BIRTHDAYS
1973     Natalie Appleton, vocals, b. Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. né: Natalie Jane Appleton. Member group: "All Saints"
1962     Ian Astbury, vocals, b. Heswall, Merseyside, England, UK. with 'The Cult', and 'The Doors'
1897     Sidney Bechet, Clarinet/Soprano Sax, b. May, 14, 1897, New Orleans, LA, USA. d. May 14, 1959 (his 62nd birthday). né: Sidney Joseph Bechet.
1951     Jay Beckenstein, alto and soprano sax, b. USA, member: Spyro Gyra - 'Morning Dance'
1952     David Byrne,, R&R composer/singer/film director, b. Dumbarton, Scotland, UK. Also member: 'Talking Heads'
1943     Jack Bruce, Bass, b. Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Member group: 'Cream'
1903     Jenks "Tex" Carman, C&W vocalist/steel guitarist, b. Hardinsburg, KY, USA.
1947     Al Ciner, guitar, b. Chicago, IL, USA. Member groups: 'Three Dog Night', and 'American Breed', a group formed 1966 in Chicago included Gary Loizzo (b Aug. 16, 1945), vocals, guitar; Al Ciner (b May 14, 1947), guitar; Charles "Chuck' Colbert (b Aug. 30, 1944), bass; Lee Graziano (b. Nov. 9, 1943), drums -- All born in Chicago, IL, USA..
1953     Tom Cochrane, guitar/singer/songwriter, b. Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada.
1945     Gene Cornish, Guitar, b. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Member group: 'The Young Rascals'
1960     Alec Dankworth, Bass, b. London, England
1936     Bobby Darin, vocals/actor/leader/composer, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Dec. 20, 1973. né: Waldon Robert Cassotto. Bobby had a Rheumatic Heart condition as a very young child, and was always aware of his humanity. He ofttimes wondered if he would ever reach 50 years of age "he didn't". His family was supportive and his mother encouraged him in his show business aspirations. As a very young man, he often seemed obnoxious to people, but his friends recognized that he was merely very insecure. Very early in his career, he and Connie Francis were close friends, but Connie's mother brought the friendship to a close. Little recalled now is the fact that Darin was a very prolific songwriter "composed perhaps 150 songs". His first songwriting success came with "Dream Lover", which he wrote during the Rock and Roll era. This was followed up with another huge hit - "Splish Splash". Bobby later explained that he was visiting Disk Jockey "Murray The K" (Murray Kaufman) when Murray's mother suggested the Title. An hour later, Bobby and Murray had written the lyric. (A visitor, Mr. Peter Altschuler (Murray Kaufman's son), has noted -in private correspondence- that
     "'Murray the K's' mother did suggest the title and the opening line, but she also wrote the music,
     and Bobby and Murray wrote the lyrics together. In fact, the credits on the song are for Bobby
     Darin and Jean Murray, a name that combines the first names of Murray and his mother. Why? It was
     1958, Alan Freed has just been busted for payola, and they wanted to downplay any
     potential conflict of interest if the song became a hit and Murray played it on his primetime
     show on WINS.")
Among his other compositions are "Queen Of The Hop", "18 Yellow Roses, "You're The Reason I'm Living", "That Funny Feeling", and "Rain". He was very friendly with many other famous show business stars including, comedian George Burns "who helped him greatly", Sammy Davis Jr, Judy Garland, Tony Orlando, Andy Williams, Robert Goulet, and Jack Benny. Later in his career, when he became interested in Politics, he became good friends with Bobby Kennedy, and slept overnight near Kennedy's casket after his assassination and before burial. Bobby made quite a few Hollywood films "r&r" and it was there that he met his first wife, Sandra Dee ""America's Sweetheart"". They had one child, a son, Dodd Darin. The marriage lasted 7 years - Dec 1960 to 1967 - and ended in a divorce. Around 1966, Darin had an emotionally shattering experience. He learned that his "Mother", Polly, whom he loved deeply, was not his real mother,-but that his sister, Nina, was his mother. It seems that, as a teenager, Nina had become pregnant out of wedlock. The mores of the times suggested trouble but her good friend, Polly, devised a plan. They moved far away, and Polly and her husband were credited with giving birth to the child. Bobby did not discover this until he was around 35 years old. He never quite recovered from the shock. It was after Kennedy's funeral that Bobby looked about him and saw the times changing. There was Viet Nam, the Sexual Revolution and Poverty, and Darin began to sing less Rock and Roll and more meaningful songs. This very talented singer could sing in many different styles, and we can't say just how far he would have gone in his chosen field. He was just 37 years old when he died.
1962     C.C. DeVille, guitar/vocals, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Member group: "Poison"
1889     Louis Douglas, Dancer/Vocal, b. New York, NY, USA. d. 1939
1956     Bruce Forman, guitar/educator/novelist, b. Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
1934     Grady Gaines, tenor sax, b. Waskom, TX, USA.
1943     Sonny Garrish, (sessions) steel guitarist, b. Fairplay, MD, USA.
1969     Steve Hellier, Keyboards/vocals, b. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, UK. Member: 'Dubstar', formed in 1994 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. This British dance-pop act is comprised of Sarah Blackwood, Steve Hillier and Chris Milkie. Steve is an ex-'BBC World' sound engineer.
1956     Steve Hogarth, keyboard/vocals, b. UK. Member group: 'Marillion'
1966     Mike Inez, bass, b. San Fernando, CA, USA. Member group: "Alice In Chains"
1932     Bob Johnston, producer/Capitol Records executive, b. Hillsboro, TX, USA.
1928     Will "Dub" Jones, vocals, d. Jan. 16, 2000. Member: 'The Coasters' --in 1958, their "Yakety Yak" reached No. 1 in the US, and in 1959, their "Charlie Brown" reached No. 2 in the USA and No. 6 in the UK.
1943     Derek Leckenby, Guitar. Played with 'Herman's Hermits'
1918     Sammy Lowe, trumpet/arranger/producer, b, Birmingham, AL, USA. d. Feb 17, 1993, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.. Played with Erskine Hawkins and others.
1917     Norman Luboff, Choral Director, d. Sept. 22, 1987. Led the 'Norman Luboff Choir.
1916     "Skip" Lloyd Martin, Tenor Sax/composer/arranger/bandleader, b. Robinson, IL, USA.
1930     Marilyn Maye, vocals, b. Wichita, Kansas, USA. née: Marilyn Maye McLaughlin
1959     Virginia Mayhew, alto-soprano-tenor sax/arranger/educator, b. Palo Alto, California, USA
1944     Catherine McKinnon, singer, b. St. John, N. B., Canada.
1966     Fabrice Morvan, singer and songwriter, b. Paris, France. This French vocalist was 1/2 of the team: 'Milli Vanilli'. Fabrice, and his partner Rob Pilatus, were forced to their 1990 Grammy Award when it was revealed that they were actually lip-syncing for the real singers Charles Shaw, Johnny Davis and Brad Howel. Currently, Fabrice resides in the Los Angeles area. In 2004 he recorded a remake of the Milli Vanilli hit "Blame It On The Rain"
1925     Al Porcino, Trumpet, b. New York, NY, USA. Although Porcino rarely soloed, his sound and great range added excitement to many of the Swing Era big bands. Today, Porcino is perhaps best recalled for his work with Woody Herman's band during the periods of 1946, 1949-'50, 1954 and again in 1972. In 1943, his big band career began when he found work playing with the big bands of Louis Prima (1943), Tommy Dorsey (1944), Georgie Auld (1945), and Gene Krupa (1946 and again in '48). During 1947-'48 and 1954-'55, he played with Stan Kenton's band. During the 1950's, he also played with Pete Rugolo, Count Basie, and Charlie Barnet among others. During 1952, he played with the Elliot Lawrence band in New York. In 1957, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a studio sessions man, and also in 1957, he recorded (LP "Jazzwave") with the Med Flory Big Band in Los Angeles. During 1960, he played with the 'Terry Gibbs Dream Band'. In 1961, he was on National and international tours with Frank Sinatra, and played on Sinatra LPs with the Count Basie, Don Costa, Duke Ellington orchestras. 1962 was his Fifth year at the Monterey Jazz Festival and recorded (LP "New Continent") with Dizzy Gillespie. 1963/5 on National tours with Jerry Lewis, Judy Garland and Peggy Lee. 1968 found him touring England with the Buddy Rich band. In 1976, he was with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra in Europe. In 1977, Porcino settled in Munich, Germany, where he worked with SDR, SFB and his own Big Band. Also, in the mid-'70s, he led his own big band which at one time (1974) recorded with vocalist Mel Tormé. In 1986, Al appeared at the "Second Big Band Meeting" at Munich's concert hall Gasteig, and also recorded (LP "In Oblivion" -Jazz Mark 106) with Al Cohn in New York. In 1987, Al Porcino Big Band appeared with Al Cohn at 'Jazz Festival Burghausen' live, and recorded a CD with Al Cohn in Karlsruhe, Germany. It was one of Cohn's last recordings. (Al Cohn, b. Nov 24, 1925, New York, NY, USA, d. Feb 15, 1988, Stroudsburg, PA, USA) Also on the session was Mel Lewis. and pianist Tardo Hammer (b. 1958, New York (Queens), NY, USA). Currently (2006), Porcino resides, and happily continues to lead a very popular big band, in Munich, Germany.
1973     Shanice, R&B vocals, b. Pittsburgh, PA, USA. née: Shanice Wilson.
1944     Gary Shelton, rock vocals, b. May 14, 1940, Fort Wayne, IN, USA. aka: Troy Shondell. In 1961, Shelton changed his name to Troy Shondell, and had his first major hit, "This Time". CAUTION: Do not confuse with drummer Shelton Gary, currently (2005) active in New York city.
1944     Troy Shondell, vocals, b. Fort Wayne, IN, USA. See: Gary Shelton above.
1898     Arthur James "Zutty" Singleton, Drums, b. Bunkie, LA, USA, d. July 14, 1979
1932     Warren Smith, percussion,, ( or May 4, or 13, or 1932 or 1934) . One of his possible birthdays.
1893     "Pop" Stoneman, (Country) guitar, b. Galaxy, VA, USA.
1973     Clare Teal, vocals, b. Airedale, Yorkshire, England
1971     Raphael Wiggins, singer-songwriter, b. Oakland, CA, USA. né: Charlie Ray Wiggins. Member group: 'Tony Toni Tone', a trio comprised of Raphael (using his family name), his brother Dwayne Wiggins, and his cousin Timothy Christian. aka: Raphael Saadiq, a name he adopted in the mid-1990s.
1909     Pearlis Williams, Drums, b. Clouester, MS, USA, d. ??. Member: 'Harlem Hamfats', a group formed in 1936 and comprised of Herb Morand (trumpet, b. 1905 Feb 23, 1952 in New Orleans, LA, USA), Odell Rand (clarinet, b. 1905, d. Jun 22, 1960, Chicago, IL, USA ) , Horace Malcolm (piano), Joe McCoy (guitar, Older brother of Charlie McCoy, b. May 11, 1905, Jackson, MI, USA, d. Jan 28, 1950, Chicago, IL, USA ), "Papa" Charlie McCoy (guitar and mandolin, b. May 26, 1909, Jackson, MI, USA, d. July 26, 1950, Chicago, IL, USA ), Ransom Knowling (bass, b. June 24, 1912, New Orleans, LA, USA, d. Oct. 22, 1967, Chicago, IL, USA ), and Pearlis Williams (drums)
1933     Stu Williamson, flugelhorn, trumpet, trombone, valve trombone, b. Brattleboro, VT, USA, d. Oct.1, 1991
1969     Danny Wood, Bass/Guitar/Percussion/Keyboards/Vocals, b. Massachusetts, USA. né: Daniel William Wood. Member group: "New Kids On The Block"
         >Notable Events occuring this date include:
1937.    Duke Ellington and his band recorded "Caravan". (Columbia, May 14) The 'Variety' label recorded the tune in Dec. 19,1936, with a band nominally led by Barney Bigard, - but really the Ellington orchestra.
1937.    "The Light Crust Doughboys" Western Swing band recorded 21 songs on this date.
1943.    William H. Stein, label co-founder (MCA), died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 48
1955.    "We're Gonna" Rock Around the Clock", the Bill Haley and the Comets hit, was released. One of the most influential Rock and Roll releases, it is estimated that 22 million copies had been sold by the time Haley died in 1981.
1956.    Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, known as Capitol's answer to Elvis Presley, recorded "Be-Bop-A-Lula". (Vincent died in 1971)
1959.    Sidney Bechet, soprano sax/clarinet, died in Paris, France. Age: 62
1966.    "Uncle" Bud Landress, fiddler, "The Georgia Yellow Hammers," died. Age: 85
1967.    George Treadwell, trumpet/manager 'The Drifters'), died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 47
1968.    Beasley Smith, songwriter/orchestra leader, died in Nashville, TN, USA.
1973.    Elmer Snowden, guitar, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Age: 72
1974.    Paul Gonsalves, tenor sax, died in London, UK. Age: 53
1976.    Keith Relf, harmonica, died in London, UK. Age: 33
1998.    Frank Sinatra, singer, died
2006.    Lew Anderson alto sax, leader, conductor, composer, arranger, died
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
      1930 "Miss Hannah", - Isham Jones Orch.
      1937 "Caravan", Duke Ellington and his band recorded the tune this date for Brunswick Records.
      1955 "Rock Around The Clock", - Bill Haley and the Comets
      1955 "Heart", - Eddie Fisher
      1966 "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?", - The Lovin' Spoonful
      1966 "I Am A Rock", - Simon & Garfunkel
      1977 "Jet Airliner", - Steve Miller
      1983 "Never Gonna Let You Go", - Sergio Mendes
      1988 "Nite And Day", - Al B. Sure!
      1988 "Valley Road, The", - Bruce Hornsby
      1988 "Dirty Diana", - Michael Jackson
      1988 "Alphabet St.", - Prince