BIRTHDAYS
1973     Jacqueline Abbott, vocals, b. Hull, England, U.K. Member group: 'The Beautiful South' In 1989, 'The Beautiful South' formed out of the ashes of 'The Housemartins'. The band was put together by lead singer/songwriter Paul Heaton (previously of The Housemartins. b. Bromborough, Merseyside, England, currently (2004) lives in Kingston upon Hull, England), and drummer, Dave Hemingway. They were joined by Sean Welch (Bass), Dave Stead (Drums) and Dave Rotheray (Guitar). Rotheray also co-writes the songs with Heaton.
1929     Marilyn Bergman, Lyricist
1932     Paul Bley, Piano/synthesizer, b. Montreal, PQ, Canada Canada. Started studying piano at age eight, during 1950-1952, he studied at New York's Juilliard School of Music, and in 1953, played with Charlie Parker on a Canadian TV show. In 1953, after recording for Charles Mingus' Debut label, he moved to New York. Bley has played with such men as Chet Baker, Ornette Coleman, Don Ellis, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, and Jimmy Giuffre, among others. He first wife was the talented pianist/composer Carla Bley. He experimented with electronics with his second wife Annette Peacock. In 1974, Bley founded his 'Improvising Artists' label. Virtually all of that short-lived label's output has been reissued on CD by 'Black Saint/Soul Note'. From the mid-1970s, Bley recorded a countless number of albums for literally dozens of labels.
1906     Max Boag, bass, b: Queensville-Ont. Canada, d: May 6, 1980, Newmarket-Ont, Canada
1970     Derry Brownson, keyboard, né: Derry Brownstone. - EMF, single "Unbelievable" charted UK No.3 in 1990 and US No.1 in 1991. A British dance-rock quintet, EMF was formed in Cinderford, England, in October 1989. All five members -- vocalist James Atkin, guitarist Ian Dench, keyboardist Derry Brownson, bassist Zachary Foley (b. December 9, 1970,Gloucester, England, d. Jan. 3, 2002, London, England, age: 31), and drummer Mark Decloedt -- were veterans of the local music scene. After 1995's "Cha Cha Cha" the band vanished from sight.
1947     Glen Buxton, lead guitar, b. Akron, OH, USA. Member group: 'Alice Cooper'
1968     Christian "Chris" Cagle, C&W singer/songwriter, b, DeRidder, LA, USA. Began guitar lessons at age 6, but took piano lessons throughout high school. He began playing guitar again after receiving an Ovation acoustic guitar for Christmas during his senior year. (The first song he learned to play was Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird.") Enrolled in the University of Texas-Arlington. His nights were spent performing in local venues. At 19, he realized he was wasting his time at school and left Texas to pursue music full time.
1923     Vince Cattolica, clarinet, b. San Francisco, CA, USA. d. Feb.18, 2004, Blind Musician. Studied Piano and Violin before Clarinet. Has worked with Jack Sheedy, Wally Rose and Earl Hines orchs.
1954     Mario Cipollina, rock bassist, Member group: 'Huey Lewis & The News', 1985 US No.1 and UK No.11 single The Power Of Love.
1908     Paul E. Cohen, Decca Records exec., b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. April 1, 1970, Bryan, TX, USA. It is no exageration to say that Nashville's emergence as Country music's recording capital was due mainly to the influence of Paul Cohen, head of Decca Record's country department. One week after he died, all of Nashville's music offices closed as a memorial tribute.
1939     Andrew Cyrille, Drums, b. Brooklyn, NY, USA.
1945     Stanton Davis, Jazz trumpeter. Stanton has appeared in such Broadway shows as Harlem Song (Apollo Theatre), Jelly's Last Jam, Black & Blue, Ain't Misbehavin' and Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk, as well as being a featured musician in the "Jazz Is, Jazz Ain't' International Series" at the American Museum of Natural History. Among the bands with whom Stanton has toured are the Mercer Ellington Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy, David Sanborn, Jim Pepper among others. Currently (2005), Stanton is the Contact Administrator for the American Federation of Musicians. CAUTION: DO not confuse with Davis Stanton, R&B musician.
1928     Ian John "Splash" Drinkwater, trumpet, trombone, valve trombone and vibes, leader, b. Adelaide-SA, Australia. "Splash Drinkwater and his Drops of Rhythm"; Also played with Frank Buller's Dance Band; and with John Bermingham; Brian Bowring; Billy Ross; Graham Schrader; Roy Wooding; In 1985 the band of the SA Police Force.
1949     Donna Fargo, (Country) vocals, b. Mount Airy, NC, USA. née: Yvonne Vaughn. Donna was one of the few country singers to cross over to the Pop charts, which she did in 1972 with "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." (No. 11) and "Funny Face" (No. 5). Even though she never again made the Top 10 again, she did place over a dozen songs into the Country Top 40 charts. Sadly, her career was severly curtailed in 1979 when she contracted multiple sclerosis, although she did continue to writing and to perform.
1907     Jane Froman, Vocalist, b. University City, MO, USA, d. April 22, 1980, Columbia, MO, USA. née: Ellen Jane Froman. A magnificent Broadway and Film vocalist, she suffered a tragic accident. On February 22, 1943, while on her way to Europe to do a USO tour, Froman's plane crashed in the Tagus River at Lisbon, killing 25 of the 39 people on board. She had a compound fracture of the right leg, the left leg nearly severed below the knee, two broken ribs, and the right arm fractured in several places. She was finally able to return to the United States in April 1943 and underwent several operations. In all, she had to finally undergo 39 operations before regaining some small use of her legs. During this time, she was performing on stage using a disguised electrically operated wheelchair. She was thrice married. First to Donald McKaig Ross (1933 - 1948 divorced ); then to John Curtis Burn (1948 - 1956 divorced), and finally to Rowland H. Smith (20 June 1962- ?)
1950     Ronnie Hammond, (rock) vocals, b. Doraville??, GA, USA. Member group: 'Atlanta Rhythm Section'
1979     Chris Joannou, bassist, b. Newcastle, Australia. Member group: 'Silverchair', an Australian grunge band formed in 1992 in Newcastle, Australia, by three schoolmates: guitarist/vocalist Daniel Johns, bassist Chris Joannou, and drummer Ben Gillies. They found international fame in 1995 with their debut album, 'Frogstomp' (which later reached No. 1 in America as well). All the members were 15 years old at the time.
1922     Arnold Johansson, trumpet, trombone, valve trombone and vibes, b. Boxholm, Sweden, d. 2002. Born to a very musical family. Has worked with touring Stan Getz (b. Feb. 2, 1927, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, d. June 6, 1991, Malibu, California, USA), Don Byas (b. Oct. 21, 1912, Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA, d. Aug. 24, 1972, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and Oscar Pettiford (b. Sept 30, 1922, Okmulgee, Oklahoma, USA. d. Sept. 8, 1960, Copenhagen, Denmark) bands.
1945     John LaBarbara, Trumpet, b. Mount Morris, NY, USA.
1948     Greg Lake, (rock) vocals/guitar, b. Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK. Member groups: 'King Crimson', 'Emerson, Lake & Palmer', 'Emerson, Lake & Powell'
1940     Natalie Lamb, vocals
1939     Hubert Laws, Flute/piccolo/tenor sax, b. Houston, TX, USA.
1929     Laura Beth Leacox, vocalist, b. ? . Wife of mid-west bandleader 'Lee Williams' (nee William Brammer Leacox). She toured widely with the band. Presently resides in Omaha, NE and confines her singing to a church choir. Also teaches Yoga
1969     Paul 'Kermit' Leveridge, vocals, Member group: 'Black Grape'.
1947     David Loggins, singer-songwriter, b. Mountain City, TN, USA. His only real fame came in 1974 with "Please Come to Boston." David is the second cousin of Kenny Loggins. David wrote for MCA Music in New York before recording (1972) on the Vanguard label.
1966     Steve Mackey, bassist, b. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK. Member group: 'Pulp', formed 1978 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, UK. by the 15 year old Jarvis Cocker. CAUTION: Do not confuse with Classical guitarist Steve Mackey.
1958     Frank Maudsley, bassist, b. Liverpool, England, UK. Member group: 'A Flock Of Seagulls', one of the "one hit wonder' groups, originally formed (in Liverpool) by hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later.
1909     Johnny Marks, composer, b. Mount Vernon, NY, USA. Among his songs are "Rudolph The Red Nosd Reindeer " (a hit record for Cowboy star Gene Autry), "Have A Holly, Jolly Christmas" , and "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day".
1916     William E. "Billy" May, Arranger/Trumpet/leader, b. Pittsburgh, PA, USA. d. Jan. 22, 2004, San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA. (Heart Failure) né: Edward William May Jr. One of the last of the great arrangers, he first aranged and played trumpet for the Charlie Barnet band (1938-1940), then for Glenn Miller (1940-1942). When Miller broke up his pre-WWII band, Billy settled in Hollywood where he found work with the Les Brown, Woody Herman, Alvino Rey and Ozzie Nelson orchestras. Later, he found work in staff jobs first at NBC studios, then at Capitol Records, where he led his own studio big band from 1951 to 1954. May distinguished himself as an arranger/conductor on collaborations with singers Frank Sinatra, Anita O'Day and Ella Fitzgerald. May's longest association was with Sinatra, working together on such hit albums as "Come Fly With Me" (1957), "Come Dance With Me!" (1958), "Come Swing With Me!" (1961) and "Trilogy" (1979). May has also did extensive television, film, and commercials scoring.
1947     Tony Osborne, Bass/Cello, b. Slough, Berkshire, England, UK. Initially studied cello before finally moving to the double bass. Studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London, 1966-69 with Richard Stoker for composition and John Walton for double bass. Then free-lanced in London as bassist where he performed with many orchs. including, BBC Symphony, BBC Concert, Royal Ballet, Festival Ballet and D'Oyle Carte Opera Orch. Interesting quote by Tony:
       "Jazz is a major influence on my work'. I was introduced to it by my brother who taught me a
       great deal about Jazz and Classical music. We listened to Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker
       and a whole range of Jazz greats. And, my father was an enormous influence on me. A very
       gifted violinist, he played both romantic Gypsy music and for the Silent movies, and worked
       with local operatic societies as Music Director. All of these influences helped to form me
       as a playerand composer'.....Gershwin, Copland and Bernstein are the three main influences
       on me. I'm often thinking of Gershwin when I write."
1934     Houston Person, Tenor Sax, b. Florence, SC, USA.
1939     Pekka Juhani Pöyry, b. Finland, d. August 4, 1980, Finland. . Member Finnish rock quintet: "Tasavallan Presidentti" (President of the Republic), formed 1969 consisting of Juhani Aaltonen (sax and flute b. Dec 12, 1935), Mâns Groundstroem (Bassist, b. April 23, 1949) and Frank Robson (vocals, b. April 27, 1946) Jukka Tolonen (Guitar, b. April 16, 1952) and Vesa Aaltonen (drums, b. March 7, 1950)
1934     Bobby Rush, vocals, b. Homer, LA, USA. né: Emmit Ellis, Jr.
1952     Pat Severs, Steel guitar, b. Camden, SC, USA. Member: "Pirates of the Mississippi"
1928     Ann Shelton, Vocalist, b. Dulwich, So. London, UK, d. July 31, 1994, So. London, UK nee: Patricia Sibley. Anne had two sisters, Jo and Eileen., Her sister Jo Sibley is also a vocalist who has recorded several times. (Jo passed away - while on the operating table - on July 22, 1991.) In 1941, Anne auditioned for Bert Ambrose and remained with the band for 6 years. During WW2, she toured Army bases, sang with both Glenn Miller's band and with a visiting Bing Crosby, and also had her own radio show beamed to Malta and to North Africa. During the Berlin 'Airlift' of 1948-9, she entertained the British troops. In 1951, she toured the U.S.A (for 11 months), playing in major clubs and singing on Radio and Television. Her 1956 hit "Lay Down Your Arms" (based on a Swedish Melody) reached No. 1 on the Charts. Anne Shelton continued touring and working for the rest of her life. She passed away in her sleep, - 4 years and a month after her husband had died (June 11, 1990)
1950     Greg Trostle, Steel guitar, b. Elmira, NY, USA. "Pirates of the Mississippi" Formed in 1987 by a group of five session musicians that included "Wild" Bill McCorvey (lead vocals, guitar, b. July 4, 1959), Rich "Dude" Alves (guitar, b. May 25, 1953), Dean Townson (bass, b. April 2, 1959), Jimmy Lowe (drums, b. August 2, 1955), and Pat Severs (Steel Guitar, b. Nov. 10, 1952 ). In 1994, Pat Severs left the group and was replaced by Greg Trostle (born same day, - 2 years earlier).
1965     Mark Turner, (Jazz) tenor sax, b. Fairborn, OH, USA (raised in southern California).
1967     Andrew Vowles, (aka: Mushroom) vocals, b. Bristol, England, UK. Member group: 'Massive Attack', a group formed in Bristol. At first (in 1983), they were a loose collective of singers, rappers, DJs, and producers staging parties under the name the 'Wild Bunch'. Among the "bunch' were 'Mushroom' (Andrew Vowles) and 'Daddy G' (Grant Marshall), as well as Nelleee Hooper (later of 'Soul II Soul', and a producer for Madonna, Bjork, and others), and 'Tricky'. In 1983, the 'Wild Bunch' released a cover of Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love," which became a European dance-club sensation. In 1987, graffiti artist '3-D' (Robert Del Naja) joined 'Daddy G' and 'Mushroom' forming 'Massive Attack'.
1921     Onie Wheeler, C&W vocals/guitar/harmonica, b. Senath, MO, USA. A somewhat obscure and much-traveled Country singer, Onie deserves to be better remembered. Among his travels was a brief tour with Flatt and Scruggs. He played harmonica for awhile with Roy Acuff. Along the way, he composed some interesting songs including "Mother Prays Loud In Her Sleep", and "Run 'Em Off". In 1984, he died on stage at the Grand Ole Opry.
          Notable Events on this date include:
1939.    Muggsy Spanier and his band recorded "Dipper Mouth Blues" on Bluebird label.
1967.    Ida Cox, vocals/songwriter, died in Knoxville, TN, USA. Age: 78. (née: Ida Prather)
1977.    William Owsley, guitar, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 73
1983.    Harlan Leonard, sax, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 78
1990.    Ronnie Dyson, vocals, died in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Age: 40
1994.    Carmen McRae, vocals/piano, died in Beverly Hills, CA, USA. Age: 74 (stroke, following complications from respiratory illness. b. April 8, 1922, New York, NY, USA.)
1995.    Curly Fox, C&W Singer, Fiddle, and Guitar player, died in Graysville, TN, USA. Age: 85
          Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1950 "Tennessee Waltz", Patti Page
     1958 "Beep Beep", Playmates
     1958 "I Got Stung", Elvis Presley
     1958 "One Night", Elvis Presley
     1962 "Bobby's Girl", Marcie Blane
     1962 "Lonely Bull, The", Herb Alperta and the Tiajuana Brass
     1962 "Ride!", Sharp, Dee Dee
     1973 "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)", Staple Singers
     1973 "Hello It's Me", Todd Rundgren
     1979 "Do That To Me One More Time", Captain and Tennille
     1979 "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)", Rupert Holmes
     1979 "Cool Change", Little River Band
     1979 "Ladies Night", Kool and The Gang
     1979 "Send One Your Love", Stevie Wonder
     1984 "Valotte", Lennon, Julian