BIRTHDAYS
1953     Deborah Allen, C&W vocals, b. Memphis, TN, USA. née: Deborah Thurmond
1913     "Cholly" Atkins, dancer, b.Pratt City, AL, USA, d. April 19, 2003, Age: 89.(Pancreatic cancer). né: Charles Atkinson in 1923, Cholly won a Charleston dance contest in Buffalo, N.Y., after which he became a singing waiter and dancing bootblack. In the 1930s, he made a name for himself as a tap dancer, As part of the two man Rhythm Pals, he coached the dance group 'Cotton Club Boys' for appearances with Bill Robinson in the Broadway musical 'The Hot Mikado'. He epitomized excellence and class in his appearances with such other stars as tap legend Charles "Honi" Coles, the famed Mills Brothers vocal group, the Earl Hines Band, the Louis Armstrong Band, the Cab Calloway Revue, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Barnet orchestra, and singer Billy Eckstine. After the big band era ended, he found a new career staging and choreographing acts for countless "Motown" artists including the Cadillacs, Shirelles, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the O'Jays, Temptations and Aretha Franklin. The National Endowment for the Arts awarded Mr. Atkins its highest dance award - the three year Choreographer's Fellowship.
1912     Kenny Baker, vocals/actor, b. Monrovia, CA. USA, d. August 10, 1985, Solvang, CA. USA. (Coronary Arrest). From 1935 - '39 Kenny was the featured singer on the Jack Benny radio program, being replaced in 1939 by another vocalist, Dennis Day. Curiously, Baker eventually became the singer on (Jack Benny's arch "Rival") Fred Allen's radio show.
1959     "Basia", vocals/arranger, b. Jaworzno, Poland. (some sources say b. 1954). née: Barbara Trzetrzelewska (pronounced: Basha Che-che-lev-ska)
1954     Lesley Beach, sax, Member (all-girl) group: 'Amazulu' (band had: Rose Minor - vocals; Sharon Bailey - percussion; Lesley Beach - saxophone; Margo Sagov - guitar; Clare Henny - bass; Debbie Evans - drums), 1986 single "Too Good To Forgotten" charted UK No.5.
1964     Crystal Bernard, vocals/actress, b. Dallas, TX, USA.
1930     "Eddie Bo", (né: Edwin J. Bocage), piano/songwriter, b. New Orleans, LA, USA.
1945     Richard Bowden, fiddler/mandolin, b. Linden, TX, USA. Member: "Pinkard & Bowden". Previously, he spent 10 years with 'The Maines Brothers Band', with Lloyd Maines on steel guitar and brothers - Kenny, Steve, & Donnie also in the band. Bowden also was an early member of 'The Joe Ely Band'. Currently (2005), while retired, he still plays (notably with Lubbock, TX, artists Cary Swinney & Terry Allen) having recently retired as a member of the "Austin Lounge Lizards"
1951     "Sister" Sarah Brown, Bassist/singer-songwriter, b. Evanston, IL, USA. "Sister Sarah" is the daughter of a Russian literature professor at the University of Michigan. She played cello in high school, but in 1965, after seeing Buddy Guy for the first time, she fell in love with the Blues, and switched to playing bass, Subsequently, Sarah enrolled in the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but returned to Ann Arbor after a year, and became a regular player on the local Ann Arbor scene. She has toured extensively, both with her own group, 'The Hipshakes', and with such others as Geoff Muldaur, Big Walter Horton, and the Rhythm Rockers In 1982, she toured Europe with slide guitarist J.B. Hutto. Later in 1982, she moved to Austin to play with the LeRoi Brothers. She currently (2005) is living in Austin, TX, and plays a variety of musical styles while sitting in with different groups of musicians around Austin.
1935     Jill Corey, vocals, b. Avonmore, PA, USA. née: Norma Jean Speranza. Jill Corey began singing professionally at age 13 with the Johnny Murphy Band near her hometown of Avonmore, Pennsylvania. At 17 she auditioned for Mitch Miller and won a seven-year contract with Columbia Records. She debuted as the lead female singer on the Dave Garroway Show on October 2, 1953, just two days after her eighteenth birthday, and the November 9, 1953 issue of LIFE magazine featured Jill on the cover, along with a seven-page article about her. She subsequently appeared as a regular on the original Johnny Carson Show and then the Robert Q. Lewis Show. She made countless appearances on television musical variety shows during the 1950's, including six appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. Jill was interviewed by Edward R. Murrow on Person to Person in 1957 and starred in the 1958 Columbia picture Senior Prom. In 1961, Jill married Don Hoak, third baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and effectively retired. After the untimely death of her husband in 1969, she rekindled her career, concentrating on musical theater and cabaret.
1920     Frank Perry Devenport, piano/arranger, b. Texarkana, TX, USA.
1946     Moses Dillard, guitar/producer/songwriter, b. Greenville, SC, USA.
1928     Jon Eardley, trumpet, b. Altoona, PA, USA. d. Dec. 31, 1991, France (Some sources claim d. April 4, 1997; others say d. March, 1991) After leaving the USA, Jon wound up in Germany, playing in the WDR Big Band, Cologne.
1947     Mark Feld, guitar/singer/songwriter, b. London, England, UK, d, Sept. 16, 1977 (automobile accident). Member groups: "Marc Bolan", "T Rex", 1972 single "Bang A Gong" charted US No.10, (plus over 20 other UK top 40 singles).
1952     Scott Fields, guitar, b. Chicago, IL, USA. In 1971, when he disbanded his first trio, 'Life Rhythms', he stopped performing, but studied classical and Jazz guitar, and took composition and music theory classes at the University of Wisconsin. In 1989, he began to again perform (in Madison, Wisconsin) with the "Silt Loam Ensemble"; a group that later evolved into the "Scott Fields Ensemble" , that has had -besides frequent collaborators Guillermo Gregorio (clarinet) and Matt Turner (cello), a revolving cast of more than 30 notable improvisers from around the world. Since 1996, Scott has toured the USA, Europe and Asia, and currently (2002) spends much of his time in Cologne, Germany. One publication (The Wire) has called Scott "a musician of considerable conceptual sophistication".
1875    Fred Fisher, Composer, b. Cologne, Germany, d. Jan. 14, 1942, New York, NY, USA.
1968     Antonio Hart, alto sax, Baltimore, MD, USA. After graduating from the Baltimore School of Arts, he continued his musical studies at the prestigious Berklee School of Music. Upon graduation, he relocated to New York city, joining forces with his friend and classmate Roy Hargrove. Interestingly, while touring with Hargrove, Antonia earned a Masters degree in performance and composition at Queens College (City University of New York) under the tutelage of Jimmy Heath.
1935     Z. Z. Hill, vocals, b. Naples, TX, USA.
1912     Bill Johnson III, Alto Sax, clarinet, arranger, b. Jacksonville, FL, USA. d. July 5, 1960
1934     Freddie King, Blues vocals, b. Gilmer, TX, USA.
1952     John Lombardo, guitar/vocals, b. Jamestown, NY, USA, Member group: 10,000 Maniacs.
1927     Carmen Leggio, reeds, b. Tarrytown, NY, USA.
1942     Frankie Lymon, vocals, b. New York (Harlem area), NY, USA, d. April 30, 1968. Member: 'Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers' When Frankie was only 13 years old, his group 'Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers had the USA No. 1 1956 hit, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?", selling over two million copies. Curiously, at age 13, that was the high point of Frankie's life. Finding himself to be a very rich teenager, he began to live a debauched lifestyle, using heroin and sleeping with older women. All of the group's subsequent releases were totally unsuccessful, and within three years Lymon's music career was over. In 1961, he entered a drug rehabilitation program. In 1964, he was convicted on a heroin charge. In February 1968, at age 25, Lymon overdosed on heroin in the bathroom of his grandmother's apartment. Some other members of the group faired little better. Joe Negroni, the baritone vocalist, died in 1978 (age 37) of a cerebral hemorrhage (brain tumor). Sherman Garnes, bass vocalist, died in 1978 (age 38) of a heart attack.
1942     Dewey Martin, drums. Member group: Buffalo Springfield
1935     Johnny Mathis, singer/songwriter. b. Gilmer, TX, USA. né: John Royce Mathis. His Vaudevillian parents (father: Clements, mother: Mildred) exposed all of his seven children to music. (Johnny was the fourth born.) At age 13, Mathis began vocal lessons with opera coach Connie Cox in exchange for doing household chores. The lessons lasted for six years. In 1954, he entered to San Francisco State College with the intention of becoming an English and physical education teacher. Though small of stature, he nevertheless held the high-jump records for the San Francisco State College and Far Western Conference. While still attending college, he began to appear at local clubs, including 'The Black Hawk' where co-owner Helen Noga, decided to manage his singing career. In September 1955, Naga got him a job singing at Ann Dee's '440 Club', and also persuaded Columbia Records producer George Avakian to listen to him. It is interesting to note that at the time, Mathis was a running track star and had been asked to attend trials for the 1956 Melbourne, Australia Olympics. His first recording offer forced him to choose between athletics and singing. He chose singing, and, at age 19, recorded his first Columbia Records single, "Wonderful. Wonderful". During the 1960s and 1970s, his popularity grew with a long string of "singles" and then 'album' releases. of romantic renditions for the adult-contemporary audience, In 1978 he duetted with Deniece Williams on the tune "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late", which reached No. 1 on US Charts. Perhaps because of this surprising success, he Duet-ed with Nana Mouskouri Gladys Knight, Jane Oliver, Paulette McWilliams, Stephanie Lawrence, Dionne Warwick, Angela Bofill, Barbara Dickson, and Natalie Cole. In a June 1982 interview, Mathis He came out publicly as being 'Gay' . (Published in "Us" magazine: 'Homosexuality is a way of life that I've grown accustomed to'.) However, his record sales did not appear to suffer.
1933     Steve McCall, Drums, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. May 24, 1989 (Some sources claim b. Sept. 20)
1943     Marilyn McCoo, vocals, b. Jersey City, NJ, USA. née; Marilyn Davis. Member: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., and also The Fifth Dimension
1961     Keith McKenzie, guitar/vocals. Member group: 'The Shamen', 1992 single "Ebeneezer Goode" charted UK No.1.
1963     Eddie Montgomery, C&W vocals, b. Danville, KY, USA. Member: "Montgomery Gentry", a duo comprised of Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry
1920     Joe Muddel, Bass, b. London, England, UK. né: Joseph C. Mudele. At age 17, he began to study the Double Bass, and soon joined Ken Grieff's band. Between 1939 and 1944 (World War II), he served in the Royal Air Force. In 1947, he worked with Carl Barriteau, and from 1947-'48 was part of the Tito Burns group. In the summer of 1948, he first played with Jimmy Macaffer's band then toured with Hoagy Carmichael before joining Malcolm Mitchell briefly in October 1948. In December 1948, he helped found the Club XI. In 1949, he was a part of both the Ambrose and Ralph Sharon groups. During 1949-'50, he was a part of the Paul Adam band. In March 1950, he was a part of the John Dankworth 7. During 1951, he played with both the Norman Burns Quintet and the Kenny Baker Octet, and for 1951-'52. worked with Jack Nathan. During 1952-53, he led his own band before working with Winston Lee for a few months in 1953. In 1954, he joined Tommy Whittle's Quintet and subsequently worked with the Tony Kinsey Quartet. Muddel was a much-in-demand studio musician, freqeuntly working in the radio, television and recording studios.
1965     Daron Norwood, C&W vocals, b. Lubbock, TX, USA.
1946     Sylvia Peterson, vocals, b. NY, USA. Member: 'The Chiffons'. 1963 single "He's So Fine" charted US No.1.
1922     Oscar Pettiford, bass/cello, b. Okmulgee, OK, USA. (Indian Reservation), d. Sept 8, 1960, Copenhagen, Denmark.
1917    Bernard "Buddy" Rich, Drums, b. New York, NY, USA. d. April 2, 1987, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1954     Patrice Rushen, Vocal/Keyboards, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1940     Fred Sexton, guitar, b. Altheimer, AR, USA. Member: "Taildragger". Strictly speaking, "Taildragger" is James Yancy Jones (b. 1940, Altheimer, Arkansas, USA). A number of Chicago, IL, blues artists got their start playing in his bands. In the 1960s, Jones moved to Chicago where (for a quarter century) he played with "Howlin' Wolf" and other West Side blues legends. One writer, Chicago Reader's Monica Kendrick, has said his music is "....the classic sound of Chicago in the 1940s and 1950s -- the sound of a generation that still remembered the south but was adapting rapidly to the cold rain and snow." Jones got the "Tail Dragger" moniker from "Howlin' Wolf" who gave it to him for his propensity to be late for gigs. (Previously, he was known as "Crawlin' James.) In 1993, Jones shot and killed fellow bluesman 'Boston Blackie', during a very heated argument over the profits for the Blues Fest show where both had appeared. Arrested and tried, he was found guilty of murder, and served 4 years in the Illinois State Correctional System. After his, release, he returned to his musical career.
1945     Ralph Siegel, composer and producer, b. Munich, Germany. Siegel is perhaps best known for his work with the Eurovision Song Contest, where 18 of his songs (up to 2005) have been song by various well known artists.. In 1982, Siegel's song "Ein bißchen Frieden", performed by 'Nicole' won the Contest. In the 2003 Eurovision contest, his song “Let’s Get Happy”, sung by Louise "Lou" Hoffner, took 12th place. In the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest his entry was performed by the band 'six4one'.
1958     Marty Stuart, vocals/guitar, né: John Marty Stuart. worked with Lester Flatt; and the Nashville Grass
1964     Robby Carl Takac, bass, b. nr.Buffalo, NY, USA, Member group: Goo Goo Dolls, 1999 single "Iris" charted UK No.26. Robby earned his degree in Communications at Medaille College (Buffalo, NY). He first worked as a DJ and played in a punk band called the Monarchs. In 1985, Robby met John Rzeznik, and they formed the rock band, 'The Goo Goo Dolls'.
1901    Thelma Terry, String Bass, Leader, vocal, d. May 30, 1966 (Throat Cancer). née: Thelma Combes
         Notable Events on this date include:
1878.    The first Portuguese immigrants arrived in Hawaii, bringing with them an instrument that would later become the Ukulele.
1950.    Billboard newpaper renamed their "Hillbilly" music chart, the "Country & Western" chart.
1959.    Hy Siegal, Label owner (Timely/Apollo Records), died in Waco, TX, USA.
1962.    Johnny Stein, drummer, died. (né: John Philip Hountha). Richard Sudhalter, in his book "Lost Chords: White Musicians and Their Contribution to Jazz, 1915-1945" lists Stein as one of the White musicians who exerted a considerable influence on the development of Jazz. (Others included Albert and George Brunies, Tony Parenti, Tom Brown's Band, and, Nick LaRocca (of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band,) among others.
1963.    J. Russel Robinson, piano, died in Palmdale, CA, CA, USA. Age: 71
1974.    Kenny Hollon, tenor sax, died in New York, NY, CA, USA. Age: 64
1977.    Mary Ford, née: Iris Colleen Summers, singer, and wife of Les Paul, died. Age: 49.
1977.    President Jimmy Carter designated October as the official country music month.
1978.    Beryl Booker, piano, died in Berkeley, CA, USA. Age: 56. Played with both 'The Red Caps', and 'Cats & Fiddle'
1978.    Robert Gardner, (gospel) Singer-Songwriter/Guitar, Member: "Mac & Bob" died. Age: 80. ('Bob" was born Robert Alexander Gardner, b. Dec. 16, 1897, Oliver Springs, TN, USA; - 'Mac' was Lester McFarland, Vocals, Songwriter, Harmonica, Mandolin, Fiddle, b. Feb. 2, 1902, Gray, KY, USA, d. July 24, 1984)
1983.    Famed orchestra leader Freddy Martin died. Age: 76. Singer, and later producer, Merv Griffin got his start with the orch.
1993.    Bill Kersey, clarinet, died in Montreal, PQ, Canada. Age: 84. Member: Lucky Millinder Orch.
1993.    Floyd Campbell, drums, leader, vocal, died
1999.    Connie Eaton, C&W vocals, (b. March 1, 1950), died in Nashville, TN, USA
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1908    I Would Still Love You, -Billy murray and Ada Jones vocs. tune: Murphy
1908    She Forgot to Bring Him Back, -Ada Jones voc. tune: Irwin
1908    Kaufman's Kazinotanze, -Victor orch. tune: Gungl
1921    June Moon, -Benson orch. of Chicago. tune: Magine-Straight
1924    Let Me Call You Sweetheart, -International Novelty orch.
1925    Blue For You, -Charles Fulcher and his orch. tune: Charles Fulcher
1926    Twinkle Twinkle, -Harry Archer and his orch.
1926    Whose Arms Are You in Tonight?, -Cole McElroy and his orch.
1930    I Like a Little Girl Like That (vfl), -Joe Venuti and his orch. tune: Jack Yellen-Milton Ager
1927    Manhattan Mary, -Cass Hagan Park Central Orch.
1927    There's a Cradle in Caroline, -The Radiolites (Ben Selvin orch.).
1927    Lonely Nights in Hawaii (voc. Jimmie Davis), Cole McElroy Spanish Ballroom Orch. Tune: Seaman-Smolev
1927    Romance Isle, -Cole McElroy and his Orch.
1929    I Need Someone Like You, -Fats Waller and his Buddies. tune: Thomas Waller
1929    Lookin' Good but Feelin' Bad, -Fats Waller and his Buddies. Tune: T.Waller-H.Santly
1931    Vilia, -Paul Whiteman and his Orch.
1934    Try To Forget, -Jeanette MacDonald.
1936    Bring It On Down To My House, Honey, -Bob Wills Texas Playboys.
1938    Heart and soul, -Eddy Duchin and his Orch.
1941    Doodle la do da, -Vaughn Monroe and his orch.
1946    It Can Never Happen, -Buster Bennett and his band.
1943    People Will Say We're In Love, - Sinatra, Frank
1949    Johnson Rag, - Teter, Jack
1957    Wake Up Little Susie, - Everly Brothers
1967    It Must Be Him, - Carr, Vikki
1967    Your Precious Love, - Gaye, Marvin
1967    Soul Man, - Sam and Dave
1972    Witchy Woman, - Eagles
1972    If I Could Reach You, - Fifth Dimension
1978    How Much I Feel, - Ambrosia
1978    Double Vision, - Foreigner
1978    MacArthur Park, - Summer, Donna
1989    When I See You Smile, - Bad English
1989    Love Shack, - B-52's
1989    Didn't I (Blow Your Mind), - New Kids On The Block