July 3          BIRTHDAYS 1948     Paul Barrere, guitarist with group 'Little Feat'. Perhaps best known songs, "Dixie Chicken" and "Sailin' Shoes". 1940     Fontella Bass, Piano/vocals, b. St Louis, MO, USA. 1967     Peter Bernstein, guitar 1947     John Blake, R&B/Jazz Violinist, b Philadelphia, PA. USA. Blake is very well trained on the Violin. His early 1970s recordings with Archie Shepp earned him some fame, and he worked with such men as Cecil McBee, Grover Washington, Jr., James Newton, and McCoy Tyner over the following decade. In the 1980s, he is well known (bu Jazzmen) for his interesting dates (for Gramavision) with fellow fiddlers Didier Lockwood and Michal Urbaniak. 1957     Laura Branigan, vocals. In 1984, her single "Self Control" hit No. 4 in US and No. 5 in UK. 1930     Ronnell Bright, Piano, b. Chicago, IL, USA. 1914     "Cadillac Baby" (Narvel Eatmon), label/record shop owner, b. Cayuga, MS, USA. Owner: "Bea & Baby" record label. Eatmon dabbled in all sorts of activities, including a candy store, nightclub, appliance repair service, and a shoestring-budget recording enterprise. From circa 1959 to the late 1970s, when his store burned down, he recorded such men as "Sunnyland Slim", "Hound Dog" Taylor, Eddie Boyd, "Homesick" James, James Cotton, and many more. When his shop burned, he lost everything, - records, tapes, contracts, and other memorabilia. 1955     Neil Clark, guitar. Member: Lloyd Cole & The Commotions 1961     Vincent Clarke, Songwriter/keyboards. Member groups: 'Depeche Mode': 'New Life'. 1878     George M. Cohan, entertainer/composer, b. Providence, RI, USA, d. Nov. 5, 1942, New York, NY, USA. né: George Michael Cohan. Among his many hit songs are "Over There", and "Give my regards to Broadway", "I'm A Yankee Doodle Dandy", and "Grand Old Flag". Cohan's baptismal certificate says he was born on July 3, but George always told folks that he was born on July 4th. 1926     "Johnny" Coles, trumpet, b. Trenton, NJ, USA, d. Dec. 21, 1997, Philadelphia, PA, USA (stomach Cancer). This self-taught trumpeter began his career in 1939 and by 1941 was playing in a military band. From 1945-'48, he played with 'Slappy and his Swingsters'. From 1948-'51 he played with the Eddie Vinson band. In 1951, he formed his own short-lived group (with "Philly" Joe Jones on drums), and in 1952 was playing with the "Bull-Moose" Jackson band. From 1956-'58 he played with Gil Evans (and recorded with Evans in 1959). In '64, he toured with Charles Mingus. Later in the decade he was a member of Herbie Hancock's sextet and toured with Ray Charles (d. 6/2004). In the 1970s, he performed with Duke Ellington and Count Basie. He also played in the early incarnation of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis band and was a regular presence in the New York area, working sometimes as a leader and sometimes as a sideman in groups that paid tribute to Count Basie, Charles Mingus and Tadd Dameron. 1930     Ron Collier, Composer, arranger, leader, b. Coleman, Canada. d. Oct 22, 2003, Toronto, Canada. 1951     Mike Corby, guitarist. Founder of British rock group: 'Babys'. 1963     Taylor Dayne, vocals. His 1990 single "Love Will Lead You Back" hit No. 1 on US Charts. 1943     Judith Durham, UK vocalist. Member group: The Seekers 1930     Pete Fountain, Clarinet, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. né: Peter Dewey Fountain, Jr. Few people remember that Pete also played with 'The Dukes of Dixieland' 1925     Ralph Fraser, Piano/composer, b. New Glasgow, NS, Canada. A wonderful pianist, get any of his albums! Pop, Classical, Irish, Country. If he couldn't play a request, he would write it on the spot... music and lyric. 1956     Laszlo Gardony, piano, b. Hungary. Gardony studied at both the Science University and Bela Bartok Music Conservatory in Budapest and graduated from both schools in 1979. For the past twenty years, Laszlo has lived in Boston, MA, where he is an Associate Professor of Piano at the Berklee College of Music. Laszlo has performed with Freddie Hubbard, John Blake Jr., Joe Lovano, David "Fathead" Newman and many others. As a leader, he has released six albums, usually collaborating with such men as Dave Holland, Miroslav Vitous, Jamey Haddad, John Lockwood, Bob Moses, and Mick Goodrick. In 1987, he was the winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition. He has toured in 22 countries, won numerous awards and appeared on television and radio programs throughout the world. 1915   Jerry Gray, Violin/Leader, b. East Boston, MA, USA. d. August 10, 1976. A major influence in popular music during the big band era primarily as an arranger. He joined Glenn Miller in 1939 and is credited with creating the Miller sound. Two of Miller's biggest hits "String of Pearls" and "Pennsylvania 6-5000" were written by Gray and he arranged "Moonlight Cocktails," "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "I've Got a Girl in Kalamazoo". 1931     Corky Hale, harp 1950     Damon Harris, vocals (r&b - "Doo Wop"), Member of 'The Temptations' group. 1923     Johnny Hartman, vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. Sept. 15, 1983, New York, NY, USA. né: John Maurice Hartman. While attending college, Hartman studied music and made his professional debut in the mid-1940s, when he joined the Earl Hines band. He also recorded his first sides for Regent/Savoy. In 1947, after Hines disbanded, Hartman moved to the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band and remained with Dizzy for two years. In 1956, the Bethlehem label released his "Songs From the Heart", featuring a quartet led by trumpeter Howard McGhee. In 1963, his duet album 'John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman' was released on the Impulse label. During the late 1960s-'70s, he recorded jazz and pop standards albums for the ABC, Perception, and Blue Note labels, and for the remainder of the 1970s only recorded sparingly. In 1980, he recorded two albums, one of which, "Once in Every Life", earned a Grammy nomination just two years before his death in 1983. 1938     John Heard, bass 1969     Kevin Hearn, keyboards/accordion. member group: /Barenaked Ladies/ 1893     "Mississippi" John Hurt, Vocalist, b. Teoc, MS, USA, d. Nov. 2, 1966. né: John Smith Hurt. 1969     Bryan Hutson, vocals, né: Virgil Bryan Hutson. Best recalled as member of 'The Kingsmen' vocal group. 1953     Duffy Jackson, drums 1946     John Klemmer, Tenor-soprano sax, flute keyboards, percussion, vocals , b. Chicago, IL, USA. 1953     Sakari Kukko, Tenor Sax, b. Kajaani, Finland. 1945     Johnny Lee, C&W vocals. 1929     David Lynch, b. USA. d. Jan. 2, 1981. Member group: 'The Platters', with their biggest hit, 1959s single "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes". ( No.1 on both UK and US charts.) 1976     Shane Lynch, singer, Member group: 'Boyzone'. They had 6 No. 1 singles on the UK charts. 1919     Fred Maddox, vocals/guitar, d. Oct. 29, 1992. né: Fred Roscoe Maddox. Best remembered for 'The Maddox Brothers and Rose', - a Country and Western music group. 1949     Frank McClure, bass, b. Chicago, IL, USA. Worked with Junior Wells 1970     Audra McDonald, actress/singer. 1969     Annie Raines, harmonica, b. Boston, MA, USA. Worked with: Paul Rishell. 1903     Dick Robertson, Leader/Vocal, b. New York, NY, USA. 1965     Jimmy Rogers Jr., guitar, b. Chicago, IL, USA. 1934     Michel Ruppli, Discographer, b. Coulommiers, France. 1979     Tonia Tash, R&B vocals. Member: Divine. 1930     Tommy Tedesco, guitar d. 1997 1958     Aaron Tippin, C&W vocals. 1946     Victor Unitt, Edgar Broughton Band, 1970 UK No.39 single "Out Demons Out". 1962     Johnny Valentine, vocals, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. Member Gospel singing group: 'Mighty Clouds Of Joy', formed in 1960, at Jefferson High School in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band's first permanent line-up included Joe Ligon (b. Troy, Alabama, USA; lead), Johnny Martin (b. Los Angeles, California, USA; tenor), Richard Wallace (b. Georgia, USA; baritone) and Elmo Franklin (b. Louisiana, USA; bass). 1964     Melissa Walker, vocal, b. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The daughter of inter-racial parents, then living in Canada, Melissa has gone on to great fame. She is currently (2007) living in New York city. 1968     Martyn Walsh, UK bassist, Member group: Inspiral Carpets 1929     Lavelle White, vocals, b. Amite, LA, USA. 1949     Johnnie Wilder, vocals, Heatwave, 1977 UK No.2 single Boogie Nights.          Notable Events on this date include: 1926.   Hersal Thomas, piano, died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 16 1941.   Cab Calloway orchestra recorded "St. James Infirmary". (Okeh Records) 1967.   The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band hit #1 on the Charts, and stayed there for 15 weeks 1971.   The Newport Jazz Festival's reputation was badly tarnished when a large and unruly mob of gate crashers stormed the stage. The ignorant mob's action forced the festival's move to New York City, when the city fathers of Newport, Rhode Island refused to renew the festival's performance license. At the time of the incident, vocalist Dionne Warwick was on stage singing "What the World Needs Now is Love" . 1950.   John Lindsay, bass, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 56. Member: 'Harlem Hamfats' 1960.   Lee Collins, Dixieland trumpeter, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 58 1969.   Brian Jones, guitar, died in Hartfield, UK, USA. Age: 27. Member: 'Rolling Stones' 1971.   Jim Morrison, lead vocals, died in Paris, France. Age: 27. Member: 'The Doors' 1972.   Fred "Mississippi" Mcdowell, guitar, died in Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 68 1983.   Larry Darnell, vocals, died in Cleveland, OH, USA. Age: 54 1986.   Monk Higgins, (né: Milton Bland), prod/tenor sax, died in Inglewood, CA, USA. Age: 50 1986.   Rudy Vallee, vocals, died in Hollywood, CA, USA. 1986.   "Curly" Russell, bass, died in New York (Queens), NY, USA. Age: 69 1995.   Brad Lee Sexton, bass, died in New Paltz, NY, USA. Age: 47. Member: 'Little Charlie & The Nightcats' 1996.   Pim Jacobs, piano, died in Tienhoven, Utrecht, Netherlands. (cancer, b. Sept. 29, 1939, Hilversum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands ) 2005.   Pierre Michelot, bassist, died in Paris, France. Age: 77 (Alzheimer’s Disease, b.. March 3, 1928, Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France )          Songs Recorded/Released this date include: 1917   "Goodbye Broadway, Hello France", - The American Quartet 1924   "Mississippi Shivers", - Zez Confrey and his Orch. 1924   "Arkansas Blues", - The Little Ramblers 1928   "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", - Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike) 1928   "Dinah", - Peggy Hill vocal 1928   "Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider", - Peggy Hill vocal 1930   "Sheik of Araby", - Red Nichols and his Five Pennies 1930   "Shimmee Sha Wabble", - Red Nichols and his Five Pennies 1931   "My South Sea Sweetheart", - The Master Hawaiians 1941   "St. James Infirmary Blues", -Cab Calloway and his orchestra. recorded for Okeh Records. 1942   "I Came Here To Talk For Joe", - Sammy Kaye Orch. 1942   "There Will Never Be Another You", - Sammy Kaye Orch. 1961   "Let's Twist Again", - Chubby Checker 1961   "Together", - Connie Francis 1961   "I Like It Like That Way, Part 1", - Chris Kenner 1965   "What's New Pussycat", - Tom Jones 1971   "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", - The Bee Gees 1973   "Playground in My Mind", -Clint Holmes ( received a gold record for this hit single,) 1982   "Wasted On The Way", - Crosby, Stills & Nash