| 1883 | Joseph 'Wooden Joe' Nicholas, Traditional jazz cornetist, trumpeter and clarinetist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a well-known player in Storyville until the district was closed in 1917. He is said to have practiced on King Oliver's cornet during his frequent coffee breaks. He organized both, the 'Camelia Dance Band' and the 'Camelia Brass Band', and was usually seconded on cornet by Buddy Petit. He recorded with Johnny St. Cyr and Raymond Burke. 'Wooden Joe' died in New Orleans on November 17, 1957.
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| 1906 | Bardu Ali, A jazz and rhythm & blues guitarist and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is most well-know for discovinering Ella Fitzgerald, and he persevered in getting her hired by the Chick Webb big band. Ali was also closely associated with rhythm & blues giant Johnny Otis as well as closing out his career as the manager of feisty comedian Redd Foxx. He die in October of 1981 at the age of 75.
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| 1907 | Albert Ammons, Was one of the big three of late-'30s boogie-woogie pianists along with Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis. Starting in 1934, he led his own band in Chicago, and he made his first records in 1936. In 1938, Ammons appeared at Carnegie Hall with Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis, an event that really helped launch the boogie-woogie craze. He died in Chicago on December 5, 1949.
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| 1910 | Jacob 'Jake' Sciambra, Traditional jazz pianist and clarinetist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a well-known attorney, and was active with Johnny Wiggs in the late fifties. He continued informally into the 1980's.
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| 1926 | John Coltrane, Saxophonist and composer who reshaped jazz and tenor playing. He was a member of Miles Davis group from October 1955 through April 1957 (with a few absences), a period which saw influential recordings from the group. During the latter part of 1957 Coltrane worked with Thelonious Monk at New York’s Five Spot, a legendary gig. He rejoined Miles in January 1958, staying until April 1960, during which time he participated in such seminal Davis sessions as Milestones and Kind Of Blue, and recorded his own influential sessions (notably Giant Steps). He then formed his own quartet that recorded almost until his death on July 17, 1967 at Huntington Hospital in Long Island NY.
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| 1927 | Mighty Joe Young (Joseph Young), A Blues guitarist born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He spent most of his career in Chicago and became a very busy sideman. He worked with Otis Rush, Magic Sam Willie Dixon, Billy Boy Arnold and Jimmy Rogers, along with his solo work. He passed away in March of 1999 at the age of 71.
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| 1928 | Jimmy Woode, Bassist who toured with Flip Phillips in 1949, then recorded with Zoot Sims and Toots Thielemans. He later worked with Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat Pierce in the early '50s. Woode served as house bassist at Storyville in Boston two years, recording with Sidney Bechet and Billie Holiday just to name a few. He died in 2005.
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| 1928 | Frank Foster, He’s a saxophonist with a big, broad, rangy sound and approach; he’s a composer and arranger of both tunes and long-form works; and he’s a skilled leader of bands both large and small. Most know for his association with Count Basie and for leading the Count Basie orchestra from 1986 through 1995. (98) |
| 1930 | Ray Charles, Grammy Award winning singer and pianist - "Georgia On My Mind". He died in 2005.
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| 1935 | Les McCann, Pianist who recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz during 1960-64, mostly with his trio but also featuring Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, the Jazz Crusaders and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
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| 1935 | Fenton Robinson, Blues guitarist born in Minter City, MS. Fenton was a singular songwriter. He composed a dozen blues classics, but none better known than "Somebody Loan Me A Dime," originally recorded as a 45 in the late 1960s, and re-recorded as the title cut of his first Alligator release. Robinson became a teacher in the public school system in his later years. When Fenton Robinson passed away on November 25, 1997, the blues world lost one of its truly exceptional artists.
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| 1941 | Earl Turbinton, Saxophonist from New Orleans has played with an amazing array of music giants, from Cannonball Adderley to B.B. King, Herbie Hancock to the Neville Brothers, Snooks Eaglin to the Wild Magnolias. Turbinton is a master of both the soprano and alto sax, which can be heard mainly on the recordings of other notable musicians, since his own personal discography is limited. Earl passed away in August of 2007.
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| 1943 | Jeremy Steig, One of the earliest and finest jazz-rock flutists, who's an outstanding soloist. He's mastered the entire flute family, including bass, and also plays piccolo well.
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| 1943 | Julio Iglesias, Singer - "To All the Girls I've Loved Before".
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| 1949 | Elizabeth Allison Miner, She was a music promoter and manager from Baltimore, Maryland. She was instrumental in the early production of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the later career of pianist Professor Longhair.
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| 1949 | Bruce Springsteen, 'The Boss' - Born In The USA".
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