1882 | Oscar K. Allen, The 42nd Governor of the state of Louisiana and a native of Winn Parish in Louisiana. His contributions to Louisiana Music are so few, that we couldn't find a biography with the mention of it. However, his contibution to Blue's music is enormous and legendary as he is the person who pardoned Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter) from Angola State Penitentiary in 1934. (143) |
1900 | Lucky Millinder, He was a frontman, an occasional singer who conducted several impressive big bands. He died in 1966.
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1900 | Elmer 'Coo Coo' Talbert, Traditional jazz trumpeter from New Orleans, Louisiana. He began his musical career at 29 years-old with the Arnold Depass orchestra. He was taught by Kid Rena, and played in his brass band. Later he worked with George Lewis, Polo Barnes and Albert Jiles. Coo Coo died in New Orleans on December 13, 1950.
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1903 | 'Father Al' Lewis, Traditional jazz banjoist, guitarist and vocalist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He played at Preservation Hall and was with the 'New Orleans Joymakers'.
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1907 | Benny Carter, As an altoist, arranger, composer, bandleader, and occasional trumpeter, he was at the top of his field since at least 1928, and in the late '90s, Carter was as strong an altoist at the age of 90 as he was in 1936 (when he was merely 28). He died in 2003.
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1912 | Alphee Bergeron, A cajun accordionist and a native of Point Noir, Louisiana. During his music career, he played with Nathan Abshire, Amadie Ardoin and Joseph Falcon. He also performed and recorded with his son Shirly and the Veteran Playboys. Alphee passed away in 1980 at the age of 68. (113) |
1914 | Phil Zito, Traditional jazz drummer from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was an active bandleader in the forties and fifties, and recorded with his own band, 'International Dixieland Express'. He died on August 2, 1998 just short of his 84th birthday.
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1921 | Webb Michael Pierce, A honky tonk vocalist and a native of West Monroe, Louisiana. He charted more number one hits than any other country artist during the 1950's. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," He also charted number one for several weeks' each with his recordings of "Slowly" (1954), "Love, Love, Love" (1955), "I Don't Care" (1955), "There Stands The Glass" (1953), "More And More" (1954), "I Ain't Never" (1959), and his first number one "Wondering." Pierce continued charting until 1982 with a total of 96 hits; and he toured extensively and appeared in the movies Buffalo Guns, Music City USA, Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar, and Road To Nashville. Pierce has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1600 Vine Street. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2001 and into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008. He passed away in 1991 at the age of 69.
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1923 | Jimmy Witherspoon, Singer - "Ain't Nobody's Business". One of the great blues singers of the post-World War II period, he was also versatile enough to fit into the jazz world. He died in 1997.
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1926 | Urbie Green, A fine jazz trombonist who has spent most of his career in the studios. He started playing when he was 12; was with the big bands of Tommy Reynolds, Bob Strong, and Frankie Carle as a teenager; and worked with Gene Krupa during 1947-1950.
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1926 | Al King (Alvin K. Smith), A Blues singer and native of Monroe, Louisiana. He made his recording debut, ‘Homesick Blues’, in 1951. Two years later he led the Savoys, who recorded ‘Chop Chop Boom’ with saxophonist Jack McVea for Combo. In 1964, now calling himself Al King, he made ‘Reconsider Baby’, the record most closely associated with his name. He returned three decades later with two new albums, Blues Master and It’s Rough Out. He passed away in 1999 at the age of 75. (99) |
1932 | Mel Tillis, In light of all the attention given Mel Tillis' infamous speech impediment, he even named his autobiography 'Stutterin' Boy'. Throughout the course of his many decades in country music, Tillis remained one of Nashville's most enduring personalities.
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1933 | Joe Tex, He made the first Southern soul record that also hit on the pop charts ("Hold What You've Got," in 1965, made number five in Billboard). His raspy-voiced, jackleg preacher style also laid some of the most important parts of rap's foundation. However, he'll always be most well-know for the chart topper "I Gotcha". He died in 1982.
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1938 | Connie Stevens, Actor and singer Connie Stevens was born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingolia. By the late '50s, Stevens had co-launched a singing and acting career, signing with Warner Bros. and issuing her debut album.
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1939 | Phillip Balsley, Singer with 'The Statler Brothers' - "Flowers On The Wall".
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1949 | Airrion Love, R&B singer with the 1970's pop group the 'Stylistics'.
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1961 | The Edge, Born Dave Evans in East London, The Edge grew up in Dublin, Ireland. U2's guitar player and occasional singer, he also dabbles in songwriting for the group, writing the lyrics to "Wake Up Dead Man," "Van Diemen's Land" from Rattle and Hum, and "Numb" from the release Zooropa.
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1962 | Kool Moe Dee, Rapper and a member of one of the original hip-hop crews, Treacherous Three, he later became a solo star in his own right in 1986 by teaming with a teenaged Teddy Riley (later famed as the king of new jack swing) on the crossover hit "Go See the Doctor."
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1976 | JC Chasez, Singer with the pop supergroup 'N'Sync'. In the early '90s he was a Mousekateer and even played Clarence "Wipeout" Adams on Emerald Cove, a soap opera aired within The Mickey Mouse Club. By 2004 he was hiring the slick and ultrahip Basement Jaxx to produce his album.
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