| 1901 | Phil Napoleon, He was an early jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He was one of the first musicians in the U.S. north east to embrace the new "jass" style brought to that part of the country by musicians from New Orleans, Louisiana. With pianist Frank Signorelli he formed the group "The Original Memphis Five". It was one of the busiest bands in New York City in the 1920s, recording for most record labels, often under a variety of pseudonyms. After some time leading his own band and doing regular studio work for NBC radio, he worked with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra for a time in the 1940s. In 1959 he moved to Miami, Florida, where he ran a club called "Napoleon's Retreat" where he played for many years. He died in 1990.
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| 1917 | Laurindo Almeida, He was a Brazilian classical guitarist. He played guitar in Rio De Janeiro where he was known for his classical Spanish guitar playing. He joined Kenton's band during the height of its success in the 1940s, then was employed as a studio musician. In 1953 he recorded, with Bud Shank, two albums called Brazilliance for the World Pacific label. He also recorded with Baden Powell, Stan Getz and Herbie Mann, among others, and recorded for film and television.
From the 1960s until the 1980s he was a member of the chamber Jazz group the L.A. Four. It was during the 1960s when he enjoyed his greatest recognition, winning several Grammy Awards for his work. He died in 1995.
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| 1918 | Walter Lewis, Traditional jazz pianist and bassist from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was mostly associated with New Orleans musicians, Louis Cottrell and Alvin Alcorn, during his musical career.
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| 1928 | Horace Silver, He is a famous jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his distinctive humorous and funky playing style, and for his pioneering contributions to hard bop.
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| 1931 | Clifford Jordan, He was an inside outside sax player who held his own with Eric Dolphy in the 1964 Charles Mingus Sextet. He had his own sound on tenor saxophone almost from the start. He gigged around Chicago with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some R&B groups before moving to New York in 1957. He immediately made a strong impression, leading three albums for Blue Note (including a meeting with fellow tenor John Gilmore) and touring with Horace Silver (1957-1958), J.J. Johnson (1959-1960), Kenny Dorham (1961-1962), and Max Roach (1962-1964). Jordan also recorded with these musicians. He died in 1993.
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| 1932 | Walter Davis, He was an American hard bop pianist. He recorded with Max Roach and played with Roach, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie. In 1958 he played a highly successful, extended engagement in Paris with trumpeter Donald Byrd at Le Chat Qui Peche and shortly after realized his dream of becoming pianist and composer-arranger for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He died in 1990.
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| 1939 | Sam Gooden, He is best known for being a member of the successful group The Impressions from its beginnings as "The Roosters" in the 1950s until its demise in 1983. He was inducted with the group in 1991 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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| 1940 | Jimmy Clanton, Singer from Baton Rouge, La. Riding the wave of popular teen music in the 1950s and 60s, he toured with performers like Fats Domino, The Platters, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Between 1958 and 1962, he had several national hits such as "Go Jimmy Go," "Another Sleepless Night," written by Neil Sedaka and "Venus in Blue Jeans." Clanton even continued to release hits after he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1961 and served for two years. Clanton also starred in the rock n roll movie, "Go Johnny Go," produced by Allan Freed, the noted rock n roll disk jockey.
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| 1943 | Joe Simon, A chart topping, Grammy award winning soul and R&B artist from Simmesport, Louisiana. He began singing in his father's baptist church, then joined the Golden West Gospel singers. He was influenced by Sam Cooke and began singing for smal labels. During his career he charted about 30 times until the late 1970's. when he became a preacher and dedicated his life and his voice to gospel music.
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| 1943 | Rosalind Ashford, She is an American soul and R&B singer most famous for her tenure in the legendary Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. Ashford joined Martha Reeves, Annette Sterling and Gloria Williamson and formed the Del-Phis in 1960. After an initial name change to the Vels and finally changing to Martha & the Vandellas by 1962 after the group signed with Motown, the group began finding their ground after Williamson left leaving the group a trio.
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| 1946 | Billy Preston, He was an American soul musician from Houston, Texas, raised mostly in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his successful, Grammy-winning career as a solo artist, Preston collaborated with some of the greatest names in the music industry, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, Sammy Davis Jr., Sly Stone, Aretha Franklin, the Jackson 5, Quincy Jones, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. He played the electric piano on "Get Back" during The Beatles' rooftop concert in 1969 and is one of several people sometimes credited as the "Fifth Beatle". He died in 2006.
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| 1954 | Steve Masakowski, He plays unique seven-string guitars of his own design that are hand-made by New Orleans luthier Sal Giardina. He is most known as an active member of, and composer for the award winning New Orleans Jazz group Astral Project. His solo work can also be heard on recordings by Dianne Reeves, Mose Allison, Alvin "Red" Tyler and Margitza.
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