| 1880 | Spencer Williams, Traditional jazz pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was raised by the most notorious of the madam's of Storyville, Lulu White. In his early years, he worked as a Storyville Professor, but is best know as the composer of 'Basin Street Blues', 'Mahogany Hall Stomp', and others. Spencer died in New York in 1965.
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| 1895 | Edna Hicks (Edna Landreaux), She was a blues singer and native of New Orleans, Louisiana. Her older half-sister was well-known singer Lizzie Miles. During her brief recording career, she made records for the Victor, Brunswick, Gennett, Vocalion, Ajax, and Columbia labels, with the bulk of the recording taking place in New York City and Chicago. She died in an accident at age 29 in Chicago in August 1925.
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| 1907 | Jewell (Babe) Stovall, He was a Mississippi Blues guitarist from Tylertown, MS. In the mid 1960s he went to New Orleans, where he entertained folks as a street musician of the French Quarter, until his death of natural causes in 1974 at the age of 66.
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| 1915 | Leonard 'Boojie' Centobie, Traditional jazz clarinetist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He made his name in the bands of Sharkey Bonano, Wingy Manone and Johnny Wiggs in the 1930's.
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| 1926 | Bill Justis, Saxophonist, arranger and producer who created "Raunchy", one of the classic rock 'n' roll instrumentals (and, coincidentally, the first song that George Harrison learned to play). He died July 15, 1982, in Nashville, Tennessee.
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| 1930 | Robert Parker, Born in New Orleans in 1930, Parker was a seasoned live and studio musician by the time he hit the charts. It wasn’t until he hooked up with NOLA Records in 1966 that he would cement his place in Soul history. Working with master New Orleans producer/arranger Wardell Quezerque, Parker would record eleven 45’s and one LP (the only LP release by the label) from 1966 to 1968. His first, ‘Barefootin’ b/w ‘Let’s Go Baby (Where the Action Is)’ (Nola 721) was a huge hit by any standard (especially in New Orleans) making it to #2 R&B and #7 pop in the summer of 1966. (95) |
| 1938 | Melba Montgomery, A successful singer in her own right, Melba Montgomery is perhaps best remembered in tandem with her string of duet recordings with the likes of George Jones, Charlie Louvin, and Gene Pitney. "Angel In The Morning".
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| 1940 | Cliff Richard, Britain's answer to Elvis Presley, he (born Harry Webb) dominated the pre-Beatles British pop scene in the late '50s and early '60s. An accomplished singer with a genuine feel for the music, Richard's artistic legacy is nonetheless meager, as he was quickly steered toward a middle-of-the-road pop direction. Several of his late '50s recordings, however, were genuinely exciting Presley-esque rockers -- especially his first hit, "Move It" (1958). Also know for his recording of "Devil Woman".
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| 1946 | Justin Hayward, guitarist, singer for the 70's and 80's rock group "The Moody Blues".
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| 1953 | Kazume Watanabe, Fusion guitarist.
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| 1957 | Kenny Neal, He is a blues guitar player and singer who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but raised in Baton Rouge. He learned from Slim Harpo, Buddy Guy and his father, the harmonica player, Raful Neal. Neal has played with blues stars including Lucky Peterson and Lazy Lester, and was at one time a member of The Downchild Blues Band.
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| 1962 | Chris Thomas King, He is a blues guitarist and actor from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His father is the great blues musician Tabby Thomas. He has won awards including "Album of the Year" for both Grammy Award and Country Music Award, and sold more than 10 million records in the US.
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