BIRTHDAYS
1924     Alyn Ainsworth, Musical director/arranger, b. Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK.
1961     Colin Angus, vocals/guitar, b. Aberdeen, Scotland. Member group: 'The Shamen', 1992 single "Ebeneezer Goode" charted UK No.1 .
1942     Fontella Bass, vocals/guitar, b. St. Louis, MO, USA. She co-wrote and recorded "Rescue Me" which was hailed as the National Anthem of Soldiers returning from Vietnam. Soon after her "Rescue Me" success, she disappeared for nearly three decades. In 1995, she made a comeback and released a new album.
1961     Mark Bedford, bass, b. Islington, London, England. Member groups: 'Madness'; 'Voice Of The Beehive'. 1982 single "House Of Fun" charted UK No.1. (20 other UK top 40 hits).
1917     Sally Bennett, b. Fountain Springs, PA, USA. d. June 19, 2003, Palm Beach, FL, USA. (Heart failure. Age: 85). While still a young woman, she moved to Philadelphia, where she attended business school, trained as a model and met and married Paul Bennett in 1947. It was Bennett's career as a Dow Chemical executive that gave his wife the freedom to pursue her intereests. In the 1950s, when the couple lived in Atlanta, GA, Sally Bennett walked into a radio station and proposed they teach her the ropes. She was soon hosting a show to find homes for abandoned animals, a cause she supported throughout her life. From radio, she moved to television, with a show featuring interviews with visiting celebrities, news about local events and an animal-placement segment. During this time, she began collecting big-band memorabilia. In 1957, the couple moved to Cleveland, OH, where Sally Bennett hosted another radio show. When the station switched its format from big-band to rock 'n' roll, Sally quit. During her career, Bennett composed over 1,000 songs. Many were compiled in her 1972 book, "Sugar & Spice: A Collection of All American Poems and Song Lyrics." Her most famous tune, "Magic Moments," was recorded in 1969 by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. On March 25, 2004, ground was broken for a Big Bands museum Thursday in Yesteryear Village, a history-themed attraction at the South Florida Fairgrounds, west of West Palm Beach. Much of her collected memorabilia is on display, and marriage receiptions are often arranged for visitors. Mrs. Bennett was also one of the founding board members of the John F.Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and a past member of the Metropolitan Opera Board.
1957     Steve Berry, Bass, b. Gosport, England, UK.
1945     Ronee Blakley, C&W singer/songwriter/actress, b. Stanley, ID, USA.
1924     Louis "Little" Boyd, (Blues) harmonica, b. Carthage, MS, USA. (Best known as: "Little Boyd".) Played in Cincinati with 'The Bees', and with Otis "Big Smokey" Smothers (b. March 14, 1929, Lexington, MS, USA, d. July 23, 1993, Chicago, IL, USA. "Smokey" is perhaps best recall for playing 2nd guitar with the Howlin' Wolf band).
1944     Jim Brady, vocals.
1912     Freddie Brocksieper, Drums, b. Istanbul, Turkey, d. Jan. 16, 1990.
1963     John Bush, guitar. Member group: 'Anthrax'.
1953     Ed Butler, drums, b. Baltimore, MD, USA. At one time he was a member of "The Red Clay Ramblers".
1944     Jim Capaldi, drums/vocals, b. Evesham, Worcestershire, England, UK. Member group: 'Traffic'. 1967 single "Hole In My Shoe" charted UK No.2; 1975 single "Love Hurts" charted UK No.4.
1934     Jesus Caunedo, reeds/flute, b. Havana, Cuba
1952     Richard Chalk, label owner (Topcat Records), b. Dallas, TX, USA.
1942     Joe Chambers, guitar, b. Scotty County, MS, USA. Member group: 'Chambers Brothers'
1943     John Cipollina, guitar, b. Berkeley, CA, USA. Member group: 'Quicksilver Messenger Service'.
1905     Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, C&W vocals, b. Forest, MS, USA, d. March 28, 1974. né: Arthur William Crudup
1952     John Cowan, lead vocals/bassist b. Evansville, IN, USA. Member: "New Grass Revival".
1959     Malcolm Creese, double bass, b. London, England, UK. Creese comes from a musical background. His father is a professional violinist (semi-retired), who was a violinist for almost thirty years with the London Symphony Orchestra. His mother is a pianist (mostly an accompanist). At just age of three, Creese began to study the cello and continued to make the cello his primary instrument through his schooling in classical studies at London's Guildhall School of Music Creese came late to the double-bass (completely self-taught), picking it up at the age of 25., the discipline of a classical upbringing made the transition rather easy. It was the lure of jazz that drew Creese to the bass. Malcolm toured the world with Cleo Laine and John Dankworth from 1991 to 2001, and played with Stan Tracey for six years. He has performed or recorded with George Shearing, Mel Tormé, Barbara Cook, Art Farmer, Harold Land, Benny Green, Junior Mance, Dee Dee Bridgewater, George Benson, Warren Vaché, Scott Hamilton, Mose Allison, The BBC Big Band, Harry 'Sweets' Edison, Adelaide Hall, Clark Terry, Johnny Griffin, Kenny Wheeler, Sting, Diana Ross, Georgie Fame, The Divine Comedy, Depeche Mode, James Galway, John Williams, Lesley Garrett, and The London Symphony and London Philharmonic Orchestras. For five years during the mid-1990s, Malcolm played in an acoustic trio with reedsman Tony Coe and pianist John Horler. Malcolm now leads his own trio - Acoustic Triangle - which includes Chick Corea's brilliant saxophonist Tim Garland, and John Horler on piano. Their innovative repertoire, that blurs the boundaries between classical and jazz, includes music by Maurice Ravel, Ralph Towner, Bill Evans and Kenny Wheeler. Malcolm started Audio-B (originally 'ABCDs') in 1990. Creese is on the teaching staff at London's Trinity College of Music. He is a member of the advisory board for Jazz Services Ltd., and he writes record reviews for Double Bassist Magazine. He has been nominated at the British Jazz Awards 12 times, and came second in the 2002 'Critics Choice' (double bass category).
1974     Clint Daniels, C&W singer/songwriter/guitarist, b. Panama City, FL, USA.
1955     Jeffrey Daniels, vocals, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. Member group: 'Shalamar'. 1982 single "A Night To Remember" charted UK No.5.
1951     Mike Derosier b. Canada. Member group: 'Heart'.
1931     George Devens, vibes, marimba, percussion, b. New York, NY, USA. né: George Debella,
1934     Roger Donald Dickerson, American composer and Jazz pianist, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. At age 8, he began piano lessons, and also learnt to play brass instruments. Wallace Davenport, a relative who played in the Lionel Hampton Band, furnished him with a basic knowledge of harmony, counterpoint and orchestration. Roger went on to study at Dillard University (BMus 1955) and Indiana University (MM 1957), where his teachers included Bernhard Heiden. During military service in the U. S. Army, Dickerson continued to perform, compose and arrange music. A Fulbright Fellowship enabled him to pursue further study at the Vienna Academy of Music under Schiske and Uhl. In 1975, he co-founded the Creative Arts Alliance. He has taught at Southern University, New Orleans, and served as a consultant in the humanities for the Institute for Services to Education. Among his honours are a John Hay Whitney Fellowship and the Louis Armstrong Memorial Award. His works feature polyphonic textures, dissonant chordal structures and elements derived from jazz and the blues. Roger was in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina struck, he stayed in the city until the water rose to cover his grand piano and other furniture on the first floor of his home, at which time he left. He was rescued by some folks in a flat bottom boat and ended up spending two days and a night at the Superdome, and then was bussed to San Antonio at an air force base there.
1945     Malcolm Duncan, vocals, b. Montrose, Scotland. Member group: 'Average White Band'. 1975 US single "Pick Up The Pieces" charted No.1 and UK No.6.
1927     Keno Duke, Drums, b. St. Michaels, Barbados
1914     Joan M. Duprey, vocals, b. Tishomingo, OK, USA, d. Aug. 15, 2002, Lakewood, NJ, USA. aka: Joan Dye. She was married to trombone player Don Duprey, and over her career, she worked with Pinky Hunter, and The Maurice Spitalny Orchestra.
1919     Mabel Franklin, Blues vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA.
1938     David Freiburg, bass/guitarist, b. Boston, MA, USA. Member group: 'Jefferson Airplane'
1919     Phillip Louis "Phil" Gomez, clarinet, b. Mazatlan, Mexico
1915     Wynonie Harris, Blues shouter/R&B Vocals, b. Omaha, NB, USA. d. June 14, 1969, Los Angeles, CA, USA (throat cancer). Tag: "Mr. Blues". Wynonie Harris' teenaged unmarried mother, Mallie Hood Anderson, was Black. His father, probably a Native American Indian named "Blue Jay", was from an unknown tribe. The parents never lived together and it has been reported that Harris only saw his birth father once when his mother pointed him out from afar. Sometime before 1920, Wynonie’s mother married Luther Harris; they had no more children. Wynonie took Harris as his last name. Harris began his career as a dancer, comedian and MC at the local Omaha, NE, clubs. However, inspired by his heros Jimmy Rushing and "Big Joe" Turner, he headed for Los Angeles where he found work as the MC at the popular Club Alabam. Soon, he was vocalizing in the legendary Lucky Millinder band. The band's 1945 Decca release of the novelty number (with Harris singing) 'Who threw the Whiskey in the Well', was Harris' first big hit.(Preston Love was on sax, and the tune climbed to #4 on the national charts.) Sadly, the booze orientated lyrics predicted dire things to come for Harris. Leaving Millinder, he secured a contract with Apollo Records, and later with Kin Records. Subsequently, Harris performed with such Swing Era bands as Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnnet, and Cab Calloway. During the early 1940s, He did appear in three films. The following years were spent working around the USA, with great success, but in the mid-1950s, Harris' severe alcoholism resulted in his career going into a tailspin, and by May 1955, it was clear that Harris’ fortunes were in reversal. In his home, the gas was shut off and work was scarce. Besides his alcoholism, there were multiple reasons for his fall from popularity. It has been noted that (at age 41) he had not changed with the times, and no longer appealed to younger audiences. The fact that he had always been arrogant and difficult to work with didn't help. In addition, Harris had always been a heavy smoker and drinker and this affected his voice. But, one of the biggest factors was that Harris was financially irresponsible, spending his money as fast as he made it. With the end of his singing career, Wynonie eventually made Oakland, California his home, tending bar for a living. When he found out he was dying, he called all his friends together for one last party. He died in the summer of 1969.
1945     Ken Hensley, guitar/keyboards/composer, b. London, England. Member group: 'Uriah Heep', 1975 UK No.7 album "Return To Fantasy".
1953     Ron Holloway, tenor sax
1903     Claude Hopkins, Piano/Leader, b. Alexandria, VA, USA. d. Feb. 19, 1984, New York, NY, USA. Age 80. Over Claude's career, he worked with the Wilbur Sweatman orchestra and then with such other musicians as trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen; Ovie Alston; Fernando Arbello; Herman Autrey; Buster Bailey; Floyd Brady; Bill Challis; Shirley Clay; Vic Dickenson;Pee Wee Erwin; Edmond Hall; Arville Harris; Chauncey Haughton; Pete Jacobs; Eugene Johnson; Walter Jones; Sylvester Lewis; Lincoln Mills; Fred Norman; Belle Powell; Bobby Sands;Ben Smith; Jabbo Smith; Orlando Smith; Russell "Pops" Smith; Henry Turner; Sol Yaged;Earl Warren; and Dickie Wells
1944     Joni Janak, vocal, b. Amarillo, Texas, USA. Joni is the product of a musical family. Her grandparents and parents owned, operated and taught in the Amarillo College of Music. She attended college at Texas Tech University on a Vocal Scholarship, and in 1969, she moved to Denver, Colorado and has lived there since. Joni has performed professionally since age 13, working and/or recording with such artists as Bill Watrous, Tom Warrington, Marvin Stamm, Carl Fontana, Andy Simpkins, Stefan Karlsson, Ross Tompkins, Carson Smith, Ed Soph, Jake Hanna, Bob Cooper and Conte and Pete Candoli, Dean Bushnell Big Band, The Hot Tomatoes, The Gordon Dooley Orchestra, Roger Campbell, Ellyn Rucker, Ken Walker, Colin Gieg, Ron Moewes, Ed Stephen, Dean Ross, Dale Bruning, Rich Chiaraluce, Jeff Jenkins, Eric Gunnison, Mark Simon, and Paul Romaine. 2001 saw her first European tour (to Derry, Northern Ireland), followed by aanother appearance at the 2002 Derry Jazz Festival. /
1948     Jean-Michel Jarre, multi-instrumentalist/composer, b. Lyons, France.
1886     Earl Johnson, C&W fiddler/session musician, b. Gwinnet County, GA, USA.
1968     Andreas Kisser, Member group: 'Sepultura'.
1959     Tim Mensy, C&W Acoustic Guitar/singer-songwriter, b. Mechanicsville, VA, USA.
1970     Kristyn Osborn, (Country) vocals, b. Magna, UT, USA. Member all girl trio: "SheDaisy"
1916     Lorenzo Pack, songwriter, b. Detroit, MI, USA. Worked with Louis Jordan.
1902     Al Philburn, Trombone, b. Newark, NJ, USA. d. 1972
1929     Edwin Lloyd "Eddie" Phyfe, drums, b. LaCrosse, WI, USA
1897    Fred Rose, Composer, b. Evansville, IN, USA, d. Dec. 1, 1954. né: Wesley Rose. "Kaw-Liga" and "Mansion On The Hill" are among his many compositions.
1943     Bob Sedergreen, Piano, b. Akko, Palestine
1904     Henry "Buster" Smith, Alto Sax/Clarinet/guitar/bass/piano/arranger, b. Ennis, TX, USA, d. Aug. 10, 1991, Dallas, TX, USA.
1903     Ruby Smith, vocals, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Mar. 24, 1977. Worked with Sammy Price
1942     Jimmy Soul, vocals, b. Weldon, NC, USA.
1945     Bryan Spring, Drums, b. London, England
1964     "Pebbles". R∓B producer/vocals.
1924     Louis Teicher, pianist. Member group: Ferrante & Teicher.
1905     Alphonso (Al or Fonnie) Trent, Piano/Leader, b. Fort Smith, AR, USA. d. 1959
1918     Harry Van Walls, C&W vocals/guitar, b. Millersboro, KY, USA. Member: Nite Riders.
1909     Paul Webster, Trumpet, cornet, b. Kansas City, MO, USA d. 1966 USA (Not to be confused with composer Paul Francis Webster )
1938     Mason Williams, guitar, b. Abilene, TX, USA, Member group: 'Classical Gas', and writer for Smother Brothers Hour TV show
1929     William Winfield, vocals, b. New York, NY, USA. Member group: 'The Harptones'. (some say b. Norfolk, VA, USA)
1941     Ernest Wright, vocals. Member group: 'Little Anthony And The Imperials'
1880     Herbert Yates, Label owner (American Records Corp.), b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1969.     Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" premiered in both New York and Los Angeles.
1972.     Don Byas, tenor sax, died in Amsterdam, Holland. Age: 59
1977.     Eugene Pierson, guitar, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 42
1979.     Teddy Smith, bass, died in Washington, DC, USA. Age: 47. Worked with Horace Silver
1978.     Famed Trumpeter Louis Prima died in New Orleans, LA, USA, Age: 66. (following an operation for a brain tumour)
1981.     Jorgen Grunnet Jepsen, discographer Copenhagen, Denmark, Age: 54
1981.     Bill Coleman, trumpet, died in Toulouse, France. Age: 77
1985.     Bill Gaither, tenor-baritone-bass sax, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 58
1985.     L. C. Green, Blues guitar, died in Pontiac, MI, USA. Age: 63
1986.     Edmund "Doc" Souchon, guitar, banjo, vocal, died in Metarie, LA, USA. (aneurysm) (b. .Oct. .25, 1897 )
1986.     Pete Daily, cornet, died in Los Angeles, California, USA. (né: Thaman Pierce Daily b. May 5, 1911, Portland, Indiana, USA
1986.     Joe Tarto, tuba, bass, died (b. Feb. 22, 1902, Newark, NJ, USA) (aka: "The Titan of the Tuba")
1988.     Nat Stuckey, C&W Singer-Songwriter/Guitar, died of lung cancer. Age: 54 (b. Cass County, Texas)
1991.     "Washboard Willie" Hensley, washboard/drums, died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 82
1992.     Laurie Londin, sessions drumer, (b. London, Eng. UK) died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 48 (aka: Ralph Gallant; Larrie Londin)
1994.     Jessie Bolian, vocals, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 53. Member: 'The Artistics'
1997.     Tete Montoliu, piano, died in Barcelona, Spain. (né: Vicenç Montoliu i Massana. ) (b. (March 28, 1933, Barcelona, Spain.)
1998.     Carl Barriteau, clarinet, died in Australia
2000.     Audie Ashworth, C&W DJ/music publisher, died. Age: 78,
2004.     Noble "Thin Man" Watts, tenor sax, died in DeLand, Florida, USA. ( pneumonia, complicated by emphysema) (b. Feb. 17, 1926, DeLand, Florida, USA)
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1924 "Go Long Mule", - Carl Fenton Orch.
1924 "Adoration Waltz", - The Romancers Orch. (Paul Specht Orch.)
1924 "West Indies Blues", - Piron's New Orleans Orch.
1924 "Old Fashioned Love", - Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake.
1929 "On Candlelight Lane", - Ted Fio Rito Orch.
1929 "Then You've Never Been Blue", - Ted Fio Rito Orch.
1934 "Don't Let It Bother You", - Leo Reisman Orch.
1924 "Copenhagen", - Benson Orch., Of Chicago
1924 "Let Me Be The First One To Kiss You Good Morning", - Jack Chapman Orch.
1929 "That's All", - Fats Waller Orch.
1933 "Weep No More My Baby", - Paul Whiteman Presents Ramona.
1934 "One Night Of Love", - Eddie Duchin Orch.
1934 "(But) What About Me", - Eddie Duchin Orch.
1934 "I See Two Lovers", - Eddie Duchin Orch.
1939 "I Must Have One More Kiss", - Hal Kemp Orch.
1939 "Crying In My Dreams", - Hal Kemp Orch.
1939 "All In Favor of Swing Say Ay", - Tommy Dorsey Orch.
1939 "Night Glow", - Tommy Dorsey Orch.
1947 "I Still Get Jealous", - Harry James Orch.
1944 "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby)", - Louis Jordan
1951 "Down Yonder", - Del Wood
1959 "Til I Kissed You", - Everly Brothers
1963 "Blue Velvet", - Bobby Vinton
1968 "Hush", - Deep Purple
1968 "House That Jack Built, The", - Aretha Franklin
1968 "I Say A Little Prayer", - Aretha Franklin
1968 "Fool On The Hill, The", - Sergio Mendes
1974 "Sweet Home Alabama", - Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 "I Honestly Love You", - Olivia Newton-John
1974 "Another Saturday Night", - Cat Stevens
1985 "Take On Me", - A-HA
1985 "Lonely Ol' Night", - John Cougar
1985 "Saving All My Love For You", - Whitney Houston
1985 "Oh Sheila", - Ready For The World
1991 "Hole Hearted", - Extreme
1991 "Everybody Plays The Fool", - Aaron Neville
1991 "Do Anything", - Natural Selection
1991 "Romantic", - Karyn White