BIRTHDAYS
1958     Howard Alden, Guitar, b. Newport Beach, CA, USA
1903     David Bee, Arranger, b. Brussels, Belgium
1936     Sathima Bea Benjamin, vocals, b. Cape Town, South Africa Sathima is the wife of Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand).
1922     Luiz Floriano Bonfa, composer/guitar/vocal, b: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, d. Jan. 12, 2001, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, (cancer).
1953     Joseph Bowie, trombone, b. St.Louis, MO, USA
1920     John "Picket" Brunious, piano/trumpet, b: New Orleans, LA, USA. Played with Paul Barbarin; Onward Brass Band and others.
1906     William Randolph "Cozy" Cole, Drums, b. East Orange, NJ, USA. d. Jan. 29, 1981, Columbus, OH, USA (some claim b. 1909). Cozy has said that he was inspired as a youngster by the playing of Sonny Greer. In 1930, he recorded with Jelly Roll Morton. From 1932-5, he played with Blanche Calloway's band, and then off and on with Willie Bryant for a year and a half. During 1936-'38, he worked with "Stuff" Smith, but his big break came in 1939 when he joined Cab Calloway's band. (Probably his best recording: "Crescendo in Drums"). During 1943-'45, he was part of Raymond Scott's,band on CBS radio .He next appeared on the Broadway stage in the shows '45-'46, 'Seven Lively Arts' and in 'Carmen Jones', - while also working briefly with Benny Goodman at this time. He freelanced in NYC until 1949 when he joined Louis Armstrong, (4-1/2 years). In 1954, he started a Drum School with Gene Krupa. He has recorded very prolifically, and is only one of a small handful of drummers to please every school of Jazz. (Others included "Big Sid" Catlett and Dave Tough.) During 1942-'45, he studied at New York's famed Juilliard School of Music and also studied with Saul Goodman of the New York Philharmonic, during which time he acquired some knowledge of the vibraphone, clarinet, and piano, as well as advancing his own knowledge of the tympani. He toured Europe in '49 and '53 with Armstrong and also appeared with Armstrong in the 'biopic' movie 'The Glenn Miller Story'.during 1955-'58, he often appeared in NY's Metropole Cafe, and toured Britain and Europe with Jack Teagarden's band. In '57, with Earl Hines band. Cozy won the Esquire Silver Award in 1944.
1901     Lee Collins, Trumpet, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. July 3, 1960, Chicago, IL, USA. (One of this writer's favorite Dixieland Jazz records has the 'Jones And Collins Astoria Hot Eight' playing "Astoria Strut" and "Duet Stomp". My copy was the Commodore label re-release.)
1905     Jerry Colonna, trombone/vocals/comedian, b: Boston, MA, USA. d: 1986. Played in Richard Himber and Ozzie Nelson bands but now best remembered as comedian on Bob Hope shows.
1941     Earl Thomas Conley, singer-songwriter, b. Portsmouth, OH, USA.
1935     Gretchen Cryer, Composer, b: Dunreith, IN, USA.
1913     'Yodelin' Tommy Floyd, C&W/Bluegrass vocals, d. July 28, 2002, Asheboro, NC, USA. né: Thomas Calvin Floyd. He was the leader of "The Blue Grass Buddy's".
1914     Steve Gibson, bass vocals/guitar, b. Lynchburg, VA, USA. Member: 'The 5 Red Caps'
1949     Liz Gorrill, piano, b. Glen Cove (LI), NY, USA. aka: Kazzrie Jaxen. Liz currently (2004) lives in Callicoon, NY, USA.
1900     James Henry "Jimmy' Harrison, Trombone, b. Louisville, KY, USA. d. July 23, 1931, New York, NY, USA.
1918     Rita Hayworth, actress/dancer/vocs, b. Brooklyn, NY, USA, d. May 14, 1987, New York, NY, USA. Alzheimer's Disease. nee: Margarita Carmen Cansino. Very early in her acting/dancing career, she was sometimes credited as Rita Cansino. Later on, she was known as "The Love Goddess". In 1949, Rita interrupted her career to marry playboy Prince Aly Khan. The marriage was unhappy almost from the start, to their divorce. After divorcing Aly, Rita had some of her best straight acting performances, in 'Miss Sadie Thompson (1953), and 'They Came to Cordura' (1959). From 1960 (age 42) on, her powers greatly diminished due to the early onset of Alzheimer's disease (undiagnosed until 1980). By 1981, she was almost helpless. Rita was lovingly cared for until her death at age 68, by her daughter (from the Aly Khan marriage) Princess Yasmin.
1935     Monk Higgins, tenor sax/producer, b. Menifee, AR, USA. d. July 3, 1985, Inglewood, CA, USA. Age: 50 né: Milton Bland
1946    Mike Hossack, drums/congas/timbales/percussion, b. Patterson NJ, USA. Member groups: 'The Doobie Brothers' (1972-'74); 'Bonaroo' (1975). 1979 single "What A Fool Believes" charted US No.1. (In 2001, Hossack was in a serious motorcycle accident near Sacramento. Mike was headed to a 'Doobie Brothers' gig at Lake Tahoe, NV, when his motorcycle collided with a car.) NOTE: This birthdate is from Mike Hossack.
1941     Alan Howard, Bass, b. Dagenham, Essex, England. Member: 'Brian Poole & The Tremeloes'
1958     Alan Eugene Jackson C&W vocals, b. Newnan, GA, USA.
1959     Gary Kemp, rocker Member: Spandau Ballet
1923     Barney Kessel, Guitar, b. Muskogee, OK, USA, d. May 6, 2004
1945     Holly Maxwell, vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1929     Tina Mayfield, vocals, b. Stamps, AR, USA.
1942     Gary Puckett, vocals. b. Hibbing, MN, USA. Member: Union Gap, 1968 single "Young Girl" charted UK No.1.
1934     Rico Rodriquez, (Ska) trombonist, b. Kingston, Jamaica. Member group: 'The Specials'
1941     James Seals, vocals. b. Sidney TX, USA. Member: 'Seals & Crofts'
1911     Jan Sima, Arranger/Leader, b. Prague, Czechoslovakia
1933     "Soeur Sourire" ("Sister Smile"), vocals/guitar/composer, b. Brussels, Belgium, d. March 29, 1985, Brussels, Belgium (suicide). aka: "The Singing Nun". née: Jeanine Deckers. As a very young girl, she learned to sing, to play the guitar, and to compose. In the 1950s she joined a Dominican convent, chose a new name: Sister Luc-Gabrielle, and began singing and playing her guitar for various church affairs. She was soon signed to a contract by the Philips Record Co., with her profits being donated to her Order (because of her vow of poverty). For these recordings, 'Sister Luc' adopted the stage name 'Soeur Sourire' ("Sister Smile"). In 1963, she wrote her one big hit "Dominique" (a tribute to the founder of her Dominican order), which went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Gospel music that year. In 1965, after MGM turned her life into a syrupy movie The Singing Nun, starring Debbie Reynolds, she stopped performing and concentrated on her convent studies. In 1966, she left the convent, changed her name to Luc Dominique, and resumed her singing career, which more and more included controversial themes. In the late 1960s, she and her friend Annie Pescher, formed a school for Autistic children. It all came to an end for "Soeur Sourire" in 1980, when the Belgian government claimed that the 'Singing Nun' owed over $60,000 in back taxes for the money she had earned during her singing career as a nun. The Government was adamant in their claim even though they knew all the proceeds had been donated to her religious order (The Dominicans). In 1985, "Luc Dominique" and Annie Pescher made a suicide pact and killed themselves.
1901     Leslie Anthony Thompson, Trumpet, trombone, b. Kingston, Jamaica, d. 1987
1946     Jim Tucker, Guitar. b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. Member (until 1965) group: The Turtles
1951     Shari Ulrich, vocals, b. San Rafael, CA, USA. Member group: UHF (Ulrich Henderson Forbes) She originally worked with "The Hometown Band", which backed 'Valdy'
   Notable Events on this date include:
1910.    Julia Ward Howe, composer of "Battle Hymn of the Republic", died at age 91
1927.    Louis Cottrell Sr, drums, died in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. (b. Dec 25, 1878, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
1945.    Juan Peron becomes dictator of Argentina. Wife Evita greatly helped in revival of Tango dancing.
1962.    Henry "Rubberlegs" Williams, vocals/dancer, died in New York, NY. Age: 55
1968.    Garley Foster, member of the "Carolina Tarheels," died. Age: 63
1972.    Edgar V. Blanchard, guitar, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 48
1976.    Ernie Newton, C&W (upright) acoustic bass, died. Age: 66
1984.    Alberta Hunter, vocals, died in New York (Roosevelt Island), NY. Age: 89
1991.    C&W singer"Tennessee" Ernie Ford died at age 72. Perhaps biggest hit was "16 Tons".
2001.    Jay Livingston, composer, died in Los Angeles CA, USA.
2002.    Beecher Kirby "Bashful Brother Oswald," age 90, died in Madison, TN, USA.
2002.    Henri Renaud, piano, producer, died in Paris, France
   Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1940   "Pompton Turnpike ", - Charlie Barnet Orch
1940   "Only Forever ", - Tommy Dorsey Orch
1941   "Time Was ", - Jimmy Dorsey Orch
1941   "This Love Of Mine ", - Tommy Dorsey
1947   "Kokomo, Indiana ", - Vaughn Monroe orch.
1947   "Near You ", - Alvino Rey Orch.
1947   "I Wish I Didn't Love You So ", - Dinah Shore
1952   "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me ", - Karen Chandler
1952   "Yours ", - Vera Lynn
1953   "Istanbul ", - Four Lads
1960   "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go ", - Hank Ballard
1960   "North To Alaska ", - Johnny Horton
1960   "Blue Angel ", - Roy Orbison
1964   "Door Is Still Open To My Heart, The ", - Dean Martin
1970   "Montego Bay ", - Bobby Bloom
1981   "Waiting For A Girl Like You ", - Foreigner
1981   "Physical ", - Ol;ivia Newton-John
1987   "Should've Known Better ", - Richard Marx
1987   "The One I Love ", - Rem
1992   "Erotica ", - Madonna