| 1913 | Cecil Grant, Early blues pianist and singer - born in Nashville, TN.
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| 1915 | Muddy Waters, Blues singer and guitarist - "Close To You". From the late '40s on, he eloquently defined Chicago's aggressive, swaggering, Delta-rooted sound with his vocals and piercing slide-guitar attack. He died in 1983.
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| 1917 | Big Chief Jolly (George Landry), He was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana and started the Wild Tchoupitoulas. That's where he became Big Chief Jolly. Recruiting his nephews The Neville Brothers, he created a monumental breakthrough release called Wild Tchoupitoulas a tribute to the Mardi Gras Indian gang in 1976. He passed away in 1980 at the age of 63.
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| 1931 | Jake Hanna, Drummer equally at ease driving a big band or playing in small mainstream combos.
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| 1937 | Robert Cage, A blues guitarist and a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He learned on a Sears and Roebuck guitar, and was in the house band at the State Line Club (Miss and LA). He gigs sporadically.
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| 1938 | Norro Wilson, Singer, composer and producer - "Surround Me with Love".
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| 1939 | Hugh Masekela, Trumpeter - "Grazing In The Grass". He has an extensive jazz background and credentials, but has enjoyed major success as one of the earliest leaders in the world fusion mode.
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| 1939 | Camey Doucet, A musician and songwriter and a native of Crowley, Louisiana. He started in radio by lending amplifiers and speakers to AM 1560 KAJN radio. Camey has recorded several 45s, five albums and one CD. In 1976, Camey Doucet released the song Je Suis Toujors Ton 'tit Garçon, which translates to I'm Always Your Little Boy. Doucet has been twice honored by the Cajun French Music Association being inducted into the hall of fame in its inaugural year in 1997. (86) |
| 1948 | Ernie Johnson, A vocalist and a native of Winnsboro, Louisiana. In 1957, he bagan his singing career when he moved to Texas. He soon started his band the Soul Blenders. They were quickly playing everywhere for fifty cents to a dollar. During his career he's recorded Just In Time (Ronn, 1966), It's Party Time (Paula, 1993), "Jesus Is A Way Maker," "Hard Times", In The Mood (Waldoxy, 1995) Hot & Steamy (Waldoxy, 1998), Squeeze It (Phat Sound, 2001) , It's Party Time Revived: The Best Of Ernie Johnson (Stairway Ent, 2005), Jesus Is A Way Maker (Stairway Ent, 2005).
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| 1952 | Michel Camilo, Virtuoso jazz pianist, He came from a very musical family (with all nine of his uncles being musicians). Originally playing accordion, he switched to piano when he was 16.
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| 1952 | Dave Hill, Guitarist with rock group 'Slade' - "Run Runaway".
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