BIRTHDAYS
1902     Sylvester Ahola, Trumpet, b. Gloucester, MA, USA. d. ??. Part Hawaiian, part Spanish, part Finnish, Sylvester, familiarly known as "Hooley", first began playing drums at age six, and a few years later graduated to blowing cornet and trumpet. In March 1924, he made his first recordings with Frank E. Ward's orchestra. Regretfully, the records were never released (though Ahola obtained some test pressings). In January 1926, "Hooley" joined Paul Specht's Orchestra, remaining for a year before leaving to play (for a few months) and to record with Ed Kirkeby and the California Ramblers. In late 1927, he joined Peter Van Steeden's Orch. His next 'gig' was in England, where he became a member (briefly) of Reg Batten and his New Savoy Orpheans (with Irving Brodsky on piano). Following the 'Orpheans', he played for Jack Harris. In October 1928, he joined Ambrose's orchestra. In 1929, Ahola was featured with Ray Noble and His Orchestra. During this time (with Harris, Noble, & Ambrose, and mainly because of his ability to improvise hot solos and to drive the entire brass section), he was in great demand as a sessions musician. For the Edison Bell label, he recorded with the Harry Hudson orchestra. For the Zonophone label, he recorded with Bert & John Firman, and at Decca with Arthur Lally's orch. In July 1931, after having played with Ambrose for 3 years, he returned to the U.S. and re-joined Peter van Steeden in Nov 1931. Along with colleague Jacques Renard, he joined the NBC staff orchestra and continued with this type of work until retiring in 1940. At this point he returned to his New England seaside home town of Gloucester, MA,, where he was known as the "Gloucester Gabriel." In his final years, he played both trumpet and percussion with the Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra. A great trumpet player whose career was largely anonymous. Ahola played on 2,000 records, and was part of 50 orchestras and jazz bands.
1926     Stan Barker, Piano, b. Clitheroe, England
1931     Gianni Basso, Clarinet, b. Asti, Italy
1928     Max Bennett, Bass/composer, b. Des Moines, IA, USA.
1916     Juan Valderrama Blanca, Flamenco/Folk/Cuple Vocals, b. Torredelcampo (Jaén), Spain. d. April 12, 2004, Spain. Age: 87. He began singing while still a child working on his family's farm in the olive growing region of southern Spain. As an adult, he was primarily a Flamenco singer, but, after about 10 years, he switched to the genre called "Cuple". In 1935, at the age of nineteen, he recorded his first album for Parlophon, accompanied by Sabicas. During the 1936-'39 Spainish civil war, he joined with the anti-fascist Republican side. He formed musical troupes with front-line soldiers, and entertained the wounded. When the conflict ended, he recorded albums for Columbia, and also toured with his own shows until in 1949, when he visited America for the first time. Widely known as Juanito Valderrama, his career spanned 6 decades, and he appeared in seven films, and recorded over 300 songs, including "The Emigrant" which was dedicated to the millions who fled the Spanish civil war to live elsewhere in Europe.
1956     Larry Blackmon, vocals, b. New York NY, USA.
1947     Albert Bouchard, drummer/vocalist, b. Watertown, NY, USA. Member group: 'Blue Oyster Cult'
1955     Roseanne Cash, vocals, b. Memphis, TN, USA. Johnny Cash's daughter.
1938     Tommy Chong, guitar/kazoo/songwriter/actor, b. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. né: Thomas B. Kin Chong. Member duo: 'Cheech & Chong'. In 1968, Cheech first met Chong when he fled to Canada to escape induction into the US Army. They separated in the 1980s due to creative differences. Tommy's mother was Scotch-Irish, and his father was Chinese, -a veteran who had been wounded during WW2. After the team separated, Tommy Chong pursued a solo career, starring in films and on TV. On February 25, 2003, federal officials raided 'Chong Glass', Tommy Chong's California-based company. In May, Tommy Chong pleaded guilty to charges of distributing drug paraphernalia and on Sept. 11, 2003 was fined US$20,000, and forced to forfeit US$120,000 in assets, and sentenced to 9 months in a federal prison. He served the time between October 8, 2003 and July 7, 2004. His partner, "Cheech" (b. Richard Marin, July 13, 1946, Los Angeles (Watts), California, USA), earned his nickname from "cheecharone," a 'Chicano' delicacy made of deep-fried pork skins, also known as "cracklings". After the duo's breakup, Cheech Marin also found a solo career, including his 'one-hit wonder' song entitled "Born In East L.A." (based on Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A."). He too, starred in some films and on TV.
1949     Don Cook, (C&W) producer/songwriter/publishing executive, b. San Antonio, TX, USA.
1904     Herbert "Kat" Cowens, drums, b. Dallas, TX, USA.
1952     David Defries, Trumpet, b. London, England
1941     Bob Dylan, singer/songwriter b. Duluth, MN, USA.né: Robert Zimmerman. Hit releases include "Blowin' in Wind", "The Times They Are A-Changin'," "Mr. Tambourine Man", "Like A Rolling Stone", "All Along The Watchtower", and "Knockin' On Heaven's Door")
1941     Charles Earland, Organ/Piano, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. Dec. 11, 1999, age 58
1919     Herbie Fields, Clarinet/alto-soprano-tenor-baritone sax/vocals, b. Elizabeth, NJ, USA. d. Sept. 17, 1958, Miami, Florida, USA. (Suicide). From 1936 to 1938, Fields attended New York's famed Juilliard School of Music, and subsequently played with Raymond Scott, Leonard Ware and Hot Lips Page. In the early 1940s, during World War II. he served in the U. S. Army, and led a band at Fort Dix. After his Army discharge, Fields played and recorded (at Carnegie Hall) with Lionel Hampton's band, -working with him until 1945. In 1945, he was the recipient of Esquire magazine's "New Star" award for alto sax. From 1944 until 1950, Fields led both small groups and big bands, and later recorded with Miles Davis. In the '50s, Fields career declined paralleling the decline of the big band era.
1988     Billy Gilman, (C&W) singer-songwriter., b. Westerly, RI, USA. At just age 11, Billy had his first hit record, making him the youngest artist in history, to reach the Billboard Country charts. vocalist Brenda Lee held that record from 1957-1999.
1927     Charles Greenlee, Trombone, b. Detroit, MI, USA. d. 1993
1968     Vaughan Hawthorne-Nelson, saxophonist/composer, b. London, England, UK. Also recorded under the name Vaughan Hawthorne
1967     Heavy D., rapper. né: Dwight Myers, b. Jamaica.
1944     Patti LaBelle, vocals, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. né: Patricia Louise Holt, with 'Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles', 'LaBelle' and a solo artist.
1915     John Lee, guitar, b. Mount Willing, AL, USA.
1919     Harold Leventhal, Folk Music Promoter, b. Ellenville, NY, USA. d. Oct. 4, 2005, New York, NY, USA. Age: 86. This renowned Folk music promoter worked with Woody Guthrie, the Weavers, Bob Dylan, and many, many others. Born to Orthodox Jewish immigrants (from Ukraine and Lithuania), he was only eight weeks old when his father died. His mother moved the family to New York where she found work as their tenament's janitor. In 1935, the family moved to the Bronx section of New York city where Leventhal studied at James Monroe high school. Already a member of the Young Communist League, Leventhal was arrested for organizing an "Oxford Pledge" strike, aimed at persuading students to refuse to fight further wars. After losing his first factory job (for union organizing), he was hired as an office boy and song plugger by the songwriter Irving Berlin. His duties involved taking Berlin's songs around to nightclubs, and radio stations to induce band leaders such as Harry James, the Dorsey Brothers and Benny Goodman, to play the songs. He next joined Benny Goodman's Regent Music Company, before enlisting in the U.S.Army when America entered WWII. He was assigned to the Signal Corps, and served in India (where he met Nehru and Gandhi). After the war, he first worked in his brother's women's foundation garment business. He became interested in Folk music by avidly reading Woody Guthrie's column in the "Daily Worker", America's Communist newspaper. After Guthrie's death in 1967, Leventhal virtually adopted Woody's son Arlo, who worked in his office before making his hit record Alice's Restaurant. (Later, Leventhal helped produce the film based on that song, and also co-produced the Oscar-winning 'Bound for Glory' film starring David Carradine as Woody Guthrie.) A committed leftist, Leventhal's music business acumen turned him into folk music's most successful promoter. In 1984, while working on Henry Wallace's doomed 1948 U. S. A. presidential campaign, Leventhal met folk singer Peter Seeger, and soon became the manager of Seeger's group, 'The Weavers'. In 1952, the group, already 'Blacklisted' as communists, had such difficulty finding work that they disbanded. But Leventhal persisted and, in 1955, organized a Christmas Eve Weavers reunion concert at New York's famed Carnegie Hall. This concert ignited the folk music boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s. This also led Leventhal to recognize the talent of a 21-year-old Bob Dylan, and to promote his first concert, in April 1963, at New York's 'Town Hall' auditorium. He built up a reputation for getting Blacks and women artists fair deals with record companies. Soon, he was representing many of the leading female Folk singers, including Judy Collins, Miriam Makeba, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Joan Baez. He represented Ireland's Clancy Brothers, Britain's Ewan MacColl, Donovan and Pentangle, and also had an eclectic international roster including Jacques Brel, Nana Mouskouri, Mercedes Sosa and Ravi Shankar. Leventhal organised world tours for folk singers, even though denied a passport until 1955 because of his communist sympathies. He produced fundraising tribute concerts for Phil Ochs, Paul Robeson, the Spanish civil war's Abraham Lincoln Brigade and, most memorably, for Woody Guthrie. He was also an active producer of stage shows, beginning with his fellow 'blacklister' Will Geer performing Mark Twain's 'America' in a 1952 off-Broadway production. Among other shows he subsequently produced were Joseph Heller's 'We Bombed in New Haven', Jules Epstein's 'But Seriously', Rabindranath Tagore's 'King of the Dark Chamber' and Jules Feiffer's 'The White House Murder Case'. In 2003, Leventhal received his own tribute concert at Carnegie Hall. The program notes for that concert defined him as a "Mensch", a Yiddish word meaning "man" in the sense of "an upright, honorable, decent person, -someone of noble character".
1914     Marie Marcus, piano, b. Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA, d. Oct. 10, 2003. (A fine Dixieland musician who deserves to be better known.)
1970     Tommy Page, singer-songwriter, b. Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA. While working as a 16 year old hat check boy at a popular New York nightclub called 'Nell's'. Page was "discovered" by Madonna's record producer when he heard the club's DJ playing a LP record of Page singing one of his own songs. (Page had the record pressed for the DJ). Seymour Stein, 'Sire Records' founder, also heard him at the club. Interestingly, Page first found success touring Asia, singing his hit ballad, "A Shoulder To Cry On" (his first US Top 30 hit in 1988). He also recorded his song "I'm Always Dreaming of You" with Sally Yeh, a very popular Hong Kong singing star. Page had his first success in the U.S.A. as the opening act for the 'New Kids On The Block's' 72-date, 51-city US tour. In 1990, his song "I'll Be Your Everything", which was a collaboration with the New Kids On The Block, became a No.1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. At just age 18, he wrote the theme tune for the 1989 film, 'Shag', which was later released as his first single. In November 1988, Tommy's self-titled debut album was released by Sire Records (Warner Music) and contained such hits as "A Zillion Kisses", "Turning Me On" and "A Shoulder To Cry On". A great many of the songs on his albums were co-composed with L. Russell Brown, (whose biggest hit is "Tie a Yellow Ribbon on the Old Oak Tree"). Currently (2006), Page is a VP of A&R at a U.S. record label.
1945     Dave Peacock, bass/banjo/fiddle/Vocals (Background)/Guitar, b. Ponders End, England, UK, Member duo: 'Chas & Dave'. (Chas Hodges, vocals/guitar, b. Edmonton, England, UK.)
1945     Priscilla Presley, actress, New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. née: Priscilla Ann Wagner. aka: Priscilla Beaulieu Presley. Not recalled for her acting career, but solely as Elvis' only wife.
1942     Derek Quinn, Percussion, b. Manchester, England, UK. Member group: 'Freddie & the Dreamers'
1947     Mike Reid C&W songwriter, b. Altoona, PA, USA. Began to study the piano at age 6. As a young man, he played defensive tackle with the Bengals, and while recovering from a football injury, he met Larry Gatlin, who encouraged Reid's music and admired his song "Time Runs Away." In the football off-season, Reid performed as a classical pianist with symphony orchestras in Dallas, Cincinnati, and Utah. 1975 knee surgery ended Reid's football career. He joined the Apple Butter Band, and began playing Colorado ski resorts. As a songwriter, he was inspired by Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman. He also began composing, and his works were sung by such stars as Jerry Jeff Walker, Ronnie Milsap, Sylvia, Mark Gray, Marie Osmond, Tanya Tucker, and Conway Twitty. In the 1980s, Reid penned 11 number one hits. In 1990, he signed with Columbia and began his recording career. The hits kept coming. In 1991, three more of his songs charted, and in 1992, Collin Raye had a big hit with Reid's "In This Life." CAUTION: DO NOT CONFUSE with Mike Reid, the English actor/comedian, b, Hackney, East London, England, UK.
1969     Rich Robinson, guitar, b. Atlanta, GA, USA. Member group: 'The Black Crowes'.
1948     Leo Sayer, vocals, b. Shoreham-on-Sea, England, UK. né: Gerard Sayer.
1937     Archie Shepp, Tenor-soprano sax, b. Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.
1901     Frank Signorelli, Piano/Composer, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Dec. 9, 1975, New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Will always be recalled for his work with 'The Original Dixieland Jazz Band'
1963     Vivian Trimble, keyboard/backing vocals, b. New York, NY, USA. Member group: 'Luscious Jackson'. Vivian is also known as "Dusty Trails"
1946     Steve Upton, drums, b. Wrexham, Wales, UK. Member group: 'Wishbone Ash'
1926     James Walker, co-leader, b. Mileston, MS, USA. Member group: 'Dixie Hummingbirds'
1935     Johnny "Mississippi" Waters, guitar, b. Jackson, MS, USA.
1933     Michael Walter White, Violin, b. Houston, TX USA.
1973     Nikki Yeoh, Piano, b. London, England
1935     "Rusty" York, guitar/songwriter/producer b. Harlan, KY, USA.
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1938.    Art Kassel's orchestra recorded "So You Left Me for the Leader of a Swing Band". (Bluebird label).
1955.    Sara Martin, vocals, died in Louisville, KY, USA. Age: 70
1965.    Earl Johnson, (C&W) fiddle/banjo, died in Georgia, USA.
1970.    Cliff Jackson, piano, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 67
1973.    Frank Pappalardi, piano/songwriter, died in Beverly Hills, CA, USA. Age: 55 (Worked with Louis Jordan)
1974.    Duke Ellington, piano/composer/leader, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 75
1989.    Luke Holiday, (gospel) vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 45
1991.    Gene Clark, C&W singer-songwriter/guitar, died Sherman Oaks, CA, USA.
1992.    Joachim Aberbach, German Music publisher (Julian and Joachim Aberbach), died in New York (Manhattan), NY, Age: 81 One of their music books is "50 Hill & Range" songs.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
      1945 "You Belong To My Heart", - Bing Crosby
      1945 "Laura", - Johnny Johnston
      1945 "Caldonia Boogie", - Louis Jordan
      1945 "Dream", - Frank Sinatra
      1969 "Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet", - Henry Mancini
      1975 "Love Will Keep Us Together", - Captain & Tennille
      1980 "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me", - Billy Joel
      1980 "Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time", - The Spinners
      1980 "Let Me Love You Tonight", - Pure Prarie League
      1986 "Tuff Enuff", - The Fabulous Thunderbirds
      1986 "Your Wildest Dreams", - Moody Blues