BIRTHDAYS 1917 William A. Bolick C&W Singer/Mandolin
b. Hickory, NC, USA.
Member:
"Blue Sky Boys", a duo comprised of Bill and Earl Bollich. (Bill:
Singer/Mandolin ,né: William A. Bolick, b. Hickory, NC, USA, and Earl:
Singer/Guitar, né: Earl A. Bolick, b. Hickory, NC, USA. d. April 19,
1998)
1919 Richard Brown, vocals d. Jan. 11, 2002 (Natural causes)
né: Herbert Richard Brown.
This
ballad vocalist lived long enough to see Television and to sing on such
TV shows as Be My Guest . Prior to that, he was often heard on Radio
shows including the famed Stop The Music program. In his later years,
he became a full time Rabbi. CAUTION: Do not confuse with Richard
Melvin Brown, award winning songwriter & author of the popular
songwriting manual "The Lyricist's Assistant" How To TURN Your Words
Into a SONG. Another Richard Brown was heard on lead vocals,and
guitar/organ for the group "Curses". The other members were Cindy
Yogmas: keyboards, vocals, Mike D'allessandro: drums, and David Parker:
bass. The band "Heroes Of The Alamo" is a New York City based band
(1999) that consists of Richard Brown (Bass, Vocals), Todd Carlstrom
(Vocals, Lead Guitar), David Makuen (Vocals, Guitar) and Kevin Slane
(Drums, Percussion, Vocals). The group took their name from a B-Movie
poster hanging in an East Village Taco shop. And, perhaps the best
known Richard Brown was Richard "Rabbit" Brown, one of the most
celebrated "Songsters", and the only one from new Orleans to record.
Brown was born in New Orleans ca. 1880 and died there in 1937. In his
early years, he was a type of musician often called "Songsters",
--musicians who sang on the streets for whatever small change that
passersby would give them. He used to sing on the streets of Storyville
(the bordello district of old New Orleans). "Rabbit" was a regular
performer at Mama Lou's "Restaurant", and other bordellos, and he
frequently worked as a singing boatman on Lake Pontchartrain. He may
have been one of the earliest New Orleans' folk singers to learn the
Twelve Bar Blues Pattern. Two of the songs he composed are "The
Downfall of the Lion", which told how New Orleans Police Superintendent
David Hennessey was shotgunned to death. The other song, "Gyp the
Blood" told the story of the murder of restauranteur and bar owner
Billy Phillips by Charles Harrison (a.k.a. "Gyp the Blood"), a New York
hoodlum on the "lam". In 1927, 'Rabbit' recorded 6 tracks in New
Orleans.
1916 William Palmer "Bill" Harris, Trombone b. Philadelphia, PA, USA. d. Aug 21, 1973, Hallandale, FL, USA.
To quote 'Chubby' Jackson,
"To date, my favorite gentleman on trombone was, and still is without
question, his honor Bill Harris. What a creative musician he was. He
used to play differently every time he stood up to solo. The band used
to impatiently await his turn and when he sat down, the entire band
would visibly let him know how they felt."
Starting
in 1938, Harris toured with the big bands of Gene Krupa, Ray McKinley,
and Bob Chester. After playing with Benny Goodman (1943-1944) and
Charlie Barnet, and guesting on a couple of Eddie Condon's Town Hall
concerts, Harris became famous for his work with Woody Herman's First
Herd (1944-1946). During 1948-1950, he was one of the few 'First Herd'
members to also be in the Four Brothers Second Herd. During 1956-1959,
Harris also re-joined Herman a few times. In 1947, he co-led a band
with Charlie Ventura, in 1953 teamed up with Chubby Jackson, and during
1950-1954 starred with 'Jazz at the Philharmonic'. During the second
half of the 1950s, Harris often collaborated with Flip Phillips, and in
1959 their band formed the nucleus of Benny Goodman's group.
Subsequently he mostly retired to Florida, although did appeared
briefly in Las Vegas.
1909 Willie Hatcher, Soul vocals b.
Clarksdale, MS, USA. (raised in Cleveland, OH, USA) (also recorded with
his brothers Edwin (d. April 2, 2003, England, UK, heart attack ), and
Roger Hatcher. Edwin is also known as Edwin Starr).
1892 Oliver "Ollie or Dink" Johnson piano/drums/clarinet, b. Biloxi, MS, USA.
d. Nov. 29, 1954, Portland, OR, USA
Biography
Dink
Johnson was nothing if not versatile, as one can judge from the three
instruments that he played. Johnson started out working in New Orleans
as a pianist in Storyville. He traveled to Los Angeles where he was a
member of Bill Johnson's Creole Band in 1913, as a drummer. Johnson
freelanced, played drums during Jelly Roll Morton's stay in California
and in 1922 recorded with Kid Ory's band (Spikes' Seven Pods of
Pepper), on clarinet! Johnson spent much of his career in California,
leading the Five Hounds of Jazz (later renamed the Los Angeles Six) and
then mostly working as a solo pianist. Although he ran his own
restaurant in Los Angeles, he remained active as a player into the late
'40s. Johnson was much better-known locally then he was nationally,
performing in an early style that fell between stride and ragtime. Dink
Johnson recorded fairly extensively (mostly as a pianist) for American
Music during 1946-47, Euphonic (1948) and Nola (1950).
~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
1907 Everard Steven "Rudy or Root" Powell Sr., clarinet/alto sax b. New York, NY, USA. d: Oct. 30, 1976, New York, NY, USA.
aka: Musheed Karweem
bio
A
fine journeyman clarinetist and altoist, Rudy Powell (who in later
years would change his name to Musheed Karweem) had a fairly productive
career. He studied piano and violin as a child before switching to
saxophone. Powell was a professional musician by 1927, playing with
June Clark and Gene Rodger's Revellers. His first major job was with
Cliff Jackson's Krazy Kats from 1928-30. The altoist (who was
influenced a bit by Benny Carter ) had many associations through the
years, working with Elmer Snowden ,Dave Nelson ,Sam Wooding , Kaiser
Marshall's Trio, Rex Stewart (1933), Fats Waller (off and on from
1935-37), Edgar Hayes ,Claude Hopkins (1938-39 and 1944), the Teddy
Wilson big band, Andy Kirk (1940-41), Fletcher Henderson (1941-42),
Eddie South ,Don Redman (1943), Chris Columbus , Cab Calloway's
Orchestra (1945-48), Lucky Millinder (1949-51), Jimmy Rushing ,Buddy
Tate , pianist Benton Heath's New Garden Ballroom Orchestra (1953-61),
Ray Charles (1961-62), Buddy Johnson and Duke Ellington's My People
show. Powell's last major association was with the Saints and Sinners
(1965-69), although he freelanced occasionally into the 1970s. Powell
recorded with most of the above names (plus Al Casey in 1960 and Henry
"Red" Allen ) but never as a leader.
~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Notable Events
on this date include: 1965. Earl Bostic, alto sax
died in Rochester, NY, USA.
Age: 52.
1967. Jody Edwards, vocals
died in Dolton, IL, USA.
Age: 70.
Worked with vaudeville team of 'Butterbeans & Susie'
1979. Jimmy Skinner
C&W singer-songwriter
died. Age: 70
1980.Alexander D. Burt
Inventor of 45 rpm record
died in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Age: 75
1985. Bernard Wolfe, author
died in Woodland Hills, CA, USA.
Age: 70
Wrote book: 'Really The Blues' Songs Recorded/Released this date include: 1920 “Grieving For You - Feather Your Nest”
- Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/Wh...evnst.ram1920 “My Wonder Girl
- Coral Sea”
- Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/wh...rcorl.ram1924 “Undertakers Blues”
- Helen Gross accompanied by the Kansas City Five
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/gr...blues.ram1925 “Just Around The Corner”
(Featured In The Universal Picture "Oh, Charlie")
- Ted Lewis and his Band
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/le...r1925.ram1925 “While We Danced Till Dawn”
- Ted Lewis and his Band
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/le...ldawn.ram1926 “It Made You Happy When You Made Me Cry”
- Waring's Pennsylvanians
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/wa...MeCry.ram1927 “One Night In Havana”
(Hoagy Carmichael - )
Hoagy Carmichael and his Pals
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ho...night.ram1927 “Dope Head Blues”
(Victoria Spivey)
- Victoria Spivey
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/sp...blues.ram1927 “Red Lantern Blues”
(Victoria Spivey)
- Victoria Spivey
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/sp...blues.ram1928 “I'm Sorry, Sally”, - Danny Altier and his Orchestra
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...sally.ram1928 “My Gal Sal”
- Danny Altier and his Orchestra
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...alsal.ram1928 “Down At Jasper's Bar-Be-Que”
- (Frankie Jaxon) Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/ja...spers.ram1929 “Apple Blossoms”
- Joe Venuti's Blue Four/Five/Six
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ve...ssoms.ram1929 “Runnin' Ragged”
- Joe Venuti's Blue Four/Five/Six
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ve...agged.ram1929 “No More Blues”
- Kentucky Jazz Babies
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...blues.ram1929 “Old Folks Shake”
-Kentucky Jazz Babies
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/mi...shake.ram1929 “He's So Unusual”
- Annette Hanshaw
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ha...sual2.ram1929 “I Think You'll Like It”
- Annette Hanshaw
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ha...oull2.ram1930 “Chocolate To The Bone (I'm So Glad I'm A Brownskin)”
- (Frankie Jaxon) Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/ja...olate.ram1930 “Scuddlin'”
- (Frankie Jaxon) Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/ja...dlin'.ram1930 “My Handyman Ain't Handy No More” - Edith Wilson LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/Ed...aint5.ram1930 “Cracker Jack”
(w/ piano accompaniment)
-Harry Reser
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/re...rjack.ram1930 “Flapperette”
(w/ piano accompaniment)
~Harry Reser
LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/re...rette.ram1943 "Pistol Packin' Mama "
- Bing Crosby
1943 "Blue Rain "
- Glenn Miller Orch.
1957 "April Love "
- Pat Boone
1957 "You Send Me "
- Sam Cooke
1957 "Little Bitty Pretty One "
- Thurston Harris
1957 "All The Way "
- Frank Sinatra
LYRICS: My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More Once I used to brag about my handy man, but I ain't braggin' no more Somethin' strange has happened to my handy man, he's not the man he was before Wish somebody could explain to me, about this dual personality He don't perform his duties like he used to do, he never hauls the ashes 'less I tell him to Before he hardly gets to work he says he's through, my handy man ain't handy no more He's forgotten his domestic science, and he's lost of his self-reliance He won't make a single move unless he's told, he says he isn't lazy, claims he isn't old But still he sits around and lets my stove get cold, my handy man ain't handy no more Time after time, if I'm not right there at his heels, he lets that poor horse in my stable miss his meals There's got to be some changes 'cause each day reveals, my handy man ain't handy no more He used to turn in early and get up at dawn, and full of new ambitions, he would trim the lawn Now, when he isn't sleeping all he does is yawn, my handy man ain't handy no more Once he used to have so much endurance, now, it looks like he needs life insurance I used to brag about my handy man's technique, around the house he was a perfect indoor sheik But now the spirit's willing but the flesh is weak, my handy man ain't handy no more He's So Unusual ~(A. Lewis - A. Silver - A. Sherman, from Sweetie) You talk of sweeties, bashful sweeties, I got one of those, Oh, he's handsome as can be, But he worries me; He goes to college and gathers knowledge, Hooh! What that boy knows! He's up in his Latin and Greek, But in his sheikin', he's weak! 'Cause when I want some lovin', And I gotta have some lovin', He says, "Please! Stop it, please!" He's so unusual! When I want some kissin', And I gotta have some kissin', He says, "No! Let me go." He's so unusual! I know lots of boys who would be crazy over me, If they only had this fellow's opportunity. You know, I would let him pet me, But the darn fool, he doesn't let me! Oh, he's so unusual that he drives me wild! When we're in the moonlight, He says, "I don't like the moonlight. Aw, let's not talk in the dark." Huh, he's so unusual! And when we're riding in a taxi, He converses with the cheuffeur, Oh, why don't he talk to me? Oh, he's so different! Others would be tickled pink to bop-op-a-dop-e-dop! He don't even know what bop-op-op-a-dop's about! He says love is hokum, Oh, I'd like to choke, choke, choke him! 'Cause he's so unusual that he drives me wild! You might as well be by yourself as in his company, When we're out together, I'm as lonesome as can be. But still I'm mad about him, And I just can't live without him; 'Cause he's so unusual that he drives me bop-bop-a-dop-bop! 