - Blondie
     1980 "Honky Tonk Blues" - Charley Pride
     1980 "Another Brick in the Wall" - Pink Floyd
     1987 "You Keep Me Hangin' On", Wilde, Kim
     1988 "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" - Whitney Houston
     1988 "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" - Billy Ocean
     1988 "Devil Inside - INXS
     1992 "Under The Bridge", Red Hot Chili Peppers