BIRTHDAYS
1954     Ava Barber, C&W vocals, b. Knoxville, TN. From 1974 to 1982, Ava appeared regularly on the Lawrence Welk show, also touring with him. In 1976, Barber signed to Ranwood Records, and between 1977 and 1981 scored seven C&W hits. She also toured extensively on the U.S. and Canada county fair and concert circuit. When Welk's show ended, she often toured with former colleague Dick Dale. In 1990, Barber and Dale opened the Rainbow Music Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, which they operated until 1996. Barber also tours as part of the "Four Wunnerful Women" live show with Welk veterans Ralna English, Gail Farrell and Mary Lou Metzge
1923     Pete Candoli, Trumpet, b. Mishawaka, IN, USA
1915     David "Honeyboy" Edwards, guitar/harmonica, b. Shaw, MS, USA. (Note: Not b. April 28)
1960     Phil Flanigan, Bass, b. Geneva, NY, USA
1914     Lester Flatt, (Bluegrass) mandolin/guitar, b. USA. d. 1979
1910     Sarah Ogan Gunning, C&W vocals.
1943     Bobby Harrison vocals/drums, b. East Ham, London, England, UK , Founding Member: 'Freedom' (1970-'72), ( original) drummer with 'Procol Harum', and lead vocalist of 'Snafu' (1974)
1930     Fritz Hartschuh, vibes, b. Heidelberg, Germany. Studied piano as a child, and later at he University of Heidleberg. In the early 1950s, he played at various American club venues. During this time, he played with such Jazz stars as Chet Baker, Don Ellis, Zoot Sims, Bud Shank, Milt Jackson, Connie Kay and Al Heath. In 1950, he began to study the Vibraphone, and in 1956 made it his principle instrument. He led his own group at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival, and during 1957 - 1961, he worked with Wolfgang Lauth (recording with him 9 times). Later, he played with Joki Freund, and also worked with the 'German All-Stars' (appearing at the 1965 Paris Jazz Festival). In 1964, the LP "Autumn in in Europe" was released with Hartschuh leading his own quartet. In 1966, together with Emil Mangelsdorff, he received, the "German Record Prize" for his "Swinging Oildrops". Subsequently, he left music to work full time as an industrial manager - first in the atomic industry, and later in the environmental technology industry, although he did play occasionally with Volker Kriegel (in a quartet with Peter Baumeister), and also with the 'Frankfurt Swing All-Stars'. In 1988, he again returned to the Jazz scene. In 1993, he played on an anniversary tour with a Barrelhouse Jazz group that included, among others, Butch Miles and Billy Mitchell, and at the Jazzfestival RK Sea with, among others, Clark Terry, Jimmy Woode and Herbie Ellis. He also played in a quintet with clarinetist Paolo Tomelleri. and even played 'hardbop' with a quartet, comprised of the pianist Peter Reiter, Vitold Rek and Ralf Hübner (CDs - "Monk Project" 1994, and "Erik Satie Project" 1996). In addition he has worked with Dusko Goykovich and with Heinz Sauer.
1919     Bonnie Jefferson, guitar, b. Shoal Creek, AR, USA.
1931     Pearl Williams Jones, (gospel) vocals, b. Washington, DC, USA.
1952     John Lee, Bass, b. Boston, MA, USA.
1924     George Morgan, C&W vocals, d. July 7, 1975. né: George Thomas Morgan
1959     Lorrie Morgan, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Lorrie is the daughter of singer George Morgan, (see above), and when he died, Lorrie took over his band and began leading the group but disbanded in 1977. Subsequently, she played with the Little Roy Wiggins band, before becoming a receptionist and demo singer at Acuff-Rose, where she also wrote songs. Interestingly, Lorrie first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at age thirteen, performing Marie Osmond's "Paper Roses." Just 3 years later, her father died.
1907     Jimmy Mundy, Tenor Sax, vocal, composer, conductor, Arranger, b. Cincinnati, OH, USA. d. 1983.
1952     Alan Pasqua, Keyboards, piano, vibes, Synthesizer, b. New Jersey, USA
1986     Kellie Pickler, , C&W singer-songwriter, b. Albemarle, North Carolina , USA. née: Kellie Dawn Pickler
1902     Richard Rodgers, Composer/piano, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Dec. 30, 1979, New York, NY, USA. né: Richard Charles Rodgers. First, -part of the Rodgers and Hart team, then, -Rodgers and Hammerstein
1904     Adrian Rollini, Bass-baritone sax, vibraphone, xylophone, "goofus", "hot fountain pen",.celeste, drums, piano, chimes,, Leader, b. New York, NY. d. May 15, 1956, Homestead, FL, USA, at .age of 55- a tragic loss to music. The late trumpeter, Ron Simmons, once described the goofus as " a brass tube, approximately two inches in diameter, blocked at one end and tapered at the other to form a thin mouthpiece of sorts through which air was blown. The tube was fitted with a series of plunger buttons or keys, such as one finds on a child's toy trumpet, but laid out in two rows piano- fashion- whole tones in front and semitones behind. I think the range was two- and- half octaves." Ron continued: " When the instrument was marketed by the Paris firm of Couesnon around 1928, they fitted the blocked end of the tube with a miniature "saxophone" bell, to make it commercially attractive. The tapered end was fitted with a length of rubber tubing, so that the instrument could be laid on the player's lap and fingered piano- wise. They called it the Couesnophone! But Rollini's instrument had no "bell" or rubber tube, as he played it flute- fashion, blowing air from the right side of his mouth into the mouthpiece, whilst fingering whole tones with his right hand and semitones with his left. The sound produced was similar to that produced by the contemporary melodica, which is really the modern version of the goofus."

Ron Simmons went on to recall: " A technical description of the hot fountain pen is perhaps more difficult to give. So far as I can recollect, it was a short ebonite tube, of about the dimensions of a tin- whistle, fitted with a small clarinet- type mouthpiece and reed. There were no keys, just holes, and the range was, I think, limited to one octave. But the jazz produced on it by Rollini was really something, and at the time led some record reviewers to think that it was being played on an E flat clarinet! " Rollini was a superb musician whose talent greatly helped the California Ramblers and many other bands. ( In this writer's mind, - to this day, no one can match his playing of the Base Sax. --mlp)
1904     Ras "Butch" Roseby, drums/trombone, b. Lexington, MS, USA.
1909     Arnold Shaw, Writer, b. New York, NY, USA. d. 1989. (Book: "Honkers and Shouters")
1923     Herman Sherman, Saxophone, Clarinet, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. Sept. 10, 1984 in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 61
1902     Joe Smith, Trumpet, b. Ripley, OH, USA. d. 1937.
1917     Irvan 'Stumpy' Stumph, multi-instrumentalist (main: Trumpet), b. Kansas City, KS, USA.
1963     Tierney Sutton, (Jazz) vocals, b. Milwaukee, WI, USA.
1913     Gene Traxler, Bass, b. Chambersburg, PA, USA
1904     Henry Turner, Bass, b. Quincy, FL, USA. d. July 26, 1980, USA.
1911     Laurel Watson, vocal
1945     Magni Wentzel, vocal/guitar, b. Oslo, Norway
1926     Bobby White, Drums, b. Chicago, IL, USA
1964     Steve Williamson, Tenor-alto-soprano saxes, keyboards, percussion, b. London, England, UK
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1491.    Henry VIII, King of England. (d: 28 January 1547). In his spare time - when not killing his wives - Henry did a little composing. He was an instrumentalist and composer of Masses, motets, and part-songs. Henry made his court a center of musical culture. Historians have noted that he owned 10 trombones, 14 trumpets, 5 bagpipes, 76 recorders and 78 flutes!
1950.    "Jaybird" Coleman, harmonica, died in Tuskegee, AL, USA. Age: 54
1962.    Eddie Costa, piano, vibes, died in New York, NY, USA. (Age: 32. car accident. b. August 14, 1930, Atlas, Pennsylvania, USA)
1965.    "Red" Nichols, cornet, leader, diedin Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. (heart attack - né: Ernest Loring Nichols, May 8, 1905, Ogden, Utah, USA)
1978.    Weldon "Juke Boy" Bonner, guitar/harmonica, died in Houston, TX, USA. Age: 46
1979.    Edgar J. Hayes, piano, died in San Bernardino, CA, USA. Age: 77
1980.    Tony Gooden, drums, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 40
1981.    Henry Brown, piano, died in St. Louis, MO, USA. Age: 72
1981.    Floyd "Candy" Johnson, alto/tenor/baritone sax, drums, died. (b. May 1, 1922 , (Madison County), Illinois, USA) CAUTION: Do Not Confuse with "Candy" Johnson ( She was born in San Gabriel, California, USA, Feb. 8, 1944) an American singer and dancer.
1982.    Harry Mills, vocals, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 68. Member: 'Mills Brothers'
1982.    George Matthews, trombone, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 69. Worked with Tiny Bradshaw and Lucky Millinder bands.
1986.    Toney Davis Watkins, vocals, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Age: 39
1989.    Jimmy Buxton, trombone, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 65. Worked with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson.
1990.    Dudu Pukwana, alto sax died in London, England, UK. .(liver failure ) (b. July 18, 1938 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa)
1992.    Howard Roberts, guitar, died in Seattle, WA, USA. Age: 62
1994.    Beachey Thompson, vocals, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Age: 78. Member: 'Dixie Hummingbirds'
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1929   "Bashful Baby", - Abe Lyman and His Californians Orch.
1935   "I Wished On The Moon", - Little Ted Little Orch.
1935   "I'm In the Mood For Love", - Little Ted Little Orch.
1935   "Sweet and Slow", Ted Fio Rito and His Orch.
1939   "Over The Rainbow", - Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights
1939   "If I Were Sure Of You", - Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights
1939   "The Man I Love", - Teddy Wilson Orch.
1940   "Among My Souvenirs", - Eddy Howard Orch.
1945   "Gotta Be This Or That", - Benny Goodman Orch.
1969   "Crystal Blue Persuasion", - Tommy James voc.
1969   "In The Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)", - Zager & Evans
1975   "Jive Talkin'", - The Bee Gees
1980   "Take Your Time (Do It Right) Part 1", - S.O.S. Band
1986   "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off", - Jermaine Stewart voc.