BIRTHDAYS
1956     Bernie Albrecht, guitar. alias for Bernard Sumner listed below.
1918     Norman "Buddy" Baker, Composer/Director/trombone/euphonium/arranger, d. July 26, 2002, Sherman Oaks, CA, U.S.A. (Natural causes) If you enjoyed Stan Kenton's orchestra playhing, "And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine", then you enjoyed Buddy's work. He wrote arrangements for the Eddie Cantor, Bob Hope and Jack Benny radio shows. Later, he was a musical director for over 200 Walt Disney TV shows and movies. Among the movies for which he wrote music areToby Tyler, The Apple Dumpling Gang, and The Shaggy D.A.
1919     Roger Bell, Trumpet/cornet/clarinet/drums/vocals/Washboard/Composer/Bandleader, b. Melbourne, Australia. Roger is the brother of pianist Graeme Bell.
1923     Sonny Blake, harmonica, b. Dundee, MS, USA. né: Clennon Lee Blakes
1936     Clarence Carter, singer-songwriter, b. Montgomery, AL, USA.
1966     Deana Carter, C&W Vocals, b. Nashville, TN, USA. Debut Album was: "Did I Shave My Legs For This?".
1954     Eugene Chadbourne, vocals/guitar/banjo/harmonica, b. Mt. Vernon, NY, USA.
1956     Alex Cline, drums/composer, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. Alex and guitarist Nels Cline are twin brothers.
1956     Nels Cline, guitar, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1946     Arthur Conley, vocals, b. Atlanta, GA, USA.
1967     Benjamin Darvill, mandolin/harmonica. member: Crash Test Dummies band.
1950     Robert Dick, composer/flute, b. New York, NY, USA
1926     Lee Dorsey, vocals.
1929     Al Dreares, Drums, b. Key West, FL, USA.
1955     Kathy Forester, C&W vocals, b. Lookout Mountain, GA, USA. Member group: 'The Forester Sisters'
1916     Bulee "Slim" Gaillard, vocals/guitar/piano, b. (probably born this date in) Detroit, MI, USA, d. Feb. 26, 1991 (cancer). (NOTE: Some sources list January 1, as his birth date. Gaillard sometimes claimed he was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, instead of Detroit, MI. Gaillard's father, a steward on a cruise ship, occasionally brought young Slim along. Once, Slim's dad accidentally left his young son behind on the island of Crete, when the cruise ship departed the port.) Gaillard worked as a professional boxer, a mortician, and ran bootleg rum for the 'Purple Gang' during the late 1920s - early 1930s. He then worked up a vaudeville act in which he simultaneously played guitar and tap danced. 1936 found him in New York where he teamed up with bassist Slam Stewart (b.Sept. 21, 1914 in Englewood, NJ, USA) working as 'Slim & Slam'. In 1938, their recording of "Flat Foot Floogie" brought them national fame, and the song was soon 'covered' by the Benny Goodman and Fats Waller orchestras. In 1941, the team appeared in the film "Hellzapoppin'" In 1944, during WWII, Gaillard served in the U. S. Airforce, while Stewart served in the Army. 1945 found Gaillard in Hollywood, - now working with bassist Bam Brown. In 1945 he scored a huge hit with "Cement Mixer (Putty Putty)". During 1945, Gaillard frequently recorded with a quartet featuring Bam Brown, pianist Dodo Marmarosa, and drummer Zutty Singleton, and in late 1945, with bebop greats Charlie "Yardbird" Parker and 'Dizzy' Gillespie. In the late 1940s, he appeared in several films. His 1951 release "Yep Roc Heresay" was another huge success. From 1951-1953, he performed mostly in New York city and even appeared in Norman Granz's 'Jazz at the Philharmonic' (1953). In the mid-'50s, both his popularity, and the Big Band era, were waning . In the late '50s, he toured with Stan Kenton, and in 1958, recorded for the Dot label (he would not record again for 24 years). In the 1960s, he worked as a hotel manager in San Diego, before buying an orchard near Tacoma, WA. In the late 60s, he was back in Los Angeles, CA, playing in local clubs before drifting into TV acting roles. He appeared in such shows as 'Mission Impossible', 'Marcus Welby, M.D.', 'Along Came Bronson', 'Charlie's Angels', and 'Medical Center'. At the 1970 Monterey Jazz Festival, he was briefly reunited with 'Slam' Stewart. In 1979, he was an actor in the TV miniseries 'Roots: The Next Generation'. In 1982, after trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie talked him into returning to music, Gaillard toured first to the U.K., then Europe, and, in 1983. made London, England his new home base. During this time, he also recorded for the Hep label, - his first recordings since 1958. In 1986, he appeared in the cult film 'Absolute Beginners', In 1989, he was the subject of the BBC multipart TV special 'The World of Slim Gaillard'. Cancer finally stilled his voice on February 26, 1991.
1965     Beth Gibbons, vocals, b. Exeter, UK Member group: 'Portishead'
1903    Carroll Gibbons, Leader/piano/conductor, b. Clinton, MA, USA, d. May 10, 1954, London, UK
1965     David Glasper, rock vocals/Arranger, b. Cardigan, Mid Wales. UK. Member group: 'Breathe'
1955     Clive Gregson, vocals/producer, b. Manchester, England. Member groups: 'Any Trouble' / 'Gregson & Collister'
1962     Robin Guthrie, guitar/songwriter, b. Grangemouth, Scotland. - 'Cocteau Twins', -a trio (always have been), consisting of Robin, vocalist and lyricist Elizabeth Fraser (b Aug. 29, 1963 in Grangemouth, Scotland), and principal songwriter/bass/guitar/piano Simon Raymonde (b. April 3, 1962, Tottenham, England).
1971     Nigel Hitchcock, (Jazz) alto sax, b. Rustington, England, UK
1944     Ken James, Reeds/Flute/percussion/leader, b.1944, Sydney, Australia
1958     Macel King, vocals. Member group: 'Sweet Sensation'
1941     David Lee, Jr., Drums, b.1941, New Orleans, LA, USA.
1904     Sydney Lipton, Violin/leader, b. London, England, d. July 19, 1995, Florida, USA
1929     Alan Littlejohn, Trumpet, b. Highgate, North London, England, UK. d. Nov. 12, 1995, Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, UK. né: Albert John Alan Littlejohn.
1957     Patty Loveless, C&W vocals, b. Pikeville, KY, USA.
1945     Jay Dee Maness, C&W steel guitarist, b. Loma Linda, CA, USA.
1937     Lorene Mann, C&W vocals, b. Huntland, TN, USA.
1907     Joe Marsala, clarinet, leader, alto and tenor sax, vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA d. Feb. 3, 1978, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
1962     Martin McAloon, bass, b. Newcastle, England. Member group: 'Prefab Sprout', a band formed in 1982, by Paddy McAloon (b. June 7, 1957, Newcastle, England), his brother Martin McAloon (bass), Neil Conti (drums), and Wendy Smith (guitar, vocals).
1942     John McLaughlin, Guitar, b. Kirk Sandall, Yorkshire, England. Member: 'Mahavishnu Orchestra'
1911     Noro Morales, Piano, b. San Juan, P.R., d. Jan. 16, 1964, San Juan, P.R.
1936     Ted Nettelbeck, Piano, b. Streaky Bay, Australia
1916     Lionel Newman, arranger/composer, d. 1989
1906     Frankie Newton, Trumpet, b. Emory, VA, USA. d. March 11, 1954
1965     Cait O'Riordan, bass guitar/vocals, b. Nigeria In 1967, this little lady's parents (originally from Ireland and Scotland) moved from Nigeria to London when the Nigerian civil war erupted. Her career began with the London group 'The Pogues' and has continued from there.
1923     Tito Rodriguez, vocals/leader, b. San Juan, Puerto Rico, d. 1973. Came to New York city in 1939. First snag with his brother Johnny Rodriguez's orch, and subsequently with other bands including Xavier Cugat, Enric Madriguera, Noro Morales, and José Curbelo. His 1963 recording of "Inolvidable" (in Argentina) sold over a million copies throughout Latin America.
1918     Boris Rose, Producer, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Dec. 31, 2000, New York, NY, USA,
1948     Charlie Sayles, harmonica, b. Woburn, MA, USA.
1940     Pavel Smetacek, Clarinet/alto and soprano saxes/tuba/arranger/Leader, b. Prague, Czechoslovakia
1933     Ray Starling, Trumpet/flugelhorn/mellophonium (don't confuse with the mellophone)/piano, b. London, England
1960     Michael Stipe, vocals, b. Decatur, GA, USA. né: John Michael Stipe. Member group: 'R.E.M.'
1956     Bernard Sumner, guitar/keyboards, b. Salford, Lancashire, England, UK. né: Bernard Ricken. 'Sumner' was his mother's maiden name. Bernard never knew who his father was, and grew up with his mother and grandparents in Salford. He first used his mothers name, but when she married, he changed it -with her- to Dicken. Subsequently, Bernard changed it to Albrecht, and then changed it back to Sumner. (' Albrecht' was the manufacturer of the copy machine at one of his jobs.) Member groups: 'Warsaw' (then renamed) 'Joy Division', and 'New Order', a group whose four principal members: Bernard Sumner, Peter "Hooky" Hook, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert. (One of the original members was Ian Curtis, who, on May 18, 1980, hanged himself during a fit of depression - while listening to ' Iggy Pop's ' recording of "The Idiot".)
1913     Playboy Venson, drums/harmonica, b. Belzoni, MS, USA.
1928     Ron Webber, Drums, b. Sydney, Australia
1922     Frank Wellington Wess, Flute/Saxophone, b. Kansas City, MO, USA.
1977     Timothy Wheeler, Guitar/vocals, b. Downpatrick, Co. Down, Ireland. Member group: 'Ash', a group composed of Timothy, and Mark Hamilton, bass guitar (b. March 21, 1977, b. Ireland), Charlotte Franklin Hatherley, guitar (b. June 20, 1979, Finsbury Park, Ireland), Rick McMurray, drums, cymbals, tambourine, maracas (b. July 11, 1975, Larne, Co Antrim, Ireland).
1944     Dennis Wilson, drums. Member group: Beach Boys
          Notable Events occuring this date include:
1928.    NBC Radio network debuted one of radio's first variety shows, 'The Dodge Victory Hour'. starring Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra, singer Al Jolson, and monologist Will Rogers.
1936.    Billboard magazine publishes first pop music chart (based on national sales). Jazz violinist Joe Venuti's "Stop! Look! Listen!" was the chart topper.
1950.    RCA Victor records caved-in, and virtually abandoned their 45rpm style disks. The company announced they would start manufacturing the long-playing (LP) records,that had been introduced by competitor Columbia Records in 1948.
1969.    Paul Chambers, bass, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 33
1970.    Harry Woods, songwriter, died in Glendale (suburb of Phoenix), Arizona, USA.
1980.    "Uncle" Homer Walker, banjo, died in Princeton, W. Va, USA. Age: 81
1986.    Phil Lynott, vocals, died in Salisburg, UK, Age: 35
1991.    Leo Wright, alto sax, died in Vienna, Austria. Age: 57
1991.    Eddie Barefield, alto/soprano/tenor/baritone sax, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 81
1992.    Teddy Grace, vocals, died in La Mirada, CA, USA. Age: 86
1994.    Calvin Peele, drums, died in Fresno, CA, USA.
1998.    Prince Cooper, piano, vocal, died Elgin (suburb of Chicago). IL, USA (né: Robert Cooper)
2002.    Tim Buckley, C&W songwriter, died Dallas, TX, USA. Age: 47
2004.    Jake Hess, gospel singer, died in the hospital in Opelika, AL, USA. Age: 76
          Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
       1945 Rum And Coca-Cola, - Andrews Sisters
       1945 There Goes That Song Again, - Kaye, Sammy
       1945 Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive, - Mercer, Johnny
       1960 Teen Angel, - Dinning, Mark
       1964 Hey Little Cobra, - Rip Chords
       1964 Anyone Who Had A Heart, - Warwick, Dionne
       1969 I Started A Joke, - Bee Gees
       1969 Worst That Could Happen, - Brooklyn Bridge
       1969 Can I Change My Mind, - Davis, Tyrone
       1969 Touch Me, - Doors
       1969 Everyday People, - Sly & The Family Stone
       1975 You're No Good, - Ronstadt, Linda