BIRTHDAYS
1921     Charles Bateman, piano, b. Youngstown, OH, USA
1944     Ginger Boatwright, (Bluegrass) vocals/guitar, b. Columbus, MS, USA.
1968     Jon Brooks, drums, b. West Bromich, England, Member group: The Charlatans. Other bandmembers have included -over time - Tim Burgess (vocals, b. Salford, Manchester, England); Martin Blunt (bass guitar); Tony Rogers (Hammond organ, Keyboards, b. East Midlands area, Eng.); Mark Collins (guitar); Jon Baker (guitar 1990); Baz Ketley (vocals/composer); and Rob Collins (Hammond organ, keyboards. d. July 22, 1996 -car accident age: 33) CAUTION: There is another Jon Brooks, born: (date unknown), Reading, England, who plays Trombone, and has worked with such groups as 'The More', 'The Skangsters', and 'Powis Square'.
1949     Henry Butler, pianist, keyboards, vocalist, composer, b. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Henry began playing the piano at just age six. Today, his work ranges over gospel, Blues, ethnic, and European classical traditions. all part of his eclectic take on contemporary Jazz. Interestingly, Butler was blinded by glaucoma at birth, yet he is also a world class photographer with his work displayed at exhibitions throughout the United States. Butler began formal vocal training in the eleventh grade, and, in addition to the piano, went on to master the baritone horn, valve trombone and drums at the Louisiana State School for the Blind in Baton Rouge. Butler also went on to sing German lieder, French and Italian art songs and operatic arias at Southern and Michigan State Universities, while earning his Masters degree in vocal music. He has since taught music workshops throughout the country and initiated various educational projects, including a residential Jazz camp at Missouri State School for the Blind and a program for blind and visually impaired students at the University of New Orleans.
1944     John Clark, French Horn, b. New York, NY, USA.
1934     Leonard Cohen,singer/songwriter/poet. b. Montreal, Canada. Canadian folk singer/songwriter.
1910    Del Courtney, bandleader, b. Oakland, CA, USA. d. Feb. 11, 2006, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (Complications of Pneumonia. Age: 95). Not well recalled but Del was also the bandleader for the King Sisters TV show
1912     Ted Daffan, C&W songwriter/leader, b. Beauregard Parish, LA, USA, d. Oct. 6, 1996. né: Theron Eugene Daffan. Daffan originally owned a Houston, Texas musical instrument repair shop, before "Western Swing" bandleader Milton Brown persuaded him to close the shop and to become a performer. Very soon afterwards, he began composing a string of hit "Western" songs. His first song, "Truck Drivin' Blues," was such a big hit for bandleader Cliff Bruner, that it enabled Daffan to form his own band ("The Texans"). In the 1940s, he composed "Worried Mind", and "Born To Lose," among others. By the 1960s, was no longer composing tunes. He, and his good friend, C&W star Hank Snow had formed a successful Music publishing company in Nashville, TN. Eventually, Daffan retired and returned to his home in Houston, Texas. It is interesting to note that his "Truck Drivin' Blues" became the prototype of all the subsequent C&W "Truck Drivin'"songs that followed.
1944     Jesse Ed Davis, guitar, b. OK, USA. Worked with Taj Mahal group.
1959     Corrinne Drewery, rock vocals, b. Nottingham, England. Member group: Swing Out Sister. The group 'Swing Out Sister' with their roots in 'Black' music, consists of: Corinne (vocals); Andy Connell (keyboards); and Martin Jackson (drums). Andy and Martin were once part of the groups, A Certain Ratio and the group Magazine.
1947     Donald "Don" William Felder, vocals/guitar, b. Gainesville, FL, USA. Member group: 'The Eagles'. 1977 single "Hotel California" charted US No.1 and UK No.8.
1972     Liam Gallagher, vocals, b. Longsight, Manchester, England. né: William John Paul Gallagher. Member group: 'Oasis'
1929     Shafi Hadi né: Curtis Porter, b. alto/tenor sax, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA Worked with the Griffin Brothers. From 1956-1958, Hadi was living in New York city and playing with the Charles Mingus groups. During this time, he recorded with Mingus, and also with Hank Mobley, as well as performing in the film, "Shadows". In 1958, he left Mingus but returned in 1959. Apparently, he has been inactive since the early 1960's.
1940     Jerry Hahn, Guitar, b. Alma, NE, USA
1929     Albert Hall, Trumpet/vocals, b. Wales, UK, d. Jan. 3, 1980. né: Alwyn Hall
1921    Chico Hamilton, drums, leader, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA. né: Foreststorn Hamilton.
1967     Faith Hill, C&W vocals, b. Jackson, MS, USA. (On September 23, 1967, Faith was adopted and named Audrey Faith Perry). 1993 single "Wild One" charted US country No.1. In October 1996, Hill had married Tim McGraw (they were touring together at the time). Their daughter, Gracie, was born in 1997, and their duet "It's Your Love" was another hit single.
1921     Rev. Odie M. Hoover Jr., (gospel) vocals, b. Nashville, TN, USA
1923     Fred Hunt, Piano, b. London, England, d. 1986
1920     Yvonne King , vocals. né: Yvonne Driggs - another King Sisters Best recalled for their work with the Alvino Rey Orchestra.
1873    George Vitelle "Papa Jack" Laine, leader/drums, b. New Orleans, LA, USA, d. June 1, 1966, USA
1941     Dickey Lee, Singer/songwriter. né: Royden Dickey Lipscombe
1948     "Professor" Eddie Lusk, keyboards, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1964     Daryl Mosley, lead vocals, b. Waverly, TN, USA. Member: "New Tradition"
1937     Sunny Murray", Drums, b. Idabel, OK, USA.
1914     Frank H. Orchard, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. Dec. 27, 1983. first played violin, banjo and tuba before finally switching to trombone, (Note: some sources show Aug. 21, 1914, and some show Sept. 21, 1914, as date of birth.) In the 1940s, Orchard became a part of New York city's 'Dixieland' scene working with Jimmy McPartland, Bobby Hackett, Max Kaminsky, Wingy Manone, Joe Marsala and the Eddie Condon gang. He also recorded with a group headed by the wonderful pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith. In the mid-1950s, he first moved to Dayton, OH, and eventually to St. Louis, MO. In the 1960s, he returned to New York city, where, from 1970-'71,.worked regularly at Jimmy Ryan's club, and then worked with Billy Butterfield in 1979. Sadly, Orchard never led his own recording date,
1954     "Philthy Animal", drums, b. Chesterfield, Derbys, England. né: Philip Taylor, Member group: 'Motorhead'
1918     Thomas Charles "Tommy" Potter, bass, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. 1988 (Played with Charlie Parker.)
1932     Don Preston, Synthesizer/keyboards, b. Flint, MI, USA.
1966     Ronna Reeves, C&W vocals, b. Big Springs, TX, USA.
1908     Bill Reinhardt, clarinet/french horn, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. Jan. 23, 2001. Age: 92. Early in his career, he recorded (in Chicago) with Wingy Manone (possibly the Sept. 4, 1928 date credited to Wade Foster with Bud Freeman and Gene Krupa on the Brunswick label). After relocating to New York, he met Joe and Marty Marsala, then playing at the Hickory House on 52nd Street, and soon after recorded with Marty. Bill also led his own Jazz group in New Rochelle (NY) with Joe Mooney on piano. During this period, Bill's clarinet was heard at many of the smaller New York Jazz Clubs, such as the Nut Club, Club 18, and Nick's (in Greenwich Village, with Frank Orchard, tb; and Danny Alvin, dms). He met his first wife, Ruth Sato (whom newspaper columnist Walter Winchell once described as "a Japanese doll with brains"). Ruth had performed with dance Fred Astaire and comedian Milton Berle. She and Bill were married in Norfolk, VA, USA, after Bill had joined the U. S. Navy, during WWII. In 1945, Bill was mustered out of the navy. On June 11, 1947, he and Ruth, opened their own club, "Jazz, Ltd" (at 11 East Grand in Chicago). The tiny club (it only held 85 people) found almost-immediate success. Bill played clarinet in the club band (he couldn't get Omer Simeon). Subsequently, other clarinetists played at the club including Edmund Hall, Frank Chace, Pete Fountain, Darnell Howard, Bob Schroeder, Bobby Gordon, and Chuck Hedges. On August 25, 1948, Sidney Bechet played at 'Jazz, Ltd' and would continue to play there for a total of 11 months over a two-year period. On January 12, 1949, trumpeter Muggsy Spanier played the club, and also appeared on and off for 15 months over the next two years. (Muggsy met his wife, writer and publicist Ruth O'Connell at the club.) Some of the famous people who visited the club included comedian Bert Lahr, actress Tallulah Bankhead Dan Daily, Nelson Algren, Jan Sterling, Miguel Covarrubias, and poet Carl Sandburg. The club closed February 26, 1972. After the death of his first wife, Bill married Patricia, on September 23, 1994. In Feb. 1998, while taking his daily 'constitutional', Bill was mugged suffering a fractured pelvis and knife cut. He did recover from that, and lived to age 92 when he died in 2001.
1971     Alfonso Ribeiro, actor/pianist, b. New York, NY, USA. Member group: Alfonso-Silver Spoons.
1940     Richard Bruce "Dick" Shearer, Trombone, b. Indianapolis, IN, USA. d. Sept. 20, 1997, age 57
1972     David Silveria, drums, b. San Leandro (grew up in Bakersfield), CA, USA. Member group: 'Korn'
1952     Kenny Starr, guitar/singer/songwriter, b. Topeka, KS, USA. né: Kenneth Trebbe.
1914     Leroy Elliott "Slam" Stewart, bass, b. Englewood, NJ, USA. d. Dec. 10, 1987, Binghamton, NY, USA. Part of the team of "Slim" Gaillard and "Slam" Stewart. "Slam" got that fascinating tone by humming along an octave apart while bowing his Bass. He got the idea while studying at the Boston Conservatory when he heard Ray Perry huming along with the violin. In 1936 Stewart was with Peanuts Holland's band, but the following year he and guitarist/singer/comedian Slim Gaillard formed a duet team which calling themselves "Slim and Slam." They recorded a tune called "Flat Foot Floogie" (Bud Green composer) which became such a huge hit and that it kept them working as a team into the early '40s. After the team's dissolution, Stewart went on to play with Art Tatum's trio, was featured on records with the Benny Goodman Sextet, Red Norvo and Lester Young, and led his own group, - which for a period featured the up-and-coming pianist Erroll Garner. At a 1945 Town Hall concert, Stewart performed a couple of stunning duets with tenor saxophonist Don Byas. He later worked with other groups headed by pianist Billy Taylor, Trumpeter Roy Eldridge, and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, and many others. He also appeared with The Newport All-Stars and even recorded two albums with bassist Major Holley (who also "bowed and hummed" but in unison).
1967     Tyler Stewart, Drums. Member group: Barenaked Ladies
1927     Ward Lamar Swingle, Vocals, b. Mobile, AL, USA. Member vocal group: "Swingle Singers"
1967     "Timmy T", singer/songwriter/keyboard/drums, b.Fresno, CA, USA. né: Timothy Torres. His 1991 single "One More Try" charted US No.1 (but was not a hit in the UK.)
1896     Jay Stone Toney, vocals, b. Columbia, TN, USA. Member: 'The Southernaires', a gospel music vocal group comprised of Homer Quincy Smith, Lowell Peters, Jay Stone Toney, William Edmondson.
1968     'Trugoy the Dove', (Hip-Hop) vocals. b. Long Island, NY, USA. Member group: 'De La Soul', a group formed in the late 1980s by a trio of high school students. 'Posdnuos' (né: Kelvin Mercer, August 17, 1969), Trugoy the Dove' (né: David Jude Jolicoeur), and 'Pasemaster Mase' (né: Vincent Mason, b. March 27, 1970). Their stage names were derived from in-jokes: 'Posdnuos' was an inversion of Mercer's DJ name, "Sound-Sop"; 'Trugoy' was an inversion of Jolicoeur's favorite food, Yogurt.
1956     Ad Vanderveen, singer-songwriter, guitarist, b. Hilversum, Netherlands,
1957     Mark Wright, songwriter/producer/record company executive, b. Fayetteville, AR, USA.
1923     Sir Jimmy Young, vocals/radio DJ, b. Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England. Sir Jimmy Young CBE spent seven years in the RAF before becoming a broadcaster in 1949, then spending the next 30 years of his life on BBC radio. Prior to broadcasting, he had been a successful Pop singer with many hit records to his credit, including three number ones. Sir Jimmy received many awards over the years and in January 1993 Sir Jimmy was awarded a CBE in the New Year's 'Honours List'.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1737.    Francis Hopkinson is born. First native-born American composer, Statesman and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
1943.    Trixie Smith, vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 48
1964.    Bo Carter, Blues guitar/vocals, died in Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 71 ( né: Armenter Chatmon, b. Mar. 21, 1893, Bolton, MS, USA)
1974.    Babe Stovall, guitar, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 66
1974.    Walter Brennan, Character actor/singer, died Oxnard, CA, USA.
1984.    "Symphony Sid", DJ, died in Miami, FL, USA. Age: 75
1987.    Jaco Pastorius, bass, died in Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA. Age: 35
1988.    Hubbard M. Atwood, songwriter/arranger, died in Lumberton, MS, USA. Age: 70. Plas Johnson
1989.    Bill Barron, tenor sax, died in Middletown, CT, USA. Age: 62
1991.    Ernestro Andre Wilson, piano/sax, died in Detroit, MI, USA. Age: 35
1995.    Vernell Townsend (b. 1930, Brinkley, AR, USA), vocals, died in St. Louis, MO, USA. Age: 64. Vernell Perry Townsend. the wife of Bluesman Henry Townsend, contributed vocals to five songs on recordings that Henry Townsend made for the Adelphi, Nighthawk, Wolf and Southland labels. ( Henry Townsend, b. 1909, Shelby, MS, USA. vocals/guitar/piano/harpsichord) was still alive and well and still playing concerts at the age of 95. Throughout a recording career that began in the late 1920, he has recorded in every decade through the 1990s since then. He is one of the originators of the "St. Louis blues sound" (more piano-based than other forms of the Blues, and closely related to the "jump Blues"). At age nine, he left his home in Cairo, Illinois and 'hoboed' his way to St. Louis, MO. He began his career as a 'shoeshine boy' fronting for 'bootleggers'. A few years later, he was playing guitar on the streets, as well as at house parties and speakeasies. In 1929, he was first recorded by Columbia. He went on to play with Walter Davis, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Joe Williams, Sonny Boy Williamson, Big Al Calhoun and many others.)
CAUTION: Do Not confuse this Henry Townsend -who often used the pseudonym "Too Tight Henry" - with another excellent guitarist, Henry Lee Castle who also used the very same pseudonym "Too Tight Henry". In 1971, "Too Tight Henry" Lee Castle died in Chicago, IL, USA.
2002.    Peter Kowald, bassist, died in New York, NY, USA.
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1908    Moon Winks (3 step), -Arthur Pryor's Band. tune: frey
1908    Dainty Dolly Two Step, -Arthur Pryor's Band. tune: seebock
1908    Southern Beauties Rag, -Arthur Pryor's Band. tune: charles johnson
1914    He's A Rag Picker, -Peerless Quartet. tune: berlin
1920    Chili Bean, -Benson Orch. of Chicago. tune: von tilzer
1922    Carolina in the Morning, -Paul Whiteman and his orch. tune: donaldson-Kahn
1925    I'm Knee Deep in Daisies, -Jack Smith voc.
1925    Cecelia, -Jack Smith.voc.
1926    I Wanna Be Known as Susie's Feller, -Isham Jones and his orch. Tune: Brown; Dreyer
1927    Are You Lonesome Tonight (voc.V.DeL.), -Colonial Club orch (Haring orch.).
1928    Where the Shy Little Violets Grow (vjp), -Colonial Club orch (Haring orch.).
1928    Jo Anne (voc. e.t.), -Herb Gordon hotel Adelphia orch. tune: Silver; Pinkard; Ward
1928    Roses of Yesterday, -Cliff Edwards 'ukulele ike' voc.
1928    Good Little Bad Little You, -Cliff Edwards 'ukulele ike' voc.
1929    I'd Do Anything for You, -Slatz Randall and his orch.
1929    Blame it on the Moon, -Slatz Randall and his orch.
1929    Let's Don't and Say We Did, -Slatz Randall and his orch. tune: Ponce; Flatow
1929    Got A Great Big Date, -Slatz Randall and his orch. tune: JOE SANDERS
1931    You're My Only Sweetheart, - Ipana Troubadors (s.lanin orch.)
1932    Hot Toddy, -Cab Calloway and his orch.
1933    When You Were The Girl on the Scooter, -Harry Reser's syncopators
1933    Harlem Hospitality, -Cab Calloway and his orch.
1933    Little Town Gal, -Cab Calloway and his orch.
1934    Miss Otis Regrets, - Alberta Hunter vocal with Jack Jackson and His Orch. (Rec'd: London, England)
1934    It's Dark on Observatory Hill, -Ozzie Nelson and his orch.
1934    You're Not the Only Oyster in the Stew, - Ozzie Nelson and his orch. voc. O.N.
1939    A Table in The Corner, -Larry Clinton and his orch.
1939    How Long Has This Been Going On?, -Larry Clinton and his orch.
1940    Two Dreams Met, -Kenny Baker
1940    In The Cool of the Evening, -Kenny Baker
1944    Till Then, - Mills Brothers
1944    It Could Happen To You, - Stafford, Jo
1963    I Can't Stay Mad At You, - Davis, Skeeter
1968    Fire, - Brown, Arthur (The Crazy World)
1968    Midnight Confessions, - Grass Roots
1968    Little Green Apples, - Smith, O.C.
1968    My Special Angel, - Vogues
1974    Tin Man, - America
1974    Bitch Is Back, The, - John, Elton
1974    Love Me For A Reason, - Osmonds
1985    Miami Vice Theme, - Hammer, Jan
1985    Head Over Heels, - Tears For Fears
1991    Can't Stop This Thing We Started, - Adams, Bryan