BIRTHDAYS
1914     Larry Adler, Harmonica, b. Baltimore, MD, USA. d. Aug. 6, 2001. A self-taught harmonica player, he began to play professionally at the age of 14 and later gained worldwide recognition as the musician who brought the instrument to the 'serious music' stage. He is well known for playing with many of the world's top symphony orchestras. Between 1943 and 1945 he joined the U.S.O. tours with Jack Benny. During his career he wrote several film scores, including "Genevieve" (1953), for which he received an Academy Award Nomination.
1944     Peter Allen, vocals/guitar/actor, b. Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia. d. June 18, 1992, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. (AIDS). The musical "A Boy From Oz" was based upon his life, and the score was written by him. On March 3, 1967, he married actress/vocalist Liza Minnelli, and the marriage lasted until they divorced in 1972. That marriage made him the former Son-in-law of Vincente Minnelli, and Judy Garland, and the former half-brother-in-law of Lorna Luft and Joey Luft, as well as the Former nephew-in-law of Mary Jane Gumm and Virginia Gumm.
1964     Janet Beveridge Bean, Singer-songwriter/guitar, b. Bartow, FL, USA. Member: "Freakwater", a duo originally formed in Louisville, KY, as an informal partnership of Catherine Ann Irwin and Bean. The duo had played in local punk bands, before becoming roommates in 1982, and they first performed together publicly the year afterward. bus accident) - 'Metallica', Interestingly, the first instrument he learned to play was the piano.
1900     Lou Breese, trumpet/banjo/leader, b. Boomer, WV, USA. d. Jan. 1969 . né: Lou Calabreese (aka: Calabrese). Worked in both the Bert Lown and Paul Specht bands.
1962     Cliff Burton, bass, b. Castro Valley, CA, USA, d. Sept. 27, 1986, Dörarp, Kronobergs län, Sweden. (tour
1934     Rhan Burton, Piano, b. Louisville, KY, USA.
1905     Bob Carroll, Tenor Sax, b. Louisville, KY, USA. d. 1952
1918     James Carson, (gospel) Singer-Songwriter/Mandolin/Guitar/Bass. b. Richmond, KY, USA. né: James William Roberts
1960     Lionel Cartwright, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Gallipolis, OH, USA.
1934     Manu Dibango, (Jazz) saxophone, b. Cameroon (Africa). This globe-trotting musician has performed in France, Belgium, Jamaica, Zaire, and Cote d'Ivoire, as well as in his native Cameroon. In 1960, he became one of the founding members of the Zairean band 'African Jazz'. During his career (which currently (2006) remains very active), Dibango has worked with such diverse musicians as Fela Kuti, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Don Cherry, and the Fania All-Stars.
1943     Ralph "Ral" Donner, vocals. b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. April 6, 1984, USA. He was the narrator and Presleys voice in film: 'This is Elvis'. Biggest hit releases: "You Dont Know What Youve Got", "She's Everything
1893     James "Jimmy" Durante, piano/leader/singer/actor, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Jan. 29, 1980, Santa Monica, CA, USA. (pneumonia) né: James Francis Durante. Nickname: The Schnoz. In addition to his "Inka Dinka Do", he also composed "Umbriago", "I Ups to Him and He Ups to Me","I'm Jimmy That Well-Dressed Man", "I Know Darn Well I Can Do Without Broadway", "Any State In the Forty-Eight", "Daddy Your Mamma Is Lonesome For You", "Chidabee Chidabee Chidabee", and "I'm Jimmy's Girl". Jimmy began his career as a Coney Island pianist, and in 1916, organized his own five-piece Jazz band. With partners Eddie Jackson and Lou Clayton, he opened the Club Durant, and they later formed a vaudeville comedy trio. Jimmy appeared in many Broadway musicals, and appeared at London's Palladium in 1936. Jimmy was a featured headliner in night clubs, and later had his own radio and television shows.
1940     Roberta Flack, Vocals, b. Black Mountain, NC, USA. Among her hit releases were "Killing Me Softly With His Song", and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
1906     Herman L. "Snooks" Friedman, drums, leader, d. March 24, 1993, Memphis, TN, USA. In 1926,"Snooks" formed his own band, the 'Memphis Stompers'. During the summer of 1923, he had first begun playing drums professionally with a band called the 'Ole Miss Jesters'. In 1924, he played with Meyer Davis, and in 1925, recorded with '"Hip" Bennett's band'. Between 1928 and 1931, his band recorded under many pseudonyms, including 'Snooks and His Paramount Theatre Orchestra', 'Ben Friedman's Paramount Hotel Orchestra', and 'Snooks and His Memphis Ramblers'. They were also known as 'Snooks and His Krazy Kat Kittens' during their tenure at the Crazy Cat Club, in New York city. Snooks and his band did appear in a few Warner Brothers movie shorts. Some musicologists have said that his orchestra provided music for the first talking cartoon, but the claim is somewhat controvesial. The full history of "sound" and "Film" requires a book by itself. (Some sort of "sound on film" was used by Edison as early as 1919.) However, it is certainly true that his band were heard in some very early cartoons. (The man who did most of the composing for the cartoons was Carl Stalling, (b. Nov 10, 1891 ??, d. Nov. 29, 1972) often called "The Dean of Tunes for 'Toons" ( During his tenure with the Warner Brothers film studios, he averaged one complete score each week, for twenty-two years.) During World War II, "Snooks" disbanded, and enlisted in the U. S. Navy. After the war, he organized a new band playing until his retirement in 1972.
1961     Paolo Fresu, trumpet, b. Siena, Italy. He currently (2006) spends half the year resident in Paris, France, and the other half in his hometown of Siena.
1929     Jerry Goldsmith, composer, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA, d. July 21, 2004, Beverly Hills, CA, USA. (cancer).
1923     Paul Grosney, Trumpet,
1932     "Sir" Roland P. Hanna, Piano, b. Detroit, MI, USA, d: Nov. 13, 2002, Harris, NY, USA. né: Roland Pembroke Hanna. As a youngster, he first studied music with his father. From the age of eleven, he studied classical piano, and also played alto saxophone in high school. In the 1950s lively Detroit Jazz scene, Hanna was deeply influenced by pianists like Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones, together with Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum, and the classical pianist Arthur Rubinstein. In 1951- '52, Hanna served in the U.S.Army, then played with trumpeter Thad Jones at Detroit's Bluebird Inn in 1952. In 1953-'54, he studied music at the famed Eastman School, and in 1955, at New York's Juilliard School, where he completed his Masters degree in 1960, having taking time off to tour with Benny Goodman in 1958. During the late 1950s, he worked with Hawkins and Mingus, and with singers Sarah Vaughan and Al Hibbler in the early 1960s, and led his own trio in New York. From 1966 to 1974, he was part of The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band while continuing to play both with his own trio and a band he formed in 1967 under the name The New York Jazz Sextet. In 1971, he reformd the latter band as the New York Jazz Quartet with flutist Hubert Laws, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Billy Cobham in the original line-up. In 1974, the band became a cooperative, with Frank Wess taking over from Laws and Ben Riley replacing Cobham (George Mraz later took over from Carter on bass). An occasional member of Mingus Dynasty, the Mingus tribute band, he performed in the 1989 historic 'Mingus Epitaph' in New York city, which was put together by Gunther Schuller. His playing was also heard in Clint Eastwood's 1988 'Bird' bio-pic, as one of the musicians who recorded new accompaniments to Charlie Parker's solos. In the 1990s, he toured with New York's 'Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra', continued to play both in his trio and as a solo pianist (including taking part in a tribute to Errol Garner at Carnegie Hall in 1993), and also taught at Queens College in New York. Hanna was a prolific composer in both Jazz and Classical idioms, publishing over 200 pieces, including chamber music, orchestral works, and a jazz ballet. In 1993, his "Oasis", a large work for piano and orchestra, was performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
1906     Leroy Kirkland, guitar/arranger/conductor, d. Apr. 6, 1988
1896     Claude Lampley, banjo, b. Bon Aqua, TN, USA. Member: "Fruit Jar Drinkers"
1924     Perry Lopez, Guitar, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA
1944     Jimmy Merchant, vocals. b. New York, NY, USA. Member group: 'Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers': (biggest hits: "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", "The ABCs of Love")
1947     Lawrence "Butch" Morris, Cornet/conductor, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA
1972     Dude Mowrey, C&W vocals, b. Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
1961     Robbie Neville, C&W vocals
1909     Bert Niosi, Clarinet/alto sax/leader, b. London, ONT, Canada, 1987
1949     Nigel Olsson, drums. ( backup for Elton John)
1932     Walter Perkins, Drums/leader, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. Feb 14, 2004, USA. (lung cancer) Walter was the leader of the Jazz group called 'MJT+3', which, in 1959, recorded the own self titled album. In 1962, Perkins relocated to New York City and played with such men as Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Gene Ammons and vocalist Carmen McRae. In the mid-1070s - '80s, he taught drum classes at Brooklyn's (NY) 'Girls and Boys High School'. He resided in New York's borough of Queens, and continued teaching and playing in local clubs until shortly before his demise.
1937     Ed Polcer, Cornet, b. Paterson, NJ, USA. This famed cornetist began to play the xylophone at just age 6. Started to play cornet semi-professionally while earning his engineering degree at Princeton Univ., NJ, where he played with one of the bands at the university, -Stan Rubin's Tigertown Five. The band had the distinction of playing at Carnegie Hall, and also performed at the 1956 wedding of Monaco's Prince Ranier and Grace Kelly. In the early 1960s, Ed saw Military service with the U. S. Army, after which he returned to New York. Polcer remained a 'semi-pro' musician, simultaneously continuing his business career, even though he was gigging regularly at such well known New York City clubs as Jimmy Ryan's, the Metropole and others. In 1973, he toured with Benny Goodman. Ed became a full-time musician in 1975, when from 1975 to it's closing in 1985, he managed and was part owner of Eddie Condon's club in New York City. In addition to co-leading Condon's house band (with Red Balaban, --who was also co-owner of the club), he worked with some other bands, including recordings with Dick Wellstood. In 1975, he toured the United States and Canada with Bob Greene's "World of Jelly Roll Morton" troupe. In 1982 Polcer became president of the New York International Art of Jazz Organization, promoting corporate and community involvement in jazz education and performance. He has toured the US with his All Stars for Columbia Artists in a program titled "The Magic of Swing Street", which was also presented at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1997. He is currently (2002) playing with Jim Cullum at the Landing Jazz Club in San Antonio, TX, and still plays a little xylophone occasionally.
1950     Frank Potenza, guitar
1944     Rufus Reid, Bass, b. Sacramento, CA. USA.
1924     Joseph Servello, Trombone, b: Roxbury, MA, USA. d. April 19, 2003. Joe first learned to play trombone at St. Patrick's elementary school in Roxbury. In 1942, after graduating from high school, Joe, and a fellow schoolmate, Bobby Pring, played with the Rudy Wallace Orchestra at the Lake Winnepesaukee Ballroom. Others with Rudy Wallace at the time, besides Joe Servello and Bobby Pring, were: Gene Jones (singer), Donny Wallace (trumpet, -son of manager Rudy Wallace), Walter Robinson (lead trumpet and trombone), Glen Robinson (tenor sax -Walter's brother), Mel Leary (alto sax -doubled on clarinet), Loyd Lewis (baritone sax and musical arranger), "Gramps" Nye (piano) and "Pokey" Margeson (drums and scat singer). "There was someone named Harry mentioned, but I'm not sure if he was in the band or someone the band knew at the time."* Subsequently, a musician friend got Servello a 'gig' with the Gray Gordon Tic Toc Rhythmn Orchestra, at the Flagler Gardens in Miami Florida. While in Florida, Joe heard a live broadcast of Ina Ray Hutton's Orchestra (her second, -all male- band) on the radio from the nearby 'Frolic Club'. Joe liked what he heard, contacted her manager, and two weeks later was in the band, performing at Omaha, Nebraska. After Ina disbanded, Joe went on to play with Horace Heidt, Sam Donahue, Boyd Raeburn , Charlie Barnett, and Stan Kenton, among others. Servello also composed and arranged for most of these bands.
* The BBDB+ thanks Ms Susan Pich for this bio on Joseph Servello, and for information on the Wallace band.
1916     Oscar "TV Slim" Wills, vocals/guitar, b. Houston, TX, USA, d. 1969, (near) Kingman, AZ, USA (auto accident). Oscar's brief bid for fame came in 1957 when he recorded a comic tale called "Flat Foot Sam" (Cliff Records). Early in his career, "T.V. Slim" was influenced by DeFord Bailey and both Sonny Boy Williamsons on mouth harp and Guitar Slim. He soon set up his own record label which became the source for the great majority of his output over the next dozen years.
1907     Walter "Foots" Thomas, Reeds, b. Muskogee, OK, USA. d. August 26, 1981
1910     Willie Trice, vocals/guitar, b. Hillsborough, NC, USA, d. Dec. 10, 1976, Durham, NC, USA.
1946     Clifford T. Ward, singer-songwriter, b. Stourport, Worcestershire, England.
1905     Chick Webb, Drums/Leader, b. Baltimore, MD, USA, d. June 16, 1939. né: William Henry Webb. One of Chick's sidemen (Bardu Ali) discovered a young Ella Fitzgerald in an Amateur Contest at the Harlem Opera House. He introduced her to Chick who at first did not accept her. Later, Chick and his wife (Sallye, b. ?, d. 16 June 1939 -Chick's death) adopted young Ella. As a child, Webb contracted tuberculosis which resulted in a twisted spine, and he was hunchbacked for the rest of his life. Until a few years ago, Webb's exact date of birth was unknown, but in September 2005, filmmaker Eric Bruno Borgman (b. June 23, 1970, Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA), who was researching Webb's life, discovered the correct year of his birth, -Feb. 10, 2005. Interestingly, his gravestone, at Arbutus Memorial Park in Arbutus, Baltimore Co., Maryland, still lists his erroneous birth date.
1958     Michael Weiss, piano, b. Dallas, TX, USA.
1919     Vernon L. Welsh, Guitar, b. Irvington, MD, USA, d. Aug. 8, 2002, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, (Dementia). With the late Benny Kearse, he co-founded The Left Bank Jazz Society that showcased both 'local' and 'legendary' Jazz artists such as Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Julian "Cannonball" Adderly and Duke Ellington, --recording about 800 performances.
1933     Don Wilson, vocals, b. Tacoma, WA, USA. member: 'The Ventures'
1910     George York, C&W singer-songwriter/Guitar, b. Louisa, KY, USA, d. July, 1974. Member: "The York Brothers" (comprised of George and brother Leslie York, Vocals/Guitar, b. August 23, 1917, Louisa, Kentucky, USA, d. February 21, 1984.)
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1942.    Ted Fio Ritos orchestra recorded "Rio Rita" (Decca). Bob Carroll did the vocal, and the song became the band's theme song.
1956.    Elvis Presley recorded his 'million-seller' "Heartbreak Hotel" (RCA). The 'flip' side was "I Was the One". The record received two gold records, one for each side. (TRIVIA: In 1919, orchestra leader Ben Selvin recorded the first known million-seller, and it was also a two sided hit, featuring "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and "Darandella".
1961.    Andy Gibson, trumpet/arranger, died in Cincinnati, OH, USA. Age: 47
1961.    Velma Middleton, vocals, died in Freetown,Sierra Leone. Age: 43
1966.    Billy Rose, songwriter/showman, died in Montego Bay, Jamica. Age: 66
1979.    #1 US single is Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think Im Sexy".
1986.    "Uncle Art" Satherley, A&R/producer, died in Fountain Valley, CA, USA. Age: 96
1986.    Arthur Edward Satherley, a pioneer of Country music record production, died. "Uncle" Art was one of the most important people in the history of Country music. (b. October 17, 1889, Bristol, England, February 10, 1986)
1988.    Don Patterson, organ, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Age: 51
1992.    Jim Pepper, tenor sax, died in Portland, OR, USA. Age: 50
1995.    Kendall Hayes, composer who wrote "Walk On By", died. Age: 59

         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1939     "Deep Purple", Jimmy Dorsey Orch. (went to #2 on charts)
1939     "Romance Runs In The Family", Jimmy Dorsey Orch. (O'Connell's 1st Rec'dg with band.)
1944     "Holiday For Strings", Rose, David
1944     "Mairzy Doats", Trace, Al
1950     "Rag Mop", Flanagan, Ralph
1950     "Third Man Theme, The", Karas, Anton (Zither Solo)
1962     "Hey! Baby", Channel, Bruce
1962     "Chip Chip", McDaniels, Gene
1962     "Let Me In", Sensations
1968     "Everything That Touches You", Association
1968     "Simon Says", Nineteen-Ten Fruitgum Co.
1968     "Dock Of The Bay, (Sittin' On) The", Redding, Otis
1973     "Danny's Song", Murray, Anne
1979     "Tragedy", Bee Gees
1979     "What A Fool Believes", Doobie Brothers
1990     "Just A Friend", Biz Markie
1990     "Here And Now", Vandross, Luther