BIRTHDAYS
1955     Jay Anderson, Bassist/composer, b. Upland, California, USA.
1939     Ronald "Ron" Aprea, flute/reeds, b: New York (Queens County), NY. USA.
1931     Tommy Bankhead, guitar, b. Lake Comorant, MS, USA.
1902     Louis Barbarin, Drums, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. May 12, 1997, Age: 94. Another of the great New Orleans Jazzmen. He was the son of brass player Isadore Barbarin, and the brother of Paul Barbarin. Among the bands with whom he played are Jack Carey; Punch Miller; The Onward Brass Band; "Kid" Rena, "Papa" French, Armand J. Piron, Oscar "Papa" Celestin, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, among others. He also played with such men as Earl "the Fatha" Hines, and Sylvester and Jim Robinson. He retired in the mid-1980s due to hearing problems.
1950     Tom Ball, Blues harmonica, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1930     "Big Bopper", R&R vocals. b. Sabine Pass, TX, USA. né: Jiles Perry Richardson.
1910     Stella Brooks, vocalist, b.Seattle, Washington, USA, d. Dec 13, 2002, San Francisco CA, USA. (various sources claim b. Nov. 24, 1915). Brooks was very well known to New York city audiences all throughout the 1930s and '40s, when she often appeared on that city's famed 52nd Street ("Music Street"), and 'Greenwich Village; area clubs. She often appeared with such bandleaders as Art Hodes, Georg Brunis and Joe Sullivan, and with famed soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet. Sadly, during the '50s, her popularity wained with the introduction of rock and roll and the public's changing musical tastes. In the 1960s, she retired from active performing, and returned to her hometown, San Francisco.
1948     (Robert) Edgar Broughton, vocals/guitar, b. Warwick, England. Member group: The Edgar Broughton Band, - formed in 1968 was led by the Broughton brothers, vocalist/guitarist Edgar and drummer Steve, and included bassist Arthur Grant and guitarist Victor Unitt (who also briefly served with the 'Pretty Things').
1901     Ralph "Cricket" Brown, Bass, Leader, tuba, b. Texas, USA d. 1973. 'Cricket' led his own band Feb.to August 1928, then with Earl Burtnett and Horace Heidt Orchs.
1930     Tony Carr, Percussion, b. Malta
1935     Sanford Clark, C&W singer-songwriter/guitarist, b. Tulsa, OK, USA.
1954     Anthony Cox, Acoustic Bass, b. Ardmore, OK, USA.
1936     Jimmy Dawkins, Singer/Songwriter/Guitar, b. Tchula, MS, USA.
1942     Rein De Graaff, Piano, b. Groningen, Netherlands
1946     Jerry Edmonton, R&R drums, b. born in Canada. Member: Steppenwolf
1907     Andre Ekyan, Clarinet/Alto-Tenor sax, vocal, b. Meudon, France, d. August 9, 1972
1937     Santo Farina, composer/guitar, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Member: 'Santo & Johnny'. (Johnny Farina, b. April 30 , 1941, New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. )
1947     Banu Gibson, vocals
1934     Glen Glenn, C&W vocals, b. Joplin, MO, USA. né: Glen Troutman.
1952     Mark Gray, C&W singer-songwriter/musician, b. Vicksburg, MS, USA.
1948     Dale Griffin, R&R vocals, b. Ross-On-Wye, Herefordshire, England. Member: 'Mott The Hoople'
1904     Moss Hart, Playwright/librettist/director. Married to actress/vocalist Kitty Carlyle Hart.
1905     Kristian Hauger, Piano, b. Olso, Norway, d. Oct. 18, 1977
1937     Clarence Hollimon, guitar, b. Houston, TX< USA.
1919     Willie "Little Red" Holmes, vocals, b.Christchurch, VA, USA. The Holmes Brothers are a trio who've been playing gospel and blues in one form or another since 1966. The brothers Willie. Sherman and Wendell Holmes were all born in Christchurch, VA, USA.
1947     Kevin Kline, Actor/singer
1925     Willie Mabon, piano/vocal/harmonica, b. Hollywood TN, USA,. d: April 19, 1985, Paris France.
1961     Rick Margitza, tenor sax
1900     Lawrence Marrero, Banjo, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. June 5, 1959, New Orleans, LA, USA. (some sources claim d. June 6, 1959)
1920     Wendell Marshall, Bass, b. St.Louis, MO, USA. d. Feb. 6, 2002. First cousin of Jimmy Blanton
1929     Dan Morganstern, Writer, b. Munich, Germany
1943     Seppo Paakkunainen, Baritone-tenor sax/flute, b. Tuusula, Finland
1938     Odean Pope, tenor sax/Leader, b. Ninety Six, SC, USA.
1914     James Theodore "Jimmie" Powell, tenor-alto Sax/clarinet/flute , b. New York, NY, USA.
1930     J. P. (Jiles Perry) Richardson ("The Big Bopper"), singer/songwriter, b. Sabine Pass, TX, USA.
1921     Douglas "Dougle" Robinson, alto sax/clarinet/flute, b: Birmingham-Warwickshire, UK. Played with Ambrose; Tito Burns; Johnny Claes; Teddy Joyce; Ronnie Scott.
1950     Paul and Barry Ryan, vocals, b. Leeds, Yorkshire, England, (Paul died d. Nov. 29, 1992). Paul and Barry were identical twins born this date, the sons of Marion Ryan, , a popular 1950s singer. Their ather was their mother's first husband, Lloyd Sapherson. (Her 2nd husband was show business impresario Harold Davidson -Frank Sinatra's agent).. Growing up, they used their real surname, Sapherson, but by the time of their 15th birthday the twins had entered show business and taken their mother's name - Ryan. Originally, the twins worked as a team, but in 1968, Barry Ryan went solo, and Paul started songwriting. Perhaps the best known result of this new partnership was "Eloise", Barry's magnum opus. Barry soldiered on for several years after without achieving the same heights again. When Paul died in 1992, he was only 44 years old.
1934     Whitey Shafer, C&W songwriter, b. Whitney, TX, USA.
1943     "Corky" Siegel, piano/harmonica, b. Chicago, IL, USA. Member: "The Siegel Schwall Band"
1944     Bettye Swann, vocals, b. Shreveport, LA, USA. née: Betty Jean Campion
1954     Perry Lee "Tiny" Tavares, vocals, b. Cape Verde Islands. Member: 'The Tavares Brothers', (Ralph, Perry Lee "Tiny, Arthur "Pooch", Antone "Chubby", and Feliciano "Butch")
1944     Ted Templeman, vocals/drums/trumpet, b. Santa Cruz, CA, USA. Member: Harper's Bizarre. The group, formed in 1963, consisted of Templeman (Leader), Dick Scoppettone (b. July 5, 1945, Santa Cruz, CA -guitar, vocals), Eddie James (b. Santa Cruz, CA -guitar, vocals), and Dick Yount (b. January 9, 1943 -guitar, bass, drums), and John Peterson (b. January 8, 1945; San Francisco, CA -drums), who joined in 1966.
1911     Sonny Terry, Harmonica/Vocals, b. Durham, NC, USA. d: March 11, 1966, Mineola, NY, USA. né: Saunders Terrell, -Blind from 1929. (some sources claim b. Greensboro, NC, USA.)
1953     Billy Thomas, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Ft. Myers, FL, USA. Member vocals group: "McBride & The Ride". CAUTION: Do not confuse with another C&W star, Billy Joe Thomas (B. J. Thomas). b. August 7, 1942, Hugo, Oklahoma
1889     Frank B. Walker, A&R/producer (for Columbia), b. Fly Summit, NY, USA.
1900     Joe Watkins, Drums, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. Sept. 13, 1969
1906     Sandy Williams, Trombone, b. Summerville, SC, USA, d. March 25, 1991
1921     Connie "Williams" Woodruff, piano, b: Newark, NJ, USA.
1936     Bill Wyman, R&R songwriter (also bassist with 'The Stones'), b. Lewisham, London, England. né: William Perks. Member: The Rolling Stones. Later owned own London U.K. restaurant ('Sticky Fingers')
         Notable Events on this date include:
1939.    Benny Goodman Band recorded "Let's Dance". It became the band's "In-Theme" ("Goodbye" was their 'Out-Theme)
1960.    15 year-old Brenda Lee's release "I Want to Be Wanted" charted #1,her 2nd Gold of the year. (First was "I'm Sorry")
1964.    Joe Henderson, vocals, died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 27
1983.    Kirk McGee, C&W Vocals/Guitar/Fiddle/Mandolin, died Franklin, TN, USA Age: 83. Member team of 'Sam & Kirk McGee'. (Sam Fleming McGee, Vocals/Guitar/Banjo/Tiple/Steel Guitar, b. May 1, 1894, Williamson County, TN, USA, and Kirk McGee, b. Nov. 4, 1899, Williamson County, TN, USA)
1984.    Gene Sullivan, C&W singer-songwriter, died. Age: 69. Member: "Wiley & Gene", one of Country music's most successful duets of the late 1930's & 1940's. Gene co-composed "Live and Let Live" and "When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again".
1987.    Joe Patek, sax, died in Shiner, TX, USA. Age: 80
1987.    Revella Hughes, vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 92
1989.    Sahib Shihab, alto-bari sax/flute, died in Tennessee, USA. Age: 64
2005.    Ron Simmonds, trumpet, arranger, vocal, died in Vania, Spain. Age: 77
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1939   "Let's Dance", Benny Goodman Orch. (recording date)
1940   "Ferryboat Serenade ", - Kay Kyser Orch
1941   "You Made Me Love You ", - Harry James Orch
1947   "You Do ", - Bing Crosby
1947   "You Do ", - Vaughn Monroe Orch
1947   "You Do ", - Margaret Whiting
1960   "Alone At Last ", - Jackie Wilson
1960   "Poetry In Motion ", - Johnny Tillotson
1964   "You Really Got Me ", - Kinks
1964   "Leader Of The Pack ", - Shangri-Las
1970   "Gypsy Woman ", - Brian Hyland
1981   "Why Do Fools Fall In Love ", - Diana Ross
1987   "Shake Your Love ", - Debbie Gibson
1987   "Don't You Want Me ", - Jody Watley
1987   "We'll Be Together ", - Sting
1992   "Good Enough ", - Bobby Brown
1992   "If I Ever Fall In Love ", - Shai
1992   "Rump Shaker ", - Wreckx-N-Effect