BIRTHDAYS
1940     "Big Bad Smitty", see: John Henry Smith, below.
1891     Paul Ash, leader/violin, b. Germany, d. July 13, 1958 New York, NY, USA
1979     "Brandy"", vocals/actress, b. McComb, MS, USA. née: Brandy Norwood
1922     Bob Carter, Bass, b. New Haven, CT, USA. d.
1909     Bob Casey, Bass, b. Marion, IL, USA. d. 1986
1942     Otis Clay, "Soul" vocals, b. Waxhaw, MS, USA.
1963     Sheryl Crow, C&W vocals, b. Kennett, MO, USA. Sheryl is the product of a musical family. Her father was a trumpeter who had played in the big bands, and her mother had also been a big bands singer. Her mother was also a piano teacher who ensured that all her daughters learned the instrument starting in grade school. Sheryl later majored in music at the University of Missouri.
1974     "D'Angelo", Singer-songwriter/instrumentalist, b. Richmond, Virginia, USA. né: Michael Eugene Archer. His wife Angie Stone (née: Angela Laverne Brown, b. 1961, Columbia, SC, USA ) is a member of the Rap group 'The Sequence' (best recalled for their 1980 release "Funk You Up"). The couple have one child.
1918     Don D'Arcy, Vocal, b. Sayre, PA, USA. d. April 12, 1983
1914     Matt Dennis, Songwriter, b. Seattle, WA, d. June 21, 2002 Riverside, CA, USA
1944     Martin Drew, Drums, b. Northhampton, England
1950     Clancy Fields, (Bluegrass) Singer-Songwriter/Acoustic Double Bass/Guitar/Mandolin, b. Kermit, WV, USA. Member: "Fields Brothers", a duo formed 1968 with Clancy Fields and Bennie Fields (Singer-Songwriter, Guitar, b. Jan. 22, 1941, Kermit, WV, USA)
1960     Russ Freeman, guitar, b. Nashville, Tennessee, USA CAUTION: Do not confuse with with the pianist Russ Freeman.
1939     Gerry Goffin, lyricist. Collaborated with composer Carole King. Among their hit compositions are: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman". Collaborating with Michael Masser, they wrote "Tonight I Celebrate My Love", "Saving All My Love for You",
1947     Henk Haverhoek, Bass, b. Schoor, Netherlands
1953     Neil Henderson, guitar, b. Glasgow, Scotland. Member group: 'Middle Of the Road', -1971 single "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" hit UK No.1.
1949     Bobby Lee Hous, C&W songwriter, b. Harrison, AR, USA.
1932     Jaromir Hnilicka, trumpet, composer, arranger, mellophonium, harp, vocal, b. Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Has also worked witn the 'Gustav Brom Big Band'
1928     Conrad Janis, Trombone, b. New York, NY, USA.
1901     Claude Jones, Trombone, b. Boley, OK, USA. d. 1962
1882     Joe Jordan, trumpet, d. Sept. 11, 1971
1946     Ray Lake, Bass/Guitar/Drums/Vocals, b. Liverpool, England. Member group: 'The Real Thing', a quartet comprised of Eddie Amoo, Chris Amoo, Ray Lake, Dave Smith, and Kenny Davis. (All were Liverpool natives.)
1931     Bobby Lamb, Composer/bandleader/trombonist, b. Cork, Ireland. Bobby is an icon of the Big Bands Era. After his early years in Ireland, he relocated to Britain, ending up playing with Jack Parnell’s band. After traveling to the United States, to continue his studies, he first worked, for a few weeks, with Charlie Barnet on the West Coast, before going to Las Vegas and auditioning for Woody Herman. He worked with Herman for several years, and subsequently returned to Great Britain, where he has remained.
1937     Brian Lemon, Piano, b. Nottingham, England
1941     Earl Lewis, vocals, b. USA. d. 1971, USA.
1956     Didier Lockwood, Violin, b. Calais, France. Among the artists with whom he has worked are such stars as Bernd Konrad, Paul Schwarz, Christian Vander, Herbert Joos, Franc Kuruc, Michael Kersting, André Ceccarelli, Bob Malach, Stella Vander, Jean-Michel Kajdan, and Benoit Widemann.
1969     Andrew Lovell, vocals, b. London, England. Member group: 'M People'
1941     Sergio Mendes, composer/piano/arranger, b. Niteroi, Brazil. Among his hit compositions are "Brasil 66", "Brasil 77", "Brasil 88", "Fool on the Hill", "Mas Que Nada", "The Look of Love"
1882     John Mills, Sr. vocals, d, Dec. 8, 1967. né: John Charles Mills. Member: (founder) of "The Mills Brothers" vocal group who achieved their greatest fame during the Big Bands era. Between 1910 and 1915, four boys were born to John and Eathel Mills in Piqua, Ohio. John, a barber, led a barbershop quartet; Eathel, a music teacher, performed light opera. Together, they taught John Jr., Herbert, Harry and Donald the intricacies of close harmony singing. In 1999, Donald Mills, the youngest and last original member of the renowned Mills Brothers died, closing the 70 year career of the Mills Brothers vocal quartet. From their beginnings in the 1920s, they sold more than 50 million records, singing 2,246 songs, including the hits “Up a Lazy River” and “Glow Worm”. They broke down all sorts of racial barriers. Donald was only 7 when he and his brothers - John Jr., Herbert and Harry - began performing in their hometown of Piqua, Ohio. They developed a unique style that included mimicking musical instruments. In 1928, they began performing on Cincinnati radio station WLW-AM. In 1930, they auditioned for CBS in New York. Executive William S. Paley put them on the air immediately. The next day, the brothers signed a three-year contract, thus becoming the first African-Americans with their own national radio show.
The original Mills Brothers were John Mills Sr., John Mills Jr. (b. Feb. 1911, Piqua, Ohio, USA, d. Jan. 23, 1936, Bellefontaine, Ohio, USA, tuberculosis). Harry Mills (b. August 19, 1913, d. June 28, 1982), Herbert Mills (b. April 2, 1912, Piqua, Ohio, USA, d. April 12, 1989, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA), and Donald Mills (b. April 29, 1915, Piqua, Ohio, USA., d. Nov. 13, 1999, Los Angeles, California, USA. (complications of pneumonia) Age: 84).
1940     Bobby "Boris" Pickett, vocals, b. Somerville, MA, USA., d. April 25, 2007, Los Angeles, CA, USA. (leukemia) Age: 69. Pickett,was one of pop music's most enduring one-hit wonders, his (co-written) song "Monster Mash" reached "the top 100" on three different occasions, .in 1962, reaching No. 1 the week before Halloween; again in August 1970, and for a third time in May 1973. Pickett, was dubbed "The Guy Lombardo of Halloween," Bob Dylan, who was a big fan of his novelty hit once commented (on his XM Satellite Radio program), ."......... (Pickett) is considered a one-hit wonder, but his one hit comes back year after year,"
1937     Prentice Pilot, bass
1918     Wesley H. Rose, C&W vocals/music publisher, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. April 26, 1990
1981     Kelly Rowland, vocals, b. Houston, TX, USA. aka: 'Kelly'. Member group: 'Destiny's Child', a group that began as a foursome and became a trio. The founding members were Beyonce Knowles (b. Sept. 4, 1981) and LaTavia Roberson (b. Nov. 1, 1981). In 1992, Kelly Rowland (Beyonce's cousin), joined, and in 1993, LeToya Luckett (b. March 11, 1981) made it a quartet. They were managed by Music World Management's Matthew Knowles -- who is also Beyonce's father and Kelly's legal guardian. In February 2000, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson left the group due to their unhappiness with the management of Matthew Knowles. (LeToya and LaTavia took the group and its management to court.) In March 2000, Beyonce and Kelly found two replacements: Michelle Williams (b. July 23, 1980) and Farrah Franklin. In August 2000, Farrah Franklin left the group, leaving Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams (not to be confused with the blonde 'Dawson's Creek' actress Michelle Williams, b. Sept. 9, 1980, Kalispell, Montana, USA) as a trio. Since then, all three ladies have enjoyed 'single' careers.
1953     Alan Rubin, trumpet. Member group: 'The Blues Brothers'
1947     Derek Shulman, lead vocals/multi-instrument, b. Glasgow, Scotland. aka: Simon Dupree. Member group: 'Gentle Giant'. Currently Derek is president of his own record label, O.M.A. Records, Inc. Starting as a lead vocalist, Derek went on to become vice-president at PolyGram Records, in which position he signed Bon Jovi, Cinderella, Kingdom Come, Tears for Fears, Men Without Hats, and Dexy's Midnight Runners. Later, as president of ATCO Records (Warner Communications subsidiary), he signed AC/DC, Bad Company, Pantera, The Rembrandts, Jive Bunny, and Soho... all of whom went platinum or multi-platinum. Derek also was president and CEO of Roadrunner Records in New York City, which has rock-oriented artists like Slipknot, Type O Negative, Coal Chamber, Fear Factory, and Machinehead.
1940     John Henry Smith, guitar, b. Greenville, MS, USA. This guitarist plays in the style of Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters. aka: "Big Bad Smitty"
1943     "Little" Johnny Taylor, R&B vocals, b. Memphis, TN, USA.
1939     Okay Temiz, drums/percussion/and Turkish instruments of his own design, b. Istanbul, Turkey As a child, Temiz was influenced by his mother, Naciye, a classically trained musician. Later, Temiz studied music at the Ankara Conservatory and at the Tophane Art Institute, where he also learned to build his own unique "Turkish" style instruments.
1925    Boyd Valleau leader/tenor sax, b. Feb. 11, 1925, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. d. Jan. 4, 2005, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
1935     Gene Vincent, singer. b. Munden Point, Norfolk, Virginia. USA. d. Oct 12, 1971. USA. né: Vincent Eugene Craddock. Best recalled hit releases "Be-Bop-A-Lula", "Lotta Lovin", "Dance to the Bop"
1937     Phillip Walker, violin/composer/keyboard/percussion/guitar. Although a Classically trained violinist, his personal style combines instrumental, Jazz, new age, classical and rock.
1915     "Josh" White, Blues/Folk singer/guitar, b. Greenville, SC, USA. d. Sept. 5, 1969. né: Joshua Daniel White. His father was a preacher, and he first sang gospel, returning to that music at various times in his career as a Blues singer and folk entertainer. As a singer of secular Blues, -such as "Jim Crow Train", "Sissy Man Blues", and "Silicosis Blues", he used such names as "the Singing Christian", and "Pinewood Tom" White. From 1932 on, he was well recorded, and even toured Europe in the post-WW2 years.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1938.    Larry Clinton Orchestra recorded "Martha" (Victor). Bea Wain vocal.
1940.    Debut of NBC radio show "The Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street". Henry "Hot Lips" Levine was the bandleader. The show combined music and satire built around the three Bs of music: Barrelhouse, Boogie Woogie and Blues.
1962.    Leo Parker, bari sax, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 37
1966.    William Roy Hardison, died. Age: 69. Member: "Gully Jumpers," a group formed 1927 with members Paul Warmack (Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals, August 16, 1889, Tennessee, USA, d. July 2, 1954), Charley Arrington (Fiddle, 1893, Tennessee, USA, d. Unknown), Roy Hardison (Banjo, July 19, 1896, Tennessee, USA, d. February 1966), and Burt Hutcherson (Guitar, 1893, Tennessee, USA, d. July 10, 1980)
1967.    Edmond Hall, clarinet, died in Boston, MA, USA. Age: 65
1975.    "Little" Benny Harris, trumpet, died in San Francisco, CA, USA. Age: 54
1987.    John Malachi, piano/arranger, died in Washington, D.C., USA. Age: 68
1987.    Billy Rogers, guitar, died in San Francisco, CA, USA. Age: 37
1988.    Rene Hall, guitar/arranger/producer, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 75
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1943    "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", Ink Spots
1936    "Symphony", - The Freddy Martin Orchestra. Vocal: Clyde Rogers
1936    "I Cant Begin to Tell You", - Bing Crosby vocal with Carmen Cavallaro Orchestra
1954    "Oh! My Pa-Pa", - Eddie Fisher vocal
1954    "Make Love to Me", - Jo Stafford vocal
1954    "Young-at-Heart", - Frank Sinatra vocal
1962    "Peppermint Twist", - Joey Dee & The Starliters
1962    "Duke of Earl", - Gene Chandler
1967    "My Cup Runneth Over", Ed Ames
1970    "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", - Dionne Warwick
1978    "Night Fever", Bee Gees
1978    "Our Love", Natalie Cole
1978    "Jack & Jill", Parker Jr., Ray
1984    "Thriller", Jackson, Michael (sold over35-million copies around the world soon after its release.)
1984    "Footloose", Loggins, Kenny
1984    "Automatic", Pointer Sisters
1984    "Somebody's Watching Me", Rockwell
1989    "Eternal Flame", Bangles
1989    "Dreamin'", Williams, Vanessa