BIRTHDAYS
1957     Geri Allen, Piano, b. Pontiac, MI, USA
1906     Don Barrigo, alto and tenor sax/clarinet, b. England, UK.
1936     Marcus Belgrave, trumpet, b. Chester, PA, USA
1942     Len Berry, vocals, b. USA
1951     Joan Besen, keyboard/vocals, member group: 'Prarie Oyster'
1909     Archie Bleyer, Leader/label owner (Cadence), b. Corona, NY, USA, d. March 20, 1989, Sheboygan, WI, USA. Best recalled for his work leading the orchestra on the Arthur Godfrey shows.
1."Arthur Godfrey and His Friends" (1949) TV Series; Leader (1949-1954)
2."Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" (1948) TV Series; Leader (1948-1954)
1946     Eddie Bronson, Saxophone, b. Moscow, Russia
1952     Junior Brown, C&W singer-songwriter/guitarist, b. Kirksville, IN, USA. né: Jamison Brown
1953     "Rocky" Burnette, C&W vocals, b. Memphis, TN, USA
1910     Leon Carr, piano/songwriter, b. Allentown, PA, USA
1939     Kent Carter, Bass, cello, composer, b. Hanover, NH, USA,
1941     Trevor Churchill, label co-owner (Ace, -UK), b. Windermere, UK
1948     Lynn Collins, vocals, b. Lexington, TX, USA
1941     "Chick" Corea, Piano/composer/keyboards, b. Chelsea, MA. né: Armando Anthony Corea
1965     Grant E. Cunningham, composer/producer, d, July 7, 2002, Nashville, TN, USA (Head injury while playing soccer). Beside singing commercials for Frito Lay, Coke, and Post Cereals, he also composed songs that were sung by Kathy Troccoli, Russ Lee, Cindy Morgan, and Amy Grant - Vice President of Sparrow Records. In addition, he co-composed the Frankie Avalon hits "Always Have And Always Will" and "Picture Perfect World".
1928     Vic Damone, vocals. né: Vito Farinola. Vic Damone is one of the few men of which I know that are always just called by their last name. People will say - "Damone" is singing tonight. Or maybe "Have Damone call me this evening." Even his wife will call out "Damone, - bring me the newspaper."
1951     Brad Delp, vocals, b. USA
1904     Al Donahue, leader, b. Boston, MA, USA, d. Feb. 20, 1983, Escondido, CA, USA.
1927     Al Fairweather, Trumpet/Leader, b. Edinburgh, Scotland. d. 1993.
1932     Charlie Feathers, (rockabilly) vocals/guitar, b. Myrtle, MS, USA
1939     Jacques Gauthé, Clarinet/Saxophone, b. Gaujac, France
1910     Boyd Gilmore, guitar, b. Belzoni, MS, USA
1913     Gene Hall, reeds, teacher, b. Whitewright, TX, USA , d. March 4, 1993. né: Morris Eugene Hall
1903     Emmett Hardy, Cornet, b. Gretna, LA, USA, d. 1925.
1954     Patience Higgins, Reeds, flute, b. Greenville, SC, USA
1958     Rebecca Holden, C&W singer/actress, b, Austin, TX, USA.
1944     Maurice Jackson, vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA Member: 'The Independents'
1899     Gene Kardos, bandleader, b. New York City, d. Aug. 1980
1934     Ramon H. Lopez, Latin percussionist (congas), b. (caution: exact day and month unknown) New York, NY, USA, d. May 29, 2000, Tampa, Florida, USA. Age: 66. Though born in New York City, Lopez lived most of his life in Tampa's Ybor City, where he became a fixture on the local music scene. born into a musical family, at one time he had an act with his piano-playing sister Evanglina, performing in the ethnic social clubs of Ybor City. Later, he would enjoy a long stint with the Stan Kenton Orchestra, where from the early to mid-1970s, Lopez recorded and toured with Kenton, a band leader who pioneered the use of Latin rhythms with American jazz orchestras. Two regular entries in the Kenton Orchestra songbook, "Ramon Lopez" and "Senior Lopez", were dedicated to him.
CAUTION: There are other Ramon Lopez's, one of whom also played with the Stan Kenton Orchestra.
-- Ramon Lopez (Genre: Jazz). Decades Active: 00s Most recent album: "Flowers of Piece". Please see our entry for Ramon Lopez on our August 6 Calendar
-- Ramon Lopez Alvarado (Genre: R&B/Soul/Urban).
-- Ramon Santiago Lopez, (Genre: Latin).
-- Ramon Velarde Lopez, (Genre: Latin). Most recent album: "Canciones del Intimo Decoro"
1954     Jesper Lundgaard, Bass, b. Hillerod, Denmark
1969     Bardi Martin, bassist. Member: Candlebox
1927     Helen "Penny Jay" Moyers, C&W/gospel singer-songwriter b. Monteagle Mountain, Nashville, TN, USA. d. March 29, 2006, Knoxville, TN, USA. She wrote over 96 songs that were recorded by famous artists and in 1963, "The Golden Girl" of country music was named the #1 Female Songwriter of the Year. Her #1 hits included "Don't Let Me Cross Over" which went gold in 1963 by Carl & Pearl Butler, "Set Him Free" by Skeeter Davis, and "Widow Maker" sung by bluegrass legend Jimmy Martin.
1932     Jim Nabors, vocalist/actor.
1969     Georgio Occhipinti, piano/multi-instrumentalist
1954     Wayne Peet, Piano, organ, keyboards, electronics, b. Dallas, TX, USA.
1934     George "Harmonica" Robinson, harmonica b. Aberdeen, MS, USA
1919     Ulysses "Jabo" Ward, sax, b. Kansas City, KS, USA. d. April 10, 2004, Seattle, WA, USA. Age: 85. né: James Ware. A central figure in Seattle's legendary Jackson Street music scene, where from 1943 to 1950, Jabo played six nights a week at the Union Club with bandleader Al Pierre. Though he was exposed to the best Swing bands in Kansas City, he didn't play music as a teenager. In 1937, his father gave him a train ticket to visit Seattle and look for work. He joined the Merchant Marine and on one of his trips to Alaska, decided to learn how to play the saxophone. Those ships would drop off their cargo in Alaska and returned empty, affording "Jabo' lots of time in which to practice. Ward was an avid golfer and a co-founder of Seattle's 'Fir State Golf Club'.
1915     Eddie Williams, bassist, b. St. Augustine, TX, USA, d. Feb. 18, 1995
1915     Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy, Trumpet, b. New York, NY, USA
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1957.    Jimmy Dorsey, clarinet/leader, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 53
1960.    Eli Oberstein, CEO/A&R, died in Westport, CT, USA. Age: 58.(With both CBS and RCA Victor)
1960.    Isadore Barbarin, alto sax, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. ( b. Sept. 24, 1872, New Orleans, LA, USA. )
1963.    Bob Scobey, the wonderful Dixieland trumpeter died in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (b. Dec 9, 1916 in Tucumcari, New Mexico )
1971.    J. E. Mainer, banjo/violin, died in Concord, NC, USA. Age: 72
1974.    Herb Coleman, vocals, died in Cannes, France. Age: 46 Member: 'Delta Rhythm Boys'
1978.    Johnny Bond, C&W singer/songwriter/actor/author died in Burbank, CA, USA. (heart attack) Age: 63
1978.    Ed Kirkeby, leader, manager, died in Mineola, Long Island, NY, USA. ( b. Oct. 10, 1891, New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA)
1983.    J. B. Hutto, guitar, died in Harvey, IL, USA. Age: 54
1987.    Sonny Lane, guitar, died in Oakland, CA, USA. Age: 50
1989.    Vivian Bracken, label co-owner (Vee Jay), died in Gary, IN, USA. Age: 69
1989.    Clorice V. Snyder, vocals, died in New Hope, MN, USA. Age: 72
1997.    "Chuck" Andrus, bassist died., ( b. Nov. 17, 1928, Holyoke, MA, USA. )
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1939   "Boy Scout In Switzerland", - Raymond Scott Orch.
1939   "Siberian Sleigh Ride", - Raymond Scott Orch.
1939   "In An Eighteenth Century Drawing Room", - Raymond Scott Orch.
1939   "Taboo", - Enrique Madriguera and his Orch.
1939   "Come To The Fair", - Enrique Madriguera and his Orch.
1942   "Johnny Doughboy Found A Rose In Ireland", - Kay Kyser Orch.
1942   "One Dozen Roses", - Dinah Shore voc.
1961   "Dance On Little Girl", - Paul Anka voc.
1961   "Yellow Bird", - Lyman, Arthur
1962   "Johnny Get Angry", - Sommers, Joanie
1965   "Yes, I'm Ready", - Mason, Barbara
1971   "Don't Pull Your Love", - Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
1976   "Let Her In", - Travolta, John