April 6

          TOP   BIRTHDAYS
    1931     Gerard Badini, Tenor Saxophone/clarinet, b. Paris, France
    1937     Gene Bertoncini, Guitar, b. New York, NY, USA.
    1947     Tony Conner, drums, b. Romford, Essex, England, UK. Member group: 'Hot Chocolate'
    1951     Ralph Cooper,drums, b. Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. Member group: 'Air Supply'
    1962     Stan Cullimore, guitar/vocals. né: Ian Cullimore. Member group: 'The Housemartins'
    1883     Vernon Dalhart, Country/Western singer, b. (Near) Jefferson, TX, USA. d. Sept. 15, 1948, Bridgeport, CT, USA. né: Marion Try Slaughter. C&W's 1st million-seller artist. Perhaps best known for his work with composer Carson Robison. He took his stage name from the two Texas cities between which he had worked as a 'cowboy' in his early years. When Vernon was age 10, his father, Robert Marion Slaughter was killed in a fight with his brother-in-law, Bob Castleberry. At about age 13 (Vernon was already playing the jew's harp and harmonica), his family moved to Dallas, Texas, where he later received his vocal training at the Dallas Conservatory of Music. In 1901, he married Sadie Lee Moore-Livingston, and the marriage produced two children, a son and a daughter. In 1910, the family moved to New York City where Vernon first worked in a piano warehouse and occasionallly worked as a paid vocal soloist. 1912 saw his professional opera debut in a minor role in Puccini's "Girl of the Golden West". In 1913, he won the leading role in revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta "H.M.S. Pinafore" by the Century Opera Company, and still later played the part of Lieutenant Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly". In June 1915, his name first appeared in the Edison Diamond disc catalog, when it is believed he cut his first recording for Edison, and thereafter made numerous records for Edison Records. From 1916 through 1923, using numerous pseudonyms, he made over 400 recordings of light classical music, and early dance band vocals, for various record labels. (Careful! He often used the pseudonym Vel Veteran, on the Grey Gull label, However, that name was also used by other singers, including Arthur Fields (Fields also used the pseudonym "Mr. X")). December 1916 saw his first major record release (on the Columbia label), "Just a Word of Sympathy". In June 1917, he recorded "Can't Yo Heah Me Callin', Caroline" on Edison Blue Amberol, now believed to be the first Southern dialect song ever recorded. In September 1917, his first duet was released, "Till the Clouds Roll By," sung with Kathryn Irving. He was already an established singer when he made his first Country music recordings which cemented his place in music history. In May 1924, the Victor Talking Machine Company released the double-sided single of "The Wreck of the Old 97" (Victor 19427-A), and "The Prisoner's Song" (Victor 19427-B). Eventually, more than seven million copies were sold. Actually Vernan Dalhart was the first person to record "Old 97" on an Edison Recording. "Old 97" was so immensely popular that it became the progenitor of the "Railroad" song genre, which subsequently included such tunes as "Casey Jones", "Wabash Canonball", and many others. The Stock Market crash of 1929 took his personal fortune and record sales also declined. In 1931, he co-hosted, with Adelyn Hood, "Barber Shop Chords", a network radio show for the Barbasol Shave Cream company. 1931, he toured England with Adelyne Hood. May 1, 1938 saw his last recording session. In the early 1940s, during World War II, Dalhart served as a guard at a local defense plant, and also advertised as a voice teacher. After the war, he worked as a night clerk at the 'Barnum Hotel' in Bridgeport, CT, where he continued working until his death.
    NOTE:
    Dalhart is very often also mentioned as a composer who wrote mostly "Black/Country" songs i.e. "The Prisoner's Song", "Can't Yo' Hear Me Callin', Caroline", and others. In private correspondence, writer Jack Palmer, who spent over 10 years researching Dalhart for a book which was publsihed in 2005: 'VERNON DALHART; FIRST STAR OF COUNTRY MUSIC', has said

           "I was unable to find any song that Dalhart wrote although he
           did work with Bobby Gregory on some songs in the early 30s.
           He did not write "The Prisoner's Song". Although his cousin, Guy
           Massey, is given the credit, it actually was taken from an old
           folk song and everyone claimed credit for it. (See my book for
           the long story.) Dalhart did have his name as composer on
           one song which he bought outright from Carson Robison and
           when the copyright came up for renewal Robison put it back in
           his name. "

    Dalhart died in obscurity. (They say that fame is fleeting!) Claims over the authorship of "The Prisoner's Song" would eventually find their way all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court.
    1909     Denver Darling, (Country) singer-songwriter, b. Whopock, IL, USA
    1924     Dorothy Donegan, Jazz pianist, b. Chicago, IL, USA. d. May 19, 1998, Los Angeles, CA, USA. (Age: 77)
    1928     Bob Efford, tenor and baritone sax, clarinet, flute, oboe, b. London, England, UK.
    1937     Merle Haggard, C&W vocals, b. Bakersfield, CA, USA. The son of Depression-era Oklahomans who had relocated to Bakersfield, California, Merle was born in an abandoned railroad car his father had converted into a home. Some petty crimes led him, in 1957, to a sentence in California's San Quentin prison (he turned 21 while in prison -1958). When Haggard left prison, he was already focused on a musical career. Since then, Haggard has had dozens of number one country hits, mostly his own compositions. "Hag" has been called "the workingman's poet", and perhaps no other Country music lyricist writes music as subtle and as filled with contradictions as Haggard. Merle Haggard's catalog of hits reveals a deep love of tradition. Among his major influences were such stars as Bob Wills, Jimmie Rodgers, Lefty Frizzell, and even Bing Crosby. During his long career, he was often surrounded with virtuosi like Roy Nichols, James Burton, and Bob Wills' own Eldon Shamblin, which gave Merle the opportunity, on recordings and in performance, to play fiddle and guitar and to swap 'hot licks' with the best 'pickers' in the business
    1933     Bill Hardman, Trumpet, b. Cleveland, OH, USA. d. 1990
    1910     "Big" Walter Horton, Blues Harmonica, d. Dec. 8, 1982, USA.
    1943     Noah Howard, Alto Sax, b. New Orleans, LA, USA.
    1928     John Edgar "Eddie" Hubble, Trombone, b. Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
    1919     Paula Kelly, vocalist, b. Grove City, PA, USA, d. April 2, 1992.Best remembered for her work with 'The Modernaires' with Glenn Miller OrchBut she had previously sung with the Artie Shaw band (whom she strongly disliked). She married one of the original Modernaires - Hal Dickinson. Paula started her career singing with her sisters on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour radio show
    1902     James Eugene "Rosy" McHargue, Dixieland Clarinetist, b. Danville, IL, USA. d. June 7, 1999, Los Angeles, CA, USA. age: 97. Rosy was still playing as late as 2 years ago. Rosy is heard on many Pete Dailey records. He played with many famous bands and did the "on purpose" cornball clarinet work on 'Pee Wee' Hunt's hit recording of "Twelfth Street Rag."Rosy was actively playing up to 1997
    1927     Gerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan, Baritone Sax/Arranger/Composer, b. April 6, 1927, New York, NY, USA. d. Jan. 20, 1996, Darien, CT, USA
    1943     Garry Niewood, Soprano-alto-tenor sax/piccolo/flute, b. Rochester, NY, USA
    1944     Michele Gilliam Phillips, vocals/actress, b. Long Beach CA, USA (Member of group: The Mamas & The Papas)
    1960     John Pizzarelli Jr., Guitar/vocals, b. Paterson, NJ, USA. A famous guitarist son of a famous guitarist, John "Bucky" Pizzarelli. Great musicians!
    1929     Andre Previn, conductor (London Symphony)/pianist, b. Berlin Germany
    1918     Wade Ray, fiddler,b. Griffin, IN, USA. Fiddled for the 'Son's of the Pioneers', 'Roy Rogers', 'Ray Price's Cherokee Cowboys', and was singer Willie Nelson's bass player.
    1914     Paul Ricci, Clarinet, alto-tenor-baritone sax, guitar, b. New York, NY, USA
    1895     Leo Robin, lyricist, b. Pittsburgh, PA, USA. d. Dec. 20, 1984, Woodland Hills, CA, USA(Cardiac Arrest) Some sources say b. 1900
    1943     Julie Rogers, vocals, b. Great Britain.
    1924     Charlie Rouse, Tenor Saxophone, b. Washington, D.C., USA. d. Nov. 30, 1988. member Thelonious Monk Quartet
    1913     Issac Ed"Snookum" Russell,pianist/leader, Columbia, SC, USA.
    1935     Haskell Robert "Cool Papa" Sadler, guitar/Blues vocals. d. May 16, 1994
    1936     Manfred Schoof, Trumpet, b. Magdeburg, Germany
    1944     Bernd Spier,vocals, b. Germany. Best release: "Das kannst Du Mir Nicht Verbieten"
    1944     John Stax,bass, Crayford, Kent, UK.né: John Fullegar. Member group: 'The Pretty Things'
    1952     Richard Tabnik, jazz alto saxophone
    1934     Horace Tapscott, Piano, b. Houston, TX, USA, d. Feb. 27, 1999, Age 64
    1929     Arthur S. Taylor, Drums, b. New York, NY, USA. d. Feb 6, 1995 at age 65. Member: 'Taylor's Wailers'. Also played with Miles Davis, John Coltrane and others. From 1948 to 1957, Taylor played in the Bud Powell, Coleman Hawkins, Buddy DeFranco, Howard McGhee, and George Wallington bands. He then formed and played briefly with his own group, 'The Wailers'. Between 1957 and 1963, he toured with Donald Byrd, recorded with Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and performed with Thelonious Monk. In 1963 he moved to Europe, where, for the next 20 years, he lived mainly in France and Belgium and played with local groups, as well as with touring American musicians. He then returned to the USA, and freelanced as a sessions musician. In 1993, he re-organized 'The Wailers.' He is the author of "Notes and Tones", a book based on his interviews with other musicians (reprinted 1993).
    1916     Virginia Verrill, vocals. b. Santa Monica, CA, USA. d. Jan. 18, 1999, Raleigh, NC, USA. Age 82. It was Virginia's voice that was 'dubbed' for many of Hollywood's great leading ladies. A child of Hollywood, with musician parents, at age 5 months, she appeared in her mother's vaudeville act. At 3, Paul Whiteman (her father played in band) stood her on a piano and she sang "I Never Knew I Could Love Anybody" (at the Palais Royale in Times Square, NYC)". And from that minute, I guess," she later said, "singing was what I wanted to do more than anything else." By age 15, she was already a veteran of Orville Knapp's West Coast band. She auditioned, and beat out more than 300 competitors, for the off-screen role singing "Ten Cents a Dance" in Barbara Stanwyck's film of the same name. Soon working as a professional dubber traveling from John Marshall High School in Los Angeles to Hollywood studios almost every day after school. In 1935, disillusioned, she left Hollywood for the CBS Radio show "Socony Sketchbook", ("Socony" is now known as "Mobil" gasolines) and also recorded with the Isham Jones Orchestra. In 1937, she was seen on screen in "Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938," starring Warner Baxter and Joan Bennett, singing "That Old Feeling," which became a huge hit. That same year Samuel Goldwyn cast her as female lead in "The Goldwyn Follies". With her newly dyed and styled hair, high heels and lifts in her shoes, the Goldwyn publicity department presented her as "the second Myrna Loy". Stardom seemed certain, until the Goldwyn Co. decided that the similarities between the two actresses were too strong. She had already recorded the film's soundtrack, but was suddenly ousted and the role given to Andrea Leeds, who had become successful that year in "Stage Door." In spring 1938, Ms. Verrill left Hollywood for a career in radio, - retiring in 1942.
    1938     Hedy West, vocals, b.USA.
    1926     Randy Weston, Piano/Composer, b. New York, NY, USA.
    1892     Henry Whitter, (rural folk) musician, b. Grayson County, VA, USA.
          TOP   Notable Events occuring this date include:
    1960.    Martha Davis, piano, died in Mount Vernon, NY, USA. Age: 42
    1968.    Rosa Henderson, vocals, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 71
    1968.    Pink Floyd announced that founder Syd Barret had left the group suffering psychiatric disorders compounded by drug use.
    1981.    Bob "the bear" Hite, guitar/harmonica, died in Mar Vista, CA, USA. Age: 38
    1984.    Jimmy Kennedy, songwriter, died in Cheltenham, UK. Age: 84
    1988.    Leroy Kirkland, guitar/arranger/producer, died in New York (Manhattan), NY, USA. Age: 82
    1992.    Molly Picon [née: Pyekoon], actress/singer/composer (b. June 1, 1889, New York, NY, USA), died in Lancaster, PA, USA. All during the 1920s and '30s, she was a star in New York City's 'Yiddish Theater', and was widely known as "the Sweetheart of Second Avenue". She also composed a few songs, including one tango.
    1995.    Edward J. Frenche, guitarist with the Neville Brothers, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age 47.
    1998.    Tammy Wynette died in Nashville, TN, USA. Age 55.
    2001.    Danny Gaither, founding member of "The Gaither Trio" (gospel group), died in IndianaAge: 62.
          TOP    Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
         1944 "San Fernando Valley",- Bing Crosby Bing
         1944 "It's Love-Love-Love",- Guy Lombardo Orch.
         1951 "Too Young",- Nat "King" Cole
         1951 "Loveliest Night Of The Year, The",- Mario Lanza
         1957 "All Shook Up",- Presley
         1959 "Turn Me Loose",- Fabian
         1959 "Tell Him No",- Travis & Bob
         1963 "Pipeline",- Chantay's
         1963 "On Broadway",- Drifters
         1963 "I Will Follow Him",- Little Peggy March
         1968 "Cowboys To Girls",- Intruders
         1968 "Unicorn, The",- Irish Rovers
         1968 "Good, The Bad & The Ugly, The",- Hugo Montenegro
         1974 "Searchin' So Long, (I've Been)",- Chicago
         1985 "Everything She Wants",- Wham