BIRTHDAYS
1906     "Arkie the Arkansas Woodchopper", Singer/Guitar/Piano (also: MC, dance caller, and humorist), b. Knob Noster, Missouri, USA, d. June 23, 1981. né: Luther William Ossenbrink.
1917     Desi Arnaz, singer/drums/leader, b. Santiago, Cuba, d. Dec. 3., 1986, Lung Cancer. né: Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y De Acha III. His marriage to Lucy broke up over his alcohol abuse and 'womanizing'. During the 1933 Batista revolution, Desi's father, the mayor of Santiago, landed in jail and as well stripped of his wealth, property and power. Due to U.S. intervention, Desi' father was released from jail and the family fled to Miami, Florida, where one of Desi's first jobs was cleaning canary cages. Later, he joined Xavier Cugat "the king of Latin music", but soon left Cugat, and formed his own Latin band, which almost singlehandedly launched America's conga craze. Desi appeared in the Broadway play 'Too Many Girls'. When the play went to Hollywood, Desi went with it and it was on the film set of 'Too Many Girls' that he met his wife to be, Lucille Ball. The marriage produced two children, Lucie and Desi, Jr. Ten years later, the couple formed Desilu Productions to produce their hit TV show "I Love Lucy". When the show ended, their marriage also ended in divorce. Later, Desi was diagnosed with lung cancer, and died on December 2, 1986.
1960     Craig Bailey, Alto Sax, b. Cincinnati, OH, USA.
1948     Phil Bowler, bass, New York, NY, USA.
1962     Jon Bon Jovi, vocals, b. Perth Amboy, NJ, USA. né: John Bongiovi
1955     Dale Bozzio, vocals. During the 1970s, this lovely lady had a career in modeling, including a revealing photo layout in 'Hustler Magazine'. But then, she was introduced to Frank Zappa who soon invited her to sing on his epic concept album, "Joe's Garage: Acts 1-3". Dale, and the group's drummer, Terry Bozzio, soon married, and together formed the new wave act. 'Missing Persons'.
1948     Larry Carlton, Guitar, b. Torrance, CA, USA.
1950     Karen Carpenter, vocals, b. New Haven, CT, USA. d. Feb. 4, 1983, Downey, CA, USA (heart failure). Member 'The Carpenters' (Richard and Karen), a popular 1970s vocal group. Trumpeter Herb Alpert parlayed his success with the 'Tijuana Brass' to co-found the A & M Record label, and signed 'The Carpenters' to the label in April 22, 1969. In 1970, their recording of "Close to You" went 'Gold'. Karen had some relationship problems with her mother, and compounding this, a Billboard Magazine article described her as "Richard's chubby sister." Many consider it probable that these were the causes of her developing Anorexia Nervosa. (an eating disorder where persons starve themselves thinking they are fat - no matter how thin they may be actually.) Though she did conquer her Anorexia, it left her body badly damaged. On February 4, 1983, Karen died of heart failure in her parent's home in Downey California. She is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
1938     Willie Chambers, vocals, b. USA. Member group: The Chambers Brothers.
1902     Jimmy "Kid" Clayton, Trumpet, b. Jasper County, MS, USA.
1956     John Cowsill, vocals, b. Newport, RI, USA. Member Group: 'Cowsills'. One of the biggest pop acts of the late 1960s, the Cowsills consisted of teen siblings Bill, Bob, Barry, John, Susan and Paul in tandem with mom Barbara. They were the real-life inspiration behind the hit television series The Partridge Family.
1906     "Blind" Teddy Darby, guitar, b. Henderson, KY, USA.
1922     Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Tenor Sax, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Nov. 3. 1986.
1925     "Maxwell Street" Jimmy Davis, (Country Blues) singer/guitarist, b. Tippo, Mississippi, USA, d. Dec. 28, Chicago, IL, USA. né: Charles W. Thompson. In the 1960's, he began performing at Chicago's famous Maxwell Street market. He went on to make many recordings and appeared at Blues festivals throughout the world. Davis lived in Detroit for some years before going to Chicago. As a teenager, he danced with Silas Green and the "Rabbit Foot Traveling Minstrel Show" . At one time he owned a Maxwell Street restaurant called "The Knotty Pine", and, when the market was in progress, he frequently played outside the The Knotty Pine as well as playing in front of the "Delta Fish Market", and later in front of the "Johnny Dollar" food stand on Maxwell street just east of Halsted. Davis also taught his brother, L. B. Thomspon, to play the guitar, and L. B. played with Jimmy for several years using the name of "Good Time Larry".
1956     Mark Evans, bass, b. Melbourne, Australia. Member Group: 'AC/DC'.
1955     Walt Fowler, Trumpet, b. Salt Lake City, Utah
1949     Rory Gallagher, vocals, b. USA. vocals/guitar, b. Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Irish Republic, d. June 14, 1995, (complications owing to liver transplant surgery) Age: 46.
1884     Otto Gray, (Western) bandleader, b. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA, d. Nov. 8, 1967. During the 1920’s and 1930’s 'Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboy Band' were one of the best known Western acts.
1960     Lennart Ginman, Bass, b. Copenhagen, Denmark
1897     Minor "Ram" Hall, Drums, b. Sellars, LA, USA. d. 1959
1963     Alvin Youngblood Hart, guitar, b. Oakland, CA, USA.
1923     Orrin Keepnews, label co-founder (Riverside)/Producer/writer, b. New York, NY, USA.
1909     Narvin Kimball, Banjo, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. March 17, 2006, Charleston, SC, USA. This left-handed virtuoso banjo player was the son of Henry Kimball, a well known string bass player in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century. (Narvin's wife, Jeannette Kimball (née: Salvant), was an excellent pianist.) Narvin made his first banjo with a cigar box, stick and string. In 1924, his father gave him a banjo which he played with his high school band. In 1927, Narvin began playing professionally with the 'Fate Marable Band' on Mississippi River boats, where he established musical relationships with many of the original old New Orleans Jazzmen. In 1928, he made his first Columbia Records recording. From the late 1920s through to the Great Depression, he was a member of 'Papa Celestin's Original Tuxedo Orchestra'. Then, with music jobs hard to come by, Kimball found a "day job" as a U. S. Mail carrier. He often boasted (deservedly so) that he was a mail carrier for thirty-five years, and never missed a single day without pay, and was late only three times. Kimball formed his own band, 'Narvin Kimball's Gentlemen of Jazz', and played around New Orleans for 40 years. At age 57, he joined the original 'Preservation Ball Jazz Band', and was its youngest member at the nightly performances while delivering U.S. mail during the day. (Another member of the PHJB was Willie Humphrey, whom Narvin had met while with Fate Marable's band, and with whom he would play for over 60 years before Willie's passing in 1996.) In the 1930s, he composed the tune "Don't Let Old Age Creep Up On You". Following the world-wide economic depression of the 1930s, he performed on bass with Louis Armstrong at the National Jazz Foundation in New Orleans. From 1935-1960, he played the string bass with popular swing groups including the 'Sidney Desvigne Orchestra'. He was with the Preservation Hall since its inception in 1961. With his passing at age 97, the last connection to old New Orleans Jazz has been lost.
1970     Julien Lourau, Saxophone, b. Paris, France
1924     Alexander "Papa George" Lightfoot, harmonica, b. Natchez, MS, USA.
1942     Tony Meehan, vocals, b. Great Britain. Member group: 'The Shadows'.
1949     Eddie Money, vocals, b. New York (Brooklyn), USA. né: Eddie Mahoney.
1965     Wolfgang Muthspiel, Guitar, b. Judenberg, Austria
1936     Buell Neidlinger, Bass, cello, b. New York, NY, USA.
1942     Bob Neloms, Piano, b. Detroit, MI, USA.
1907     Luther Ossenbrink, Singer/Guitar/Piano, b. rural Missouri, USA. Please see: "Arkie The Arkansas Woodchopper" above.
1968     Clarence Penn, drums, Detroit, MI, USA.
1946     (Joel) Barney Rachabane, Alto Sax, b. Alexandra Twnship, South Africa
1944     Lou Reed, vocals, b. Freeport, Long Island, NY, USA. né: Louis Firbank. Best known release: "Walk On The Wild Side"
1912     "Red" Saunders, Drums/leader, b. Memphis, TN, USA. d. 1981.
1938     Arnold Sterling, alto sax, b. Baltimore, MD, USA.
1959     Larry Stewart, (C&W) Singer-Songwriter/Guitar/Keyboards, b. Paducah, KY. Member (1984 until 1992) group: "Restless Heart"
1956     Danilo Terenzi, Trombone, b. Rome, Italy, d. 1995.
1934     Doug Watkins, Bass, b. Detroit, MI, USA. d. Feb. 5, 1962. Played with Blakey's Jazz Messengers
1935     Al Waxman, Actor/Director/songwriter, b: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, d: Jan., 18, 2001, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (during heart surgery). né: Albert Samuel Waxman. Al will basically always be recalled as an actor and director, but his song "Gotta' Hear You Say It Too", will also be remembered.
              "I am Canada. I'm a lover of life.
              I'm a dreamer of dreams.
              And I believe it's time I said, 'I Love You',
              But I got to hear you say you love me too."
                      -- Lyric by Al Waxman.
In 1997, Al received the Order of Canada, that country's highest civilian honor.
1923     Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson, (C&W) Singer-Songwriter/Guitar/Banjo, b. Deep Gap, NC, USA.
1900     Kurt Weill, b. Dessau, Germany. d. Apr. 3, 1950. A Classical composer in Germany with Berthold Brecht collaborator. With the rise of Nazism, he came to America and built a career as a "Pop" music writer. It was Louis Armstrong who absolutely catapulted his "Three Penny Opera" ("Drei Pfennig Opera") to fame with Satchmo's version of "Mack The Knife" ("Mackie der Messer"). The tune is now a "Pop Standard".
1940     Harvey Weston, Bass, b. London, England, U.K.
1906     Kutte Widmann, Leader, b. Berlin, Germany, d. 1954.

  Notable Events occuring this date include:
1942.    Charlie Christian, guitar, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 25
1957.    "Bat The Humming Bird" Robinson, piano, died in St. Louis, MO, USA. Age: 53
1980.    Thomas Pinkston, guitar/violin, died in Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 79
1983.    The compact disc (CD) system was introduced by its joint development team of Sony and Philips.
1983.    Cliff Trenier, vocals, died in Las Vegas, NV, USA. Age: 63. Member: 'Trenier Twins'
1984.    Roy Hall, piano, died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 61
1988.    Roy Dunn, guitar, died in Atlanta, GA, USA. Age: 66
1990.    Jake Shakey, harmonica, died in Pine Bluff, AR, USA. Age: 68
1991.    Leroy "Lefty" Bates, guitar, died in Indianapolis, IN, USA. Age: 66
1999.    Singer Dusty Springfield died (cancer). Among her hit releases were "The Look of Love", and "Son of a Preacher Man".
2001.    Lonnie Gibson, (C&W) singer-songwriter died Searcy, AR, USA. Age: 93
2001.    Guy Wood, (C&W) singer-songwriter, died New York, NY, USA. Age: 89. Guy wrote "Rock-a-Bye Baby."

  Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1944   Poinciana", Bing Crosby
     1944   Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me", Woody Herman
     1957   Come Go With Me", Dell-Vikings
     1957   Round & Round", Perry Como
     1957   Party Doll", Buddy Knox
     1957   Butterfly", Andy Williams
     1963   South Street", Orlons
     1968   Since You've Been Gone, (Sweet Sweet Bab", Aretha Franklin
     1968   Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde, The", Georgie Fame
     1968   Dance To The Music", Sly and The Family Stone
     1974   Hooked On A Feeling", Blue Swede
     1974   Bennie & The Jets", Elton John
     1985   Obsession", Animotion
     1985   Nightshift", Commodores
     1985   I'm On Fire", Bruce Springsteen
     1991   Rico Suave", Gerardo
     1991   Sadness Part 1", Enigma
     1991   Rescue Me", Madonna