BIRTHDAYS
1928    Peter Appleyard, vibes, b. Cleethorpes, England
1927    Norman Louis Bates, Bass, Boise, Idaho
1960    Jim Beard, piano, keyboards, Synthesizer, Philadelphia, PA, USA
1906    Mickey Bloom, trumpet, b. New York, NY, USA.
1937    Don Bowman, DJ and (C&W; comedy) vocals b. Lorinzo, Texas, USA.
1927    Tony Brent, vocals, b. Bombay, India.
1917    Roger H. Busdicker, clarinet/band director, b. Winona, MN, USA, d. June 13, 2006, Winona, MN, USA. Roger will alwsys be recalled both as one of the co-founders of the Hal Leonard Orchestra, a popular dance band in the upper Midwest, including the ballrooms in Chicago, and co-director of the Hal Leonard Music Publishing Company. Busdicker played a great clarinet back in the 1930s and early 1940s when he performed in the Hal Leonard Orchestra with brothers Everett and Harold Edstrom. In 1934, Roger graduated from Lewiston, Minnesota High School, and in 1938, from Winona (MN) State Teachers College. He taught at high schools in Clarissa, Minn., (1938-1939), and Mabel, Minn., (1939-1943) as a band director. Then he was a band director at Winona State College from 1945 to 1946. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corp, as a navigation instructor and bomber navigator, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. On Dec. 27, 1938, Roger married Martha Ann Fakler, in Winona, MN (she preceded him in death Dec. 13, 1995). In 1947, he co-founded Hal Leonard Publishing Corp. and served as its president and vice chairman until retirement in 1986. He also was the co-owner of Edstrom Management Corp., Edstrom Telephone and Sound and Edstrom Realty.
1954    Michael Chetwood, keyboards. Member group: "T'Pau", 1987 single "China In Your Hand" charted UK No.1.
1949    Bob Cowsill, vocals, b. Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
1941    Chris Curtis, vocals/drums. Member group: 'The Searchers', 1964 single "Needles And Pins" charted UK No.1
1942    Vic Dana, vocals/dancer, b. Buffalo, NY, USA. . Member group: Talent Scouts, Shangri-La.
1948    Brian Duffy, drums. b. UK. aka: 'Jet Black'. Member group: The Stranglers, 1982 single "Golden Brown" charted UK No.2, (over 20 other top 40 hits.)
1958    David Finck, bass, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA, (some sources say b. Rochester,NY)
1919    Ronny Graham, vocals/actor, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA, d. 1999. Best recalled for his work in the Bob Crane Show, and Chico & the Man.
1965    Annie Holland, drums. Member group: Elastica, 1995 UK single "Waking Up" charted No.13.
1904    Christopher Isherwood, author, b. UK, d. 1986. This English novelist and playwright wrote 'Goodbye to Berlin', which subsequently became the inspiration for both the play 'I Am A Camera' and for the musical and film 'Cabaret' (starring Liza Minelli).
1941    Clifford Jarvis, Drums, b. Boston, MA, USA. d. Nov. 26, 1999, age 58
1939    Virgil Jones, trumpet, flugelhorn, b. Indianapolis, IN, USA. Jones has also been involved with the Broadway Musical stages in 'Jelly's Last Jam', and 'Jelly's Red Hot Peppers', as well as appearing in two films; 'Ed's Next Move' (1996), and 'She's Gotta Have It' (1986).
1921    Juliette, Pop Vocalist, b. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. née: Juliette Augustina Sysak
1911    Lester Lanin, orchestra leader .
1904    Sonny Lee, Trombone, b. Huntsville, TX, USA.
1960    Branford Marsalis, soprano-alto-Tenor Sax, b. Breaux Bridge, LA. USA
1961    Jimmy Olander, vocals, b. Minneapolis, MN, USA. Member: 'Diamond Rio' group.
1917    Dolores O'Neill, vocalist, d. Dec. 12, 2006, Wingdale, NY, USA. Age: 92. Sang with Bob Chester, Jack Teagarden, Gene Krupa, and Artie Shaw. In 1939?, she recorded "Especially For You", and "Comes Love" with Jack Teagarden and his Orchestra. She joined the Philadelphia-based Bob Chester band during October 1939 (after Kathleen Lane's departure to join Red Norvo's band. (When O'Neill left Chester, singer Betty Bradley joined his band). Among the male singers who appeared with Chester's band, were Gene Howard, Bill Darnell, Joe Harris, Stu Brayton, Hall Stewart, and Bob Haymes, younger brother of actor/vocalist Dick Haymes. There is an interesting sidelight on Chester's male singers. In 1942, Peter Marshall, now better known as host of the original 'Hollywood Squares' TV game show, also appeared as the band's vocalist when he replaced Howard, who had left to join Stan Kenton. Chester's band broke up around the end of WWII, and he moved back to Detroit. In 1940, O'Neil married Alec Fila, - a marriage that produced five children. An interesting note on Fila is that in 1941, he joined the Benny Goodman Band, and that same year, Alec became the first (and only??) white musician to record with Fletcher Henderson's band. Dolores will always be recalled as one of those very special musical vocalists who could invest a tune with meaning and intensity.
1957    John O'Neill, guitar, b. Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Member group: 'The Undertones', 1980 single "My Perfect Cousin" charted UK No.9
1952    Billy Rush, guitar. Member: "Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes!", a group organized in 1974 by singer John Lyon (aka: "Southside Johnny", b. December 4, 1948, Neptune, NJ, USA) and guitarist/songwriter "Miami" Steve Van Zandt (b. November 22, 1950, Boston, MA, USA). In 1975, Van Zandt decamped for the "E Street Band", but he continued to manage the Jukes, while both writing their songs, and producing their records. The original Jukes lineup was: Billy Rush (b. August 26, 1952) (guitar); Kevin Kavanaugh (b. August 27, 1951) (keyboards); Al Berger (b. November 8, 1949) (bass); Kenny Pentifallo (b. Decemver 30, 1940) (drums); Carlo Novi (b. August 7, 1949, Mexico City) (tenor sax); Eddie Manion (b. February 28, 1952) (baritone sax); Tony Palligrosi (b. May 9, 1954) (trumpet); Ricky Gazda (b. June 18, 1952) (trumpet); and Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg (trombone).
1903    James Andrew "Jimmy" Rushing, vocalist, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. d. June 8, 1972. aka: 'Mr Five by Five'. He started with the Benny Moten band and continued when Count Basie assumed leadership.
1911    Bob Short, Tuba, d. 1976. Played with 1945 Jack Teagarden band; 1946-'50 with Castle Jazz Band; 1951-'54 with Turk Murphy; then with Bob Scobey before rejoining Turk Murphy in Aug. 1958.
1926    Mickey Simonetta, drums, Chicago, IL, USA.
1948    Valerie Simpson, vocals, b. New York (Bronx), NY, USA. Member group: 'Ashford and Simpson'. 1985 single "Solid" charted UK No.3
1926    Cecil Surrat, Bluegrass strings, b. Coalwood, WV, USA. Member: "Cecil Surratt and his West Virginia Ramblers"
1924    Frances Wayne, vocals, b. Boston, MA, USA, d. Feb. 6, 1978, Boston, MA, USA. née: Chiarina Bertocci. Sang with Charlie Barnet's 1942 orchestra. With Theodore "Red" Saunders Orch, in 1944. Also with Woody Herman and Sam Donahue bands. She was the sister of clarinetist/leader Nick Jerret
1959    Danny White, keyboard. Member group; 'Matt Bianco', whose original members were vocalist Basia Trzetrzelewska, vocalist Mark Reilly and Danny White. The band arrived on the music scene in the early 1980s.
1969    Adrian Young, drums. Member group: 'No Doubt', 1997 single "Don't Speak" charted UK No.1.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1873.     Lee DeForest was born. Inventor of the triode vacuum tube, thus making radio broadcasting possible.
1955.     Bob Miller, songwriter/band leader, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 59,
1963.     Theodore Frye, piano/gospel, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 63
1980.     Jimmy Forrest, tenor sax, died in Grand Rapids, MI, USA. Age: 60
1981.     Lee Hays (the Weavers) dies in New York.
1981.     "Foots" Thomas, tenor sax, died in Englewood, NJ, USA. Age: 74 Worked with Cab Calloway
1992.     Sammy Benskin, piano, died in Teaneck, NJ, USA. Age: 69
1992.     "Professor" Eddie Lusk, (Blues) keyboards, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 43. (Suicide. Jumped into the Chicago river after diagnosed with Colon cancer, -a result of AIDS.)
1993.     'Rockin' Dopsie' (pronounced doopsie), Zydeco accordionist, died in Opelousas, LA, USA. Age: 61 (heart attack) né: Alton Rubin. Alton was born in Carencro, LA (a small town near Lafayette), USA, and spent his childhood picking cotton and working in the sugar cane fields. The youngster often accompanied his accordion playing father who performed at local weekend house parties. When Rubin was 14 his father gave him his first small button accordion, and advised his son to teach himself. Rubin, a left-hander, played the accordion upside down while learning tunes off the radio. Before long, he was playing parties, and gaining a reputation as an even better musician than his father. In the 1950s, Rubin moved to Lafayette, and, together with his cousin Chester Zeno on 'Washboard', began performing in local Blues clubs. Subsequently, he appeared in a few films (including "Delta Heat"), and also did TV commercials. He was quite active both performing and recording right up to his death in 1993. One son, David Rubin, is a well known 'metal washboard' player, while his other son, Alton Rubin, Jr., is a drummer. Both sons performed in their father's band.
1995.     Ronnie White, vocals/songwriter, died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 57 (Leukemia).
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1926    "Song Of The Flame", - Carl Fenton Orch.
1926    "Flaming Mamie", - Mike Markel Orch.
1926    "Am I Wasting My Time On You", - Jack Denny Orch.
1926    "Climbing Up The Ladder Of Love", - Harold Leonard Waldorf Orch.
1926    "Clarinet Marmelade", - Fletcher Henderson Orch.
1926    "Morocco Blues", - Joe Jordan's Sharps and Flats Orch.
1926    "Tishomingo Blues", - Peg Leg Howell vocal.
1926    "Coal Man Blues", - Peg Leg Howell vocal.
1926    "New Prison Blues", - Peg Leg Howell vocal.
1926    "Just Around The Corner", - Art Landry and His Call Of The North Orch.
1927    "There's A Cradle In Caroline", - The Goodrich-Silvertown Quartet.
1927    "Roam On My Little Gypsy Sweetheart", - The Goodrich-Silvertown Quartet.
1927    "Lucky In Love", -Fred Rich and his Orch.
1927    "Good News", -Fred Rich and his Orch.
1930    "Three Little Words", - Duke Ellington Orch.
1932    "Moonlight On The River", - Lee Morse and Her Bluegrass Boys. (Kalmar/Ruby)
1934    "What About Me", - Anson Weeks and His California Orch.
1934    "My Whole Day Is Spoiled", - Anson Weeks and His Mark Hopkins Hotel Orch.
1937    "Here I Am", - Jan Garber Orch.
1947    "Baby Have You Got A Little Love To Spare", - Woody Herman Orch.
1967    "Letter, The", - Box Tops
1967    "Funky Broadway", - Wilson Pickett
1972    "Honky Cat", - Elton John
1972    "Black & White", - Three Dog Night
1978    "Don't Look Back", - Boston
1978    "Get Off", - Foxy
1989    "Love Song", - Cure
1989    "Bust A Move", - Young M.C.