BIRTHDAYS
1975     Big Boi, rapper, b. Savannah, GA, USA. né: Antoine Patton. Member group: 'Outkast', comprised of 'Big Boi' and 'André 3000' (né: André: Benjamin, May 27, 1975, Atlanta, GA, USA - a.k.a. 'Dr. Dré:')
1940     James Carl "Jimmy" Black, drums, b. d. August 30, 1988, New Orleans, LA, USA. While still a teenager, Black began playing the trumpet, studying under Yvonne Bush at Clark High School and playing piano with June Spears and the Rocketeers, a local band. By the early 1960s, Black was doing session work as a drummer for Fats Domino. He went on to study at Southern University in Baton Rouge on a music scholarship. He withdrew in his senior year (about 6 months before graduation) to play with Ellis Marsalis at the Playboy Club in New Orleans. This led to a group with Marsalis on piano, Nat Perrilliat on saxophone and Black on drums. It is interesting to note that by this time, Black had already contributed a couple of compositions to Nat and Cannonball Adderley’s 1962 session 'In The Bag'. In 1963, he wrote four of the seven cuts for Marsalis’ 'Monkey Puzzle' album, including the 5/4 piece "Magnolia Triangle", perhaps one of his best compositions. He went on to perform with Joe Jones and the Dixie Cups, including the session work on their hit, "(Going to the) Chapel of Love." Black later played with Horace Silver, Yusef Lateef and Lionel Hampton. He returned to New Orleans in the 1970s to lead his own groups that included Perrilliat, Marsalis, Richard Payne and Chuck Badie. Black also performed with Marsalis’ groups and other musicians until his death. Subsequently, Black, -a colorful, yet quick-tempered drummer, went on to play with 'Joe Jones and the Dixie Cups', including the session work on their hit, "(Going to the) Chapel of Love", Horace Silver, Yusef Lateef and Lionel Hampton. In the 1970s, he returned to New Orleans where he led his own groups, often including Perrilliat, Marsalis, Richard Payne and Chuck Badie. Black also performed with Marsalis’ groups and other musicians until his death.
1944     Ari Brown, alto/tenor/soprano saxes, b. Chicago, Illinois, USA
1940     Tyrone Brown, bass, b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. Among those with whom Brown has played are drummer Max Roach and saxophonist Odean Pope. CAUTION: Do not confuse with drummer Theo Brown.
1954     Mike Campbell, vocals. Member group: 'Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers'.
1956     Exene Cervenka, vocals, b. Chicago, IL, USA. née: Christine Cervenka. Member group: 'X'
1963     Jacqueline Dankworth, vocals, b. England, UK. Jacqueline is the daughter of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, and sister of Alec Dankworth
1917     Mary Jane DeZurik, C&W vocals, b. Royalton, MN, USA. Member: the "DeZurik Sisters," and the "Cackle Sisters"
1954     "Chuck" Dukowski, bass, b. CA, USA. b. Hermosa Beach (near Los Angeles), CA, USA. Member group: 'Black Flag', comprised of Keith Morris (vocals),Greg Ginn (b. June 8, 1954, guitar), and Robo (drums). Dukowski later formed and led his own "Chuck Dukowski Septet".
1937     Don Everly, vocal/guitar, b. Brownie, KY, USA. né: Isaac Donald Everly. Member: 'The Everly Brothers'
1923     Leroy "Baby Face" Foster, drums/guitar, b. MS, USA, d, 1958, Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 35 (complications due to Alcoholism). In 1945, this Mississippi native relocated to Chicago, - in the star-crossed company of harpist "Little Walter" and pianist Johnny Jones. He first worked with "Sunnyland Slim" and "Sonny Boy" Williamson before joining the Muddy Waters group. Foster played drums on 1948 dates for the Tempo-Tone label that produced Floyd Jones's brooding "Hard Times," Little Walter's "Blue Baby," and a Sunnyland Slim-fronted "I Want My Baby." On several of Waters 1948-'49 Aristocrat label 78RPMs, he switched to rhythm guitar Among those releases were "You're Gonna Miss Me (When I'm Dead and Gone)," "Mean Red Spider," and "Screamin' and Cryin'," as well as Johnny Jones's rolling "Big Town Playboy." He switched to rhythm guitar to accompany Waters on several of his 1948-49 Aristocrat 78s, notably On a 1948 date, Aristocrat also recorded Foster as a front man for the label's releases "Locked Out Boogie" and "Shady Grove Blues".
1932     Joe Hannah, (Western) singer/songwriter, b. Marshfield, MO, USA. Member: "Sons of the San Joaquin"
1859     Victor Herbert, composer, b. Dublin, Ireland, d. May 26, 1924, New York, NY, USA.
1906     "Hildegard", vocals. b: Adell, WI, USA, d. July 29 2005. née: Hildegarde Loretta Sell. Her tag: "The Incomparable Hildegarde". Here's a photo of Hildegarde, as she appears on the sheet music cover of "The Trees of Paris", a song composed by Reg Fulton. And, here are some great publicity photos, an early publicity photo of Hildergarde, then a glamour photo of Hildegarde, and finally, a nice Close up of Hildegarde. (When this entry was written, in 2003, Hildegarde was happily still with us, at age: 97). Her merchant father played violin and drums, and her mother was a church organist. Hildegarde grew up in Milwaukee, WI, (where she attended St. John's Cathedral High School), and was a classically trained pianist. While still in school, she began playing piano in the local silent movie theaters to earn extra money, and in 1926 she got up the courage to go backstage at a vaudeville show called "Gerri and her Baby Grand" and ask for audition. She auditioned by singing "Am I Blue", and playing "12th Street Rag" --which remained in Hildegarde's act thereafter. She got the job. Circumstances prevented her from completing here music studies at Marquette University's School of Music, and she subsequently found work on the Vaudeville circuit. Famed Vaudevillian Gus Edwards put her in one of his touring shows. Composer Irving Berlin heard her in his publishing house, singing songs for vaudeville producers in need of new material, and introduced her to New York City society. Eventually, she toured to Paris France where she gave her first Command Performance for King Gustav of Sweden, -in a Parisian club, the 'Casanova'. She went on to appear in many famous rooms in London, Cannes, Brussels and at private concerts. In 1934, Hildegarde had her first hit, "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup". The song was composed by her manager, Ana Sosenko, as she rode her bicycle through a WWI cemetery in Touquet, France. Later, Hildegarde had a hit with "The Last Time I Saw Paris." In the late 1940's and through the 1950's, Hildegarde was perhaps the quintessential American dinner and supper club entertainer. New York was her homebase. Her personal signatures included long white gloves that came almost up to her shoulders, an upswept coiffure, and holding a long stemmed rose. At age 99, Hildegarde died. She was a religious woman, and a 3rd order Carmelite nun.
1894     Herman Hupfeld, composer, b. Montclair, NJ, USA. d. June 8, 1951, Montclair, NJ, USA.
1952     Rick James, vocals/guitar. né: James Johnson
1894     James P. Johnson , Piano, b. New Brunswick, NJ, USA. d. Nov. 17, 1955, New York, NY, USA
1951     Sonny Landreth, (Cajun-Zydece-Jazz) electric slide guitar/guitar/singer/songwriter, b. Canton, MS, USA. (Raised in Lafayette LA) Landreth had played in some local bands before becoming a member of 'Clfiton Chenier's Red Hot Louisiana Band', where, learning from the "King of Zydeco," Landreth developed a virtuosity in a wide range of Zydeco and Blues settings, His virtuosity was clearly heard on his 1981 debut album, "Blues Attack". He soon became a very busy sessions musician, working with such stars as rock guitarist Leslie West, harmonica legend Junior Wells, Mark Knopfler (of the group 'Dire Straits'), Count1979Julie Roberts, C&W singer-songwriterry superstar Dolly Parton, the great Cajun band 'Beausoleil', British blues pioneer John Mayall, and singer - songwriter's John Hiatt, Kenny Loggins, and Marshall Crenshaw to name a few.
1973     Jason Lindner, piano, b. New York, NY, USA.
1968     Jesse Martinez, drums (Tejano-Conjunto), d. Aug. 17, 2002, (Brain aneurysm.) He was a member of 'The Hometown Boys', and a West Texas Walk Of Fame Inductee.
1939     Delano Floyd "Del" McCoury, vocals, b. Bakersville, NC, USA. né: Delano Floyd McCoury
1931     Reuben McFall , Trumpet, b. Los Angeles, CA, USA.
1869     Kerry Mills, composer, b. Philadelphia, PA, d. Dec. 5, Hawthorne, CA.
1919     Wiley Andrew Morris, C&W star, b. Old Fort, NC, USA, d. Sept. 22, 1990. Member: 'The Morris Brothers'
1904     Joe "Tricky Sam", Nanton , Trombone, b. New York, NY, USA. d. July 20, 1946, né: Joseph N. Nanton. Best recalled for his work with Duke Ellington Orch.
1968     Lisa Marie Presley, vocals, b. Memphis, TN, USA. Elvis Presley's only child.
1969     Joshua Redman, Tenor Sax, b.1969, Berkeley, CA. né: Joshua Redman Shedroff.
1979     Julie Roberts, C&W singer-songwriter, b. Lancaster, SC, USA.
1939     Joe Sample, Piano, b. Houston, TX, USA. Member group: 'The Crusaders'.
1933     Ray Santisi, piano/teacher, b.Boston, MA, USA.
1937     Ray Sawyer, singer-songwriter/guitar, b. USA. b. Chicksaw, AL, USA. Member group:' Dr Hook'
1934     Bob Shane, vocals/guitar. member: 'The Kingston Trio'
1909     George Beverly Shea, vocals.
1921     Mihaly Tabanyi, Accordion, b. Pilis, Hungary
1933     Sadao Watanabe, Alto/Soprano Sax, b. Utsunomiya, Japan
1971     Ron Welty, drums, b. CA, USA. Member group: 'The Offspring', comprised of 'Ron', 'Dexter' (Bryan Holland, Vocal/Guitar, Dec. 29, 1966), 'Noodles' (Kevin Wasserman, Guitar, Feb. 4, 1963, Los Angeles, CA, USA), and 'Greg K' (Greg Kriesel, Bass, Jan. 12, 1965, Glendale, CA, USA). When original drummer James Lilja got into medical school, Welty (at age 16) replaced him. Ron left the band in 2003 to be replaced by Atom Willard.
1964     Bugge Wesseltoft, piano/keyboards/producer/label owner, b. Norway.
1950     Rich Williams, Guitar (Acoustic, Electric)/Producer. Member group: 'Kansas'
1937     Rick Wilkins, tenor sax, clarinet, flute, arranger, leader, b. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
193?     Pinky Winters, vocals, b. Michigan City, IN, USA. née: Phyllis Wozniak. Her significant other was pianist Lou Levy (b. March 5, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, d. Jan. 23, 2001, San Clemente, California.)
         Notable Events occuring this date include:
1862.    "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was first published in the magazine "Atlantic Monthly". (lyric: Julia Ward Howe. It's still often sung with different title, "John Brown's Body", and appropriate lyric.)
1939.    Benny Goodman and his orchestra recorded "And the Angels Sing", (Victor). Vocalist: Martha Tilton.
1941.    "Downbeat" magazine reported Glenn Miller had signed a three-year contract with RCA Victor Records, guaranteeing him $750 a side, the fattest record contract ever signed.
1949.    RCA Victor, countering Columbia Records 33-1/3 long play phonograph disk, introduce their own smaller 7-inch 45-rpm record. From this date on, 78-rpm records disappear from the marketplace.
1950.    Buddy Stewart, vocals, died in MN, USA. Age: 28
1955.    Ulysses S. Hicks, vocals, died in Boston, MA, USA. Member: The 5 Keys
1958.    John Dolphin, label owner (Recorded In Hollywood), died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 46
1977.    Billy Taylor Jr., bass, died in Washington, DC, NJ, USA. Age: 51
1981.    Joe "bebop" Carroll, vocals, died in New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. Age: 61
1986.    Dick James, label owner (DJM), died in London, UK. Age: 67
1989.    Kenneth Morris, gospel songwriter, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 71
1989.    Paul Robi, vocals, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 57. Member: The Platters
1990.    Johnny "Mississippi" Woods, harmonica, died in Olive Branch, MS, USA. Age: 72
1993.    Willie Banks, vocals, died in Raymond, MS, USA. Age: 63. Member: Messengers
1994.    John Littlejohn, guitar, died in Chicago, IL, USA. Age: 62
1997.    Raymond Atkins, (Old-Time Country/Gospel) Dobro/Guitar, died. Age: 69
2001.    C&W Songwriter John Jarrard, died in Nashville from diabetes. Age: 47

         Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
   1945     "Saturday Night(Is The Loneliest Night Of", Frankie Carle Orch.
   1945     "Little On The Lonely Side, A", Frankie Carle Orch.
   1945     "I'm Beginning To See The Light", Harry James Orch
   1964     "She Loves You", Beatles
   1964     "California Sun", Rivieras
   1969     "I'm Living In Shame", Supremes
   1975     "Lady Marmalade", Patti Labelle
   1975     "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You", Sugarloaf
   1986     "These Dreams", Heart
   1992     "Masterpiece", Atlantic Starr
   1992     "Remember The Time", Michael Jackson