January 12          BIRTHDAYS 1931     Roland 'Ringo' Alphonso, sax, b. Havana, Cuba, d. Nov. 20, 1998, Los Angeles, CA, USA (Brain Aneurysm) Age: 67. Rolando was stricken onstage, performing with the 'Ska" band "The Skatilites", when a blood vessel burst in his neck just after completing a solo. He was hospitalized at The Cedars Sinai Medical Center where he passed away. 1957     Tommy Ardolino. drums, b. Louisville, KY, USA. Member group: 'NRBQ'. Some sources state that NRBQ actually debuted in Louisville in 1966 with the Adams brothers. However, it is more probable that the band formed in FL when pianist/trumpeter Terry Adams and guitarist Steve Ferguson relocated to Miami in 1968 (for a promised gig). There, Adams and Ferguson met two members of the New York-based 'Seven of Us', -vocalist Frank Gadler and bassist/vocalist Jody St. Nicholas (né: Joey Spampinato). (Spampinato had started his career in a Bronx doo-wop group. In 1962, he made his first recording as a saxist in the Bronx Junior High School All-Borough Band.) The four musicians were then joined by drummer Tom Staley, then working with a Florida band called 'Bartock's Mountains'. The band gigged steadily in Miami alternating between the names the 'New Rockabilly Quintet' and the 'New Rhythm and Blues Quartet' --but the initials would not be used until the band left Florida.In the fall of 1968, the group moved north, settling in first northern New Jersey in order to be close to the New York scene. It was in New York city that ther were to find their fame. 1941     "Long John" Baldry, Blues and Boogie vocals/guitar, b: Derbyshire, England, UK, d. July 21, 2005. In the early 1960s, he sang in Alexis Korner's band Blues Incorporated, which was also the starting point for future rock stars Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce, and others. He subsequently joined the 'Cyril Davies R&B All Stars', and in early 1964, after Davies' death, renamed the group 'Long John Baldry and His Hoochie Coochie Men'. This band's second vocalist was a chap named Rod Stewart, and they also employed Geoff Bradford (who had been in an embryonic version of the Rolling Stones) on guitar. 1959     'Blixa Bargeld', guitar, b. Berlin, Germany. né: Christian Emmerich. Member group: 'Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' 1951     Chris Bell, guitar/singer/songwriter, b. Memphis, TN, USA, d. Dec. 27, 1978, USA. Member group: 'Big Star', a group originally comprised of Bell, Alex Chilton, drummer Jody Stephens, and Andy Hummel. Their first release was poorly received, and Bell became suicidal, and left the band. He would subsequently find work in both Europe and the U.S. In 1974. after touring Europe playing solo shows in folk clubs, Bell returned to the U.S. He dropped out of music, and took a position in his family's fast food chain. On the morning of December 27, 1978, his speeding car hit a tree, and he was killed instantly. 1945     Maggie Bell, vocals, b. Great Britain. Member group: 'Stone the Crows' 1955     Jane Ira Bloom, Soprano Saxophone, b. Newton, MA, USA. 1928     Ruth Brown, R&B vocals, b. Portsmouth, VA, USA. d. Nov. 11, 2006, Henderson, (near Las Vegas), NV, USA. Age: 78. (complications of a heart attack, and a stroke after surgery) née: Ruth Alston Weston. NOTE: Some sources claim she was born this date, and died on Nov. 11. However, it is probable that she was born Jan. 30, 1928, and died on Nov. 17, 2006. (See our Jan. 30 Calendar.) 1938     Hadley Caliman, tenor-soprano-alto sax, bass clarinet, flute, percussion b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. né: Harold Caliman. In the late-1940s. Caliman learned Jazz in the clubs that lined Los Angeles's Central Avenue. During this time, he formed a friendship and mentoring partnership with Dexter Gordon that lasted right up until Gordon's death in 1990. Subsequently, drug addiction and incarceration nearly killed his jazz career. During the 1970s, he was playing in the rock-and-roll genre (specifically as a sideman with Carlos Santana and the Grateful Dead), and then settled into teaching Jazz at Cornish College of the Arts. In 2003, he retired after twenty years on the faculty. In addition to playing with Todd Cochran and other fusion/jazz-rock/rock players, he is perhaps best known for his solos on Santana's "Caravanserai" release. He has recorded several albums, and appeared (in Seattle, WA) with his quartet, -featuring Jeff Johnson on the bass, Randy Halberstadt at the piano, and Byron Vannoy behind the drums Caliman's 75th Birthday Celebration was held at Tula's, in Seattle, WA, on Jan. 12, 2007 when he appeared with his quartet comprised of Hadley Caliman (tenor sax); Darius Willrich (piano); Phil Sparks (bass); Byron Vannoy (drums). Special guests included Rob Scheps (soprano sax). 1974     Melanie Chisholm (Mel C), vocals, b. Widnes (near Liverpool), England. Member group: 'The Spice Girls', -an all-girl band in which Melanie was known as "Sporty Spice". As a solo artist she is known as 'Mel C'. 1962     Claudia Church, C&W vocals, b. Lenoir, NC, USA. 1973     Brian Culbertson, composer/arranger/keyboardist/trombone, b. Decatur, IL, USA 1941     Olu Dara, Trumpet/guitar, b. Louisville, MS, USA. 1904     Eddie DeLange, composer/vocals/leader, d. July 13, 1949. né: Edgar DeLange. Please also see our Composer's Database DeLange Entry, for still more interesting information. 1946     George Duke, Keyboards/piano, b. San Rafael, CA, USA. 1948     John Etheridge, Guitar, b. London, England 1959     Per Gessle, singer-songwriter, b. Halmstad, Sweden. Member group: 'Roxette', a duo formed with Gessle and Marie Fredriksson. Gessle has become one of Sweden's most successful artists. 1960     Charlie Gillingham, keyboards/songwriter, b. Torrance, CA, USA. Member group: 'Counting Crows' 1947     Jim Gold, lead singer/guitar. Member group: 'Gallery', a 1970s Pop group, comprised of Gold, Cal Freeman (steel guitar), Danny Brucato (drums), Dennis Kovarik (bass, vocals), and Fred DiCenso (guitar). 1935     William Lee Golden, C&W Vocals, member: 'The Oak Ridge Boys' 1936     Charlie Gracie, vocals, b. USA. 1940     Ronald Shannon Jackson, Drums, b. Forth Worth, TX, USA. 1966     Ingrid Jensen, (Jazz) trumpet/flugelhorn/composer, b. Vancouver, BC, Canada 1946     Dill Katz, Bass/guitar, b. London, England 1965     Greg Kriesel, bass, b. Glendale, CA, USA. Member group: 'The Offspring' 1927     Guy Lafitte, French tenor sax man, b. Saint Gaudens, France, d. July 10, 1998, France. Age: 71. He was considered one of Europe's most important Jazzmen. 1966     Gene Lake, drums, b. St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Gene is the son of Jazz saxophonist Oliver Lake. 1953     LaWanda Lindsey C&W Singer-Songwriter, b. Tampa, FL, USA. 1904     "Mississippi" Fred McDowell, guitar, b. Rossville, TN, USA. 1916     Jay McShann, Piano/Blues Shouter, b. Muskogee, OK, USA, d. Dec. 7, 2006, Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Age: 90. McShann taught himself to play piano by listening to the radio, and, at age 15, then started his professional career. In 1936, he went to Kansas City where he met Charlie Parker a year later and added him to his orchestra. In 1978, he was the subject of the film "Hootie Blues", and was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1987. 1941     Vladimir Mulyavin, Guitarist/composer, d: Jan. 26, 2003, Moscow, Russia. Member of Kuzbass, Petrozavodsk, Sounds and The Lyavony who later changed their name to Pesnyary (best recalled works: "My Bast Shoes Creak" and "Dark Night"). 1910     "Blind Gussie" Nesbitt, guitar, b. Spartanburg, SC, USA. 1936     Raimond Pauls, Piano, b. Riga, Latvia 1961     Ivo Perelman, (Jazz) Tenor sax, b. São Paulo, Brasil 1968     Chynna Phillips, vocals, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. Member group: 'Wilson Phillips' a group comprised of Carnie Wilson, Wendy Wilson and Chynna Phillips. Chynna is the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips, who were part of the group: 'The Mamas & the Papas', which also included Denny Doherty, and Cass Elliot. 1926     Ray Noble Price, C&W Vocals/leader, b. Perryville, TX, USA. né: Ray Noble Price. With Columbia Records for 20 years. Some of his hit recordings are: "Talk to Your Heart", "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" (1952), "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)", "Release Me" and "If You Don't, -Somebody" (all 1954), "Run Boy" and "Crazy Arms" (1956. (Crazy Arms used a Drum Set - rare in Country Music). He remained at or near the top of the charts for the next ten years, racking up 23 Top Ten singles between the 1956 and 1966. It was in 1952 that Ray met and became close friends with Hank Williams, who later was able to get Ray to join the Grand Ole Opry, where Ray would often substitute for Hank if he was too drunk to perform. In 1952 Hank died, and Ray "inherited" 'The Drifting Cowboys' band. Ray felt that working with the Drifting Cowboys made him too much like Hank, so two years later he formed his own 'Cherokee Cowboys' band, with many sidemen from Lefty Frizzell's 'Western Cherokees'. It was with this band that men such as Buddy Emmons, Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Johnny Bush and Johnny Paycheck began their careers. 1970     "Raekwon", rapper, b. New York (Staten Island), NY, USA. né: Corey Woods. Member group: 'Wu Tang Clan' 1905     'Tex' Ritter, 'Cowboy' Singer, b: near Murvaul, TX, USA, d. Jan. 2, 1974, Nashville, TN, USA. (Cardiac Arrest). né: Maurice Woodward Ritter, country music's most popular stars in the 1940's, died of a heart attack while visiting a jail in Nashville, TN, where he was arranging bail for one of his band members. 1946     Cynthia Robinson, trumpet, b. Sacramento, CA, USA. Member group: 'Sly & the Family Stone'. Cynthia Robinson is perhaps the first Black female trumpet player to achieve wide fame in the Pop music scene. 1955     Felipe Rose, vocals, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Member group: 'The Village People', consisting of Rose, Alexander Briley (April 12, 1951), Randy Jones (Sep 13, 1952), David Hodo (July 7, 1957), Glenn Hughes (July 18, 1950 - March 4, 2001 - Lung Cancer), and Victor Willis (b. 1952). Felipe is a product of American Indian and Puerto Rican parentage. His Puerto Rican mother was a 'Copa Cabana' dancer in the late 1940's, and his father a full-blooded Lakota Sioux. It is interesting to note that, collectively, the 'Village People' have sold 85 million albums and singles, and they regularly tour Australia. 1900     Harry Roy, Leader, alto sax, clarinet, composer, b. London, UK, d. Feb. 1, 1969, London, UK. (Some say died Feb. 1, 1971) 1907     Bert Thomas, Banjo/Guitar, b. Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, UK. 1952     Ricky Van Shelton, C&W Vocals. Among his hits are: "Wild-Eyed Dream", "Somebody Lied," "I'll Leave This World Loving You" and "Keep It Between The Lines." 1934     Lew Williams, C&W, b: Chillicothe, TX, USA. 1973     Matt Wong, bass, b. New Haven, CT, USA. Member group: 'Reel Big Fish' 1930     Glenn Yarbrough, (folk) vocals/guitar, b. New York NY, USA. Member: 'The Limeliters', launched their career in 1959 at San Francisco's famous "Hungry i" club, and met with immediate success. They are still performing in 2004. Originally (1959 - 1976) a trio comprised of Alex Hassilev, Lou Gottlieb, and Glenn Yarbrough. Hassilev was born in Paris, France (of Russian parents). He was educated at Harvard University, and the University of Chicago. He is also an accomplished actor with a number of films and television appearances to his credit. An unusually gifted musician, he can switch from the guitar to the banjo with the ease of a master. Bassist Lou Gottlieb is the only member of a vocal trio to be awarded a Ph. D in musicology. 1966     "Rob Zombie", singer-songwriter, b. Haverhill, MM, USA. né: Rob Cummings. Member group: 'White Zombie' After working as a bike messenger, porn magazine art director, and production assistant for the classic children's TV series Pee-wee's Playhouse, Rob finally formed 'White Zombie' circa 1985, when he moved to New York City. 1912     "Trummy" Young, Trombone, b. Savannah, GA, USA. d. Sept., 10, 1984. né: James Osborne Young. Best recalled for his work with the Jimmy Lunceford orchestra.          Notable Events occuring this date include: 1925.    Composers Rudolph Friml and Herbert Stothart operetta "Rose Marie," with book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and Otto Harbach, received its Canadian premiere at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. It had opened on Broadway in September 1924. 1939.    After five years together, The Ink Spots gained national attention with their first Hit record: "If I Didn't Care". Many other hits followed. 1963.    John Casimir, clarinet, leader, died in New Orleans, LA, USA 1970.    Jack Cooper, 1st American Black "DJ", died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 82 1971.    Capt. John Handy, alto sax, clarinet, died in New York, NY, USA. DO NOT confuse with the San Francisco-based alto saxophonist and educator, John Handy (b. Feb. 3, 1933 Dallas, TX, USA) 1978.    Paul Warren, (Bluegrass) fiddler (for Flatt and Scruggs), died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 59 1983.    Jimmy Summers, guitar, died in St. Louis, MO, USA. Age: 59 1986.    Bob Kaufman, "beat" be-bop poet, died in San Francisco, CA, USA. Age: 60 1988.    Joe Albany, piano, died in New York, NY, USA. 1991.    Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814" became the first album with seven top-five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. 1997.    Wally Rose, piano, died in Walnut Creek, California, USA 2001.    Luiz Bonfa, guitar, vocal, composer, died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (cancer). 2007.    Alice (McLeod) McLeod, piano, organ, harp, died in in Los Angeles, CA, USA.          Songs Recorded/Released this date include:        1937 "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", Billie Holiday and Her Orch.        1957 Banana Boat Song (Day-O), - Harry Belafonte        1957 Blue Monday, - Fats Domino        1963 Hey Paula, - Paul & Paula        1963 Walk Right In, - Rooftop Singers        1974 Rock On, - David Essex        1974 Americans, - Byron MacGregor        1974 Put Your Hands Together, - O'Jays        1980 Crazy Little Thing Called Love, - Queen