BIRTHDAYS
1922     Walter Barrows, songwriter, b. New York, NY, USA. worked with Louis Jordan
1953     Alicia Bridges, vocals. b. Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Her biggest success was with the 1978 chart topping release of "I Love the Nightlife." Two other mildly successful albums followed: "Diamond in the Rough" and "Broken Woman", but Bridges never regained her disco reign. Two more albums followed -- 1979's "Play It as It Lays" and 1984's "Hocus Pocus", neither of which gained any recognition.
1943     Keith Briggs, writer: Blues & Rhythm mag, b. London, England, UK
1950     Ian Campbell, vocals. Member group: Middle Of The Road
1932     Willie Cobbs, guitar/harmonica, b. Smale, AR, USA. (Rooster Blues Records)
1935     "Big" Rodger Collins, drums, b. Platte, LA, USA.
1913     Lloyd "Cowboy" Copas, C&W vocals/guitar, d. March 5, 1963. né: Lloyd Estel Copas. dIed in plane crash with singer, Patsy Cline.
1965     Andy Couzens, guitar
1956     Ian Curtis, vocals, d. May 18, 1980 (suicide - by hanging himself). Member group: Joy Division. His 1980 single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made it up to No.13 on the UK charts.
1940     Tommy Dee, vocals/record company executive. b. USA. né: Thomas Donaldson.
1905     Dorothy Fields, Lyricist, b. Allenhurst, NJ, USA. d. March 28, 1974. or July 10, New York, NY, USA. (Cardiac Arrest) This daughter of vaudevillian Lew Fields achieved her first fame composing songs for the 1920s Cotton Club revues with Jimmy McHugh. She would become one of America's finest lyricists. Just a few of the songs for which she wrote the lyrics are "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, I'm in the Mood for Love", and "On the Sunny Side of the Street". She was also the lyricist. With composer Cy Coleman, she contributed lyrics for the show 'Sweet Charity' and 'Seesaw'.
1967     Phillip Fisher, rock guitar/vocal. Member group: 'Fishbone'
1927     Ralph Gari, alto sax, clarinet, flute, piccolo, English horn, b. New Castle, PA, USA.
1919     Sadik Hakim, Piano, b. Duluth, MN, USA. d. 1983. né: Argonne Thornton.
1928     Joe Harriott, Alto Sax, b. Kingston, Jamaica, d. Jan. 2, 1973, London, England, UK (cancer).
1949     Trevor Horne, vocals. Member: Buggles
1944     Millie Jackson, Rhythm and Blues Singer, b. Thompson, GA, USA.
1950     Steve James, guitar, b. New York (Manhattan), NY, USA.
1939     Luther "Houserocker" Johnson, guitar, b. Atlanta, GA, USA. Member: 'Ichiban'
1923     "Philly" Joe Jones, Drums, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. August 30, 1985, Philadelphia, PA, USA. né: Joseph Rudolph Jones. In 1947, he relocated to New York, where he found work as the house drummer at the famed Cafe Society, where he played with "Fats" Navarro, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. 1949, found him working with Ben Webster in Washington, D.C. He returned to New York, and worked with Miles Davis and Tadd Dameron. He worked with Davis from early 1955 through April 1958 Subsequently, he worked as a leader, and with Duke Ellington at 'Birdland' (a New York club), Coltrane, and Billie Holiday. In 1967, and again in 1976, he worked and recorded with pianist Bill Evans, and also toured with Red Garland. From 1967 through 1969, he lived in London, England, and from 1969-1972, he lived in Paris, France . In 1981, he formed and led a group called 'Dameronia', which featured Tadd Dameron arrangements; he also recorded with Archie Shepp. Still, his greatest fame is as the drummer in the original Miles Davis Quintet.
1982     Bill Justis, vocals, Member group: 'Raunchy'.
1953     Ron Kaplan, vocal. b. California, USA After graduating from Los Angeles Valley College and the University of California Santa Cruz, Kaplan ran a successful insurance brokerage company in Aptos, California. His "day job" was selling insurance, and at night, he worked occasionally as a jazz vocalist (mostly in Santa Cruz, CA). Circa 1996, he formed his own label, "Kapland Records".
1945     Peter Lewis, Guitar/vocals. Member group: 'Moby Grape'
1970     Frank McComb, keyboards, vocal, b. Cleveland, Ohio, USA. . At age 12, he began piano lessons, and at age 17 formed his first trio. In 1991, he became musical director for the R&B group 'Rude Boys'. McComb subsequently backed DJ 'Jazzy Jeff' and the 'Fresh Prince' in the studio and on tour In late 1992, McComb was signed to the Mojazz label. In 1994, McComb collaborated with Branford Marsalis on his jazz-rap fusion project 'Buckshot LeFonque'. In early 2000, his solo 'Love Stories' was released.
1953     David Pack, vocals.
1948     Artimus Pyle, drums. Member group: Lynyrd Skynyrd
1956     Marky Ramone, vocals/guitarist. né: Marc Bell. Member group: The Ramones.
1946     Linda Ronstadt, singer/songwriter, b. Tucson, AZ, USA.
1956     Joe Satriani, R&R guitar.
1981     Kia Thornton, R&B vocals. Member group: Divine.
1952     Johnny Thunders, guitar/vocals. d. April 23, 1991 (drug overdose). né: John Genzale. Member group: The New York Dolls
1910     "Washboard Sam" ( Robert Brown). washboard, b. Walnut Ridge, AR, USA, d. Nov. 6, 1966, Chicago, Illinois, USA. (heart disease) (Guinness says b. Nov 13). AKA: "Shufflin' Sam" and "Ham Gravy". Reputedly, Brown was the illegitimate son of Frank Broonzy, who also fathered "Big Bill" Broonzy. When they performed together, "Big Bill" often joked that Sam was his half brother. In 1932, Washboard Sam moved to Chicago. and in a few years was recording with "half brother" Big Bill Broonzy and a number of different musicians on Bluebird recording sessions for A & R man Lester Melrose. Melrose oversaw a shifting group of musicians that included Washboard Sam, Tampa Red, Memphis Slim, Broonzy, and Jazz Gillum, all of whom often played on each other's sessions and in ad-hoc groups such as the 'Hokum Boys' and the 'State St Swingers', --this was later called the 'Bluebird Beat'. In 1935, Washboard Sam began recording for both Bluebird and Vocalion Records. Throughout the 1930s and the '40s, Sam was one of the most popular Chicago bluesmen. In the 1950s, his audience began to shrink, perhaps due to the public's changing musical tastes, or maybe because he had difficulty adapting to the new electric blues. In 1953, Washboard Sam recorded a session for Chess Records. In the early 1960s, Sam claimed retirement, but by 1963 began to again perfom in Chicago clubs and coffeehouses. In early 1964, he played a handful of dates in Europe. In 1965, heart disease caused great problems and he stopped recording and playing. He passed away in 1966.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1933.    Freddie Keppard, cornet/leader, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 43
1952.    Vocalist Patti Page made her TV debut with a 15-minute program, three times each week on the CBS Network, as a summer replacement series for the Perry Como show.
1955.    Buddy Wise tenor sax died. (b. Feb 20, 1928, Topeka, KS, USA.)
1966.    Vocalist Percy Sledge earned a gold record for "When a Man Loves A Woman". It was his only song to make it to number One on the Top 40 charts.
1977.    "Big" John Wrencher, harmonica, died in Clarksdale, MS, USA. Age: 54
1980.    Ben Selvin violin, leader, died in Manhasset, L.I., NY, USA. (b. March 5, 1898, New York (Queens), NY USA). With over (perhaps) 13,000 recordings to his credit, Selvin maybe the most recorded bandleader of all time!
1982.    Bill Justis, sax died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 55. member: 'Raunchy '
1982.    Jane Vasey, piano, died in Toronto, ONT, Canada, USA. Age: 32. Member: 'Downchild Blues Band'
1987.    Lee Gaines, bass vocals, died in Helsinki, Finland, USA. Age: 73. Member: 'Delta Rhythm Boys'
1989.    Will Bradley, trombone/leader, died in Flemington, NJ, USA. Age: 78
1989.    Nesuhi Ertegun, Producer: Atlantic/East-West Rec., died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 71. Produced recordsfor Atlantic Records, a firm co-founded by his brother Ahmet, and Herb Arbamson.
1991.    Arthur Briggs, trumpeter died in Paris, France. (b. April 9, 1899 )
1995.    Bill Woodruff, vocals, died in Newcastle, DE, USA. Age: 66 Member: 'Sensational Nightingales'
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1910   "Coconut Dance", - The Victor Dance Orch.
1913   "The Argentine Creole Tango", - The Victor Dance Orch.
1925   "Manhattan", - The Knickerbockers (Ben Selvin Orch.)
1925   "Alone At Last", - Ace Brigode and his Virginians
1925   "Remembering You", Alexander Gray's Orch. (Ben Selvin Orch.)
1930   "Patrol Wagon Blues", - Henry "Red" Allen Orch.
1935   "The Piccolino", - Fred Astaire vocal.
1938   "The Night Is Filled With Music", - Will Hudson Orch
1938   "The Sheik Of Araby", - Tommy Dorsey and his Clambake Seven
1941   "Swinging On Nothing", - Tommy Dorsey Orch.
1941   "On The Alamo", - Tommy Dorsey Orch.
1941   "Blue Skies", - Tommy Dorsey Orch.
1941   "I'm Old Fashioned", - Tommy Dorsey Orch.
1942   "Goodbye Liza Jane", - Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
1942   "Jukebox Saturday Night", -Glenn Miller and his band recorded the song for Victor Records.
1957   "Whispering Bells", - The Dell-Vikings
1957   "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On", - Jerry Lee Lewis
1972   "I'm Still In Love With You", - Al Green
1989   "Right Here Waiting", - Richard Marx