BIRTHDAYS
1952     Susie Allanson, (C&W) vocals/actress, b. Las Vegas, NV, USA.
1972     Melissa Auf Der Maur, bass, b. Montreal, Quebec. Member group: 'Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins'.
1956     Jeff Bird, mandolin, b: Whitby, Ont. Canada. with group: 'Tamarack'.
1946     Harold Ray Brown, drums, b. Long Beach, CA, USA. Member group: 'War'
1971     Abraham Burton, alto sax
1953     Bob Carlin, (Bluegrass) banjo, b. New York, NY, USA.
1917     Nat "King" Cole, Piano/Vocal, b. Montgomery, AL, USA. d. Feb.,15, 1965, Santa Monica, CA, USA. (age :46. Lung Cancer -smoked 3 packs a day.) né:Nathaniel Adams Coles. Exact year of birth unknown. He often used 1912, 1915, 1916, 1917, and 1919. His father was the Reverend Edward James Coles Snr. His mother was Perlina Adams Coles. They had thirteen children, but only five lived to adulthood. Taught to play piano (by ear - he could never read music) by his mother, he was playing in his father's church at age 11. After graduating high school, he formed a trio (that included his brother). Nat later told interviewers that by the time he was 20, his music was "known in every beer joint in Los Angeles." In time, the public took to Nat's singing voice, and he became a worldwide star. He recorded so many hits for Capitol Records that the label was often called "The House That Nat Built". Nat and President John Kennedy became friends, and Kennedy even attended Natalie Cole's debutante ball. In 1946, Nat started doing a weekly radio show, making him the first Black man to have his own radio (and later TV) show. He subsequently appeared in many movies. In 1936, he was part of the touring show "Shuffle Along", and married one of the show's dancers, Nadine Robinson. His second marriage was in 1946, to Maria Ellington (no relation to the "Duke" - although she did once sing in the Duke's band). Their first child was Natalie Maria, born June 2, 1950, a few months before Nat's huge hit recording of "Mona Lisa" was released. A few years later, upon the death of Maria's sister and her husband, they adopted that couple's daugter, Carol (b. Oct. 17, 1944). In 1959, thinking they would never have any more children of their own, Nat and Maria adopted a son whom they called Nat Kelly Cole. However on September 26, 1961, Maria gave birth to twin girls. Their names were Timolin and Casey. Timolin was a name suggested by a songwriter friend, while Casey was named after baseball celebrity Casey Stengel (Nat was an avid sports fan!) Among Nat's hit recordings are: "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa", "When I Fall In Love", "Too Young", "Sweet Lorraine", "Love Letters", "For All We Know", "The Very Thought Of You", "Ramblin' Rose", and "Nature Boy"
1941     Clarence Collins, vocals, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Member group: 'Little Anthony & the Imperials'
1967     Van Conner, Bass/Guitar/Vocals. Member group: 'Screaming Trees'
1967     Billy Corgan, guitar/vocals, b. Elk Grove, IL, USA. Member group: 'Smashing Pumpkins'. Billy's father, William Patrick Corgan, Sr, is a professional blues rock guitarist.
1970     Caroline Corr, drums, b. Dundalk, Ireland. Member group: 'The Corrs'
1932     Dick Curless, (C&W) singer-songwriter, b. Fort Fairfield, Maine, USA.
1907     Ellabelle Davis, (gospel) vocals, b. New Rochelle, NY, USA.
1909     Patrick Dodd, (Political) songwriter. Member of the Oregon (USA) group ' Patrick Dodd and Small Revolutions'
1916     Ray Ellington, Drums/Vocals/Leader, b. Kennington, London, England, UK, d. Feb. 27, 1985, London, England, UK. (cancer). né: Harry Pitts Brown.
1938     Eddie Giles, guitar, b. Shreveport, LA, USA.
1927     Kenneth Goldstein, producer (for Bluesville Records), New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA
1951     Scott Gorham, guitar, b. Santa Monica, CA, USA. Member group: 'Thin Lizzy'
1962     Clare Grogan, vocals. Member group: 'Altered Images'
1930     Curtis Griffin, guitar, b. Poole, LA, USA.
1930     Paul Horn, Flute/alto sax, b. New York, NY, USA.
1944     Bob Johnson, electric guitar/vocals, b. UK. Member group: 'Steeleye Span'
1953     George Johnson, vocals, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. Member: 'Brothers Johnson'
1902     Bobby Jones, singer, b. Atlanta, GA, USA. d. Dec. 18, 1971. Atlanta, GA, USA/. né:Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. The other half of the Happiness Boys. See Hare, above on Mar. 16.
1942     Paul Kantner, vocals/guitar, San Francisco, CA, USA. né: Paul Lorin Kantner. Member group: 'Jefferson Airplane', conprised of Paul, singer Grace Slick (née: Grace Barnett Wing, b. Oct. 30, 1939, -in or near- Chicago, IL, USA), Lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, bassist Jack Casady, and singer Marty Balin (né: Martyn Jerel Buchwald, b. Jan. 30, 1942, Cincinnati, OH, USA)
1909     Lovie Lee, piano, b. Chattanooga, TN, USA. né: Eddie Lee Watson. Lovie is perhaps best recalled as Muddy Waters' final piano accompanist. Lee is also the adoptive father of harpist Carey Bell,
1959     Mike Lindup, Keyboards, b. London, England. Member group: 'Level 42'
1919     Leroy Lovett, piano/celeste/arranger, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA d. USA
1948     Pat Lloyd, guitar, b. London, England. Member group: 'The Equals'.
1934     Q . T. Macon, guitar, b. Bolivar, TN, USA
1954     Michael "Hollywood Fats" Mann, guitar, b.
1939     Lewis "Dean" Mathis, vocals, b. Hahira, GA, USA. Member group: 'The Newbeats'
1944     Patrick McAuley, drums, b. Coleraine, N. Ireland. aka: John McAuley. Member group: 'Them'. Patrick's brother, Jackie McAuley, is a vocalist, organist, and multi-instrumentalist.
1930     Grover Mitchell, Trombone/arranger/leader, b. Whatley, AL, USA, d. Aug. 6, 2003. Played with the Count Basie Orch.
1901     Alfred Newman, composer, b. New Haven, CT, USA. d. Feb. 17, 1970, Hollywood, CA, USA. (Emphysema) Composed: "Love is a Many Splendored Thing"
1884     Alcide "Yellow" Nunez, clarinet, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. Sept. 2, 1934. A founding member of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. The ODJB introduced Jazz to the World.
1955     Paul Overstreet, (C&W) composer/vocals, b. Newton, MO, USA. Wrote for such artists as George Jones, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker, and Marie Osmond, as well as scoring hits on his own.
1940     Vito Picone, vocals, b. New York (Staten Island), NY, USA. Member: 'The Elegents'
1945     Elis Regina, vocals, d. Jan, 19, 1982
1918     Wilbur Schwartz, reeds, b. New Jersey, USA, d. Aug. 3, 1990 in Los Angeles, CA, USA. best remembered today for his work with Glenn Miller whom he joined in 1937, remaining until 1942. Prior to Miller, he had played with Julie Wintz’s band.
1944     John Sebastian, vocals/guitar/leader, b. New York, NY, USA. Member: 'Lovin' Spoonful'.
1946     Jerry Senfluk, clarinet, b. Prague, Czech Republic
1938     Zola Taylor, singer, b. Los Angeles, California, USA , d. April 30, 2007, Riverside, California, USA. (complications of pneumonia) Age 69. Sister of Cornell Gunter of 'The Coasters'. In addition to her singing, she is also remembered as the first female to become part of an R&B male group, "The Platters". Subsequently, many other R&B groups added female voices. Zola was portrayed by actress Halle Berry in the 1998 film 'Why Do Fools Fall in Love', a story based on Frankie Lymon's convoluted love life. During the 1960's, after leaving 'The Platters', she lived with Frankie Lymon in L.A. In 1968, Lymon died of a heroin overdose. Zola and two other women, all claiming to be Lymon's widow, brought suit in court over his royalties. Zola lost because she was unable to produce any documents showing she was actually married (legally) to Lymon. Before her demise, she had been bedridden after several strokes.
1931     Karel Velebny, Vibes/Tenor Sax, b. Prague, Czechoslovakia
1935     Adam Wade, vocals, b. Pittsburgh, PA, USA. (often appeared on the 'Tony Orlando & Dawn' TV show.)
1948     Jessica Williams, Piano, b. Baltimore, MD, USA
Notable Events occuring this date include:
1926.    The musical "The Girl Friend" opened in New York City. (409 performances.)
1956.    Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" reached No. 1, on the charts.
1958.    Carl Perkins, piano, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 29
1963.    Lizzie Miles, vocals, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 68
1976.    Jack Palmer, songwriter, died in Waterbury, CT, USA. Age: 75
1980.    Hugh Farr, Fiddle/Bass Vocals, member of the "Sons of the Pioneers," died. Age: 76 né: Thomas Hubert Farr (b. December 6, 1903, Llano, Texas, USA)
1982.    Samuel George Jr, vocals, died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 39. Member: 'The Capitols'
1985.    Jimmy Gately, C&W Singer-Songwriter/Fiddle/Guitar, died in Madison, TN, USA. Age 53
1989.    Bobby Mitchell, vocals, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 53. Member: 'The Toppers'
1993.    Bill Dicey, harmonica, died in MA, USA. Age: 56
1995.    "Sunnyland Slim", piano, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 87
1996.    Terry Stafford, C&W songwriter, died in Amarillo, TX, USA.
2003.    "Jumpin'" Bill Carlisle, C&W Singer-Songwriter/Guitar/Yodeler/comedy, died at his home near Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 94
Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1937 "They Can't Take That Away From Me", Jimmy Dorsey Orch., Bob Eberly voc.
     1950 "Go To Sleep, Go To Sleep, Go To Sleep", Mary Martin
     1950 "Peter Cottontail", Mervin Shiner
     1954 "Girl, A Girl", Eddie Fisher
     1954 "Here", Martin, Tony
     1962 "Johnny Angel", Shelley Fabares
     1962 "Young World", Ricky Nelson
     1962 "Mashed Potato Time", Dee Dee Sharp
     1973 "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree", Dawn
     1973 "Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia, The", Vicki Lawrence
     1973 "Little Willy", Sweet
     1979 "Take Me Home", Cher
     1979 "Heart Of Glass", Blondie
     1984 "Love Somebody", Rick Springfield
     1984 "They Don't Know", Tracey Ullman
     1990 "Whip Appeal", Babyface
     1990 "How Can We Be Lovers", Michael Bolton
     1990 "Without You", Motley Crue