| 1907 | Blind Boy Fuller, Born in Wadesboro, NC and blind from a young age, Fuller was a master of the piedmont style and could play everything from ragtime fingerpicking to bottleneck blues. He died at the young age of thirty-two of kidney failure.
(119) |
| 1911 | Cootie Williams, He was one of the finest trumpeters of the 1930s, expanded upon the role originally formed by Bubber Miley with Duke Ellington's Orchestra. Renowned for his work with the plunger mute. He died in 1985.
(115) |
| 1915 | Milt Buckner, Pianist and organist and composer of "Hamp's Boogie Woogie". As a pianist, he largely invented the "locked hands" style (parallel chords) that was adopted by many other players including George Shearing and Oscar Peterson. And as an organist, he was one of the top pre-Jimmy Smith stylists, helping to popularize the instrument. He died in 1977.
(111) |
| 1916 | Dick Cary, Trumpeter and arranger. He was best-known for his stint with Louis Armstrong's All-Stars (1947-1948), was most significant as a behind-the-scenes arranger and freelance musician in the trad jazz movement. He died in 1994.
(110) |
| 1924 | Major Holley, Bassist who was best known for using the Slam Stewart trademark of singing along with his bowed bass solos. He died in 1990.
(102) |
| 1933 | Jerry Herman, Composer and lyricist - "Hello, Dolly!". He's best known for his Broadway musicals. He seven Tony nominations, including three Tony Awards during his songwriting career.
(93) |
| 1937 | Sandy Stewart, Singer - "My Coloring Book".
(89) |
| 1938 | Lee Morgan, Blue Note label recording stalwart prior to his death, He was one of hard bop's greatest trumpeters, and one of the finest of the 1960s. A master of his instrument, Morgan boasted an effortless, virtuosic technique and a full, supple, muscular tone that was just as powerful in the high register. He died in 1972.
(88) |
| 1941 | Ian Whitcomb, He formed his R&B group Bluesville in Dublin, Ireland. He never had a hit in the U.K. "You Turn Me On" was a tongue-in-cheek knockoff at the end of a session with falsetto vocals and a vocal hook hit number eight in America in 1965, and Whitcomb was briefly a star.
(85) |
| 1947 | Arlo Guthrie, Like his father Woody Guthrie, he has carved out a career as a folksinger and songwriter with a social conscience who leavens political messages with humor. Though Woody Guthrie was hospitalized for much of Arlo's youth, the youngster nevertheless grew up in a musical community that included Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, and Cisco Houston.
(79) |
| 1950 | Alvin Overstreet, A vocalist and a native of DeQuincy, Louisiana. He is the son of the famous Rev. Louis Overstreet of The Congregation Of St. Luke's Powerhouse Church Of God In Christ in Arizona, where Rev. Louis and all of his sons recorded the legendary record "Rev. Louis Overstreet with His Sons" with guitar and bass drum. (76) |
| 1958 | James G. Mouton, An audio engineer and a native of the Lafayette, Louisiana area. He's worked for the Progressive Baptist Church, the Cajun Dome and many others. However, he is most widely known for his tenure as audio engineer and tour manager for Buckwheat Zydeco that ended in 2007. (68) |