BIRTHDAYS
1979     Shola Ama, (R&B) vocals, b. UK.
1930     Billy Armstrong, fiddler, b. Streator, IL, USA. Member: "Texas Playboys/Sons of the Pioneers". For 13 consecutive years, the American Country Music Association voted him "Fiddle Player of the Year".
1967     Miki Berenyi, vocals, Member group: 'Lush'.
1941     Margie Bowes, C&W vocals, b. Roxboro, NC, USA.
1927     Rudy Braff, Trumpet/Leader, b. Boston, MA, USA. d. Feb. 9, 2003
1884     Joseph A. Burke, composer, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. June 9, 1950, Upper Darby, PA, USA. USA
1911     "Smiley" Burnette, (Western) singer/comedy-actor, b. Summum, IL, USA. d. Feb. 16, 1967, Encino, California, USA. (leukemia). né: "Lester Alvin Burnette", and aka: "George 'Smiley' Burnette", "Lester 'Smiley' Burnette", "Lester 'Smiley' Burnett", and "Lester Burnette"
1966     Jerry Cantrell, guitar, b. Tacoma, WA, USA. Member group: Alice in Chains
1964     Irene Cara, vocals, b. New York, NY, USA.
1940     Godoy Colbert, R&B vocals, b. Crosset, AK., U.S.A., d. July 18, 2002, Sacramento, CA, USA. A, U.S.A. (cancer of the colon, liver, and prostate.) Best recalled as a member of Richard Berry and The Pharaohs, the group that did the original, "Louie Louie".
1899     Langston Curl, Trumpet, b. Charles City, VA, USA.
1951     Bill Frisell, Guitar, b. Baltimore, MD, USA.
1908     Louis Gaste, composer
1924     Fred Gerard, Trumpet, b. Besancon, France
1899     Jean Goldkette, Piano/Leader, b. Valenciennes, France, d. March 24, 1962.
1898     Mike Hanapi, vocals, b. Honolulu, HI, USA. d. Member: 'Kalama Quintette'
1961     Grant Hart, drums/vocals/songwriter, b. St. Paul, MN, USA. Member group: 'Husker Du', a group formed 1979 in Minneapolis, MN, USA, disbanded Dec. 17, 1987, consisting of Grant Hart, Guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, and bassist Greg Norton.
1950     John Hartman, drums, b. Falls Church, VA, USA. Member group: 'The Doobie Brothers'
1930     Pat Halcox, Trumpet, b. London, England
1915     Al Hall, bass/label owner ("Wax"), b. Jacksonville, FL, USA, d. 1988. USA.
1957     Diane Hubka, vocals/guitar/leader, b. Pleasantville, New York, USA
1927     John Kander, composer, Team of Kander and Ebb. composed music for such Broadway shows as: Cabaret, Funny Lady, and Kramer vs Kramer
1934     Neal Kimble, vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA.
1911     Deane Kincaide, Bari-Tenor Sax/arranger, b. Houston, TX, USA. d. Aug. 14, 1992, St Cloud FL, USA. né: Robert Deane Kincaide. In addition to being a good 'reedman', Kincaide was one of the very gifted, early 'White' arrangers that also included suchmen as Gil Rodin, Gene Gifford, and Bill Challis. (Benny Carter once told Gene Lees "Bill Challis was my idol".) Perhaps Deane is best recalled for his work with the Bob Crosby Orchestra, but he also worked with other bands including Ben Pollack's band, and groups nominally led by Bobby Hackett, Muggsy Spanier, Lennie Hayton, and arranged for Tommy Dorsey. He also did some song orchestrations used in Hollywood films including 'If I Had My Way' (Universal), 'You'll Find Out' (RKO), and 'Love Thy Neighbor' (Paramount). For TV, he orchestrated for the "Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine" (1962), and the "Jackie Gleason Show" (1966 TV Series - USA: rerun title: "The Honeymooners). He also recorded (NYC March 9, 1950) as leader of 'Deane Kincaide's Band' that included 'Yank' Lawson (tp), 'Cutty' Cutshall (tb), 'Peanuts' Hucko (cl), 'Toots' Mondello (as), Paul Ricci (ts), Dean Kincaide (bari, arr), Dave Bowman (p), Carl Kress (g), 'Trigger' Alpert (b), Ray Bauduc (d). The sides (regretfully never issued, I believe) included: "Take A Little Tip From Father", "Scaddle-De-Mooch", "The Junk Man Rag", and "Rooster Rag".
1927     "Big Daddy" Kinsey, guitar, b. Pleasant Grove, MS, USA.
1939     Peter Krauss, vocals, b. Germany. Best known release: "Sugar Baby".
1963     Jeff La Bar, guitar. Member group: 'Cinderella'
1970     Queen Latifah, actress/vocals, b. Newark, NJ, USA. née: Dana Owens.
1977     Devin Lima, vocals. Member group: 'LFO'
1959     Joe Locke, vibraphone, b. Palo Alto, California, USA
1962     James McMurtry, (Country) singer-songwriter, b. Fort Worth, TX, USA. His father, Larry McMurtry, "Lonesome Dove" author exposed his son to "hillbilly music", his mother is a University English professor.
1954     Andy Narell, Steel Drums/ercussion/piano/composer, b. New York, NY, USA.
1893     George Olsen, Leader, b. USA. Portland, OR, USA. d. March 18, 1971, Paramus, NJ, USA. Married to Ethel Shutta, his band's vocalist. George was born and died on same day and month.
1906     George Orendorff, Trumpet, b. Atlanta, GA, USA. d. 1984.
1941     Wilson Pickett, (Soul) vocals, b. Prattville, AL, USA, d. Jan. 19, 2006, Reston, Virginia, USA. (heart attack). Pickett, often tagged as the “Wicked Pickett” for some of his off-color lyrics, became a star in the 1960s with such soulful hits as “In the Midnight Hour”, which made the top 25 on the Billboard pop charts in 1965, and “Mustang Sally” did the same the following year.
1964     Courtney Pine, Tenor-soprano Sax, b. London, England
1938     Charley Pride, (C&W) vocals, b. Sledge MS, USA.
1932     Rev. Cleophus Robinson, (gospel) vocals, b. Canton, MS, USA.
1909     Ross Russell, producer/label owner/writer, d. Jan. 31, 2000. Age: 90. Ross was the owner of the 'Tempo Music Shop' when he formed the Dial label in 1946. At the time, alto saxist Charlie Parker was convalescing in Camarillo State Hospital, and Russell, very much afraid that Parker might never play again, formed the 'Dial' label with the prime purpose of recording Parker. And, for one year, Russell also acted as Parker's manager. Before the label folded in 1949, Russell had recorded such stars as Dodo Marmarosa, Erroll Garner, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon and Howard McGhee, among others. Russell later contributed pieces to Down Beat, as well as authoring two books.
1964     Scott Saunders, keyboard, b. USA. Member group: 'Sons of the Desert'
1929     George Scott, vocals, b. Notasoga, AL, USA. Member: Blind Boys OF Alabama
1962     Taja Sevelle, vocals. She was part of "Prince's" group.
1936     Bob Smith, drums/trombone/leader
1940     Joseph Warrick, vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. Member: 'The Zion Harmonizers'
1961     Jon Weber, piano/composer/arranger.
1963     Vanessa Williams, vocals. b. Tarrytown, NY, USA.
1947     B.J. Wilson, drums, b. Edmonton, North London, England. Member group: 'Procol Harum'.
1974     Stuart Zender, bass. Member group: 'Jamiroquai'
Notable Events occuring this date include:
1940.    Glen Gray and The Casa Loma orchestra recorded "No Name Jive" (Decca).
1976.    Luther Johnson, guitar, died in Boston, MA, USA. Age: 41. Member: George Boy/Snake" (b. August 30, 19343, Davisboro, GA, USA.)
1995.    Charles Drain, vocals, died in St. Louis, MO, USA. Age: 55. Member: 'The Tabs'
1976.    Paul Kossoff, guitar, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 25
1995.    Frederic Ramsey, producer/author, died in Paterson, NJ, USA. Age: 80. (b. January 29, 1915, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. né: Charles Frederic Ramsey, Jr). Jazz scholar and author Frederic Ramsey Jr. worked with musicians in the American Southland, and the New York-New Jersey area, -most notably with "Leadbelly". In the 1950s and 1960s, he also produced recordings for the Folkways label. Ramsey's personal papers are in the collections of the Jazz Institute at Rutgers University.
1988.    Marc Paul Simon, label owner ("Casablanca"), died in Santa Monica, CA, USA. Age: 42
1987.    Joy Simpson, (gospel) vocals, died in Cape Town, South Africa. Age: 40
1984.    Joseph Spence, guitar, died in Nassau, Bahamas. Age:; 73
Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     19xx Sleepy Lagoon" Jan Garber and his Orch.
     19xx The Lamplighter's Serenade" Jan Garber and his Orch.
     1943 "As Time Goes By", Jacques Renard Orch.
     1967 "This Is My Song", Petula Clark
     1967 "Western Union", Five Americans
     1967 "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)", Aretha Franklin
     1967 "Bernadette", Four Tops
     1967 "Jimmy Mack", Martha & The Vandellas
     1972 "Rockin' Robin", Michael Jackson
     1978 "Closer I Get To You, The", Roberta Flack
     1978 "Feels So Good", Chuck Mangione
     1989 "I'll Be There For You", Bon Jovi
     1989 "Like A Prayer", Madonna
     1989 "Funky Cold Medina", Tone Loc