BIRTHDAYS
1947     Rick Anderson, b. St. Paul, MN, USA. Member group: "The Tubes"
1981     Ashley Parker Angel, vocals
1930     Lionel Bart, composer, b. London, England.
1951     Tommy Bolin, guitar, b. Sioux City, IA, USA.
1943     Geoff Britton, drums, Member group: Wings.
1946     Boz Burrell, bass guitarist, b. Lincolnshire, England. Member groups: 'Bad Company'; 'King Crimson'. né: 'Raymond Burrell'
1909     Leon Chappelear, C&W singer/bandleader, b. Tyler, TX, USA.
1929     Samuel B. Charters, Writer, producer, b. Pittsburg, PA, USA. A Leading authority on the Blues.
1947     Rick Coonce, drums. Member group: 'Grass Roots'
1953     Robert Cray, guitar/vocals, b. Columbus (Fort Benning), GA, USA.
1908     Elmer E. Crumbley, Trombone, b. Kingfisher, OK, USA. (Worked with singer Victoria Spivey)
1966     George Ducas, C&W singer/songwriter, b. Texas City, TX, USA.
1922     Marie Hawkins Ellington, vocals. Sang with Duke Ellington in the late 1940's (no relation, she was originally married to a Black fighter pilot named Spurgeon Ellington, who was killed in a plane crash)). She later married Nat 'King' Cole and as Maria Cole recorded for Kapp, Capitol and Dot Records. (Nat "King" Cole, né: Nathaniel Adams Coles. b. March 17, 1919, Montgomery, AL, USA, d. Feb. 15, 1965, Santa Monica, CA, USA. lung cancer (he was a heavy smoker). Nat met Marie in a Los Angeles nightclub, the Zanzibar. through Eddie Rochester' Anderson).
1931     'Ramblin' Jack' Elliot, C&W guitar/vocals, b. New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. né: Elliot Charles Adnopoz.
1959     Joe Elliot, R&R guitar/vocals. b. Sheffield, England. Member group: 'Def Leppard' (formed in 1977 by Rick Savage and Elliot).
1957     Deitra Farr, vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA.
1942     Andre Gagnon, pianist/composer/Entertainer, b. St-Pacome-de-Kamouraska, Que, Canada.
1942     Jerry Garcia, guitar/lyricist/vocals, d. Aug. 9, 1996. né: Jerome John Garcia. member: 'The Grateful Dead'
1946     Sandi Griffiths, vocals/piano, b. San Fernando Valley. CA, USA. née: Sandi Jensen. Sandi made her first TV appearance, while still in kindergarden, on Art Linkletter's "House Party" program. While attending Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, she met Sally Flynn. The two friends did shows, nightclubs and USO tours until, in late 1967, the two girls auditioned for the Lawrence Welk Show. In 1969 Sandi married Brent Griffiths, and left Welk's show in 1980 to be a full-time mom. She has six children (Jenni, Ami, Emili, Ben, Daniel & Sam), an adopted son (Chad), and a foster daughter (Debbie), she and Brent currently reside in Santa Clarita, CA. She still enjoys playing the piano.
1931     Kamil Hala, Piano/composer/arranger, b. Most, Czechoslovakia
1964     Sally Herbert, vocals. Member group: Banderas
1909     Ronnie Kemper, Singer/leader, b. Missoula, MT. USA. d: Feb. 16, 1997, Sacramento, CA. USA.
1779     Francis Scott Key, poet (Star Spangled Banner), d. Jan. 11, 1843
1947     Ronnie King, Bass, b. Rotterdam, Holland. né: Cornelius Van Sprang. Member: Stampeders. Originally called 'The Rebounds' - a group formed by Calgary high school students that included Brendan Lyttle on bass, and guitarist Rich Dodson (originally from Sudbury, ON). They took out a newspaper ad seeking a drummer for the group. British Columbia-native drummer Kim Berly (né: Kim Meyer) answered and suggested his brother Al Meyer (stage name: Race Holiday) take over vocals. A little later, guitarist Len Roemerjoined. Then, bassist Lyttle left, and Rotterdam, Holland-native Cornelius Van Strang (ex of The Paint Brushes) joined, using the stage name Ronnie King. His brother Emile adopted the stage name 'Van Louis' after he took over on vocals. They became one of the first Canadian groups to get on to the U.S.A. Pop charts.
1885     Bert Levey, vaudeville agent, b. Californiia, USA. d. September 30, 1972, . Los Angeles, CA, USA. The "Bert Levey Circuit of Independent Vaudeville Theatres", operated, as an agent for vaudeville artists and independent theatres, from the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco with branch offices in London, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Denver and Los Angeles. Levey ran his theatrical agency business from about 1910 to circa 1930. One of the "vaudevillians" that he represented was "Jelly Roll" Morton. (See Sept 13 entry for JR Morton)
1933     Al Perkins, guitar/producer, b. Brookhaven, MS, USA.
1972     Florian Ross, piano, composer, b. Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
1964     Nick Christian Sayer, vocals/guitar. Member group: 'Transvision Vamp'
1928     "Piano Slim", piano. né: Robert T. Smith in La Grange, TX, USA.
1898     Morris Stoloff, composer/conductor, d. April 16, 1980.
1952     Mitch Watkins, guitar/producer, b. Brownsville, Texas, USA.
         Notable Events on this date include:
1942.    In the U.S.A, American Federation of Musicians Union president James C. Petrillo declared a nationwide strike. For many months, musicians refused to work in the recording studios because Petrillo advised that phonograph records were "a threat to the members jobs." (However," Live" musical radio broadcasts continued.) It was a seminal moment in "Pop" music. Previously, band singers were merely a part of the orchestra, and subservient to the leader, and the other bandsmen. But when new orchestral recordings were no longer available, the radio stations began playing acapella choral records. During this period, radio stations and recording studios found that the public was as interested in the Vocalist as in the band. Hereafter, singers would become Stars in their own right, and would use any studio orchestra to back them.
1944.    Cecil Mack, songwriter, died in New York, NY, USA. Age: 60
1964.    Johnny Burnette, Leader (Johnny Burnette Trio), died in Clear Lake, CA, USA. Age: 30 (Boating accident).
1976.    George W. Lee, bandleader, died in Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 83
1983.    "Wiild" Bill Moore, tenor sax, died in Los Angeles, California, UCS. (b. June 13, 1918, .Houston, TX, USA. né: William M. Moore)
1987.    "Howdy" Forrester, C&W fiddle virtuoso died, Age: 65 (Member: "Smokey Mountain Boys")
1987.    Joe Liggins, vocals, died in Lynwood, CA, USA. Age: 71. ("Joe Liggins & the Honeydrippers")
1985.    Sam Wooding, piano, died in New York, LI, NY, USA. Age: 90
1988.    Doug Finnell, piano, (b. Dallas, TX) died in Dallas, TX, USA. Age: 82. Worked with "T-Bone" Walker
1992.    Alfred "Chico" Alvarez, trumpet, died in Las Vegas, NV, USA. (cancer). Age: 72, a Canadian-born (raised in Los Angeles, CA, USA.) trumpeter best recalled for his work with the Stan Kenton band in the 1940s, and also played with the Red Norvo and Charlie Barnet bands, (b. Feb. 3, 1920, Montreal, Quebec, Canada), CAUTION: Do not confuse with "Chico" Alvarez Peraza, percussion, vocals, leader, American Latin Jazz musician, born March 4, 1947, in New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. , (né: Ernesto Alvarez Peraza), He grew up in Cuba and returned to the United States. Currently (2007) living in New Jersey, USA
1993.    Max Jones, author/critic, died in Chichester, UK, Age: 76.
1994.    George Dixon, sax/trumpet/arranger, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 85. Worked with Earl Hines.
1995.    Bob Talley, piano, died in Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 75
         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1907   "Mariutch Maka the Hootch Ma Kootch Down Coney", - Edward Morton vocal release
1922   "I'm Just Wild About Harry", - Paul Whiteman Orch. (Eubie Blake tune)
1924   "I Wonder What's Become of Sally", -Benny Krueger and his Orch. (Ager/Yellen tune)
1929   "Scotty Blues" (West End Blues), - The Missourians
1929   "Vine Street Drag" (Tiger Rag), - The Missourians
1932   "Lonesome Me", - Tom Gerun and his Orch.
1936   "I Just Made Up With That Old Girl of Mine", - Fats Waller and His Rhythm
1938   "Jitterbug's Lullaby", - Johnny Hodges and his Orch.
1938   "At Long Last Love", Larry Clinton Orch.
1938   "Milenburg Joys" - Larry Clinton Orch.
1938   "Dippermouth Blues"- Larry Clinton Orch.
1938   "My Heart At Thy Sweet Voice"- Larry Clinton Orch.
1939   "Day In Day Out", - Kay Kyser Orch.
1939   "I Want to Be Happy", - Glenn Miller Orch.
1939   "Farewell Blues", - Glenn Miller Orch.
1940   "Barbara Allen", - Maxene Sullivan vocal release
1941   "Til Reveille", - Bing Crosby
1941   "Piano Concerto In B Flat", - Freddy Martin
1946   "Five Minutes More", - Frank Sinatra
1946   "Twilight On The Trail", - Claude Thornhill Orch.
1952   "You Belong To Me", - Jo Stafford
1953   "Crying In The Chapel", - Rex Allen
1960   "The Twist", - Chubby Checkers (The start of the 1960s world-wide craze!)
1960   "Volare", - Bobby Rydell
1964   "Walk Don't Run '64", - Ventures
1970   "Patches", - Clarence Carter
1970   "25 Or 6 To 4", - Chicago
1981   "Who's Crying Now", - Journey
1981   "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", - Stevie Nicks
1987   "When Smokey Sings", - ABC
1987   "Doing It All For My Baby", - Huey Lewis & The News