a Phil Brodie Band Info Page
"Births & Deaths"
These birthdates and death dates are unique to this site,
I have been working on them for over 8 years now.
PLEASE give credit or link if copied
PAGES UPDATED DAILY
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APRIL: Charts ~ APRIL: On This Day ~ APRIL: Quiz
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APRIL
SADLY DEPARTED
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RESPECT - OBITUARIES
2011 .. 2010 .. 2009 .. 2008 .. 2007 .. 2006 .. 2005 .. 2004 .. REQUESTS
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MORE BIRTHDATES & PASSINGS & TRIBUTES
January . February . March . April . May . June . July
August . September . October . November . December
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APRIL BIRTHDAYS
REGULAR UPDATES

Born ~ April 1st. (April Fool's Day)
1993: Keito Okamoto (Japanese singer)
1988: Sam Mtukudzi (Zimbabwean multi-musician, singer; Ay Band/Oliver Mtukudzi)*15.March.2010.
1986: Shunichi Miyamoto (Japanese singer, voice actor, pianist)
1983: Sergey Lazarev (Russian singer).
1981: Hannah Spearritt (UK singer; S Club 7).
1975: John Butler (Australian guitarist, multi musician, singer-songwriter; John Butler Trio).
1974: Richard Christy (US drummer, stand-up comedian; Death/Iced Earth/Charred Walls of the Damned).
1972: Jesse Tobias (US guitarist; Red Hot Chili Peppers/Alanis Morissette/Splendid/Morrissey
1971: Method Man/Clifford Smith (US rap artist; Wu-Tang Clan).
1967: Phil Demmel (US guitarist; Machine Head).
1968: Julia Boutros (Lebanese singer)
1969: Fadl Shaker (Lebanese singer)
1966: Chris Evans (UK disc jockey, radio-TV personality)
1965: Robert Steadman (UK composer)
1965: Peter O'Toole (Irish bassist, guitar; Hothouse Flowers/Black Velvet Band)?
1964: Leslie Langston (US bassist, vocals; Throwing Muses).
1963: Teddy Diaz (Filipino rock guitarist; The Dawn)*21.Aug.1988.
1962: Phillip Schofield (UK TV presenter, DJ, Singer, actor).
1961: Mark White (UK guitarist, keyboards; ABC).
1961: Susan Boyle (Scottish singer; winner 2009 Britain's Got Talent)
1958: D. Boon/Dennes Dale Boon (US singer, guitatist; The Minutemen)*22.Dec.1985
1954: Jeff Porcaro (US drummer; founder of Toto/sessionist)*05.Aug.1992.
1952: Billy Currie (UK keyboards, violin, piano; Visage/ Ultravox).
1949: Gil Scott-Heron (US vocalist, electric piano, guitar, composer)*27.May.2011.
1948: Simon Cowe (UK guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals; Lindisfarne).
1948: Jimmy Cliff/James Chambers (Jamaican singer, songwriter, reggae artist).
1947: Robin Scott (UK singer; M).
1946: Ronnie Lane (UK bassist; Faces/Small Faces/Slim Chance/freelance)*04.June.1997.
1945: John Barbata (US drummer; The Turtles/Jefferson Airplane & Starship/sessionist).
1945: Kenny Buttrey (US session drummer)*12.Sept.2004.
1944: Vladimir Krainev (Russian pianist, professor)*01.April.1944.
1942: Phil Margo (US vocals; The Tokens)
1942: Annie Nightingale (British disc jockey)
1942: Alan David Blakley (UK drummer, rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals; Tremeloes)*10.June.1996.
1939: Rudolph Isley (US singer, songwriter; Isley Brothers).
1935: Arthur Crier (US singer, songwriter, producer; Halos/others)*22.July.2004.
1934: Jim Ed Brown (US country singer; The Browns/solo)
1932: Debbie Reynolds (US singer, actress).
1929: Jane Powell/Suzanne Lorraine Burce (US dancer, actress, singer).
1927: Amos Milburn (US blues & boogie pianist, singer)*03.Jan.1980.
1926: Charles Bressler (American tenor)
1917: Dinu Lipatti (Romanian pianist)*02.Dec.1950.
1909: Eddy Duchin (US pianist and bandleader)*09.Feb.1951. (some sourses give his birth April 10th 1910)
1906: Carl Martin (US conga, percussion, guitar; Four Keys/others/Own Blues Trio)*10.May.1979.
1895: Alberta Hunter (US singer)*17.Oct.1984.

April 2nd.
1993: Aaron Kelly (US singer)
1986: Lee DeWyze (US singer)
1983: Yung Joc/Jasiel Robinson (US rapper)
1979: Jesse Carmichael (US keyboards; Maroon 5).
1975: Deedee Magno (US singer; New Mickey Mouse Club/The Party/musicals).
1974: Håkan Hellström (Swedish singer)
1973: Roselyn Sánchez (Puerto Rican singer, model, actress)
1972: Chico/Yousseph Slimani (Moroccoan-British singer)
1971: Zeebra/Hideyuki Yokoi (Japanese hip hop artist; King Giddra)
1967: Greg Camp (US lead singer, guitarist; Smash Mouth).
1966: Garnett Silk/Garnett Damoin Smith (Jamaican reggae singer)*09.Dec.1994.
1961: Keren Jane Woodward (UK singer; Bananarama).
1956: Gregory Abbott (US singer).
1954: Susumu Hirasawa (Japanese electropop musician, keyboard, guitar, amiga; Mandrake/ P-Model).
1953: David Robinson (US drummer; The Cars/The Scabs).
1952: Leon Wilkerson (US bassist, Lynyrd Skynyrd)*27.July.2001.
1952: Pat Drummond (Australian singer-songwriter; The Bushwackers/other projects/solo)
1952: Dave Bronze (UK bassist; Robin Trower Band/Procol Harum/Eric Clapton Band/freelance).
1951: Kiyoshiro Imawano (Japanese singer, lyricist-composer, producer; RC Succession/solo)*02.May.2009.
1949: David Robinson (US drummer; The Modern Lovers/DMZ/The Cars)
1948: Dimitris Mitropanos (Greek singer)
1947: Emmylou Harris (US country singer).
1946: Kurt Winter (Canadian guitarist; Guess Who)*14.Dec.1997.
1943: Caterina Bueno (Italian singer)*16.July.2007.
1943: Larry Coryell (US jazz fusion guitarist).
1942: Leon Russell/Claude Russell Bridges(singer,songwriter,multi-musician;solo/sessionist).
1942: Wilfred "Wilfy" Rebimbus (Indian musician, composer, singer)*09.March.2010.
1939: Marvin Gaye/Marvin Pentz Gay Jr (US singer, songwriter, pianist, drums; Motown artist)*01.April.1984.
1938: Booker Little Jr (US jazz trumpeter; Max Roach/Eric Dolphy/others/own quartet)*05.Oct.1961.
1932: James Phelps (US gospel, R&B singer; Clefs of Calvary/Holy Wonders/Soul Stirrers/others)*26.Oct.2010.
1930: Stefka Sabotinova (Bulgarian folk singer)*30.July.2010.
1928: Serge Gainsbourg/Lucien Ginsburg (French singer, pianist, guitarist)*02.March.1991.
1917: Lou Monte/Louis Scaglione (Italian-American singer)*12.June.1989.
1915: Gica Petrescu (Romanian singer)*18.June.1915.
1912: Herbert Mills (US singer; The Mills Brothers)*12.April.1989.

April 3rd.
1987: Julie Sokolow (US singer, guitarist)
1987: Park Jung Min (Korean singer; SS501)
1985: Leona Lewis (English singer)
1982: Fler/Patrick Losensky (German rapper)
1981: Aaron Bertram (US trumpeter; Suburban Legends)
1979: Grégoire Boissenot (French singer-songwriter)
1974: Andrew (Drew) Shirley (US guitarist, vocals; Switchfoot)
1970: Mathew Priest (UK drummer; Dodgy/Lightning Seeds/Electric Soft Parade/sessionist).
1968: Sebastian Bach/Sebastian Bierk (Canadian singer; Skid Row/Breeder/solo).
1965: Nazia Hassan (South Asian pop singer)*13.Aug.2000.
1963: Criss Oliva (US guitarist; Savatage)*17.Oct.1993.
1962: Mike Ness (US guitarist, vocalist, songwriter; Social Distortion)
1962: Simon Raymonde (UK bass, producer, mix; Cocteau Twins/solo).
1961: Eddie Murphy (US actor, singer).
1961: Michalis Rakintzis (Greek singer, songwriter)
1960: Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Dutch guitarist, multi-musician; Bodine/Ayreon/others)
1960: Marie Denise Pelletier (Canadian singer)
1956: Miguel Bosé/Luis Miguel González Borloni (Spanish singer, actor)
1955: Mick Mars/Bob Alan Deal (US guitarist; Mötley Crüe).
1955: Hariharan (Indian singer)
1954: Elisabetta Brusa (Italian composer)
1953: Craig Taubman (US singer-songwriter, music producer)
1951: Mel Schacher (US bassist; Grand Funk Railroad/? and the Mysterians/Flint).
1949: Daniel Catán (Mexican composer)*10.April.2011.
1949: Richard Thompson (vocals, mandolin, guitar, Dulcimer; Fairport Convention).
1946: Dee Murray/David Murray Oates (UK bassist, backing vocals; Elton John band)*15.Jan.1992.
1944: Barry Pritchard (UK guitar; Fortunes)*11.Jan.1999.
1944: Tony Orlando/Michael Anthony Orlando Cassivitis (US singer; Dawn/solo).
1943: Richard Manuel (Canadian singer, piano; Revols/The Hawks/The Band)*04.Mar.1986.
1943: Mario Lavista (Mexican composer)
1942: Billy Joe Royal (US singer)
1942: Wayne Newton (US singer).
1941: Phillipe Wynne/Phillip Walker (US lead singer, The Spinners/Solo)*14.July.1984.
1941: Jan Berry (US singer-songwriter; Jan and Dean)*26.March.2004.
1939: François de Roubaix (French film score composer)*22.Nov.1975.
1938: Jeff Barry/Joel Adelberg (US singer-songwriter, producer; The Raindrops/The Archies).
1937: Louis Satterfield (US bassist, trombonist; Earth,Wind & Fire/solo)*27.Sept.2004.
1936: Harold Vick (US hard bop and soul jazz saxophonist, flautist; freelance, sessionist)*13.Nov.1987.
1936: Scott LaFaro (US jazz bassist)*06.July.1961.
1936: Jimmy McGriff (US jazz organist; big bands/freelance)*24.May.2008.
1934: Jimmy Nolen (US guitarist; James Brown's bands)*18.Dec.1983.
1928: Don Gibson (US legendary country singer, guitarist, songwriter)*17.Nov.2003.
1922: Doris Day/Doris von Kappelhoff (US singer/actress).
1921: Dario Moreno (Turkish-Jewish singer-songwriter, composer, guitarist)*01.Dec.1968.
1920: Stan Freeman (US composer, lyricist)*13.Jan.2001.
1919: Ervin Drake (US song writer and musical writer).
1918: Louis Applebaum (Canadian conductor, conductor)*19.April.2000.
1917: Bill Finegan (American jazz bandleader, pianist, arranger, and composer)*04.June.2008.
1895: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Jewish-Italian composer, classical and film scores)*16.March.1968.
1886: Arthur "Dooley" Wilson (African American actor and singer)*30.May.1953.
1639: Alessandro Stradella (Italian composer)*25.Feb.1682.

April 4th.
1994: Risako Sugaya (Japanese singer; Berryz Kobo).
1992: Christina Metaxa (Cypriot singer)
1991: Jamie Lynn Spears (US actress, singer)
1986: Lee Hyuk Jae (Korean singer; Super Junior)
1980: Johnny Borrell (UK singer; Razorlight)
1979: Andy McKee (US fingerstyle guitarist)
1978: Aska Yang (Taiwanese singer)
1978: Lemar/Lemar Obika (UK R&B solo singer; successful uk fame academy contestant).
1977: Adam Dutkiewicz (US guitarist, producer; Killswitch Engage)
1975: Philip Jimenez (US multi-instrumentalist; Wheatus)
1974: Andre Dalyrimple (US singer; Soul For Real).
1973: Kelly Price (US singer).
1972: Paul Dedrick Gray (US bassist, primary songwriter; Slipknot)*24.March.2010.
1972: Jill Scott (US singer).
1972: Magnus Sveningsson (Swedish bassist; The Cardigans).
1971: Josh Todd Gruber (US singer; Buckcherry)
1970: Mix Master Mike/Michael Schwartz (US turntablist, DJ for the Beastie Boys)
1968: Mark Yates (UK guitarist; Terrorvision).
1966: Mike Starr (US bassist; Alice In Chains/Sun Red Sun)*08.March.2011.
1963: David Gavurin (UK lead guitarist; Sundays).
1962: Craig Adams (UK bassist; Sisters of Mercy/The Cult/Alarm/Spear of Destiny/Theatre of Hate).
1960: Jane Eaglin (English soprano)
1958: Cazuza/Agenor Miranda Araújo Neto (Brazilian poet, singer, composer)*07.July.1990.
1957: Ali El Haggar (Egyptian singer, actor)
1957: Kuwa-man/Nobuyoshi Kuwano (Japanese trumpeter, vocals; Rats & Star)
1957: Graeme Kelling (Scottish guitarist; Deacon Blue)*10.June.2004.
1952: Gary Moore (Irish guitar virtuoso, singer, songwriter; Skid Row/Thin Lizzy/others/solo)*06.Feb.2011.
1951: Peter John Haycock (guitarist; Climax Blues Band).
1949: Franklin "Junior" Braithwaite (Jamaican singer; The Wailers)*02.June.1999.
1948: Pick Withers (drummer; Dire Straits/freelance).
1948: Chris Doig (New Zealand opera singer, sports administrator)*13.Oct.2011.
1948: Berry Oakley (US bassist; co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band)*11.Nov.1972.
1946: Dave Hill (UK guitar, Slade).
1945: Ian "Knox" Carnochan (UK lead singer; Vibrators/solo).
1941: Major Lance (US soul singer, dancer;The Floats/solo)*03.Sept.1994.
1940: Sharon Sheeley (US songwriter)*17.May.2002.
1939: Danny Thompson (UK double bassist; sessionist/John Martyn/Richard Thompson/Roy Orbison etc, etc).
1939: Hugh Masekela (South Africain vocalist, flugelhorn, trumpet; jazzman).
1922: Elmer Bernstein (US composer)*18.Aug.2004.
1915: Muddy Waters/McKinley Morganfield (US blues guitarist,singer)*30.April.1983.
1913: Julia Frances Langford (US singer, entertainer)*11.July.2005.
1905: Eugene Bozza (French modern composer)*28.Sept.1991.

April 5th.
1980: Lee Jae Won (South Korean actor, singer, rapper; H.O.T/JTL).
1974: Daniel "Sahaj" Ticotin (Puerto Rican-US guitar, singer, producer; Ra)
1973: Pharrell Williams (US singer; Neptunes).
1972: Pat Green (US singer and songwriter)
1971: Dong Abay/Westdon Martin Abay (Filipino singer, songwriter;Yano/Pan/Dongabay)
1970: Miho Hatori (Japanese singer, songwriter; Cibo Matto)
1968: Paula Cole (US singer).
1966: Mike McCready (US guitarist; Mad Season/Pearl Jam).
1964: Princess Erika/Erika Dobong'na (French singer).
1964: Kid/Christopher Reid (US half of the hip-hop and comedy duo Kid 'N Play).
1955: Janice Long (UK radio presenter; Dream Ticket-BBC 6 Music)
1954: Stan Ridgway (US singer, multi-musician; Wall of Voodoo/Flesh Eaters/solo).
1953: Christopher Franke (German keyboardist, synthesizer; Tangerine Dream).
1951: Everett Morton (UK drummer; English Beat)?
1950: Agnetha Faltskog (Swedish pop singer, keyboards, piano; ABBA).
1948: Dave Holland (UK drummer; Judas Priest/Trapeze/others)
1948: James "Les" Binks (Nth Irish drummer; Judas Priest/David Coverdale/others)
1944: Nicholas Caldwell (US singer; The Whispers).
1942: Alan Clarke (UK vocalist, guitar; The Hollies).
1941: Dave Swarbrick (UK vocalist, violin, mandolin, fiddle; Fairport Convention).
1935: Peter Grant (UK manager,record exec;Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin/Bad Company)*21.Nov.1995.
1939: Ronnie White (US singer, producer, songwriter; Chimes/Miracles/Ron&Bill)*26.Aug.1995.
1939: Crispian St Peters/Robin Peter Smith (UK singer)*08.June.2010.
1934: Stanley William Turrentine (US jazz tenor saxophonist)*12.Sept.2000.
1932: Billy Bland (US singer and songwriter)
1929: Joe Meek (UK record producer; Tornados/many, many more)*03.Feb.1967.
1928: Tony Williams (US lead tenor singer; The Platters)*14.Aug.1992.
1922: Gale Storm/Josephine Owaissa Cottle (US singer, actress)*27.June.2009.
1908: Herbert von Karajan (Austrian conductor)*16.July.1989.
1875: Mistinguett/Jeanne Bourgeois (French vaudeville performer)*05.Jan.1956.

April 6th.
1995: Ryutaro Morimoto (Japanese actor, singer)
1984: Max Bemis (US lead singer, songwriter; Say Anything/Two Tongues).
1982: Michael Guy Chislett (Australian-American guitarist; The Academy Is...).
1981: Kari Jobe (US singer-songwriter)
1978: Martin Mendez (Uruguayan-born bassist; Opeth)
1978: Myleene Klass (UK singer, classical pianist, TV presenter; Hear'Say).
1976: Georg "Goggi" Hólm (Icelandic bassist; Sigur Rós).
1975: Damon Pampolina (singer, TV presenter; New Mickey Mouse Club/The Party).
1973: Rie Miyazawa (Japanese actress, singer)
1968: Vanessa Lann (US composer)
1966: George McAnthony/Georg Spitaler (Italian country singer, multi-musician, songwriter)*08.July.2011.
1965: Frank Black/Black Francis/Charles Thompson IV (US guitar, vocals; Pixies/Frank Black-Catholics).
1962: Stan Cullimore/Ian Peter Cullimore (UK guitarist; Housemartins/music composer for childrens TV).
1961: Gene Andrusco (Canadian actor, producer, singer, guitarist; Adam Again/others)*20.March.2000.
1960: Warren Haynes (US guitarist, song writer)
1960: John Pizzarelli (US jazz guitarist, song writer, singer, bandleader)
1957: Jaroslava Maxova (Czech opera singer)
1955: Blind Mississippi Morris/Morris Cummings (US delta blues harmonica, guitar)
1953: Christopher Franke (German drums, keyboards, synthesizers; Tangerine Dream/Sessionist/Solo)
1952: Udo Dirkschneider (German singer)
1951: Ralph Cooper (Australian drummer; Air Supply).
1947: Tony Connor (UK drummer; Hot Chocolate).
1944: John Stax/John Edward Lee Fullegar (UK bassist; Pretty Things).
1944: Felicity Palmer (English soprano).
1943: Noah Howard (US free jazz alto saxophonist)*03.Sept.2010.
1943: Gerry Niewood (American jazz saxophonist; Chuck Mangione Band, freelance)*12.Feb.2009.
1943: Julie Rogers (UK singer).
1941: Gheorghe Zamfir (Romanian pan flute musician)
1937: Merle Haggard (US country singer, guitar, fiddle; songwriter).
1933: Bill Hardman Jr (US hard bop/jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist)*05.Dec.1990.
1929: André Previn (German-born composer, conductor)
1927: Gerry Mulligan (US multi-musician, one of the all time greatest baritone sax players)*20.Jan.1996.
1926: Sergio Franchi (Italian-born singer and actor)*01.May.1990.
1924: Charlie Rouse (US jazz saxophonist; Thelonious Monk Quartet/& greats)*30.Nov.1988.
1921: Andrew Imbrie (US composer of contemporary classical music)*05.Dec.2007.
1900: Leo Robin (US songwriter)*29.Dec.1984.

April 7th.
1992: Alexis Jordan (US singer)
1981: Watanabe Kazuki (Japanese guitarist and of founder Raphael)*31.Oct.2000.
1981: Kelli Young (UK singer; Liberty X / Solo).
1978: Duncan James Inglis (UK singer; Blue /solo).
1975: Karin Dreijer Andersson (Swedish singer, guitarist; Honey is Cool /solo)
1970: Leif Ove Andsnes (Norwegian pianist)
1967: Artemis Gounaki (Greek-German singer, composer, writer, music producer)
1965: Dave "Yorkie" Palmer (UK bassist, keyboards, vocals; Space).
1957: Simon Climie (UK singer, songwriter, producer; Climie Fisher Duo).
1951: Bruce Gary (US drummer; The Knack)*22.Aug.2006.
1951: Janis Ian/Janis Eddy Fink (US singer, guitar, piano, songwriter).
1950: Steve Ellis (UK vocals; Love Affair / The New Amen Corner).
1949: John Oates (US vocals, keyboards, guitar; Hall & Oates).
1949: Wells Kelly (US drummer; Orleans/others/sessions/Meatloaf/Clarence Clemmons)*30.Oct.1984.
1948: Carol Douglas (US singer).
1947: Florian Schneider- Esleben (German flutist; Kraftwerk).
1947: Pat Bennett (US singer; The Chiffons).
1946: Bill Kreutzmann (US drums; Warlocks/Grateful Dead).
1945: Megas/Magnús Þór Jónsson (Icelandic singer, songwriter, writer; Megakukl/freelance)
1944: Pat LaBarbera/Pascel Emmanuel (Canadian jazz tenor-alto-soprano saxophonist, clarinet, flute).
1943: Mick Abrahams (UK vocals, guitar; Blodwyn Pig/Jethro Tull).
1943: Alan Buck (UK drummer; Four Pennies/Johnny Kid/Joe Brown 's Bruvvers).
1942: Joel Dorn (US jazz, R&B music producer and record label serial entrepreneur)*17.Dec.2007.
1941: James Di Pasquale (US composer)
1939: Gary Kellgren (US audio engineer, co-founder of The Record Plant)*20.July.1977.
1938: Freddie Hubbard (US award winning trumpet player; Jazz artist)*29.Dec.2008.
1938: Spencer Dryden (US drummer, Jefferson Airplane)*11.Jan.2005.
1937: Charlie Thomas (US singer; Drifters).
1935: Bobby Bare (The All-American Boy country singer).
1927: Babatunde Olatunji (Nigerian drummer)*06.April.2003.
1924: Nick Perito (US composer, arranger; Perry Como/others)*04.Aug.2005.
1920: Ravi Shankar (Indian sitar player)
1917: Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría (Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist)*01.Feb.2003.
1915: Billie Holiday (American legendary female jazz singer)*17.July.1959.
1914: Ralph Flanagan/Ralph Elias Flenniken (US big band leader)*30.Dec.1995.
1912: Jack Lawrence (US Academy Award-nominated songwriter)*16.March.2009.
1908: Percy Faith (Canadian pianistist, band leader)*09.Feb.1976.
1899: Robert Casadesus (French classical pianist)*19.Sept.1972.

April 8th.
1990: Kim Jonghyun (South Korean singer; SHINee)
1989: Alex DeLeon (US singer, songwriter; The Cab)
1989: Hitomi Takahashi (Japanese singer)
1986: Erika Sawajiri (Japanese actress, model, singer)
1980: Manuel Ortega (Austrian singer)
1979: Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho (Finnish guitarist; Children of Bodom/Sinergy/Kylähullut).
1974: Chino XL/Derek Keith Barbosa (American rapper)
1974: Nayden Todorov (Bulgarian conductor)
1975: Anouk Teeuwe (Dutch rock singer).
1972: Stretch/Randy Walker (US rapper and hip hop producer)*30.Nov.1995.
1972: Paul Gray (US bassist; Slipknot)
1971: Darren Jessee (US drums; Ben Folds Five/Hotel Lights).
1968: Tracy Grammer (US folk singer)
1968: Andy Szabo/Andy Sabo (UK singer).
1964: Salt/Cheryl James (US rap, hip-hop artist; Salt n Pepa).
1964: Biz Markie/Marcel Hall (US rap artist).
1963: Julian Lennon (UK singer, keyboards, John Lennon's 1st son).
1963: Donita Sparks (US guitarist, vocals; L7).
1962: Jem Kelly (UK guitarist; Lotus Eaters).
1962: Izzy Stradlin/Jeffrey Isbell (US guitarist; Guns N' Roses/Izzy Stradlin & the Ju Ju Hounds).
1962: Adam Mole (UK keyboardist; Pop Will Eat Itself)?
1956: Yoshiko Tanaka (Japanese singer, actress)*21.April.2011.
1956: Justin Sullivan (UK lead singer, guitar, lyricist; New Model Army).
1949: Brenda Russell (US singer, songwriter)
1947: Larry David Norman (US musician, singer, songwriter "father of Christian rock music")*24.Feb.2008.
1947: Steve Howe (UK guitar; Yes/Flash).
1944: Keef Hartley (UK drummer, bandleader; Rory Storm/John Mayall/Keef Hartley Band)*26 Nov. 2011.
1942: Roger Chapman (UK vocals; Family/Streetwalker).
1941: Peggy Lennon (US singer; The Lennon Sisters)
1929: Jacques Brel (Brlgium singer, major world songwriter)*09.Oct.1978.
1929: Walter Berry (Austrian opera singer; Vienna Music Academy)*27.Oct.2000.
1928: Fred Ebb (US musical theatre lyricist; Kander and Ebb)*11.Sept.2004.
1928: Monty Sunshine (English jazz clarinetist)
1921: Franco Corelli (Italian opera singer; New York's Metropolitan Opera)*29.Oct.2003.
1920: Carmen Mercedes McRae (US international jazz singer, pianist)*10.Nov.1994.
1904: Raoul Jobin/Joseph Roméo (French-Canadian operatic tenor)*13.Jan.1974.
1896: Yip Harburg (US lyricist)*05.March.1981.
1889: Sir Adrian Boult (British conductor)*22.Feb.1983.

April 9th.
2000: Jackie Evancho (US classical crossover lyric mezzo-soprano; America's Got Talent)
1988: Uee/Kim Yu-jin (South Korean actress, singer; After School).
1987: Jazmine Sullivan (American R&B singer).
1987: Jesse McCartney (US singer, actor) not related to Sir Paul.
1987: Craig Mabbitt (American singer; Escape the Fate).
1986: Leighton Meester (US singer, actress)
1986: Brian Larsen (US musician, record producer; Twilight’s Moon + more).
1985: Tomohisa Yamashita (Japanese singer, songwriter, actor; NEWS/Shuuji to Akira/solo).
1984: Linda Chung (Canadian/Hong Kong actress, singer).
1980: Clueso/Thomas Hübner (German singer, rapper, songwriter, producer).
1980: Albert Hammond Jr (US guitar, rhythm guitar, singer, songwriter; Strokes/solo).
1978: Vesna Pisarovic (Croatian singer).
1978: Rachel Stevens (UK pop singer; S Club 7).
1977: Gerard Way (US singer; My Chemical Romance).
1969: Kevin Martin (US vocalist, guitar; Candlebox)?
1964: DJ Alice/Soyo Oka (Japanese composer, musician, author; Nintendo games/more).
1961: Mark Kelly (UK keyboardist, guitar; Chemical Alice/Marillion).
1953: Hal Ketchum (US country music singer, songwriter, guitarist).
1949: Alex Sadkin (US record producer; Compass Point Studio/Island Records)*25.July.1987.
1948: Phillip Wright (UK drummer, lead singer; Paper Lace).
1946: Les Gray (UK vocalist, trumpet; Mud/solo)*21.Feb.2004.
1945: Steve Gadd (American international session drummer).
1944: Emil Stucchio (US lead singer; Classics).
1944: Gene Parsons (US drummer; Byrds/Nashville West/The Flying Burrito Brs).
1943: Terry Knight/Richard Terrance Knapp (US producer, singer; Grand Funk Railroad)*01.Nov.2004.
1941: Kay Adams (American country singer).
1936: Néstor Zavarce (Venezuelan actor, singer, composer)*26.Aug.2010.
1932: Carl Perkins (US rockabilly singer, songwriter, guitarist)*19.Jan.1998.
1932: Armin Jordan (Swiss conductor)*20.Sept.2006.
1928: Tom Lehrer (US singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician).
1928: Monty Sunshine (UK jazz clarinetist; Chris Barber/many others/own band)*30.Nov.2010.
1921: George David Weiss (US songwriter, President of the Songwriters Guild of America)*23.Aug.2010.
1920: Art Van Damme (US jazz accordionist; Art Van Damme Quintet)*15.Feb.2010.
1906: Antal Dorati (Hungarian conductor)*13.Nov.1988.
1904: Joseph "Sharkey" Bonano (American jazz trumpeter, band leader, vocalist)*27.March.1972
1898: Paul Robeson (US actor, bass-baritone singer)*23.Jan.1976.
1890: Efrem Zimbalist (Russian violinist)*22.Feb.1985.

April 10th.
1991: Amanda Michalka (US actress, singer).
1987: Hayley Westenra (New Zealand soprano)
1984: Mandy Moore (US singer).
1981: Elizabeth McClarnon (uk singer; Atomic Kitten).
1980: Bryce Soderberg (US bassist, backing vocals; Lifehouse).
1979: Sophie Ellis-Bextor (UK singer, songwriter, model)
1979: Shemekia Copeland (US blues singer)
1978: Sir Christus/Jukka Kristian Mikkonen (Finnish guitarist, vocalist; SnoWhite/Negative)
1975: Chris Carrabba (US singer, guitarist; Dashboard Confessional / Further Seems Forever)
1973: Aidan Moffat (Scottish singer, songwriter; Arab Strap)
1970: Q-Tip/Jonathan Davis (US hip-hop mc, actor, hip hop producer; Tribe Called Quest).
1970: Kenny Lattimore (US singer; Maniquin/solo).
1969: Mike Mushok (US lead guitarist, songwriter; Staind).
1968: Kenediid "Diid" Osman (UK bassist, artist management; Sleeper/Dubstar).
1964: Reni/Alan John Wren (UK drummer; Stone Roses).
1965: Tim "Herb" Alexander (US drummer, multi-musician; Primus/Laundry/others)
1967: David Rovics (US folksinger)
1963: Carlos Varela (Cuban singer, songwriter).
1963: Torch/Warren DeMartini (US guitarist; Ratt/Whitesnake)
1961: Joe Cole (US roadie, author; Black Flag / Rollins Band)*19.Dec.1991.
1959: Katrina Leskanich (US singer; Katrina & The Waves).
1959: Brian Setzer (US singer, guitar; Stray Cats/Brian Setzer Orchestra/solo).
1959: Davy Carton (Irish singer, songwriter, rhythm guitarist; Saw Doctors).
1958: Yefim Bronfman (Russian-born pianist)
1958: Babyface/Kenneth Edmonds (US singer, keyboards, guitar).
1957: Afrika Bambaataa (US hip hop artist).
1957: Steve Gustafson (US bassist; 10,000 Maniacs).
1955: Lesley Garrett (British soprano)
1953: Mean Gene Kelton (US blues-rockabilly singer, guitarist, harmonica player; Die Hards)*28.Dec.2010.
1953: Terre Roche (UK folk singer, songwriter, composer; Roches).
1950: Akiko Wada (Japanese singer, television performer).
1950: Eddie Hazel (American guitar; Parliament/Funkadelic)*23.Dec.1992.
1950: Dave Peverett (UK guitarist, vocals; Savoy Brown/Foghat)*07.Feb.2000.
1950: Ernest Stewart (US bassist, KC and the Sunshine Band)*26.April.1997.
1948: Fred Smith (US bassist; Blondie/Television/others).
1948: Bernd Clüver (German singer)*28.July.2011.
1947: Bunny Wailer/Neville Livingston (Jamaican singer-songwriter, percussionist; Bob Marley/Wailers).
1947: Karl Russell (US vocalist; Hues Corporation).
1943: Bo Hansson (Swedish keyboardist, guitarist; The Merrymen/solo/Karlsson)*23.April.2010
1942: Hayedeh/Masoumeh Dadehbala (Legendary Persian Pop and classical singer)*20.Jan.1990.
1940: Ricky Valance/David Spencer (Welsh pop singer).
1936: Bobbie Smith (US lead singer; Detroit Spinners/Spinners).
1934: Paul Brodie (Canadian saxophonist founded the World Saxophone Congress in Chicago)*19.Nov.2007
1933: Rokusuke Ei (Japanese lyricist, author).
1932: Nate Nelson (US tenor and lead singer; Flamingos/Platters)*01.June.1984.
1930: Claude Bolling (French jazz composer, pianist)
1929: Barbara Lea /Barbara LeCoq (US singer)*28.Dec.2011.
1921: Sheb Wooley (US actor, singer)*16.Sept.2003.
1911: Martin Denny (US legendary easy listening pianist)*02.March.2005.
1910: Eddy Duchin (US pianist, orchestra leader; Leo Reisman orchestra)*09.Feb.1951. (some sourses give his birth April 1st 1909)

April 11th.
1987: Lights/Valerie Anne Poxleitner (Canadian singer-songwriter, synthesizer, keyboard)
1987: Joss Stone/Joscelyn Eve Stoker (UK singer).
1982: Danja/Floyd Nathaniel Hills (US record producer, composer, songwriter)
1979: Chris Gaylor (American drummer; The All-American Rejects).
1979: Sebastien Grainger (Canadian multi-musician; Death from Above 1979/part owner of Giant Studios).
1978: Brown Tom/Tom Thacker (Canadian singer, guitarist, keyboards; Gob/Summit 41).
1974: David Jassy (Swedish R&B, hip-hop singer, songwriter, music producer)
1971: Oliver Riedel (German bassist; The Inchtabokatables/Rammstein).
1970: Dylan Keefe (bassist; Marcy Playground).
1970: Delroy Pearson (UK singer; Five Star).
1969: Cerys Matthews/Cerys Elizabeth Philip (Welsh singer; Catatonia).
1969: Chisato Moritaka (Japanese singer).
1966: Lisa Stansfield (UK singer; Blue Zone/solo).
1964: Johann Sebastian Paetsch (American concert cellist).
1964: Steve Azar (US country music singer-songwriter, rhythm guitar).
1963: Nigel Pulsford (Welsh guitarist; Bush/solo).
1961: Doug Hopkins (American guitarist; Gin Blossoms/The Chimeras)*05.Dec.1993.
1958: Stuart Adamson (UK guitar, vocals, songwriter; The Skids/Big Country/Raphaels)*16.Dec.2001.
1957: Jim Lauderdale (US Country singer, songwriter)
1955: Neville Staples (singer, producer; Fun Boy Three/Specials/solo).
1955: Michael Callen (US singer, songwriter, composer, author)*27.Dec.1993.
1954: Teo Peter (Romanian rock bassist; Compact)*04.Dec.2004.
1951: Paul Fox (British guitarist; The Ruts/Dirty Strangers)*21.Oct.2007
1950: Maria Dimitriadi (Greek singer)*06.Jan.2009.
1950: Tom Hill (UK bass guitarist; Geordie)
1946: Bob "Whispering" Harris (DJ, radio host; Old Grey Whistle Test/BBC Radio 2).
1943: Tony Victor (US singer; The Classics)
1938: Kurt Moll (German Grammy Award winning concert/operatic bassist, celloist, singer).
1935: Richard Berry (American singer, composer, songwriter)*23.Jan.1997
1932: Joel Grey (American singer and actor).
1931: Koichi Sugiyama (Japanese composer).
1926: Victor Bouchard (Canadian pianist and composer)*22.March.2011.
1916: Alberto Ginastera (Argentine composer)*25.June.1983.
1889: Nick LaRocca (US jazz cornetist, trumpeter, leader; The Original Dixieland Jass Band)*22.Feb.1961.

April 12th.
1994: Airi Suzuki (Japanese singer; C-ute/Aa!, Hello!/Project Kids/Buono!).
1987: Brendon Urie (American singer; Panic At The Disco).
1985: Olga Seryabkina (Russian singer; Serebro).
1985: Hangry/Hitomi Yoshizawa (Japanese singer; Morning Musume/Hangry & Angry).
1982: Deen/Fuad Backovic (Bosnian singer; Seven Up/ solo).
1980: Erik Mongrain (Canadian composer, guitarist).
1980: Bryan McFadden (Irish singer; Westlife).
1978: Guy Berryman (UK bassist, Coldplay).
1977: Charles Cooper (US musician, one half of Telefon Tel Aviv)*22.Jan.2009.
1974: Shakir Stewart (US record executive; Def Jam/others)*01.Nov.2008.
1972: Sebnem Ferah (Turkish singer; Volvox/solo).
1970: Nicholas Lofton Hexum (US vocalist, rhythm guitarist; 311/Pepper/Zack Hexum).
1967: Sarah Cracknell (UK lead singer; Saint Etienne).
1967: Mellow Man Ace/Ulpiano Sergio Reyes (Afro-Cuban rapper; Cypress Hill).
1965: Sean Welch (UK bassist; Beautiful South).
1964: Amy Ray (US singer, guitar, mandolin, harmonica; Indigo Girls).
1962: Arthur Paul "Art" Alexakis (US vocalist, guitar; Everclear).
1961: Lisa Gerrard (Australian singer, composer; Dead Can Dance/solo).
1958: Will Sergeant (UK guitarist; Echo & The Bunnymen/Electrafixion).
1958: Les Pattinson (bassist; Echo & The Bunnymen).
1957: Vince Gill (US country singer).
1956: Herbert Grönemeyer (German singer).
1954: Pat Travers (Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist, singer; Pat Travers Band/guest).
1951: Alexander Briley (singer; G.I.-Military Man Village People)
1950: David Cassidy (US singer, actor; Partridge Family/solo).
1948: Sandra "Lois" Reeves (US singer; Martha Reeves & the Vandellas/Al Green).
1944: John Kay/Joachim Fritz Krauledat (German-Canadian guitarist; Steppenwolf/solo)
1940: Herbie Hancock (US keyboard player, composer; Miles Davis/ bandleader).
1937: Gulshan Bawra/Gulshan Kumar Mehta (Indian songwriter)*07.Aug.2009.
1935: Jimmy Makulis (Greek singer)*28.Oct.2007.
1933: Montserrat Caballé (Spanish soprano).
1931: Leonid Derbenyov (Russian poet-songwriter)*22.June.1995.
1932: Tiny Tim/Herbert Buckingham Khaury (US singer, ukulele)*30.Nov.1996.
1930: Carol Lindsey Young (vocals; Kaye Sisters).
1920: Robert Fizdale (US pianist; Gold & Fizdale)*06.Dec.1995.
1919: Billy Vaughn (US singer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader)*26.Sept.1991.
1917: Helen Forrest/Bonnie Blue/Helen Fogel (American jazz singer)*11.July.1999
1892: Johnny Dodds (US jazz clarinetist, alto saxophonist, bandleader; many bands)*08.Aug.1940.
1898: Lily Pons (French-born soprano)*13.Feb.1976.
1888: Heinrich Neuhaus (Soviet pianist)*10.Oct.1964.

April 13th.
1982: Nellie McKay (US singer-songwriter, pianist, ukulele player, comic, actress).
1982: Janice Vidal (Hong Kong singer, twin of Jill).
1982: Jill Vidal (Hong Kong singer, twin of Janice).
1979: Toni Lundon (vocals; Liberty X).
1975: David Philip Hefti (Swiss composer, conductor)
1975: Lou Bega/David Loubega (German singer, producer).
1972: Aaron Lewis (US vocalist, acoustic guitar; Staind)
1971: Valensia/Aldous Byron Valensia Clarkson (Dutch singer, multi-musician).
1967: Olga Tañón (Puerto Rican multi-award winning singer).
1966: Marc Ford (US lead guitarist; Black Crowes/Uninvited/freelance).
1966: Mando/Adamantia Stamatopoulou (Greek singer)
1962: Hillel Slovak (Israeli-US guitarist, founder member; Red Hot Chili Peppers)*25.June.1988.
1961: Hiro Yamamoto (US rock bassist; Soundgarden/Truly).
1959: Kim McAuliffe (guitar, singer; Girlschool)?
1957: Wayne Lewis (singer, keyboardist; Atlantic Starr)
1955: Louis Johnson (bassist; Brothers Johnson).
1954: Niels Olsen (Danish singer)
1954: Jimmy Destri (keyboards; Blondie/solo).
1952: Sam Bush (US bluegrass mandolin player)
1951: Max Weinberg (drummer; E Street Band/freelance)
1951: Peabo Bryson (US singer).
1948: Arty Davies (UK drummer; Farons Flamingos/Lee Curtis/Kingsize Taylor Cavern Band/Wheels On Fire)
1947: Thanos Mikroutsikos (Greek composer, former minister)
1946: Roy Loney (US singer, guitar; Flamin Groovies/solo).
1946: Al Green (US soul singer)
1945: Rúnar Júlíusson (Icelandic bassist with Thor's Hammer)*05.Dec.2008.
1945: Lowell George (US singer, songwriter, guitarist; Little Feat)*29.June.1979.
1944: Jack Casady (US bassist; Jefferson Starship/SVT/Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna).
1944: Brian Pendleton (UK rhythm guitarist, lead guitar, vocals; Pretty Things/So What)*16.May.2001.
1943: Eve Graham (Scottish singer; New Seekers).
1943: Guy Stevens (English record producer, manager)*29.Aug.1981.
1943: Artie Traum (US folk singer, award-winning guitarist, producer and songwriter)*20.July.2008.
1942: Bill Conti (US singer, producer, conductor, composer).
1941: Dame Margaret Price (Welsh soprano)*28.Jan.2011.
1940: Lester Chambers (singer; Chambers Brothers).
1938: Eddie Marshall (US jazz drummer)*07.Sept.2011.
1936: Tim Field (singer; Springfields)?
1934: Horace Kay (singer; Tams).
1933: Bobby Poe (US pop singer, songwriter, promoter; The Poe Cats)*22.Jan.2011.
1920: John LaPorta (US jazz clarinetist, saxophonist)*12.May.2004.
1919: Howard Keel/Harry Clifford Leek (US singer, actor)*07.Nov.2004.
1906: Bud Freeman/Lawrence Freeman (US jazz musician, bandleader, composer)*15.March.1991.

April 14th.
1984: Adán Sánchez (Mexican-American singer)*27.March.2004. (car crash)
1980: Kieran Mahon (UK keyboard, piano, synthesizer; The Cooper Temple Clause).
1980: Win Butler (American/Canadian vocalist, mandolin, guitar, keyboards, Bass, songwriter; Arcade Fire).
1976: Christian Älvestam (Swedish singer, multi-musician; Scar Symmetry).
1975: Avner Dorman (Israeli composer of contemporary classical music).
1974: Da Brat/Shawntae Harris (US rap artist).
1973: David Miller (American tenor; Il Divo).
1970: Shizuka Kudo (Japanese singer; Onyanko Club/Ushirogami Hikareta/soloi).
1970: Emre Altug (Turkish singer, actor; TV/Films/Musicals).
1969: Martyn LeNoble (Dutch bassist; Porno For Pyros/The Cult/Jane's Addiction).
1967: Barrett Martin (US drummer, composer; Screaming Trees/Mad Season/solo/sessionist).
1965: Carl Hunter (UK bassist; The Farm).
1965: Kirk Windstein (US lead guitarist, bassist, singer; Valume Nob/Crowbar/Down)
1965: Sheila Chandra (Indian-British singer; Monsoon/solo).
1962: Joey Pesce (US keyboardist; 'Til Tuesday)
1958: Ronnie Grieco (US saxophone player; Joey Dee and the Starlighters/freelance/solo).
1957: Mikhail Pletnev (Russian award winning pianist, conductor, composer).
1951: Julian Lloyd Webber (English cellist; classical, brother of Sir Andrew).
1949: Sonja Kristina Linwood (UK vocalist, songwriter; Curved Air/the musical Hair).
1949: Dennis Bryon (Welsh drummer; Amen Corner/Bee Gees/Blue Weaver/freelance)?
1948: Larry Ferguson (UK keyboardist; Hot Chocolate).
1949: June Millington (Philippine-American guitarist, vocals, guitar; Fanny).
1943: Nikolai Arnoldovich Petrov (Russian pianist)*03.Aug.2011.
1943: Patrick Fairlie (Scottish bassist, rhythm guitarist; Marmalade).
1945: Ritchie Blackmore (UK guitarist; Rainbow/Deep Purple/sessionist/freelance).
1942: Tony Burrows (UK singer; The Kestrels/First Class/sessioned with many bands).
1938: Walid Gholmieh (Lebanese composer, conductor, musicologist)*07.June.2011.
1932: Loretta Lynn/Loretta Webb (US country singer, songwriter).
1929: Paavo Berglund (Finnish conductor, violinist)*25.Jan.2012.
1925: Gene "Jug" Ammons (US jazz saxophonist; Billy Eckstine/Woody Herman/more)*06.Aug.1974
1924: Shorty Rogers/Milton Rajonsky (US jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn)*07.Nov.1994.

April 15th.
1992: Amy Diamond (Swedish singer)
1991: Daiki Arioka (Japanese actor, singer).
1984: Benjamin Kasica (US guitarist; Christian rock band Skillet)
1983: Matt Cardle (UK singer-songwriter)
1982: Anthony Green (US singer; Circa Survive/Saosin/many others)
1978: Francesco Fareri (Italian guitarist, shred guitarist, composer).
1975: Phil Labonte (US lead vocalist; All That Remains).
1968: Ed O'Brien (UK guitar, harmony vocals; Radiohead).
1967: Frankie Poullian (UK bassist; Darkness)
1966: Samantha Fox (UK model; singer).
1966: Graeme Clark (Scottish bassist; Wet Wet Wet/Maggie Pie & The Impostors).
1965: Linda Perry (US singer, producer, guitar, engineer; 4 Non Blondes/solo).
1965: Oscar Harrison (UK drummer, pianiast; Ocean Colour Scene)
1962: Surjit Bindrakhia (Punjabi Bhangra singer)
1962: Nick Kamen (UK model, singer).
1949: Alla Pugacheva (Russian singer)
1949: Tonio K/Steven M. Krikorian (US singer)
1948: Michael Kamen (US oboe player; film, rock & classical music composer)*18.Nov.2003.
1947: Stuart "Wooly" Wolstenholme (UK organist, multi-musician; Barclay James Harvest)*13.Dec.2010.
1947: Michael Chapman (UK producer, somgwriter; Chinnichap productions).
1944: Dave Edmunds (Welsh guitar, keyboard, vocals, producer; Love Sculpture/Rockpile).
1940: Clarence "Satch" Satchell (American saxophonist, flutist; Ohio Players)*30.Dec.1995.
1939: Marty Wilde (UK pop singer).
1937: Bob Luman (American country and rockabilly singer)*27.Dec.1978.
1933: Roy Clark (US country singer, guitar, fiddle, banjo).
1930: Herb Pomeroy III (US jazz trumpeter; many greats/own bands)*11.Aug.2007.
1924: Sir Neville Marriner (English conductor)
1919: Robert Trumble (Australian writer and musician)*02.Jan.2011.
1916: Lee Vincent/Vincent Michael Cerreta (US bassist, band leader, radio personality)*11.Dec.2007.
1908: Eden Ahbez/George Alexander Aberle (US singer-songwriter)*04.March.1995.
1894: Bessie Smith (US blues singer)*26.Sept.1937.

April 16th.
1985: Benjamín Rojas (Argentine actor, singer, guitarist; Erreway)
1983: Marié Digby (US singer, pianist, guitar)
1979: Sean Costello (American blues guitarist, singer)*15.April.2008.
1977: Akon/Aliaune Damala Dakha Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (US R&B, rap singer). (some sourses give Akon's birthdate as April 30th 1973 and others October 14th 1981)
1976: Sean Maguire (UK actor, singer).
1975: Kelli O'Hara (US singer, actress)
1974: Mat Devine (US singer; Kill Hannah)
1974: Xu Jinglei (Chinese actress, singer, director)
1973: Bonnie Pink/Kaori Asada (Japanese singer)
1971: Max Beesley (UK percussionist, pianist, drummer, actor)
1971: Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (US singer known as "The Queen of Tejano music")*31.March.1995.
1970: Gabrielle/Louise Gabrielle Bobb (UK singer).
1970: Dero Goi (German drummer, singer; Oomph).
1969: Sean Cook (UK bassist; Spiritualized).
1964: Esbjörn Svensson (Swedish jazz pianist; Esbjörn Svensson Trio aka E.S.T)*14.June.2008.
1964: David Pirner (US guitar, vocals, trumpet; Murphy & Pirfinkle/Soul Asylum).
1963: Little Jimmy Osmond (US singer; The Osmonds/solo).
1963: Nick Berry (UK singer, actor).
1962: Ian MacKaye (US singer, songwriter, guitarist, label owner; Fugazi/Minor Threat)
1961: Doris Dragovic (Croatian singer)
1956: Paul Buchanan (Scottish vocals, producer, acoustic guitar; Blue Nile).
1953: Peter Garrett (Australian singer, politician; Midnight Oil)
1951: John Bentley (UK bass; Squeeze).
1951: Björgvin Halldórsson (Icelandic singer)
1951: Mordechai Ben David/Mordechai Werdyger (US Hebrew singer)
1949: Bill 'Sputnick' Spooner (guitar; Tubes/Folk-Ups).
1948: Robert Kirby (UK keyboardist, arranger of string sections for rock & folk music)*03.Oct.2009.
1947: Lee 'The Bear' Kerslake (UK drummer; The Gods, Toe Fat, The National Head Band, Uriah Heep).
1947: Gerry Rafferty (UK singer, guitar, songwriter; Stealers Wheel/Humblebums/solo)*04.Jan.2011.
1945: Stefan Grossman (US guitarist; Even Dozen Jug Band/Fugs/co-founded Kicking Mule Records).
1943: Dave Peverett (UK singer, rhythm guitarist; Foghat/Savoy Brown)*07.Feb.2000.
1944: Richard Bradshaw (UK opera conductor)*15.August.2007.
1939: Dusty Springfield/Mary O'Brien (UK husky-voiced soul singer)*02.March.1999.
1936: Šaban Bajramovic (Serbian Romani singer, songwriter)*08.June.2008.
1936: Judy Lynn Kelly (US country music singer)*26.May.2010.
1935: Bobby Vinton/Stanley Robert Vintula (US pop singer).
1930: Herbie Mann/Herbert Jay Solomon (American jazz flutist)*01.July.2003.
1929: Ed Townsend (US singer, songwriter)*13.Aug.2003.
1929: Roy Hamilton (US singer)*20.July.1969.
1927: Edie Adams (American singer, Broadway, television and film actress)*15.Oct.2008.
1924: Rudy Pompilli (US saxophone, clarenet; Bill Haley & His Comets)*05.Feb.1976.
1924: Henry Mancini (US composer and conductor)*14.June.1994.
1917: Bobby Robinson (African-American independent record producer)
1919: Nilla Pizzi (Italian singer)*12.March.2011.
1889: Charlie Chaplin (English composer, comedy actor, actor, producer)*25.Dec.1977.

April 17th.
1981: Hanna Pakarinen (Finnish singer)
1977: Phil Jamieson (Australian singer; Grinspoon)
1974: Posh Spice/Victoria Beckham nee Adams (UK singer; Spice Girls/solo).
1974: Mikael Åkerfeldt (Swedish guitarist, singer; Opeth)
1970: Redman/Reggie Noble (US rapper).
1967: Bud Mills (US drummer, founder member; Insanity)*16.Nov.2007.
1967: Liz Phair (US singer, guitarist).
1964: Maynard James Keenan (US singer; A Perfect Circle/Tool).
1959: Stephen Singleton (UK saxophonist; Vice Versa/ABC/Bleep/Booster).
1957: Afrika Bambaataa/Kevin Donovan (US DJ, hip-hop artist).
1955: Pete Shelley/Peter Campbell McNeish (UK guitarist; Buzzcocks)
1954: Michael Sembello (US guitarist, composer; Stevie Wonder band/sessionist/solo)
1954: Lester Square/Thomas Hardy (Canadian guitarist, keyboard; Monochrome Set/Adam & the Ants)
1948: Jan Hammer (Czechoslovakian keyboard player; Mahavishnu Orchestra/solo).
1947: David Sanger (UK classical organist)*27.May.2010.
1947: Linda Martin (Irish singer)
1943: Roy Estrada (US bassist; Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart)
1943: Erling Kroner (Danish trombonist, bandleader)*02.March.2011.
1942: Aziz Mian/Abdul Aziz (Pakistani singer)*06.Dec.2000.
1941: Billy Fury/Ronald Wycherley (UK singer mega popstar)*28.Jan.1983
1940: Anja Silja (German soprano)
1934: Don Kirshner (US composer, producer)*17.Jan.2011.
1932: Joe Romano (US jazz saxophonist; Woody Herman/Freelance).
1930: Chris Barber (UK jazz band leader, trombonist)
1929: James Last (German orchestra leader).
1926: Whitney Lyon Balliett (US jazz critic, book reviewer; the New Yorker)*01.Feb.2007.
1923: Gianni Raimondi (Italian international operatic tenor)*19.Oct.2008.
1922: Paul Smith (US jazz pianist).
1919: Chavela Vargas (Costa Rican-Mexican singer)
1912: Marta Eggerth (Hungarian-born US citizen actress and singer).
1903: Gregor Piatigorsky (Russian cellist)*06.Aug.1976.
1882: Artur Schnabel (Austrian classical pianist, composer, teacher)*15.Aug.1951.

April 18th.
1989: Jessica Jung (US-born South Korean singer; Girls' Generation)
1987: Sandra Lyng Haugen (Norwegian singer)
1985: Elena Temnikova (Russian singer; Serebro)
1982: Marie-Élaine Thibert (Canadian singer)
1979: Nuria Fergó (Spanish singer)
1976: Fayray (Japanese singer, acter)
1974: Mark "Tru" Tremonti (US lead guitar; Alter Bridge/Creed).
1974: Millie Corretjer (Puerto Rican singer)
1972: Rosa Clemente (US activist, hip-hop artist)
1971: Fredro Starr (US rapper; Onyx)
1970: Greg Eklund (US drummer; Everclear).
1965: Rob Stenders (Dutch radio discjockey).
1964: Bez/ Mark Berry (UK dancer, percussion, mascot; Happy Mondays).
1964: Jim Ellison (US singer, frontman; Material Issue)*20.June.1996.
1962: Shirley Holliman (UK vocalist; Pepsi & Shirlie/Wham!).
1961: Kelly Hansen (US vocalist, drummer; Foreigner/Hurricane/sessionist/guest).
1958: Andy Kyriacou (UK drummer; Modern Romance).
1950: Zeke Willett (US country singer)??
1946: Lennie Baker (US saxophone; Danny & the Juniors/Sha Na Na).
1946: Alexander "Skip" Spence (Canadian-US drummer, guitarist;Moby Grape/JeffersonAirplane)*16.Apr.1999.
1943: Clyde Stubblefield (US drummer; James Brown/The Clyde Stubblefield Band)
1942: Robert Christgau (US music critic, 'Dean of American Rock Critics')
1940: Mike Vickers (UK saxophone, guitar, flute, clarinet; Manfred Mann/sessoinist/freelane).
1939: Glen D.Hardin (US pianist, guitar; Crickets/sessionist/freelance).
1934: George Shirley (American tenor)
1924: Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown (US blues artist, multi musician)*10.Sept.2005.
1919: Virginia O'Brien (US singer and actress)*16.Jan.2001.
1918: Tony Mottola (US guitarist)*09.Aug.2004.
1906: Little Brother Montgomery/Eurreal Montgomery (US jazz-blues pianist, singer)*06.Sept.1985.
1907: Miklós Rózsa (Hungarian-born composer)*27.July.1995.
1882: Leopold Stokowski/Antoni Boleslawowicz (UK born US symphonic conductor)*13.Sept.1977.
1882: Gian Francesco Malipiero (Italian composer)*01.Aug.1973.

April 19th.
1989: Fiona MacGillivray (Canadian vocalist; The Cottars).
1987: Daniel Schuhmacher (German singer)
1976: Ruud Jolie (Dutch guitarist; Within Temptation)
1970: Luis Miguel (Mexican pop singer).
1968: Pascal Kleiman (Spanish DJ, producer, musician)
1967: Dar Williams (US singer, guitarist, songwriter).
1966: Julia Neigel (German singer and songwriter).
1966: Véronique Gens (French soprano)
1965: Natalie Dessay (French soprano)
1965: Suge Knight (American record producer)
1957: Tony Martin Harford (UK lead vocalist, multi-musician; Black Sabbath/other projects)
1956: Gary Langan (UK electronic musician, producer; Art Of Noise/ZTT Records label).
1954: Bob Rock (Canadian record producer, guitarist; The Payola$)
1953: Rod Morgenstein (US drummer; Winger/Dixie Dregs/sessionist).
1947: Mark Volman/Phlorescent Leech (US singer; Turtles/Mothers of Invention/Flo & Eddie).
1947: Murray Perahia (US pianist, conductor)
1944: Bernie Worrell (US keyboards, piano, synthesizer, organ; Parliament/Funkadelic).
1943: Eve Graham (Scottish singer; The New Seekers)
1942: Alan Price (UK vocals, piano, keyboards,composer; Animals/Jade Warrior/own band).
1942: David Fanshawe (English composer, ethnomusicologist)*05.July.2010.
1941: Roberto Carlos Braga (Brazilian Grammy Award-winning MPB singer).
1940: Bobby Russell (US songwriter)*19.Nov.1992.
1940: Genya Ravan (US vocalist; Goldie & the Gingerbreads/Ten Wheel Drive).
1935: Dudley Moore (UK actor, pianist, comedian, composer)*27.March.2002.
1928: Alexis Korner (French jazz, blues guitarist,"the father of British blues")*01.Jan.1984.
1920: Gene Leis (US jazz guitarist, educator)*15.March.1993.
1917: Johnny Hoes (Dutch singer, lyricist, composer and producer)*23.July.2011.
1892: Germaine Tailleferre (French composer; Les Six)*07.Nov.1983.

April 20th.
1980: Jasmin Wagner (German singer)
1979: Quinn Weng (Taiwanese singer; Seraphim)
1972: Željko Joksimovic (Serbian singer, songwriter, producer)
1972: Marko Kon (Serbian singer, composer, songwriter, producer)
1972: Carmen Electra/Tara Leigh Patrick (US singer, actress; Pussycat Dolls).
1972: Stephen Marley (Jamaican singer, guitarist; Melody Makers).
1971: Mikey Welsh (US bassist, artist; Weezer/The Rivers Cuomo Band/others)*08.Oct.2011.
1971: Tina Cousins (UK singer-songwriter, model)
1970: Saraa/Sarantuya Batmonkh (Mongolian singer)
1967: Michael Stephen Portnoy (US drummer; Dream Theater/Transatlantic/Avenged Sevenfold/many more)
1965: April March/Elinor Blake (US singer-songwriter)
1961: Barry Smolin (US radio host, writer, composer)
1951: Phillip Taylor (US 2nd tenor lead vocals; Eric & the Vikings aka The Vikings aka Motown Vikings).
1951: Luther Vandross (US singer)*01.July.2005.
1948: Craig Frost (US keyboardist; Silver Bullet Band/Grand Funk Railroad).
1947: Björn Skifs (Swedish singer; Blue Swede)
1947: Ken Scott (UK record producer, recording engineer)
1945: Jimmy Winston (UK organist, keyboards; the Moments/Small Faces).
1944: Billy Ritchie (Scottish keyboard player, organist, composer;The Premiers/1-2-3/Clouds).
1943: John Eliot Gardiner (UK conductor)
1939: Johnny Tillotson (US singer).
1936: William Godvin "Beaver" Harris (American jazz drummer)*22.Dec.1991.
1934: David "Pop" Winans (US gospel singer; Mom & Pop Winans/David & Delores)*08.April.2009.
1929: Bob Braun (US television host)*15.Jan.2001.
1923: Tito Puente (US musician; influential Latin jazz and mambo musician)*01.June.2000.
1908: Lionel Hampton (American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, bandleader)*31.Aug.2002.
1895: Emile Christian (US jazz trombonist, cornet, string bass)*03.Dec.1973.

April 21st.
1988: Mia Permanto (Finnish pop singer and radio host)*19.March.2008
1978: Jukka Nevalainen (Finnish drummer; Nightwish)
1978: Branden Steineckert (US drummer; Rancid/The Used)
1977: Doseone/Adam Drucker (US rapper)
1975: Tha Trademarc/Marc Predka (US hip hop artist)
1972: Severina Vuckovic (Croatian singer)
1970: Glen Hansard (Irish songwriter and actor)
1966: Michael Franti (US singer, songwriter, poet; Michael Franti & Spearhead)
1963: Johnny McElhone (Scottish bassist; Altered Images/Texas/Hipsway).
1959: Jerry Only/Gerald Caiafa (US bassist, vocals; The Misfits)
1959: Michael Timmins (Canadian guitarist; Cowboy Junkies).
1959: Robert James Smith (UK guitarist, keyboards, vocals; Siouxsie&The Banshees/The Cure).
1954: Ebiet G. Ade (Indonesian singer)
1951: Nicole Barclay (US keyboards, vocals; Fanny/freelance)
1949: Patti LuPone (US singer and actress)
1948: Paul Davis (US singer)*22.April.2008.
1947: John Weider (US guitarist, bass, violin; Family/The Animals/Stud/sessionist).
1947: Alan Warner (UK guitarist, vocals; Foundations).
1947: Iggy Pop/James Newell Osterburg (US singer; The Phsycodelic Stooges/Stooges).
1945: Diana Darvey/Diana Magdalene Roloff (UK actress, singer, dancer)*11.April.2000.
1938: Ernie Maresca (US singer, record executive)
1933: Ian Carr (Scottish trumpeter, composer and writer; Nucleus/others/sessionist)*25.Feb.2009.
1925: Bob Kames (US polka musician, songwriter)*09.April.2008.
1924: Ira Louvin/Ira Lonnie Loudermilk (US country music singer, songwriter, musician)*20.June.1965.
1919: Don Cornell/Luigi Varlaro (US singer)*23.Feb.2004.
1919: Roger Doucet CM (French-Canadian tenor)*19.July.1981.
1911: Leonard Warren (American baritone)*04.March.1960.
1904: Leo Adde (US jazz drummer, Melody Masters/othes)*March.1942.
1907: Wade Mainer (US bluegrass singer, banjoist; Sons of the Mountaineers)*12.Sept.2011.
1893: Issy Bonn/Benjamin Levin (British Jewish actor, singer, comedian)*21.April.1977.

April 22nd.
1985: Matt Ballinger (US singer; Dream Street)
1984: Amelle Berrabah (UK singer; Sugababes)
1980: Ginger Sling/Ginger Reyes/Ginger A. Pooley (US bassist; Smashing Pumpkins/solo).
1979: Daniel Johns (Australian vocalist, composer, pianist, guitarist; Silverchair).
1978: Jason Stollsteimer (US singer; The Von Bondies)
1977: Aaron Fink (US guitarist; Breaking Benjamin)
1974: Diego Costa (Brazilian singer-songwriter)
1974: Shavo Odadjian (Armenian/American bassist (System of a Down)
1970: Regine Velasquez (Filipino singer, actress)
1966: Fletcher Dragge (US guitarist; Pennywise)
1969: Craig Logan (Scottish singer; member of the trio Bros).
1956: Kenny Lyons (US bassist; Lemonheads).
1953: Juhani Komulainen (Finnish composer)
1951: Paul Carrack (UK singer, keyboardist; Ace/Squeeze/Mike & the Mechanics/solo).
1950: Peter Frampton (UK guitar, vocals; the Herd/Humble Pie/solo).
1948: Larry Groce (US singer, songwriter)
1945: Demetrio Stratos/Efstratios Demetriou (Italian singer, multi-musician, lyricist; AreA)*13.June.1979
1944: Howard Wyeth (US drummer, pianist; freelance/sessionist)*27.March.1996.
1939: Simon Napier-Bell (UK manager of Wham!, T Rex, Japan + more).
1939: Mel Carter (US singer, actor)
1937: Jack Nitzche (US producer, songwriter, composer, film scores)*25.Aug.2000.
1936: Glen Campbell (US singer, guitarist, banjo player; Beach Boys/solo).
1936: Pierre Hétu (French Canadian conductor, pianist)*03.Dec.1998.
1936: Lucho Barrios/Luis Barrios Rojas (Peruvian bolero singer)*05.May.2010.
1935: Paul Chambers (US jazz bassist)*04.Jan.1969
1929: Erkki Junkkarinen (Finnish singer)*09.April.2008.
1927: Laurel Aitken/Lorenzo Aitken (Jamaican singer)*17.July.2005.
1922: Charles Mingus (US jazz musician/bandleader)*05.Jan.1979.
1922: Elden C. 'Buster' Bailey (US percussionist; New York Philharmonic)*13.Apr.2004.
1922: Eugene Smith (US gospel baritone/tenor singer; Roberta Martin Singers/solo)*09.May.2009.
1916: Yehudi Menuhin (US-born violinist)*12.March.1999
1912: Kathleen Ferrier (UK singer)*08.Oct.1953
1910: Jenny Alpha (Martinique-born French actress and singer)*08.Sept.2010.

April 23rd.
1982: Taio Cruz (UK singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, music producer)
1979: Lauri Ylönen (Finnish singer; The Rasmus)
1979: Barry Fratelli/Barry Wallace (Scottish bassist; The Fratellis)
1975: Jón Þór Birgisson (Icelandic guitarist, vocalist; Sigur Rós)
1974: Carlos Dengler (US bassist; Interpol)
1972: Patricia Manterola (Mexican singer)
1970: Dennis Bayne Culp (US singer/songwriter)
1968: Stan Frazier (US drummer; Sugar Ray).
1968: Paul Clifford (UK bass, Wonder Stuff)?
1966: Neil Wathey (UK drummer; Bitter Suite/TNT/Suite FA/sessionist).
1964: Simon "Gen" Matthews (drummer, percussion; Jesus Jones).
1960: Steve Clark (UK guitarist; Def Leppard)*08.Jan.1991.
1960: David Gedge (UK vocalist, guitar, producer; Cinerama/The Wedding Present).
1958: Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (Icelandic music composer)
1957: Kenji Kawai (Japanese composer)
1955: Mark Schatz (US bassist, banjo; The Bluegrass Album Band/freelance).
1955: Captain Sensible/Raymond Burns (UK vocals, guitar, bass; King/The Damned/solo).
1953: Richard Joseph (British games soundtrack composer)*04.March.2007.
1952: Narada Michael Walden (vocals, drums; Mahavishnu Orchestra/freelance).
1949: David Cross (UK violinist; King Crimson/others/solo)
1949: John Miles (UK vocalist, guitarist and keyboards; The Influence/solo/freelance).
1947: Stu Middleton (UK guitarist, keyboards; Prisoner/Bitter Suite).
1945: John Allen (UK guitarist; Nashville Teens).
1941: Jacqueline Boyer (French singer)
1939: Patrick Williams (US composer of jazz, popular music, concert music, music for film & television).
1939: Ray Peterson (US pop singer)*25.Jan.2005.
1936: Roy Orbison (US pop and country singer, songwriter)*06.Dec.1988.
1934: George Canseco (Filipino song composer)*19.Nov.2004.
1924: Bob Rosengarden (US drummer; band leader/many bands/session-studio musician)*27.Feb.2007.
1921: Janet Blair/Martha Jane Lafferty (US actress, singer; stage/TV/film)*19.Feb.2007.
1919: Little Benny Harris (US trumpet, composer; many jazz bands and sessionist)*11.May.1975.
1915: Joe Lippman (US jazz pianist, composer; band leader/many big bands)*????
1903: Bob Garber (US pianist; bandleader)*06.March.1988.
1895: Jimmy Noone (US jazz clarinet player; many bands/bandleader)*19.April.1944.
1894: Cow Cow Davenport/Charles Edward Davenport (US boogie-woogie pianist)*03.Dec.1955.
1891: Sergei Prokofiev (Russian composer)*05.March.1953.

April 24th.
1984: Tyson Ritter (US lead vocalist, bass guitarist; The All-American Rejects)
1982: Kelly Clarkson (US singer; winner of the US TV show Pop Idol).
1980: Danny Gokey (US singer)
1973: Brian Marshall (US bass guitar; Creed/Alter Bridge).
1971: Alejandro Fernández (Mexican singer)
1971: Mauro Pawlowski (Belgian guitarist, singer)
1968: Aaron Comess (drums; Spin Doctors)?
1967: Patty Schemel (drums; Hole/freelance).
1964: Witold Smorawinski (Polish musician, composer)
1963: Paula Frazer (US singer/songwriter)
1963: Tony Blackplait/Tõnu Trubetsky (Estonian singer, guitarist; Vennaskond/several others)
1963: Mano Solo/Emmanuel Cabut (French singer; les Chihuahuas/solo)*10.Jan.2010.
1963: Horacio 'El Negro' Hernandez (Cuban drums/percussion; Yerba Buena)?
1963: Billy Gould (US bass guitarist; Faith No More).
1960: Paula Yates (UK music presenter, TV host)*17.Sept.2000.
1957: David J/David Jay Haskins (UK bass; Bauhaus/The Jazz Butcher/Love & Rockets).
1954: Jack Blades (US bassist; Night Ranger/others)
1952: Boris Williams (UK-French born drummer; Thompson Twins/The Cure).
1949: Véronique Sanson (French singer, songwriter)
1948: Steve York (UK bassist; Manfred Mann/Earth Band)?
1947: Claude Dubois (Canadian singer, songwriter)
1947: Glen Cornick (UK bassist; Jethro Tull/Wild Turkey/Paris).
1947: Hubert Ann Kelly (US singer; Hues Corporation).
1945: TBT/Bev Turner (UK ~ That's Me!).
1945: Dick Rivers/Hervé Forneri (French singer, actor)
1945: Robert Knight (US singer)
1945: Doug Clifford (US drums;Creedence ClearwaterRevival/Creedence Clearwater Revisited).
1945: Linda Stein (US rock music manager, real estate broker)*30.Oct.2007.
1945: Doug Riley (Canadian keyboardist; Famous People Players)*27.Aug.2007
1944: Bernard Lee aka St. Clair Lee (US singer; Hues Corporation)*08.March.2011.
1943: Glen Dale/Richard Garforth (UK guitar/vocals; Fortunes).
1943: Ross Kettle (Australian singer, songwriter, guitar; Singing Kettles)*12.Sept.2007.
1943: Richard Sterban (US singer)
1942: Barbra Streisand (US singer, actress).
1941: John Williams (Australian classical guitarist)
1937: Dick Kniss (US bassist; Peter, Paul and Mary/ John Denver Band)*25.Jan.2012.
1937: Joe Henderson (US tenor jazz saxophonist; Horace Silver/Blood, Sweat & Tears)*30.June.2001.
1937: James "Spanky" DeBrest (US bass; Art Blakey/Thelonious Monk/more)*02.March.1973.
1934: B. Jeff Stone (US rockabilly singer-songwriter and guitarist)*26.Aug.2011.
1935: Tucker Smith (US actor, dancer, singer)*22.Dec.1988.
1933: Freddie Scott (US singer-songwriter: famous for "Hey Girl")*04.June.2007.
1930: Jerome Callet (US musician, teacher, designer of brass instruments).
1929: Rajkumar/Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju (Indian actor, singer)*12.April.2006.
1928: John Arnold Griffin III (American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist)*25.July.2008.
1926: Joe Segal (US jazz promoter, owner of 'The Jazz Showcase' nightclub in Chicago).
1924: Ruth Kobart/Ruth Maxine Finkelstein (US actor, singer)*14.Dec.2002.
1922: Samuel Aaron Bell (US tuba player, bassist; Duke Ellington/many jazz bands)*28.July.2003.

April 25th.
1987: Jay Park/Park Jaebeom (Korean-American dancer, singer, songwriter, rapper; 2PM)
1985: Jadyn Maria (Puerto Rican singer, songwriter)
1980: Jacob Underwood (US singer; O-Town).
1980: Ben Hamilton Johnston (Scottish drummer, vocalist, songwriter; Biffy Clyro).
1980: Gustaf Kjellvander (Swedish singer-songwriter; Fine Arts Showcase)*18.June.2011.
1977: Constantinos Christoforou (Cypriot singer)
1977: Matthew West (US Christian singer, guitarist)
1977: Paavo Siljamäki (Finnish musician; Above & Beyond)
1977: Kim Jong Kook (South Korean singer; Turbo)
1973: Fredrik Larzon (Swedish drummer; Millencolin)
1966: James Stacy Barbour (US actor, singer)
1965: Eric Avery (US bassist; Jane's Addiction/freelance).
1965: Simon Fowler (UK vocalist, acoustic guitarist Ocean Colour Scene).
1964: Andy Bell (UK vocals, producer, arranger; Erasure/solo) ...not Andy Bell of Beady Eye/Oasis
1964: Maya Gilder (UK keyboards; Furniture)?
1960: Paul Baloff (US singer, frontman; Exodus/other bands)*02.Feb.2002.
1959: Paul Goldberg (US jazz-rock-R&B drummer; independent studio/touring drummer).
1958: Fish/Derek William Dick (Scottish singer; Marillion/solo/Radio presenter).
1955: Christopher Tyng (US composer)
1952: Ketil Bjørnstad (Norwegian pianist)
1950: Steve Ferrone (UK drummer; Average White Band/freelance).
1949: Michael Brown/Michael Lookofsky (US singer, songwriter).
1946: Ron Gilbert (US bassist; Blue Magoos)?
1945: Bjorn Ulvaeus (Swedish guitarist, vocals, composer; ABBA).
1945: Stu Cook (US bass; Creedence Clearwater Revival/Creedence Clearwater Revisited).
1945: Mike Kogel (Spanish singer; Los Bravos, first Spanish rock band with UK & US hit single).
1943: John Bryson Eulenberg (US songwriter/voice box pioneer).
1943: Tony Christie/Antony Fitzgerald (UK singer).
1939: Wizz Jones/Raymond Ronald Jones (UK acoustic guitarist, folk singer-songwriter).
1937: Bubba Groce (US jazz drummer).
1933: Jerry Leiber (Leiber/Stoller songwriting and producing partnership)*22.Aug.2011.
1924: Franco Mannino (Italian composer)*01.Feb.2005.
1923: Albert King/Albert Nelson (Blues guitar virtuoso, composer)*21.Dec.1992.
1920: Esther Gordy Edwards (US Motown executive)*24.Aug.2011.
1918: Astrid Varnay (Swedish-born soprano)*05.Sept.2006.
1917: Ella Fitzgerald (US legendary jazz singer)*15.June.1996.
1913: Earl Bostic (US alto saxophonist; own R&B, soul, jazz bands)*28.Oct.1965.

April 26th.
1992: Danielle Hope (UK actress, singer)
1989: Kang Dae Sung (Korean singer; Big Bang)
1985: Nam Gyu-Ri (Korean singer; See Ya)
1982: Jon Lee (UK singer; S Club)
1981: Ms Dynamite/Niomi MacLean-Daley (UK rapper, singer).
1979: Janne Wirman (Finnish musician; Children of Bodom/Warmen)
1979: Ariane Moffatt (Canadian singer-songwriter)
1978: Avant/Myron Avant (US singer)
1975: Nathan "Joey" Jordison (US drummer, multi-musician, songwriter, record producer; Slipknot)
1975: Nerina Pallot (UK singer)
1976: Jose Pasillas (US drummer; Incubus).
1975: Joey Jordison (US drums, guitar; Slipknot).
1971: Jay DeMarcus (US bassist; Rascal Flatts)
1970: T-Boz/Tionne Tenese Watkins (US lead vocals; TLC)
1970: Ruth-Ann Boyle (UK vocals; Olive/solo).
1961: Mike Francis (Italian pop singer, composer)*30.Jan.2009.
1961: Chris Mars (US drums; Golden Smog/The Replacements).
1960: Roger Taylor (UK drums; Duran Duran/Frebass) not Queen's drummer.
1959: John Corabi (US guitarist, vocals; Angora/The Scream/Mötley Crüe/Union/ESP)
1959: Thanassis Papakonstantinou (Greek singer, bouzouki songwriter)
1952: Neol Davies (UK guitar, vocals, songwriter; The Selecter)
1951: Nick Garvey (UK lead vocalist, guitarist; Ducks Deluxe/Motors/solo).
1945: Tony Murray (Irish bassist; Troggs/sessionist)
1943: Gary Wright (US singer, keyboards, violin, piano Spooky Tooth/solo/guest).
1942: Bobby Rydell/Robert Louis Ridarelli (US singer).
1941: John Mitchell (US composer).
1941: Claudine Clark (US R&B singer-composer)
1940: Giorgio Moroder (Italian producer, disco sound, composer; film music/own studios).
1938: Duane Eddy (US legendary US guitarist).
1938: Maurice Williams (lead singer; Royal Charms/Zodiacs).
1936: William Godvin "Beaver" Harris (American jazz drummer)*22.Dec.1991.
1933: Richard Engquist (US lyricist)*25.March.2010.
1932: Francis Lai (French film music composer)
1925: Jørgen Ingmann (Danish jazz violinist,guitarist)
1924: Teddy Edwards (US saxophone, Dexter Gordons/sessionist/freelance)*20.April.2003.
1921: Jimmy Giuffre (American jazz composer, arranger, saxophonist, clarinetist)*24.April.2008
1915: Johnny Shines (US Delta Blues Slide Guitar)*20.April.1992.
1886: Ma Rainey/Gertrude Pridgett (US hugely influencial blues singer)*22.Dec.1939.

April 27th.
1992: Allison Iraheta (US singer)
1986: Elena Risteska (Macedonian singer)
1984: Patrick Stump (US lead vocals, guitar; Fall Out Boy).
1984: Yonah Higgins (UK vocals; Cleopatra).
1981: Fabrizio Faniello (Maltese singer)
1979: Will Boyd (US bassist; Evanescence/The Visitors/American Princes).
1976: Isobel Campbell (Scottish singer,cello,piano;Gentle Waves/Belle-Sebastian).
1972: Rob Coombes (UK keyboardist; Supergrass).
1969: Mica Paris (UK singer, actress).
1967: Whitey Kirst (Canadian guitarist; Iggy Pop/Alice Cooper/solo).
1967: Tommy Smith (Scottish jazz saxophonist, composer, educator)
1959: Marco Pirroni (UK guitar; Adam And The Ants).
1959: Scott Robinson (US saxophone, flute, clarinet; Jazz musician).
1959: Sheena Easton (Scottish singer).
1959: Louis Lortie (French Canadian concert pianist)
1956: Douglas P/Douglas Pearce (UK vocalist; Death in June/Crisis)
1956: Bryan Harvey (US singer, guitarist; House Of Freaks)*01.Jan.2006.
1953: Arielle Dombasle (French singer, actress)
1951: Paul "Ace" Frehley (US guitar, vocals; Kiss).
1949: Clive Taylor (Welsh bassist; Amen Corner)?
1948: Kate Pierson (US singer; The B-52's).
1947: Peter Ham (Welsh singer, guitar; Badfinger/The Iveys)*23.April.1975.
1947: Herb Murrell (US singer; Stylistics).
1947: Ann Peebles (US soul-rhythm & blues singer).
1946: Gordon Haskell (UK singer, songwriter; Ravens, League of Gentlemen/King Crimson/solo).
1944: Thomas Koppel (Danish classical/avant-garde composer, pianist; Savage Garden)*25.Feb.2006.
1944: Cuba Gooding Sr (US singer; Main Ingredient).
1942: Jim Keltner (US session drummer)
1939: Jerry Mercer (Canadian drummer; Mashmakhan/April Wine).
1936: Geoffrey Shovelton (English opera singer)
1932: Maxine Brown (US country singer; The Browns/solo)
1932: Casey Kasem (US host of the weekly US Top 40 radio program & many other things).
1931: Igor Oistrakh (Ukrainian violinist)
1927: Sal Mosca (American jazz pianist and educator)*28.July.2007.
1923: Lelio Luttazzi (Italian musician and singer)*07.July.2010.
1920: Guido Cantelli (Italian conductor)*24.Nov.1956.
1894: Nicolas Slonimsky (Russian-born musicologist, composer)*25.Dec.1995.

April 28th.
1986: George Nozuka (Canadian singer, songwriter)
1978: Lauren Laverne/Lauren Cecilia Gofton (UK disc jockey, TV presenter, singer)
1974: Vernon Kay (UK disc jockey, TV presenter)
1972: Violent J/Joseph Bruce (US rapper, R.P, wrestler, actor; Insane Clown Posse).
1969: Mica Paris (UK singer).
1968: Howard Donald (UK singer; Take That / solo).
1968: Daisy Berkowitz/Scott Mitchell Putesky (US bass; Marilyn Manson).
1966: Too Short/Todd Shaw (US West Coast rapper).
1964: Noriyuki Iwadare (Japanese composer)
1961: Anna Oxa (Italian singer)
1959: John Morris Rankin (Canadian pianist, fiddle player; The Rankin Family)*16.Jan.2000.
1957: Wilma Landkroon (Dutch singer)
1956: Jimmy Barnes (Scottish-born singer)
1955: Eddie Jobson (UK violin, keyboards, synthesizers; Curved Air/Roxy Music/Frank Zappa).Some sourses give Eddie's birthdate as May 28th.
1953: Kim Gordan (US bassist; Sonic Youth/Ciccone Youth).
1950: Willie Colón (Puerto Rican salsa musician, singer, trombone, trumpet)
1948: Dorothée Berryman (French Canadian actress, singer)
1948: Manfred Wieczorke (German keyboardist, guitarist; Eloy/Jane).
1946: Ginette Reno (French Canadian singer, songwriter, actress)
1946: Manfred Wieczorke (German keyboardist, guitarist, composer, producer; Eloy/Jane/others).
1945: John Wolters (drummer; Dr.Hook and the Medicine Show)*16.June.1997.
1943: Jacques Dutronc (French singer, actor)
1940: Phil Guy (American blues guitarist; Raful Neal/Junior Wells/solo)*20.Aug.2008.
1926: Blossom Dearie (American jazz singer and pianist)*07.Feb.2009.
1906: Paul Sacher (Swiss conductor)*26.May.1999.

April 29th.
1988: Go Younha (Korean pop singer)
1982: Travis Smith (US drummer; Trivium)
1980: Kian Egan (Irish singer; Westlife).
1979: Jo Velda O'Meara (UK vocals, S Club 7).
1979: Matt Tong (UK drummer; Bloc Party)
1976: Jay Orpin (Swedish composer, producer)
1975: Béres Zoo (Hungarian radio DJ)
1974: Glenn Graham (Canadian fiddler)
1974: Anggun Cipta Sasmi (Indonesian singer)
1974: Jasper Wood (Canadian violinist)
1973: Johan Hegg (Swedish heavy metal vocalist; Amon Amarth)
1973: Mike Hogan (Irish bassist; The Cranberries).
1971: Tamara Johnson-George (US singer; Sisters with Voices aka SWV)
1970: China Forbes (US singer, songwriter; Pink Martini)
1969: Izel Çeliköz (Turkish singer)
1968: Carnie Wilson (US singer)
1967: Master P/Percy Miller (US hip hop, rap artist).
1960: Phil King (UK bassist, sometimes drummer; Lush).
1958: Simon Edwards (UK guitar; Fairground Attraction)?
1957: Mark Kendall (US guitarist; Great White)
1956: Ketil Stokkan (Norwegian singer; Zoo / solo)
1955: Gino Quilico (Canadian classical baritone)
1953: King Boy D/Bill Drummond (Scottish producer, A&R man, writer, drummer: KLF).
1948: Michael Karoli (German guitarist, violin, composer; Can)*17.Nov.2001.
1947: Tommy James (US singer. guitar; Shondells)
1947: Joel Larson (US drums; Grass Roots)
1945: Hugh Hopper (UK bassist; Soft Machine/others)*07.June.2009.
1945: Tammi Terrell (US singer; The Sherrys/Motown artist)*16.March.1970.
1943: Duane Allen (US lead singer; Oak Ridge Boys).
1940: George Rufus Adams (US jazz jazz tenor saxophonist, flute, bass clarinet)*14.Nov.1992.
1938: Klaus Voormann (German musician, record producer;sessionist/Manfred Mann/Plastic Ono Band/more)
1937: Lefty Dizz/Walter Williams (US powerful blues guitarist, singer)*07.Sept.1993.
1937: Wannes Van de Velde (Flemish singer, musician, poet, artist)*10.Nov.2008.
1936: Zubin Mehta (Indian-born conductor)
1936: April Stevens (US singer)
1934: Otis Rush (US blues guitarist, singer).
1933: Rod McKuen (US poet, singer, composer).
1932: Joy Clements (US soprano)*24.Oct.2005.
1931: Lonnie Donegan (UK singer, guitar, banjo, songwiter, composer)*03.Nov.2002.
1929: Ray Barretto (Puerto Rican percussion,congas; sessionist/Fania All-Stars)*17.Feb.2006.
1929: Peter Sculthorpe (Australian composer)
1928: Carl Gardner (US singer; The Coasters)*12.June.2011.
1925: Danny Davis (US country vocalist, bandleader, producer; Nashville Brass)*12.June.2008
1922: Toots Thielemans/Jean-Baptiste, Baron Thielemans (Belgian jazz guitarist, harmonica player)
1920: Harold Shapero (US composer)
1915: Donald Mills (US lead tenor; The Mills Brothers)*13.Nov.1999.
1907: Tino Rossi (French singer, actor)*26.Sept.1983.
1899: Duke Ellington/Edward Kennedy Ellington (US pianist,bandleader,songwriter-composer)*24.May.1974
1879: Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, CH (UK conductor and impresario)*08.March.1961.

April 30th.
1985: Ashley Dupré/Kristen/Ashley Youmans (US journalist, singer, call girl)
1987: Nikki Webster (Australian pop singer, entertainer).
1982: Cleo Higgins (UK vocals; Cleopatra).
1982: Lloyd Banks/Christopher Lloyd (US singer, rapper; G-Unit/solo)
1982: Emma Anzai (Australian bass player; Sick Puppies)
1982: Drew Seeley (Canadian actor, singer)
1979: Sean Mackin (US vocals, violin; Yellowcard)?
1976: Amanda Palmer (US singer, pianist; The Dresden Dolls)
1973: Akon/Aliaune Damala Dakha Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (US R&B, rapper)
(some sourses give Akon's birthdate as April 16th 1977 and others October 14th 1981)
1973: Jeff Timmons (US singer; 98 Degrees/solo).
1972: John R. Richards (US singer, guitar; Dishwalla/guest).
1971: Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple (US singer; Soul For Real).
1971: Darren Emerson (UK dance DJ, keyboards, Underworld).
1969: Clark Vogeler (US guitarist; The Toadies).
1968: Ben Ayres (UK guitar, keyboards, tamboura; Cornershop)?
1969: Warren Defever (US bassist, composer)
1969: Paulo Jr/Paulo Xisto Pinto Junior (Brazilian bassist; Sepultura)
1967: Turbo B/Durron Maurice Butler (US rap artist; Snap).
1964: Barrington Levy (Jamaican reggae artist)
1962: Robert Reynolds (US bassist; The Mavericks).
1960: Paul Taylor (US jazz saxophonist; The Rippingtons/many sessions)
1953: Merrill Osmond (US bassist, singer; Osmonds).
1951: Des Tong (UK bassist; Sad Cafe)?
1948: Wayne Kramer (US vocals, guitar; MC5 / solo).
1947: Finn Kalvik (Norwegian singer)
1943: Bobby Vee/Robert Thomas Velline (US singer).
1941: Johnny Farina (US guitar, vocals, composer; Santo & Johnny).
1934: Jerry Lordan (UK composer, singer)*24.July.1995.
1933: Willie Nelson (American country singer, guitar, songwriter, actor).
1926: Khale kaka/Shrinivas Khale (Indian composer)*02.Sept.2011.
1925: Johnny Horton (US honky tonk singer, guitarist)*05.Nov.1960
1923: Percy Heath (US jazz musician; Modern Jazz Quartet)*28.April.2005.
1914: Dorival Caymmi (Brazilian songwriter and singer)*16.Aug.2008.
1916: Robert Shaw (US conductor)*25.Jan.1999.
1916: Alda Noni (Italian soprano leggiero)*19.May.2011.
1896: Reverend Gary Davis (US blind blues/gospel singer, guitarist)*05.May.1972.

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LOST THIS MONTH

April 1st.
1917: Scott Joplin (49) African-American composer and pianist, born in Bowie County, Texas, into the first post-slavery generation. Settling in Sedalia, Mo., in 1895, he studied music at the George R. Smith College for Negroes hoping to become a concert pianist, but he achieved fame for his unique ragtime compositions, and was dubbed the "King of Ragtime". During his career, he wrote forty-four original ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas. One of his first pieces, the "Maple Leaf Rag", became ragtime's first and most influential hit, and remained so for a century. Moving to New York City in '07, he wrote an instruction book, The School of Ragtime, outlining his complex bass patterns, sporadic syncopation, stop-time breaks, and harmonic ideas, which were widely imitated. Scott and ragtime was stimulated in the 1970s by the use of his music in the Academy Award-winning score to the film The Sting. Also in 1970 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the National Academy of Popular Music and in 1976 he was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his special contribution to American music (Scott suffered a nervous breakdown and collapse in 1911, and by 1916, he was suffering from tertiary syphilis, then in January 1917, he was admitted to a mental institution, Manhattan State Hospital, where he sadly died a few months later) b. November 24th 1868.
1979: Bruno Coquatrix (68) French songwriter and music impresario born in Ronchin. He made himself known as songwriter-composer, writing over 300 songs including Mon ange; Clopin-clopant; Cheveux dans le vent, as well as some operettas. He was also the impresario of some French singers, e.g. Jacques Pills and Lucienne Boyer. Bruno also managed the variety theatre Bobino before he took over the Olympia, Europe’s biggest music hall in 1954. He then staged all the era’s celebrities, including Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel, Gilbert Bécaud, Johnny Hallyday, Dalida, Édith Piaf, Annie Cordy, Mireille Mathieu, Yves Montand, and so many others. He also co-founded a record company, the Disques Versailles (?) b. August 5th 1910.
1981: Eua Sunthornsanan (71) Thai composer and bandleader, born in Amphawa, Samut Songkhram Province. A pioneer in introducing Western music into Thai popular culture, he founded the Suntaraporn band in the 1940s, Thailand's best-known big band, it continues to play concerts and special functions. In 1936 he started composing scores for Thai films, and combined jazz and Western classical music with traditional Thai classical music. It was an already established genre, called phleng Thai sakol, but with his compositions, he greatly expanded the repertoire. With his own popular big band, Suntaraporn, phleng Thai sakol found a wider audience (sadly lost to cancer) b. January 21st 1910.
1984: Marvin Gaye/Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. (44) Legendary Motown singer, pianist, drummer, songwriter, with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960 signing with the Tamla subsidiary of Motown Records. After a year as a session drummer, Marvin ranked as the label's top-selling solo artist during the sixties. Due to solo hits including "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and his duet singles with singers such as Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell, he was crowned "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul". Notable for fighting the hit-making but restrictive Motown process in which performers and songwriters and producers were kept separate, he proved with albums like his 1971 What's Going On and his 1973 Let's Get It On that he was able to produce music without relying on the system, inspiring fellow Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson to do the same. (tragically shot dead by his father during a violent argument, the day before his 45 birthday. Marvin's relatives claimed that he had purposely pushed his father to the edge instead of having to commit suicide) b. April 2nd 1939.
1992: Nigel Preston (32) British drummer; a founding member of The Death Cult and The Cult. He also played and recorded with Sex Gang Children, Theatre of Hate, The Gun Club, and The Baby Snakes. His biggest hit was "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult from their "Love" L.P. In March 1985, The Cult recorded their fourth single, "She Sells Sanctuary", which charted at #15 in the UK charts. It re-entered the charts at #56 in September 1986, spending 14 consecutive weeks on the charts. The song was recently voted No.18 in VH1's Indie 100. Preston refused to accept being put on wages after the song became a hit and parted company with the band in June of 1985 (an apparent overdose) b. July 1959
1992: Walter Andreas Schwarz (78) German singer, songwriter, novelist, Kabarettist, author of radio dramas and translator. In 1956, he competed with his own composition "Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück" in the German national final for the Eurovision Song Contest and won. Along with Freddy Quinn, he therefore became the first German entrant in the competition. The song was released as a single but commercially, it was not very successful. Other notable records were not released. He went on to become a successful author of novels and especially radio dramas. One of his last contirbutions was an adaption of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in 1990 and 1991, which included 17 episodes (?) b. June 2nd 1913.
1998: Rozz Williams/Roger Painter (34) American deathrock vocalist, a pioneer of deathrock, most famous for fronting the bands Christian Death and Shadow Project, the latter with his then wife, Eva O. He took the name of Rozz Williams from a gravestone he found in Pomona cemetery. His first bands were called The Crawlers, The Upsetters, The Asexuals and Daucus Karota before he went on to form Christian Death in late 1979. The band broke up temporarily in 1981, and Rozz formed Premature Ejaculation. Other musical projects he was involved in include Heltir and EXP Premature Ejaculation. He also recorded several solo albums including ''Every King a Bastard Son'', ''The Whorse's Mouth'', ''Live In Berlin'', ''Accept The Gift of Sin'' (Suicide, found by Ryan Wildstar, his roommate of 7 years, hanged to death in their West Hollywood apartment) b. November 6th 1963.
1999: Jesse Stone (97) American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres. He also used the pseudonyms Charles Calhoun and Chuck Calhoun. Born in Atchison, Kansas, by 1926 he had formed a group, the Blue Serenaders, and cut his first record, "Starvation Blues", in 1927. For the next few years he worked as a pianist and arranger in Kansas City, recording with Julia Lee among others, and then in the 1930s organised a larger orchestra. In 1953 he wrote Ray Charles' hit "Losing Hand", and also wrote "Money Honey", which became the first hit record for The Drifters, topping the national R&B chart for 11 weeks. The following year, he arranged "Sh-Boom" by The Chords. His best known composition as Calhoun was "Shake, Rattle and Roll". In 1960, he served as arranger and orchestra director for a session for LaVern Baker which produced four songs including the hit Bumble Bee. Jesse was honored by the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1992 with a Pioneer Award (?) b. November 16th 1901.
2001: Trinh Cong Son (62) Vietnamese composer, musician, painter and songwriter. He, along with Pham Duy and Van Cao, is widely considered one of the three most salient figures of modern (non-classical) Vietnamese music. Trinh Cong wrote over 500 songs, and, during the 1960s and 1970s, Joan Baez dubbed him the Bob Dylan of Vietnam for his moving antiwar songs. He became one of South Vietnam's best-known singer-songwriters, after his first hit, Uot mi/Tearing 'Lashes in 1958 (?) b. February 28th 1939.
2003: Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (46) Hong Kong singer, director and film actorborn in Kowloon, Hong Kong; he was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and he combined a hugely successful film and music career. In 1977, he won second prize by singing Don McLean's "American Pie" at the Asian Music Contest held by Rediffusion Television. He signed a contract with RTV, which became Asia Television Limited and began his career in the entertainment industry. He also signed a music contract with Polydor Records, releasing Day Dreaming in 1977 and Lover's Arrow in 1979. He soon became an icon and in 2000, Leslie was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central Television, and voted/ranked the 1st as The Most Favorite Actor in 100 Years of Chinese Cinema in 2005 (Leslie committed suicide at 6:41pm. Sadly he had been suffering from severe clinical depression for a year and leapt to his death from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, located in the Central district of Hong Kong Island) b. September 12th 1956.
2004: Paul Atkinson (58) UK guitarist for legendary rock band The Zombies along with Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Chris White and Hugh Grundy, scoring US hits in the mid- and late-1960s with "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", and "Time of the Season". He later became an artists and repertoire executive, discovering and signing such bands as ABBA, Bruce Hornsby, Mr. Mister, Judas Priest, and Michael Penn. On 25 November, 1997, all five Zombies reunited at the Jazz Cafe in London's Camden Town as part of a solo show by Colin Blunstone, to perform "She's Not There" and "Time of the Season". (sadly died in a Santa Monica, California hospital of a liver and kidney disease) b. March 19th 1946.
2004: Nilo Soruco/Danilo Soruco Arancibia (76) Bolivian singer-songwriter; a communist, he was banned under the Bolivian leadership of the 1970s and was in exile in Caracas, Venezuela until 1978. He wrote more than 300 songs, including “Instantánea”, "La vida es linda", "Ya la pagarán", “Duraznero”, and particularly "Caraqueña", composed in his Venezuelan exile. Danilo won Bolivia's National Culture Prize in 2003 (?) b. July 6th 1927.
2005: Alexander Brott/Joël Brod (90) Canadian violinist and composer, born in Montreal; he earned degress from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University (MU) and the Juilliard School. He began his career as a concert violinist in the 1930s and joined the faculty at the MU, teaching there until his retirement in 1980. He founded the McGill Chamber Orchestra and was leader of the Montreal Orchestra, Les Concerts symphoniques de Montréal and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 1945 to 1958. In 1939, he joined the Faculty of Music at McGill University, where he remained until 1980. His compositions included Arabesque, Circle, Triangle, 4 Squares, and Paraphrase in Polyphony. He was also the founder and musical director of the McGill Chamber Orchestra. He also conducted the Kingston Symphony from 1965 to 1981. In 1979 he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and in 1988 he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec (?) b. March 14th 1915
2005: Jack Keller (68) American songwriter native of Brooklyn, New York; after writing hits for the Chordettes and the Poni-Tails, he got his big break in late 1959 when he joined Al Nevins and Don Kirshner's publishing company, Aldon Music. Here, together Jack and Howard Greenfield wrote 'My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own', 'Everybody's Somebody's Fool' and 'Breakin' In A Brand New Broken Heart', all smash hits for Connie Francis, and Jimmy Clanton's 'Venus In Blue Jeans'. With Gerry Goffin he wrote 'No One Can Make My Sunshine Smile' and 'How Can I Meet Her' for the Everly Brothers, 'Run To Him' and 'A Forever Kind Of Love' for Bobby Vee, plus hits for Brenda Lee, Little Eva, the Cookies and others. In 1963, he moved to LA and began writing theme tunes for Columbia's TV shows, including Bewitched, Gidget, Hazel, The Flying Nun and, later, Here Come The Brides, out of which came the Perry Como hit 'Seattle'. His compositions continued to be recorded by Frank Sinatra, Patti Page, Mama Cass and other stars. He also worked with the Monkees, co-producing both their first album and the theme song from their hit TV series. His other producer credits included records by Tony Orlando, Hoyt Axton, Jewel Akens, Sally Field and the Lewis & Clarke Expedition. In later years he was a staff writer with United Artists Music in Hollywood before moving his family to Nashville in 1984 (sadly died of leukemia) b. November 11th 1936.
2009: Duane Jarvis (51) American guitarist, singer-songwriter; influenced by BB King, The Who, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones he was part of a blues band and a power pop group while in his teens. He went on to record songs with many rock and roll and country music performers, including Frank Black, Peter Case, Rosie Flores, John Prine, Amy Rigby, Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakam. In addition to his collaborations, which included co-writing "Still I Long For Your Kiss", a song on Lucinda Williams's Grammy-winning album "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road", he also released a number of solo albums including "D.J.'s Front Porch", "Far From Perfect" and "Certified Miracle" (sadly lost to colon cancer) b. August 22nd 1957.
2009: Pedro Infante Jr. (59) Mexican actor and singer, son of Pedro Infante (pneumonia) b.??
2009: Margreta Elkins AM (78) Australian mezzo-soprano; she sang at Covent Garden and with Opera Australia, Dublin Grand Opera Company, the Carl Rosa Opera Company and other companies. She made a number of recordings, including singing alongside sopranos such as Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. She went freelance in 1980 and recorded Elgar's Sea Pictures with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 1983, a recording which is often compared favourably with Dame Janet Baker's; 11 June 1984, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia and awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Queensland in 1986. In 1990 she appeared as Azucena in Il trovatore for Queensland Lyric Opera. She returned to the stage once more in 2002, as Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria rusticana for Opera Queensland where she was an honorary life member (sadly died after fighting cancer) b. October 16th 1930.

April 2nd.
1935: Bennie Moten (40) American jazz pianist and band leader born in Kansas City, he played a key roll in what is called the Kansas City Jazz style and the history of jazz. In 1922 he formed the B. B. & D. Trio, Beenie, Bailey and Dude, although they were popularly referred to as Big, Black and Dirty and he made his recording debut in 1923, when his band accompanied Blues singer Ada Brown on the song "Evil Mama Blues". In 1926, Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra began recording for Victor. He had several bands touring under his name in the 1920s. Bennie started "raiding" another Kansas City band, The Blue Devils for musicians including Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing, Hot Lips Page, Eddie Durham and Ben Webster, thus forming the nucleus of the future Count Basie Orchestra. Their hits included classics like "Toby", "Moten Swing", "The Blue Room", "Imagination", "New Orleans", "The Only Girl I Ever Loved", Milenberg Joys", "Lafayette", "Prince of Wails", "Two Times", When Bennie died in 1935, Basie took over the band. Under his leadership the band emerged as one of the greatest of all Jazz bands (sadly and tragically Bennie died from a botched tonsillectomy) b. November 13th 1894
1958: Tudor Davies (65) Welsh operatic tenor, born in Cymmer, near Porth, after serving in the Royal Navy during WW I. He toured the United States, Canada and Australia and then returned to Britain, where he sang with the British National Opera Company, Sadler's Wells Opera and the Carl Rosa Opera Company. He sang Rodolfo to Dame Nellie Melba's Mimi in La bohème in 1922 at Covent Garden. He sang leading tenor parts from the Italian, French and German repertoire. He also appeared in English operas such as Dame Ethel Smyth's Fête Galante, and Arthur Benjamin's The Devil Take Her. He created the title role in Ralph Vaughan Williams' opera Hugh the Drover in 1924, excerpts from which he also recorded. In 1928, he also sang in the US premiere of the opera, with the Washington National Opera. He sang the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's Don Carlos in the opera's first performance in England in 1938, and he appeared in the first Sadler's Wells performance of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's The Snow Maiden. In his later career he was mainly a concert singer, and teacher in Cardiff (sadly died after having surgery for a liver condition) b. November 12th 1892.
1976: Marie-Louise-Taos Amrouche (63) Algerian writer and singer born in Tunis into a family of Kabyle Roman Catholic converts. She was the first Algerian female writer and her first novel "Jacinthe noir", an autobiographical novel, published in 1947 . Her mother Fadhma Aït Mansour had a great impact on her life. Her literary style reflected the oral traditions of Kabylie, descended from her mother. With her compilation of tales and poems La Grain magique in 1966 , she took the nom de plume Marguerite-Taos, Marguerite was her mother's Christian name. While she wrote in French, she sang in Kabyle. Her first album ''Chants berbères de Kabylie'', which was a great success, was a collection of traditional Kabyle songs that were translated to French by her elder brother Jean Amrouche in 1939 . She was an activist in Berber issues and she was among the founders of Académie berbère in 1966. (died in Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, France) b. March 4th 1913.
1987: Buddy Rich/Bernard Rich (69) American jazz drummer, bandleader and former Marine. He was billed as "the world's greatest drummer" and was known for his virtuoso technique, power, and speed. He began playing drums in vaudeville when he was 18 months old, billed as "Traps the Drum Wonder" and by the time he was 11, he was performing as a bandleader. At the peak of his childhood career, he was reportedly the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world, after Jackie Coogan. He expressed great admiration for, and was influenced by the playing of Chick Webb, Gene Krupa, Dave Tough and Jo Jones among others. He first played jazz in 1937 with Joe Marsala's group, with Bunny Berigan in 1938 and with Artie Shaw 1939. In 1939, Buddy taught drums to a young Mel Brooks, and persuaded Artie Shaw to allow a 13-year-old Mel to attend Shaw's recording sessions in Manhattan. In October 1944, at the Paramount Theatre Rich mentioned to Frank Sinatra that he was interested in starting his own band. Frank wrote him a cheque for $40,000 and said "Good Luck. This'll get you started." Between 1940 to 1966 he played with Tommy Dorsey, Benny Carter, Harry James, Les Brown, Charlie Ventura, and Jazz at the Philharmonic, as well as leading his own band and performing with all-star groups. For most of the period from 1966 until his death, he led a successful big band in an era when the popularity of big bands had waned. He also served as the session drummer on many recordings with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstron and Oscar Peterson. He was also a frequent guest on The Steve Allen Show, Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and The Merv Griffin Show, among others. Only a few weeks prior to his death he appeared with his Big Band on Michael Parkinson's British talk show Parkinson (brain tumour) b. September 30th 1917.
1998: Robert 'Rob' Pilatus (32) Afro-German model, stripper, singer of the duo Milli Vanilli. The son of an African American soldier and a German mother, he was later adopted by a German family and raised in Munich. He worked as a model and break dancer before joining Milli Vanilli, a pop/dance music project formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988, fronted by Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. Their debut platinum album "Girl You Know It's True" became a worldwide hit and produced five hit singles including 3 No.1 hits, "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You", "Baby Don't Forget My Number" and "Blame It On The Rain". The album won them the 1990 Grammy Award for Best New Artist. On November 12th 1990, Frank Farian confessed to reporters that Rob and Fab did not actually sing on the records. As a result of US media pressure, Milli Vanilli's Grammy was withdrawn, their three American Music Awards were never withdrawn, but Arista Records dropped the act from its roster and deleted their album and its masters from their catalog, taking "Girl You Know It's True" out of print. After a failed comeback attempt, Rob turned to a life of crime and in 1996, he served three months in jail for assault, vandalism and attempted robbery. He also spent six months on drug rehabilitation, before returning to Germany. On February 14, 2007, it was announced that Universal Pictures was developing a film based on the story of Milli Vanilli's rise and fall in the music industry (drug overdose) b. June 8th 1965.
2003: Edwin Starr/Charles Edwin Hatcher (61) American soul music singer, born in Nashville, but moved to to Cleveland, Ohio before relocating to Detroit; most famous for his Norman Whitfield produced singles of the 1970s, notably the number one hit "War". In 1957, Starr formed a doo-wop group, The Future Tones, and began his singing career. In the 1960s he recorded for the record label Ric-Tic, and later for Motown Records after it absorbed Ric-Tic in 1968. The song which began his career was 1965's "Agent Double'O'Soul" Other early hits included "Headline News", "Back Street","Way Over There", and "S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)"and his international hit "25 Miles". Moving to England in 1973, he continued to record music, most notably r the song "Hell Up In Harlem" for the 1974 film, Hell Up in Harlem, "Eye to Eye Contact" and "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio". Edwin remained a hero on England's Northern Soul circuit and continued living in England for the remainder of his life (sadly died of a heart attack) b. January 21st 1942.
2006: Buddy Blue/Bernard Seigal (48) American, guitarist, music critic and writer who performed and often wrote under the name Buddy Blue. He was a founding member of The Beat Farmers, a Southern California rock band that blended country roots music and rock 'n' roll. Born in Syracuse, New York, he moved to San Diego in 1973 and played in local bands before co-forming Beat Farmers in 1983, producing national hits such as "Happy Boy," "Riverside" and "Gun Sale at the Church". He left the Beat Farmers in 1986 to start a new band, The Jacks. A year later, he was hired as a music critic for the San Diego Reader, but later fired when his editors suggested he wrote negative reviews about local musicians whom Buddy felt did not deserve bad press. He went on to write for The San Diego Union-Tribune, LA Times, The Orange County Weekly, San Jose Mercury News, La Jolla Light and OC Weekly. Buddy also recorded solo in the 90s including the CDs Guttersnipes and Zealots, Dive Bar Casanovas, Greasy Jazz, Dipsomania, Pretend It's Okay and Sordid Lives (heart attack) b. December 30th 1957.
2009: Bud Shank (82) American alto saxophonist; he began with clarinet, but had switched to saxophone before attending the University of North Carolina. In 1946 he worked with Charlie Barnet before moving on to Kenton and the West coast jazz scene. He also had a strong interest in what might now be termed world music, playing bossa nova in the early 1950s, and in 1962 fusing jazz with Indian traditions in collaboration with Indian composer and sitar-player Ravi Shankar. As well as releasing 12 albums as a leader, the last to date being 2007's Beyond the Red Door, he has also recorded with The Mamas & the Papas, Ravi Shankar and Gene Clarke. In 2005 he formed the Bud Shank Big Band in Los Angeles to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra (pulmonary failure) b. May 27th 1926.
2010: Kelvin Henderson (62) British country musician, hailing from Bristol, he was a singer, guitarist, banjo player, songwriter and BBC broadcaster and promoter of Country and Folk music. For many years he and many talented musicians that formed several different formations of his backing band, which toured both home and abroad and performing with some of the biggest names in country music, appearances at the Wembley Country Music Festivals and the Albert Hall, a successful television series "Country Comes West" and his own weekly, networked radio show "My Style Of Country" for BBC. Kelvin was inducted into the BCMA Hall of fame in 2009, the award was presented by Chris Jackson and collected by Johny West. Johny bought the award back to Bristol where the award was then presented to Kelvin In person By Tom Russell at Tom Russells concert (died after an eight year brave battle with progressive supranuclear palsy which gradually robbed him of his and mobility) b.????
2011: Efrain Loyola (94) Cuban flautist from Cienfuegos, who had the distinction of being one of the oldest active flutists in the world, had a career that spanned over 7 decades and was also a captain in the Cuban militia who fought in the War against the Bandits. He was part of many important groups, among them the Conjunto Tradicional de Sones Los Naranjos, the Ritmica 39, which became the Orquesta Aragón and his own band, The Efrain Loyola Orchestra. Efrain was given almost 150 acknowledgements and awards in his lifetime, including: "Worthy Member of the Writers and Artists Association of Cuba (UNEAC)", "Distinguished Son of Cienfuegos City", "The Jagua Award" and the order of Jesús Menéndez, granted by the Cuban Workers' Organization (?) b. December 18th 1916.

April 3rd.
1887: Johannes Brahms (63) Austria-Hungarian composer, pianist; his works blend classical tradition with a romantic impulse and include concertos, four symphonies, chamber music, and choral compositions.Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene. In his lifetime, Brahms' popularity and influence were considerable; following a comment by the 19th century conductor Hans von Bülow, he is sometimes grouped with Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven as one of the Three Bs (sadly died of cancer) b. May 7th 1833.
1978: Ray Noble (74) British bandleader, composer, arranger and actor; he became leader of the HMV Records studio band in 1929, known as the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra. The most popular vocalist with Noble's studio band was Al Bowlly, he also provided music for many radio shows like The Charlie McCarthy Show and Burns and Allen. The Bowlly-Noble recordings achieved popularity in the US. Union bans prevented Ray taking British musicians to America so he arranged for Glenn Miller to recruit American musicians. Glenn Miller played the trombone in the Ray Noble orchestra which performed Glenn's composition "Dese Dem Dose" as part of the medley "Dese Dem Dose/An Hour Ago This Minute/Solitude" during a performance at the Rainbow Room in 1935. The American Ray Noble band had a successful run at the Rainbow Room in New York City with Bowlly as principal vocalist. Al Bowlly returned to England but Ray continued to lead bands in America, moving into an acting career portraying a stereotypical upper-class Englishman. His last major successes as a bandleader came with Buddy Clark in the late 1940s. Ray also wrote both lyrics and music for many songs that became popular, contributing "Love Is The Sweetest Thing", "Cherokee", "The Touch of Your Lips", "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" and "The Very Thought Of You" to popular culture. He co-wrote "Goodnight, Sweetheart", "Turkish Delight" and "By the Fireside". The Ray Noble composition "You're So Desirable" was recorded by Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson, and by Robert Palmer in 1990. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 1987, inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. Also "The Very Thought of You", recorded by Ray Noble and His Orchestra on Victor in 1934, has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (?) b. December 17th 1903.
1986: Peter Pears (75) English opera singer born in Farnham, Surrey; he attended Keble College, Oxford, studying music and served as organist at Hertford College, but left without taking his degree. In 1936, he met Benjamin Britten; the following year, they gave their first concert together with Peter singing and Benjamin on piano at Balliol College in Oxford, to support the Government in the Spanish Civil War. From 1939 to 1942, the two men lived in the United States and in Canada. On their return, Upon their return to England in 1942, they performed Britten's Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo together at Wigmore Hall and then recorded them for EMI, their first recording together. Peter went on to take the principal tenor roles in all of Britten's operas, including Midsummers Night Dream, Billy Bud, Peter Grimes and Death In Venice. He sang regularly at the Royal Opera House and other major opera houses in Europe and America. In 1946 they founded the English Opera Group and in 1948 founded the Aldeburgh Festival. He was knighted in 1978. Peter and Benjamin are buried next to each other in Aldeburgh churchyard (?) b. June 22nd 1910.
1990: Sarah Vaughan (66) American jazz singer with a contralto vocal range, considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. Nicknamed "Sailor", for her salty speech,"Sassy" and "The Divine One", she was a Grammy Award winner and The National Endowment for the Arts bestowed upon her its "highest honor in jazz", the NEA Jazz Masters Award, in 1989. Her songs included "That Lucky Old Sun", "Make Believe (You Are Glad When You're Sorry)", "I'm Crazy to Love You", "Our Very Own", "I Love the Guy", "Thinking of You" (with pianist Bud Powell), "I Cried for You", "These Things I Offer You", "Vanity", "I Ran All the Way Home", "Saint or Sinner", "My Tormented Heart", "Time", "How Important Can It Be" with Count Basie, "Whatever Lola Wants", "The Banana Boat Song", "You Ought to Have A Wife" and "Misty". Her commercial success peaked in 1959 with "Broken Hearted Melody", among many others (sadly died of lung cancer) b. March 27th 1924.
1999: Lionel Bart (69) UK composer of songs and musicals; his first professional musical was the 1959 'Lock Up Your Daughters', based on the 18th century play 'Rape Upon Rape', followed by, 'Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be' produced by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, was notable for encouraging the use of authentic Cockney accents on the London stage. His 1960 musical 'Oliver!' and became the first British musical to transfer successfully to Broadway and has sustained its popularity to the present day. It contained such song hits as "As Long As He Needs Me" and "Consider Yourself" and is also notable for featuring Australian satirist Barry Humphries in his first major stage role as Mr Sowerberry and future rock stars Steve Marriott, who became the lead singer of The Small Faces and Humble Pie and Phil Collins of Genesis fame. His next musical, Blitz! produded the hit Far Away. Lional did 3 further musicals Maggie May, Twang! and La Strada. He also wrote many pop songs including "Living Doll" for Cliff Richard and "Rock with the Cavemen","Handful of Songs", "Butterfingers" and "Little White Bull" for Tommy Steele. He wrote the theme song for the 1963 James Bond film From Russia With Love,"Do You Mind?" recorded by both Anthony Newley and Andy Williams, "Easy Going Me" for Adam Faith and "Always You And Me" with Russ Conway. In 1957, he won three Ivor Novello Awards, a further four in 1958, and two in 1960. He continued writing songs and themes for films, and in 1986 he received a special Ivor Novello Award for his life's achievement. A musical play based on Lionel Bart's life and using his songs, "It's a Fine Life" was staged at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch in 2006 (died after a long hard struggle with cancer) b. August 1st 1930.
2002: Fad Gadget/Frank Tovey (45) An influential British avant-garde electronic musician, he was an exponent of both New Wave and early industrial music. His music was characterized by a distinctive use of synthesizers in conjunction with sounds of found objects, including drills and electric razors. He was known for his confrontational live performances, which included covering himself in tar and feathers, leaping into the audience, and playing instruments with his head or spreading his naked body in shaving cream onstage. In 1989, he changed musical tactics in his criticism of industrialization, recording a mostly acoustic album of protest and labor songs Tyranny and the Hired Hand including such standards as "Sixteen Tons." (he had suffered from heart problems since his childhood, and died of a heart attack) b. September 8th 1956.
2003: Homer Banks (61) African-American songwriter, singer and record producer; born in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 16 he formed the Soul Consolidators gospel group which toured around the southern states, He went on to become a songwriter at Stax. He began working with co-writer Allen Jones, placing songs with Johnnie Taylor and Sam and Dave, also writing "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down", later a UK hit for Elvis Costello. He had success with the Staple Singers, writing their first Stax single "Long Walk To DC", and then some of their biggest hits including "If You're Ready (Come Go With Me)". In 1968 he formed a songwriting trio with Bettye Crutcher and Raymond Jackson, calling themselves We Three. Their first song was "Who's Making Love", which was recorded by Johnnie Taylor. Homer also wrote, with Jackson and Carl Hampton, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right". The song was first recorded by The Emotions, became a smash hit when recorded by Luther Ingram, and later became a key song for both Isaac Hayes and Millie Jackson as well as being recorded by many other singers including Barbara Mandrell, Rod Stewart and Cassandra Wilson. After Stax, Homer and Carl Hampton moved to California and worked with A&M Records. In 1977, the two recorded the album Passport To Ecstasy for Warner Bros Records. In the 1980s Homer formed the Two's Company recording company with Lester Snell, which released albums by J. Blackfoot and Ann Hines (cancer) b. August 2nd 1941
2004: Gabriella Ferri (61) Italian singer; born in Rome, she began her career in a Milan nightclub in 1963, and by 1965, she had successfully broke onto the Rome singing scene by singing popular Roman songs. One of her biggest hits was "Sempre" ("Always"). During her career, she also performed Neapolitan and Latin American pieces. During the 1970s, she starred on several popular TV shows. By the 1990s, however, she had largely left the spotlight. (She died in Corchiano, province of Viterbo, after falling from a third-floor balcony in an apparent suicide. Family members dispute this, saying she may have fallen ill after taking anti-depression medication and lost her balance.) b. September 18th 1942.
2005: Tony Croatto/Hermes Davide Fastino Croatto Martinis (65) Italian singer, composer and TV presenter born in Attimis, he moved to La Paz, Uruguay at aged 9. He is best known for his interpretations of Puerto Rican folk music. In 1959, at 19, he created his first band "TNT" with his brother Edelweiss, nicknamed "Tim" and his sister Argentina, nicknamed "Nelly". In 1960, TNT recorded their huge hit, "Eso, eso, eso". They moved to Spain in 1963 and represented the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1964 in Copenhagen, billed as "Nelly, Tim and Tony". Nelly and Tony then became a duo and in 1968, after travelling across South America and spending two years in Venezuela they moved to Puerto Rico. He went on to become well known and highly regarded for his interpretations of Puerto Rican folk music. (Sadly died as a result of lung and brain cancer. His funeral was held at the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and he was given a state funeral) b. March 2nd 1940
2006: Martin Gilks (41) English drummer for the alternative rock band The Wonder Stuff. Born in Stourbridge, he was the drummer with The Mighty Lemon Drops band before leaving in 1985. After which he along with singer Miles Hunt, guitarist Malcolm Treece, Rob "The Bass Thing" Jones formed the band Wonder Stuff in March of '86. They went on to have a string of top-forty singles and albums as well as Martin being voted the best drummer on the planet in an NME poll in 1989. They also backed UK comedian Vic Reeves on a great remake of "Dizzy" in the early 90s. He left the group at the end of 1995 to join his brother "Tank" in forming Furtive Mass Transit Systems, a management company who looked after Reef, Cable, A and Hundred Reasons (Died tragically in a motorcycle accident, after losing control of his bike in London) b. March 2nd 1965.
2008: Frosty Freeze/Wayne Frost (44) Puerto Rican B-boy, breakdancer and member of the hip-hop group Rock Steady Crew, known for his comedic, acrobatic and inventive style; his trademark move is known as, "The Suicide" aka "The Death Freeze Drop". His talents with The Rock Steady Crew were featured in movies such as Flashdance, Wild Style, Style Wars and The Freshest Kids and also appeared on the cover of The Village Voice in 1981. He was featured in early hip hop music videos such as Afrika Bambaataa and The Soulsonic Force's "Planet Rock" and Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals". In 2004, he along with several other members of The Rock Steady Crew were honored at the VH-1 Hip Hop Honors. (He was stricken with an undisclosed illness during early 2008, went on life support on March 27) b. December 4th 1963.
2009: Charlie Kennedy (81) American alto saxophonist; he played with Louis Prima's big band orchestra in the 1940s. After a brief stint in his own band, he joined Gene Krupa's big band. Over the course of his long career, he played with Terry Gibbs's Dream Band, Charlie Ventura, Flip Phillips, Chico O'Farrill, and Bill Holman among others. In addition to live performances and recordings with big name bands, he also was a frequent studio musician. He played in the orchestras for popular movies including My Fair Lady and West Side Story. In the 1970s, for more stable income to support his family with six children, he gave up his career as a full-time musician, but continued to perform in clubs near his home in Southern California (pulmonary disease) b. July 2nd 1927.
2011: Calvin Russell/Calvert Russell Kosler (62) American protest singer-songwriter and guitarist born in Austin; at 12 he started to learn guitar and at 13 he joined a band called 'The Cavemen'. In 1989 he met Patrick Mathe of the French record label New Rose. After his first album was released, Calvin started touring in Europe in 1990, his debut album "A Crack in Time" became an instant European hit as did many of his 15 albums. The tone of protest in several of his songs made him very popular among Europeans, more so than in the United States (sadly died after his fight with cancer) b. November 1st 1948.

April 4th.
1980: Red Sovine/Woodrow Wilson Sovine (61) American country music singer in Charleston, West Virginia, and is associated with truck driving songs, particularly those recited as narratives but set to music. The most famous example was his 1976 No.1 hit "Teddy Bear"."Giddyup Go", "Why Baby Why" "Hold Everything (Till I Get Home)" "Phantom 309" "It'll Come Back" and "Woman Behind the Man Behind the Wheel". Red is also remembered for his Christmas tear-jerkers, which included "Here It Is Christmas", "Faith In Santa", and his sentimental song "Little Rosa" (sadly he suffered a heart attack while driving his Ford van in Nashville) b. July 17th 1918.
1992: Sammy Price/Samuel Blythe Price (83) American jazz - blues pianist and bandleader, born in Honey Grove, Texas. After singing in local venues in the Dallas area, he left Texas and lived and played jazz in Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit. In 1938 he was hired by Decca Records as a session sideman on piano, assisting singers such as Trixie Smith and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, but his most noteworthy work was with his own band, the Texas Bluesicians which included fellow musicians Don Stovall and Emmett Berry, recording on Decca Records. He is also equally notable for his decade long partnership with jazz trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen. Later in his life, he partnered with the Roosevelt Hotel in New York; and was the headline entertainment at the Crawdaddy Restaurant, a New Orleans themed restaurant in New York in the mid 1970s, performing at times with visiting Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich and the 80s him playing Boston's Copley Plaza where he performed till nearly the end (?) b. October 6th 1908.
1992: Arthur Russell (40) American cellist, singer, and disco artist; while he found the most success in dance music, his career bridged New York's downtown, rock, and dance music scenes; his collaborators ranged from Philip Glass to David Byrne to Nicky Siano. Relatively unknown during his lifetime, a series of reissues and compilations have raised his profile in the 2000s and he has earned hero status among a current generation of acts such as the Rapture, Playgroup, !!!, and Metro Area, who are looking back at fusions of rock, pop, and dance music (sadly died of AIDS) b. May 21st 1951.
1995: Kenny Everett/Maurice Cole (50) English radio DJ, TV presenter; first break, as Maurice Cole, came when he sent a tape to the BBC in 1962, who gave him an interview and offered him a job as a presenter on the Light Programme, the forerunner to BBC Radio 2. He declined, in favour of the less constrained world of pirate radio, where he began his career as a DJ for Radio London. He teamed up with Dave Cash for the 'Kenny & Cash Show' one of the most popular programmes on pirate radio. He was given his own show by Radio Luxembourg. Within a year, he had joined the BBC's new pop music station Radio 1 after previewing The Beatles' new album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and interviewing the band. Kenny accompanied the Beatles on their 1966 tour of the United States, sending back daily reports for Radio London. He also produced their 1968 and 1969 Christmas records. In 1975 he played a pivotal role in getting Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" released as a single. He also presented a pre-recorded programme on Saturday lunch-time for Radio Victory in Portsmouth. In Oct '81, Everett returned to BBC Radio, this time on Radio 2, on Saturday from 11am-1pm. He went on to have a very successful TV career with a variation of different shows (sadly died of aids) b. December 25th 1944.
1996: Larry LaPrise (83) American songwriter and founder of the Ram Trio group from Detroit, Michigan. After the group broke up in the 1960s, he worked for the Post Office in Ketchum, Idaho (?) b. November 11th 1912.
1997: Gene Ames (74) American singer born in Malden, Massachusetts, he along with his brothers formed the Amory Brothers, touring US Army and Navy bases entertaining the troops and were offered a job at The Fox and Hounds nightclub in Boston. After which they took their act to New York, changed their name to The Ames Brothers and got a job with bandleader Art Mooney. They went on to star in their own TV show, The Ames Brothers Show, which was seen on Friday nights and acheive 50 U.S. chart entries and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998 (?) b. February 13th 1923.
2005: Grigoris Bithikotsis (82) Greek folk singer/songwriter and bouzouki player with a career spanning five decades. Born in Athens he composed over 80 songs, including: Stu Belami to ouzeri and Toy Votanikou o magas. He possessed a rich singing voice with which he performed his own compositions and those of Theodorakis, who frequently chose his friend Grigoris to perform his masterpieces. The two contributed greatly to the then-emerging laika style of Greek music (sadly following 3 months of hospitalization) b. December 11th 1922.
2009: Eduardo Parra (90) Chilean folk singer (septic shock) b. ??
2010: Sugar Lee Hooper/Marja van der Toorn (62) Dutch party singer best known for her powerful voice and extravagant, colourful look. She made her biggest hits in the Netherlands in the 1990s. In 2008 she had to retire due to health issues. She was the first Dutch celebrity to be married to a same-sex partner, Andrea van der Kaap (Sugar fell into a coma during surgery on her broken hip. Sadly she didn’t recover) b. February 23rd 1948.
2011: Scott Columbus (54) American lefty drummer with the heavy metal band Manowar, from 1983 until 1990, when he had to leave for personal reasons, but Scott returned for "Louder Than Hell" album in 1996 and remained with the band until the summer of 2008. In 1984 the band was included in the Guinness Book of World Records for delivering the loudest performance, a record which they have since broken on 2 occasions. They also hold the world record for the longest heavy metal concert after playing for 5 hours and 1 minute in Bulgaria in 2008. Scott played the so-called "Drums of Doom", a kit made of stainless steel, because his drumming technique is too rough on standard kits which had to be replaced too regularly (?) b. November 10th 1956.

April 5th.
1946: Vincent Youmans (47) American composer and Broadway producer, born in New York City. After WW1 he became a rehearsal pianist for famed composer Victor Herbert’s operettas. No, No, Nanette was the biggest musical-comedy success of the 1920s in both Europe and the USA and his two songs "Tea for Two" and "I Want to Be Happy" are considered standards. He collaborated with the greatest songwriters on Broadway: Herbert Stothart, Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammerstein II, Irving Caesar, Anne Caldwell, Leo Robin, Clifford Grey, Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu, Edward Heyman, Harold Adamson, Mack Gordon, Buddy De Sylva and Gus Kahn. He collaborated with lyricist Ira Gershwin on the score for Two Little Girls in Blue, which won wide acclaim. Vincent was forced to retire in 1934, after a professional career of only 13 years, publishing around 100 songs, 18 of these were considered standards by ASCAP. He also contributed and worked on 14 musicals, and contributed to 10 films. In 1970, he was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame (died of tuberculosis in Denver. At his death, Vincent left behind a large quantity of unpublished material) b. September 27th 1898.
1967: Mischa Elman (76) Ukrainian violinist born in the small town of Talnoye near Kiev; he made his Berlin debut in 1904, creating a great sensation. His London debut in 1905 included the British premiere of Alexander Glazunov's Violin Concerto in A minor. He played in Carnegie Hall in 1908, making a great impression on his American audience. He toured Australia in 1914, after which the Elman family moved to America, and became a citizen in 1923. In 1917, he was elected to honorary membership in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity. He sometimes performed in as many as 107 concerts in a 29-week season. In 1943, he gave the premiere of Bohuslav Martinu's second concerto, which was written for him. Sales of his records exceeded two million. Mischa also performed and recorded with Josef Bonime, Carroll Hollister and others, and from 1950, his steady accompanist and recital partner was Joseph Seiger (?) b. January 20th 1891.
1978: Carlo Tagliabue (80) Italian baritone; he made his debut in Lodi, Italy, in Loreley and Aida. His debuts in Genoa in 1923; Torino, La Scala -1930; Rome -1931; and Naples in 1931 were all in Tristan und Isolde. He also performed in Wagner's Götterdämmerung, Tannhäuser and Lohengrin. However, Carlo would go on to excel in the Verdian repertoire, especially La forza del destino, Aida, Rigoletto, La traviata, Nabucco, and Otello. He created the role of Basilio in Respighi's La fiamma in 1934. His international career included Buenos Aires' Teatro Colón -1934, the Metropolitan Opera, New York 1937-39, and San Francisco Opera and Covent Garden, London in 1938). His last performance was in 1955 at La Scala, at the famous performance of La traviata where Maria Callas scandalized the public by throwing her shoes off (?) b. January 13th 1898
1981: Bob Hite (36) American lead singer, harmonica with Canned Heat. In 1965, aged 22, he formed a band with Alan Wilson and their mutual friend Henry Vestine joined soon after and this trio formed the core of the blues-rock band Canned Heat. Bob remained the lead singer until his death. Canned Heat appeared at most major musical events of the late 1960s including the two legendary '60s concerts Monterey and Woodstock, which gained them international fame. Their songs - "Going Up the Country" and "On the Road Again" - became international hits; both were re-workings of obscure blues (heart attack) b. February 26th 1943.
1983: Danny Rapp (41) American singer born in Philadelphia, musical career began in 1955 with the formation of his group The Juvenairs, which later became known as Danny and the Juniors. Their 1957 song "Do the Bop" came to the attention of Dick Clark, who suggested they rename it to "At the Hop." After limited initial success with the song, it became a worldwide hit when it was played on American Bandstand. The Juniors went on to have two more hits "Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Stay" and "Twistin' USA". The Juniors released several more records in the 1960s but were not able to produce any more hits. In the 70s they toured the oldies circuit, re-releasing "At the Hop" in 1976 (an apparent suicide by gunshot) b. May 9th 1941. (although his birth certificate states his birth was May 10th, he was born at home on May 9th and registered the following day).
1994: Kurt Cobain (27) American singer, guitarist; he formed the grunge band Nirvana with Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1985 and established it as part of the Seattle music scene, having its debut album 'Bleach' released on the independent record label Sub Pop in 1989. After signing with major label DGC Records, the band found breakthrough success with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from its second album 'Nevermind' in 1991. Following the success of 'Nevermind', Nirvana was labeled "the flagship band" of Generation X, and Kurt hailed as "the spokesman of a generation". However he was often uncomfortable and frustrated, believing his message and artistic vision to have been misinterpreted by the public, with his personal issues often subject to media attention. He challenged Nirvana's audience with its final studio album 'In Utero' in 1993. Since their debut, Nirvana, with Kurt as a songwriter, sold over twenty-five million albums in the US alone, and over fifty million worldwide. (He sadly struggled with heroin addiction, and death was ruled a suicide by gunshot. Circumstances surrounding his death have fueled much analysis and debate - was it murder?) b. February 20th 1967.
1998: Cozy Powell/Colin Flooks (50) British legendary drummer, born in Cirencester, England, he started playing drums at age 12 in the school orchestra. He played with swamp rocker Tony Joe White at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 and went on to work with the Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Graham Bonnet & The Hooligans, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, and as a soloists, top session player and freelance drummer. Considered to be one of England's best drummers and very much in demand for rock and pop records, Cozy is legendary for his heavy-hitting style that he made to work with many kinds of rock music, whether it be for the thundering pop productions or the softer rock ballads (Cozy died in hospital following a car crash, driving his Saab 9000 in bad weather on the M4 motorway near Bristol. While talking to his girlfriend on his mobile phone, he lost control and crashed into the central barriers) b. December 29th 1947.
2002: Layne Staley (34) American lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Layne and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. They rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. The band became known for its distinct vocal style, which often included the "snarl-to-a-scream" vocals of Layne, as well as the harmonized vocals of Layne and Cantrell. He was also a member of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99. He struggled throughout his career with severe drug addiction. (tragically died of a lethal overdose of heroin and cocaine) b. August 22nd 1967.
2005: Alexander Brott/Joël Brod (90) Canadian conductor, composer, violinist and music teacher; born in Montreal, he was leader of the Montreal Orchestra, Les Concerts symphoniques de Montréal and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra from 1945 to 1958. In 1939, he joined the Faculty of Music at McGill University, where he remained until 1980. His compositions included Arabesque, Circle, Triangle, 4 Squares, and Paraphrase in Polyphony. He was also the founder and musical director of the McGill Chamber Orchestra and conducted the Kingston Symphony Orchestra from 1965 to 1981. In 1979 Joël was made a Member of the Order of Canada and in 1988 he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec (?) b. March 14th 1915
2006: Gene Pitney (66) American singer songwriter, born in Hartford, Connecticut; he learned to play the guitar and piano and formed a schoolboy band with friends from high school, leading the band Gene and the Genials, with Richard "Dick" Spurling and Robert "Bob" Terry. Gene had his first success as a songwriter with "Rubber Ball," a Top 10 hit for Bobby Vee in 1961. Later that year, Ricky Nelson had a hit with his "Hello Mary Lou." As a performer, Gene had his first success "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away" >>> READ MORE <<< (Died in his sleep at The Hilton Hotel, Cardiff Wales, UK, after a sold out show at St. Davids Hall) b. February 17th 1940.
2007: Mark St. John/Mark Leslie Norton (50) American guitarist and teacher from Hollywood, California; he started out as a school teacher and guitarist for the Southern California cover band Front Page, before joining the rock band Kiss. Mark was featured on the album Animalize, the second album of the "unmasked" period. This turned out to be one of Kiss's most successful studio albums, aside from those made by the original lineup. Mark's only video appearance with Kiss is in the video for the hit single "Heaven's on Fire". After leaving Kiss, he formed a band called White Tiger, featuring singer David Donato, Glenn Hughes on bass, and J. R. Saenz on the drums. (he died of a cerebral hemorrhage) b. February 7th 1957.
2009: Nancy Overton (83) American singer; first formed a group with her sister Jean Swain and two college friends, in 1946, touring with orchestra leader Tommy Tucker for 6 months, as Tommy Tucker's Two Timers, and recorded the song "Maybe You'll Be There". They next sang with singer and band leader Ray Heatherton, they were then known as The Heathertones. The Heathertones disbanded in 1953. In 1957, Janet Ertel of The Chordettes, though still recording with the group, elected not to continue touring, Nancy was invited to appear with The Chordettes for live appearances and did so until the group broke up in the early 1960s. After her husband Hall Overton died in 1972, she retired from show business and worked for Prentice-Hall Publishers as an editorial assistant. In the early 1990s, The Chordettes regrouped with Nancy, Doris Alberti, and original members Lynn Evans and Jean Swain, doing shows ranging from a doo wop concert to touring with Eddy Arnold (esophageal cancer) b. February 6th 1926.
2009: Tony D/Anthony Depula (42) American hip hop DJ and musician; He was the first artist to have a record released on Mark Rae's burgeoning British Grand Central Records independent record label, then called Gone Clear Records. His other albums were released on Cha-Ching Records and 4th & B'way Records, and he was a part of the group Crusaders for Real Hip Hop, which released one album on Profile Records. He had also worked as a producer for DJ Muggs, Outsidaz, Scott Lark, Poor Righteous Teachers, Young Zee, King Sun, Blvd Mosse, and Pace Won. He was last reported to be working on a band project called The WBs (car accident) b.????
2011: Gil Robbins (80) American folk singer; he was a well-known musician in the folk scene of New York’s Greenwich Village as a member of the Cumberland Three and the Belafonte Singers, which toured with singer Harry Belafonte before joining the Highwaymen in 1962. He took the group in a more political direction, playing and singing baritone on five albums until their 1964 breakup. He is the father of Tim Robbins, and later worked on four films; two with his son Tim – “Bob Roberts”, as Bishop Norwich in “Dead Man Walking”, as Cardinal Geary in “Wide Awake” and as Congressman Starnes in the “Cradle Will Rock”. Gil has also been a club owner, off Broadway actor, and choir director (sadly died of prostate cancer) b. March 2nd 1933.

April 6th.
1971: Igor Stravinsky (88) Russian-born composer, pianist, conductor and is widely acknowledged as one of the most important and influential composers of 20th century music. He was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the century. He became a naturalized French citizen in 1934 and a naturalized US citizen in 1945. In addition to the recognition he received for his compositions, he also achieved fame as a pianist and a conductor, often at the premieres of his works. His triad of early ballets, The Firebird 1909-10, Petrushka 1910-11, and importantly, The Rite of Spring 1911-13, did more to establish his reputation than any of his other works; indeed, the riot which followed the premiere of The Rite is one of the most notorious events in music history. After the deaths of his daughter, his wife, and his mother within a period of less than a year, he emmigrated to America, settling in California in 1940. His works between 1940 and 1950 show a mixture of styles, but still seem centered on Russian or French traditions. Despite declining health in his last years, Igor continued to compose until just before his death. He has a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6340 Hollywood Boulevardm, posthumously received the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1987, and was inducted into the National Museum of Dance C.V. Whitney Hall of Fame in 2004 (?) b. June 17th 1882.
1977: Benny Featherstone (65) Tasmanian drummer, trumpeter and legendary bandleader(?) b.July 30th 1912.
1984: Ral Donner (41) American singer born in Chicago; a most successful Elvis sound-alike, getting a career, a year's worth of charting singles, and years of steady work out of the fact that his singing bore an uncanny resemblance to the King of Rock & Roll's ballad style. He recorded a cover of Presley's "The Girl of My Best Friend", along with a backing band called The Starfires. His next single, "You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)", became his biggest, and only Top Ten, hit on the Billboard charts, peaking at No.4. He managed a few more hits, the last of which was in 1962. In 1981, Ral was asked to narrate Elvis Presley's voice in the film This Is Elvis. (died after his battle with cancer) b. February 10th 1943.
1984: Jimmy Kennedy (81) Irish songwriter born near Omagh, predominantly a lyricist, putting words to existing music such as "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and "My Prayer", or co-writing with the composers Michael Carr, Wilhelm Grosz and Nat Simon amongst others. While serving in the British Army's Royal Artillery, where he rose to the rank of Captain, he wrote the wartime hit, "We're Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line" for the British Expeditionary Force. His other hits include "Barmaids Song", "Hokey Cokey", "Roll Along Covered Wagon", "Red Sails in the Sunset", "The Isle of Capri", "Love is Like a Violin", "Hokey Cokey", "Roll Along Covered Wagon" and others. Jimmy won two Ivor Novello Awards for his contribution to music and received an honorary degree from the New University of Ulster. He was also awarded the OBE in 1983 and in 1997 he was posthumously inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame (?) b. July 20th 1902
1998: Wendy Orlean Williams (48) American lead singer with the punk band the Plasmatics, with songs such as "Corruption", "Living Dead", and "Butcher Baby", as well as a solo artist. In 1984, she released the "W.O.W." album, produced by Gene Simmons of Kiss. Kiss members Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Eric Carr, and Vinnie Vincent also perform on the album. Her stage theatrics included blowing up equipment, near nudity and chain-sawing guitars. Dubbed "The Queen of Shock Rock," she was born in Webster, New York and widely considered the most controversial and radical female singer of her day and often sported a Mohawk haircut. Wendy was nominated in 1985 for a Grammy in the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance category during the height of her popularity as a solo artist. (sadly Wendy died in a wooded area near her home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She had first attempted suicide in 1993 by hammering a knife into her chest; the knife lodged in her sternum and she changed her mind; she attempted suicide again in 1997 with an overdose of ephedrine) b. May 28th 1949.
1998: Tammy Wynette/Virginia Wynette Pugh (55) American country music singer-songwriter born near Tremont, Mississippi, Tammy was one of country music's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists. She was known as the First Lady of Country Music, and one of her best-known songs, "Stand by Your Man," was one of the biggest selling hit singles by a woman in the history of the country music genre. Many of Tammy Wynette's hits dealt with classic themes of loneliness, divorce and the difficulties of male-female relationships. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, she dominated the country charts, scoring 17 number one hits, including "Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad", "My Elusive Dreams", "I Don't Wanna Play House", "Take Me to Your World," "D-I-V-O-R-C-E", "Singing My Song" and "The Ways to Love a Man", "He Loves Me All the Way", "Run Woman, Run", "The Wonders You Perform", "Good Lovin' (Makes it Right)", "Bedtime Story", "My Man (Understands)", "'Til I Get it Right", "Kids Say the Darndest Things" and "The Wonders You Perform". Though the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and the 2000s, Tammy has been gained dozens of awards and honours and has been inducted into several Halls of Fame (After years of medical problems, approximately twenty-six major surgeries and an addiction to large doses of pain medication, Tammy sadly died, while sleeping on her couch. There was no autopsy held until 1999 when the coroner declared that she died of a cardiac arrhythmia) b. May 5th 1942.
1999: Red Norvo (91) American jazz vibraphonist born in Beardstown, Illinois; he career began in Chicago with a band called "The Collegians", in 1925. He played with many other bands, including an all-marimba band on the vaudeville circuit, and the bands of Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, and Woody Herman. Red recorded with Mildred Bailey, his wife; Billie Holiday, Dinah Shore and Frank Sinatra, among others. Together, Red and Mildred were known as "Mr. and Mrs. Swing." He also appeared in the film Screaming Mimi in 1958, playing himself. Over his career he composed instrumentals such as "Dance of the Octopus", "Bughouse" with Irving Mills and Teddy Wilson, "The Night is Blue", "A Cigarette and a Silhouette", "Congo Blues", "Seein' Red", "Blues in E Flat", "Hole in the Wall", "Knockin' on Wood", "Decca Stomp", "Tomboy", and "1-2-3-4 Jump". He recorded and toured throughout his career until a stroke in the mid-1980s forced him into retirement (?) b. March 31st 1908.
1999: William Pleeth (83) British cellist and an eminent teacher of the cello. He is probably best known as the teacher of Jacqueline du Pré. Born in London he showed his talent as a cellist by age 7, by 15 years old, he had learned all the solo cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach, all the Piatti Caprices, and 32 concertos, 24 of which he had memorized. He studied at the London Cello School and then in Leipzig with Julius Klengel, who also taught Emanuel Feuermann and Gregor Piatigorsky. William performed as a soloist with orchestras but preferred chamber music. He organized the Allegri String Quartet in 1952. He was professor of cello at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and began teaching at the Menuhin School in 1977. He also wrote the book "Cello" in the Menuhin instrument guides (?) b. January 12th 1916
2001: Charles Pettigrew (37) African-American singer, best known as half of R&B duo Charles and Eddie, who had a worldwide hit in 1992 with "Would I Lie To You?." The track is amongst the most well-recognised of early '90s r'n'b tracks. Pettigrew met singing partner Eddie Chacon in New York. Previously, Mr. Pettigrew lived in Boston and was lead singer of the band Down Avenue. Down Avenue was the winner of radio station WBCN's 1985 Rock 'n Roll Rumble. (sadly died from cancer) b. May 12th 1963.
2003: Michael Olatunjil/Babatunde Olatunji (75) Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist and recording artist born in Ajido, Lagos State. He read in Reader's Digest magazine about the Rotary International Foundation's scholarship program, and applied for it. He went to the United States of America in 1950. He went on to work with many prominent musicians, including Santana, Cannonball Adderley, Pee Wee Ellis, Horace Silver, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Randy Weston, and with Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln on the pivotal Freedom Now Suite aka We Insist, and with Grateful Dead member Mickey Hart on his Grammy winning Planet Drum projects. He is also mentioned in the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Free" as recorded on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Babatunde favoured a big percussion sound, and his own band 'Drums of Passion' typically featured more than 20 players. His debut album also "Drums of Passion" became a major hit and it introduced many Americans to world music. He toured the American south with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr and joined King in the march on Washington. He was also a music educator, and invented a method of teaching and recording drum patterns which he called the "Gun-Dun, Go-Do, Pa-Ta" method after the different sounds made on the drum (passed away in Salinas, California from diabetes) b. April 7th 1927.
2004: Niki Sullivan (66) American guitarist born in South Gate, California; he was one of the three original members of Buddy Holly's backing group, The Crickets; his guitar playing was an integral part of Holly's early success. He also co-wrote a number of his hit songs and sang back-up vocals on 27 of the 32 songs Buddy recorded over his brief career. He helped arrange the music to "Peggy Sue", "Not Fade Away", which he helped write, "I'm Gonna Love You Too", "That'll Be the Day", and "Maybe Baby". It was around this period that he also wrote and produced the single "Look to the Future," which was recorded by Gary Tollett and The Picks, who often did back-up vocals for the Crickets (sadly died of a heart attack) b. June 23rd 1937.
2006: Augustyn Bloch (75) Polish composer and organist, student of Feliks Raczkowski and Tadeusz Szeligowski. He was an active concert organist, conducted his own music, and wrote music for the Polish Radio Theatre (?) b. August 13th 1929.
2009: Jan "Tollarparn" Eriksson (69) Swedish jazz pianist (?) b. July 25th 1939.
2010: Luigi Waites/Lewis Waites (82) American jazz drummer and vibraphonist from Omaha, Nebraska. He performed weekly gigs in the Omaha area both solo and with ensembles such as Luigi, Inc. He served the Omaha music community for over 60 years. He toured Europe twice and performed with jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. Luigi, Inc has shared the stage with Jean-Luc Ponty, James Brown and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1996 he was awarded Nebraska Artist of the Year by the Nebraska Arts Council,
inducted into the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame in 2005 and received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first annual Omaha Entertainment Awards on January 4th 2007 (Luigi sadly passed away at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha, of natural causes) b. July 10th 1927.
2011: Coyote McCloud (68) American disc jockey based in Nashville, Tennessee; he first became well-known in the early 1970s on WMAK-AM, then a market-dominant rock and roll station, as host of its 7 p.m.–midnight program. He has been called "legendary" amongst Djs. Coyote was one of the most controversial deejays of the late 1980s when he was the lead man on "The Zoo Crew" on Nashville's Y107 / WYHY. While enormously popular amongst his target demographic, his outlandish on-air personality drew the ire of many within the community as being a "bad influence" on teenagers. He was one of the subjects of a CBS 48 Hours documentary in 1992 about "shock radio". He enjoyed his highest level of popularity while working for Y107, and had his own fan club. He worked at the station for over 10 years, from 1984 to 1995 and was featured frequently in Billboard. He also worked at Kix 104 / WWKX in the early 1980s, Power Country 103 / WZPC in the mid-1990s, and Oldies 96.3 / WMAK in the early 2000s. Along with Cathy Martindale, he hosted Coyote & Cathy In The Morning on 96.3 WMAK FM and 97.1 WRQQ until late November 2006 (he had been battling cirrhosis of the liver) b. August 31st 1942.

April 7th.
1981: Kit Lambert (45) English record producer and the manager for The Who. After serving in the army, he became assistant director for the films The Guns of Navarone and From Russia when he met The Who and became The Who's manager. He also replaced Shel Talmy as the group's producer in 1966. While mainly associated with The Who, he worked with other bands, including Jimi Hendrix and Arthur Brown. In 1980 he began writing a book on his life, of how he found The Who, and with many never-before-told stories about The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Brian Epstein, Jimi Hendrix and friends like Princess Margaret and Liberace. Days before Kit was to sign a publishing deal, the publisher was contacted by the Official Solicitor who was in charge of Lambert's life, and who said all monies must be paid into the court to be doled out to Kit. This was the beginning of his downward spiral (tragically died of a cerebral hemorrhage after falling down a flight of stairs at his mother's home in London) b. May 11th 1935.
1994: Lee Brilleaux (41) South African singer, harmonica player, slide-guitarist and the power-driving front man, and founder member, of the traditional rock and electric blues fusion Dr Feelgood; born in Durban, South Africa, but at 13, he moved with his family to Canvey Island, the oil refinery community in the Thames Estuary, UK. Lee co-founded Dr Feelgood in 1971, with the guitarist Wilko Johnson and went on to co-found the Stiff record label in 1976, and the band's own record label Grand Records. Their breakthrough 1976 live album, Stupidity, reached No.1 in the UK albums chart and their Top 10 hit single "Milk and Alcohol" charted in 1979. Every year since Lee's death, a special concert, known as the Lee Brilleaux Birthday Memorial, is held on Canvey Island (sadly died from throat cancer) b. May 10th 1952.
2000: Heinz/Heinz Henry Georg Schwartze (57) German vocalist and bass player, born in Germany but raised in Southampton, UK. His biggest solo hit was "Just Like Eddie", a tribute to Eddie Cochran. He was initially backed by The Saints. His later backing groups "The Wild Ones", and "The Wild Boys" featured Ritchie Blackmore and Mick Underwood among others. Before he went solo in early 1963, he was a member of The Tornados. (he died of a stroke, from the effects of motor neurone disease) b. July 24th 1942.
2000: Broery/Broery Marantika (55) Indonesian singer born in Ambon, Maluku; he recorded around 18 albums, producing many hits including Aku Jatuh Cinta; Ayah; Kharisma Cinta; Aku Orang Tak punya; Duri Dalam Cinta; Senja Di Kuala Lumpur; Alam Jadi saksi; Rindumu rinduku; Balada seorang Minta-minta; Rindumu Rinduku; and Senja Kelabu. He recorded duets with the likes of Emillia Contessa, Vina Panduwinata, Dewi Yull and Ziana Zain. Broery also featured in over a dozen films including Akhir sebuah impian, Istriku sayang istriku malang, Kasih sayang, and Wajah tiga perempuan. In 1991 he won of six Categories at Jakarta Music Festival in Best Vidio, Clip, Sound track, Composition and Producer - He sings Once There Was Love; 1in 996 The Best of Sound Track Album of the Movie at Malaysia Hapuslah Air Mata/wipe your tears and in 1997 he was the winner with his song Surat Untuk Kekasih at Malaysia Official Music Industry Award (?) b. June 25th 1944.
2005: Grigoris Bithikotsis (82) Greek folk singer/songwriter born in Peristeri, Athens; he met composer Mikis Theodorakis in 1959 and the two collaborated producing folk songs. Grigoris composed over 80 songs, including: Stu Belami to ouzeri and Toy Votanikou o magas. He possessed a rich singing voice with which he performed his own compositions and those of Theodorakis, who frequently chose him to perform his masterpieces. The two contributed greatly to the then-emerging laika style of Greek music. A leftist, Grigoris was exiled to the island of Makronisos in the 1950s during the reign of King Paul. Throughout his life, Bithikotsis performed frequent concerts at numerous venues, including one in Athens upon the occasion of his eightieth birthday (sadly died following 3 months of hospitalization) b. December 11th 1922.
2006: Derek Jamerson (39) American drummer and keyboardist very active in the Detroit Techno Music Scene, he is also the son of the legendary bassist James Jamerson >>> Read More <<< (died in the Presbyterian St. Lukes Hospital, Denver, Colorardo) b. December 22nd 1966...
2008: Phil Urso (82) American jazz tenor saxophonist and composer, he learned clarinet as a child and switched to tenor sax while in high school. He served in the Navy during World War II and then moved to New York City in 1947. He backed Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra with the Eliot Lawrence Orchestra and played with Woody Herman, Jimmy Dorsey, Miles Davis, Terry Gibbs, Oscar Pettiford and many others in the late 1940's until the early 70s. Phil moved to Denver and continued performing locally into the 1990s (?) b. October 2nd 1925.
2009: Mari Trini/Maria Trinidad Perez Miravete (61) Spanish pop singer and actress; she learned to play guitar and compose songs at a young age. After meeting American film producer Nicholas Ray she moved to London to improve her natural skills and later to Paris in 1963 where she signed her first record deal. In 1969 Mari debuted with the release of a self-titled album featuring songs in both Spanish and French. Amores, Escuchame and Ventanas followed soon after. Her songs "Cuando Me Acaricias," "Canción de Otoño," and "Yo No Soy Esa," became classics in the Latin pop music field. She released 25 albums over her long career, her intensity, with a strong undercurrent of melancholy, expressed in an intimate, slightly rasping voice, brought comparisons with Edith Piaf. (cancer) b. July 12th 1947.
2010: Graciela Grillo-Perez (94) Cuban latin jazz singer born in Havana. In the early 1940s, Graciela moved to New York City to seek success and became known as 'The First Lady of Latin Jazz'. Her best-known songs include "This is Graciela", "Intimate and Sentimental" and "That's the Way I Am" (Passed away due to renal and pulmonary failure) b. August 23rd 1915.
2011: François Chassagnite (55) French jazz trumpeter and singer; in 1979 he joined the Paris Club, his first professional job and in 1981 he became a member of the Euro-Jazz Big Band. In the 1980s, he played in bands led by Jean-Loup Longnon , Antoine Hervé, Andy Emler and Denis Badault . He together with Alain Jean-Marie, Alby Cullaz and Oliver Johnson he formed a quartet together with whom he toured European and African countries went on. In 1987/88 he was with the big bands of Gil Evans and Gérard Badini in 1989. He played his debut album Samya Cynthia in 1993, followed by the Thelonious Monk album Epistrophy. He also worked with Stéphane Bertrand , Emanuele Cisi, Dominique Lemerle and Frédéric Viale (sadly died of a heart attack) b. 1955.

April 8th.
1938: Joe "King" Oliver (57) American cornet player; born in Aben, Louisiana, he pioneered in the use of mutes, including the plumber's plunger, derby hat, bottles and cups in the bell of his horn. His recording "WaWaWa" with the Dixie Syncopators can be credited with giving the name wah-wah to such techniques. He gave Louis Armstrong the first cornet that Louis was to own. Louis called Oliver his idol and inspiration all his life. Joe was also noted as a composer, having written many tunes still regularly played, including "Dippermouth Blues", "Sweet Like This", "Canal Street Blues", and "Doctor Jazz". Two of Armstrong's most famous recordings, "West End Blues" and "Weather Bird", were Oliver compositions. Joe was inducted as a charter member of the Gennett Records Walk of Fame in Richmond, Indiana in 2007. (The Great Depression was harsh on him and Joe "King" Oliver , one of the most influential pioneer icons, died in poverty in a Chicago rooming house at 508 Montgomery Street) b. December 19th 1885
1942: Kostas Skarvelis (61) Greek songwriter; growing up in Istanbul, he composed hundreds of songs, writing mostly of love, over 200 recordings still survive. He collaborated with singers including Giorgos Kavouras, Rita Abatzi, Kostas Roukounas, Marika Frantzeskopoulou, Kostas Tsanakos, Markos Vamvakaris, Stellakis Perpiniadis, Apostolos Chatzichristos. (tragically Kostas died of hunger as a result of the occupation of Greece by the Axis (Germany-Japan-Italy) during the WW2, sharing the fate of hundreds of thousands of Greeks) b. 1880.
1985: John Frederick Coots (87) American songwriter born in Brooklyn, New York, he wrote over 700 songs including 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town' a song that became one of the biggest best sellers in American music history. John offered the song to Eddie Cantor who used it on his radio show that November and it became an instant hit. The morning after the radio show there were orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music, and, by Christmas, sales had passed 400,000. Other songs included Love Letters In The Sand, You Go To My Head, Louisiana Fairy Tale, For All We Know, and I Still Get a Thrill (Thinking of You). (?) b. May 2nd 1897.
1986: Yukiko Okada (18) Japanese singer; in March 1983, she was the winner of "Star Tanjo!", on Nippon Television, similar to American Idol. Yukiko debuted with a single, "First Date" in April of '84. That year, she won Rookie of the Year, and was awarded the 26th Japan Record Awards' Grand Prix Best New Artist Award for her third single, "Dreaming Girl: Koi, Hajimemashite". Yukiko played the leading role in her first television drama Kinjirareta Mariko /The Forbidden Mariko, in 1985 and in her 1986 single "Lip Network", reached number one on the Oricon weekly singles chart (Yukiko was found with a slashed wrist in her gas-filled Tokyo apartment, crouching in a closet and sobbing. Two hours later, the singer jumped to her death from the seven-storey Sun Music Agency building. The reason for her suicide is still unknown) b. August 22nd 1967.
1991: Dead/Per Yngve Ohlin (22) Swedish black metal vocalist born in Stockholm, Sweden best known for his work with Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. In the late '80s Dead worked as vocalist with the Swedish death metal band Morbid, recording demos Morbid Rehearsal and December Moon both in 1987. He joined the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem in 1998 and can be heard on their albums Dawn of the Black Hearts, Live in Leipzig, Freezing Moon/Carnage, and Out from the Dark. Allegedly Dead used to smell a dead crow he kept in a jar before performances so that he could “sing with the smell of death in his nostrils” and would regularly cut himself with knives and bottles on stage. When he killed himself via neck and wrist slitting and shotgun to the head, it is rumoured his band member took some pictures and made necklaces out of the skull fragments. Then, one of the pictures was stolen and made in to the cover of the bootleg album Dawn Of The Black Hearts. Many people say that the Norwegian black metal scene realized it’s true potential when Dead died. (suicide) b. January 16th 1969.
1995: Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes (59) US Bluesman, harmonica player; born in Longwood, Mississippi, he started out with the Swinging Gold Coasters in 1960, a Mississippi blues outfit, before relocating to Chicago in 1964, where he played in bars and clubs. By the early 70s he was back in Mississippi playing locally. In 1985 he opened a nightclub, the Playboy Club, where he would play with his backing band called the Playboys. They became regional blues favorites, and eventually signed to Rooster Blues. Booba released his debut album "The Heartbroken Man" in 1990. The album was hailed by Allmusic as "an instant modern classic". He toured the U.S. and Europe following the album's release (lung cancer) b. September 25th 1936
1997: Laura Nyro (49) American singer, guitarist, pianist, songwriter born in The Bronx, New York. Her style was a hybrid of Brill Building-style New York pop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, show tunes and rock. She was best known, and enjoyed her greatest commercial success, as a composer and lyricist rather than as a performer. Between 1968 and 1970 a number of other singers had significant hits with her songs: The 5th Dimension with "Blowing Away", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness", "Save The Country" and "Black Patch"; Blood, Sweat & Tears and Peter, Paul & Mary with "And When I Die"; Three Dog Night with "Eli's Coming"; and Barbra Streisand with "Stoney End", "Time and Love", and "Hands off the Man (Flim Flam Man)". Nyro's best-selling single was her recording of Carole King and Gerry Goffin's "Up on the Roof" (ovarian cancer) b. October 18th 1947.
2008: Cedella Malcolm Booker (81) Jamaican mother of the great Bob Marley, born in Rhoden Hall, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica. At 18, she married Norval Marley, a white Jamaican of English ancestry, when she became pregnant with his son. Norval was a Marine officer and captain as well as the plantation overseer. His family applied constant pressure however, and although he provided financial support for them, the Captain seldom saw his wife and son. Bob was ten years old when Norval died of a heart attack in 1955 at age 60. Cedella and Bob then moved to Trenchtown, a slum neighborhood in Kingston (natural causes) b. July 23rd 1926.
2009: David "Pop" Winans (74) American gospel singer; the patriarch of the award-winning gospel music family, The Winans. Born in Detroit, he began singing with a gospel quartet at the age of 18. He met his wife Delores while in the Lucille Lemon Choir, and recorded together as "Mom and Pop Winans" and separately at various times as "Mom", "Pop", "David" or "Delores". They received a Grammy nomination for their CD "Mom & Pop Winans" in 1989 and in 1999, David was nominated for a Grammy for his solo album, "Uncensored". The Winans family gospel group earned six Grammy awards and were well known for the yearly Christmas concerts they organized at Mercy Hall in which their ten children participated (heart attack) b. April 20th 1934.
2010: Malcolm McLaren (64) English performer, impresario, self-publicist and former manager of the Sex Pistols. He had been attracted early in his life to the Situationist movement, which promoted absurdist and provocative actions as a way of enacting social change. In 1968 Malcolm had tried unsuccessfully to get to Paris to take part in the demonstrations there. He was raised by his grandmother, Rose, in Newington Green, North London, who home-schooled him and fed him slogans such as "To be bad is good... to be good is simply boring", and after having been expelled from several art colleges, he opened a clothes shop on the King's Road, with his then girlfriend Vivienne Westwood in 1971. The shop, which had a few names, became a focal point of the fledgling punk movement. It was here that he first encountered a young John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten of the future Sex Pistols. After a trip to New York in 1972 he brought back exciting images in his mind, images to add to, and blast on to the British public, images of this distressed, strange thing called Richard Hell, and the phrase, 'the blank generation'. Malcolm credits American musician Richard Hell, an originator of the punk fashion look, the first to spike his hair and wear torn, cut and drawn-on shirts, often held together with safety pins, as a definite, 100% inspiration, for his accessorized clothing he sold in his London shop, and the Sex Pistols' look and attitude. In 1975, he breifly worked with The New York Dolls >>> Read More <<< (sadly died after a long and brave battle with mesothelioma cancer) b. January 22nd 1946.
2010: Dorothea Margaretha "Teddy" Scholten-van Zwieteren (73) Dutch singer born in Rijswijk, close to The Hague; in 1959, Teddy won the Eurovision Song Contest for the Netherlands singing "Een beetje"/A little bit, with music composed by Dick Schallies and lyrics by Willy van Hemert. Also she commentated for the Netherlands in the Contest for the 1966 Eurovision. With her husband, Henk Scholten, she recorded several albums, many of them containing songs for children. In the 1950s and 1960s she appeared in popular television shows in The Netherlands. In 1965 and 1966, she presented the National Song Festival (?) b. May 11th 1926.
2011: Bill Pitcock IV (59) American guitarist and singer-songwriter born in Tulsa; he began performing as a guitarist with his parents' dance band in 1964. In 1971, he began to life long work with the Dwight Twilley Band, best known for the Top 20 hit singles "I'm on Fire", and "Girls". He also played with fellow Twilley band member, Phil Seymour playing on the hit “Precious To Me”, also Phil's first solo album contained two songs written by Bill, "Don't Blow Your Life Away" and "Won't Finish Here". As well as as these commitments from 1983 to 1998 he also played with the Mystery Band. Bill had recently released his first solo CD "Play What You Mean" and can be heard playing on Twilley’s 2010 release, "Green Blimp". (?) b. December 7th 1952.
2011: Donald Shanks AO OBE (70) Australian operatic bass-baritone, born in Brisbane. His first experience of a staged work was Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, the opera with which he also chose to end his career in 2004. Over the years, he built a reputation as one of the most versatile figures in Australian opera, performing in all the major comic roles, from the title role in Don Pasquale and Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro, to The Italian Girl in Algiers to bel canto roles such as Lucia di Lammermoor and Norma, to the key dramatic roles, particularly in Wagner heavyweights such as Tannhäuser, Lohengrin and Tristan und Isolde. He sang in Lucia di Lammermoor, Il trovatore and Norma with Dame Joan Sutherland, La bohème with Luciano Pavarotti, and Banquo in Macbeth with Sherrill Milnes, a few of his 65 principal roles. Donald was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977 and an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1987 (died sadly from a heart attack) b. July 5th 1940.
2011: Daniel Catán (62) Mexican composer known particularly for his operas and his creative friendship with the tenor, Placido Domingo. He was the first Mexican composer to have an opera produced in the United States, when San Diego Opera produced his Rappaccini's Daughter in March, 1994. In addition to composition, he had a career as a writer on music and the arts. In 1998, Daniel received the Plácido Domingo Award for his contribution to opera, and he received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2000. His newest opera, Il Postino, with Plácido Domingo in the role of Pablo Neruda, is based on a novel by Antonio Skármeta and the film by Michael Radford, and premiered at the Los Angeles Opera, in September 2010. (his death came a few days after he attended rehearsals for Il Postino at the Moores Opera Centre, Houston) b. April 3rd 1949.

April 9th.
1963: Eddie Edwards (71) American jazz trombonist, best known his pioneer recordings with the Original Dixieland Jass Band; born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he started playing violin at age 10, and took up trombone in addition at 15. He played both instruments professionally, including with the bands of Papa Jack Laine and Ernest Giardina. In 1916 he was picked by Alcide Nunez to go to Chicago, to play trombone with Johnny Stein's Jass Band. With a few changes of personnel this band became the famous Original Dixieland Jass Band which made the first records of jazz music in 1917. He left the band after being drafted into the US Army. After his discharge he led a band of his own and worked in the band of Jimmie Durante before returning to the O.D.J.B. After the break up the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Eddie again led his own band in New York City for most of the 1920s. In the early 1930s he retired from music and ran a newspaper stand and worked as a sports coach. He returned to music when Nick LaRocca reformed the O.D.J.B. in 1936, playing with them until 1938. He played with other bands including O.D.J.B. alumni Larry Shields, Tony Sbarbaro, and J. Russell Robinson into the 40s and continued playing professionally until shortly before his death in New York City (?) b. May 22nd 1891.
1976: Dagmar Nordstrom (72) American composer, pianist and singer; born in Chicago, she performed together with her sister Siggie as a cabaret singing duo known as The Nordstrom Sisters. During the 1920s she cut piano rolls for Steinway and Duo-Art, including "Happy Days and Lonely Nights", "Sweet Dreams", "Are You Happy?", "Blue River", and "Glad Rag Doll" (she sadly suffered a massive stroke) b. December 12th 1903.
1976: Phil Ochs (35) America protest singer-songwriter, born in El Paso, Texas; He wrote hundreds of songs in the 1960s and released eight albums. Politically, Phil described himself as a "left social democrat" who became an "early revolutionary" after the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago led to a police riot, which had a profound effect on his state of mind. He performed at many political events, including anti-Vietnam War and civil rights rallies, student events, and organized labor events over the course of his career, in addition to many concert appearances at such venues as New York City's Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. The Vietnam War ended on April 30th 1975. Phil planned a final "War Is Over" rally, which was held in New York's Central Park on May 11. More than 100,000 people came to hear Phil, joined by Harry Belafonte, Odetta, Pete Seeger and others. He and Joan Baez sang a duet of "There but for Fortune" and he closed with his song "The War Is Over"—finally a true declaration that the war was over. Michael Korolenko directed the 1984 film Chords of Fame, which featured Bill Burnett as Ochs. The film included interviews with people who had known Ochs, including Yippies Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, manager Harold Leventhal, and Mike Porco, the owner of Gerde's Folk City. Chords of Fame also included performances of Ochs songs by folk musicians who knew him, including Bob Gibson, Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Dave Van Ronk, and Eric Andersen. (Phil's drinking had become more and more of a problem, and his behavior became increasingly very erratic. Also afflicted with serious depression, he hung himself at his sisters home in Queens, New York) b. December 19th 1940.
1982: Wilfrid Pelletier (85) French Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, instrumental in establishing the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He was one of the most influential music educators in Canada during the 20th century. It was largely through his efforts that the Conservatoire de musique et d'art dramatique du Québec (CMADQ), an organization which has established and oversees nine different schools of higher education in music and theatre in Quebec, was established in 1942. From 1943 through 1961 he served as the director of the CMADQ and its first school the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal. He also served as the first director of the CMDAQ's second school, the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Québec, from 1944–1946, and was instrumental in establishing the Conservatoire d'art dramatique du Québec à Montréal in 1954. As a pianist, he was active during the 1920s and 1930s as one half of a piano duo with partner Arthur Loesser. He also made a number of solo recordings in the early 1920s, playing mostly piano reductions from the operas of French composers like Georges Bizet, Charles Gounod, and Jules Massenet. As a composer, he produced only a small body of work, most notably In the Dark, in the Dew which soprano Maria Jeritza included in a number of her recitals. Wilfrid retired from performance in the early 1970s (?) b. June 20th 1896.
1988: Dave Prater (50) American Southern Soul and R & B singer who was the deeper, baritone and second tenor vocalist of the duo Sam & Dave from 1961 until his death in 1988. Their hit "You Don't Know Like I Know," started a series of 10 straight top 20 Billboard R&B hits that included "Hold On! I'm Comin'", "You Got Me Hummin', "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby", "Soul Man", and "I Thank You". Most hits were penned by Dave and Isaac Hayes and the majority of recordings they were backed by Hayes on piano with Booker T & the M.G.s and the Memphis Horns. Dave is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame for the song "Soul Man", the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame and was a Grammy Award winning and multi-Gold Record award winning recording artist (sadly died in a car crash at Syracuse) b. May 9th 1937.
1988: Brook Benton/Benjamin Franklin Peay (56) American singer and songwriter born in Lugoff, South Carolina. His silky smooth tones was popular with rock n roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when he scored hits such as "It's Just A Matter Of Time", "Hotel Happiness", "Think Twice", "Kiddio", "The Boll Weevil Song" and "Endlessly", many of which he co-wrote. He made a comeback in 1970 with the ballad "Rainy Night in Georgia". Brook eventually charted 49 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with other songs charting on Billboard's rhythm and blues, easy listening, and Christmas music charts, as well as writing hits for other performers such as Nat King Cole, Clyde McPhatter, and Roy Hamilton (complications from spinal meningitis)*September 19th 1931.
1991: Martin Hannett aka Martin Zero (42) English record producer, born in Manchester, Lancashire; as a teenager he played bass with Spider Mike King and as member in a band called Paradox, in 1973, alongside Paul Young, later of Sad Café and Mike + The Mechanics. His production work began with the cartoon show All Kinds of Heroes soundtrack. Another early production works included Greasy Bear material, Belt & Braces Road Show Band's self-titled album, in 1975, and five songs from Pete Farrow's repertoire, later included on that artist's compilation album Who Says There's No Beach in Stockport, in 1977. Credited as Martin Zero, he appeared on Top of the Pops playing bass, actually an acoustic guitar with four strings, on Jilted John's eponymous single, Martin also produced. He went on to work with The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, Magazine, and U2, The Psychedelic Furs (discovered dead in his chair, sadly a victim of heart failure) b. May 31st 1948.
1997: Mae Boren Axton (82) Known in the music industry as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville'. She was one of the co-writers of the song Heartbreak Hotel, made popular by Elvis Presley. She was an influential member of the Nashville music industry. For decades she used her influence to contribute to the success of many musical careers including Mel Tillis, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson and Blake Shelton to name only a few. She wrote some 200 songs, 14 of which made the charts (drowned in her hot tub at her home) b. September 14th 1914.
1998: Tom Corra (44) American cellist and composer; he made his musical debut as drummer on a local TV program and in the mid-1970s he played guitar for a Washington, D.C. jazz club house band. He took up the cello while at the University of Virginia, during this time he formed his own group, The Moose Skowron Tuned Metal Ensemble and began constructing instruments for it. In 1979 he moved to New York where he worked with Shockabilly guitarist Eugene Chadbourne, introducing the cello to the honky tonk circuits of North America. He performed and/or recorded with John Zorn, Fred Frith, Andrea Centazzo, Butch Morris, Wayne Horvitz, David Moss, Toshinori Kondo and others. He also collaborated with George Cartwright and Bill Laswell which led to the formation of the art rock band Curlew in 1979. In 1982 he and Fred Frith formed Skeleton Crew, touring Europe and Japan and was also a member of the improvising trio Third Person, formed in 1990. Tom performed with a number of other bands, including Nimal and post-rock quartet Roof. In 1990, he played two concerts with Dutch anarcho-punk band, The Ex, and the success of this collaboration resulted in him performing hundreds of concerts with The Ex and appearing on two of their CDs. (malignant melanoma) b. September 14th 1953.
1999: Red Norvo/Kenneth Norville (91) American jazz vibraphonist known as "Mr. Swing". He helped establish the xylophone and later the vibraphone as viable jazz instruments. His major recordings included "Dance of the Octopus", "Bughouse", "Knockin' on Wood", "Congo Blues", and "Hole in the Wall". Born in Beardstown, Illinois, he started out in Chicago with a band called "The Collegians", in 1925. He played with many other bands, including an all-marimba band on the vaudeville circuit, and the bands of Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet, and Woody Herman. Red recorded with Mildred Bailey (his wife), Billie Holiday, Dinah Shore and Frank Sinatra, among others. (sadly died from a stroke) b. March 31st 1908
2008: Bob Kames (82) American polka musician, songwriter and is credited with developing and popularizing the modern-day version of the song "Dance Little Bird," which is much better known by its more common name, The Chicken Dance. He recorded over seventy albums throughout his career. He owned and operated a chain of music stores called Bob Kames Wonderful World of Music, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin Area Music Industry's Hall of Fame (sadly died after a fight with prostate cancer) b. April 21st 1925.
2008: Erkki Aukusti Junkkarinen (78) Finnish singer; he established his musical career in 1950 with his successful album Yksinäinen harmonikka. He made only one album in the 1960s, Ruusut hopeamaljassa. In 1975, he released the same songs under the different name Ruusuja hopeamaljassa. The new edition sold very well, and Junkkarinen received the first Finnish platinum record ever. As he grew to an unually large fame for an artist in Finland, he helped spread the humppa style of music. (?) b. April 22nd 1929.
2008: Choubeila Rached (75) Tunisian singer, decorated with the insignia of the Order of the National Merit in the cultural sector by President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali (?) b. 1933.
2009: Duke D'Mond/Richard Palmer (66) British singer; founder member and lead singer of 46 years with the The Barron Knights, he retired from performing 4 years ago after a bad fall. The Barron Knights, a British humorous pop group, was originally formed in 1959 as The Knights of the Round Table, they became the Barron Knights on October 5th 1960. They toured with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Pet Clarke and others. Of their many humorous songs recorded, they achieved 14 chart hits, including "Come to the Dance", "Pop Go the Workers", "Merry Gentle Pops", "Live in Trouble", "The Topical Song", "A Taste of Aggro" and their first and best known hit 1964's "Call Up The Groups", written in response to the end of national service in the UK. (pneumonia - Duke was rushed to a hospital in Oxford with internal bleeding, then went into a coma before having a severe heart attack and developing pneumonia) b. February 25th 1943
2009: Randy Cain/Rudy Cain (63) American singer; soul singer and founder member of the The Delfonics whose hits included “La La Means I Love You”. Randy along with brothers William and Wilbert Hart formed the band while attending Overbrook High School in Philadelphia in the 1960s. The group, one of the earliest to define the smooth, soulful “Philadelphia” sound, won an R&B Grammy in 1970 for its song “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time). He left the Delfonics in 1971 and later helped form the group Blue Magic, who had a hit in 1974 with the quirky love song "Slideshow", when he brought singer and songwriter Theodore Mills to his production company. He rejoined The Delfonics in the 1980s. The group enjoyed renewed popularity in later decades after their music was sampled by several major hip-hop artists, including Notorious BIG, Missy Elliott and The Fugees. The chorus of Ready or Not by The Fugees, which topped the UK charts in 1996, is based on The Delfonics' song, Ready Or Not, Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love) (died at his home in Maple Shade, New Jersey) b. May 2nd 1945.
2010: Kenneth McKellar (82) Scottish tenor singer; after studying forestry at the University of Aberdeen, he trained at the Royal College of Music as an opera singer. He did a short stint with the Carl Rosa Opera Company, but left to pursue a career singing traditional Scottish songs and other works. His albums of the songs of Robert Burns are considered by musicologists to be definitive interpretations. In 1966 Kenneth was selected to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in Luxembourg, the song "A Man Without Love". In the 1960s and 1970s he appeared many times on the BBC Television Hogmanay celebration programme, alongside Jimmy Shand and Andy Stewart and other programmes and toured widely, including New Zealand. On 31 December 1973, the first Scottish commercial radio station Radio Clyde began broadcasting to Glasgow. The first record they played was "Song of the Clyde" sung by Kenneth McKellar. The same recording featured over the opening titles of the 1963 film, Billy Liar. He also recorded several classical works, including Handel's Messiah alongside Joan Sutherland in a performance conducted by Sir Adrian Boult (pancreatic cancer) b. June 23rd 1927.
2011: Roger Nichols (66) American sound engineer, record producer, and 7-time Grammy Award-winner born in Oakland, California. In 1965 he and some friends created their own recording studio, Quantum Studios, in what was originally a four car garage, in Torrance, CA. From the 1970 onwards Roger is best known for his work with the group Steely Dan and John Denver, but his work includes numerous major music acts including the Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Frank Zappa, Crosby Stills & Nash, Al Di Meola, Roy Orbison, Cass Elliot, Plácido Domingo, Gloria Estefan, Diana Ross, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, >>> Read More <<< (Roger sadly died after his brave battle with pancreatic cancer) b. September 22nd 1944.
2011: Randy Wood (94) American record producer and founder of Dot Records; he had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B and black gospel air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen. He founded Dot Records in 1950, the headquarters of were in Gallatin, Tennessee, many of the older recording were recorded in radio station WHIN, which Randy also owned at the time. WHIN was a daytime only radio station so recording sessions were held at night when the station was off the air. In its early years, the label specialized in artists from around Tennessee. His first artist was ragtime pianist Johnny Maddox, recording what became “The Crazy Otto Medley”. In 1956, the company moved to Hollywood, CA. Then it branched out to include musicians and singers from across the United States. It recorded a variety of country music, rhythm & blues, polkas & waltzes, gospel music, rockabilly, pop music, and early rock & roll. After the move to Hollywood, Dot Records bought up many recordings by small local independent labels and issued them nationally. In 1957, Randy sold ownership of the label to Paramount Pictures, but he remained the president of the company for another decade (Tragically Randy died after a fall in his home at La Jolla, California) b. March 30th 1917.

April 10th.
1938: Joe "King" Oliver (52) American jazz cornet player and bandleader born in Aben, Louisiana. He was particularly noted for his playing style, pioneering the use of mutes. Also a notable composer, he wrote many tunes still played regularly, including "Dippermouth Blues", "Sweet Like This", "Canal Street Blues", and "Doctor Jazz". He was the mentor and teacher of Louis Armstrong. His influence was such that Armstrong claimed, "if it had not been for Joe Oliver, jazz would not be what it is today". By 1922, after travels in California, Joe was the jazz king in Chicago, with King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band performing at the Royal Gardens. Virtually all the members of this band went on to notable solo careers. Personnel were himself on cornet, his protégé Louis Armstrong, second cornet, Baby Dodds, drums, Johnny Dodds, clarinet, Lil Hardin on piano, Honoré Dutrey on trombone, and William Manuel Johnson, bass and banjo. Recordings made by this group in 1923 demonstrated the serious artistry of the New Orleans style of collective improvisation or Dixieland music to a wider audience. Sadly he lost his life savings when a Chicago bank collapsed (?) b. May 11th 1885.
1958: Chuck Willis/Harold Willis (30) American blues, rhythm and blues, and rock singer and songwriter; he was born in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1951, Willis signed with Columbia Records, in 1956, he moved to Atlantic Records where he had immediate success with "It's Too Late", "Juanita", and "Love Me Cherry". His most successful recording was "C.C. Rider", which topped the rhythm and blues chart in 1957 and also crossed over and sold well in the pop market, and inspired the emergence of the popular dance, The Stroll. Willis's follow-up to "C. C. Rider" was "Betty and Dupree", another "stroll" song, which did very well. (Chuck had suffered from stomach ulcers for years, sadly he died suddenly and premarurly of peritonitis while at the peak of his career) b. January 31st 1928.
1960: Arthur Leslie Benjamin (66) Australian composer, pianist, conductor and teacher. He is well known as the composer of Jamaican Rhumba, composed in 1938. Born in Sydney and brought up in Brisbane, he made his first public appearance as a pianist at the age of six. As well as his career teaching music in Australia, Britain and other parts of the world, tutoring students including Muir Mathieson, Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Miriam Hyde, Joan Trimble, Stanley Bate, Dorian Le Gallienne, Bernard Stevens, Lamar Crowson, Alun Hoddinott, Natasha Litvin, and Benjamin Britten, his many chamber, opera and orchestral works, Arthur also wrote music for films. This began in 1934 with The Scarlet Pimpernel and Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much. Other scores included An Ideal Husband, The Conquest of Everest, The Cumberland Story, Steps of the Ballet, The Crowthers of Bankdam, Above Us the Waves and Fire Down Below to mention a few (he died at the Middlesex Hospital, UK, from a re-occurence of the cancer that had first attacked him three years earlier) b. September 18th 1893.
1962: Stuart Sutcliff (22) British bassist born in Edinburgh, Scotland; an art school friend of John Lennon, he was the original bassist of The Beatles for two years and is credited with naming the group after Buddy Holly's band the Crickets. As a member of the group when it was a five-piece band, Stuart is one of several people sometimes referred to as "the fifth Beatle". He played with the Beatles in Hamburg, where he met photographer Astrid Kirchherr, to whom he was later engaged. He left the Beatles to pursue a career as an artist, enrolling in the Hamburg College of Art and studied under future pop artist Eduardo Paolozzi. Stuart earned praise for his paintings, which mostly explored a style related to abstract expressionism. In 1967, The Beatles included a photo of him among those on the cover of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album (he tragically died of a brain haemorrhage in an ambulance on the way to hospital) b. June 23rd 1940.
1970: Rafael "Ralph" Escudero (71) Puerto Rican bassist and tubist active on the early jazz scene. At aged 12 he began playing bass in a school band, before moving to New York to play with the New Amsterdam Musical Association in 1920-21. In 1923 he was playing with Wilbur Sweatman at the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C., then with Fletcher Henderson until 1926. After which he joined McKinney's Cotton Pickers, where he played and recorded until 1931. In the 1930s he played with Kaiser Marshall, the Savoy Bearcats, and W.C. Handy. Ralf then returned to Puerto Rico, playing there into the 1960s (?) b. July 16th 1898.
1979: Nino Rota/Nino Rinaldi (67) Italian composer born in Milan; he is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. He also composed the music for two of Franco Zeffirelli's Shakespeare films, and for the first two films of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy. During his long career Nino was an extraordinarily prolific composer, especially of music for the cinema. He wrote more than 150 scores for Italian and international productions from the 1930s until his death in 1979, an average of three scores each year over a 46 year period. Alongside his great body film work, he composed ten operas, five ballets and dozens of other orchestral, choral and chamber works, the best known being his string concerto. He also composed the music for many theatre productions by Visconti, Zeffirelli and Eduardo de Filippo as well as maintaining a long teaching career at the the Liceo Musicale in Bari, Italy, where he was the director for almost 30 years (coronary thrombosis) b. December 3rd 1911.
1986: Linda Creed/married name Linda Epstein (37) Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, born in Philadelphia. Linda's big break came in 1970, when UK singer Dusty Springfield recorded her song "Free Girl". That same year, she teamed up with songwriter and producer Thom Bell. Their first songwriting collaboration, "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", became a Top 40 pop hit for the Stylistics, this began an extended collaboration that also yielded the group's symphonic soul classics "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", and "I'm Stone in Love With You". The duo also paired on a number of hits for the Spinners, including "Ghetto Child", "I'm Coming Home", "Living a Little, Laughing a Little", and, most famously, the 1976 blockbuster "The Rubberband Man". Linda Creed also worked with fellow Philadelphia native Phyllis Hyman on many of her songs, most notably "Old Friend". Although Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer at 26, she bravely kept on working, teaming with composer Michael Masser to write "Greatest Love of All" for the 1977 Muhammad Ali biopic The Greatest; then in the spring of 1986, the song topped the charts for singer Whitney Houston. Sadly, just weeks before Whitney reached the No.1 spot, Linda had lost her long battle with cancer. She also wrote the theme for the TV series, "Simon and Simon". Over the years, cover recordings of her songs were major hits for Roberta Flack, Rod Stewart, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson and many, many others. In 1992, Linda was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. (cancer) b. December 6th 1948.
2003: Little Eva/Eva Narcissus Boyd (59) America singer born in Belhaven, North Carolina, and moved to the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York at a young age. she worked as a maid and earned extra money as a babysitter for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. It is often claimed that Goffin and King were amused by her individual dancing style, so wrote "The Loco-Motion". After the success of "The Loco-Motion", she was unfortunately stereotyped as a dance-craze singer and was given limited material. Other single recordings were "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby", "Some Kinda Wonderful", "Let's Turkey Trot" and a remake of the Bing Crosby standard "Swinging on a Star," recorded with Big Dee Irwin, though Eva was not credited on the label. She also recorded the song "Makin' With the Magilla" for an episode of the 1964 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series The Magilla Gorilla Show. In the late 80s he returned to live performing with other artists of her era on the cabaret and oldies circuits. She also occasionally recorded new songs (died after a 2 year battle with cancer) b. June 29th 1943.
2003: Douglas 'Noel' Fox (63) American bass singer with the country and gospel band The Oak Ridge Boys from 1969 to 1972. He went on to work as booking agent, talent manager and publisher. In 1978, he began managing the Oak Ridge Boys' publishing entity (died after surgery following a series of strokes) b. 1940.
2005: Scott Gottlieb (34) American drummer for Rock band Bleed the Dream. In late 2003-early 2004, Scott developed leukemia. In support, his band released the acoustic EP Asleep. In the fall of 2004, Bleed the Dream began work on their debut full-length album Built by Blood, and Scott was healthy enough to record the drum tracks for every song. Sadly he died shortly before the album was released; He is regarded by many as a "truly amazing man" and "devoted his life to his band." The video "Just Like I Remember," is dedicated to him. The back of the Keith's guitars have "RIP S.G" in tape on it. (sadly lost his fight with leukemia) b. August 20th 1970.
2005: Wally Tax (57) Dutch singer and songwriter, best known as founder and frontman of the Nederbeat group The Outsiders. They were influenced by the harder-edged British groups like The Pretty Things and The Rolling Stones. In November 1965, The Outsiders opened for Stones' second Dutch concert. The band released thirteen singles, including 1967's "Summer Is Here," which reached the Top Ten on the Dutch charts. After commercial and artistic success with The Outsiders in the late 1960s, Wally had a brief solo career in the 1970s, after which he went on to become a successful songwriter, producing a number of hit songs for Dutch artists. He faded into obscurity in the 1980s, but after his death two benefit concerts in Amsterdam proved his lasting popularity and influence. (?) b. February 14th 1948.
2005: Norbert Brainin (82) Austrian violinist, the first violinist of the Amadeus Quartet. In 1947 he formed the Brainin Quartet, which was renamed the Amadeus Quartet in 1948. Amadeus was one of the most celebrated quartets of the 20th Century, and its members were awarded many honours, including: The Order of the British Empire, presented by the Queen; Doctorates from the Universities of London, York, and Caracas; The highest of all German awards, the Grand Cross of Merit; and The Austrian Cross of Honour for Arts and Sciences; They disbanded in 1987 upon the death of Peter Schidlof, who was regarded as irreplaceable by the surviving members. Norbert continued to perform as a soloist, often performing with pianist Günter Ludwig. His instruments included the 1734 "Rode" Guarnerius del Gesu, the "Chaconne" Stradivarius of 1725 and the "Gibson" Stradivarius of 1713. (cancer) b. March 12th 1923.
2007: Dakota Staton (76) American jazz vocalist, who was also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a short period. She studied music at the Filion School of Music in Pittsburgh, after which she performed regularly in the Hill District, a jazz hotspot, as a vocalist with the Joe Wespray Orchestra. She next spent several years in the nightclub circuit in such cities as Detroit, Indianapolis, Cleveland and St. Louis. While in New York, she was noticed singing at a Harlem nightclub called the Baby Grand by Dave Cavanaugh, a producer for Capitol Records. She was signed and released several singles, including her 1957 No. 4 hit, "The Late, Late Show". She relocated to England in the mid-1960s, where he continued to record semi-regularly, her recordings taking an increasingly strong gospel and blues influence (?) b. June 3rd 1930
2007: Walter Hendl (90) American conductor, composer and pianist; born in West New York, New Jersey, he later went on to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. His many posts include 1939-1941 he taught at Sarah Lawrence College in New York City; in 1941 and 1942, he was a pianist and conductor at the Berkshire Music Center; in 1945, he became associate conductor of the New York Philharmonic; 1949-1958, he was music director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; 1953-1972, he became music director of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. He was also active in the Symphony of the Air and conducted its 1955 tour of east Asia. From 1964 to 1972, Walter served as director of the Eastman School of Music at Rochester, New York. In 1976 he was appointed music director of the Erie Philharmonic in Erie, PA. In 1990, he became professor of conducting at Mercyhurst College in Erie. His best-selling recordings include violin concerti featuring Jascha Heifetz, Henryk Szeryng, and Erick Friedman and piano concerti featuring Van Cliburn and Gary Graffman. Walter was inducted as a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity on December 1st 1960 (sadly died after suffering from heart and lung disease) b. January 12th 1917.
2010: William Walker (78) American baritone opera singer, whose career ranged from the State Fair of Texas to more 360 performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York from March 1962 to June 1978. He appeared over 60 times on TV's "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson and also sang on Broadway. From 1969 to 1976, William gave more than 250 solo recitals in the United States and Canada, performing classical operatic arias, art songs and American musical show stoppers, most memorably "Soliloquy" from Carousel and "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" from Oklahoma!. In 1980, he became the Hearndon Distinguished Visiting Professor of Music at Texas Christian University and taught master classes in performance for several years. He also taught master classes as the Carol Kyle Distinguished Visiting Professor of Music at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas from 1980 to 1984. In 1991, he accepted the position of General Director of the Fort Worth Opera (William was diagnosed with cancer several years ago, but cause of death has not yet been disclosed) b. 1931

April 11th.
1977: Jacques Prévert (77) French poet, lyricist; some of his poems, such as "Les Feuilles mortes"/Autumn Leaves), were set to music by Joseph Kosma, Germaine Tailleferre of Les Six, Christiane Verger and Hanns Eisler. They have been sung by prominent 20th century French vocalists, including Yves Montand and Édith Piaf, as well as by the later American singers Joan Baez and Nat King Cole. In 1961, French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg paid tribute to "Les feuilles mortes" in his own song "La chanson de Prévert". The British remix DJs Coldcut released their own version in 1993. A German version has been published and covered by Didier Caesar (alias Dieter Kaiser), which he named "Das welke Laub" (?) b. February 4th 1900.
2000: Diana Darvey/Diana Magdalene Roloff (54) British actress, singer and dancer, who is most famous for her appearances on The Benny Hill Show. She made her first appearance on the show on 7 February 1974, and became an instant hit with fans. Her self-designed often gravity-defying costumes became as famous as her show-stopping performances singing such Continental music standards as "Sway," "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás" and "Perfidia" on the show. Prior to Benny Hill, in '62, she was part of a London ballet troupe which travelled Sweden, Germany and Spain. After the tour ended, she settled in Spain, where she became a popular revista performer under famed Spanish impresario Colsada. Then for several years she appeared in musical theatre productions in and around Spain. It was during a performance, in Madrid in the early 1970s, that she was discovered by British comedian Benny Hill. After Benny Hill, she travelled around the world with her cabaret act, in tandem with her husband, Terry Gittings, who had been a drummer in Georgie Fame's backing band (?) b. April 21st 1945.
2001: Sandy Bull (60) American composer and accomplished player of many stringed instruments, including guitar, pedal steel guitar, banjo and oud. His music blends non-western instruments with the 1960s folk revival. His albums often presented an eclectic repertoire including extended modal improvisations on oud. An arrangement of Carl Orff's composition Carmina Burana for 5-string banjo appears on his first album and other musical fusions include his adaptation of Luiz Bonfá's "Manhã de Carnaval", and compositions derived from works of J. S. Bach. Sandy used overdubbing as a way to accompany himself. As documented in the Still Valentine's Day, 1969: Live At the Matrix, San Francisco recording, Sandy Bull's use of tape accompaniment was part of his solo performances in concert as well (sadly died of lung cancer) b. February 25th 1941
2006: June Pointer (52) American Pop-R&B singer and was a founding member of the vocal group The Pointer Sisters. They released their self-titled debut album in '73, and found fame with hit singles such as "Yes We Can Can", "Fairytale", and the R&B hits, "How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)" and "You Gotta Believe" before Bonnie left the group for a solo career in 1977. The remaining sisters continued on as a trio and found huge success, hitting the Top 10 with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Fire" in 1978, followed by "He's So Shy", and "Slow Hand". Their 1983's Break Out album, produced hits "Automatic"; "Jump (for My Love)". Other hits from follow up albums included "Dare Me" "Freedom" and "Goldmine". June is notable for being the lead singer of "He's So Shy", "Jump (For My Love)", "Baby Come And Get It" and "Dare Me" among others. The group eventually would receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During the 1980s, she launched a solo career, scoring hits with "Ready For Some Action" (1983) and 1989's "Tight On Time (I'll Fit U In)". Together with Bruce Willis she scored a top 5 pop single in 1987 with a cover of the Staples Singers' "Respect Yourself" (sadly lost her to a stroke after a brave battle with bone, liver and lung cancer) b. November 30th 1953.
2006: Proof / DeShaun Holton (32) American rapper, member of the hip hop groups D12, Promatic, 5 Elementz, and Goon Sqwad. He rose to prominence alongside Eminem and other D12 members, he was a steady hand for Detroit's then up-and-coming hip-hop scene. It was his idea to assemble a collection of Detroit's best hip-hop talent and call it D12. We may never have heard of Eminem if Proof hadn't taken under his wing years ago, it was his hand that helped push Eminem to become one of the world's biggest pop stars, including serving as his on-stage hype man on concert tours. In 2000, Proof toured along with Eminem, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg in the Up In Smoke Tour. He appeared in Eminem's autobiographical film "8 Mile", after which he was hired to host a national search for the next best battle rapper by Showtime Networks. Proof released his long-in-the-works solo debut, "I Miss the Hip Hop Shop" recorded between 2002 and 2004, which was followed by "Searching for Jerry Garcia" in August 2005 on his own Iron Fist Records. >>> Read More <<< His mother read poetry on the song "Billie Holiday" on the album(shot to death at the Detroit club, C.C.C. on Eight Mile Road) b. October 2nd 1973
2009: Johnny Roadhouse (88) British saxophonist; he joined Teddy Foster's orchestra in 1946, two years later he became leader of the sax section for the BBC Northern Variety Orchestra. In 1953 this was transformed into the Northern Dance Orchestra, he remained a member until its demise in the 1980s. He has also played with the Hallé Orchestra and the Liverpool Philharmonic. As well as his musical performing career, in 1955 he opened "Johnny Roadhouse Music" on Oxford Street, the best-known musical instrument shop in Manchester. Eventually the business grew offshoots, such as a team of specialist instrumental teachers and a band agency. In 2005 he was presented with Lifetime Achievement awards by the Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Variety Club of Great Britain (passed away in his sleep after a short illness) b.January 13th 1921.
2010: Julia Tsenova (61) Bulgarian composer, pianist and musical pedagogue; she was a member of the Union of the Bulgarian Composers, the International Society for Contemporary Music, and a President of the Bulgarian section. She wrote in the field of symphonic, chamber, choral and scenic music and her compositions have been performed in different musical forums in Bulgaria, Austria, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Norway, Poland, Czech Republik, Slovakia, Hungary, Rumania, Greece, Russia, India, Australia, USA, Canada and other countries. (Sadly lost her battle with cancer) b. July 30th 1948.
2011: Billy Bang/William Vincent Walker (63) American free jazz violinist and composer born in Mobile, AL, but moved to the Bronx, New York as a child and learnt the violin at junior school. After serving in the Vietnam War he took up the violin again, he studied with the prominent avant-garde jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins, became immersed in the 1970s downtown loft-jazz ferment, collaborated with idiosyncratic musical auteurs like Kip Hanrahan and Bill Laswell and later joined Sun Ra's band. In 1977, Billy co-founded the String Trio of New York, with guitarist James Emery and double bassist John Lindberg, he left the trio in 1986. Solo, he explored his experience in Vietnam in two albums: Vietnam: The Aftermath-2001 and Vietnam: Reflections-2005, recording with a band which included other veterans of that conflict (sadly died of lung cancer) b. September 20th 1947.
2011: Lacy Gibson (74) American jazz influenced blues guitar virtuoso, and vocalist born in Salisbury, North Carolina; moving to Chicago in 1949 he learned from veterans Sunnyland Slim, T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters and picked up pointers from immaculate axemen Lefty Bates, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, and Wayne Bennett. Lacy made a name for himself as a session player in 1963, assuming rhythm guitar duties on sides by Willie Mabon, Billy "The Kid" Emerson and Buddy Guy on various labels. He also made his vocal debut with his self-penned blues ballad "My Love Is Real" at Chess the same year. He was a musician's musician, his versatile guitar and unique rich style of joining the influences of jazz and blues and pop quickly became a mainstay on stages and in recording studios for numerous >>> READ MORE <<< (Lacy sadly died of a heart attack) b. May 1st 1936.

April 12th.
1963: Herbie Nichols (44) American jazz pianist, composer; his first work was with the Royal Barons in 1937, where he became friends with pianist Thelonious Monk. After the war he worked in various bands , beginning to achieve some recognition when Mary Lou Williams recorded some of his songs in 1952. He recorded for Blue Note in 1955 and 1956, which led to the issue of three albums. Other tracks from these sessions were not issued until the 1980s. His tune "Serenade" had lyrics added, and as "Lady Sings the Blues" became firmly identified with Billie Holiday. In 1957 he recorded his last album for Bethlehem Records "Love, Gloom, Cash, Love". All of his recordings as leader have been released on CD. In recent years his music has been heavily promoted by Roswell Rudd, who worked with Herbie in the early 1960s. Roswell has recorded or programmed at least three albums featuring Nichols' compositions, including "The Unheard Herbie Nichols" and a book "The Unpublished Works". Obscure during his lifetime, he is now highly regarded by many musicians and critics (leukemia) b. January 3rd 1919.
1967: William "Buster" Bailey (64) American jazz musician specializing in the clarinet, but also well versed on saxophone, he was one of the most respected session players of his era. He started with W.C. Handy’s Orchestra in 1917 when he was 15 years old. In 1919 he joined Erskine Tate’s Vendome Orchestra in Chicago until 1923 when he joined up with Joe "King" Oliver and became friends with Louis Armstrong, who was also a member of that band at the time. In 1924, Armstrong left the band to join Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra in New York. Within a month Armstrong extended an invitation for Buster to join him as a member of the band, he accepted and moved to New York City. He went on to record and/or tour the US and Europe with many greats including Perry Bradford, Clarence Williams, Noble Sissle’s Orchestra, the John Kirby Band, Edgar Hayes, Dave Nelson, Midge Williams and Her Jazz Jesters, Big Chief Russell Moore, the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, Wilbur de Paris, Henry "Red" Allen, Wild Bill Davison, Saints And Sinners as well as his own band Buster Bailey and His Rhythm Busters. In 1965 he rejoined his old friend Armstrong and became a member of Louis Armstrong and His All-Stars (Sadly died from a heart attack) b. July 19th 1902.
1968: Stephen Henry Sholes (57) American recording executive with RCA Victor, born in Washington, D.C. then moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his father got work in the RCA plant. Stephen started work at RCA as a messenger boy in 1929 while a student at Rutgers University. After which he worked in RCA's radio division, but his experience playing saxophone and clarinet in dance bands led him to the record division. In 1945, he became head of the country division in Nashville, and was responsible for recruiting such talent as Chet Atkins, Eddy Arnold, The Browns, Hank Locklin, Homer and Jethro, Hank Snow, Jim Reeves, and Pee Wee King. In 1955, he signed Elvis Presley for RCA. He convinced RCA to build its own recording studio in Nashville on Seventeenth Avenue South in 1957. In 1963, Stephen became RCA Records vice president for pop A&R. He also served on the Country Music Association, and Country Music Foundation boards of directors. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, which he had worked to create, in 1967 (heart attack) b. February 12th 1968.
1971: Wynton Kelly (39) US jazz pianist; he started his professional career as a teenager, playing with R&B groups. He recorded 14 titles for Blue Note with his trio, and worked with Dinah Washington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Lester Young during 1951-1952. After serving in the military, he worked with Dinah Washington from 1955-1957, Charles Mingus from 1956-1957, and the Dizzy Gillespie big band in 1957. Maybe he was most famous for his work with Miles Davis from 1959-1963, recording such albums as "Kind of Blue", "At the Blackhawk" and "Someday My Prince Will Come" (tragically taken by an epileptic fit) b. December 2nd 1931.
1973: Arthur Freed/Arthur Grossman (78) American lyricist and Hollywood film producer; born in Charleston, SC, he began his career as a singer- pianist in Chicago. After meeting Minnie Marx, he sung as part of the act of her sons, the Marx Brothers, on the vaudeville circuit, he also wrote material for the brothers, and eventually hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Arthur brought masses of talent from the Broadway theatres to the MGM soundstages including Kay Thompson, Vincente Minnelli, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Roger Edens, Zero Mostel, June Allyson, Nancy Walker, choreographer Charles Walters, orchestrators Conrad Salinger, Johnny Green, Lennie Hayton, and many others. He also helped shape the careers of stars including Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Red Skelton, Lena Horne, Jane Powell, Esther Williams, Howard Keel, Cyd Charisse, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen, and many others. He brought Fred Astaire to MGM coaxing him out of semi-retirement to star with Garland in Easter Parade. Arthur produced nearly 50 movies, and helped elevate MGM as the studio of the musical. His team of writers, directors, composers and stars produced a steady stream of popular, critically acclaimed musicals until the late 1950s. Just few of his credits are "Babes in Arms" (1939), "Lady Be Good" (1941), "Cabin in the Sky" (1943), "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944), "The Harvey Girls" (1946), "Good News" (1947)," Easter Parade" (1948), "On the Town" (1949), Annie Get Your Gun" (1950), "An American in Paris" (1951), "Show Boat" (1951), "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), and "Gigi" (1958). He was presented the Irving G. Thalberg Award for "Creative producers, whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production" in 1951; two of his films won the Academy Award for Best Picture: 'An American in Paris' and 'Gigi'; he received an Honorary Oscar and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 (?) b. September 9th 1895.
1976: Theodore Guy "Ted" Buckner (62) American jazz saxophonist, St. Louis, Missouri, but raised in Detroit, where he played very early in his career before joining McKinney's Cotton Pickers. He was best known for his time spent in the orchestra of Jimmie Lunceford, where he remained from 1937 to 1943. After which he primarily played locally in Detroit, where he worked into the 1970s. His activities included small jazz combos, work in the Motown studios, and co-leading a big band with Jimmy Wilkins, Ernie Wilkins's brother. He toured Europe in 1975, and also appeared in the New McKinney's Cotton Pickers (?) b. December 14th 1913.
1988: Colette Deréal/Colette Denise de Glarélial (60) French actress and singer born in Saint-Cyr-l'École, Seine-et-Oise (now Yvelines). In 1961, she represented Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Allons, allons les enfants"/"Let's go, let's go children", finishing joint 10th with the Finnish entry Valoa ikkunassa/The lights in the window sung by Laila Kinnunen and the Dutch entry Wat een dag/What a day sung by Greetje Kauffeld, all receiving six points (died in Monaco) b. September 22nd 1927.
1989: Herbert Mills (77) American tenor singer born in Piqua, Ohio and co-founder of The Mills Brothers; Herburt and his brothers Donald, Harry, and John began practicing in their father’s barbershop quartet and singing in the choir of the Cyrene African Methodist Episcopal Church and in the Park Avenue Baptist Church in Piqua. In the late ‘20s the quartet was signed to perform in a variety of shows, they sang as the Steamboat Four, the Tasty East Jesters, and Will, Willie, Wilbur and William, among other names, finally they went under the name the Mills Brothers and by 1931 they were recording for Brunswick Records. In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first African-Americans to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience: King George V, Queen Mary, and their mother. They went on to make more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records. By 1950 they had 50 chart hits. Their last number one was 1952’s “Glow Worm,” adapted from the German operetta Lysistrata. It also became a hit in England, reaching No.10 at the beginning of 1953. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998 (?) b. April 2nd 1912.
1999: Boxcar Willie/Lecil Travis Martin (67) American "hobo music" / country singer; he was the son of a railroad man who used to play his fiddle on the porch while Lecil played guitar. By his teens he was performing in jamborees all over the state until he gave up show business to enlist in the Air Force, where he spent 22 years, logging some 10,000 hours as a flier. He performed under the nickname of "Boxcar Willie" for the first time at a talent contest in San Jose, California, while he was still in the Air Force, he won the first prize of $150. In 1976, Lecil left the Air Force and became a full-time performer, he went on to become a star in country music, selling more than 10 million records worldwide, with hits such as "Lonesome Whistle Blues", and "Wabash Cannonball". In 1981, he achieved a professional landmark by being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry as its 60th member. In 1985, he moved to Branson, Missouri and purchased a theatre on Highway 76 / 76 Country Music Boulevard, calling it the Boxcar Willie Theatre. He opened a museum and had two motels, both bearing his name. The overpass at Interstate 35E and Farm to Market Road 664 in Red Oak, Texas was renamed "Boxcar Willie Memorial Overpass" after a major reconstruction project (sadly died of leukemia) b. September 1st 1931.
2006: Rajkumar/Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju (77) Indian actor and singer; born in Gajanur, he was the first actor in Indian cinema to enact a role which resembled James Bond; his first such movie was Jedara Bale. Later he acted in other Bond films such as Operation Jackpotnalli CID 999, Goadalli CID 999, and Operation Diamond Rocket. As well as his many acting rolls, he was also a well known singer, and sang many devotional songs. He won the National Award for the song "Naadamaya" from the movie Jeevana Chaitra. He had trained in classical music while in Gubbi Veranna's drama troupe. He performed a song in the movie Mahishasura Mardini with G. K. Venkatesh as the music director. However, he did not become a full-fledged singer until his hugely popular song "Yare Koogadali" from the movie Sampathige Sawal (died of a cardiac arrest) b. April 24th 1929.
2009: Ruben "Zeke" Zarchy (93) American jazz trumpet legend; he joined Joe Haymes orchestra in 1934, then played with Benny Goodman in 1936 and Artie Shaw in 1937. From 1937 to 1942, he worked and recorded with the bands of Red Norvo, Bob Crosby, Mildred Bailey, Frank Sinatra, Helen Ward, Judy Garland, Tommy Dorsey, and Ella Fitzgerald. Zeke's trumpet can be heard on recordings such as Benny Goodman's "Bugle Call Rag", Bob Crosby's "South Rampart Street Parade", and Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Cocktails". When World War II broke out, he was chosen by Glenn Miller for what became Miller's Army Air Force Band, officially, the 418th Army Band, where he played lead trumpet and was Master Sergeant from 1942 to 1945. After the war, singer Frank Sinatra invited Zeke to move to Los Angeles, where he became a first-call studio musician. He played on the recordings of hundreds of vocalists, including Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Dinah Shore, and The Mills Brothers. His trumpet is heard in the soundtracks of many classic Hollywood movies, including West Side Story, Dr. Zhivago and the The Glenn Miller Story. During the 1960s and '70s, he played in the house bands of several CBS TV variety shows, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Danny Kaye Show and The Jonathan Winters Show, and was a member of the NBC Staff Orchestras in Los Angeles and New York. In his later years, Zarchy made many music tours of Europe, South America, and Australia, as well as 32 concert trips to Japan (sadly died with complications from pneumonia) b. June 12th 1915.

April 13th.
1959: Eduard van Beinum (58) Dutch conductor, pianist and violinist born in Arnhem, he joined the Arnhem Orchestra as a violinist in 1918. He conductor of the Haarlem Orchestral Society from 1927 to 1931. He first conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam in 1929. He became second conductor of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1931, under the supervision of Willem Mengelberg. In 1938 he was named co-principal conductor, alongside Mengelberg. In 1947 he took over the leadership of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, but left after two successful seasons through ill health. He made his US guest conducting debut in 1954, with the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1956, the year of Eduard's 25th anniversary with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, he was invested as a Grand Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau, and also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Amsterdam.He also served as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1956 to 1959 (he sadly suffered fatal heart attack on the Concertgebouw podium while rehearsing the orchestra for a performance of Johannes Brahms' Symphony No.1) b. September 3rd 1901.
1984: Ralph Kirkpatrick (72) American musicologist and harpsichordist, most famous for his chronological catalog of Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas. From 1933 to 1934, he taught at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. From 1940 he was a professor at Yale University, where he published his biography of Domenico Scarlatti and a critical edition of Scarlatti's complete works in 1953. He made a number of recordings of the harpsichord works of Johann Sebastian Bach and also produced an edition of Bach's Goldberg Variations which includes extensive discussion of ornamentation, fingering, phrasing, tempo, dynamics, and general interpretation. Ralph played modern music too, including Quincy Porter's Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra, Darius Milhaud's Sonata for Violin and Harpsichord, and the Double Concerto for Harpsichord, Piano and Chamber Orchestra by Elliott Carter, which was dedicated to him (?) b. June 10th 1911.
2004: Elden C. 'Buster' Bailey (81) American percussionist; he attended the New England Conservatory and graduated from Juilliard. During WW II he was a member of the U.S. Army 154th Ground Force Band. After the war Buster became a member of the New York Philharmonic, a career which would span 42 years and he was also a percussion teacher at Juilliard for 24 years. He was one of the original members of both the Little Orchestra Society and the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra. He wrote two books on percussion instruments and was a member of the Percussive Arts Society’s Hall of Fame. Buster was also an avid fan of circus music and was a member of Windjammers Unlimited, an organization devoted to music of the circus (?) b. April 22nd 1922.
2005: Johnny Loughrey (59) Irish singer and songwriter born in Newtownstewart, County Tyrone. With his mix of country songs, Irish ballads and easy listening music which he had a passion for. He released around 12 albums achieving success in both England and Ireland (?) b. July 20th 1945.
2005: Johnnie Johnson (80) American piano player and blues musician born in Fairmont, West Virginia. His work with Chuck Berry led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While serving in the US Marine Corps during WW II, he was a member of Bobby Troup's all serviceman jazz orchestra, The Barracudas. After his return, he moved to Detroit, Illinois and then Chicago, where he sat in with many notable artists, including Muddy Waters and Little Walter. He moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1952 and put together a jazz and blues group, The Sir John Trio. On New Years Eve that year, Johnnie called on a young Chuck Berry to help him out on a gig, after which Johnnie hired him permantly. Eventally Johnnie became part of Chuck's band. Over the next twenty years, the two collaborated in the arrangements of many of Berry's songs including "School Days", "Carol", and "Nadine". The song "Johnny B. Goode" was a tribute to Johnnie, with the title reflecting his usual behavior when he was drinking.Although never on his payroll after 1973, Johnnie played occasionally with Berry until Johnson's death. In 1987 he recorded his first solo album, Blue Hand Johnnie. He later performed with Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, Bo Diddley and George Thorogood appearing on Thorogood's 1995 live album Let's Work Together Live. In 1996 and 1997, Johnson toured with Bob Weir's Ratdog, playing 67 shows. In 1999, Johnnie's biography was released, Father of Rock and Roll: The Story of Johnnie B. Goode Johnson (?) b. July 8th 1924.
2010: Steve Reid (66) American jazz drummer from New York, he started drumming in his teens, and worked at the Apollo Theatre under the direction of Quincy Jones. After graduating at Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, he spent 3 years in Africa, opening up his influences even more. He affirms Africa is the heart of drumming. He went on to work with artists including Miles Davies, Sun Ra, James Brown, Fela Kuti and Ornette Coleman, as well as being a prolific session musician for Motown Records. In the early seventies he started his own label, Mustevic Sound Inc., and later lived in Switzerland working in Europe for a number of years. Steve was named JAZZIZ's "Percussionist of the Year" in both 1993 and '95. In 2006, he teamed up with groundbreaking electronic musician Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet, with whom he released 4 albums, The Exchange Session Vol.1 & 2, Tongues and NYC – between 2006 and 2008 (Steve sadly passed away following a battle with cancer) b. January 29th 1944.
2010: Manos Xydous (57) Greek singer-songwriter, musician and record producer (sadly died from a cardiac arrest) b. May 15th 1953

April 14th.
1954: Lil Green (34) American blues vocalist noted for superb timing and a distinctively sinuous voice; born in Mississippi; she went to Chicago, Illinois, where she began performing, at 18 she recorded her first session for the 35 cent Bluebird subsidiary of RCA. In the 1930s she and Big Bill Broonzy had a night club act together. Her two biggest hits were, her own composition "Romance in the Dark" 1940, and her rendition of "Why Don't You Do Right?" in 1941. As well as performing in Chicago clubs, she toured with Tiny Bradshaw and other bands, but never really broke away from the black theatre circuit. (pneumonia) b. December 22nd 1919.
1972: Niño Ricardo/Manuel Serrapí (68) Spanish flamenco composer, guitarist and child prodigy; born in Seville, he is considered by some as the most accomplished flamenco player of his day. He played a significant part in the evolution of the flamenco guitar. He spent his early years playing in the taverns and bars of Seville where he developed his own personal style and created much of his own material. He was inspired by the great threesome of flamenco guitar; Ramón Montoya, Manolo de Huelva, and Javier Molina, by whom he was guided at the start of his professional career in the Salon Variedades in Seville. He recorded with many singers, including Pastora, El Carbonerillo, Mazaco, Antonio and Manuel Mairena, Fernanda y Bernarda, Caracol and Talega. (sadly Nico died of cirrhosis of the liver) b. July 11th 1904.
1983: Pete Farndon (30) English bassist in the band The Pretenders, he played with Cold River Lady until the summer of 1976, and then toured with Australian folk-rock band The Bushwackers prior to joining the Pretenders in 1978. He played a large role in shaping The Pretenders' tough image, often wearing his biker clothing, or later, samurai gear onstage. Chrissie Hynde later acknowledged that two Pretenders' songs, "Biker" and "Samurai" had "references to a Pete Farndon type of character". Sadly he became more and more dependant on his drug use. (tragically found drowned in his bath due to a drug overdose) b. June 12th 1952.
1990: Thurston Harris (58) American singer born in Indianapolis; he first appeared on record as the featured vocalist with the Lamplighters in 1953, one of the many groups on the early R&B scene in South Central Los Angeles, throughout the early 1950s. The group later evolved into the Tenderfoots, then the Sharps. He is widely regarded as a one-hit wonder, with the song "Little Bitty Pretty One", in 1957, with the Sharps. It reached No.6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The track sold over one million records, achieving gold disc status. The song appeared on the soundtracks to films or television dramas, such as Telling Lies in America, Lipstick on Your Collar, and Christine. In 1958, Thurston scored a Top 20 R&B hit with "Do What You Did," but he failed to have any chart success afterwards. His other best known song was "Runk Bunk", recorded in 1959, and released by Aladdin Records (?) b. July 11th 1931.
1995: Burle Ives (85) American actor, folk music singer-songwriter and musician, born in Hunt City, Illinois, where he attended Eastern Illinois State Teachers College. Playing his banjo on the streets, he was jailed in Mona, Utah, for vagrancy and for singing “Foggy, Foggy Dew,” which the authorities decided was a bawdy song. Around 1931 he began performing on WBOW radio in Terre Haute, Indiana. Then in 1940 Burle began his own radio show, titled The Wayfaring Stranger after one of his ballads. Over the next decade, he popularized several traditional folk songs, such as “Foggy, Foggy Dew”, an English/Irish folk song; “Blue Tail Fly”, an old Civil War tune; and “Big Rock Candy Mountain”, an old hobo ditty. He went on to have dozens of hits such as "Riders In the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)", "Lavendar Blue, Dilly Dilly", "A Little Bitty Tear", "On Top Of Old Smokey", "Wild Side of Life", "Call Me Mister In-Between", and "Funny Way of Laughing." As an actor, his work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theatre, television, and motion pictures. His movie credits include East of Eden, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Desire Under The Elms, Wind Across The Everglades, The Big Country, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; and Our Man in Havana. Berle's Broadway career included appearances in The Boys From Syracuse, Heavenly Express, This Is the Army, Sing Out, Sweet Land, Paint Your Wagon, and Dr. Cook's Garden and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. His folk sing career (sadly died of complications of mouth cancer) b. June 14th 1909.
1998: Dorothy Squires/Edna May Squires (83) Welsh singer born in her parents' carnival caravan in Pontyberem, UK. She taught herself to play a ukulele and at 16 began to perform professionally as a singer in local working men's clubs. She soon relocated to London; while working as a nurse she met agent Joe Kay, who got her night time work in clubs. It was a club in the East End which gave her the name stage Dorothy. In 1936, Dorothy joined the Billy Reid's orchestra, he was her partner for many years. Immediately after the war, she worked on the BBC radio show Variety Bandbox, which made her the highest paid female singer in the UK. Working with Billy Reid, who also wrote many songs for her, Dorothy recorded the original version of Reid's composition, "A Tree in the Meadow", and other Reid penned songs including "I'm Walking Behind You" and "The Gypsy". After 8 years in the US and a marrage to actor Roger Moore, Dorothy returned to the UK, recording albums and performing to sold out concerts. But in 1971 she began an apparent love affair with the law courts, and undertook 30 cases over the next 15 years. In 1988 she lost her home in Bray following bankruptcy proceedings. Her last concert was in 1990, to pay her poll tax. She retired to Trebanog, Rhondda, South Wales in a home provided by a fan, Esme Coles, where she became a recluse (Sadly died of lung cancer in Llwynypia Hospital, Rhondda) b. March 25th 1915.
1999: Anthony Newley (67) English actor, singer and songwriter, born in Hackney, London. His first major film role was as Dick Bultitude in Peter Ustinov's Vice Versa in 1948 followed by the Artful Dodger in David Lean's Oliver Twist the same year, these were the first of many. He wrote ballads, many with Leslie Bricusse, that became signature hits for Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley Bassey and Tony Bennett. During the 1960s he also added his greatest accomplishments on the London West End theatre and Broadway theatre stage, in Hollywood films and UK and US TV. He also enjoyed success as a performer in such diverse fields as rock & roll and stage and screen acting. He started in May 1959 with the song "I've Waited So Long" a number 3 hit in the UK quickly followed by his No.6 hit "Personality" and then two No.1 hits in early 1960: "Why" and "Do You Mind?" (written by Lionel Bart). As a songwriter, he won the 1963 Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "What Kind of Fool Am I?". His last single "Sweet November" was released in 1968. In the 1970s he remained active, particularly as a Las Vegas and Catskills Borscht Belt resort performer and talk show guest (kidney cancer) b. September 24th 1931.
2005: Benny Bailey/Ernest Harold Bailey (79) American bebop and hard-bop jazz trumpeter. He learnt the piano and flute in his youth, then switched to trumpet, and concentrated on the instrument while at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In the early 1940s he worked with Bull Moose Jackson and Scatman Crothers and later worked with Dizzy Gillespie and toured with Lionel Hampton. During a European tour with Hampton he decided to stay in Europe and spend time in Sweden where he worked with Harry Arnold's big band and The Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band. Later he began to work with Quincy Jones and that led to a brief return to the US in 1960. After that he migrated to Germany, and later the Netherlands. In 1969 he played on Eddie Harris and Les McCann's album Swiss Movement which was recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, even though it was not normally his style of music. Then in 1988 he worked with Tony Coe and he kept producing albums until 2000 when he was in his mid-70s. (he died at home in Amsterdam) b. August 13th 1925.
2007: Don Ho/Donald Ho Tai Loy (76) Legendary Hawaiin pop singer, keyboardist, he was originally signed to Reprise Records and released his debut album, Don Ho Show, in 1965 and began to play high profile locations in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and New York City. In 1966 he released his second album, a live compilation called Don Ho — Again!, which charted in the early part of that year. In the fall of 1966, he released his most famous song, "Tiny Bubbles", which charted on both the pop and easy listening charts and caused the subsequent Tiny Bubbles LP to remain in the album Top 20 for almost a year. Another song associated with Don was "Pearly Shells". From 1964 to 1969, Don's backing group was The Aliis: Al Akana, Rudy Aquino, Benny Chong, Manny Lagodlagod and Joe Mundo. In the 70s he landed a television series on ABC from October 1976 to March 1977 with the Don Ho Show variety program which aired on weekday mornings (heart failure) b. August 13th 1930.
2010: Mississippi Slim/Walter Horn Jr (66) American blues singer born in Shelby, Mississippi; raised in Greenville and he worked on a plantation before leaving for Chicago in 1968. His trademark style was bright-coloured hair, multi-coloured suits and mix-matched shoes and socks. He returned to Mississippi in 1994. In 1999, he recorded "Miracles" with LaJam Records. With his remarkable stage presence, Mississippi Slim was a crowd favorite at the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival in 2008 (?) b. August 13th 1943.
2010: Peter Steele/Petrus T. Ratajczyk (48) American multi-musician and composer. Born in Brooklyn, he started taking guitar lessons at 12, moving on to bass 6 months later. He played for the metal group Fallout, which later reformed as Type O Negative, and the thrash band Carnivore, before reforming the gothic metal band Type O Negative, with himself as lead singer, bassist, and main composer. Type O Negative's debut album, Slow, Deep and Hard, was released in '91. The band went Platinum with '93's "Bloody Kisses", and gained an enormous following with seven studio albums, two best-of compilations, and concert DVDs. Peter and the band's last album was 2007's "Dead Again". He went on to appear as a guest on the talk shows Ricki Lake, The Howard Stern Show, and The Jerry Springer Show. In 2003, he had an acting role in an episode of the HBO drama series Oz. He followed this with a role in the 2005 film Bad Acid. He is among the musicians featured in the upcoming documentary Living the American Nightmare, set for release in 2011 (Peter died of heart failure) b. Jan 4th 1962.

April 15th.
1957: Pedro Infante/José Pedro Infante Cruz (39) Mexican actor and singer of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and an idol of the Mexican people. As well as his vast career in films, as a singer he recorded about 350 songs. Waltzes, cha-cha-chas, rancheras and boleros placed him among the most popular singers of the mariachi famed for his mariachi shout and ranchera music. Some of his most popular songs include: Amorcito Corazón/My Little Love and Heart; Te Quiero Así/I Love You Like This; La Que Se Fue/She Who Left; El Durazno/The Peach; Dulce Patria/Sweet Fatherland; Maldita Sea Mi Suerte/Cursed Be My Luck; Así Es La vida/Life Is Like This; Mañana Rosalía/Tomorrow Rosalía; Mi Cariñito/My Little Darling; and ¿Qué Te Ha Dado Esa Mujer?/What Has That Woman Given You?). His world famous song Bésame Mucho ("Kiss Me a Lot" or "Give Me a Lot of Kisses"), was the only melody that he recorded in English and he interpreted it in the movie A Toda Máquina (At Full Speed), with Luis Aguilar. Pedro was very often accompanied by the great musical ensembles of the time like the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Noé Fajardo's Orchestra, the Trío Calaveras and Antonio Bribiesca, among others. (Tragically he died in a plane crash when he was piloting a Consolidated Aircraft X B-24-D, which crashed 5 minutes after take-off from Mérida, Yucatán) b. November 18th 1917.
1968: Borys Mykolayovych Lyatoshynsky (73) Ukrainian composer, conductor, teacher, and leading member of the new generation of twentieth century Ukrainian composers. He finished his musical studies at the new Kiev Conservatory in the composition class of Reinhold Gliére, with whom he was to continue a life-long relationship. He graduated in 1919 and he soon took up a position as a teacher and later professor. As a composer he wrote a variety of works, including five symphonies, symphonic poems and many shorter orchestral works, choral and vocal music, two operas, chamber music and a number of works for solo piano (?) b. January 3rd 1895.
1974: Giovanni D'Anzi (68) Italian songwriter born in Milanhe wrote music and lyrics of "O mia bela Madonina". In 1935 , a song dedicated to his hometown which soon became a sort of unofficial city anthem. Between 1930s and 1950s Giovanni and Alfredo Bracchi formed a very prolific pair of songwriters. They worked for radio, cinema and theater productions. Several of their songs were great hits. Among them "Ma le gambe", "Bambina innamorata", "Ma l'amore no", "Ti parlerò d'amor". His song "Malinconia d'amore" has been sung by both Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras. During the 1960s Giovanni D'Anzi retired from the musical scene. He moved to Liguria and took up painting (Giovanni died at Santa Margherita Ligure. Milan's local authorities included him in the list of important Milanese people at the Monumental Cemetery) b. January 1st 1906.
1984: Machito/Francisco Grillo (74) Latin jazz musician born in in Havana, Cuba, during the ’40s, he took jazz improv and fused it with Afro-Cuban rhythms to help popularize Latin jazz around the world. Machito's music greatly inspired such North American jazz giants as Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton. As a band leader, he fronted the Afro Cubans, who also featured his sister, Graciela Perez-Grillo as lead vocalist for a time. Machito was awarded a Latin Grammy in 1983 for his Machito & His Sals Big Band ’82. More recently, his song "Mambo Mucho Mambo" has featured on the sound track for the game Grand Theft Auto Vice City. In 2005, his 1957 album, Kenya, was added to the list of albums in '1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'. (Sadly died of a fatal stroke while performing in London, UK) b. December 3rd 1909.
1988: Youri Egorov (33) Soviet classical pianist; born in Kazan, USSR, but feeling politically and being gay, sexually constrained by the Soviet system, he defected from the Soviet Union in 1976 while on a concert tour in Rome, Italy and travelled to Amsterdam where he was to meet his long term partner. In July, 1978, Musical America Magazine selected Youri as their "Musician of the Month". He made his Carnegie Hall debut on December 16, 1978 once again under the aegis of Gershunoff. The concert was recorded live. In August 1979, two of his albums appeared on Billboard Magazine's Best-Selling Classical LP chart. He made his home in Amsterdam and throughout the 1980s he played primarily in Europe. His last American appearance was in Florida in 1986. (complications of AIDS) b. May 28th 1954.
1995: Cleo Brown (85) American jazz singer born in Meridian, Mississippi, and sang in church as a child. In 1919 her family moved to Chicago and she began studying piano; in the 1920s she began taking gigs in clubs and broadcast on radio. made recordings in the '30s and '40s, with titles such as "Breakin' in a Pair of Shoes", "Mama Don't Want No Peas and Rice and Coconut Oil" and "The Stuff Is Here and it's Mellow". She entered the studios again in the late '80s after being rediscovered living in the hinterlands of Colorado (?) b. December 8th 1909.
1998: Rose Maddox (71) American country singer-songwriter and fiddle player born in Boaz, Alabama, she performed with her siblings as Maddox Brothers and Rose during the late ’30s and early ’40s. When her brothers went off to serve their country in WWII, Rose continued as a solo act and later rejoined them upon their return. Rose has been referred to as the “grandmother of rockabilly”. After the group disbanded in the late ’50s, Rose signed to Capitol Records as a solo act. She scored several Top 20 hits including a No.4 hit duet with Buck Owens. In the mid ’60s, Rose switched gears a bit and started performing bluegrass. She found a new audience among the folk revivalists of the era. She continued recording and performing occasionally well into the ’90s, and earning a Grammy nomination in 1996 (sadly died of kidney failure)*August 15th 1925.
2001: Joey Ramone/Jeffry Ross Hyman (49) American musician and singer, grew up in Forest Hills, Queens where he had a disfunctional upbringing, but in 1974, he co-founded the punk rock band Ramones with friends John Cummings and Douglas Colvin. All three adopted stage names using "Ramone" as their stage surname. Cummings became Johnny Ramone, and Colvin became Dee Dee Ramone, with Jeffry adopted the name Joey Ramone. The name Ramone stems from the fact that x-Beatle Paul McCartney used to check into hotels under the psuedonym "Paul Ramon" while touring. Joey initially served as the group's drummer and Dee Dee was the original vocalist. However, he proved to be unsuited for the lead vocals so they switched positions. The Ramones had enormous influence on the punk rock movement in the US, they achieved only minor commercial success, their only record certified gold was the compilation album Ramones Mania. In 1996, after a tour with the Lollapalooza music festival, the band played their final show and then disbanded. Recognition of the band's huge importance slowly built over the years, and they are now regularly represented in many assessments of all-time great rock music, such as the Rolling Stone lists of the 50 Greatest Artists of All Time and 25 Greatest Live Albums of All Time, VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, and Mojo's 100 Greatest Albums. In 2002, the Ramones were voted the second greatest rock and roll band ever in Spin. After the band split Joey did make occasional public appearances and worked for a time as a radio DJ; toward the end of the decade, he worked sporadically on a solo album and also assembled a band featuring guitarist Daniel Rey, bassist Andy Shernoff , and drummer Frank Funaro and played several gigs in the New York area. In 2001 the Ramones were named as inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Joey's solo album 'Don't Worry About Me' was released posthumously in 2002. (he sadly died after a brave seven year battle with lymphoma) b. May 19th 1951.
2004: Ray Condo/Ray Tremblay (53) Canadian rockabilly singer, saxophonist, guitarist, born in Hull, Quebec. He taught himself to play the guitar at 11 and by the time he was 16 had co-written and released his first recording, 'If You Only Knew' with a band in the style of the British invasion called The Peasants. He went on to form the band The Hardrock Goners, they performed a variety of styles, rockabilly, jazz, blues, country and western swing. Their first album was "It Came From Canada". They then established their own record label, "Crazy Rekkids". In 1991 they merged with a group called The Five Star Hillbillies, to create The Ricochets (sadly died from a heart attack) b. May 16th 1950.
2005: John Fred/John Fred Gourrier (63) American singer; his group, John Fred and the Playboys, was formed in 1956 having their first hit single "Shirley" in 1958's. In 1967, Fred and band member Andrew Bernard co-wrote "Judy in Disguise", a parody of The Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". The song knocked another Beatles song "Hello, Goodbye" out of the No.1 chart position on the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks in January '68. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Although Fred actually had a well-rehearsed and talented group honed by years on the road, he was branded as a novelty act and never had another success. Fred continued to perform in bands, and remained a fixture at concerts and shows in his hometown, and hosted a popular local radio show, The Roots of Rock 'n' Roll. In 2002, he released his final album, Somebody's Knockin (He sadly died from complications from a kidney transplant the year previous to his death) b. May 8th 1941.
2008: Clifford Davies (59) British drummer and pianist; after playing local gigs in the Aldershot area, he went on to join the second incarnation of British jazz-rock band "If" from 1972 to 1975. He played on four albums by the band and contributed many of their songs. Following If's break-up, he joined US hard rock guitarist Ted Nugent from 1975 to 1982 as drummer, producer and/or co-producer of all Nugent's recordings over those years, in collaboration with Lew Futterman, who had also produced If. In the 1980s, Cliff worked for Next City Productions, also owned by Futterman, in New York City recording with Grand Funk Railroad among others. Since the late 1990s he lived in Atlanta teaching piano and drums. He was also instrumental in founding the Rock and Roll Remembers Foundation. (tragically he died from a self inflicted gun shot wound) b. 1948.
2008: Brian "Blinky"Davison (65) British drummer and former member of the now legendary progressive rock band The Nice. Born in Leicester, he played drums in various Skiffle groups in and around the youth clubs and pubs in North-west London, especially around Baker Street in the late 1950s and part of >>> Read More <<< (he had been diagnosed with an inoperable tumor earlier this year, of which he sadly died) b. May 25th 1942.
2008: Sean Costello (28) American blues guitarist singer and songwriter, born in Philadelphia, but moved to Atlanta at the age of 9. He won the Memphis Blues Society's Talent Award aged 14. He released his first album "Call The Cops" when he was 17 and in 2000, he released his second album "Cuttin' In", earning him a Gold Record before his 21st birthday. Tinsley Ellis called him ‘the most gifted young Blues guitarist on the scene. He toured widely in the USA and Europe and his reputation as a brilliant live performer enabled him to play alongside blues luminaries such as Buddy Guy, B. B. King and Hubert Sumlin. (tragically found dead in his Atlanta hotel room, he died from an overdose of drugs including prescribed anti-anxiety medication) b. April 16th 1979.
2009: Robert Brookins (46) American singer; he began singing at the age of four, and after winning a Motown talent search in 1974, he joined a group called Afterbach whose debut was produced by Earth Wind & Fire’s Maurice and Verdine White. His vocals were featured on George Duke’s self titled release of 1986. He soon signed to MCA Records for whom he recorded a handful of acclaimed R&B albums. Over his career he worked with the likes of Stephanie Mills, Deniece Williams, the Whispers, Jeffrey Osbourne, and Bobby Brown. (Robert sadly died of a heart attack) b. October 7th 1962.
2010: George Melvin (63) American jazz and R&B keyboardist, born in Charlottesville, launched his career while still in his late teens, mainly focusing on the Hammond B-3 organ.During the first thirty years of his career, George performed with many well-known musicians, either as a member of their bands or as the “host musician” at the venues where he was employed. Pearl Bailey, Dean Martin, Toots Thieleman, Al Hurt, Grant Green, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Aretha Franklin, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Ray Charles, the Moments Nancy Wilson, Johnny Cash, Charlie Daniels, Ray Charles, Teddy Pendergrass, Nat Reeves and many others have expanded both his stylings and his repertoire. In later years, he was a constant fixture of the Charlottesville, Virginia music scene. (sadly died after a long battle with a series of diabetes-related health complications) b. May 24th 1947.
2011: Vincenzo La Scola (53) Italian tenor born in Palermo; he had a successful international opera career for more than 25 years. He was particularly admired for his portrayals in operas by Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini. He also achieved success as a crossover artist, particularly in his many collaborations with singer-songwriter Cliff Richard and for his solo crossover album Vita Mia in 1999. In 2000 he was made a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and from 2004 until his sudden death he served as principal teacher- artistic director of the Accademia Verdi Toscanini in Parma (sadly died of a heart attack) b. January 25th 1958

April 16th.
1973: Nino Bravo/Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis (28) Spanish singer, born near Valencia, he began singing at a hotel, where he sang his favorite English song, "Only You". In the late 60s he went on to appeared at the Barcelona Music Festival and received favorable reviews from a festival audience in Athens, Greece, after which he sang at the Rio de Janeiro Festival. After being exposed to these international audiences in Europe and Latin America, Nino's first solo album was soon released, and the song "Te quiero, te quiero", became an international hit, which is now considered a classic by many Hispanic music critics. His first album, "Tu Cambiarás" /"You Will Change", sold well, particularly in Colombia, where Bravo became very popular. He then sang on the Spaniard television contest show, "Pasaporte a Dublín" / "Passport to Dublin" in which the winner would represent Spain in 1971's Eurovision. After the show, he went on tour in Colombia and Brazil, where he participated, for a second time in the Rio de Janeiro Festival. (Nino was driving his car along with the Humo duo and Miguel Diurni when his car was involved in a tragic accident about 100 km southeast of Madrid. He died on the way to the hospital as consequence of his injuries) b. August 3rd 1944.
1973: István Kertész (43) Hungarian orchestral and operatic conductor. From 1953-55, he conducted at Gyor, and Budapest Opera orchestra from 1955-57. In March 1960, he was invited to become General Music Director of the Augsburg Opera. There, he conducted performances of Mozart's The Magic Flute, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Così fan tutte, and The Marriage of Figaro, and earned for himself a reputation as one of the finest interpreters of Mozart's work. With exhilarating performances of Verdi's Rigoletto, Don Carlos, Otello and Falstaff, and Richard Strauss's Salome, Arabella, and Der Rosenkavalier, he also proved himself a master of the finest of Italian romantic operas. Invited to the Salzburg Festival, he conducted The Abduction from the Seraglio in 1961, and The Magic Flute in 1963. During this time, he also conducted the first of many performances with the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Opera, the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, and with Arthur Rubinstein in Paris. His UK debut was with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 1960. He began an association with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra guest conducting a concert at Tel Aviv's Mann Auditorium in March 1962. He conducted over 378 compositions with that orchestra over an eleven year period (while on a concert tour, Istvan tragically drowned while swimming off the coast of Israel at Herzliya) b. August 28th 1929.
1992: Andy Russell/Andrés Rabago Pérez () US popular vocalist, he became vocalist and drummer with the bands of Johnny Richards, Gus Arnheim, Sonny Dunham, and Alvino Rey. By 1944, he had become well enough regarded a pop vocalist to be featured on radio, and in the next year had his "Old Gold Show". In 1946, the pop music radio program Your Hit Parade asked him to take the place of Frank Sinatra, this led to increased popularity.He was signed on with Capitol Records and his first charted hit was "Bésame Mucho", followed by "Amor", "What a Difference a Day Made", "I Dream of You"/"Magic Is Moonlight", "I Can't Begin to Tell You", "Laughing on the Outside", "They Say It's Wonderful" and "Pretending", "I'm Still Not Through Missing You", "It's Such a Pretty World Today" to mention a few. He relocated to Mexico, then Argentina where he had a successful television variety show that ran for seven years, before returning to the US (?) b. September 16th 1919.
1999: Alexander "Skip" Spence (52) American -Canadian drummer, guitarist born in Windsor, Ontario; his family relocated to San Jose, CA, in the late '50s; he was best known for his work with Moby Grape and Jefferson Airplane. Skip was a guitarist in an early line-up of Quicksilver Messenger Service before Marty Balin recruited him to be the drummer for Jefferson Airplane. After one album with Jefferson Airplane, their debut Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, he left to co-found Moby Grape, once again as a guitarist. It was with Moby Grape that Spence found his greatest musical fame, writing among other songs, "Omaha", from Moby Grape's first album in 1967, a song identified in 2008 by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time. Mental illness, drug addiction and alcoholism prevented him from sustaining a full time career in the music industry. He remained in and around San Jose and Santa Cruz, California. (sadly died from lung cancer) b. April 18th 1946.
2010: C. P. Rele/Chandrashekhar P. Rele (82) Indian classical singer born in Mumbai, he specialized in singing, teaching, and composing khyal. He studied vocal music along with the legendary Kumar Gandharva under the well-known musicologist Prof. B.R. Deodhar. He also witnessed at close quarters, the training and the growth of Kumar Gandharva. His compositions are very popular among younger musicians today. Critics and musicians have acclaimed his collection of 135 compositions. Among his others writings, Dr. Rele is also the author of an extremely significant work on Raga Sangeet, entitled 'Svara Pravaaha' (?) b.????

April 17th.
1941: Albert Allick "Al" Bowlly (43) Southern-African singer, songwriter, composer and band leader, born in Lourenço Marques in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique. Al gained his musical experience singing for a dance band led by Edgar Adeler on a tour of South Africa, Rhodesia, India and Indonesia during the mid 20s. He bwent on to be a popular Jazz crooner during the 1930s in the UK and later, in America. He recorded more than 1,000 records between 1927 and 1941. His most popular songs include "Goodnight, Sweetheart", "The Very Thought of You", "Guilty", and "Love Is the Sweetest Thing". As well as singing, he played both the guitar and the ukuleleAl Bowlly is invariably credited with inventing crooning, or "The Modern Singing Style", and is also credited with being the first "Pop Star". Al remains one of the most highly regarded singers of his era because of his extraordinary range, his command of pitch and rhythm, and, above all, the sincerity with which he could deliver a lyric (Al was tragically killed by a Luftwaffe parachute mine which detonated outside his London flat. His body appeared unmarked: although the massive explosion had not disfigured him, it had blown his bedroom door off its hinges and the impact against his head proved fatal. He was buried with other bombing victims in a mass grave at the Hanwell Cemetery, originally City of Westminster Cemetery, Uxbridge Road, Hanwell, London, where his name is spelled Albert Alex Bowlly) b. January 7th 1898.
1960: Eddie Cochran (21) American singer, songwriter, multi-musician born in Minnesota, one of the greatest, and the most talented of the early pop stars. He was a rock and roll pioneer who in his short career had lasting influence on rock music. His songs have influenced bands and artists such as The Who, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen, Tom Petty, The Stray Cats, Motörhead, Rod Stewart, Humble Pie, Lemmy Kilmister, T. Rex, The White Stripes, Brian Setzer, Cliff Richard, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, UFO, The Sex Pistols and many more. Eddie's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else" and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was his bold attitude and confident guitar playing, that, particularly on the 1960 British tour, impressed budding rockers and fans alike. He experimented with multitracking and overdubbing even on his earliest singles, and was also able to play piano, bass and drums. His image as a sharply dressed, rugged but good looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the Fifties rocker, and in death he achieved iconic status. His "Three Steps to Heaven" single became a UK No.1 hit a couple of weeks after his death. (while on tour in the UK, Eddie died as a result of a traffic accident, in a Ford Consul taxi he was traveling in on the A4, Chippenham, Wiltshire. He was thrown through the windscreen when it hit a lamp post. Sadly Eddie died in hospital in the early hours of the following morning with severe head injuries) b. October 3rd 1938.
1967: Henry "Red" Allen (61) American jazz trumpeter and singer, born in of New Orleans, Louisiana; he was playing professionally by 1924 with the Excelsior Brass Band and the jazz dance bands of Sam Morgan, George Lewis and John Casimir. After playing on riverboats on the Mississippi River, he went to Chicago in 1927 to join King Oliver's band. Around this time he made recordings on the side in the band of Clarence Williams. After returning briefly to New Orleans where he worked with the bands of Fate Marable and Fats Pichon, he was offered a recording contract with Victor Records and returned to New York City, where he also joined the Luis Russell band. In 1929 Red was a featured with Luis Russell's Orchestra until 1932 and took part in recording sessions that year some of which featured Fats Waller and/or Tommy Dorsey. In 1933 he joined Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra until 1934. After which he played with Lucky Millinder's Mills Blue Rhythm Band 1934-1937, when he returned to Luis Russell for three more years by the time Russell's orchestra was fronted by Louis Armstrong. He continued making many recordings under his own name, as well as recording with Fats Waller and Jelly Roll Morton with vocalists including Victoria Spivey and Billie Holiday. Red started leading his own band at The Famous Door in Manhattan. He then toured with his band around the USA into the late 1950s. In 1959 Allen made his first tour of Europe when he joined Kid Ory's band, Red made his final tour of England with his own band ending six weeks before his death (sadly died from pancreatic cancer) b. January 7th 1906.
1971: Carmen Lombardo (67) Canadian singer and composer, born in London, Ontario, he was the younger brother of bandleader Guy Lombardo. His compositions included the 1928 classic "Sweethearts on Parade", which was No.1 for three weeks in 1929 on the U.S. pop charts; "Ridin' Around in the Rain", written with Gene Austin in 1934; the jazz and pop standards "Coquette", "Boo Hoo", and "Some Rainy Day", and "Powder Your Face With Sunshine (Smile, Smile, Smile)", written with Stanley Rochinski in 1948-49, As a child he took flute lessons, and later learned to play saxophone. He later formed a band with his brother Guy as conductor, which developed into The Royal Canadians in 1923, Carmen both sang and wrote music. Carman also wrote the words and music with John Jacob Loeb for Guy Lombardo's stage productions of Arabian Nights 1954/1955; Paradise Island 1961/1962, and Mardi Gras 1965/1966, at Jones Beach, New York (Sadly died of cancer) b. July 16th 1903.
1974: Vinnie Taylor/Chris Donald (24) American lead guitarist; he replaced Henry Gross as the lead guitarist the rock and roll group Sha Na Na in 1970 until his untimely death in '74 (Vinnie sadly died from a heroin overdose after a concert at University Hall at the University of Virginia) b. 1949.
1983: Felix Pappalardi (43) American music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bassist; born in the Bronx, NY. a classically trained musician, he attended the University of Michigan. In 1964 he was a member of Max Morath's Original Rag Quartet. As a producer, he is perhaps best-known for his work with British psychedelic blues-rock power trio Cream, beginning with their second album, Disraeli Gears. As a musician, Felix is widely known as a bassist, vocalist, and founding member of the American hard rock band Mountain The band's signature song, "Mississippi Queen" is still heard regularly on classic rock radio stations. Felix was forced to retire because of partial deafness, ostensibly from his high-volume shows with Mountain. He continued producing throughout the 1970s and released a solo album and recorded with Japanese hard rock outfit Blues Creation. (He was tragically shot dead by his wife Gail Collins during a jealous rage. She claimed it was an accident, and was found guilty of the lesser criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to 16 months to 4 years in prison and was released on parole in April 1985.) b. December 30th 1939.
1987: Carlton Barrett (36) Jamaican musician, an influential reggae drummer and percussion player. His musical development in the early years were with his brother Aston "Family Man" Barrett as a member of Lee "Scratch" Perry's "house band" The Upsetters. The brothers joined Bob Marley and The Wailers around 1970. He wrote the well known Bob Marley song "War" and with his brother Aston co-wrote "Talkin' Blues". Carlton is featured on all the albums recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers with the exception of the 1970 "Soul Shakedown Party". He was the originator of the one drop rhythm, a percussive drumming style. With Carly's beats and his brother Aston's bass, the Wailer rhythm section planted the seeds of today's international reggae. He stayed and performed with Bob Marley until Marley's death in 1981. (Carlton was murdered, shot twice in the head outside his house in Kingston) b. December 17th 1950.
1998: Linda McCartney née Eastman (56) American vocalist, keyboardist, photographer, and animal rights activist. Born in New York City, after a priveliged upbringing, she started work as a receptionist for the Town & Country magazine, and was the only unofficial photographer on board the SS Sea Panther yacht on the Hudson River, After which she became the house photographer at the Fillmore East concert hall, photographing artists such as Aretha Franklin, Grace Slick, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, The Doors, The Animals, and Neil Young. She photographed Clapton for Rolling Stone magazine, becoming the first woman to have a photo featured on the front cover May 11th 1968. She and Paul McCartney also appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone on January 31st 1974, making her the only person both to have taken a photo, and to have been photographed, for the front cover of the magazine. Linda made an uncredited vocal contribution to The Beatles song "Let It Be" in January 1969. Linda and Paul were the accredited artists on Paul's second post-Beatles LP, 1971's "Ram". Paul permanently included Linda in the lineup for his subsequent group, Wings. The group won several Grammy Awards, becoming one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. In 1977, a single entitled "Seaside Woman" was released by an obscure band called Suzy and the Red Stripes, on Epic Records in the US. In reality, Suzy and The Red Stripes were Wings, with Linda McCartney, who also wrote the song, on lead vocals. She was a strong advocate for animal rights, and lent her support to many organizations like PETA; The Council for the Protection of Rural England, Friends of the Earth; and was a patron of the League Against Cruel Sports (Sadly Linda lost her battle with breast cancer) b. September 24th 1941.
2003: Earl King/Earl Silas Johnson IV (69) New Orleans Blues guitar virtuoso and songwriter most active in blues music. He was the composer of well known standards such as "Come On" (covered by Jimi Hendrix), and Professor Longhair's "Big Chief". He started to play guitar at 15. Soon he started entering talent contests at local clubs. It was at one of those clubs where he met his idol Guitar Slim. Earl started imitating Slim, his presence gave a big impact on his musical directions. In 1954, when Slim was injured in an automobile accident, Earl was deputized to continue Slim's band tour, representing himself as Slim. After succeeding in this role, he became a regular at the Dew Drop Inn. Earl is considered to be one of the most important figures in New Orleans R&B music. (complications of diabetes in New Orleans) b. February 7th 1934.
2008: Danny Federici (58) American musician; life long friend and over 40 years as keyboardist with Bruce Springsteen in bands Child, Steel Mill and The E Street Band. Danny started to play accordion when he was seven years old, and was soon playing at parties, clubs and on radio. He attended Hunterdon Central High School in New Jersey, when he, along with Vini Lopez started the band, Child at the end of the '60s, with Bruce Springsteen their chosen singer a friendship and working friendship that lastrd throughout his life. During the '90s, Tony recorded a solo album of jazz instrumentals called Flemington, re-worked and re-issued as Danny Federici on in 2001. This was followed up with a smooth jazz album Sweet in 2004, was also re-issued as Out of a Dream in 2005. Danny performed on other artist's records as well, including those of Graham Parker, Joan Armatrading, Gary U.S. Bonds and Garland Jeffreys. He made his last appearence on March 20, 2008, for portions of a Springsteen and E Street Band performance in Indianapolis at Conseco Fieldhouse (died after a three year battle with melanoma) b. January 23rd 1950
2011: Eric Gross (84) Austrian-born Australian pianist and composer born in Vienna, but emigrated to the UK in 1938; from the age of 14 he worked as a pianist in bands and orchestras, and as a studio accompanist for the BBC. Following professional engagements in Ceylon/Sri Lanka and New Caledonia, he settled in Sydney in 1958. He joined the staff of the Department of Music at the University of Sydney in 1960 and remained there until retiring in 1991 as Associate Professor of Music. His worldwide travels and cultural experiences tended to give his music a cosmopolitan flavour, with trace's of Austrian, Scottish, Asian and South American influences emerging from time to time. He also enjoyed experimentation, especially when a sympathetic virtuoso or ensemble such as bass-baritone Alan Light, trombonist Greg van der Struik or Adrian Hooper's Sydney Mandolins, was available. In 1989 he was visiting Professor at the University of Guyana. A past President of the Fellowship of Australian Composers, he was also Treasurer and Executive Board Member of the Asian Composers' League from 1981 until 1994. In 1998 Eric was made a Member of the Order of Australia and, on Australia Day 2006, he was declared to be the City of Canada Bay Cultural and Artistic Citizen of the Year (?) b. September 16th 1926.
2011: Nikos Papazoglou (63) Greek singer-songwriter, born in Thessaloniki; he began performing in a number of Greek local groups in the 1960s. In 1972, he moved to Aachen in Germany with the group Zilotis in an attempt to break into the international music scene. The group recorded six songs in Milan, Italy. Shortly afterwards, he returned to Greece. Since 1984 e and his band known as Loxi falaga recorded and toured gaining huge popularity with the general public. His works generated an ever-expanding audience in northern Europe and America. His songs include: Kaneis edw den tragouda, Ax Ellada, Avgoustos, Oi magkes den yparxoun pia, Ydrokhoos and many others (sadly died after a battling cancer) b. March 20th 1948.

April 18th.
1973: Willie "The Lion" Smith (79) American jazz pianist; one of the masters of the stride style. Duke Ellington stated "Willie The Lion was the greatest influence of all the great jazz piano players who have come along. He has a beat that stays in the mind". Born in Goshen, New York and by the early 1910s he was playing in New York City and Atlantic City, New Jersey. After serving in WW1 he returned to working in Harlem clubs and in rent parties, he worked for decades, often as a soloist, sometimes in bands and accompanying blues singers such as Mamie Smith. Although working in relative obscurity, he was a "musician's musician", influencing countless others including Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and Artie Shaw. In the 1940s his music found appreciation with a wider audience, and he toured North America and Europe through to 1971. (?) b. November 25th 1897
1996: Bernard Edwards (42) American bassist and producer, born in Greenville, North Carolina, but grew up in Brooklyn, New York City. In 1972 he and Nile Rodgers formed the Big Apple Band and in 1976 they united with drummer Tony Thompson to form Chic together with singer Norma Jean Wright. They had hits such as "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)", "I Want Your Love", "Everybody Dance", "Le Freak", and "Good Times". After Chic's breakup in 1983, he released a solo album the same year, and in 1985 he was instrumental in the formation of the supergroup Power Station