| 1889 | Samuel (Sammy) Davis, An authentic Storyville piano professor and a native creole of New Orleans, Louisiana. For some reason he had said he was born in 1885, although his birth certificate and WWI draft card say differently. He was called “One of the greatest manipulators, I guess I’ve ever seen in the history of the world on a piano” by Jelly Roll Morton. He had travelled widely and worked saloons before Storyville. He moved permanently to Albany, the capital of New York State, in the early 1930s and passed away there in July 1980 at the age of 90. (137) |
| 1893 | Clarence Williams, Traditional jazz pianist born in Plaquemine, Louisiana, Williams got his start like his piano counterparts of the time, in the brothels of Storyville in New Orleans. There is some dispute whether he was born in 1893 or 1898. Williams also migrated to Chicago and made a name for himself as a composer and publisher in addition to his playing skills. In the early 1920's he made a series of recordings with 'Blue Five', which included performance stars Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and 'King' Oliver. He was also involved in the Blues, mostly as an accompanist to Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Eva Taylor and other vocalists. Williams died in New York on November 6, 1965.
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| 1917 | JC Heard, He was a very supportive drummer versatile enough to fit comfortably into swing, bop and blues settings. He died Sep 27, 1988 in Royal Oak, MI.
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| 1919 | Hal Singer, Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played R&B or jazz, and recorded both over a career spanning more than half a century.
(107) |
| 1930 | Pepper Adams, He was a Barritone Saxophonist. His first recording under his own name came out of the West Coast on World Pacific called "Critics Choice" (he was winner of the new star category in the International Jazz Critics Poll for Down Beat magazine that year). He died September 10, 1986.
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| 1930 | Toru Takemitzu, One of the great Japanese composers of his generation. He accompanied the Japanese new wave such as Oshima and Inamura but is famous above all for his collaborations with Akira Kurosawa. He died in 1996.
(96) |
| 1937 | Wallace Johnson, He was a singer from Napoleonville, Louisiana. He never had much more than a handful of hits, but his singles, and one CD were some of the best local R&B of his era. He worked with Harold Battiste and AFO, and Allen Toussaint and NYNO.
(89) |
| 1942 | Buzz (Reese Franklin) Clifford, Singer who scored just one hit single with "Baby Sittin' Boogie." The release from Columbia Records made it into the Top Ten in 1961 and sold more than a million copies.
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| 1944 | Susan Raye, Singer who's Best known for her work in conjunction with mentor Buck Owens - "I've got a Happy Heart"
(82) |
| 1950 | Robert Bell, Bassist, singer for the radio pop group of the 70's and 80's called "Kool and the Gang".
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| 1955 | James Singleton, He is an acoustic bassist, composer, and producer and a member of the long-lived New Orleans-based jazz group Astral Project with Johnny Vidacovich, Tony Dagradi and Steve Masakowski. He has been described as one the best and most sought after bassists in New Orleans, and has performed with John Scofield, Stanton Moore, and John Medeski as well as John Abercrombie, Art Baron, Ellis Marsalis, Earl Turbinton, and others.
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| 1963 | Steve Perry, Vocalist and guitarist with the new swing group called the 'Cherry Poppin' Daddies'.
(63) |
| 1965 | C.J. Ramone, Bassist and vocalist for the punk rock icon group called 'The Ramones'.
(61) |
| 1966 | Teddy Riley, "King of New Jack Swing," producer/songwriter Teddy Riley's enviable list of platinum-laced credits include Guy, the Winans, Joe (the Riley-produced "Stutter" topped both the R&B/pop charts in early 2001), Johnny Kemp, Blackstreet, Keith Sweat, Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Hi-Five, and Al B.
(60) |
| 1979 | Byron Reeder, 'Mista'.
(47) |
