BIRTHDAYS
1931     Nathaniel "Nat" Adderley, Cornet, b. Tampa, FL, USA. d. Jan. 2, 2000, Lakeland, FL, USA (complications due to Diabetes). Brother of "Cannonball" Adderley
1946     Jonas Bernholm, label owner (Route 66 and Mr. R&B), b. Stockholm, Sweden. Bernholm, who ran the labels from his home in Sweden, perhaps did more than anyone else to bring the early Rock and Rollers to the public's attention. He helped to re-discover many of the early unsung originators of rock and roll, interviewed them, photographed them, documented their lives, honored them, and paid them more royalties than they had ever seen. He used his labels not to profit from these early rockers, but to give them credit and to document their history. (Elvis Presley did not invent rock and roll during an unrehearsed jam at Sun records in 1954.)
1952     Rex Allen, trombone/leader, b. San Leandro, CA, USA. Played with Delta Jazz; San Francisco Swing Express, and the World's Greatest Jazz Band
1915     Gus Bivona, Clarinet/sax, b. New London, CT, USA. d. Jan. 5, 1996, Woodland Hills, CA, USA.
1914     Eddie Boyd, piano, b. Stovall, MS, USA. d. July 13, 1994
1932     Palle S. P. Bolvig, Trumpet/composer. b. Copenhagen, Denmark. Formally trained in music. Lead Trumpet with Ib Glindermann Orch.
1929     Rusty Bryant, Tenor Sax, b. Huntington, WV, USA, d. March 25, 1991 Columbus, OH, USA.
1919     Joe "Bebop" Carroll, Vocal, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. Feb. 1, 1981 Mew York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Best recalled as comic vocalist with Dizzy Gillespie 1949-'53
1940     Johnny Carver, (C&W) vocals, b. Jackson, MS, USA
1957     Elisabeth Caumont, vocals.
1967     Joseph A. "Cookie" Chavis, Zydeco guitar, b. Lake Charles, LA, USA. Member: "Buckwheat Zydeco"
1934     Alan Cohen, Reeds/Arranger/Composer, b. London, England
1931     Charles Crosby, drums, b. Memphis, TN, USA. played in High School band with Phineas Newhorn.
1957     Honey Davis, guitar, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1924     Paul Desmond, Alto Sax, b. San Francisco, CA, USA. d. May 30, 1977. (né: Paul Emil Breitenfeld). Studied San Francisco State Univ. Father organist in Silent Movies. Paul played with the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
1946     Guilherme Franco, Drums, b. Sao Paulo, Brazil
1925     Matthew Gee, Jr., Trombone, b. Houston, TX, USA. d. July 18, 1979, New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Studied Alabama State Univ.
1960     Amy Grant, Pop/gospel vocals, b. Augusta, GA, USA, (Raised in Nashville, TN)
1895     Wilmoth Houdini, (calypso) vocals/songwriter, b. Port Of Spain, BWI
1920     Inez Jennings, vocals, b. ?Sumter, SC, USA.
1928     Jimmy Johnson, guitar, b. Holly Springs, MS, USA
1928     Etta Jones, Vocal, b. Aiken, SC, USA. d. Oct 16, 2001, Mount Vernon, NY, USA. Even though Etta was nominated for two Grammy nominations, and had a Million Seller Gold album. she never achieved truly great fame while enjoying a 50 year career as a singer. In 1943, at just age 15, Etta was already working professionally as a member of pianist Buddy Johnson's big band, and in 1944 recorded her first album. She left Johnson in 1944, but continued singing and recording with such musicians as Earl "Fatha" Hines, Barney Bigard, and J. C. Heard. By 1952, the Big Bands era had ended, and Etta became a solo vocalist, -while working at "day" jobs to make ends meet. She often worked odd jobs such as elevator operator, seamstress and album stuffer. In 1960, she became a nationally known name when her recording of "Don't Go To Strangers", sold a million copies earning her a Gold record. In 1968, Etta appeared in Washington, D. C. for a gig with saxophonist Houston Person's Trio. The chemistry between Etta and Houston was similar to that between Billie Holiday and Lester Young, and Etta and Houston wound up staying together for the next 28 years. In the early 1990s, she was diagnosed with Cancer, but contined to work. She began collaborating with pianist Benny Green and blues man Charles Brown. When Etta died, at age 72 due to complications of her Cancer, the world lost a truly fine vocal talent.
1964     Mark Lanegan, (rock) singer/songwriter, b. Ellensburg, WA, USA. Member group: 'Screaming Trees'
1966     Stacy Lattisaw, (Urban Soul) vocals, b. Washington, D.C., USA.
1944     Bob Lind, vocals, b. Baltimore, MD, USA.
1924     Jack Maher, publisher, d. 2003
1945     Lee Michaels, keyboards, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA.
CAUTION: Do not confuse with Johnny Lee Michaels, born in Helsinki, Finland 1963, a 1980s-90s singer / songwriter in several Finnish rock groups. He is self trained as a composer, and he later became established as a film and TV-drama composer.
1948     Jim O'Neal, co-founder: Living Blues, b. Fort Wayne, IN, USA.
1906     Will Osborne , Bandleader, d. Oct. 22, 1981, Los Angeles, CA, USA. né: Will Oliphant. Will's band was featured in the 1941 Richard Whorf and Bonita Granville film, "Blues In The Night", and in 1946 film "Swing Parade of 1946". Perhaps best recalled today for his "Crooning Feud" with Rudy Vallee.
1943     Jerry Portnoy, Jazz/Pop Harmonica, b. Chicago’, IL, USA.
1959     Steve Rothery, guitar, b. Brampton, South Yorkshire, England. - Marillion
1900     Arthur Schwartz, composer, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. d. 1984, Kintnersville, PA, USA.
1937     Milford "Blue Scotty" Scott, piano, b. Williamston, SC, USA.
1941     Percy Sledge, Singer, b. Leighton, Al, USA.
1910     William McLeish "Willie" Smith, Alto Sax, b. Charleston, SC, USA. d. March 7. 1967, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Do Not confuse with "Willie The Lion" Smith (a pianist). Started playing at age 10. Attended Fisk Univ. in Nashville, TN where he met Jimmy Lunceford, in whose band he later played.. Played With: Charlie Barnet; Duke Ellington; Harry James; Jimmie Lunceford; Billy May's Orchestra; Charlie Spivak
1897     "Willie "The Lion" Smith, Pianist. b. Goshen, NY, USA. d. April 18, 1973. né: William Henry Joseph Berthol Bonaparte Bertholoff. Willie was Born of Jewish and Negro parents. He remained unknown to the larger Public until about the early 1930s. His father died in 1901, and Willie took the surname - Smith - of his stepfather. It may have been his bombastic speech and constant Cigar smoking that drew the public's attention, but it was his excellent pianist style for which he is best recalled today. He is one of the "originals" of Jazz Piano, and influenced many others. He could on one hand conjure up some lovely and haunting melodies, and the next moment play some powerful "Stride" passages. In 1914, he first worked professionally (in Newark, NJ) and was touring Europe in 1917. During WW1, he served with the 350th Field Artillery and served in the Front Lines (for almost 33 days continuously. His bravery earned him his nickname of "Willie The Lion".) During the 1920s, he had his own band (in Harlem, NYC) at Leroy's and later at Harlem's 'Pod and Jerry's' club. He toured both the USA and Canada working as a 'singles' act. During Prohibition, he was playing piano at the OynxClub on New York's famed 52nd St (Swing Street). His larger fame came in 1935 when he began recording for Decca Records. During the 1940s, he freelanced in the NYC Clubs. He worked with trumpeter Max Kaminsky at the Pied Piper (New York's Greenwich Village area) in 1944. During 1949-50, he again toured Europe and a stop in Morocco too. During the 1950s, he was a staple at the Central Plaza sessions and in 1958 played at the Newport, RI, Jazz Festival. Duke Ellington dedicated a composition to him - "Portrait of The Lion".
1933    Graham Menzies "Speddo" Spedding, reeds/clarinet/vocals, b. Sydney, NSW, Australia. Played with Zenith JB 1953-55; Southern Cross JB to Moscow 1957; Black Opal JB 1958-60; Jazz Pirates 1960-62; Graeme Bell's All Stars 1963-67; Left Australia 1968 in South Africa, then England; Joe Daniels; John Parker; Eric Silk; Black Bottom Stompers; Returned Sydney 1975; Ray Price 'til 1977; Abbey JB
1909     William O'Neil Spencer, Drums/vocals, b. Cedarville, OH, USA. d. 1944.
1966     Terrell Stafford, trumpet, b. Miami, FL, USA.
1961     Eddie Stubbs, C&W fiddler/Grand Ole Opry announcer, b. Gaithersburg, MD, USA. Prior to joining the "Opry", Stubbs had been a member of the "Johnson Mountain Boys", and the "Kitty Wells band".
1968     Tunde Jegede, (classical) composer, b. London, England, UK. Member: Lighthouse Family
1927     Richard Macqueen "Dick" Wellstood, piano, b. Greenwich, CT, USA. d. July 24, 1987, Palo Alto, CA, USA. Played with Sidney Bechet; Dukes of Dixieland; Roy "Little Jazz" Eldridge; Conrad Janis; Gene Krupa; Jimmy McPartland; Charlie Shavers; Rex Stewart; Bob Wilber; Worlds Greatest Jazz Band.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1929.    Katie Crippen, vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 34
1949.    Bill"Bojangles" Robinson, vocals/dancer, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 71
1955.    The Bill Haley and his Comets release of "Rock Around The Clock", after reaching No. 1 in the USA, went to No.1 in the UK too.
1966.    Harold Burrage, piano/songwriter, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 35
1968.    James Collins, vocals, died in Harvey, IL, USA. Age: 57. worked with both Count Basie and Earl Hines bands.
1970.    Albert Ayler, tenor sax, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 34 (some sources claim he died variously between Nov. 5 and 25)
1983.    Waymon Reed, trumpet, died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 43
1988.    Gertrude Wells, piano, died in Washington, DC, USA. Age: 88. Worked with Elmer Snowden
1993.    Larry Uttah, producer/label owner (Madison records), died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 71
1995.    Ambrose Thibodeaux, cajun Lafayette, LA, USA. Age: 92
2004.    Bobby Lee House, C&W songwriter, died. Age: 55.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
     1943 "They're Either Too Young Or Too Old", Dorsey, Jimmy
     1949 "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer", Autry, Gene
     1949 "Dear Hearts And Gentle People", Crosby, Bing
     1949 "Mule Train", Ford, Tennessee Ernie
     1967 "Open Letter To My Teenage Son, An", Lundberg, Victor
     1967 "I Second That Emotion", Miracles
     1967 "Skinny Legs And All", Tex, Joe
     1967 "In And Out Of Love", Supremes
     1972 "Superfly", Mayfield, Curtis
     1978 "Promises", Clapton, Eric
     1989 "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You", Bolton, Michael
     1989 "This One's For The Children", New Kids On The Block