BIRTHDAYS
1902     Fernando Arbello, Trombone, b. Ponce, Puerto Rico, d. July 26, 1970, San Juan, Puerto Rico. . Best recalled as member of Jimmie Lunceford, Fletcher Henderson, Chick Webb and Claude Hopkins Orchestras. .Also composed, in collaboration with Andy Razaf, the song known under both the titles of "Big Chief de Sota" and "Grand Terrace Swing."
1912     Alcyone Bate Beasley, C&W ukulele/Vocals. 'Grand Ole Opry' performer, born Castallian Springs, TN, USA. The daughter of a Vanderbilt graduate and medical doctor. Beasley had played on the Grand Ole Opry with her father, Dr. Humphrey Bate (see May 25 Calendar).
1935     Harry Beckett, Trumpet/flugelhorn, b. St.Michael Parish, Barbados
1894     Ben Bernie, Leader/Violin, b. Bayonne, NJ, d. Oct. 20. 1943, Beverly Hills, CA. And, also listed in our Tunesmith's Database
1929     Clora Bryant, trumpet, b. Denison, Texas, USA When her brother was away serving in the U. S. Army, his instrument was available, and Bryant began playing trumpet. She first played in a school dance band, and then in an all-female orchestra at Prairie View College in Houston, Texas. During her career, she played in both "all-girl" bands, as well as "all-boy" bands.
1968     Tim Burgess, lead vocals, b. Manchester, England, UK. Member group: 'Charlatans'
1942Tom Collins, C&W producer/publisher, b. Lenoir, TN, USA.
1959     Ann Hampton Callaway, vocals, b. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
1942     Tom Collins, C&W producer/publisher, b. Lenoir, TN, USA.
1909     Lewis Crook, C&W banjo/bass, b. Trousdale County, TN, USA. Member: 'Grand Ole Opry' show.
1971     Patrick Dahlheimer, bass, b. York, PA, USA. Member group: 'Live'
1944     Lenny Davidson, Guitar/Bass/reeds/drums, b. Enfield, Middlesex, England, UK. Member group: 'The Dave Clark Five'. The group had twenty-two hit records in Britain, twenty-four in America, six sell out USA tours, and thirteen appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show (US TV). Originally, Dave worked as a stuntman in over 40 films. In 1960, his favorite soccer team, the Tottenham Hotspurs, needed money. So, Dave decided to form a band. He bought a set of drums and learned how to play them. The rest is, as they say, history.
1905     Sidney De Paris, Trumpet, b. Crawfordsville, IN, USA. d. Sept. 13, 1967, USA.
1960     Stephen Duffy, songwriter/vocals/guitar, b. Birmingham, England, UK. né: Stephen Anthony James Duffy. Member groups: 'Duran Duran', 'Lilac Time', and 'Me Me Me'
1913     George '"Pee Wee" Erwin, Trumpet, b. Falls City, NE, USA. d. 1981, USA. They say that Pee Wee was playing trumpet at just age four. His career started playing gigs with the local Nebraska area territory bands and then he hit the 'big time' in 1931-33 with Joe Haymes and then with Isham Jones in 1933-34. Starting in 1934 Pee Wee became a studio musician in New York City. While in NYC, he worked with Benny Goodman (1934-35). In 1935, he played with Ray Noble's American orchestra and in 1936, he succeeded Bunny Berigan in both the Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey (1937-39) orchestras. During 1941-2, he fronted his own unsuccessful big band. Pee Wee leading again 1946, and was equally unsuccessful. During the 1950s, this writer often heard him playing great Dixieland at a club called Nick's, in New York city's Greenwich Village area. Erwin did occasionally lead some sessions during this time. In the 1960s, he and fellow trumpeter Chris Griffin operated a trumpet school (Warren Vache was one of his students). During the 1980-81 period, he recorded six albums (three were for Qualtro and one for Jazzology - a great label, - I forget who the other two were) before dying in 1981
1901     Mieczysław Fogg, vocals, b. Warsaw (then a provincial town in Imperial Russia), d. Sept. 3, 1990, Warsaw, Poland. né: Mieczysław Fogiel. This Polish singer was extremely popular during the years between WWi and WWII, and his popularity continued even after WWII;
1958     Marie Fredriksson, songwriter/singer, b. Östra-Ljungby, Sweden. Member group: 'Roxette', In 1984, Marie started 'Roxette' with her friend, singer Per Gessle (Per Håkan Gessle, b. Jan. 12, 1959, Halmstad, Sweden. He is lead singer of the Swedish bands 'Gyllene Tider' and 'Roxette'). Marie is married to Mikael Bolyos and has two children. In 2002, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, but has since recovered. Gessle has also participated with the Swedish singer Nisse Hellberg in the project 'The Lonely Boys'.
1919     Joe Gaines, lead vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. In 1947, after WW2 ended, Gaines joined the vocal group "Humming Four", which later became the 'Hawks' when recording on the Imperial label. CAUTION: Do not confuse with Joe Gaines, the Latin/Salsa radio station DJ, who was born in New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA.)
1933     Willie Garnett, Saxophone/bandleader, b. Haifa, Palestine
1933     Michael Garrick, Piano, b. Enfield, England
1926     Johnny Gimble, C&W fiddler, b. (near) Tyler, TX, USA.
1909    Benny Goodman, clarinet/leader, b. Chicago, IL, USA. né: Benjamin David Goodman d. June 13, 1986, New York, NY, USA. Cardiac Arrest. Truly the "King of Swing"
1939     John Gordon, trombone b. New York, NY, USA. Played with Lionel Hampton, and Lloyd Price.
1962     Darrell Lemont Grant, piano, b. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
1955     Nicky 'Topper' Headon, drums, b. Bromley, Kent, England, UK. Member group: 'Clash'
1965     Rick "La Holmes" Holmstrom, guitar, b. Fairbanks, AK, USA. Played with Johnnie Dyer
1932     Pug Horton, vocals, b. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK.
1971     Carolyn Dawn Johnson, C&W pianist/vocals, b. Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada.
1964     Wynonna Judd, C&W vocals, b. Ashland, KY, USA. née: Christina Claire Ciminella.
1927     Shake Keane, Trumpet, b. St.Vincent, West Indies, d. 1997
1939     Ernest King, vocals, b. Natchez, Mississippi, USA. King learned the basic Blues style from his father, a sharecropper who used to play guitar at local juke joints.
1903     Alex J. Kramer, composer, b. Montreal, Canada, d. Feb. 10, 1998, Westport, CT, USA.
1930     Dave McKenna, Piano, b. Woonsocket, RI, USA.
1833     Louis Muir, composer/pianist, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Dec.3, 1915, New York, NY, USA.(Age: 32. Tuberculosis).
1912     Theresa Needham, owner: Theresa's Lounge, b. Meridian, MS, USA. (a Chicago South Side Cafe, where many musicians met to "Jam".)
1924     Armando Peraza, Percussion, b. Havana, Cuba
1941     Lenny Popkin, tenor saxophonist, b. New York, NY, USA.
1941     David Sherr, Clarinet/alto sax/Flute/Oboe/Composer. Formed the 'Art Music Ensemble' which performs music by Luciano Berio and David Sherr.
1911     Bobby Sherwood, Leader/guitar, b. Indianapolis, IN, USA, d. Jan. 23, 1981, Auburn, MA, USA. Also led a studio orchestra on comedian on comed;ian Milton Berle's radio show.
1960     Mike Snider, C&W Banjo/comedian, b. Gleason, TN, USA. 'Grand Ole Opry' Member.
1902     "Stepin' Fetchit", vocals/comedy actor, b. Key West, FL, USA. Sadly, he became the apotheosis of the "Black" stereotype. However, we include him here because, in addition to his comedic acting, he was also a vocalist.
1959     Pietro Tonolo, Tenor-soprano sax, b. Venice, Italy.
1901    Frankie Trumbauer, Leader/C-Melody Sax, b. May, 30, 1901, Carbondale, IL, USA. d. June 11, 1956, USA. Kansas City, MO. Influential Saxist throughout the 1920s. Served in US Army in WW1; began professional career in St. Louis; went to Chicago, IL in early 1920s; In 1925, hooked up with Bix Beidebecke at Chicago's Arcadia Ballroom; the two of them joined Jean Goldkette's orch; then he and Bix joined Paul Whiteman orch. and "Tram" worked in Paul Whiteman Orch through 1936. Worked as a test pilot during WW2 and afterwards worked for US Govt in the Civil Aeronautics Agency. A young Fredda Gibson (later: Georgia Gibbs) sang with the Trumbauer Orch.(including some 'baudy' songs as Cole Porter's "I'm The Laziest Girl In Town" and "Not On The FIrst Night".

         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1922.    Banjoist 'Smilin' Ed McConnell made his radio (USA) debut.
1962.    Benny Goodman, "The King of Swing", also led the first American Jazz band to play in the Soviet Union, during Stalin's day.
1989.    Dave Coleman, drums, died in Seattle, WA, USA. Age: 65. Played with Freddie Slack orch.
1977.    Paul Desmond, alto sax, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 52.
1976.    Madeline Greene, vocals, died in Cleveland, OH, USA. Age: 55.
1976.    Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson, guitar, died in Dallas, TX, USA. Age: 59.
1996.    John Kahn, bass, died in Mill Valley, CA, USA. Age: 48. Played with Billy Butterfield/Jerry Garcia
1967.    Morris Lane, tenor sax, died in GARY, IN, USA. Age: 40. Played with Lionel Hampton
1972.    Dave Apollon, Traditional Bluegrass/Mandolin, died. Age: 75
1975.    Claude Lampley, banjo, died. Member: "Fruit Jar Drinkers" Age: 79 (b. Feb. 10, 1896, Bon Aqua, TN, USA)
1979.    Karl Victor Davis, mandolin, died. Age: 73. Member: 'Cumberland Ridge Runners', and the duo of "Karl and Harty" (both Karl Victor Davis and Connecticut 'Harty' Taylor were born in Mount Vernon, Kentucky in 1905.)
1986.    Hank Mobley, tenor sax, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Age: 55.
1982.    Leon Rene, producer/songwriter, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 80. (Best tune: "Rockin' Robin")
1972.    John Ryanes, vocals, died in Newark, NJ, USA. Age: 31. Member: 'The Monotones'
1991.    William O. Smith, guitar, died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 74. Played with Coleman Hawkins
1956.    Valaida Snow, trumpet, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 56. Tag: "Queen of the Trumpet" (b: ca. June 2, 1903/'05/'09, Chattanooga, TN, USA)
1975.    Bobbie Solomon, vocals, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 31.
1993.    Sun Ra, keyboards/arranger, died in Birmingham, AL, USA.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
      1941 "Daddy", - Sammy Kaye
      1941 "Maria Elena", - Wayne King
      1941 "Hut-Sut Song, The", - Freddy Martin
      1947 "Chi-Baba Chi-Baba", - Perry Como
      1947 "I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder", - Eddy Howard
      1952 "Lover", - Peggy Lee
      1960 "Happy-Go-Lucky-Me", - Paul Evans
      1970 "Band Of Gold", - Freda Payne
      1987 "Something So Strong", - Crowded House
      1987 "Point Of No Return", - Expose
      1987 "Shakedown", - Bob Seger
      1992 "I'll Be There", - Mariah Carey
      1992 "Best Things In Life Are Free, The", - Luther Vandross