BIRTHDAYS
1907     Hayes J. Alvis, Tuba, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. Dec. 29, 1972
1924     "Big Maybelle", Blues vocals, b. Jackson, TN, USA. d. Jan., 23, 1972, Cleveland, OH, USA. (while in a diabetic coma). née: Mabel Louise Smith. Perhaps best known for her original rendition of 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On', but her other sides are certainly memorable. "Big Maybelle" was an "old school" Blues shouter with an irrepressible spirit. At just age 8, she won a Memphis amateur contest In 1936, she was working with Memphis bandleader Dave Clark; a few years later, Maybelle toured with the 'International Sweethearts of Rhythm'. In 1944, she recorded for Decca with pianist Christine Chatman's combo, and, in 1947, Cincinnati's King Records released three singles of her own, -backed by trumpeter "Hot Lips" Page's band. In 1952, producer Fred Mendelsohn signed her to Columbia's OKeh R&B subsidiary, and rechristened her "Big Maybelle". Her first Okeh platter, was "Gabbin' Blues" (written by tunesmith Rosemarie McCoy and arranger Leroy Kirkland) went well up in the R&B charts. In 1953, two more of her releases were big hits, -"Way Back Home" and "My Country Man". In 1955, she recorded the tune "Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On", two years before Louisiana piano/vocalist Jerry Lee Lewis his own version of the song. In 1956, Mendelsohn signed her to Herman Lubinsky's Savoy label, where her "Candy" another solid R&B hit. Interestingly, some strange trends were happening in the R&B genre. In 1959, Mabelle's last Savoy date included Howard Biggs's arrangements that included a four violin string section. All through the '60s, she continued recording for such labels as Scepter ("Yesterday's Kisses" was a hit), Brunswick, Chess, Rojac ("96 Tears"), and still other labels. The effects of Drug addiction no doubt helped to foreshorten her life. The good years had been long gone when, in 1972, she slipped into a diabetic coma and passed away in a Cleveland hospital. Big Maybelle had packed a lot of living into her short lifespan. Her recordings, ran the gamut from the blues to pop-slanted ballads.
1890     Ada Scott Brown, vocal, b. Kansas City, KS, USA. d. March 31, 1950, Kansas City, KS, USA. Born into a musical family. Her cousin was James Scott, a noted ragtime composer and performer. In September 1923, she recorded 'Evil Mama Blues' with the Bennie Moten orchestra for the Okeh label. By that time, she was already an established performer having toured both nationally and internationally. After recording with Moten, she again toured on the TOBA vaudeville circuits. In 1936, Ada appeared in the film 'Stormy Weather' (that also featured "Fats" Waller). In the mid-1940s, she moved back to Kansas City, Kansas. Ada was one of the original incorporators of 'The Negro Actors Guild of America'.
1901     Sterling A. Brown, author, b. Washington, DC, USA
1970     Bernard Butler, guitar. Member group: 'Suede'
1927     Billy Byers, Trombone, arranger, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. d. May 1, 1996
1908     Henderson Chambers, Trombone, b. Alexandria, LA, USA. d. 1967
1973     Tammy Cochran, C&W vocals, b. Geneva, OH, USA.
1939     Judy Collins, Vocals, b. Seattle WA, USA
1966     Johnny Colt, bassist/vocals, b. Cherry Point, NC, USA. Member group: 'The Black Crowes'
1945     Rita Coolidge,( R&B/C&W/Pop/R&R/Folk) vocals, b. Nashville, TN, USA.
1964     Danny de la Rosa, (Rock) guitar.
1910     Ott Devine, WSM executive/Grand Ole Opry manager, b. Gadsden, AL, USA.
1957     Rick Driscoll, vocals. Member group: 'Kenny', consisting of Driscoll, Yan Style (Guitar), Chris Redburn (Bass), Chris Lacklison (Keyboards), and Andy Walton (Drums).
1957     Steve Farris, guitar. Member group: 'Mr. Mister'
1955     Nick Feldman, Keyboards/Vocals (background)/Bass/Guitar, Member group: 'Wang Chung'
1957     Nick Fortune, vocals/guitar/bass, b. Chicago, IL, USA. né: Nicholas Fortuna. Member group: 'The Buckinghams'.
1931     Jimmy Gately, C&W vocals, b. Springfield, MO, USA.
1936     Lacy Gibson, guitar, b. Salisbury, NC, USA. Played with Son Seals
1965     Wayne "The Train" Hancock, C&W vocals, b. Dallas, TX, USA.
1867     Charles Kassell Harris, composer, b. Poughkeepsie, NY, USA. d. Dec. 22, 1930, New York, NY, USA.
1968     Kevin Hays, Pianist/Composer, b. New York, NY, USA
1934     Shirley Horn, Piano/Vocal, b. Washington, D.C., USA, d. Oct. 20, 2005, Cheverly, Md, USA (complications due to Diabetes). At only age 4, she had piano lessons, and later studied music at Howard University. From 1954, Shirley led her own trio (usually Charles Ables (b. July 23, 1943) on bass and guitar, and drummer Steve Willliams (b. 1957, Rochester, NY, USA.)). In the early 1960s, she gained greater recognition when her career was aided by Miles Davis, Quincy Jones and others.
1930     Marion "Little Walter" ("Juke") Jacobs, Blues harmonica, b. Marksville, LA, USA. d. Feb. 15, 1968, Chicago, IL, USA (stabbed in a street fight) He was a pioneer in using the microphone to amplify the harmonica. A fiery little harmonica wizard who took the humble mouth organ to dazzling amplified directions. His daring instrumental innovations were fresh, startling, and ahead of their time. At age 12, this unruly, talented youth left his rural Louisiana home, and headed first for New Orleans, and then gradually travelled northwards, pausing in Helena, Montana (where he played with Sonny Boy Williamson), Memphis, and St. Louis before finally arriving in Chicago in 1946. There, he became friends of 'Tampa Red' and 'Big Bill Broonzy', and in 1948, began working with 'Muddy Waters'. From 1952 to 1958, he had no less than 14 'Top Ten' R&B hits, including "Sad Hours," "Mean Old World," "Tell Me Mama," "Off the Wall," "Blues with a Feeling," "You're So Fine," a threatening "You Better Watch Yourself," "Last Night," and "My Babe" (Willie Dixon's secular version of the traditional gospel lament "This Train"). The '60s saw the harp genius slide steadily into an alcohol-hastened state of unreliability. In 1964, he toured Great Britain with the Rolling Stones, but by now, his once-prodigious skills were sadly lacking. In 1968, his vicious temper led to his involvment in a street fight, and he died from the incident's after-effects at just age 37. His influence still is felt by today's blues harpists.
1929     Sonny James, (Country) vocals, b. Hackleburg, AL, USA. né: James Loden he was known as 'The Southern Gentleman'; Among his best hits were "Young Love", "First Date", "First Kiss", and "First Love".
1922     Floyd "Candy" Johnson, Tenor Sax, b. (Madison County) IL, USA. d. June 1981
1972     Chris Kelly, vocals. Member duo: 'Chris Smith and Chris Kelly'
1954     Don King, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Fremont, NE, USA.
1931     Jack Lidstrom, Trumpet, b. Sodertalje, Sweden
1930     "Little Walter", harmonica/songwriter, b. Marksville, LA, USA, d. Feb. 14, 1968, Chicago, IL, USA. (injuries sustained in a Chicago street fight). né: Marion Jacobs. "Little Walter" was a French speaking Creole, and harmonica virtuoso. By just age 12, he was already working the sidewalks and bars of New Orleans. He first worked with Rice Miller, and Walter Horton. 1947 proved to be a seminal year in his career. He moved to Chicago and became a part of the fabled Maxwell Street scene. He first recorded backing singer Othum Brown (Ora Nelle label), and began playing in a trio with two men whom he had met on Maxwell Street, - Jimmy Rogers and Muddy Waters. This trio was the core of what soon became one of the world’s most celebrated Blues bands. In 1950, he began recording with Muddy Waters on the Parkway label, and then for Chess (he stayed with Chess for the rest of his short life). During this time, Walter became the first artist to record using an amplified harmonica (on Waters’ "Long Distance Call"). Still, despite his successes, he suffered from three problems; one, he was a heavy drinker, two, he became pugnacious when drunk, and three, he soon began experimenting with dope. He continued to record both with Muddy Waters, and under his own name. But, in the mid-1950s, the bubble broke with the arrival of rock and roll. In 1964 he toured Europe with the Rolling Stones. However, the demons of dope and alcoholism were taking their toll. He was known to show up at gigs waving a pistol around and having trouble with the bandsmen. When Walter Jacobs died of injuries sustained in a Chicago street fight, -only 37 years old, his visage was that of a scarred, wrinkled, haggard old man.
1937     "Lucky Lopez" (né: Leo Evans), guitar, b. East Estabuchie, MS, USA
1952     Tom Maloney, guitar, b. St. Louis, MO, USA. Played with Johnny Johnson.
1894     Sam McGee, C&W vocals, b. Franklin (Williamson County), TN, USA. Member group: 'Grand Ole Opry'
1967     Tim McGraw, C&W vocals, b. Delhi, LA, USA. As a youngster, Tim grew up, until age 12, as "Tim Smith". During all that time, he did not know who his father was. His album "Not A Moment Too Soon" reached No. 1 US Charts (1994). On this day in 2004, McGraw's new movie (his first acting role) "Black Cloud," debuted at the Nashville Film Festival.
1905    George Melachrino, leader/violin, b. London, UK, d. Jun 18, 1965, London, UK
1873     William Morris, founder of the eponymously named agency, b. Schwarzenau, Germany
1953     James Newton, Jazz Flute, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1962     Owen Paul, vocalist/guitarist. His single "My Favourite Waste Of Time" reached #3 on the UK charts. (1986)
1904     Lucia Pamela, piano/accordion/drums/clarinet/vocals, b. St. Louis, MO, U.S. d. July, 25, 2002, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A. né: Lucia P. Angelo. Leader of Lucia Pamela And The Musical Pirates, and one half The Pamela Sisters, with her daughter Georgia Frontiere. One of the albums she recorded was entitled "Into Outer Space With Lucia Pamela".
1940     Sakis Papadimitriou, Pianist/broadcaster/promoter/novelist/journalist, b. Kavala, Greece. Most all of his solo piano recordings involve his plucking, strumming and striking the strings of the piano. It should also be noted that the duo of Papadimitriou and Floros Floridis (saxophone, clarinet) were Greece's first free music group.
1909     Jessie Price, Drums, vocals, leader, b. Memphis, TN, d. April 19, 1974. At age 14, he was playing drums and during the 1920s toured on the TOBA circuit accompanying various blues singers. in 1934, he relocated to Kansas City and joined the George E. Lee band. In 1936, was part of the Count Basie band at the Reno Club (Kansas City). From 1939 to 1940, Price was amember of Harlan Leonard's Kansas City Rockets. In 1941, he moved to Los Angeles, and worked briefly with singer Ella Fitzgerald. Price is also well recalled because he had the endurance needed to take part in those legendary Kansas City jam sessions. There is a story that Price was once challenged by a pair of out of town drummers visiting Kansas City. It is reported that Price "played 111 choruses of 'Nagasaki'" in his solo, -which lasted for "an hour and fifteen minutes." Price was often recorded by the Capitol label.
1954     Ray Parker Jr., singer-songwriter, b. Detroit, MI, USA. Member: 'Ghostbusters'
1891     Charley Patton, guitar, b. Heron's Place, MS, USA.
1909     Jesse Price, drums, vocals, leader, b. Memphis, TN, USA. d. April 19, 1974, Los Angeles CA, USA.
1909     Kate Smith, vocals/actress, b. Greenville, VA, USA. d. June 17, 1986. née: Kathryn Elizabeth Smith.
1959     Phil Smith, saxophone. Member group: 'Haircut 100'. Their single "Love Plus One" reached 37 on USA Charts. (1982)
1931     Ira Sullivan, Trumpet/alto/tenor/soprano saxes/flute, b. Washington, D.C., USA. At a very early age, his parents began teaching him to play the trumpet, and to a lesser extent, the saxophone. However, by his high school years, he was already playing the Tenor sax in various local gigs. The 1950s found him home-based in Chicago (except for a brief stint in New York city with Art Blakey's group). In addition to playing the trumpet and Tenor sax, he soon was playing baritone sax as well, - all in the then current "bop" style. In the early 1960s, Ira settled in Florida, regularly appearing in both Miami and Jacksonville. It was during the 1960s that he (and many others) tired of playing 'bop'. He also began playing the soprano sax and flute. In the early 1980s Ira formed a group with his friend, Red Rodney, and also did some teaching.
1913     Walter Susskind, Toronto Symphony Conductor, d. 1980.
1933     Titus Turner, singer-songwriter, b. Atlanta, GA, USA.
1940     Carlos Ward, Saxophone/flute, b. Panama
1946     Jerry Weiss, Trumpet/Flugelhorn/Vocals. Member group: 'Blood, Sweat & Tears'
1945     Carson Whitsett, keyboards, b. Jackson, MS, USA. Member group: 'Booker T. & the M.G.'s'
1948     James Wise, vocals, b. Houston, TX, USA. Member: Archie Bell & Drells
1968     D'arcy Wretsky-Brown, bass. Member group: 'Smashing Pumpkins'.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1905.    The Julliard School of Music was founded in New York City.
1931.    22-year-old singer Kate Smith (b. May 1, 1909, Greenville, VA. USA.) began appearing on CBS this day, -her birthday. She started at just just $10 a week. 30 days later, her salary increased to $1,500 a week.
1939.    Tommy Dorsey Orchestra records two-part Sy Oliver arrangement of "Lonesome Road". The lead trombone was Dave Jacobs, not Tommy.
1950.    Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, and Joshua Logan won the Pulitzer Prize for their musical South Pacific.
1960.    Andrew "Smokey" Hogg, guitar/piano, died in McKinney, TX, USA, Age: 46
1965.    "Spike" Jones (né: Lindley Jones, b. Dec. 14, 1911, Long Beach, CA, USA). died in Bel Air, California, USA. (emphysema)
1983.    Bob Myers, guitar, died in Chicago, IL, USA, Age: 4657
1986.    Hugo Peretti, prod/Hugo & Luigi, died in Englewood, NJ, USA, Age: 4668
1991.    Albert L. Marx, label owner (Discovery), died in Los Angeles, CA, USA, Age: 4679
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
      1922     "Some Sunny Day", - Isham Jones Orch. (originally made famous by Al Jolson)
      1945     "I'm Beginning to See the Light", - Harry James Orch, Kitty Kallen vocal.
      1945     "My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time", - The Pied Pipers
      1945     "Candy", - Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford vocals.
      1953     "Till I Waltz Again with You", - Teresa Brewer vocal.
      1953     "Pretend", - Nat King Cole vocal
      1961     "Travelin' Man", - Ricky Nelson
      1961     "Mama Said", - The Shirelles
      1965     "Help Me, Rhonda", - The Beach Boys
      1965     "Ticket To Ride", - The Beatles
      1965     "It's Not Unusual", - Tom Jones
      1965     "Wooly Bully", - Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs
      1969     "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In", - The 5th Dimension
      1969     "Galveston", - Glen Campbell vocal
      1971     "Wants Ads", - Honey Cone
      1971     "Sweet And Innocent", - Donny Osmond
      1971     "Brown Sugar", - Rolling Stones
      1977     "Southern Nights", - Glen Campbell
      1982     "Heat Of The Moment", - Asia
      1982     "It's Gonna Take A Miracle", - Deniece Williams
      1985     "Girls Night Out", - The Judds
      1985     "We are the World - USA for Africa
      1985     "Crazy for You", - Madonna vocal
      1986     "Rhythm of the Night", - DeBarge