BIRTHDAYS
1911     LaVerne Andrews, Singer, b. Minneapolis, MN, USA. d. May 8, 1967, Brentwood, CA, USA. (Cancer). née;: Laverne Sophie Andrews. Member: "Andrews Sisters", one of the most successful female vocal groups of all time. In 1933, the girls began their professional career touring with the Larry Rich vaudeville troupe. Six months later, when the troup broke up, the sisters took whatever singing jobs they could get to earn a living. In 1936, they finally landed a steady job with Leon Belasco's society orchestra. It was with Belasco where they first met arranger Vic Schoen, who would later become their musical director. Among their many world-wide hits are "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon," (a 1937 novelty tune originally recorded as a B-side). During World War II, some of their most memorable hit tunes included "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", and "I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time." With the end of World War II, their popularity began to wane, though they contined recording, often with other well-known artists, like Danny Kaye, Guy Lombardo and Carmen Miranda. In 1953, the group split up, with Patty going solo. In 1956, they briefly re-united and re-recorded some of their old hits for Capitol Records, along with some newer material. In the early '60s, they recorded for Dot Records. In 1966, Laverne left the group due to illness, and died in 1967 (cancer). Maxene and Patty continued working together until 1968, when Maxene retired with Patty continuing her solo career. Maxene died in 1996.
1944     Bryon Berline, Bluegrass vocals, has worked with The Dillards; Dillard & Clark; The Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Country Gazette
1955     Rick Braun, trumpet, keyboards
1944     Jan Bradley, vocals.
1963     Tim Bricheno, guitar, Member: All About Eve
1965     Eddie Campbell, keyboards, b. Texas, USA. His 1977 album "White On Blonde" reached No. 1 in the UK.
1937     Gene Chandler, R&B/Soul vocals, b. Chicago, IL. USA. né: Eugene Dixon. His single "Duke Of Earl" was No. 1 on the 1952 charts. Chandler is remembered by the rock & roll audience solely for the "doo wop" Soul ballad "Duke of Earl"; a number one hit in 1962. He's esteemed by soul fans as one of the leading exponents of the '60s Chicago soul scene, along with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler. Chandler was a member of the doo wop group the Dukays, and "Duke of Earl" was actually a Dukays recording; Dixon was renamed Gene Chandler, and given solo credit on the release.
1876     Will D. Cobb, lyricist, d. 1930
1945     Rik Elswit, guitar/singer. Member: Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show
1929     Parke Frankenfield, Leader/Vocal, b. Allentown, PA. USA
1953     Karen Gallinger, vocal, b. Venice, CA, USA. In 1975, Gallinger began her Jazz career performing with guitarist Tony Verheyen. In the 1980's, she was the opening act for such stars as Toni Tennille, Tony Bennett, and Kenny Rankin. During the 1990's, she appeared at Jazz festivals in Fullerton, Costa Mesa, and Santa Ana, CA (and every year since 1985, she has continued to appear at Costa Mesa's "The Bash"). In 1991, she was the featured vocalist with the John Parker Big Band Tribute to Duke Ellington. As an actress, Gallinger had the lead role in the 1996 musical "Is It Just Me or Is It Hot in Here". In 1997, her album "Live at the Jazz Bakery" and was released, and in 1997, her CD "My Foolish Heart" was released
1969     Michael Grant, vocalist. Member group: Musical Youth, -1982 single "Pass The Dutchie" was No.1 in the UK.
1925     Merv Griffin, vocals/producer. b. San Mateo, CA, USA. d. Aug. 12, 2007, Los Angeles, CA, USA. (prostate cancer). Age: 82. Starting his career as a $100-a-week San Francisco radio singer, Griffin moved on as vocalist for Freddy Martin's band,(then appearing at Los Angeles' Cocoanut Grove), then as a sometime film actor, TV games host, and finally a "talk show" host, eventually making the Forbes list of richest Americans several times. He broke into TV in the mid-1950s when he appeared in a summer replacement musical show on CBS-TV In 1965, Westinghouse Broadcasting introduced "The Merv Griffin Show" on syndicated TV. Griffin, who never underestimated the intelligence of his audience, introduced such figures as philosopher Bertrand Russell, cellist Pablo Casals and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer-philosopher-historians Will and Ariel Durant as well as movie stars and entertainers. It was while he was hosting his talk show that Griffin decided to develop shows inspired by his love of crossword puzzles. After one failed attempt, he developed 'Jeopardy!' . Griffin developed 'Wheel of Fortune' in the '70s. He sold the rights to both hit game shows for $250 million in 1986. In 1979, Griffin celebrated the 2000th Episode of 'The Merv Griffin Show' with Ann Miller at a celebration at New York's Lincoln Center. Griffin had a strong friendship with Nancy and Ronald Reagan. He helped throw a $25,000-a-table homecoming gala for the couple when they left the White House in 1988. Upon her husband's demise, in 2004, Nancy Reagan told interviewers that Griffin "was there for me every day after Ronnie died". Griffin lost his second battle with prostate cancer at 82. he was found to have a recurrence of cancer during a routine checkup, and was admitted to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.
1954     Nanci Griffith, singer/songwriter. Grammy Award-winner.
1925     Bill Haley, Leader/vocals, b. Detroit (Highland Park), MI, USA. d. Feb. 9, 1981. né: William John Clifton Haley, Best recalled as "Bill Haley and the Comets" -the band that brought "Rock and Roll" to the world. (Haley was blind in one eye.) In 1944, Haley joined 'The Downhomers', a C&W band. In 1948, he formed 'The Four Aces of Western Swing'. During his career, Bill sold over 60 million records.
1949     Phyllis Hyman, Jazz Vocals, b. Pittsburgh, PA, USA ( raised in Philadelphia), d. June 30, 1995. New York, New York, USA. (suicide - overdose of sleeping pills). (Various sources claim she was born in 1950 and 1951) Singer, actress and fashion model Phyllis Hyman, was raised in Philadelphia, -the eldest of seven children. She took up singing naturally, then won a scholarship to a music school and began her professional career in 1971 with the group 'The New Direction'. The group toured America before disbanding leaving Phyllis stranded in Miami, FL, where she soon started singing with various local groups including 'All The People' and 'The Hondo Beat'. While appearing in New York city, she came to the attention of producer Norman Connors and contemporaries Jean Carne and Roberta Flack. It was Norman Connors who would groom her as a featured singer. Many recordings, film and stage appearances would follow for this very talented star. She was heard on numerous movie soundtracks and albums as a guest vocalist, most notably with Barry Manilow, Chuck Mangione, 'The Whispers', and 'The Four Tops'. Phyllis also lent her voice to several television commercials, and toured extensively with her band. Near the end of her life, Hyman was struggling with bipolar disorder, depression, alcoholism, weight gain and financial problems. Adding to her emothional distress was the passing of both her mother and grandmother each of whom died within a month of one another. (Hyman wrote about it in the song "This Too Shall Pass".) In addition to all this, she was also emotionally exhausted from lending her talents to AIDS benefits concerts and support groups.
1956     John Jorgenson, C&W vocals.
1959     Jon Keeble, Rock drums/vocals. Member: 'Spandau Balle'
1920     Dick Kenney, Trombone, b. Albany, NY. USA
1927     Karl Kiffe, Drums, 1927, b. Los Angeles, CA. USA
1919     Dorothy Kirsten, Operatic vocals.
1931     Juno Lewis, percussion, vocal, d. April 9, 2002
1928     Wallace Lewis, Accordion, member: The Lewis Family. Has worked with Those Darn Accordions!; Suzanne Garramone; Clyde Forsman; Bill Schwartz; Big Lou; Paul Rogers
1952     Graham Oliver, Rocker/vocals. Member: Saxon. Their 1980 album 'Wheels Of Steel' hit No.5 in the UK.
1931     Della Reese, vocalist, b. Detroit, MI, USA. née: Delloreese Patricia Early. (some sources say born 1932)
1949     Mike Shrieve, drums. Member group: Santana
1952     Cees Slinger, piano, b. Velsen, Noord-Holland, Netherlands, d. Sept 29, The Hague, Netherlands. (Heart problems) Over his career, , Slinger played with such stars as
--- TRUMPETERS: Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Clark Terry, Dusko Goykovich and Benny Bailey
--- TROMBONISTS: Slide Hampton, Al Grey, Bob Brookmeyer, Curtis Fuller, Bart van Lier, Bert Boeren, and Jimmy Knepper
--- TENORISTS: Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Zoot Sims, Johnny Griffin, Sal Nistico, Sonny Stitt, Jimmy Heath, James Moody, Scott Hamilton, George Coleman, Archie Shepp, Teddy Edwards, Arnett Cobb and Ferdinand Povel
--- SINGERS: Dee Dee Bridgewater, Betty Carter, Anita O'Day, Deborah Brown, Adrienne West, Dee Daniels
In 1959, Slinger founded "The Diamond Five", a Dutch quintet. Homebased at the "Sheherazade Club" in Amsterdam, the group was quite popular, playing all over Holland and accompanying expatriate American musicians on their visits to Amsterdam. However, with the public's shift from jazz to rock music,, the club closed its doors and the quintet disbanded.in 1965. In 1976 and 1985 Cees made two extensive European tours with the legendary drummer Philly Joe Jones, the second one including tenorist Clifford Jordan and resulting in the album 'Sling Shot!' (Timeless). In 1987 an other European tour followed, this time with the Mingus Dynasty band.
1854     John Phillip Sousa, leader/composer, b. Washington, DC, USA, d. 1932.
1929     Betty Smith, Tenor Sax, b. Sileby, England, UK
1952     David Smith, singer, Member: The Real Thing, 1976 single "You To Me Are Everything", got to No. 1 on the UK Charts.
1936     Chris White, Bass, b. New York, NY, USA.
1931     Joseph Daniel White, Singer/Bandleader, d. Jan. 5, 1996.
1950     Jeff Williams, drums
1892     Jack Yellin, lyricist, b. , Poland, d. April 17, 1991, Concord, NY, USA.. né: Jacek Jelen. Perhaps his biggest hit compositions were " Happy Days Are Here Again " (composed just at the start of the great world-wide 1930 economic depression ), and "Ain't She Sweet". Among the many composers with whom he collaborated are Ray Henderson, Harold Arlen, Lew Pollack, Sammy Fain, Milton Ager, Samuel Pokrass, Joe Meyer and Abe Olman
         Notable Events on this date include:
1937.    Benny Goodman orchestra recorded "Sing, Sing, Sing". (Victor) Gene Krupa, Ziggy Elman and Harry James were present.
1961.    Scott LaFaro, bassist with the Bill Evans trio died in an automobile crash in Geneva, N.Y., USA. The trio's last recordings were recorded at The Village Vanguard, N.Y. June 25. LaFaro then played a gig at the Newport Jazz Festival a few days later. (b. April 3, 1936 in Newark, New Jersey, USA)
1971.    Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong died.
1984.    the 'Victory Tour' of Michael Jackson and his brothers start in Kansas City, Missouri's Arrowhead Stadium.
2002.    Red "Professor" Foxley, piano died in London, England, UK. (Cancer - originally diagnosed as Bell's Palsey).(b. Dec. 28, 1929, Bromsgrove (near Birmingham), England, UK). (Do not confused with comedian Redd Foxx)
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1909   "Please Don't Tell My Wife", - Eddie Morton voc.
1914   "My Pickaninny Babe", - Billy Murray and Will Oakland vocs.
1915   "Put Me To Sleep With An Old Fashioned Song", - Irving Kaufman voc.
1923   "Carolina Mammy", - Carl Fenton Orch.
1923   "Mad", - Bennie Krueger Orch.
1927   "Broken Hearted", - Nick Lucas vocal.
1928   "Shimme Sha Wabble", - Miff Mole and His Little Molers
1928   "Weary City", - Johnny Dodds' Washboard Band.
1931   "Help Yourself To Happiness", - Casa Loma Orch.
1931   "It's The Girl", - Casa Loma Orch.
1931   "Do The New York", - Casa Loma Orch.
1932   "Red Blues", - Alex Bartha Orch.
1932   "My Silent Love", - Washboard Rhythm Kings
1932   "Depression Stomp", - Washboard Rhythm Kings
1935   "Broken Hearted Troubador", - Freddy Martin Orch.
1937   "Can't We Be Friends", - Benny Goodman Orch. (The Hollywood recording)
1937   "Sing Sing Sing", - Benny Goodman Orch. w/Gene Krupa, Ziggy Elman and Harry James. (Victor Hollywood recording)
1959   "Lavender Blue", - Sammy Turner
1963   "Just One Look", - Doris Troy
1963   "Fingertips - Pt 2", - Stevie Wonder
1963   "Wipe Out", - Surfaris
1974   "Feel Like Makin' Love", - Roberta Flack
1974   "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", - Elton John
1974   "Keep On Smilin'", - Wet Willie
1985   "Freeway Of Love", - Aretha Franklin
1985   "Power Of Love, The", - Lewis, Huey & The News
1991   "Motownphilly", - Boyz II Men
1991   "I Do It For You, (Everything I Do)", - Bryan Adams