BIRTHDAYS
1927     Don Barbour, vocals, b. Greencastle, IN, USA. Member The Four Freshmen
1943     Czeslaw Bartkowski, Drums, b. Lodz, Poland
1905     Tommy Benford, Drums, b. Charleston, WV, USA. d. March 24, 1994. Played with 'Jelly Roll' Morton's Red Hot Peppers
1968     Bekka Bramlett, (Fleetwood Mac)
1965     Gary "Stretch" Brewer, (Bluegrass) guitar, b. Louisville, KY, USA. Member group: 'Gary Brewer and The Kentucky Ramblers' Both his father and grandfather were musicians. Originally, Gary was a 'Rock and Roller', until hit by an automobile. While in hospital, he began to play the acoustic guitar. In 1980, Gary and two of his rock `n' roll buddies formed the "Kentucky Ramblers". Since 1986, have been under contract with the City of Louisville (are on the city payroll receiving regular paychecks), and perform for various city functions. In 1994, they toured with Bill Monroe.(also toured Europe). In 1995, made their first guest appearance on the 'Grand Ole Opry'. In 2002, Gary won two gold medals at the U.S. Tai-Kwon-Do championships, which qualified him for the 2004 Olympic team.
1938     Roman Carter, bass, b. Georgiana, AL, USA.
1898     "Doctor" Clayton, vocals, b. GA, USA.
1920     Frank Fontaine, actor/singer, d. Aug. 4, 1978. Best recalled for his appearances on The Jackie Gleason Show. (TV)
1914     Sylvia Froos, vocals/actress, b. New York, NY, USA. d. March 28, 2004, New York, NY, USA. (Massive Stroke). Age: 90. Sylvia was a child star whose talent allowed her to become an adult star. (A rare occurrence.) As "Baby Sylvia Froos" she introduced such hit songs as "In a Little Spanish Town", and "Mr. Radio Man". In 1927, she made musical film history when she appeared in one of the very first "talkie" Vitaphone 'Shorts' (released by Warner Bros.) entitled "The Little Princess of Songs". Just six months later, Warner released "The Jazz Singer", starring Al Jolson, the first full length "talking film". While still a child, she played the vaudeville circuit as "The Little Princess", and later as an adult was billed as "The Princess of Song". During her childhood, Sylvia shared the stage with such stars as tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and Bing Crosby appearing with the Rhythm Boys and the Paul Whiteman orchestra. During the 1930s, she often appeared on radio programs (as a singer), including appearing on comedian Fred Allen's popular program. In 1931, she appeared on the stage of New York's famed Palace Theatre, on a bill headlined by the Marx Brothers. In 1933, she again played the Palace. In 1934, she was seen in the Hollywood film, "Stand Up and Cheer", dressed as a 'cowgirl' and singing "Broadway's Gone Hillbilly". She also had her own show on the NBC network. A 1935 Los Angeles Times article mentioned that she had recently appeared with Rudy Vallee, and would be appearing on the Al Jolson 'Shell Chateau" radio program. (The newspaper had a picture of her dressed in a double-breasted suit with bow tie, and wearing a cocked straw hat, while standing in front of a NBC microphone.) In a 1935 poll, she was one of the top choices for 'Best Female Pop Singer". Among her hits that year were "Who's Your Little Who-zis" and "You Don't Know The Music". American Vaudeville began to decline in the mid-1930s, but Sylvia was able to work on European vaudeville stages, -in Dublin Ireland, and Londan, England. She even appeared on a very early English television show. In the early 1940s, she became resident in New York City, and was also seen in many 'Short Subject' films. She became a "Ocean Cruise Ship" booking agent for show talent, and by the mid-'50s, was fully retired. In her later years, she was gratified when a new generation discovered her by watching her "short subjects" on such TV shows as "Turner Classic Movies". In 1976, her 'oral history' entitled "The Vaudevillians" was published. Sylvia never married.
1934     Dickie Goodman, vocals, b. USA. Member: 'Buchanan & Goodman'
1943     Eve Graham, vocals. né: Evelyn May Beatsom. Member group: 'The New Seekers'. Best recalled tune: "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" (which tune started life as a Coca Cola commercial.)
1915     Joe Greene, songwriter, b, Spokane, WA, USA.
1906     Alex Hill, Piano, b. North Little Rock, AR, USA. d. 1937. né: William A. Hill
1963     Wendy Holcombe, C&W banjo, b. (rural) Alabama, USA.
1938     Bee Houston, guitar, b. San Antonio, TX, USA.
1936     Ruby Johnson, vocals, b. Elizabeth City, NC, USA.
1928     Alexis Korner, Guitar, vocal. b. Paris, France. d. Jan. 1, 1984, London, England (Cancer). His group, "Blues Inc.", served as a stepping stone to fame for Mick Jagger, Long John Baldry, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts.
1932     Shorty Lavender, C&W fiddler, b. Old Fort, NC, USA.
1900     E. R. Lewis,, co-founder of Decca Records, b. Derby, England.
1922     Glauco Masetti, Alto Sax/clarinet, b. Milan, Italy
1935     Dudley Moore, piano, actor, b. Dagenham, East London, England, UK. d. March 27, 2002, Plainfield, NJ, USA. (complications with the degenerative brain condition 'progressive supranuclear palsy', a disease similar to Parkinson's that affects one in every 100,000 people.) né: Dudley Stuart John Moore. Most people will recall all four siblings -- as well as their mother Emerald -- performed in the family group Sheer Joy Moore as a Comedic Actor, but, he was a fine musician too. Though born with a deformed left foot, he maintianed a strong will to succeed. As a child, he was a chorister and organist in his church, and from there went on to become a fine pianist, with degrees in music and composition from Oxford. Interestingly, later in life, after achieving fame as a comedy actor, he recorded several albums of jazz and appeared in concert with the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra. He, together with comic Peter Cooke, formed part of the four-man comedy revue "Beyond the Fringe, which ran for two years in London, and then Broadway. Following that, he and Peter Cook formed a double-act, that achieved some success with their stage shows, while also making movie appearances in "The Wrong Box" (1966) and "Bedazzled" (1967). IT is not at all well known, but Moore also composed the scores for several films including "30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia" (1967), "Inadmissible Evidence" (1968) and "Staircase" (1969). Moore eventually settled in Hollywood, CA, where he met famed director Blake Edwards in a therapy group. When actor George Segal walked off of Blake's production of "10", Blake screen-tested Moore, and it led to Moore's greatest fame. In 1958, Dudley Moore married Suzy Kendall. In 1975, he married Tuesday Weld, with whom he had a son, Patrick. in 1988, he and Brogan Lane were married, and in 1994, he married Nicole Rothschild in 1994, which union produced a second son, Nicholas.
1951     Dick Pearce, Trumpet, b. London, England
1941     Alan Price, keyboards/vocals. b. Fatfield, County Durham, England. Played with 'The Animals', and also led his own 'Alan Price Combo'. Perhaps best recalled for the recordong "House of the Rising Sun".
1942     Larry Ramos Jr., guitar/vocals. né: Hilario Ramos Jr. Member group: 'The Association'
1939     Bill Rice, C&W guitar/vocals/producer. b. Datto, AR, USA.
1954     Bob Rock, vocals/producer. Member groups: 'The Payola$' and 'Rock & Hyde'. As a producer, he helped such groups as Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, The Cult, Metallica, and Motley Crue.
1941     Bobby Russell, (C&W) songwriter, b. Nashville, TN, USA.
1947     Mark Volman, saxophone/vocals. b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. Member of such groups as the 'Crossfires', 'The Nightriders', and 'The Turtles'.
1895     Jim Wolverton, C&W vocals, b. Mississippi, USA. Member group: "Leake County Revelers"
1944     Bernie Worrell, piano, b. Long Beach, NJ, USA.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1944.    Jimmy Noone died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 48. Jimmy was one of the three top New Orleans clarinetists of the 1920s.
1974.    Jesse Price, drums, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 64
1983.    Laverne Smith, piano, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 58
1985.    Willie Mabon, piano, died in Paris, France. Age: 59
1986.    "Mama" Yancey, piano, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 90
1988.    Ed Burke, trombone, died in New York (East Elmhurst), NY, USA. Age: 79
1990.    Dave Dexter, producer (for Capitol), died in Sherman Oaks, CA, USA. Age: 74
1993.    Steve Douglas, tenor sax, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 55
1993.    Clifford Scott, tenor sax, died in San Antonio, TX, USA. Age: 64
1994.    Larry Davis, guitar, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 57
1995.    Herbert "King" Whitaker, tenor sax, died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Age: 65
1998.    Earl A. Bolick, singer/guitarist with the 'Blue Sky Boys', died at age 78. (heart attack.)
2001.    John Stoneman, C&W singer, died in Jonesville, VA, USA. (Cardiac Arrest) Age: 77. Original member: "The Stonemans"
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1949   "Cruising Down the River" - The Russ Morgan Orchestra (vocal: The Skyliners)
1949   "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" - Vaughn Monroe
1957   "Little Darlin'" - The Diamonds
1965   "King of the Road" - Roger Miller
1965   "I Know a Place" - Petula Clark
1969   "Boxer, The", -Simon and Garfunkel
1973   "Sing" - Carpenters
1973   "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" - Tony Orlando backed with vocal group "Dawn".
1975   "Love Won't Let Me Wait", -Major Harris
1975   "Bad Time", -Grand Funk Railroad
1980   "Biggest Part Of Me", -Ambrosia
1980   "Funkytown", Lipps, Inc.
1980   "Hurt So Bad", Ronstadt, Linda
1981   "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" - Sheena Easton
1981    "Old Flame" - Alabama
1986   "On My Own", -Patti Labelle
1986   "Be Good To Yourself", Journey
1986   "Live To Tell", Madonna
1989    "She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young cannibals
1989    "Like a Prayer - Madonna