BIRTHDAYS
1939     Jerry Allison, vocals, b. Hillsboro, Texas, USA. né: Jerry Ivan Allison. Member: 'The Crickets'
1904     May Alix, Vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA. (Sang with Louis Armstrong Orch.)
1965     Stefano Battaglia, piano, b. Milan, Italy. This classical and jazz pianist.has (as of 2007) recorded over 60 CDs. He also founded the jazz group "Triplicity and Theatrum" as part of the 'Permanent Workshop for Musical Research in Siena'.
1963     Reb Beach, rock guitar. Member group: 'Winger-17'.
1948     Charlie Brent, guitar, b. New Orleans, LA, USA.
1910     Laudric Caton, guitar, banjo, bass, saxophone, d. Feb. 1999. (Photo L-R: Brylo Ford (bass), Clinton Maxwell (drums), Freddie Grant (clarinet), Cyril Blake (trumpet/vocals), Colin Beaton (piano) and Laudric Caton (guitar). Photograph © Val Wilmer Collection.) After serving in the British Merchant Navy during World War I, Trinidadian Cyril Blake settled in England, and formed a band that became resident at the Jig's Club, a venue that attracted a Caribbean clientele. Caton was the group's fine guitarist. (Caton's date of demise is unkown.)
1961     David Chastain, rock guitar. Member group: 'Chastain-Rule of Wasteland'.
1886     George L. Cobb, C&W songwriter
1962     Joanna Connor, guitar, b. New York (Brookln), NY, USA.
1928     Leroy "Hog" Cooper, baritone sax,, b. Dallas, TX, USA. This Dallas native has performed and recorded with a range of artists, including David “Fathead” Newman, Hank Crawford and Ray Charles. He was a member of the Ray Charles Band from 1957-'76.
1907     "Dirty Red" (né: Nelson Wilborn), piano, b. Sumner, MS, USA.
1960     Tony DeFranco, vocals. Member of the DeFranco Family .
1940     Wilton Felder, Tenor Sax/bass, b. Houston, TX, USA. Member (for 30 years) of group: 'The Crusaders'.
1970     Debbie Gibson, vocals, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. 1988 single "Foolish Beat" charted US No.1 and UK No.9.
1886     L. Wolfe Gilbert. Lyricist, b. Odessa, Russia. d. July 13, 1970, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1903     Arthur Godfrey, Ukulele/and -he called it- singing, d. March 16, 1983. né:Arthur Morton Godfrey. (At least he played the Ukulele fairly well, and even gave Ukulele lessons on his TV Show.)
1937     Gunter Hampel, Vibes/piano/flute/clarinet/Composer, b. Gottingen, Germany
1913     George Hoven, Piano-Accordion/composer, b. Marcus Hook, PA, USA, d. June 18, 1974, Chester, PA, USA. (In a fire at his home.) George is best remembered today as the composer of "It's No Sin", (Lyric George R. Shull), which was number 1 on the top charts for many weeks during 1951. It was recorded by The Four Aces vocal group, by the Eddy Howard band, and by most all popular singers of the day.
1938     John "Spider" Koerner, (Folk) singer/guitar, b. Rochester, NY, USA.
1918     Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist, d. June 14,1986. part of the Lerner and Loewe team.
1967     Gerard Love, bass. Member group: Teenage Fanclub.
1945     Van Morrison, singer/songwriter/guitar/sax/harmonica, b. Belfast, Northern Ireland. né:George Ivan Morrison. Stars with whom Van has worked include Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Joni Mitchell, Bill Wyman, The Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, and Cliff Richard. Van was awarded an OBE in 1996.
1937     Bobby Parker, (Blues) Guitar/singer-songwriter, b. Lafayette, LA, USA.
1907     Dan Pickett, guitar, b. Pike City, AL, USA.
1900     Todd Rhodes, Piano/Arranger/vibes/celeste/leader, b. Hopkinsville, KY, USA. d. 1965
1933     Herman Riley, Tenor Sax, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. April 14, 2007, Culver City, CA, USA. Age: 73. Riley grew up with jazz. He attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., and performed with the marching band until his World War II draft notice came. While serving a two-year stint in the U. S. Army, he played with a military band. After his service discharge, he attended what is now called San Diego City College and later moved to Los Angeles. In 1956 he married Thelma Mitchell In the 1960s, Riley was playing with trumpeter Bobby Bryant's band at a Los Angeles club on Broadway when he met Fred Jackson, a fellow musician who would become a lifelong friend. The two played at the Cocoanut Grove (Ambassador Hotel) and later with the band that played for "Sammy and Company," -a television show featuring Sammy Davis Jr. that aired in the 1970s. Upon Riley's demise, Jackson recalled, "His primary goal was to attain that level of spontaneity, that comes from building the vocabulary in jazz,. He loved Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Cannonball Adderley, and John Coltrane." Riley only recorded one album as leader, "Herman," which was released in 1984. He played on the albums of several other artists, including Laval Smith, singer Etta James and guitarist Kenny Burrell. Riley played all the saxophones, flute and clarinet.
1907     Edgar Melvin Sampson, multi-instr/arranger/composer/leader, b. New York, NY, USA, d Jan. 16, 1973, Englewood, NJ, USA. "Stompin' At The Savoy" and much more.
1960     Mark Sanders, drums, percussion, b. London, England, UK.
1948     Rudolf Schenker, guitar. Member group: The Scorpions. 1991 single "Wind Of Change" charted UK No.2.
1957     Gina Schock, drums. Member group: The Go-Go's. 1982 single "We Got The Beat" charted US No.2.
1948     Andy Stein, violin, saxophone, cello, viola, trumpet, vocals. Perhaps best,recalled for his work with "Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen".
1957     Glenn Tilbrook, guitar/singer/songwriter. Member group: Squeeze. 1979 single "Up The Junction" charted UK No.2.
1939     Paul Winter, alto-soprano sax, b. Altoona, PA, USA
1960     Chris Whitley, vocals/(bottleneck) guitar, singer-songwriter, b. Houston, Texas, USA., d. Nov. 20, 2005, Houston, Texas, USA. (lung cancer)
1929     Roy Willox, saxes, flutes, piccolo, b. England, UK. Currently (2005), he is one of Britain's popular sessions saxophonists His has often worked with the group "Best of British Jazz".
         Notable Events on this date include:
1947.     Son "Brownsville" Bonds, guitar, died in Dyersburg, TN, USA. Age: 38
1966.     Teddy Roy, piano, died
1970.     Booker Ervin, tenor sax, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 39. Worked with Charlie Mingus (some sources ERRONEOUSLY say d. July. 31)
1974.     Noel Boggs, steel guitarist died. Age: 56
1976.     Buell Kazee, age 76, singer/banjoist, died.
1976.     A judge found George Harrison guilty of copying from a 1963 'Chiffons' hit "He's So Fine". The judge said that the chorus to Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" was identical to "He's So Fine". Appeals went on for about five years, and it eventually cost the former Beatle over half a million dollars.
1984.     Maurice Hulbert, , died in Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 88. "Mr. Beale Street"
1987.    2.25 million copies of Michael Jackson's "Bad" album were shipped to record stores, making it the largest pre-order of albums in the history of CBS Records. However, Jackson's previous album, "Thriller", was the biggest Jackson-seller of all time (35 million copies sold). The "Bad" album sold "only" 13 million copies.
1990.     Jerry Thomas, drums, died in New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Age: 49
1993.     Al Trace, bandleader, died, Age: 93.
1996.     Milt Larkin, trumpet, valve trombone, leader, died in Houston, TX, USA.. Age: 85. (b. Oct. 10, 1910 in Navasota, Texas, USA)
2000.     Saunders King, vocal, guitar, died in Oakland, California, USA. (né: Saunders Samuel King, March 13, 1909 in Staple, Louisiana, USA)
2002.     Lionel Hampton died in New York City. Age: 94.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1914    "Indianola Patrol - 1 Step", - Clarence Penney (on Mandolin).
1914     "Toots - 1 Step", - Clarence Penney (on Mandolin).
1916     "It's A Long Long Time", - Irving Kaufman vocal.
1921     "South Seas Isle Melody", - Paul Whiteman Orch. (George Gershwin tune)
1921     "Stolen Kisses", - Emil Coleman Orch.
1921     "Rosy Cheeks", - Allstar Trio.
1921     "I Ain't Nobody's Darling", - Allstar Trio.
1922     "Early In The Morning Blues", - The Virginians (Ross Gorman Orch.)
1922     "Suez", - Clyde Doerr Orch.
1925     "Cinquantaine", - Rudy Wiedoeft sax with Frank Banta Orch.
1931     "It's The Girl", - Boswell Sisters voc., acc. with Dorsey Brothers Orch.
1931     "Chances Are", - The New Yorkers Orch.
1931     "Goodnight Sweetheart", - Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians.
1931     "Too Late", - Kate Smith voc., with acc. Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians.
1931     "Blue Kentucky Moon", - Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians.
1931     "One More Time", - Washboard Rhythm Kingsl.
1931     "Walking My Baby Back Home", - Five Rhythm Kings.
1932     "Louisiana Hayride", - Ed. Everette Orch. (Peltyn Orch.)
1932     "Three Kisses", - Ed. Everette Orch. (Peltyn Orch.)
1932     "I Found A New Baby", - Sid Peltyn and his Orch.
1932     "I Was Taken By Storm", - Hoagy Carmichael Orch.
1933     "Three Wishes", - Freddie Martin Orch.
1934     "When You're In Love", - Russ Columbo voc., acc. with Jimmy Grier Orch.
1936     "Not Without You", - Ruby Newman's Rainbow Room Orch.
1937     "I'de Like To See Some More Of Samoa", - Hal Kemp Orch.
1937     "I Still Love to Kiss You Goodnight", - Hal Kemp Orch.
1963     "Then He Kissed Me", - Crystals
1963     "Mickey's Monkey", - Miracles
1963     "Wonderful! Wonderful!", - Tymes
1968     "Harper Valley P.T.A.", - Jeannie C. Riley
1974     "Earache My Eye Featuring Alice Bowie", - Cheech & Chong
1974     "Can't Get Enough", - Bad Company
1991     "Emotions", - Mariah Carey