BIRTHDAYS
1926     Harold Ray Bradley, C&W guitar, b. Nashville, TN, USA. His older brother, pianist Owen, is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Harold first played the banjo before taking up the guitar. In 1943, while still a teenager, he began working with the legendary Ernest Tubb. In 1943. after his high school graduation, Bradley joined the Navy. In 1946, he received his service discharge, and then studied at George Peabody College under the GI Bill, while also playing on the Opry with Eddy Arnold and Bradley Kincaid. Dec. 17, 1946 marked Bradley's first recording session (with Pee Wee King and the Golden West Cowboys in Chicago). December 2005, will mark Harold Bradley's 60th year as a studio musician. He was part of the original "A Team" of Nashville superpickers, -one of those immortalized by John Sebastian in his song "Nashville Cats." Bradley's played on such classic cuts as Red Foley's "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy," Ray Anthony's "Do the Hokey Pokey," Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock," Brenda Lee's "I'm Sorry," Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely," Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Johnny Horton's "Battle of Now Orleans," Jimmy Dean's "Big Bad John," Roger Miller's "King of the Road," Jeannie C. Riley's "Harper Valley PTA." Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man," Eddy Arnold's "Make the World Go Away," Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter," The Everly Brothers' "Ebony Eyes" and John Anderson's "Swinging'." But don't stop now! Bradley can also be heard on some Elvis Presley records, movie soundtracks, and on releases by such famous entertainers as Joan Baez, Roy Clark, Perry Como, The Everly Brothers, Connie Francis, Freddie Hart, Buddy Holly, Ivory Joe Hunter, Burl Ives, Pee Wee King, Henry Mancini, George Morgan, Charley Pride, Jim Reeves, Marty Robbins, Leon Russell, George Beverly Shea, Hank Snow, Conway Twitty, Gene Watson, and Hank Williams. Bradley has received numerous awards and honors for his work.
1946     "Chick" Churchill, keyboards. b. Mold, Flintshire, North Wales, UK. né: Michael George 'Chick' Churchill. Member group: 'Ten Years After'
1927     Dennis Coffey, guitar, b. Detroit, MI, USA. Member: 'Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band'
1915     Ann Dupont, Clarinet/Leader, b. Universal, PA, USA
1928     Ron Falson, Trumpet, b. Sydney, Australia
1915     Nick Fatool, Drums, b. Milbury, MA, USA. d. Sept. 26, 2000
1943     Dick Feller, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Bronaugh, MO, USA (population of 214). Five of Dick Feller's songs have won BMI Awards: "Any Old Wind That Blows", "The Credit Card Song", "East Bound And Down", "Lord, Mr. Ford", and "Some Days Are Diamonds". In the liner notes of his album, Dick Feller himself wrote: "..... a songwriter is an observer - a reporter - voyeur of emotions (...) I take people I have met and invent new situations for them - then sit back and see how they react. Thats called writing a song". Unfortunately, Dick Feller has not received the attention he so richly deserves.
1944     Jack Alan Goga, songwriter, b. Detroit, MI, USA.
1910     Henry Goodwin, Trumpet, b. Columbia, SC, USA. d. July 2, 1979, New York, NY, USA
1963     Keith Gregory, guitar, b. Nashville, TN, USA. From 1970-72, Keith played guitar in both rock and R&B/soul bands, including a band with Billy Cox. From 1973-74, he gravitated toward gospel music working with the Imperials and winning a Dove Award with them. During 1975, he played in the band in the rock and roll show at Opryland. USA theme park. From 1983-88, Keith became one of the first authorized dealers for Mesa Boogie amps, and was Mesa's state sales rep. Starting in 1989, and continuing for 3 years, he worked as a retail salesman in Rock Block, one of Nashville's better known guitar stores In October of 1993, he joined the Gruhn Guitars company.
1954     John Barlow Jarvis, (C&W sessions) songwriter/artist, b. Pasadena, CA, USA.
1903     Edith North Johnson, vocals/piano, b. St. Louis, MO, USA.
1901     Rev. Rubin Lacey, guitar, b. Pelahatchie, MS, USA.
1910     Bob Laine, pianist, b: Stockholm, Sweden, d. Dec. 30, 1997, Palm Springs, CA, USA. age 87. nee: Lars Robert E. Laine
1930     Julius LaRosa, "Pops" vocalist.
1927     John H. McLevy, Trumpet, b. Dundee, Scotland
1936     Roger Miller, Country vocalist, b: Fort Worth, TX, USA, né: Roger Dean Miller d. Oct. 25, 1992, Los Angeles, CA. USA. His most memorable lyric: "Dang Me, They Ought To Take A Rope And Hang Me" One of Country Music's most multifaceted talents. Few folks today realize the full depth and range of Miller's musical legacy. In 1957, he arrived in Nashville, TN, a struggling honky-tonk singer-songwriter. By the 1960s, he had become a country-pop superstar with self-composed crossover hits such as “Dang Me” and “King of the Road.” During 1965–'66, he won eleven Grammy awards. Twenty years later, in 1985, he won a Tony award for his "Big River" score for the Broadway musical based on Mark Twain’s 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'. His son, Dean Miller, continuing the family tradition, is also a popular Country singer.
1919     Clarence Palmer, vocals, b. Pawtucket, RI, USA. Member: 'The Jive Bombers'
1933     Judd Proctor, Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals, b. Doncaster, Yorkshire, England
1929     Arthur Prysock, Vocal, b. Spartenburg, SC, USA. d. June 21, 1997, Hamilton, Bermuda. While still a teenager, his family moved to Hartford, CT, where the young Arthur found work in the aviation industry by day, and sang with several local bands by night. In 1944, he was discovered by jump Blues bandleader Buddy Johnson, who signed him as lead male vocalist and brought him to Harlem. And so, at just age 15, as a member of 'Buddy Johnson's Blues Band', Prysock was already performing in various Harlem (NYC) clubs, and recording with Johnson's band. (With Johnson, Prysock recorded (Decca) "Jet My Love" (1947), "I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone" (1948), and "Because" (Mercury 1950). In 1952, he became a solo act, - sometimes touring with his brother, saxophonist Wilbert "Red" Prysock (b. Feb. 2, 1926, Greensboro, NC, USA, d. Aug. 19, 1993, Chicago, IL, USA - heart attack). Arthur soon became known for his deep, silky voice. Among Prysock's popular hits are "I Didn't Sleep a Wink Last Night" (1952), "I Worry 'Bout You" (1958), "The Very Thought of You" (1960), "It's Too Late, Baby, Too Late" (1965), "When Love Was New" (1976), "You Can Do It" (1977), "A Rockin' Good Way" (1985 album), "This Guy's In Love With You" (1986 album) and "Today's Love Songs, Tomorrow's Blues" (1987 album), and "This Guy's in Love with You" (1988). Many will also recall his singing the beer ad jingle "Tonight, Let It Be Lowenbrau".
1933     Bob Rozario, bandleader, b. Shanghai China, Worked with Tony Orlando
1928     Wolfgang Sauer, vocals, b. Germany.
1939     "Little Smokey" Abe Smothers, guitar, b. Tchula, MS, USA.
1946     Isao Suzuki, Bass, b. Tokyo, Japan
1957     Ricky Van Shelton, C&W vocals, b. Danville, VA, USA
1902     Aaron George Washington, guitar, b. Willington, SC, USA.
         Notable Events occurring this date include:
1932.    Freddy Martin formed a new band for his engagement at New York's Roosevelt Grill. Martin became one of the big names during the 'Big Band Era'. Merv Griffin later became Martin's vocalist.
1963.    singer/actor Dick Powell died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 58.
1970.    Ruth Davis, vocals, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Age: 42. Member: 'The Davis Sisters'
1973.    "Speckled Red", piano, died in St. Louis, MO, USA. Age: 81
1973.    Joe Harriott, alto saxophonist, died in London, England, UK (cancer. né: Joe Arthurlin Harriott. b. July 15, 1928, Kingston, Jamaica).
1974.    "Tex" Ritter, Cowboy actor/singer, died in Nashville, TN, USA. (heart attack) Age: 68. (né: Woodward Maurice Ritter). Tex was born Jan. 12, 1905, Murvaul, Texas, USA His spouse, Dorothy Fay, was his leading lady in many of his western features, and their son, John Ritter, and John's son Jason Ritter were also vocalists. At one time, "Tex" made an unsuccessful attempt to become Governor of the American state of Tennessee. In his later years, he was a disk jockey on local Nashville, TN radio. Perhaps, Tex will always be remembered for his haunting vocalization of the "High Noon" theme song in the 1952 film starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.
1977.    Erroll Garner, piano, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 55
1979.    Wayne Walker, C&W songwriter, died.
1980.    J. Mayo "Ink" Williams, A&R/producer, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 85
1981.    Bud Green, songwriter, died in Yonkers, NY, USA. Age: 84. Perhaps his best recalled song: "Flat Foot Floogie' (With a Floy Floy)"
1981.    David Lynch, vocals, died in Long Beach, CA, USA. Age: 51. Member: 'The Platters'
1982.    William J.Gollan, piano and organ, died in Loma Linda, CA, USA.
1984.    Chico Sheppard, "the hook" (Apollo Theatre), died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 55
1985.    Bob Anderson, bass, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 50
1989.    Eddie Heywood Jr., piano, died in Miami Beach, FL, USA. Age: 73
1993.    Valerie Wellington, vocals, died in Maywood, IL, USA. Age: 33
2000.    Nat Adderley, cornet, composer, died in Lakeland, Florida, USA.(complications of diabetes)
2004.    Pianist André Persiany died (liver cancer) in Paris, France. Age: 77. (b. Nov. 19, 1927, Paris, France)
2006.    Mike Smith, (death metal) drummer, died Age: 59 (b. Edmonton, England,)
CAUTION: Do not confuse with:
--- Mike Smith, Jazz alto saxophonist from Chicago,IL USA.
--- Mike Smith (b. August 27 1972, Thorburn, Nova Scotia, Canada) the Canadian actor who also had been a Bassist in the rock band Sandbox,
--- Mike Smith, keyboard player. Well recalled as member of the Dave Clark Five,
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
       1941 "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", - Andrews Sisters vocal. (Decca Records)
       1942 Blues In The Night, - Woody Herman Orch.
       1942 White Cliffs Of Dover, The, - Kay Kyser Orch.
       1942 String Of Pearls, A, - Glenn Miller Orch.
       1948 Ballerina, - Buddy Clark
       1954 Secret Love, - Doris Day
       1954 What It Was, Was Football, - Andy Griffith
       1965 Downtown, - Petula Clark vocal
       1965 Hold What You've Got, - Joe Tex vocal.
       1971 Mr. Bojangles, - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
       1993 Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme), A, - Peabo Bryson

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