BIRTHDAYS
1977    Fiona Apple, singer/songwriter, b. New York, NY, USA. née: Fiona Maggart.(daughter of singer Diane McAfee and actor Brandon Maggart). Perhpas best recalled for her 1996 album 'Tidal', which sold millions of copies.
1931    Joe "Mr. G" August, vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA>
1908    Leon "Chu" Berry, tenor sax, b. Wheeling, WV, USA, d. Oct. 30, 1941, Conneaut, OH, USA.
1922    Charles Brown, piano/vocals, b. Texas City, TX, USA, d. Jan. 21 (or 24), 1999, Oakland, CA. (Congestive Heart Failure) In 1940s and 1950s, Brown, worked with 'Johnny Moore and The Three Blazers' and on his own. He was fairly well known in the postwar Los Angeles music scene. Brown, with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, sought work in California during WWII. Landing in Los Angeles, he abandoned chemistry becoming an elevator-man in a building near Central Avenue, -a center of jazz and rhythm-and-blues. He appeared in an amateur hour at the Lincoln Theater, (like Harlem's Apollo). In the audience were guitarist Johnny Moore and his bassist friend Eddie Williams. Needing a pianist/singer, they hired Brown. The group became 'The Three Blazers'. They were one of the better examples of the new sophisticated rhythm-and-blues that was replacing Swing and Jazz as popular music. With Brown's voice out in front, they mixed swing, blues and often-advanced harmonies. In 1945, they recorded Brown's own composition "Drifting Blues," which became a minor hit. Another similar group at that time was Nat "King" Cole's trio (which, incidentally, featured Moore's brother Oscar on guitar). Brown's singing drawl was casual and intimate, and exerted great influence on his contemporaries. Ray Charles' early recordings are a direct imitation of Brown's style. Frankie Laine and Kay Starr were regulars at Brown's recording sessions, while scores of other R&B singers based their careers on his style. In 1948, Brown began recording under his own name. In 1949 he married rhythm-and-blues singer Mabel Scott. In 1951, his "Black Night" was a hit and, in 1952, "Hard Times", composed by the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, was another hit. In the following decades, Brown's style fell out of favor, and the 1970s found Brown working as a teacher and janitor. At the end of the '70s, European record companies began to take an interest, and his career again flourished. Singer Bonnie Raitt helped him late in his career, and in the early 1990s, he toured as Ms. Raitt's opening act, -which brought him to a new market. His hit "Merry Christmas Baby" is probably his best remembered recording. Brown was to have been inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in March, but suddenly died in January 2000. There were no survivors.
1948    Nell Carter, actress/vocalist. b: Birmingham, AL, USA, d: Jan.23, 2003, Beverly Hills, CA, USA. caberet performer, she first attained stardom in the musical revue "Aint Misbehavin'", (for which she won a Tony award.) She went on to perform in TV movies, TV specials, and film.
1912    Claude Casey, C&W singer/bandleader, b. Enoree, SC, USA.
1944    Peter Cetera, vocals/bass, b. Chicago, IL, USA. Member group: 'Chicago', 1976 single "If You Leave Me Now" charted US and UK No.1, the 1986 single "Glory Of Love" charted US No.1 and UK No.3.
1918    Ray Charles, Piano/arranger/choral director, b. Chicago, IL, USA, né Raymond Offenberg. Member group: (choral director) 'Ray Charles Singers'. This Ray Charles, often called "The Other Ray Charles", is not to be confused with that other Ray Charles. This Ray Charles is White, and can see, and is a Choral director. The other Ray Charles is Black, blind, and a Blues singer who was born on Sept. 23, 1930 - d. June 10, 2004, Beverly Hills, CA, USA. (Complications of Liver Disease). This Ray Charles is a two-time Emmy Award winner, and recipient of the Irwin Kostal Tribute Award. His career spanned radio, television, movies and records, during which time, he had a 35-year tenure as music director with singer Perry Como. Walter Miller, a well known TV producer, once called Charles "a giant in the music industry" and then, with an amusing nod to the Blues singing Ray Charles, said "you'd have to be blind not to recognize his talent." Nick Perito, Perry Como's music director during much of Charles' 35-year tenure with Perry, has told interviewers that Ray Charles had a "remarkable ability to turn a theatrical problem into something special." The Ray Charles Singers also recorded with Archie Bleyer's Orchestra, and the group, over their career, recorded perhaps a 100 songs.
1941    David Clayton-Thomas, (Blues- Rock) vocals, b. Surrey, England, UK. Member: 'Blood Sweat and Tears'
1962    Joanna Connor, vocals
1961    Bobbie Cryner, C&W singer/songwriter, b. Woodland, CA, USA.
1939    Elaine Delmar, Vocals/Piano, b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK. née: Elaine Hutchinson Her father was the famous British Jazz trumpeter Leslie 'Jiver' Hutchinson.
1898    Bernard Ette, Violin/Leader, b. Kassel, Germany, d. Sept. 26,1973
1946    Douglas Ewart, Alto Sax, b. Kingston, Jamaica
1914    Leonard Feather, Jazzwriter/critic/piano/composer. b. London, England, UK, d. Sept. 22, 1994, Sherman Oaks, CA, USA. né Leonard Geoffrey Feather. The Oxford Press has just published (Jan. 2000) a Jazz encyclopedia that Feather began work on back in 1960.
1950    Herbert Ford, drums/arranger, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA.
1934    Issacher "Izzy oo" Gordon, vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. Member: 'The Spiders'
1899    Frank "Big Boy" Goudie, Tenor Sax, Clarinet, trumpet. b. Youngsville, LA, USA. d. Jan. 9, 1964
1951    Lillian Pearl Green, (gospel) vocals, b. Renfrew, Ontario, Canada.
1932    Bengt Hallberg, piano, b. Gothenburg, Sweden
1889    Kelly Harrell, C&W singer/songwriter, b. Wythe County, VA, USA.
1916    Dick Haymes, Vocals, b. Buenos Aires, Argentina, d. March 28, 1980, Los Angeles, CA, USA. né: Richard Benjamin Haymes. Worked with the Benny Goodman, Harry James, and Les Brown Orchestras. (Les is currently -1999- working in London, Eng.). Also worked with Helen Forrest and Loonis McGlohon. Dick was married six times, including actress Rita Hayworth.
1954    Dan Hegarty, bassist, b. Great Britain. Member group: 'The Darts', 1978 single "Boy From New York City" charted UK No.2. When the UK's 'John Dummer Blues Band' disbanded, a new band, 'The Darts' was formed with John Dummer (drums) and Iain Thompson (bass) joining forces with Hammy Howell (keyboards), Horatio Hornblower (Nigel Trubridge; saxophone) and singers Rita Ray, Griff Fender (Ian Collier), bassist Den Hegarty, and Bob Fish (ex- Mickey Jupp Band) also joined this Rock and Roll band. It should be noted that there is an American band (not well known) called "The Darts" (Lexington-Fayette, KY), and also a (Glasgow, Scotland) group "Darts of Pleasure", - all separate groups.
1920    John Houston, Manager, b: Trenton, NJ, U.S., d: Feb. 2, 2003, New York, NY, U.S. He managed 'The Sweet Inspirations', a group his wife, singer, Cissy Houston was a member of - Father of singer Whitney Houston.
1938     Marchel Ivery, Tenor sax, b. Ennis, TX, USA, d. Oct 30, 2007, Dallas, TX, USA. (pneumonia) Age: 69.
1940     Michael James, R&B/Soul vocals, b. Jamaica. né: Jimmy James. In the late 1950s, two of his recordings, "Bewildered and Blue," and "Come to Me Softly" (the latter reached number 70 in the USA), were released on Jamaica's 'Tip Top' label, and reached No. 1 on the charts. In 1960, he joined a Jamaican group, the Vagabonds, and formed "Jimmy James & the Vagabonds". The group soon found work at the Marquee Club in London, England. In London, they signed with Pye Records. By and large, their recordings met with only moderate success, and in 1970, "The Vagabonds" disbanded. Jimmy James ( who owned the name) then recruited new Vagabonds: a four-piece all-White band that consisted of Chris Garfield (guitar), Alan Wood (bass), Russell Courtney (drums), and Alan Kirk (keyboards). The band gigged throughout the 1970-'80s. In the 1990s, James reunited for a few gigs with Winston Curtis and Count Prince Miller. ( CAUTION: Do Not Confuse with British Critic Michael James, b. August 13, 1932, . Reading, England, UK,)
1924    Maurice Alexis Jarre composer, b. Lyon, Rhône, France. This film composer is perhaps best known for his scores for the "Dr. Zhivago", and "Lawrence of Arabia" films.
1939    James Johnson, vocals, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Member groups: 'The Vibrations' and the 'Jayhawks'
1952    Randy Jones, vocals. Member: 'The Village People'
1893    Alex Kramer, songwriter, b. New York, NY, USA.
1905    Meade Lux Lewis, pianist, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1917    Lucille Masters, C&W vocals. né Lucille Ferdon. member: 'Masters Family'
1911    William Smith "Bill" Monroe, "Bluegrass" guitar/mandolin/vocals/composer, b. Rosine, KY, USA, d. Sept. 9, 1996. aka: "The Father of Bluegrass Music". Member: First 'The Monroe Brothers', and then 'The Blue Grass Boys'. In the 1920s, he and his older brother Charlie began performing as the 'Monroe Brothers' duet, but in 1939, they parted ways and Bill formed the first edition of the 'Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys'. The 1945 edition included Monroe on mandolin (Bill was a virtuoso mandolinist), Earl Scruggs (playing a three-finger roll now known as "Scruggs style") on banjo, Lester Flatt on guitar and vocals, 'Chubby' Wise on fiddle, and Howard Watts (aka: "Cedric Rainwater") on bass. It was this group's first recordings, that featured the string instrumentation and style, that later came to be known as 'Bluegrass'. As a composer, his "Blue Moon of Kentucky" has been covered by 'Pop' and 'rock and roll' groups. Over the years, hunreds of musicians played in various editions of "The Blue Grass Boys", including such stars as Vassar Clements, David "Stringbean" Akeman, Carter Stanley, Don Reno, Clyde Moody, Sonny Osborne, Jimmy Martin, Del McCoury, Mac Wiseman, Peter Rowan, and Randall Franks to name but a few.
Note:
'Bluegrass' is one of the several different musical genres covered by the catch-all phrase "Country AND Western". Other genres included are 'Western Swing', a sophisticated dance music popularized by Bob Wills, "Western" including traditional Western ballads and Hollywood Cowboy Music, "Bakersfield Sound" (popularized by Buck Owens and Merle Haggard), and "Appalachian". Other genres encompassed by the "C&W" label include Cajun and Zydeco, "Old-time" (generally pre-1930 folk music), rockabilly, 'Jug and Skiffle' bands, 'Outlaw Country', 'honky tonk', and 'gospel'.     'Bluegrass', an amalgam of old-time Country music, Folk, Blues, Ragtime and Jazz, was not played before World War II. It dates from 1945 with Bill Monroe as noted above. Still, ....in 1947, the Stanley Brothers recorded "Molly and Tenbrooks", a traditional song which they played in the 'Blue Grass Boys' style, and this too could be considered as the beginning of Bluegrass. Actually, no one person can lay claim to have "invented" the genre. Other early groups included "Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs with the Foggy Mountain Boys", "Reno and Smiley", "Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers", the "Lonesome Pine Fiddlers", "The Osborne Brothers", "'Jim and Jesse", and "Jimmy Martin". Today, two major subgenres exist, and have existed almost since the music's beginning. TRADITIONAL BLUEGRASS: using only acoustic instruments, and often playing just Folk songs, with simple traditional chord progressions ('I-IV-V' chord pattern is very common) PROGRESSIVE BLUEGRASS: using electric instruments and importing songs from other genres (mostly rock & roll). The term "newgrass" is attributed to 'New Grass Revival' member Ebo Walker.
1955    Joe Morris, guitar
1884     "Jelly Roll" Morton, Jazz pianist/leader/composer/vocals, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. July 10, 1941, Los Angeles, CA, USA. né: Ferdinand Joseph Lamothe. Various sources also list Morton's birth name as La Mothe, Lematt or Lemott. ( Various sources differing birthdates for Morton, but we are using the birthdate that appears on his World War 1 draft card , - a date that Morton gave to the draft board The research for this draft card was done by contributors to the excellent http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/draftcards1.html#introdc, -- UK Doctor Jazz website.). Born into a Creole family, he took the name "Morton" by Anglicizing the name of his step-father, Mouton.
1963    Dave Mustaine, guitarist/lyricist, b. La Mesa, CA, USA. Member groups: 'Metallica', 'Megadeth', 1990 single "No More Mr Nice Guy" charted UK No.13.
1967    Stephen Perkins, drums, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. Member groups: 'Jane's Addiction', 'Porno for Pyros', and also played drums for 'Methods of Mayhem' (Tour in 2000). Currently working with his bands 'Banyan', 'Monk With Gun' and 'Hellride'.
1939    Dave Quincy, alto and tenor sax. b. England, UK. Member group: Manfred Mann, 1964 single "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" charted UK and US No.1.
1940    Alex Riel, Drums, b. Copenhagen, Denmark
1897    David Rubinoff, violin/bandleader, b. Grodno, Russia (now Hrodno, Belarus), d. Oct. 6, 1986. His Tagline was "Rubinoff and His Magic Violin".
1931    Ivory Lee "King" Semien, drums, b. Washington, LA, USA.
1893    Larry Shields, Clarinet/composer, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. Nov. 21, 1953, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1956    Joni Sledge, vocals, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. Member: 'The Sledge Sisters'
1909    Leith Stevens, Piano/composer/leader, b. (some sources say b. Sept. 3) Mt. Moriah, MO, USA, d. July 23, 1970, Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA, USA. Perhaps, best remembered today as Composer and conductor for CBS Radio's "Academy Award Theater". Stevens was a child prodigy who, at only age 11, was already working professionally as accompanist to singers in Kansas City, MO. In 1927, he earned a Juilliard Foundation Fellowship (Juilliard School of Music - New York, NY), and in 1930 began working for CBS radio (in New York) as a conductor and arranger. In 1942, he was working for RKO in Hollywood, CA. His very first film score (for 'Syncopation') included the "American Rhapsody", a stand alone composition that was soon heard in concert halls across America. During WWII, Stevens worked with the 'Office of War Information' and served as radio director for the Southwest Pacific Area. Upon receiving his Service discharge, he returned to the Hollywood studios becoming a prolific composer of film and television scores. Sadly, Stevens died at age 60 from a massive heart attack upon learning that his wife had just been killed in a traffic accident.
1925    Melvin Howard "Mel" Torme, singer, drums, composer, piano, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. June 5, 1999, Los Angeles, CA. USA
1903    Ken "Rudy" Trietsch, leader (Hoosier Hot Shots), b. Arcadia (near Muncie), IN, USA.
1952    Don Was, bassist/duo group/producer, b. Detroit, MI, USA. Began his career as a session bassist, then, in the 1970s, formed an R&B/funk duo "Was (Not Was)" which achieved success in the mid-1980s. He then became a full time producer. Among the stars that he has helped are Bonnie Raitt (in 1989), Iggy Pop, Ringo Starr, the B-52s, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan, In 1993, he was hired by 'The Stones' to co-produce their "Voodoo Lounge", and has continued working with them on and off since then. He has produced a number of movie soundtracks.
1939    Moses Uzzell, vocals, b. La Grange, NC, USA. Member: 'The Corsairs'
1900    Daniel Williams, C&W fiddler, Member: 'The East Texas Serenaders'.
1952    Karen Wyman, vocals, b. New York (Bronx), NY, USA. Best recalled single: "Long & Winding Road" (1971).
         Notable Events on this date include:
1931.    Vaudeville star Eddie Cantor appeared for the first time on radio. He was the star of 'The Chase and Sanborn Hour', which would become one of the most popular radio shows of the 1930s.
1967.    Sidney DeParis, trumpet, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 62
1969.    Bert Courtley, trumpet, died in the UK.
1969.    Joe Watkins, drums, died. né: Thomas Joseph-Watkin
1981.    Bob Bates, bass, died (in Tulsa, OK, USA ??). One of three Bates brothers who played bass, - Bob, Jim and Norman Bates
1981.    Helen Humes, vocals, died in Santa Monica, CA, USA. Age: 68
1993.    Steve Jordan, guitar, died in Alexander, VA, USA. Age: 74
1984.    Titus Turner, vocals/songwriter, died in Atlanta, GA, USA. Age: 51
1990.    Ben Smathers, C&W dancer, died Age: 62. Member: "Stoney Mountain Cloggers"
1991.    Vern Yocum, clarinet, alto & baritone saxes, vocal, died (bladder cancer). (b. April 15, 1909, Sunbury, PA, USA)
1994.    John Stevens, British drummer, and founding member of the 'Spontaneous Music Ensemble' died CAUTION: Do not confuse with vocalist John Stevens, ;American Idol; show contestant. or with Jon Stevens, New Zealand born singer
               Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1922    Do I, Do I love her?, -Benson orch. of Chicago. Tune: Young-Lewis-Akst
1922    Toot Toot Tootsie Goodby, -Benson orch. of Chicago. Tune : Kahn; Erdman; Russo
1927    Pastafazoola (voc. T.S.), -Six Jumping Jacks (H. Reser Orch.).
1928    My Sorority Sweetheart, -Paul Ash and his orch.
1928    Main Street, -Lee Morse and her Bluegrass Boys.
1928    Sadness Will Be Gladness, -Mart Britt and his orch.
1929    Swanee Shuffle, -The Midnight Air-Dales. tune: Irving Berlin ex show: "Hallelujah"
1929    I Gotta Have You (voc. r.m.), -The Midnight Air-Dales.Tune: Samuels-Mac-Lenie
1929    Too Many Eyes, -Ipana Troubadors (S.Lanin Orch.).
1929    True Blue Lou, -Ipana Troubadors (S.Lanin Orch.).
1929    Jolly Wog, -Duke Ellington jungle band. Tune: Duke Ellington
1929    Jazz Convulsions, -Duke Ellington and his Orch. Tune: Duke Elington
1932    Down on the Delta, -Boswell Sisters and V. Young Orch.
1932    Sentimental Gentleman From Georgia, - Boswell Sisters w Dorsey Bros.
1933    The Last Roundup (voc. quartet), - Victor Young and his Orch. tune: billy Hill
1933    Snowball, -Hoagy Carmichael(voc. and piano).
1933    Lazy Bones, -Hoagy Carmichael(voc. and piano).
1934    La Cucuracha, - Lud Gluskin and his Orch.
1934    One Night Of Love, -Lud Gluskin and his Orch.
1934    The Continental, -Lud Gluskin and his Orch.
1935    Every Now And Then, -Ramona and her gang. tune: Lynn Cowan
1935    I Can't Give You Anything But Love, -Ramona and her gang. tune: dorothy fields-jimmy mchugh
1937    He's Funny That Way, -Billie Holiday voc.
1938    High Society, - Bunny Berigan and his Orch. tune: Porter Steele-Walter Melrose
1938    When Prince of a Fellow Meets Cinderella, - Bunny Berigan and his Orch. Tune: Manny kurtz-j.van heusen
1938    Cielito Lindo (Beautiful Heaven), - Ella Logan acc. Perry Botkin Orch.
1939    I Didn't Know What Time It Was, - Benny Goodman and his Orch.
1939    Scatter Brain, -Benny Goodman and his Orch.
1940    Trade Winds, - Dorsey, Tommy
1940    Trade Winds, - Crosby, Bing
1941    I'm Coming Virginia, -Sidney Bechet New Orleans Feetwarmers. tune: Will Cook-Donald Heywood
1941    Limehouse Blues, -New Orleans Feetwarmers. tune: Douglas Furber-Philip Braham
1941    Georgia Cabin, -Bechet New orleans Feetwarmers. tune: Mary Karoly-Sidney Bechet
1945    Till The End Of Time, - Haymes, Dick
1945    11:60 P.M., - James, Harry
1945    Along The Navajo Trail, - Shore, Dinah
1946    South America, Take It Away!, - Cugat, Xavier
1946    Harry James and his Orch. Oh But I Do
1946    Dinah Shore A Rainy Night In Rio
1946    Harry James and his Orch. Keb-Lah Tune: Juan Tizol-Harry James
1947    I Wish I Didn't Love You So, - Monroe, Vaughn
1947    (Love Is) The Tender Trap, Frank Sinatra vocal (Capitol Records)
1969    I'm Gonna Make You Mine, - Christie, Lou
1969    That's The Way Love Is, - Gaye, Marvin
1975    Mr. Jaws, - Goodman, Dickie
1975    Miracles, - Jefferson Starship
1980    Woman In Love, - Streisand, Barbra
1986    Sweet Love, - Baker, Anita
1986    True Colors, - Lauper, Cyndi
1986    I Didn't Mean To Turn You On, - Palmer, Robert