BIRTHDAYS
1900   Louis Armstrong, trumpet/leader, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. In the past, this date was often ERRONEOULSY given as "Satchmo's" birth date. However, Armstrong's birth certificate has been located (by Gary Giddons), and we now know that Armstrong was born August 4, 1901, New Orleans, LA, USA.
1943     Conrad Bauer, Trombone, b. Halle, Germany.
1948     Kim Berly, drums. member group: 'Stampeders'
1928     Calvin Bostick, piano, b. AL, USA. Chess Records star.
1969     Carolyn Breuer, alto and soprano sax b. Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Carolyn is the daughter of jazz trombonist & pianist Hermann Breuer.
1944     Harvey Brooks, bass, New York (Manhattan), NY, USA. Worked with 'DYLAN and MILES DAVIS'
1895     Irving Caesar, Lyricist, b. New York, NY, d. Dec. 18, 1996, New York, Irv Caesar wrote "Swannee" with George Gershwin in in 1918 for the Al Jolson show: Sinbad. Caesar wrote for Broadway, Hollywood and 'occasional' Pop hits well into the 1950s. He died at the ripe old age of 101.
1921     Russ Carlyle, Leader.
1960     Teddy Carr, C&W vocals/guitar. ("Ricochet")
1933     Chas Clark, guitar, b. Tottenham, England, UK. Educated as an electrician, Clark spent four years in the Royal Air Force, and two and a half in Egypt, before going semi-professional in late 1950s. Ca. 1963, he began playing guitar after hearing 'Trad-Jazz' in various London pubs, including hearing Mick Mulligan and George Melly. Clark was singing in the the London Folk Clubs until 1968 when he moved to Norway. In 1975, he opened a folk club, Jeppes Kro, in Oslo, and has also played at the Dubliner pub, Rådhus gate, in Oslo. During the 1970s, Clark appeared at the Cambridge Festival, England,(1972), Haugesund Festival, Norway (1972), the Skagen Festival, Denmark (1975), and also enjoyed several spots on NRK radio. In 1993, he began to paint with water colors. and then returned to playing music. He sang and played in Norway until January 2002, when, as a pensioner, he moved to Sweden. In July 2002, he was back floor singing at the Stortford Folk Club, Bishop's Stortford, England. In May 2002 Played the Gränslös Festival, Åmål Sweden. Clark was married, divorced, and has one son, Philip,
1971     Andrew Creeggan, piano/accordion. member group: Barenaked Ladies
1918     Buster Davis, Choral Director, b. Johnstown, PA, USA. Best recalled for his work on the Garry Moore Show
1905     Leonard "Ham" Davis, Trumpet, b. St.Louis, MO, USA. d. 1957.
1904     Seger Ellis, leader, vocals, d. Sept. 29, 1995. Age: 91.
1947     Bob Enos, trumpet, b. Boston, MA, USA. Member: 'Roomful Of Blues'
1921     Egon Esbensen, Tenor Sax, b. Naestved, Denmark, d. 1975.
1826     Stephen Foster, composer, b. Lawrenceville, PA, d. 1864. In all probability, Foster was the very first American popular song composer to gain fame, and his works are still a very popular part of the Mid-1880s repertoire. Perhaps only William Gottschalk Moreau is more widely known.
1917     William L. Fowler, Educator/Guitar, b. Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
1905     Wright Holmes, guitar, b. Hightower, TX, USA.
1909     Al Jarvis, DJ (show: "Jivin' with Jarvis"), b. Russia
1951     Ralph Johnson, drums. Member group: 'Earth Wind and Fire'
1933     Baker Knight, singer-songwriter/guitar, b. Birmingham, AL, USA. d. Oct. 12, 2005, Birmingham, AL, USA. Age: 72. né: Thomas Baker Knight, Jr. His songs have been recorded by over 40 recording artists beginning in 1958 when Ricky Nelson recorded his classic hit, "Lonesome Town." Rick then went on to record 21 more Baker songs. Baker, who has be called "a songwriter's songwriter", went on to compose songs which were recorded by the music industry's elite, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Mickey Gilley, whose rendition of Baker's "Don't The Girls All Get Prettier At Closing Time" won the Academy of Country Music's "Song of the Year" award. He has the distinction of having a Two Million Performance song and three One Million Performance songs to his credit.
1928     Lloyd Lambert, bass, b. Thilbodaux, LA, USA, d. Oct. 31, 1995, (Cancer). (Some sources show b. June 4.) The son of the legendary New Orleans bass player "Luscious" Lloyd Lambert, and brother of pianist Phamous Lambert. Lloyd Jr.was already gigging by age 17, and over the next decade worked in a number of R&B and Funk bands. Originally, Lloyd trained as a trumpeter. He began his career playing with "Hosea Hill's Serenaders". When Hill disbanded, Lambert formed his own band comprised mainly of former "Serenaders". The group was formed mostly for backing "Guitar Slim," when Slim had secured a contract with Specialty Records. He will perhaps always be best recalled as the bandleader of "Guitar Slim's" band, Interestingly, Lambert was already playing the electric bass. He also backed singers Ray Charles, and 'Little Richard'. Lambert did record a solo album, "Heavy Sugar" for the Specialty label (an instrumental), In 1959, when "Guitar Slim" died, Lambert toured with Nappy Brown, before then settling in Houston. TX. He worked as a sessions musician for the Duke and Peacock labels during most of the 1960s before finally returning to New Orleans. In 1981, and for the remainder of the decade, he led his own band which was resident at the 'Maison Bourbon'. He also helped to resurrect the career of James "Thunderbird" Davis, who had formerly opened for' Guitar Slim'. By 2003, he was part of Swedish singer Theresa Andersson's trio. Originally the trio included bassist Lambert and guitarist Glenn LeBlanc, with Andersson alternating between playing violin guitar, and vocals. Subsequently, the trio was often augmented with either drummer Jamal Batiste, or Willie Green - whoever happened to be available.( Andersson was born on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, began writing songs in Nashville, TN, and did some of her first solo performances in Austin, TX). In 1995, Lambert died of cancer.
1902     "Deacon" Frank Lastie, trombone/drums, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. Member: 'Lastie Family'
1898     Gertrude Lawrence, Actress/singer, b. London, UK, d. Sept. 6, 1952, New York, NY, USA. Half-Danish, half-Irish Lawrence was the child of music hall troupers. In the 1920s, she began her career as understudy to famed actress Bea Lillie, in Andre Charlot's chic London revues. In 1924 and 1926, She appeared on Broadway, winning great acclaim for being able to play both serious roles as well as slapstick comedy. Her charms always proved irresistible to theater audiences, even though her singing voice was eccentric (and sometimes downright flat). In 1926, The Gershwin's play "Oh Kay" and the hit song "Someone to Watch Over Me" made Lawrence the first British performer to create a lead in a hit Broadway musical. In 1929, American composer Cole Porter came to London to compose music for the play "Nymph Errant", in which "Gertie" sang the tongue-twister "The Physician." In 1930, her longtime friend Noel Coward both wrote and co-starred with Lawrence in the play 'Private Lives' and, in 1936, the unique cycle of nine one-act musicals and plays called "Tonight at 8:30". In 1940, Lawrence married socialite producer Richard Aldrich. In 1941,, she starred as Liza Elliott in Kurt Weill & Ira Gershwin's play 'Lady in the Dark', which dealt musically with the subject of psychoanalysis. All during World War II, Lawrence traveled tirelessly entertaining Allied troops. After the war, she toured the US for several years in a revival of Shaw's "Pygmalion". 1951 saw her greatest success when 'Rodgers & Hammerstein' wrote the role of Anna in "The King & I" for her. Not only did Lawrence sing one hit after another (including "Whistle a Happy Tune," "Getting to Know You" and "Hello Young Lovers"), but she also won the 'Tony' award for 'Best Actress in a Musical'. Sadly, it became clear that Lawrence was having some physical problems, and only one week after withdrawing from the cast for medical tests, she died due to cancer of the cervix. "Gertie" was buried in Upton, Massachusetts wearing the satin gown she wore for 'The King & I's' "Shall We Dance."
1934     Gilbert J. Lopez, vocals, b. Boston, MA, USA. Member: 'The Tune Weavers', a family grouping, consisting of lead singer Margo Sylvia; her husband, Johnnie, bass; Gilbert Lopez, Margo's brother, tenor; and Charlotte Davis, a cousin to Margo and Gilbert, who sang obligato. Their only big hit: 'Happy, Happy Birthday Baby'.
1963     Ute Lemper, singer/songwriter/actress. b. Munster, Germany.
1963     Matt Malley, Bass Guitar. Member: 'The Counting Crows'
1928     Harold Walton McKinney, piano/singer/violin/oboe/vibraphone/composer/actor, b. Detroit, MI, USA. d. June 20, 2001. Classically trained, he was playing Jazz in local bands during the 1940s, as well as playing spirituals in churches. In the late 1940s, he served with the US Armed Forces in Europe. After his demobilization, he began playing 'bebop'. During his career, he playing with such men as Sonny Stitt, Charlie Parker, Tommy Flanagan, Roland Hanna, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Carmen McCrea, Sonny Rollins, Chet Baker, Elvin and Thad Jones, Johnny Hartman, Sarah Vaughn, Lou Rawls, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell and many, many others.
1978     Stephen 'Ste' McNally, vocals/guitar, b. UK. Member: 'BBMak', a British pop trio consisting of Mark Barry, Christian Burns and Stephen McNally.
1944     "Butch" Miles, Drums, b. Ironton, OH, USA. né: Charles J. Miles, Jr.
1911     Mitch Miller, leader/arranger/singer/record producer, b. Rochester, NY, USA. né: Mitchell William Miller
1903     Charlie Monroe, mandolin/guitar/vocals, d. Sept. 27, 1975, né: Charles Pendleton Monroe. Member of 'The Monroe Brothers' "Bluegrass" music group.
1913     Hernan Oliva, Violin, b. Valparaiso, Chile.
1952     Domingo Ortiz, rocker guitar. Member group: 'Widespread Panic'
1958     Kirk Pengily, R&R guitar/sax/vocals, b. Sydney, Australia. Member group: INXS
1937     Ray Pillow, C&W vocals.
1915     Timmie Rogers, vocals, b. Detroit, MI, USA. Member group: 'Sugar Hill Time'
1942     Peter Rowan, "Bluegrass" Guitarist, b. Boston, MA. USA. Singer/songwriter, yodels, and plays various stringed instruments and the saxophone. From a musical family, - his parents and many relatives were musicians. While still in high school, he formed the 'Cupids', -a Tex-Mex band. As a teenager, he frequented the Hillbilly Ranch, listening to the Blues and to such bluegrass and old-time bands as the Lilly Brothers. He also enjoyed listening to the blues. In 1963, after college, he joined the Cambridge-based Mother Bay State Entertainers as a mandolinist/vocalist. In 1964, he worked with Jim Rooney and Bill Keith, and then became a rhythm guitarist and lead singer with Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, staying with them through 1967, when he left joining mandolinist David Grisman in a folk-rock band 'Earth Opera'. The group toured (frequently opening for the Doors). In the early '70s. One of their albums, The Great Eagle Tragedy (1969) produced a minor hit single, "Home to You." Rowan next joined 'Seatrain', a rock-fusion unit leaving them in 1972 and formed the Rowan Brothers with siblings Chris and Lorin. After the group disbanded Rowan recorded "Old & In The Way" with Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements and John Kahn. In 1974, Rowan, Grisman, Clarence White and Richard Greene formed the Bluegrass band 'Muleskinner', - released one album and then disbanded. The Rowan Brothers then re-united and played together until the early '80s. During this period, Rowan also began playing rock and bluegrass with 'Mexican Airforce', which featured accordion player Flaco Jimenez. In the mid-'80s, he and Jiminez again reteamed to record Flaco Jiminez and Peter Rowan: "Live Rockin' Tex-Mex".In 1983, Rowan founded the Nashville-based 'Wild Stallions'. Rowans continues to tour as a solo act and also works with many other musicians.
1923     Aaron Sachs, Tenor Sax/Clarinet, b. New York, NY, USA.
1964     Mark Allen Slaughter, guitar, Las Vegas, NV, USA
1948     Jeremy Spencer, guitar. Member group: 'Fleetwood Mac'
1963     Michael Sweet, songwriter-singer/guitarist, b. California, USA. Member group: 'Stryper', a group formed in Orange County, California, in 1983, they were originally known as 'Roxx Regime', and consisted of Michael Sweet, drummer Robert Sweet, lead guitarist Oz Fox, and bassist Timothy Gaines. However, their career really took off when they changed their name to "Stryper" (which stood for “Salvation Through Redemption Yielding Peace Encouragement and Righteousness").
1910     Alec Templeton, pianist/vocals, b: Cardiff, Wales, UK, d: 1963
1921     Annie Turner, vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. Worked with: 'Little Brother' Montgomery (b. April 18, 1906, Kentwood, LA, USA, d. Sept. 6, 1985, in Champaign, IL, USA.)
1902     Erik Tuxen, Leader, b. Mannheim, Germany, d. 1957.
1952     John Waite, vocals. Member group: 'The Babys'
1943     Fred Wesley, trombone, arranger, keyboards, vocal, b. Columbus, OH, USA
1943     Alan 'Blind Owl' Wilson, guitar/harmonica/vocals. Member group: 'Canned Heat'
1938     Bill Withers, songwriter/singer. b. Slab Fork (Raleigh), WV, USA. Grammy Award-winner
1889     Joe Young, composer, b. New York, NY, USA. d. April 21, 1939, New York, NY, USA.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1776.    On July 4, 1776, America's 'Continental Congress' adopted the Declaration of Independence. IT was the birth of the United States of America.
1895.   "America the Beautiful", a song often touted as the true U.S. national anthem, was first published this day in a church newspaper,'The Congregationalist'. It was originally a poem written by Wellesley College professor Katherine Lee Bates.
1943.   For the first time since the 1930s, The Rhythm Boys (Bing Crosby, Al Rinker and Harry Barris) were reunited on NBC's Paul Whiteman Presents
1964.   Alton Delmore, vocals, died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 55 Member: 'The Delmore Bros'
1965.   Valdemar Eiberg, alto sax, leader, died. (b. August 23, 1892) In 1923, Eiberg formed the first Danish Jazz band
1970.   Alma Lillie Hubbard, vocals, died in New York (Harlem), NY, USA. Age: 75. (Recorded by Paramount Records)
1971.   Don McPherson, leader, died. Age: 39. Member: 'Main Ingredient', a group formed in Harlem in 1964 as a trio (the Poets), with lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label. In 1966, this time permanently to the Main Ingredient. In 1971: McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, passed away and Cuba Gooding became new lead singer.
1972.   Bob McCracken, clarinet, saxophone, died in Dallas, Texas, USA. (b. Nov. 23, 1904, Dallas, Texas, USA - one of the great early Jazzmen.)
1982.   RobertJones, DJ, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 29
1985.   Chris Woods, alto/baritone sax, died in New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Age: 59
1986.   Eddie Shu, alto and tenor sax, clarinet, trumpet, accordion, harmonica, died in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. (cancer ) Age: 68. (b. Aug 18, 1918, New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA)
1990.   Walter "lightnin' Bug" Rhodes guitar, died in Rockingham, NC, USA. Age: 50
1992.   Joe Newman, trumpet, died in New York (Manhattan), NY, USA. Age: 69. Played with Count Basie
1993.   Carl Campbell, piano, died in Houston, TX, USA. Age: 60
1999.   Bill Skeat, alto and tenor sax, clarinet, flute, died in London, England, UK, (b. July 25, 1926 in London, England, UK)
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1940   "If I Only Had A Brain", Kay Kyser Orch.
1941   "Yes Indeed", - Tommy Dorsey
1947   "Peg O' My Heart", - Clark Dennis
1952   "High Noon", - Frankie Laine
1953   "With These Hands", - Eddie Fisher
1960   "Walking To New Orleans", - Fats Domino
1964   "Little Old Lady (From Pasadena), The", - Jan & Dean
1964   "Dang Me", - Roger Miller
1970   "Tighter, Tighter", - Alive & Kicking
1970   "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours", - Stevie Wonder
1976   "Fifth Of Beethoven, A", - Walter Murphy
1987   "Luka", - Suzanne Vega
1992   "This Used To Be My Playground", - Madonna
1992   "Move This", - Technotronic