BIRTHDAYS
1948    John Alexander, saxophones/flute
1924    Joe Ames, vocals, b. Malden, MA, USA. né: Joe Urick. Member: 'The Ames Brothers' vocal group.
1959    David Ball, keyboard. Member group: 'Soft Cell'
1928    James Brown, R&B singer-songwriter/dancer, b. (near) Barnwell, SC, USA. He has been variously tagged as "the Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", "the Original Disco Man", and Soul Brother Number One".
1931    Jerry Chestnut, (C&W) singer-songwriter, b. Harlan County, KY, USA.
1926    James Milton "Jimmy" Cleveland, Trombone, b. Wartrace, TN, USA. Jimmy's father was a plumber. Cleveland served in the US Army from 1944 to '46, after which he attended Tennessee State University and was playing in the 1949 to 1953 he was with the Lionel Hampton band, then freelanced in NYC. In 1955, he won the Downbeat Magazine's Critic's Poll Best New Star Award. During 1957-'60, worked with Johnny Richard's band at the Birdland Cafe (NYC) and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie's group. Between March and June of 1958, was part of the NBC "The Subject Is Jazz" educational series. During 1959, he was gigging with Gerry Mulligan and had many recording dates. During 1959-'60, Jimmy toured Europe in the Musical Show "Free and Easy", as part of the Quincy Jones Band. Different musicologists have widely divergent opinions on Cleveland's work. Whitney Balliett (in his book "The Sound of Surprise" (Dutton)) refers to Cleveland as "...a masterly trombonist who rips off phenomenally rapid burr-like strings of notes." Columnist Nat Hentoff also feels that "his technique is extensive and under firm, functional control." These views contrast starkly with John S. Wilson (writing in 'The Collector's Jazz, Modern: Keystone) who complains about ".....his nervous, jab trombone". Wilson also feels that Cleveland's ".....inclination to insert pointless stutters makes his solos needlessly officious."
1915    Betty Comden, composer, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA, d. Nov. 23, 2006, New York, NY, USA. (cardiac arrest). née: Basya Cohen. Part of the team of 'Comden And Green', - one of the real treasures of the musical stage.. ( various sources claim b. 1915, 1918 and 1919. Some sources claim her given birth name was Elizabeth. Curiously, no one seems to agree on the date of birth of her long time partner, Adolph Green. )
1903    Bing Crosby, Vocals/actor, b. 1112 North "J" Street, Tacoma, WA, USA. d. Oct. 14, 1977, Madrid, Spain (Coronary - on the golf course), né: Harry Lillis Crosby. (Note: Many sources show Bing born in 1904. However, he never had a birth certificate, and thought that he was born in 1904. After his demise, a Roman Catholic priest (Tacoma, WA) made Church baptismal records public showing Bing's actual birthdate as May 3, 1903.) In 1924, the vocal act was Crosby and Rinker - working locally around Tacoma, in Washington state. Only one year later, 1925, they were working in what was arguably the most famous band in America - Paul Whiteman's Orch. (Whiteman introduced Bing and Rinker as "A couple of kids I picked up in a Walla Walla (WA) soda store.") With Whiteman's band, Crosby and Rinker are a big hit at Chicago's Tivoli theatre, but they "Bomb" at New York's Paramount theatre. They are saved when composer/entertainer Harry Barris joins them and they are again successful. (Matty Malneck introduced Barris, to Bing and Al Rinker.) 'The Rhythm Boys' (Bing, Harry and Al) left Whiteman and joined Gus Arnheim's band in 1930 at Hollywood's Cocoanut Grove nightclub. Little recalled today, 'The Rhythm Boys' also toured (by themselves) as an act in vaudeville.) Bing died on Oct. 14, 1977, in an ambulance on way to hospital in Madrid, Spain. An interesting sidelight is that famed vocalist Mildred Bailey (part Native American and later Red Norvo's wife) was Al Rinker's sister. And, she too gained her fame as a vocalist with Whiteman's band. Another interesting sidelight is that on September 2, 1931, Crosby made his solo radio debut for the CBS Nstwork. By 1936, Crosby was host of NBC's Kraft Music Hall, and now a major recording star. In 1946, Crosby proffered Kraft and NBC the then very new concept of pre-recorded Tape shows. (Crosby was an investor in the Ampex Corporation, perhaps the earliest Tape Recorder maker in the USA.) When both Kraft and NBC balked at the idea, Crosby left NBC, and began working at the ABC Network, where his "tape" transcribed 'Philco Radio Time' show's success ushered in a new era of pre-recorded programming. Bing recorded an estimated 2,600 songs in his life time.
1951    Christopher Cross [né: Geppert], singer/songwriter.
1969    Jay Darlington, keyboards/vocals, b. London, England, UK. Member group: 'Kula Shaker', a group led by vocalist/guitarist Cripian Mills (b. Jan. 18, 1973; the son of 1960s actress Hayley Mills and film director Roy Boulting), (Their 1996 single "Hey Dude" reached No. 2 on UK Charts.)
1950    Tony DeCaprio, guitar
1928    Dave Dudley, C&W vocals/guitar, b. Spencer, WI, USA. né: David Darwin Pedruska. Dave Dudley is mainly recalled now as the father of "truck-driving Country music". He founded a new genre of 'honky-tonk' country music that dwelled lyrically on the lifestyles of truck drivers. In the summer of 1963, the 'Golden Wing' released his breakthrough hit, "Six Days on the Road", which peaked at number two on the country charts, and even made it into the pop Top 40. All through the 1960s, he released many truck driving singles, including "Trucker's Prayer," "Truck Drivin' Son-of-A-Gun," "Anything Leaving Town Today, "There Ain't No Easy Run," and "Two Six Packs Away." His last big hit single was 1980's "Rolaids, Doan's Pills and Preparation H." Truck drivers still love him, he was even given an honorary, solid gold membership card by the Teamsters Union.
1930    Johnny Fischer, Bass, b. Vienna, Austria
1979    Danny Foster, vocals, Member group: Hear'Say,
1912    Virgil Fox, organ virtuoso. d. 1980.
1951    John Glascock, bass, b. Islington, London, England, UK, d. Nov. 17, 1979 (congenital heart defect).
1953    Bruce Hall, bassist, b. Champaign, IL, USA. Member group: 'REO Speedwagon'
1930    Bob Havens, Trombone, b. Quincy, IL, USA
1952    Mary Hopkins,, vocals, b. Pontardawe, Wales. UK. Her big break came when 'Twiggy', the British supermodel, told the Beatle's Paul McCartney about her talent. Her first ballad "Those Were the Days," (released by the Apple label in 1968) was a worldwide smash hit. Interestingly, it even knocked the Beatle's recording of "Hey Jude" out of first place in the UK. Paul McCartney continued to help Hopkins composing her second single, "Goodbye," and even producing her first album. Still, none of her works ever made it into the American Top 40 again (although she did have several more hit singles in the U.K.). In the early 1970s, the Apple label's fortunes slowly faded, as did Hopkin's. Hopefully, we will hear more of her in the coming years.
1939    Bob Houston, Journalist ( Melody Maker magazine), b. , Glasgow, Scotland, UK, d. Oct. 3, 2005, London, England, UK.
1939    Ralf-Rainer Hubner, drums, b. Berlin, Germany. CAUTION: There are a great many other "Hubner's", Do not confuse with Jurgen Hubner (Jazz), Crich Hubner (Rock), Hitesh Hubner (Rock), Holger Hübner (Rock), Abbi Hubner (Jazz), and Eric Hubner (Rock) among others. Also do not confuse with the similar "Huebner", such as Andy Huebner (Reggae), and Dave Huebner (Rock), plus another dozen or so Hubners and Huebners in the Classical music scene.
1936    Englebert Humperdinck, vocals, b. Madras, India. né: Arnold George Dorsey.
1914    "Homesick James", guitar, b. Somerville, TN, USA.
1966    Wendy James, vocalist, b. London, England, UK. Member groups: 'Transvision Vamp' and 'Velveteen'
1955    Steve Jones, R&R guitar, Member group: 'Sex Pistols'
1927    Kinichi Kawabe, trombone, composer, b., Kitakamata, Tokyo, Japan
1909    Bill Kersey, clarinet, b. Dresdey, Ontario, Canada. Best recalled for his work with Lucky Millinder
1911    'Yank' Lawson, Trumpet,b. Trenton, MO, USA, d. Feb. 18, 1995. A very popular Jazz sidemen, early on 'Yank' had played in such big bands as those of Ben Pollack (1933-1935), Bob Crosby, Tommy Dorsey (1935-1938), and Benny Goodman (1942), among others. In the 1950s, he was a staff musician at NBC, and at about the same time, he and Bob Haggart co-led a jazz band on a very successful series of LP recordings. In 1965 a wealthy Jazz fan, Dick Gibson, helped to organize "The World's Greatest Jazz Band", with Lawson and Haggart co-leading. Among those in the band at that time were Lou McGarity, Bud Freeman, Carl Fontanna, Billy Butterfield, Bob Wilber, Ralph Sutton, Morey Feld, and singer Maxine Sullivan. The (mostly) Haggart and Wilber arrangements allowed plenty of solo space for all. It was a hugely popular band, touring both in the USA and abroad, but by early 1975, the increasingly frequent turnovers, death and defections had taken a toll leaving only the leaders, and they finally disbanded. Fortunately, they left the world a legacy of excellent recordings.
1955    Bob Leatherbarrow, drums, b. Buffalo, New York, USA Bob is one of Los Angeles' leading jazz and studio drummers.
1920    John Lewis, Piano/arranger/composer, b. La Grange, IL, USA. d. March 29, 2001. A native of La Grange, IL, he grew up in Albuquerque, NM, where he began piano lessons at age 7. Later, he studied music and anthropology at the Univ. Of New Mexico. During WWII, he served in the U. S. Army, European Theater of Operations, where he met drummer Kenny Clarke. Post war, Clarke joined Dizzy Gillespie's big band in New York, and urged Lewis to also relocate to New York where he could submit his arrangements to Dizzy. Dizzy not only used Lewis' arrangements, but eventuallty hired him to replace his pianist Thelonius Monk. Lewis became a busy NYC sideman, often working with such greats as Ella Fitzgerald, and other musicians such as Charlie "Yardbird" Parker, and Lester "the Prez" Young. In the early 1950s, Lewis formed 'The Modern Jazz Quartet', which would symbolize the epitome of 'Cool Jazz' to many musicians. The other members of the "MJQ", as it came to be called, were vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath, and the drummer (for most of the MJQs existence) Connie Kay. It was a cooperative group but Lewis, more than anyone else, was responsible for groups arrangements and compositions. And he came to be (rightly) most identified with the group. The MJQ made their first recordings in 1952, and would remain the premiere concert groups from the 1950s to the 1990s (except for a 7 year layoff), and becoming the most celebrated small Jazz group. John Lewis was 80 when he died.
1910    Curtis Masses, C&W vocals/guitar, b. Midland, TX, USA. Member group: "Louise Massey & the Westerners". (Louise was b. Aug 10, 1902, Hart County, TX, USA. died June 22, 1983).
1926    Jymie Merritt, Bass, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. Played with 'B. B. KING', "Bullmoose" Jackson, and with 'Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.'
1968    Shane Minor, C&W vocals, b. Modesto, CA, USA.
1972    Mark Morrison, Rock vocals, b. Leicester, England, UK. His single "Return Of The Mack" No. 1 on 1996 UK Charts. Jail might have been his salvation. In 1995 while serving a three-month sentence for causing an incident at a club, he decided to become a vocalist. (All told, he's completed three prison sentences - the most recent being a one year stretch for getting someone else to do his community service.)
1957    Scott "Cactus" Moser, C&W vocals/guitar, b. Montrose, CO, USA.
1949    Larry Ochs, tenor & soprano saxes
1946    Bobby "Blues" Ray, vocals, b. Crossett, AR, USA.
1948    John Richardson, guitar/vocals. Member group: 'The Rubettes'. Their 1974 single "Sugar Baby Love" reached No. 1 on UK charts.
1939    Fred Roulette, steel guitar, b. Evanston, IL, USA.
1919    Pete Seeger, folksong singer, b. New York, NY, USA. Mostly solo but has appeared with such groups as 'The Weavers', and The Almanac Singers.
1944    Pete Staples, vocals, b. Andover, Hampshire, England, UK. Member group: 'The Troggs', a group comprised of Reg Presley - vocals (né: Reginald Ball, b. June 12 1943, Andover), Chris Britton - guitar (b. June 21, 1945, Watford), and Pete Staples - bass guitar (b. May 3, 1944, Andover)
1951    D. K. Stewart, piano, b. Eugene, OR, USA.
1923    Jimmy Summers, guitar, b. Schlater, MS, USA.
1937    Frankie Valli, vocals, b. Newark, NJ, USA. né: Francis Casteluccio. Best known as part of 'The Four Seasons' vocal group.
1964    Wynonna Judd, C&W vocals, b. Ashland, KY, USA. né: Christina Claire Judd.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1939.    The Andrews Sisters recorded "Beer Barrel Polka". (Decca)
1956.    Jim Beck, pioneer recording engineer, died in Dallas, TX, USA. Age: 39
1980.    Willie Johnson, vocals, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 67 Member: 'Golden Gate Quartet'
1981.    Gene Russell, piano, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 48
1984.    Marie "Caldonia" Reynolds, vocals, died in Cincinnati, OH, USA. Age: 63
1987.    Red Taylor, Country fiddler, died.
1989.    Dave Stogner, Texas Swing bandleader, died.
1991.    Harry Gibson, "The Hipster" vocals/piano, died in Brawley, CA, USA. Age: 77
1996.    Patsy Montana, Country vocalist, died. Age: 83
2001.    Billy Higgins, drums, died
         Songs Recordings/Released this date include:
      1929"China Boy", - Paul Whiteman Orch.
      1947"Linda", - Buddy Clark with the Ray Noble Orchestra
      1947"So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed", - Merle Travis voc.
      1951"Rose, Rose, I Love You", - Frankie Laine
      1951"Old Soldiers Never Die", - Vaughn Monroe
      1955"Dance with Me Henry (Wallflower) - Georgia Gibbs
      1955"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
      1955"The Ballad of Davy Crockett - Tennessee Ernie Ford
      1963"Puff the Magic Dragon", - Peter, Paul & Mary
      1963"Can't Get Used to Losing You", - Andy Williams voc.
      1969"Oh Happy Day", - Edwin Hawkins Singers
      1969"Love (Can Make You Happy)", - Mercy
      1971"Joy to the World", - Three Dog Night
      1975"Wildfire", - Michael Murphey
      1980"Steal Away", - Robie Dupree
      1980"Let's Get Serious", - Jermaine Jackson
      1986"Nothin' At All", - Heart
      1986"Crush On You", - Jets
      1986"No One Is To Blame", - Howard Jones
      1986"There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", - Billy Ocean
      1987"La Isla Bonita", - Madonna