Music History Events: Births
August 6, 1921 Jazz/Blues musician Buddy Collette (tenor saxophonist, flautist, and clarinetist) is born in Los Angeles, California. He became a founding member of Chico Hamilton's quintet.
August 4, 1921 Jazz guitarist Herb Ellis is born in Farmersville, Texas. Along with drummer Buddy Rich, he was part of the backing band for comeback albums by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
August 3, 1921 Broadway lyricist/composer Richard Adler (The Pajama Game) is born in New York City. With Frank Loesser, he writes Tony Bennett's "Rags To Riches."
July 24, 1921 Jazz pianist and composer Billy Taylor is born in Greenville, North Carolina. He penned the unofficial civil rights anthem "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" in 1963.
June 1, 1921 Nelson Riddle is born in Oradell, New Jersey. He'll become famous as the orchestrator and arranger behind countless hits for Capitol Records artists like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, and - decades later - Linda Ronstadt.
May 25, 1921 Lyricist Hal David, frequent collaborator of Burt Bacharach, is born in New York City.
May 25, 1921 Kitty Kallen is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Known for the hit 1954 single "Little Things Mean A Lot."
May 17, 1921 Bob Merrill, a prolific songwriter whose hits include "(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window?" and "Mambo Italiano," is born in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
May 3, 1921 Traditional pop vocalist Joe Ames (of The Ames Brothers) is born in Malden, Massachusetts.
April 22, 1921 Afro-Cuban jazz percussionist Candido Camero is born in Cuba.
April 12, 1921 Chicago blues musician Shakey Jake Harris is born James D. Harris in Earle, Arkansas, but would be raised in Chicago, Illinois. A professional gambler, he borrows his nickname from the dice players' expression "shake 'em."
April 10, 1921 Actor and novelty singer Sheb Wooley is born in Erick, Oklahoma.
March 31, 1921 Blues guitarist Lowell Fulson is born in Atoka, Oklahoma.
March 15, 1921 Doo-wop musician Les Cooper, known for the 1962 instrumental hit "Wiggle Wobble," is born in Norfolk, Virginia.
January 31, 1921 Italian tenor Mario Lanza is born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He takes his stage name from his mother's maiden name: Maria Lanza.
January 30, 1921 Jazz pianist Bernie Leighton is born in West Haven, Connecticut.
December 31, 1920 Actor Rex Allen, who has a country hit with "Don't Go Near the Indians" in 1962, is born near Willcox, Arizona.
December 14, 1920 Swing trumpeter Clark Terry is born in St. Louis, Missouri. One of the most recorded jazz musicians, he would play with the likes of Charlie Barnet, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Quincy Jones.
December 6, 1920 Jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, composer of the standard "In Your Own Sweet Way," is born in Concord, California.
September 7, 1920 Guitarist Al Caiola, a frequent session musician in the '50s, is born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
August 29, 1920 Jazz great Charlie Parker is born in Kansas City, Kansas. A sax player, he develops an innovative style known as bebop that influences players like Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis.
August 3, 1920 Jazz trumpeter Charlie Shavers, who will work with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday, is born in New York City.
July 27, 1920 Henry D. "Homer" Haynes (of the country music parody duo Homer and Jethro) is born near Knoxville, Tennessee.
July 21, 1920 Isaac Stern, violinist and conductor, is born in Kremenets, Ukraine.
May 26, 1920 Peggy Lee is born Norma Deloris Egstrom in Jamestown, North Dakota.
April 7, 1920 Ravi Shankar, Hindustani classical musician and composer (and dad to Norah Jones), is born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury in Benares, India.
March 10, 1920 Kenneth C. "Jethro" Burns (of the country duo Homer & Jethro) is born in Conasauga, Tennessee.
February 13, 1920 Songwriter Boudleaux Bryant is born in Shellman, Georgia. Co-wrote hit songs with wife Felice Bryant, including "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Bye Bye Love" for The Everly Brothers.
February 13, 1920 Radio and opera singer Eileen Farrell is born in Willimantic, Connecticut.
February 7, 1920 Folk singer-songwriter Oscar Brand is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but is raised in Brooklyn, New York.
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