| 1888 | Frank Richards, A ragtime pianist and a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He played in the Storyville bordellos for a while, but was mostly known from stories passed down from Jelly Roll Morton. He is primarily mentioned as the man who helped Jelly Roll compose the song New Orleans Blues whcih Jelly Roll claimed to be his earliest composition. He is assumed to have passed away before 1920. (137) |
| 1900 | Lawrence Marrero, Traditional jazz banjo player from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was from a musical grand family of New Orleans that included brothers John, Eddie and Simon, and father Billy. Lawrence began his musical career with 'Wooden' Joe Nicholas, Kid Rena and Chris Kelly. He then formed his own 'Young Tuxedo Orchestra', and was a bass drummer in parades with George Lewis. Throughout the forties and fifties, he played with the George Lewis Ragtime Jazz band. Lawrence died in on June, 6 1959 in New Orleans.
(125) |
| 1900 | Joe Watkins, He was a pianist, but primarily known as a traditional jazz drummer. He was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and known for his work with George Lewis. He also played with Kid Howard, Isaiah Morgan, Herb Morand, and Punch Miller. He died in September of 1969 at 68.
(125) |
| 1902 | Louis Barbarin, Traditional jazz drummer from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was part of one of the many New Orleans musical families with Isidore, his father and Paul, his brother. Louis played with the Piron Orchestra in addition to a long stay in Papa Celestin's Orchestra. He was also a regular player at Preservation Hall.
(123) |
| 1908 | Mike Lala, Traditional jazz trumpeter from New Orleans, Louisiana. One of the popular dance and dixieland band leaders for forty years. Worked for twenty years in the French Quarter at La Lune and the Famous Door. He also played in the bands of Joe Capraro, Oscar Marcour and Jule Bauduc. Mike died in New Orleans on October 8, 1976.
(117) |
| 1911 | Sonny Terry, Singer and harmonica player - "Sonny's Story". He was one of the initial bluesmen who crossed over into areas not normally associated with the genre before he came along. Along with his partner, guitarist Brownie McGhee, Terry played on numerous folk recordings with the likes of Woody Guthrie. He died in 1986.
(114) |
| 1930 | JP (The Big Bopper) Richardson, Legendary as one of the three rock greats to die in the tragic 1959 Clear Lake, IA, plane crash that also claimed the lives of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper (born Jiles Perry Richardson) had just established himself as a rock hitmaker with the rollicking "Chantilly Lace."
(95) |
| 1937 | Santo Farina, Steel guitarist for Santo and Johnny. They were best remembered for their instrumental guitar classic "Sleepwalk".
(88) |
| 1938 | Odeon Pope, An intense tenor saxophonist, he was an important member of Max Roach's quartet beginning in 1979.
(87) |
| 1944 | Bettye Swann (Betty Jean Champion), Shreveport, Louisiana native soul singer. She charted several times throughout her career, but is best known for her hit "Make Me Yours" in 1967.
(81) |
| 1946 | Jerry Edmonton, Drummer for the pop and rock group, Steppenwolf - "Born to be Wild".
(79) |
| 1947 | Banu Gibson, Singer and dancer born in Dayton, Ohio. She moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1973, and performs with her band "New Orleans Hot Jazz", jazz standards from the 20's and 30's. She's toured the world building a reputation for performing this genre.
(78) |
| 1970 | Jeff Mangum, He is a lyricist, vocalist and guitarist and a native of Ruston, Louisiana. He was a member of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, as well as being one of the cofounders of The Elephant 6 Recording Company.
(55) |
