March 16, 2019

1904 Glenn Miller born in Clarinda, Lowa. US Dance Band Leader. He had many hits in the 30’s & 40’s. He disappeared over the English Channel on a flight to Paris. 1913 Buster Noble born in Adelaide, SA. Australian Entertainer. He recorded the novelty hit songs the Pommy Jackeroo (’62) & The Young Camp Stockman (’82). […] More

1938 Lawrence Payton born in Detroit, Michigan. Vocalist with The Four Tops, (1965 US No.1 single with ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ and a 1967 UK No.6 single with ‘Standing In The Shadows of Love’). Payton died on June 20th 1997. 1941 Keith Potger born in Columbo, Sri Lanka. Vocalist/Guitarist with The Seekers. 1943 Lou Reed (Louis Firbank) […] More

1927 Junior Parker born in West Memphis, Arizona. US blues singer/songwriter who wrote ‘Mystery Train’, which was covered by Elvis Presley. He also worked with BB King and Howlin’ Wolf. Parker died on November 18th 1971. 1928 Dave Dudley born in Spencer, Wisconsin. US Country singer. He recorded the truckie’s favourite ‘Six Days On The Road’ […] More

1925 Paul Mauriat born in Marseilles, France. French, conductor, arranger, (1968 US No.1 single chart ‘Love Is Blue’, a No.12 hit in the UK). Paul Mauriat died on 3 November 2006 in Perpignan, France, age 811936 Eric Allandale born in Dominica, West Indies UK Trumpeter with The Foundations, (1967 UK No.1 single ‘Baby Now That […] More

1938 Paul Evans born in Queens, New York. US Singer/Songwriter. As a performer, he had hits with the songs “Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat” (his biggest hit, recorded with The Curls), reaching No.9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959), “Midnight Special” and “Happy-Go-Lucky Me”. Evans had a sizeable hit in the UK […] More

1893 Memphis blues artist Walter ‘Furry’ Lewis. He was the first guitarist to play with a bottleneck. He lost a leg in a railroad accident and once supported The Rolling Stones. Joni Mitchell wrote the song ‘Furry Sings The Blues’ after him. Lewis died on September 14th 1981, aged 88. 1905 Bob Wills, American Western swing […] More

1941 Danyel Gerard (Gerard Daniel Kherlakian) born in France. French Singer best know for his 1971 single ‘Butterfly’. 1942 Hamilton bohannon born in Newnan, Georgia. US Singer/songwriter & Drummer with one hit in 1975 ‘Disco Stomp”. 1943 Leon Frank Sylvers born in Memphis, Tennessee. Vocalist and oldest of The Sylvers. 1945 Arthur Lee born inMemphis, Tennessee. American singer-songwriter […] More

1942 Ralph Ellis born in Liverpool, England. UK Guitarist in the early days of The Swinging Blue Jeans. He left in 1966. (1964 UK No.2 & US No.24 single ‘Hippy Hippy Shake’). 1943 Andrew Semple – Guitarist/Vocals with The Fortunes, (1965 UK No.2 & US No.7 single ‘You’ve Got Your Troubles’). 1944 Keef Hartle born in Preston, […] More

1925 Billy Ford born in Bloomfield, New Jersey. US singer in duets with Lillie Bryant as Billy & Lillie. He died in 1985. 1928 Keely Smith (Dorothy Jacqueline Keely) born in Norfolk, Virginia. US Singer in the Louis Prima Band. On December 16, 2017, Smith died of apparent heart failure in Palm Springs, California, at the […] More

1923 Jethro (Kenneth burns) born in Conasauga, Tennessee. He was known as Home & Jethro in the duo with Henry Haynes. Jethro died 2nd April, 1999. 1940 Dean Torrence born in Los Angeles, California. One hlaf of the US duo Jan (Berry) & Dean, (1963 US No.1 & UK No.26, single ‘Surf City’, co written by […] More

1917 Leonard Chess, the founder of the Chess record label, home to John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Jimmy Reed. Chess died of a heart attack on October 16th 1969, aged 52. 1940 Al Jarreau (Alwyn Jarreau) born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. American singer and musician. He received a total of seven Grammy Awards and […] More