| 1878 | George M. Cohan, He was a United States entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, director, and producer of Irish descent. Known as "the man who owned Broadway" in the decade before World War I, he is considered the father of American musical comedy. He died in November of 1942.
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| 1915 | Jerry Gray, Arranger and bandleader with 'The Glenn Miller Orchestra'. A child prodigy on the violin, he (family name Graziano) took up the study of composing and arranging while still a boy in East Boston. He died in 1976.
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| 1923 | Johnny Hartman, A jazz singer who is remembered for his smooth performances of jazz ballads, is best known for his work with John Coltrane. Their 1963 album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is a jazz classic, and the recording "Lush Life" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. Hartman's discography also includes recordings with Earl Hines, Dizzy Gillespie's big band, and several albums under his own name for various record labels. He died in 1983.
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| 1926 | Johnny Coles, A fine trumpeter with a distinctive cry, Johnny Coles long had the ability to say a lot with a few notes. He played with a few top R&B bands, including Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (1948-1951), Bull Moose Jackson (1952), and Earl Bostic (1955-1956); was with James Moody's group (1956-1958); and appeared on several Gil Evans records between 1958-1964. He died in 1996.
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| 1929 | (Miss) Lavelle White, A singer, guitarist, and songwriter and a native of Amite city, Louisiana. She is the daughter of sharecropper parent, and started in the music business at the age of 15, performing in Houston's blues clubs with the guitarist Clarence Hollimon. Her break came when she was intorduced to the owner of the Duke and Peacock record labels. She recorded 14 tracks for Duke between 1958 and 1964. These included "If I Could Be with You," "Just Look at You Fool," "Stop These Teardrops," and "The Tide of Love." During her career she's performed with a who's who of blues including Bobby Bland, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Junior Parker, Aretha Franklin and Jerry Butler. She appeared at various clubs in Chicago with Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks and Buddy Guy. However, her debut album was not released until 1994, when Miss Lavelle was issued on the Antone's label. It was her first recording for almost 30 years. (96) |
| 1930 | Pete Fountain, Traditional jazz clarinetist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was once a member of the Dukes of Dixieland and the Basin Street Six. He became world famous after appearing on the Lawrence Welk television show. He became well-known locally for his annual march on Mardi Gras day with the Half-Fast marching club. He played on Bourbon Street until 1982, when he began playing at the New Orleans Riverfront Hilton.
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| 1940 | Fontella Bass, An American soul singer and godpel singer who recorded hits like "Rescue Me," "Recovery," and "I Can't Rest".
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| 1945 | Johnny Lee, An American country music singer. His 1980 single, "Lookin' for Love," spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard country singles chart.
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| 1946 | John Klemmer, An active composer and an innovator on the electrified saxophone (using echo effects quite effectively), he was also a very strong Coltrane-inspired acoustic tenor saxophonist.
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| 1947 | John Blake, Violinist of advanced classical study, he first gained recognition for his early-'70s recordings with Archie Shepp. During the next decade, Blake recorded with McCoy Tyner, James Newton, Cecil McBee, Jay Hoggard, and Grover Washington, Jr., touring extensively with Tyner and Washington.
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| 1957 | Laura Branigan, Singer - "How am I Supposed To Live Without You".
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