| 1897 | Tony Sbarbaro, Traditional jazz drummer and kazoo player from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a member of the legendary 'Original Dixieland Jazz Band', and considered by some to be the greatest of dixieland drummers. He worked in New Orleans with the Brunies family, and also played with band led by Ernest Giardina and Phil Napoleon. Tony died in New York City on October 29, 1969.
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| 1913 | Nathan Abshire, Cajun accordianist and vocalist from Gueydan, Louisiana. He was very important to the tradition of cajun music, and recorded a vast body of the music during his long career. He recorded the extremely successful 'Pine Grove Blues' in 1935, and starred in the PBS documentary 'Good Times Are Killing Me' in 1975. There are as many as six compilations that cover his distinguished career on Swallow Records, Ace Records and Arhoolie Records. Nathan died in Basile, Lousiana on May 13, 1981.
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| 1923 | Elmo Hope, Pianist in 'The Elmo Hope Trio'. Overshadowed throughout his life by his friends Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, he was a talented pianist and composer whose life was cut short by drugs. He died in 1967.
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| 1925 | Jerome 'Doc' Pomus, He found success as one of the finest white blues singers of the 1940s before becoming one of the greatest songwriters in the history of American popular music. The author of many of the most popular rock & roll songs of the 1960s, he composed "Save the Last Dance for Me,'' "This Magic Moment," "Sweets for My Sweet" and dozens of others, including Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas" "Little Sister," and "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame." He died in 1991.
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| 1934 | Anna Moffo, Opera singer in the Metropolitan Opera.
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| 1942 | Frank Mills, Canadian-born composer and pianist Frank Mills scored a minor U.S. hit in 1972 with "Love Me, Love Me Love." It wasn't until the release of "Music Box Dancer" and its subsequent success in 1979, that MIlls became more of a household name.
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| 1944 | Bruce Johnston, Grammy Award winning songwriter - "I Write the Songs".
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| 1948 | Camile Baudoin, A guitarist and a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He's best know as a founding member of the long-time Louisiana band "The Radiatorr". He shared lead guitar duties with Dave Malone, and plays with or without a slide. Through high school and into college, he played 4 or 6 sets a night on Bourbon Street. Through the merger of two bands, the Rhapsodizer's and Road Apple, the Radiators were formed, the next 35 years or so were history. Camille now performs solo. (78) |
| 1949 | Johnny Vidacovich, A drummer and a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He's been playing with Astral Project since the 1970's, a jazz quartet with James Singleton, Tony Dagradi and Steve Masakowski. He has been recognized by Big Easy Entertainment Awards, with praise in Offbeat, Downbeat and the New York Times as well as NPR's Jazz Profiles by Branford Marsalis. He has played with Bobby McFerrin, Stanton Moore, Charlie Hunter, Willy DeVille, Robert Walter and New Orleans greats Johnny Adams, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Alvin "Red" Tyler and Mose Allison. Vidacovich has also been faculty at Loyola University, School of Music. (77) |
