| 1901 | James 'Kokomo' Arnold, Early Blues slide guitarist. He recorded "Milk Cow Blues" which was his most impressive hit. Hed died in 1968 in Chicago.
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| 1905 | Harold Arlen, An American songwriting legend who worked with Fletcher Henderson, Ethel Waters and many others - "Stormy Weather". He died in 1986.
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| 1922 | Hank Locklin, Singer - "Please Help Me I'm Falling". His vocal style was originally influenced by Ernest Tubb, but he later began developing his own approach to singing. Late in World War II, he joined Jimmy Swan's dance band as a guitarist, whose ranks included Hank Williams sitting in occasionally. Hank died on March 8, 2009.
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| 1923 | Joe Banashack, The owner of the legendary Minit record label. Ernie K-Doe, Irma Thomas and most every New Orleans artist of the 50's and 60's recorded at one time or another for the label.
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| 1937 | Nathan Davis, He split his career between being a fine tenor saxophonist and a jazz educator. He played briefly with Jay McShann in 1955, attended the University of Kansas, spent time in the Army in Berlin (1960-1963), and stayed in Paris where he worked with Kenny Clarke (1963-1969), Eric Dolphy (1964), and Art Taylor.
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| 1937 | Kirk Lightsey, He developed his own sound within the hard bop tradition. He gained some attention in 1965 when he recorded with Sonny Stitt and was on five Prestige records with Chet Baker. However, Lightsey mostly had low-profile gigs until he toured with Dexter Gordon (1979-1983) and became part of the Leaders (starting in the late '80s).
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| 1941 | Brian Holland, As part of the Holland, Dozier, Holland production and songwriting axis, Brian Holland helped pioneer the classic Motown sound of the 1960s, scoring hit after hit at the helm of artists including the Supremes, the Four Tops and Martha & the Vandellas.
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| 1944 | Henry Threadgill, An alto saxophonist and composer. With his fellow Chicagoans Anthony Braxton and Muhal Richard Abrams, he's one of the most original jazz composers of his generation.
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| 1951 | Melissa Manchester, Grammy winning singer and songwwiter - "Don't Cry Out Loud".
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| 1952 | Dr. Tommy Comeaux, He was a versatile guitarist who also played bolero, pedal steel, bass and mandolin. In 1995 he was voted "Best Cajun Guitarist" in a local music poll. LMC Commissioner and longtime member of numerous bands including Beausoleil, Coteau, the Bluegrass band the Clickin' Chickens, the Basin Brothers and others. graduated Valedictorian of his senior class and Summa Cum Laude from LSU. He attended LSU Meidcal School and became a pathologist. he died in a traffic accident in Broussard, Louisiana at the age of 45 in 1997.
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| 1957 | Herlin Riley, A master drummer and a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. From 1984 to 1987, Riley was a member of Ahmad Jamal's group. He joined Wynton Marsalis in 1988, and toured and performed with them until the group disbanded in 1994. He has made recordings with Marcus Roberts, Dr. John, Harry Connick, Jr., George Benson, Benny Wallace, and Mark Whitfield. He has also played in theatrical performances, including One Mo' Time and Satchmo: America's Musical Legend. Riley is a regularly featured musician at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and played a large part in developing the drum parts for Wynton Marsalis's Pulitzer Prize-winning Blood on the Fields. He is a lecturer in percussion for the jazz studies program at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
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