BIRTHDAYS
1929     Johnny Ace né: Johnny Marshall Alexander, Jr. d. Dec. 25, 1954
1922     Mousey Alexander, Drums, b. Gary, IN, USA. d. Oct. 9, 1988, Orlando, Florida, USA. Mousey began his career playing in New York with such musicians as Jimmy and Marian McPartland, Benny Goodman, Red Norvo, and later accompanied Al Cohn-Zoot Sims. In addition to playing in the orchestras of Bill Finegan, Johnny Smith, Clark Terry, and Nat Pierce, he also backed various variety artists on their recordings. Ill health finally forced Mousey to reduce his activities
1908     Leroy Anderson - Bandleader Link, leader, d. May 18, 1975 and     Anderson's Composer Link,
1968     Richard Battersby, drummer, b. Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK . Member: 'The Wildhearts'
1979     Richard "Abz" Breen, singer-songwriter, b. Enfield, London, UK. Member: ' 5ive' aka 'Five'
1940     L(awrence) Russell Brown, Composer, ("Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree")
1922     Ralph J. Burns, Piano/composer/arranger, b. Newton, MA, USA. d: Nov. 21, 2001, Los Angeles, CA, USA. (Complications from a Stroke and Pneumonia.) Studied piano while still a child, and later at Boston's (MA. USA) New England Conservatory. In 1963, on a visit to London, Burns told interviewer Graham Collier, "......In fact, that is how I got started in Jazz arranging, -by taking Duke's (Ellington) tunes off a record and re-arranging them for local territory bands." While still a student he boarded in the home of famed vocalist Frances Wayne, and her bandleader brother Nick Jerret, who gave Ralph a job playing piano with Nick's band. In 1944, Ralph, Neal Hefti, Bill Harris and Flip Phillips all joined the Woody Herman band, Ralph's piano, Chubby Jackson's Bass, and Dave Tough drums formed one of the best rhythm sections in the business. (It was Jackson who had persuaded Herman to hire Ralph.) Among his work for the 1945 Herman band was such compositions as "Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe" "The Moose". Other arrangements on which he worked included "Northwest Passage", Caldonia, "Apple Honey", and "Bijou" scored for trombonist Bill Harris. Eventually, Ralph and some of Herman's best soloists, such as Bill Harris, and the saxophonist Charlie Ventura, would record as a small group. And still later, Ralph recorded on his own with, among others, Lee Konitz, Ben Webster and Billy Strayhorn. Famed Classical composer Igor Stravinsky was so taken with Ralph's work, that he composed his "Ebony Concerto", exclusively for the Herman band, who later recorded it. From the 1960s onward, Burns composed and scored for such Broadway shows as "No, No, Nanette", "Sweet Charity", and "Chicago". "Chicago" was a Stage Musical revival of an original film comedy Roxie Hart", starring Ginger Rogers. And, in turn, "Chicago" was revived in the 2003 film musical "Chicago", starring ,Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, and Queen Latifah. In 1971 he scored the soundtrack to Woody Allen's Bananas. In 1972, Ralph won an Academy Award for "Cabaret". Following that, he worked on such Broadway shaws as "Lenny", "New York, New York", "All That Jazz", and "Fosse".
1915     Leo Diamond, Harmonica/Leader, b. New York, NY, d. Sept. 15, 1966, Los Angeles, CA
1901     Nelson Eddy, vocals, d. March 6, 1967. né: Nelson Ackerman Eddy, best recalled as team Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald.
1938     Edmund Falkiner, Jazz sax, d. Sep. 20, 1997. Also worked as probation officer.
1916     Quilla Hugh "Porky" Freeman, guitarist, b. Vera Cruz, MO, USA All during the late 1930s and the 1940s, Porky was a very popular West Coast-based Western Swing band leader. It was Porky who gave Merle Travis his first job when Merle moved to California.
1942     Gilberto Gil, guitar/singer-songwriter, b. Salvador, Brazil. "Imagine a charismatic singer-songwriter from Bahia with a lilting voice and an uncanny ability to conjure up an irresistible groove, whether he's playing reggae music, an afox, samba, or rock and roll. One who also has a knack for sweet ballads that charm the ear and engage the mind. Give him interests in Afro-Brazilian culture, the candombl religion, Zen, philosophy, economics, sociology, future shock, and much else. And -- one more thing -- make him a city councilman. You've got Gilberto Gil." "...... a leader of the Tropicalia movement in Brazil in 1967 and 1968, along with artists such as Caetano Veloso, Tom Z, Capinam, Gal Costa, Torquato Neto, and Os Mutantes. In their music, they mixed native styles with rock, folk instruments with electronic ones, erudite references and kitsch fragments, pop and avant-garde. Anything went, and everything could be utilized." (quoted from Chris McGowan in The Beat -1991)
1946     Gitte (Haenning-Johansson), vocals, b. Denmark
1941     Bobby Gordon, clarinet, b. Hartford, Connecticut, USA
1948     Dervin Gordon, vocals; b, Jamaica. Twin brother of Lincoln Gordon. Member: The Equals (CAUTION: Do Not Confuse with Dexter Gordon, American Saxist.)
1948     Lincoln Gordon, guitar, b. Jamaica. Twin brother of Dervin Gordon. Member: The Equals. The Original line-up of The Equals comsisted of "Derv" Gordon - lead vocals - born Dervin Gordon, June 29, 1948, in Jamaica, Lincoln Gordon - guitar - born June 29, 1948, in Jamaica, Eddy Grant -, guitar - born Edmond Montague Grant, March 5, 1948, in Plaisance, Guyana, Pat Lloyd - bass guitar - born Patrick Lloyd, March 17, 1948, in Holloway, London, England, UK, . John Hall - drums - born October 25, 1946 in Islington, London, England, UK..
1953     Colin Hay, guitarist, b. Saltcoats, Scotland, UK Member: 'Men at Work'
1911     Bernard Herman, Composer, d. 1975
1947     Charles Hodges, vocals, b. Memphis, TN, USA. Member: 'The Nightingales'
1955     Mark Hurwitz (aka Lips Lackowitz), R&B Harmonica, b. Washington, DC, USA. d July 30, 2002, Rockville, IL, USA. (Diabetes Complications.). Mark worked with Carey Bell and Steve Jacob.. Leader of group: Tough Luck, and among their hits were ,"Body Odah Toothache" and "Mannequin Love"
1946     Ken Hyder, Drums, b. Dundee, Scotland
1960     Evelyn "Champagne" King, vocals, b. New York (Bronx), NY, USA
1927     Frank Kirkland, drums, b. Washington, DC , USA. Often worked with Bo Diddley
1935     Leonard Lee, vocals, b. USA
1926     Ove Lind, Clarinet, piano, vocal,arranger, b. Stockholm, Sweden. d. 1991.
1943     "Little Eva", vocals. d. .April.10, 2003. née: Eva Narcissus Boyd. Best known as part of "Little Eva and Big Dee"
1910     Frank Loesser, Composer, b. New York, NY, USA d. 1969, New York, NY, USA
1948     Ian Paice, drums, b. Nottingham, England, UK. Member groups: 'Deep Purple'. 'Whitesnake'
1964     Stedman Pearson, vocalist, b. Romford, Essex, England, UK. Member: 5ive (aka: Five Star)
1935     Julian Priester, Trombone, b. Chicago, IL, USA
1904     Barney Pritchard, (hillbilly) Guitar, d. March 14, 1963. Member: "Scottdale String Band", members included Charlie Simmons (Banjo, Mandolin), Marvin Head (acoustic Guitar), John Rody (acoustic Guitar).
1945     Johnnie Louise Richardson, vocals, b. Montgomery, AL Member: 'Johnnie & Joe'
1978     Nicole Scherzinger, singer-songwriter, dancer, b. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. née: Nicole Prescovia Scherzinger. Member groups: 'Eden's Crush', 'Pussycat Dolls'
1943     Roger Ruskin Spear, multi-instrumentalist, b. Hammersmith, West London, England, UK. Member: Bonzo Dog Band. Roger is the son of Ruskin Spear, who was a founding member of the 'Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band' . Currently (2007) Roger teaches at the Chelsea College of Art
1943     Lew Spence, songwriter/composer, b. Cedarhurst, Long Island, NY, USA, d. January 9, 2008, Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA, USA. This West Coast songwriter/composer wrote for some of the greatest voices of the 1950's and '60's. For Frank Sinatra, one of Spence's biggest fans, he wrote the standard "Nice "N Easy" as well as "Half As Lonely", "If I Had Three Wishes", "Love Looks So Well On You" and the classics "Sleep Warm" and "So Long My Love". For Dean Martin, he penned the hits "On Again Off Again" and "Outta My Mind". While for Johnny Mathis, he wrote the beautiful "Magic Garden" and "Live It Up". Great female vocalists have also covered Spence songs, including Barbra Streisand (and host of others over the years) who cut the standard "That Face" and Peggy Lee's "That's Him Over There" and "I've Never Been So Happy In Love". Lew was age 87 when he passed away. (Thanks to music director and composer Mr. Tom Griep for this information on his good friend Lew Spence.)
1938     Billy Storm, vocals, b. USA Member: 'The Valiants'
1947     Vladimir Tarasov, Drums, b. Arkhangel'sk, Russia
1936     Camiel Van Breedam, Trombone, b. Boom, Belgium

         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1964.    Eric Dolphy, alto sax/flute, died in Berlin, Germany. Age: 36
1966.    Leroy Washington, guitar, died in Oakdale, LA, USA. Age: 34
1969.    "Shorty" Long, vocals, died in Detroit River, Ont, Canada. Age: 29
1975.    Tim Buckley, guitar/songwriter, died in Santa Monica, CA, USA. Age: 28
1979.    Lowell George, guitar, died in Arlington, VA, USA. Age: 34
1984.    Jimmie Daniels, vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 76
1984.    Konstantin (Georgyevich) Nosov, trumpet, died. ( b. July 24, 1938, Leningrad, Russia )
1987.    Libba Cotten, guitar, died in Syracuse, NY, USA. Age: 94
1991.    Richard "Groove" Holmes, organ, died in St. Louis, MO, USA. Age: 60
1994.    Ray Crane, trumpet, piano, died Age: 63. (b,. Oct. 31,1930, Skegness, England, UK)
2002.    famed singer Rosemary Clooney died.
2006.    Ross Tompkins piano died in St. Augustine, Florida, USA. ( b. May 13, 1938, Detroit, MI, USA.. Best recalled for his long tenure with Doc Severinsen's band on the "Tonight" show.)

         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
      1909   "Turkish Patrol", - The Victor Orch.
      1909   "Up Up Up In My Aeroplane", - Haydn Quartet
      1925   "Dear Old Backyard Days", - Billy Murray voc.
      1926   "Hello Baby", - Johnny Marvin ("The Ukulele Ace")
      1928   "Two Lips", - Fred Rich Orch.
      1932   "Mimi", - Maurice Chevalier voc.
      1932   "There's Nothing Else to Do In Ma La Ka Mo Ka Lu", - Paul Whiteman Orch.
      1941   "Lonesome Train Blues", - Hank Penny's Radio Cowboys
      1944   "Long Ago (And Far Away)", - Crosby, Bing
      1944   "Amor", - Crosby, Bing
      1951   "Come On-A My House", - Clooney, Rosemary
      1951   "Sweet Violets", - Shore, Dinah
      1959   "Forty Miles Of Bad Road", - Eddy, Duane
      1959   "There Goes My Baby", - Drifters
      1968   "Hurdy Gurdy Man", - Donovan
      1985   "What About Love?", - Heart
      1985   "Shout", - Tears For Fears
      1991   "Summertime", - D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
      1991   "I'll Be There", - Escape Club
      1991   "Wind Of Change", - Scorpions
      1991   "Fading Like A Flower (Every Time You Leave)", - Roxette