BIRTHDAYS
1940     Steve Alaimo, singer-songwriter/bass, b: Omaha, NB, USA
1936     Bill Ashton, Leader, sax, clarinet, composer, b. Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK. né: William Michael Allingham Ashton.
1961     Robin Michael Aspland, piano, organ, keyboards, b. Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK.
1942     Len Barry, (soul) vocals, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA.
1947     Uli Beckerhoff, Trumpet, b. Munster, Germany
1938     Frankie Beverly, vocals, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. Member : 'The Maze'
1920     Dave Warren Brubeck, Jazz Piano/Composer, b. Concord, CA, USA. . His son, Darius Brubeck is also a pianist/composer.
1956     Peter Buck, guiitar, b. Oakland, CA, USA. Member group: R.E.M., -perhaps the most important and influential American rock band of the post-punk era.
1955     Rick Buckler, drums, Woking, Surrey, England. Member group: 'The Jam'
1936     Jack Cooke, guitar/vocals. Member: 'The Clinch Mountain Boys' Vocal group.
1925     Bob Cooper, Tenor Sax/Oboe/Eng.horn, b. Pittsburgh, PA, d. Aug. 5, 1993, Los Angeles, CA, USA. (Stan Kenton Orchestra / Howard Rumsey's All-Stars
1941     Helen Cornelius, (C&W) singer-songwriter/multi-instruments/dancer/actress, b. Monroe City, MO, USA. née: Helen Lorene Johnson
1928     Francis "Frankie" Dunlop, Drums, b. Buffalo, NY. Best recalled for his work with 'Thelonius Monk Quartet'.
1925     Robert Ealey, vocals, b. Texarkana, TX, USA.
1923     Jim Eanes, Bluegrass vocals/guitar, d. Nov. 21, 1995.né: Homer Robert Eanes, Jr. Played with 'The Shenandoah Cut-Ups'.
1970     Ulf 'Buddha' Ekberg, Songwriter/Synthesizer/Organ/Piano, b. Gothenburg, Sweden. Member group: 'Ace of Base', a group originally called 'Tech Noir', later changing their name to 'Ace of Base'. The other members of Ace of Base are Jenny Berggren, R&R vocals. b. Gothenburg, Sweden, and her sister Linn Berggren was born Oct. 31, 1970. Their brother, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, was born March 21, 1967.
1943     Dave Ellis, Bass, b. Perth, Australia
1903     Hugh Farr, Guitar, b. Llano, TX, USA, d. March 17, 1980. né: Thomas Hugh Farr, one of 'The Farr Brothers' and Member 'The Sons of The Pioneers' Western Music bands.
1924     Susanna Foster, actress/vocalist, Chicago, IL, USA. né: Susanna DeLee Flanders Larson. When she was 12, MGM brought Susanna to Hollywood where she attended school with such other juvenile stars as Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. In one of those Hollywood curiosities, MGM never utilized her talents, and in 1939, Paramount signed her to a contract for their 'The Great Victor Herbert'. Millionaire Newspaper and Magazine publisher William Randolph Hearst, so impressed by her performance, had her sing for him and his (actress) wife Marion Davies. In 1941, she signed with Universal Pictures Corp., as their answer to Deanna Durbin. Many critics felt that her career went downward after her best role in the film "Phanthom of the Opera" (a role that Durbin had reportedly rejected.) Her last film for Universal was in 1945, after which they sent her overseas for further voice training. But, they never again utilized her talents, and she quit them in 1948. She sold some of her jewelry and furs and used the money to move to the east coast, eventually marrying Wilbur Evans, -- 20 years her senior. The Evans' found a good career on the Broadway stage, touring extensively, doing operettas and musicals. Her first child was a miscarriage, but subsequently the couple had two sons; Phillip and Michael. In 1965, divorce ended their marriage. She quit performing and got other jobs to support her children. (Phillip died at an early age.) With Michael grown, Susanna traveled back to Hollywood, living in her car while trying for a film comeback that never materialized - mainly due to health problems.
1947     Fritz Fryer, lead guitar b Oldham, Lancashire, England, UK né: David Roderick Carney Fryer, . Member group: ' The Lionel Morton Four' / 'The Four Pennies', a Lancastrian-born Blackburn beat group comprised of Fritz Fryer, Lionel Morton -lead vocals, rhythm guitar (né: Lionel Walmsley, Aug. 14, 1941, Blackburn, Lancashire);, Alan Buck -drums (né: April 7, 1943, Brierfield, Lancashire), and Mike Wilsh -bass (né: Michael Wilshire, July 21,.1945, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire).
1896   Ira Gershwin, Lyricist, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Aug., 17, 1983, Beverly Hills, CA, USA. né: Israel Gershovitz. Lorenz Hart, in a 1925 letter to Ira, wrote "Such delicacies as your jingles prove that songs can be both popular and intelligent." Among other things, Ira is also recalled as singer Micheal Fienstein's mentor. One of the World's truly wonderful lyricists. Sometimes used pen name of Arthur Francis. Among his lyrics are: "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "Nice Work if You Can Get It", and "Love Walked In." In 1937, George Gershwin died (from an inoperable Brain Tumor). Ira never got over his brother's demise. He couldn't believe that his younger brother had died first. After that, he never again believed in God, and would often dream of his brother. He even had a guilt complex because he out-lived his younger brother.
1969     Mark Gardener, vocals/guitar, b. Oxfordshire, England. Member group: 'Ride', a noise-pop quartet formed in Oxfordshire, England, in 1988 by a group of Teen-agers that included guitarist/vocalist Andy Bell, vocalist/guitarist Mark Gardener, bassist Stephan Queralt, and drummer Loz Colbert.
1937     Eddie Gladden, Drums, b. Newark, NJ, USA. d. August 25, 2003, Newark, NJ, USA. (Coronary Arrest)., Age: 65. (NOTE: References to his demise on Sept. 30, 2003 appear to be an error.)   In his early 20s, Gladden was already playing professionally in local Newark venues. and on jobs and/or recordings, with organists Larry Young and Freddie Roach, trumpeters Shaw and Johnny Coles, and saxophonists Conrad "Connie" Lester and Buddy Terry. In 1972, he toured with ex-Newarker James Moody, and later worked with trumpeter Kenny Dorham, organists Jimmy McGriff (Lester was often in that band), Shirley Scott, saxophonist Richie Cole, and pianist Horace Silver. In 1988, Gladden suffered a stroke, and had to stay at home for several years recuperating. The onset of diabetes also curtailed his playing. Gladden died on a Monday morning (September 30, 2003) of a heart attack while at Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, NJ, USA.
1929     Ruby Glover, jazz vocalist and educator, b. Baltimore, MD, USA. d. Oct. 20, 2007, Baltimore, MD, USA. (stroke) Age:77. A part of Baltimore's rich jazz heritage, Ruby learned to sing from her vocalist mother, and the musicians who filled her house after late-night gigs. She became a mainstay of Pennsylvania Avenue in the 1940s and 1950s, when the 24-block street pulsed with jazz. As so often happens, music alone could not support her, and so, for 30 years, her "day job" was an administrator for "Johns Hopkins Hospital". She volunteered at the "Waxter Center for Senior Citizens" and was an advocate for the arts in the Baltimore schools. For many years, Glover helped stage the annual Billie Holiday competition and was a mentor to generations of aspiring vocalists, She taught a jazz appreciation course at Sojourner-Douglass College and led tours along Pennsylvania Avenue, the storied stretch of clubs and bars where she sang in the company of Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
1925     Della Griffin, Vocals, b. Newberry, South Carolina, USA
1950     Jeff Grobe, drums. Member group: Looking Glass
1894     Billy Hall, trombone, b. London, England, UK, d. October 5, 1930, Hamburg, Germany. Billy played with New Princes' Toronto Band, and others.
1955     Leticia "Tish" Hinojosa, (Tejano/Western Swing/Country-Folk) Singer-Songwriter/Guitar, b. San Antonio, TX, USA.
1910     Armand Hug, Piano, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. 1977
1944     Jonathan King, singer/songwriter, b: England.
1876     Manuel Klein, Composer/arranger, b. London, England, d. June, 1, 1919, London, England
1877     Joseph Francis Lamb, Piano, b. Montclair, NJ, USA. d. 1960
1940     Jay Leonhart, Bass/vocals, b. Baltimore, MD, USA.
1955     Bill Lloyd, singer/songwriter/guitar, b. Foot Hood, TX, USA (raised in Bowling Green, KY, USA). Member group: 'Foster and Lloyd'. In addition to his performance credits, Lloyd has contributed to acts such as 'The Thompson Brothers', 'Carl Perkins', 'The Sweethearts of the Rodeo' and 'Webb Wilder'. His own compositions have been covered by Guy Clark, 'Hootie and The Blowfish', Jill Sobule, Tanya Tucker, Marshall Crenshaw, and others.
1906     "Slats" Long, Clarinet, b. Wichita, KS, USA, d. March 12, 1964
1961     David Lovering, drums, b. Boston, MA, USA. Member group: 'Pixies'
1934     Norio Maeda, Piano/Composer, b. Osaka, Japan
1907     Fulton McGrath, Piano, b. Superior, WI, USA, d. Jan. 1, 1958
1927     Azira Miyazawa, Tenor Sax, b. Matsumoto, Japan
1916     Hugo Peretti, producer, b. New York, NY, USA. Member RCA staff producing team: 'Hugo & Luigi'. The team were responsible for some of the biggest hits of the early rock era, including 'The Tokens' singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," Little Peggy March's "I Will Follow", and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love." They also produced some vocal recordings under the title of 'The Cascading Voices of The Hugo and Luigi Chorus'.
1954     Wayne Peet, organ, piano, keyboards, electronics, b. Dallas, Texas, USA. Member: 'Wayne Peet Quartet', comprised of Peet, drummer Russell Bizzett and guitarists Nels Cline and G.E. Stinson.
1921     Piero Piccioni, composer, b. Turin, Piedmont, Italy, d. July 23, 2004, Rome, Italy. For four decades, this Italian composer wrote music for over 100 movies in Italy and abroad. In the late 1930s, he debuted as a pianist and in the early 1940s was working in a Jazz orchestra, before starting to seriously compose for films. During his career, Piccioni worked with many film directors including Dino Risi, Mauro Bolognini, Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Luc Godard, and Luchino Visconti. Among the stars with whom he worked are Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale; Vittorio Gassman, and Brigitte Bardot In the 1950s, he re-located to Hollywood where he composed under name of Piero Morgan. In 1958, as a result of his successful and dramatic score to "La Tempesta", he began to find steady work in the Hollywood studios. Piccioni produced a large variety of work, and his versatility allowed him to incorporate many genres including Jazz, lounge, easy listening, and post-romantic period orchestral elements into everything from "B" horror films to lush, romantic epics. In 1972, Piccioni composed perhaps his most famous work, the soundtrack for Francesco Rosi's "The Mattei Affair". In 1973, he wrote the music for films by Lina Wertmuller, including "All Screwed Up" and in 1973 for her film "Swept Away". All during his career, Piccioni amd Italian actor-director Alberto Sordi closely worked together. (Sordi: b. June 15, 1920, Rome, Italy, d. Feb. 25, 2003, Rome, Italy. Coronary) Piccioni composed the soundtrack for dozens of Sordi's movies, including "Stardust", "Help Me My Love", and "While There's War There's Hope".
SIDENOTE on Alberto Sordi. Sordi began his career in Hollywood dubbing his voice for commedian Oliver Hardy. He went on to stardom in Italian films and at the time of his demise, Sordi was the last survivor of the golden era of Italian cinema. Sordi, together with fellow Italian screen legends Vittorio Gasmann and Marcello Mastroianni, created the genre of the Commedia all'Italiana (Italian-style comedy). He once said: "I observe and reflect real life and ordinary people and sooner or later that raises a laugh."
Few Italian film composers could boast the prolificacy of Peiro Piccioni, and he was/is justly compared to men such as Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicola.
1934     Eugene Pierson, guitar, b. Forrest City, AR, USA.
1956     Randy Rhodes, guitar, b. Santa Monica, CA, USA. né: Randall William Rhoads.
1947     Kim Simmonds, guitar, b. Newbridge, Wales, UK.
1943     Mike Smith, drums, b. Portland, OR, USA, d. Jan. 2, 2006, Meadville, PA, D.C., USA. (prostate cancer). He studied with a local drummer, "Cootie" Harris, and was visiting 'jam' sessions with his older brother, a guitarist, when he was 12. He was performing professionally by age 14. He studied music at Youngstown State University in Ohio and at Howard University. Among the many stars with whom Mike worked are Roberta Flack (toured 4 years), David Liebman, Astrud Gilberto, Steve Kuhn, Billy Eckstine, Freddie Hubbard, Herb Ellis, Leni Stern, Bobby Scott, Milt Jackson, John Abercrombie, Marc Copland, Drew Gress and Tony Martucci. From 1984 to 1990, he accompanied singer-pianist Mose Allison, and also performed with the Eddie Henderson Quintet In 1985 and 1987, he appeared with Adam Mackowicz at the North Sea Jazz Festival. (Mike frequently toured Europe ) Smith frequently toured Europe and appeared with Adam Mackowicz at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 1985 and 1987. He also recorded and toured with pianist Steve Kuhn and saxophonist Dave Liebman.
CAUTION: There are other 'Mike Smiths'.
1) There is Michael “ Smitty “ Smith, 1942 - 2001, who also played drums, but with "Paul Revere and the Raiders"
2)Mike Smith, keyboards/vocals, (b. 1943) was one of "The Dave Clark Five".
3)Mike Smith has played Bass with a Bill Brovold group,
4)Marco Smith (drums) with a Bill Brovold group
5)There's also a Mike Smith, who plays the saxophone.
6) and still others.
1954     Chris Stamey, singer/songwriter, b. Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Member group: dB's
1948     Harvie Swartz, Bass, b. Chelsea, MA, USA
1954     Steve Swell, trombone, b. Newark, NJ, USA. Steve has toured and recorded with such diverse jazz personalities as Lionel Hampton and Buddy Rich, to Anthony Braxton, William Parker and Jemeel Moondoc. As a leader or co-leader, Swell has twelve recordings, and is a featured artist on more than sixty other releases.
1955     Edward Tudor-Pole, guitar, b. London, England, UK. Member group: 'Ten Pole Tudor'. Eddie was a replacement for Johnny Rotten in the 'Sex Pistols', and even recorded "Rock around the Clock" with the band on their "The Great Rock and Roll Swindle" LP.
1947     Miroslav Vitous, Bass/Guitar, b. Prague, Czechoslovakia
1962     Ben Watt, guitar/keyboard, b. Barnes, South West London, England. Member group: 'Everything But the Girl', a group formed in Hull, England, while Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn (b. Brookman's Park (suburb of London, England) were studying at Hull University. Both had already released solo material prior to coming to Hull, when each -amazingly- had been given recording and publishing contracts with the same record label - 'Cherry Red Records' (in London). Later, Ben told interviewers that he had also seen Tracey in concert with her first band, 'The Marine Girls'.
1943     Keith West, lead vocals, b. Dagenham, Essex, England, UK. né:Keith Alan Hopkins, In April 1968, Keith West and Steve Howe left the band 'Tomorrow', and formed a band with Keith West (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Ronnie Wood (bass), Nicky Hopkins (keyboards), and Aynsley T. "the hawk" Dunbar (drums b. Jan. 10, 1946, Liverpool, England).
1948     Marius Mller-Westernhagen, actor/vocals, b: Germany
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1949.    "Leadbelly" (né: Huddie William Ledbetter), guitar/vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 60
1953.    Steep Wade, piano/sax, died in Montreal, PQ, Canada. Age: 35
1968.    The Rolling Stones release their 'Beggar's Banquet album'.
1968.    On this day, just three days after Graham Nash quit 'The Hollies', he announced the formation of 'Crosby, Stills and Nash'.
1984.    Emanuel "Manny" Kurtz, (aka: Manny Curtis), composer, died in San Francisco, CA, USA. Age: 73
1986.    Rozelle Gayle, piano/bari sax, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 63
1988.    Bill Harris, guitar, died in Washington, DC, USA. Age: 63. Member: 'The Clovers'. Some sources say d. Dec. 17. (CAUTION: Do not confuse with trombonist Bill Harris, Born in 1916, and best known as the featured trombone soloist with Woody Herman's big band, off and on from 1944 to 1959. He also co-led groups with Charlie Ventura and Chubby Jackson. Harris died in 1973.)
1988.    Roy Orbison, guitar/songwriter, died in Hendersonville, TN, USA. Age: 52
1995.    Michael "Busta" Jones, bass, died in Memphis, TN, USA
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1937     Little White Lies (a Walter Donaldson tune)
1940     Down Argentine Way , - Bob Crosby
1945     White Christmas , - Bing Crosby
1945     Symphony , - Benny Goodman Orch
1945     Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief , - Betty Hutton
1945     Symphony , - Freddy Martin Orch.
1946     Old Lamplighter, The , - Hal Derwin
1946     Christmas Song, The, - Nat "King" Cole Voc.
1952     Till I Waltz Again With You , - Teresa Brewer
1969     I Want You Back , - Jacksons
1969     Whole Lotta Love , - Led Zeppelin
1969     La La La (If I Had You) , - Bobby Sherman
1969     Jam Up Jelly Tight , - Tommy Roe
1975     You Sexy Thing , - Hot Chocolate
1980     I Made It Through The Rain , - Barry Manilow
1980     I Love A Rainy Night , - Eddie Rabbitt
1986     At This Moment , - Billy Vera