BIRTHDAYS
1952     Butch Baldassari, (Bluegrass) mandolin/guitar, b. Scranton, PA, USA. A true master of the Mandolin, his versatility permits him to play in the disparate worlds of Bluegrass festivals and symphony halls with ease and grace
1972     Easther Bennett, vocals, b. Croydon, London, England. Member group: 'Eternal'
1946     Tony Brown, C&W singer-songwriter/piano, b. Greensboro, NC, USA. Tony first got a touring gig with 'The Oak Ridge Boys', a popular 1970s country gospel act. Brown went on to play with Elvis Presley a year before the king's death, as well as with country singer Emmylou Harris.
1935     Tom Brumley, C&W steel guitar, b. Powell (or Stella), MO, USA. Member groups: The Buckaroos', and 'Stone Canyon Band'
1914     "Cousin Jody" (né James Clell Summey), C&W Vocals/Dobro/Steel Guitar/Comedy, (Near) Sevierville, TN, USA, d. 1976. né: James Summey. C&W star Roy Acuff, in his book 'Roy Acuff’s Nashville', described 'Cousin Jody' as being "one mean Dobro Guitar player."
1964     Justin Currie, vocals/bass, b. Glasgow, Scotland (UK). Member group: 'Del Amitri'
1890     Carlos Gardel, vocals (Tango), b. Toulouse, France, d. June 24, 1935, Medellin, Colombia. (aeroplane accident) nee: Charles Romuald Gardel. Carlos was (is) perhaps the most revered Argentine singer of Tangos and Milongas, His fans called him "El Zorzal Criollo, the songbird of Buenos Aires," He invented the "tango song", thus making the previously considered vulgar Tango music and dance not only acceptable, but desirable. He has become a legendary hero of the Tango. When he died in a tragic aeroplane take-off accident, millions around the U.S.A. and Latin America mourned his passing. (One woman in Havana, Cuba, even committed suicide.) Today, there is a famous Argentine saying: "He sings better every day." Sixty five years after his demise, a fiercly devoted following keeps his legend alive by playing his music every day.
1940     David Gates, singer/songwriter, b: USA. Best known tune: Bread
1915     Dollie Good, C&W vocals, b. Mount Carmel, IL, USA. née: Dorothy Goad. Member: "Girls of the Golden West"
1951     "Diamond" Jim Greene, guitar, b. Chicago, IL, USA
1956     Rob Hajacos, C&W session musician, b. Richmond, VA, USA.
1941     Michael Hurley, (Folk) singer-songwriter/guitar/fiddle, b. Pennsylvania, USA. aka: "Doc Snock"
1954     Jermaine Jackson, vocals, b: Gary, IN, USA, member group: 'Jackson Five'.
1920     Eddie Johnson, tenor sax, b. Napoleonville, LA, USA
1961     Darryl Jones, bass, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1944     Brenda Lee, vocals. b. Lithonia, GA, USA. née: Brenda Mae Tarply. Between 1960-1962, Brenda's hit recordings included "I'm Sorry," "I Want to Be Wanted," "Emotions," "You Can Depend on Me," "Dum Dum," "Fool #1," "Break It to Me Gently," and "All Alone Am I", - all of which were in the Top Ten.
1957     Mike Mesaros, bass, b. Trenton, NJ, USA. Member group: 'Smithereens'
1923     Irving "Marky" Marowitz, Trumpet, b. Washington, DC, USA, d. Nov. 11, 1986. Played with 1942-'43 Chas. Spivak; '43-'44 w/ Jimmy Dorsey; '44-'45 w/Boyd Raeburn; '46, and in '48-'49 w/Woody Herman; '46-'47 w/Buddy Rich. Then Freelanced in New York and in Washington, DC, USA.
1934     Arthur Lee Maye, vocals, b. Tuscaloosa, AL, USA. 'Member: The Crowns'
1927     Bill McGuffie, Piano/Composer, b. Carmyle, Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK, d. March 22, 1987
1956     Cindy McLeod, vocal, b. Calgary, Canada. An interesting career. After working for 20 years as a ballet dancer, Cindy put aside her dancing slippers and tutus and began a career as a jazz singer by taking a gig at Canada's famed Banff Springs Hotel, remaining there for the next 10 years. After studying voice with Mark Murphy and Sheila Jordan, she began working with Linton Garner (pianist Erroll Garner's brother) at club and festival dates. During her vocal career, Cindy has worked such Canadian jazzmen as Tommy Banks, Hugh Fraser and P.J. Perry. McLeod has also appeared with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, made numerous radio and television appearances with her own group, and currently (2006) continues performing regularly at concerts and jazz venues in Canada. In 1995, Cindy released her first album as a soloist on Isotope Records and, in 2003, her second, "Conversation With Love" (with Miles Black on piano, Rick Kilburn on bass, Keith Copeland on drums and P.J. Perry on tenor sax).
1921     Rita Moreno, actress/dancer/vocals, b. Humacao, Puerto Rico. née: Rosita Dolores Alverio. Rita has the unique distinction of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first performer to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy. She married Lenny Gordon in June 18, 1965, and they stayed married. After her films, Rita continued her career vocalizing in New York club and hotels - most notably the Hotel Algonquin.
1893     Bat Mosly, Drums, b. Algiers, LA, USA. d. 1965
1953     Andy Partridge, singer/songwriter, b.Malta (raised: Swindon, England). Member group: 'XTC'
1916     Perez Prado, Piano, arranger, leader, Composer, b. Matanzas, Cuba, d. Sept. 14, 1989. né: Damaso Perez Prado. Biggest hit recording: "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White".
1906     Jack Purvis, Trumpet, b. Kokomo, IN, USA. d. March 30, 1962
1954     Rita Ray, vocals, b: Ghana. Member of: 'The Darts'
1964     David Schools, Bass/vocals, b. GA, USA. Member group: 'Widespread Panic'
1944     Marvin L. Sims, songwriter/producer, b. Sedalia, MO, USA
1958     Nikki Sixx, bass, b. San Jose, CA, USA n&eacurte;: Frank Carlton Serafino Ferranno. Member group: 'Motley Crue'
1903     Anker Skjoldborg, Tenor Sax/Leader, b. Copenhagen, Denmark, d. April 3, 1986
1909     Arthur Q. Smith, C&W songwriter, b. Griffin, GA, USA. né: "James Arthur Pickett"
1931     Benny Spellman, R&B vocals, Pensacola, FL, USA.
1926     Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton Blues vocals, b. Montgomery, AL, USA.
1938     McCoy Tyner, Piano, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. né: Alfred McCoy Tyner, but adopted Moslem name of Sulaimon Saud. At age 13, Tyner began to formally study piano, and later continued his study at Philadelphia's Granoff School of Music. In 1955, Tyner first met Coltrane, with whom he occasionally worked around in Philadelphia. Coltrane, when he left Davis in APril 1960, wanted Tyner to join him, but Tyner instead joined the Art Farmer-Benny Golson Jazztet first, in 1959. Coltrane first used pianist Steve Kuhn, but just six weeks later, Tyner joined the Coltrane Quartet. All during the 5 1/2 years he worked in the John Coltrane Quartet, Tyner also regularly recorded for the Impulse label under his own name. His work during this period as soloist and accompanist had a major influence on his contemporaries. In late 1965, he left Coltrane and freelanced for a while, recording for the Blue Note label. His 1972 Milestone label release of "Sahara", marked an upturn in his career which had been languishing. During the 1970s and 1980s he regularly performed with quintets and sextets featuring saxophonists George Adams, John Ford, Gary Bartz, and violinist John Blake. Tyner remains (2002) quite active as a soloist and leader of his own trio.
1962     Curtis Williams, vocals. Member group: 'Kool & the Gang'
1941     J. Frank Wilson, vocals, b. Lufkin, TX, USA, d. 1991, Lufkin, TX, USA. Member group: 'J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers'. Wilson had only one hit, but it was a huge one, "Last Kiss". (charted #2 on the Billboard Top 40 for Sept. 1964.) Wayne Cochran, a white R&B singer and composer, then living in an old $20.00/month shack, wrote the song after witnessing a terrible accident on the busy stretch of highway on which he lived. Interestingly, Wilson was also involved in an auto accident in Ohio, some time after Last Kiss became a hit, but survived.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1949.    "Fiddlin'" John Carson, fiddle, died in Atlanta, GA, USA. Age: 81
1957.    Jerry Lee Lewis married Myra Gale Brown, his 13-year-old cousin.
1963.    Luis Russell, piano/leader, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 61
1964.    Sam Cooke, guitar/songwriter/producer, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 33
1965.    David Barbour, guitar, died in Malibu, CA, USA. Age: 53
1966.    Richard Himber, leader, died in New York, NY, USA.
1975.    Lee Wiley, vocal, died in New York, NY, USA
1982.    "Lazy" Bill Lucas, piano, died in Minneapolis, MN, USA. Age: 64
1984.    Charles Buchanan, manager (NY Savoy Ballroom), died in NEW Y, AR, USA. Age: 86
1985.    Andrew Brown, guitar, died in Harvey, IL, USA. Age: 48
1991.    Headman Shabalala, died in Durban, South Africa at age 61. He was a member of 'Ladysmith Black Mambazo.'
1992.    Andy Kirk, leader, died in New York (Harlem), NY, USA. Age: 94
1994.    Chuck Connors, trombone, died in Los Angeles , California, USA, Age: 71
1995.    Robert Shelton, music critic, died in Brighton, UK. Age: 69
2002.    Dolly Dawn, vocal died in Englewood, N.J. Age: 86 (Kidney failure), (née: Theresa Maria Stabile -- bandleader Dick Stabile's cousin) (aka: Billie Starr)
2002.    Al "Pee Wee" Tinney, piano, died in Buffalo, NY, USA (Cancer) (aka: "Doctor T")
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
      1954     Hearts Of Stone, - Fontane Sisters
      1954     Melody Of Love, - Billy Vaughn
      1965     You Didn't Have To Be So Nice, - Lovin' Spoonful
      1965     Ebb Tide, - Righteous Brothers
      1965     Five O'Clock World, - The Vogues
      1965     Flowers On The Wall, - The Statler Brothers
      1971     Let's Stay Together, - Al Green
      1971     Clean Up Woman, - Betty Wright
      1976     Enjoy Yourself, - The Jacksons
      1976     I Like Dreamin', - Kenny Nolan
      1976     Car Wash, - Rose Royce