April 23          BIRTHDAYS 1929     Leonard Barnard, Drums, b. Melbourne, Australia 1959     Thilo Berg, Drums/Bandleader/Producer, b. Dortmund, Germany 1921     Janet Blair, singer/actress, b: Altoona, PA, USA, d. Feb. 19, 2007, Los Angeles, California, USA. (complications of pneumonia). né: Martha Jane Lafferty. Janet is best recalled as an actress, but started her career as a band singer, notably with Hal Kemp's Orchestra. She had met Kemp, when both were members of Ozzie Nelson's band, which featured Harriet Hilliard, Hal Kemp, and this young girl singer from Altoona, Pa., then using the stage name of Janet Blair. When Janet was singing in Hal Kemp's band, a very young musician, Lou Busch, later also known as Joe "Fingers" Carr, was the band's pianist (and was throughout most of the 1930s). Janet became the first of Busch's several wives. After Kemp's demise, Janet turned to Hollywood and signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1941. She subsequently appeared in many films including the 1947 film The Fabulous Dorseys. She toured for many years in the road company of South Pacific, where she perhaps played the leading role of Nurse Nellie Forbush more often than any other actress, and sang all those wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes. The 1941 'flick' Three Girls About Town a comedy mystery film starred Joan Blondell, Binnie Barnes and Janet Blair in the title roles. In 1943, Janet appeared in the Columbia film Something To Shout About in which a young Cyd Charisse also appeared - but under the name of Lily Norwood. Janet also played Sid Caesar's wife in many of the comedian's TV appearances of the 1956-57 season, and she co-hosted 1959's The Chevy Show with singer John Raitt. Blair also starred in several stage musicals in London's West End district, -Janet was the Leading Lady in the Green-Comden-Styne show Bells Are Ringing, at the Coliseum Theatre, in November 1957. Incidentally, a young Shirley Sands, was in the chorus, and when Janet Blair left the cast and Julie Wilson took over, Sands became Wilson's understudy. Sands went on to great fame all through the U.K., but curiously not in the U. S. A. Janet also co-starred with Rita Hayworth in the 1945 film, Tonight and Every Night. In the film, Janet sang a duet with Hayworth on the song "The Boy I Left Behind". 1947     Alan Broadbent, Piano/Composer/arranger, b. Auckland, NZ, USA. 1960     'Steamin' Steve Clark, guitar, b. Sheffield, England. Member group: 'Def Leppard' (1991) 1968     Paul Clifford, drums/bass guitar. Member group: 'The Wonder Stuff' 1940     Pierre Courbois, drummer, b. Nijmegen, Netherlands 1894     Charles "Cow-Cow" Davenport, Piano/Vocal, b. Anniston, AL, USA. d. Dec. 3, 1955, USA. 1940     Jim Eccleston, Trumpet/all Brass, b: Shrewsbury, England, UK.. Grew up on the Welsh border and thus became involved in many local brass bands at an early age. Played for a local dance band 'Billy Gibbons' before heading to London where he joined Billy Ternent Orch., in '58-'60. Also met and studied under Hank Shaw of the Joe Harriott Quintet during that period. In the early 1060s, he relocated to Canada, and carried a union card there for almost 40 years but only did gig work, due to working . in the new technologies. 1930     Michael Flagstad, Saxophone/Clarinet, b. Oslo, Norway 1904     Leslie French, actor/singer 1903     Bob Garber, leader/piano, b.Washington, D.C., d. March 6, 1988, Ormond-By-The-Sea, FL, USA.(Ormond Beach is inland) Bob led a part-time "territorial" band in the Washington, DC area. 1960     David Gedge, vocals/guitar. Member group: 'The Wedding Present' 1964     Gen", leader/vocals. né: Mike Edwards. Member groups: "Jesus Jones", "Throbbing Gristle", and 'Pearls Before Swine' 1949     Mâns Groundstroem, Bassist, b. Finland. Member Finnish rock quintet: "Tasavallan Presidentti" (President of the Republic), formed 1969 consisting of Juhani Aaltonen (sax and flute b. Dec 12, 1935), Mâns Groundstroem (Bassist, b. April 23, 1949) and Frank Robson (vocals, b. April 27, 1946) Jukka Tolonen (Guitar, b. April 16, 1952) and Vesa Aaltonen (drums, b. March 7, 1950) 1963     Billy Gould, bass/vocals, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. 1935     Vernice "Bunky" Green, Alto Sax, b. Milwaukee, WI, USA. 1964     Simon Hale, Piano/keyboards , b. Birmingham, England 1919     "Little" Benny Harris, Trumpet, b. New York, NY, USA. d. May 11, 1975 1943     James Kinds, vocals/guitar/leader, b. Drew, MS, USA. Member: 'James Kinds and the All Night-Riders' ( a Dubuque, IA, -based blues, soul and rock n' roll band.) 1915     Joe Lippman, piano, b. Boston MA, USA. Joe was a very popular arranger all through the Big Bands era, and into the 'bop' era as well. Among those bands for whom he wrote are Artie Shaw (and the Peg La Centra vocals), Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey (and many Helen O'Connell hits), Stan Kenton, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and others. 1938     "Manuel", clothes designer for (C&W) stars, b. Mexico. 1964     Simon Matthews, drums. Member group: 'Jesus Jones' 1912     Orville Minor, trumpet, b. Kansas City, MO, USA. 1895     Jimmy Noone, Clarinet/leader, b. Cut Off, LA, USA. d. April 19, 1944. One of the great 1920s New Orleans clarinetists. 1936     Roy Orbison, Country/Pop/Rock vocals, b. Vernon, TX, USA, d. Dec. 6, 1988, Madison, TN, USA (Nashville area), TN, USA. Heart attack. Began his career writing "Country" songs for the Everly Brothers and others. The release of Elvis Presley's great hit record of "Only the Lonely", in 1960, kicked off a string of 1960's rock ballads, featuring his own distinctive voice, including "Runnin' Scared" (1961) and "It's Over" (1964), and other "rockers" like "Oh, Pretty Woman," which Van Halen revamped in the 1980's. He recorded with 'The Travelling Wilburys' supergroup in the late 1980's, then released "Mystery Girl", but his popular resurgence was cut short by his death a few weeks later. 1929     Calvin Owens, trumpet, b. Houston, TX, USA. 1948     George Paulis, label founder (Barrelhouse), b. Chicago, IL, USA. 1939     Ray Peterson, vocals/label owner. Biggest hit: "Corinna, Corinna". Owned the 'Dunes" label 1923     Dambuza Pimville, vocals, b. South Africa Member: 'Manhattan Brothers' 1924     Bob Rosengarden, Drums/Leader, b. Elgin, IL, USA, d. Feb. 27, 2007, Sarasota, FL, USA. (kidney failure). Member: "World's Greatest Jazz Band", and "Soprano Summit". Began drumming at just age 5, and later attended the University of Michigan on a music scholarship. In addition to these two groups, Bobby also played with just about everybody from Charlie Spivak, Raymond Scott, Louis Armstrong (toured Russia with 'Satchmo'), Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, J.J. Johnson, the N.Y. Philharmonic, and Miles Davis, -to name just a few. He himself came from a musical family, and today, his two sons are also very active professional musicians. Upon his demise, a New York Times reporter wrote: " A veteran of television network orchestras, talk-show bands and recording sessions, Mr. Rosengarden played bongos for Harry Belafonte, banged a metal triangle on the Ben E. King hit record "Stand By Me" and cupped his hands to blow the eerie hooting hyena sound on the theme from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," during a recording session for a radio-ready version of the song. He played conga on "She Cried" by Jay and the Americans, the water gong for the pianist Dick Hyman and finger cymbals on an Arlo Guthrie recording. He was also adept at the saw, spoons and the washboard." "But he was most at home driving a big band with a drum set. He played on "The Steve Allen Show," "The Ernie Kovacs Show," "Sing Along With Mitch" and in the early years of Johnny Carson's version of "The Tonight Show." 1955     Mark Schatz, (Bluegrass) bassist, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. 1958     Kendra Shank, vocals, vocals/guitar 1952     Narada Michael Walden, vocals/drums/producer, b. Kalamazoo, MI, USA. 1938     Roland White, (C&W) Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals/Producer/Liner Notes, b. Madawaska, ME, USA. Member: "Nashville Bluegrass Band" 1968     Tim Womack, guitar/vocals. Member group: 'Sons of the Desert'          Notable Events occuring this date include: 1984.    "Red" Garland, piano, died. 1900.    The word "Hillbilly" appeared in print for the first time in a 'The New York Journal' article. 1940.    Walter Barnes, alto sax/clarinet, died Natchez, MS, USA. Age: 35 1956.    Under the theory of "If at first you don't succeeed, try, try again, we report that Elvis Presley made his Las Vegas debut, opening for comedian Shecky Greene. He was released after just the first week of his two week contract. Reason: Poor audience response. 1988.    Ocie Stockard, Western Swing/multi-instrumentalist, died in Fort Worth, TX, USA. Age: 78 1991.    Johnny Thunders (né: John Anthony Genzale), guitarist/singer with The New York Dolls, found dead in a New Orleans hotel, age 38. Reportedly died from a methadone overdose. 1995.    "Lonesome Sundown" (né: Cornelius Green), guitar, died in Gonzales, LA, USA. Age: 66 (b. Dec 12, 1928, Donaldsville, LA, USA)          Songs Recorded/Released this date include: 1945   "Candy" - Johnny Mercer & Jo Stafford 1945   "I'm Beginning to See the Light" - The Harry James Orchestra (vocal: Kitty Kallen) 1945   "My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time" - The Pied Pipers 1953   "I Believe" - Frankie Laine 1953   "Doggie in the Window" - Patti Page 1953   "Pretend" - Nat King Cole 1953   "Your Cheatin' Heart" - Hank Williams 1955   "Unchained Melody", - Roy Hamilton 1955   "Honey-Babe", - Art Mooney 1955   "Whatever Lola Wants", -Sarah Vaughan 1961   "Mother-In-Law" - Ernie K-Doe 1961   "Don't Worry" - Marty Robbins 1966   "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35", Bob Dylan 1966   "Message To Michael", Warwick, Dionne 1969   "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In" - The 5th Dimension 1969   "Galveston - Glen Campbell 1969   "You've Made Me So Very Happy - Blood, Sweat & Tears 1977   "Feels Like The First Time", Foreigner 1977   "Got To Give It Up - Part 1", Marvin Gaye 1977   "Lucille", Rogers, Kenny 1977   "Southern Nights" - Glen Campbell 1977   "She's Got You" - Loretta Lynn 1983   "Always Something There To Remind Me", Naked Eyes 1983   "Affair Of The Heart", Rick Springfield 1985   "I Need More of You" - Bellamy Brothers 1985   "We are the World" - USA for Africa 1985   "Crazy for You" - Madonna 1988   "Everything Your Heart Desires", Hall & Oates