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Todays Date

Todays Date
08-18-2026

Birthday Wishes

Year	birthday
1909	Herman E. Johnson, A country blues guitarist and singer and a native of Scotlandville, Louisiana.  His family were all members of the Baptist church.  He's known for being recorded in 1961 by Harry Oster.  The recordings were issued on Arhoolie LP 1060.  Herman passed away in 1975 at the age of 65. (117)
1919	Frank Parker, A drummer and a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He marched and tap-danced with a Carnival group called the Gin Bandits as a child. During his long career, he played R&B and Traditional Jazz and toured with Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Lou Rawls, and the Preservation Hall Band. In 1979, Parker toured with "One Mo' Time," the stage hit about black vaudeville. The Louisiana Jazz Federation presented him a lifetime achievement award. He died in 2001 at the age of 81. (107)
1932	Lee Diamond (Wilbert Smith), New Orleans native R&B singer and multi-instrumentalist. He was a member of Little Richard's backing band "The Upsetters", and wrote and recorded for a number of artists. (94)
1939	Johnny Preston, Singer - He formed a rock and roll band called "The Shades" before recording his No. 1 hit single "Running Bear." The song was written by J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson who had died the previous year in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. He quickly followed up with a minor hit called "Cradle of Love" and made several other records during the early 1960s that met with modest success. (87)
1940	Adam Makowicz, Pianist who made a strong impression when he first came to the U.S. and at the time, he was often compared to Art Tatum. (86)
1950	Dennis Elliott, Drummer for rock and popular group 'Foreigner' - "I Want To Know What Love Is". (76)

Todays_Events

Year	Musical_Fact
1945	The 'Delta Rhythm Boys', a vocal group from New Orleans, entered the R&B charts on this day. The song was 'It's Only A Paper Moon', and was performed with Ella Fitzgerald.
1949	Paul Mares, traditional jazz cornetist and trumpeter from New Orleans, Louisiana passed away on this day. Paul was born in 1900, and was from one of New Orleans musical families that included his brother Joseph, and his father Joseph, Sr. Paul played with dance bands around New Orleans as a youngster, and by 1920 was playing in Tom Brown's band. He then became the leader of the 'New Orleans Rhythm Kings' in Chicago, and was a national sensation. He was the co-composer of jazz standards that included 'Tin Roof Blues', 'Farewell Blues' and 'Milneburg Joys'. He retired from music in the early thirties, and died in Chicago.
1956	Elvis Presley climbed to the top of the pop charts on this day with his historical recordings of 'Hound Dog' and 'Don't Be Cruel'.
1956	'Only Time Will Tell' by Abbeville, Louisiana native, Bobby Charles, hit the R&B charts on this day.
1958	Domenico Modugno graced the #1 position on the pop music charts on this day with the song 'Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu'.
1972	Neil Young saw the top of the Billboard charts on this day with his hit 'Heart Of Gold'.
1973	'Touch Me The Morning After' by Diana Ross climbed to the top of the pop charts on this day.
1973	Shreveport, Louisiana native soul singer, Bettye Swann (Betty Jean Champion) made it to the Billboard R&B charts on this day with her tune "Till I Get It Right".
1979	'Good Times' by Chic went to the top of the Billboard charts on this day.
1980	In the most bizarre lineup change yet, Buggles members, Trevor Horne and Geoff Downes, joined Yes for the release of "Drama". The Buggles were most famous for "Video Killed the Radio Star", the very first video played on MTV.
1998	Leonard "Chick" Carbo passed away on this day. Houma, Louisiana native, Chick (Leonard) Carbo's vocals along with his brother Chuck (Hayward) was a principal ingredient in the success of the Spiders, the premier R&B vocal group around New Orleans during the 1950s. They initially began recording in 1947 as a gospel group called the "Zion City Harmonizers", and as The Spiders charted several times.
2008	Pervis Jackson, a bass vocalist and a native of the New Orleans area passed away on this day at the age of 70. He was a founding member of the Motown group The Spinners for 50 years.
2010	New Orleans music royalty played at the Hollywood Bowl on this day as The Neville Brothers, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band performed in Los Angeles, California with other groups on this day.