BIRTHDAYS
1927     Mickey Ashman, bass, b. Kingsbury, London, England, UK " Mickey Ashman's Ragtime Jazz Band "
1922     Lou Blackburn, Trombone, b. Rankin, PA, USA. d. June 6, 1990
1962     Pierre Boussaguet, bass, b. Albi, France.
1959     Lester Butler, Harmonica/Vocals, b. Virginia, USA , d. May 9, 1998, Age: 38. (apparently overdosed and then was murdered by 2 friends who gave him multiple Cocaine injections.)
1911     Wilbur Dorsey "Buck" Clayton, Trumpet/composer, b. Parsons, KS, USA. d. Dec. 8, 1991, New York, NY, USA. Buck's father led a church orchestra and also played Bass and trumpet. He taught his son to play the piano. At age 19, Buck was playing in the church orch., and at age 21 was in Los Angeles playing in "Taxi" Dance Halls. He then formed his own (14 piece) band that was later taken over by Teddy Weatherford. In 1934-36 Buck and Weatherford were in Shanghai (China) working at the 'Canindrome'. In 1937 through 1943, he was back in the USA playing in the Count Basie Band (replacing 'Hot Lips' Page). During WW2 he served in the US Army (1943-46 and won Esquire Magazines 1945 'Gold Award' as 'Best Musician in the Armed Forces) after which he toured with the 'Jazz At The Philharmonic' band; free-lanced in NYC studios, and toured France in both 1951 and 1953. Thereafter, most of his work was in New York City. During 1951-53, he worked with Joe Bushkin's quartet. Led his own concert groups in NYC. In 1957, played with Benny Goodman at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and (during the fall season) with Teddy Wilson. Toured Europe in 1959 and also played at the Newport. RI, Jazz Festival. He was in two Films - 1956 'The Benny Goodman Story' (Buck was never a part of the BG Band) and in the 1960 film 'Jazz On A Summer's Day'. Buck's unique trumpet style can be heard on hundreds of records. Others with whom "Buck" played include: Count Basie; Emmett Berry; Charlie Echols; Lavern Floyd; Mezz Mezzrow; Tony Parenti; Jimmy Rushing; Buddy Tate; Dickie Wells
1936     Bob Crewe, producer/songwriter, b. Normandy Beach, NJ, USA.
1934     Rudy Nash Curtis, vocals, b. Akron, OH, USA. Member: Rudy & The Romantics
1936     Charlotte Davis, vocals, b. Boston, MA, USA. Member: of The Tune Weavers
1910     Leon Eason, trumpet, b. Rich Square, NC, USA.
1950     Barbara Fairchild, C&W singer-ssongwriter, b. Lafe, AR, USA.
1943     Jimmy Hayes, vocals, b. Hopewell, VA, USA. Member: 'The Persuasions'
1912     Mary Arlene Higdon, C&W vocals, b. Richmond, VA, USA. Please see "Sunshine Sue" below.
1917   Henry Jerome, trumpet/composer/arranger/leader, b: New York, NY, USA. d. Nov. 17, 2001, Sarasota, FL, USA. Age: 89. Among the tunes Henry composed are: "Homing Pigeon"; "I Love My Mama"; "Night Is Gone"; "Nice People"; "Until Six"; "Oh, How I Need You", "Joe - Theme from Brazen Brass"
1935     Terry Johnson, vocals, b. Baltimore, MD, USA. Member: 'The Flamingos'
1944     Booker T. Jones, 'soul' singer. Member: 'Booker T And The MG's'
1924     Samuel "Sam" Jones, Bass/Cello, b. Jacksonville, FL, USA, d.Dec. 15, 1981
1914     Merle Koch, piano/composer, b. Lexington, NE, USA. In '59 joined Pete Fountain band.
1924     "Chuck" Logan, drums, b. San Diego, CA, USA. d. Oct. 5, 2006, Vancouver, Canada.
1923     Charles Hugo "Charlie" Mariano, Alto-soprano-baritone sax, flute, nagaswaram, b. Boston, MA, USA.
1955     Les McKeown, vocals. Member: 'The Bay City Rollers'
1928     Audrey Morris Piano/Vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1899     Roy Newman, (Western Swing) bandleader/multi-instrumentalist, b. Santa Anna, TX, USA. (Best known release: "I Can't Dance, I Got Ants In My Pants". 1935)
1950     Jim Pugh, Trombone, b. Butler, PA, USA.
1933     Wolfgang Schluter, Vibes, percussion, b. Berlin, Germany
1941     Jerry Scholl, vocals, b. Mt. Vernon, NY, USA. Member: The Mello-Kings
1942     Jim Schwall, guitar, b. Evanston, IL, USA. Member: 'Siegel-Schwall Band'
1938     Mort Shuman, songwriter, b. New York, NY, USA. Worked with the songwriting team of 'Pomus & Shuman' (Brill Bldg, New York city)
1925     Michael Silva, drums, b. New York, NY, USA, d. March 8, 1990, Paris, France. Silva has said that he admired such drummers as "Big" Sid Catlett, Chick Webb, and Jo Jones, whose style he emulated. Among the men with whom he worked are Sammy Davis Jr. (He was with Sammy for 11 years), "Hot Lips" Page, and pianist Cyril Haynes. In the 1970s, he relocated to France where he freelanced. In France, he backed Ralph Sutton, Arnett Cobb, and Al Casey. He also recorded with the Sy Oliver band, and cut LPs with Al Casey, Milt Buckner, and Major Holley. He also had a drum solo in the French film L'Aventure du Jazz.
1943     Claudio Slon, drums, percussion, b. Argentina (raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil), d. April 16, 2002. This son of a classical violinist and a ballet instructor was already recording professionally at an early age. While still a teenager, jazz critics awarded him first place in a national poll. He performed alongside his father in the Sao Paulo Philharmonic, before appearing with the Walter Wanderley Trio, as well as with Sergio Mendes' Brasil '66 and Brasil ‘77 during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1965. Slon, who had played drums for Wanderley in Brazil, came to the States with him (Slon also played with Wanderley in the USA as did drummer Bobby Rosengarden on many occasions.) Among all his other work, Claudio was also the drummer for the hit release of "Summer Samba" on at least three different albums, featuring three different arrangements: Walter Wanderley Trio's "Rain Forest" album; Walter Wanderley Trio with Astrud Gilberto on the "A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness" album; and finally on Marcos Valle's "Samba '68" album.
1917     Jo Stafford, vocalist, b. Coalinga, CA, USA. né: Jo Elizabeth Stafford. Married to Paul Weston. Also remembered for her work with the The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
1912     "Sunshine Sue", C&W vocals, b. Kesauqua, IA, USA. née: Mary Arlene Higdon Sue is best recalled today as the singing hostess of the Richmond, Virginia radio station WRVA "Old Dominion Barn Dance" show
1943     Thorgeir Stubo, Guitar, b. Narvik, Norway, d. Oct. 22, 1986
1949     Arthur "Pooch" Tavares, singer. His 1976 UK single "Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel" charted No.4.
1900     Dean Upson, C&W vocals. Member: "The Vagabonds", comprised of Curt Poulton (vocals/guitar, b. 1907, Dulaney, WVa, USA ), Dean Upson (vocals, b. Nov. 12, 1900, d. 1975), and Herald Goodman (b. August 1900, d. 1974). Though now recalled as a C&W singing trio, they originally began their career sing Pop songs in Chicago, IL. They made their recording debut singing on a Brunswick record by bandleader Charley Straight. They soon had their own radio show, called The Vagabond Club, that was syndicated over 56 NBC stations. In late 1931, Nashville radio station WSM Manager Harry Stone invited them to join the station, and they became the first vocal group to star on the 'Grand Ole Opry'
1919     Jackie Washington, guitar, b. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1906     Bukka White, guitar/piano/songwriter, b. Houston, MS, USA.
1936     Robert White, guitar, b. Harrisburg, PA, USA.
1891     Richard Whiting, composer. d. Feb. 10, 1938, Vocalist Margaret Whiting's father.
1874     Bert Williams, vocals/vaudvillian, b. New Providence, Nassau, Bahamas
1945     Neil Young, singer-songwriter, b. Canada. Member groups: 'Buffalo Springfield', and 'Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young'.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1967.    Pearl Bailey became the lead ( and was a smash hit ) in the Broadway musical, 'Hello Dolly'.
1960.    "Lord" Richard Buckley, "Be-Bop oratory", died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 54. Oliver Trager, in his book "Dig Infinity - The Life and Art of Lord Buckley", described Buckley as "Lord Buckley: the white, six-and-a-half-foot-tall, ex-lumberjack cat who invoked both the manners of the English aristocracy and the street language of black America ... Lord Buckley: the picaresque pill-popping darling of Al Capone ... Lord Buckley: the jazz philosopher who jammed with Charlie Parker ... Lord Buckley: the original viper, the Hall of Fame Hipster, the baddest Beatnik, the first flower child, the premier rapper ... best known for his 'hipsemantic' retellings of Bible stories, Shakespeare soliloquies, and modern poetry in the 1950s."
1970.    Gene Gifford, arranger, guitar, banjo, died in Memphis, TN, USA. ( b. May 31, 1908. Americus, Georgia, USA)
1972.    Rudolf Friml, composer, piano, died in Hollywood, CA, USA.
1982.    Melvin Webb, drums, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 34
1983.    Preston Jackson, trombone, died in Blytheville, AR, USA. Age: 81
1985.    Dicky Wells, trombone, died in New York (Harlem), NY, USA. Age: 78. Worked with Count Basie.
1985.    John Lair died. He was a star of the 'Cumberland Ridge Runners', and founder of the 'Renfro Valley Barn Dance' show.
1988.    Vet Boswell, vocals, died in Peekskill, NY, USA. Age: 77. Member: 'The Boswell Sisters' vocal group.
1992.    Charles "Honi" Coles, tap dancer/vocals, died in New York (East Elmhurst), NY, USA. Age: 81. Member: Coles & Atkins (and solo)
1996.    Alan Littlejohn, trumpet, died in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
1998.    Kenny Kirkland, piano, died in New York, NY, USA.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1941    "Elmer's Tune", Blue Barron Orch.
     1941    "This Love of Mine" Blue Barron Orch.
     1941    "Why Don't We Do This More Often?" -Blue Barron Orch.
     1948    "My Darling, My Darling", Day, Doris
     1948    "On A Slow Boat To China", Goodman, Benny
     1948    "Little Bird Told Me, A", Knight, Evelyn
     1955    "It's Almost Tomorrow", Dream Weavers
     1955    "Only You (And You Alone)", Hilltoppers
     1955    "Sixteen Tons", Ford, Tennessee Ernie
     1966    "Stop Stop Stop", Hollies
     1966    "I'm Ready For Love", Martha and The Vandellas
     1977    "Back In Love Again, (Everytime I Turn Ar", L.T.D.
     1977    "Here You Come Again", Parton, Dolly
     1983    "Twist Of Fate", Newton-John, Olivia
     1988    "In Your Room", Bangles
     1988    "My Prerogative", Brown, Bobby
     1988    "Every Rose Has It's Thorn", Poison