BIRTHDAYS
1940     Shakur Abdullah, Drums, b. Cleveland, OH, USA.
1929     Fred Anderson, Tenor Sax, b. Monroe, LA, USA.
1962     Perry Bags, vocals/guitar. Member group: 'Jason & the Scorchers', A country/hard rock band formed in 1981 in Illinois, USA, by Jason Ringenberg.
1911     Blue Barron, bandleader, b. Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
1943     George Benson, Guitar/vocals, b. Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Member group: 'George Benson Quartet'. Biggest hit vocal record: "Greatest Love Of All". In the early 1960s, Benson was a solo instrumentalist. In early 1965, Benson, who had been working for organist Jack McDuff, formed his own quartet which included Ronnie Cuber (baritone sax), Lonnie Smith (organ), and various people on drums (including Jimmy Lovelace, Ray Lucas, and Marion Booker). Benson occasionally sang with his short-lived quartet (they disbanded within the year, in 1966), but the vast majority of its works were Hard Bop, Soul, and Jazz instrumentals. During that one year, Benson composed some bop instrumentals including "Clockwise," "The Cooker," "Benson's Rider," "The Borgia Stick," and "Myna Bird Blues." The quartet also recorded two John Hammond-produced albums for Columbia: 'It's Uptown' (1965), and 'The George Benson Cookbook' (1966). Many folks still think of Benson as an R&B/Pop singer who moonlights as a Pop/Jazz guitarist. In the 1980s, his vocal releases were very popular not only in the US, but in the UK as well. For one example, his 1980 single 'Give Me The Night', charted US No. 4 & UK No. 7. He has recorded at Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Ireland, and guested with British Jazz legend Joe Sample, the BBC Big Band, the Ulster Orchestra, and other British stars.
1947     Marek Blizinski, Guitar, b. Warsaw, Poland, d. March 17,1989.
1932     Weldon "Juke Boy" Bonner, guitar/harmonica, b. Bellville, TX, USA.
1914     Sonny Burke, composer/arranger/vibes/piano/violin, b. Scranton, PA, USA, d. May 31, 1980, Santa Monica, CA, USA. né: Joseph Francis Burke. Sonny was already leading his own band while still attending Duke University. An interesting "band switching" then occurred. First, in 1938, Burke inherited the Sam Donahue band when Donahue left his own outfit to work with Gene Krupa. Famed music critic John Hammond urged Sonny to bring the band to New York where they soon landed a booking at the Roseland Ballroom and an Okeh Records recording contract. Lynne Sherman was the female vocalist. While never really achieving stardom, the band produced some nice sides in its short life. Then, in 1940, Donahue left Krupa and asked Sonny for his band back. They asked the sidemen to vote on it, and Burke bowed out gracefully when they chose to go with Donahue who was a much more dynamic frontman. Subsequently, Burke went on to work as chief arranger for both the Jimmy Dorsey and Charlie Spivak orchestra. He also composed and arranged for television and films. For films, his best known work was the score for Walt Disney's animated feature "The Lady and The Tramp". During the 1950s and 1960s, he not only produced many of Frank Sinatra's recordings, but also composed and conducted for such artists as Mel Torme and Ella Fitzgerald. Before founding his own company, Daybreak Records, he had served as musical director for both Reprise and Warner Brothers Records.
1911     Cecil Campbell, steel guitarist, b. Danbury NC, USA.
1938     Glen Campbell, vocalist. Among Glen's many hit records are: "By the Time I get to Phoenix" and "Galveston"
1956     Michael Caplan, A&R (Epic/Living Colour), b. New Haven, CT, USA.
1947     Tommy Chase, Drums, b. Manchester, England
1944     Jeremy Clyde, actor/vocals, b. Dorney, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. Member group: 'Chad and Jeremy'. Long before Jeremy (and his friend Chad Stuart) decided to 'wax some recordings', Jeremy was classically trained to be an actor, which is still his main profession. Jeremy was educated in England at Ludgrove Preparatory School and Eton, then in France at the University of Grenoble. He honed his acting skills at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, and subsequently performed Shakespeare and Molière on London's 'East End' stages. Jeremy is also beloved in the USA where he has performed on such well known TV programs as Batman, Hullabaloo, The Andy Williams Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Hollywood Squares. One inreresting note concerns Lady Elizabeth Wellesey, Jeremy's mother. She is the younger sister of the 8th Duke of Wellington, making Jeremy.the great-great-great-grandson of the famous "Iron Duke" Wellington who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. Doubtlessly, Jeremy was quite pleased when he portrayed Wellington in the "Sharpe" series. The musical duo of Clyde and Stuart were not only adored by their continental teenage fans, but well liked in America too. For example, Clyde and Stuart's "A Summer Song" rose to the U. S. Top Ten lists. Though 'Clyde and Stuart' haven't recorded since 1983, their songs continue to be popular in the 21st century.
1862     Claude Debussy, composer, b. Saint German-en-Laye, France, d. March 25, 1918, Paris, France. né: Achille-Claude Debussy.
1937     Johnny Ferguson, C&W guitar/vocals, b. Nashville, TN, USA. ('Johnny Ferguson and His Twisters'). Ferguson was a real one-hit wonder artist. In 1960, his "Angela Jones" (composer: John D. Loudermilk) hit the US top 40.
1937     Jon Hassell, composer/trumpeter, b. Memphis, TN, USA. Hassell attended Rochester, N.Y.'s famed 'Eastman School of Music' and Washington, D.C.'s 'Catholic University' before studying in Europe under Karlheinz Stockhausen. Thenm, in 1972, Hassell first began to study classical Indian music under the tutelage of Pandit Pran Nath. During this time, he adapted Nath's vocal techniques to the trumpet, and developed a music that Hassell has called "Fourth World". 1978's 'Vernal Equinox' introduced this concept. Among the works that he has since composed are "Pano de Costa" (a string quartet piece recorded by the 'Kronos Quartet' for their "White Man Sleeps" LP), and "The Surgeon of the Nightsky Restores Dead Things" (recorded in 1987 by the 'Power of Sound'). In 1987, his began collaborating with the Burkina Faso percussion ensemble 'Farafina', which resulted in 1989's "Flash of the Spirit". 1990 saw his 'hip hop' inspired "City: Works of Fiction", and four years later he composed "Dressing for Pleasure". He has composed an experimental dance pierce called "Lurch" (which was choreographed by Gideon Obarzanek), and in 1999, Hassell collaborated with Ry Cooder and Jacky Terrasson to compose "Fascinoma", "Hollow Bamboo" was issued in 2000.
1948     Randy Jo Hobbs, Bass/Vocals (Background), b. Union City, IN, USA. Member group: 'Johnny Winter Group', and 'McCoys'
1936     Keith Holzman, label owner (Elektra), b. New York, NY, USA.
1933     John Houston, Piano, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA.
1951     Alonzo Johnson Jr., bass, b. LA, USA. Perhaps best recalled for his work with Rockin' Dopsie Jr.
1893     Arnold Johnson, leader, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1903     Murl Johnson, drums
1944     Jackie King, guitarist, b. Amarillo, Texas, USA King holds an honorary Masters degree from San Francisco State University, and has taught classes/clinics at Musician�s Institute, Berklee School of Music, University of the Arts, etc. Over his career, he has toured with artists as diverse as Chet Baker, Doug Sahm, and Willie Nelson.
1953     Gene Libbea, Acoustic Bass/Ukulele/Vocals , b. Pasadena, CA, USA. Member: "Nashville Bluegrass Band". Current Members include Gene Libbea, and Alan O’Bryant (Banjo/Vocals, b. Dec. 26, 1955, Reisville, North Carolina, USA), Pat Enright (Guitar/Vocals, b. April 22, 1945 Huntington, Indiana, USA), Stuart Duncan (Fiddle/Mandolin, b. April 14, 1964 Quantico, Virginia, USA), and Roland White (Mandolin/Vocals, b. April 23, 1938, Madawaska, Maine, USA). Former Members include: Mike Compton (Mandolin/Vocals), and Mark Hembree (Acoustic Bass/Vocals)
1966     Jan Lundgren, (bebop) pianist, b. Sweden. A classically trained pianist, Lundgren was playing Jazz while still in school. He had worked with Arne Domnérus and Putte Wickman. 1994 saw his debut as a leader with his 'Four Leaf Clover' label release. Lundgren has also worked with such visiting Jazzmen as Johnny Griffin, Herb Geller, and Mark Murphy.
1887     Chico Marx, actor/pianist, b. New York, NY, USA. comedian: Member: Marx Brothers
1944     Tony McPhee, guitar, b. Humberstone, England, UK. Member group: 'Groundhogs'
1957     Stephanie Mills, R&B vocals/actress, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA.
1952     Bob Mover, Alto/Soprano Sax, b. Boston, MA, USA.
1918     Hoyle Nix, (Western Swing) fiddler/bandleader, b. Azel, TX, USA.
1949     Shunzo Ohno, Trumpet, b. Gifu, Japan
1947     Patrick Olive, percussion/bass/vocals, b. Grenada, West Indies. Member group: 'Hot Chocolate'
1892     Charlie Poole, banjo, b. Randolph City, NC, USA.
1943     Keith Relf, harmonica, b. Richmond, Surrey, England, d. May 14, 1976 (accidentally electrocuted himself while playing electric guitar in his bathtub).
1930     Stephen Sondheim, composer.(West Side Story, Company)
1946     Melvin Sparks, guitar
1940     Masahiko Togashi, Drums, percussion, composer. b. Tokyo, Japan
1947     Harry Vanda, vocals/guitar, b. The Hague, The Netherlands. Member groups: 'The Easybeats', 'Flash And The Pan', and producer (AC/DC).
1948     Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer/producer, b. London, England. Team of 'Webber and Rice'
1936     Roger Whittaker, (C&W) vocals, b. Great Britain. Best recalled release: "I Don't Believe In If Anymore"
1916     George Wyle, bandleader, b. New York, NY, USA. d. May 2, 2003. Worked on Jerry Lewis Show, Flip Wilson Show, and others He is credited with having had a hand in the writing of more than 400 songs. In 1946, Whye relocated to Los Angeles, CA,, where he worded as composer and musical director for "The Alan Young Radio Show." In the years that followed, he found work as choral director for such TV shows as "The Andy Williams Show", "The Dinah Shore Show," and "The Jerry Lewis Show". In 1964, the TV show "Gilligan's Island" debut-ed and ran until 1967. Wyle, togehter with the show's creator and producer, Sherwood Schwartz, co-composed the show's theme "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island". Over his career, he also worked on music for specials by magician David Copperfield and actress/singer Carol Channing, aa well as for the 'People's Choice Awards' presentations. His composition "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" has become a Christmas classic.
1958     Pete Wylie, Guitar/Harmonica/Remixer/Vocals/Producer, b. Liverpool, England. Member groups: 'Echo and The Bunnymen', and 'Wah!'
Notable Events occuring this date include:
1928.    The Noel Coward musical "This Year of Grace," premiered in London, England.
1944.    "Yank" Porter, drums, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 49
1952.    "Uncle" Dave Macon, banjo, died in Murfreesboro, TN, USA. Age: 82
1965.    "Big" Mike Mckendrick, guitar/banjo, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 64
1996.    Jesse "Wild Bill" Austin, organ, died in Bridgeport, CT, USA. Age: 65
1994.    Dan Hartman, bass/producer, died in Westport, CT, USA. Age: 43
1982.    "Skip" Jackson, organ/producer, died in Jersey City, NJ, USA. Age: 42
1984.    Paul Francis Webster, songwriter, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 77
1985.    Marvin J. Yancy, producer (with Natalie Cole), died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 34
1989.    "Pops" Taylor, producer, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 72
1993.    Frank Williams, gospel vocals, died in Savannah, GA, USA. Age: 45
1993.    "Spike" Phillips, guitar, died in Tulsa, OK, USA. Age: 45
1977.    Stoney Cooper, Fiddle/Singer, of 'Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper' died. Age: 59. One of Country music's great husband-wife teams. Originally from Randolph County, West Virginia, they began performing in the 1930s and joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1957. In a career that spanned over 40 years, they bridged the gap between old-time country music and bluegrass .
2004.    Danny Bailey, C&W Singer-Songwriter/Guitar, b. Dec. 1, 1919, Happy Valley Tennessee, USA, died in Knoxville, TN, USA. Age: 84. Member: "The Bailey Brothers", a duo of Danny and Charlie (Singer-Songwriter/Mandolin/Guitar, b. Happy Valley Tennessee, USA)
Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1940 Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra "Keep the Rhythm Going "
     1969 "Twenty-Five Miles", Edwin Starr
     1975 "Shining Star", Earth, Wind & Fire
     1975 "Jackie Blue", Ozark Mountain Daredevils
     1975 "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)", Leo Sayer
     1975 "What Am I Gonna Do With You", Barry White
     1980 "You May Be Right", Billy Joel
     1980 "Hold On To My Love", Jimmy Ruffim
     1986 "What Have You Done For Me Lately", Janet Jackson
     1986 "Your Love", Outfield
     1986 "Harlem Shuffle", Rolling Stones