Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

April 12, 1916 Composer and arranger Russ Garcia (The Benny Goodman Story (1956), The Complete Porgy and Bess (1956)) is born in Oakland, California.

February 29, 1916 Dinah Shore is born Frances Rose Shore in Winchester, Tennessee. She starts out as a successful singer in the Big Band era before becoming a popular TV host.

February 16, 1916 Bill Doggett, composer of the hit R&B instrumental "Honky Tonk," is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

January 27, 1916 Swing jazz pianist Milt Raskin is born in Boston, Massachusetts.

January 3, 1916 Maxene Andrews of The Andrew Sisters is born in Mound, Minnesota, to a family that already includes older sister LaVerne and will welcome younger sister Patty in two years.

December 25, 1915 Pete Rugolo, jazz composer and arranger, is born Pietro Rugolo in San Piero Patti, Sicily, Italy, but moves to Santa Rosa, California, by age 5. Known for his work with big band leader Stan Kenton.

December 19, 1915 Charlie Ryan, who co-wrote and was the first to record the 1955 rockabilly hit "Hot Rod Lincoln," is born in Graceville, Minnesota.

December 14, 1915 Actor/dancer Dan Dailey is born in New York City. Known for his roles in There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), It's Always Fair Weather (1955) and Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956).

December 4, 1915 Jazz pianist Eddie Heywood, Jr. is born in Atlanta, Georgia.

November 30, 1915 Folk-blues singer Brownie McGhee is born Walter Brown McGhee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Known for his longtime collaboration with harmonica player Sonny Terry.

November 28, 1915 Jazz trumpeter Dick Vance is born in Mayfield, Kentucky, but will be raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He blows his horn for a number of prominent Big Bands, including Chick Webb's orchestra.

November 14, 1915 Pop singer Martha Tilton is born in Corpus Christi, Texas. Known for "And the Angels Sing" with Benny Goodman (1939).

August 24, 1915 Blues singer Wynonie Harris is born in Omaha, Nebraska. He'll land his first R&B chart-topper in 1945 with "Who Threw The Whiskey In The Well."

August 16, 1915 Al Hibbler (former singer for Duke Ellington's orchestra) is born in Tyro, Mississippi.

July 28, 1915 Accordionist Frankie Yankovic is born in Davis, West Virginia. No relation to fellow accordionist Weird Al Yankovic, though the parody master says his parents chose the instrument for him because "they figured there should be at least one more accordion-playing Yankovic in the world."

June 1, 1915 Country singer Johnny Bond, known for his 1947 hit "Divorce Me C.O.D.," is born Cyrus Whitfield Bond in Enville, Oklahoma.

April 26, 1915 Blues singer and guitarist Johnny Shines is born in Frayser, Memphis, Tennessee.

March 28, 1915 Composer Jay Livingston is born in McDonald, Pennsylvania. He teams with lyricist Ray Evans to write a number of popular songs for films, including the Academy Award-winning "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" for The Man Who Knew Too Much.

February 12, 1915 Lorne Greene, a radio personality who becomes known for his role as Ben Cartwright on the long-running Western Bonanza, is born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

January 10, 1915 Bandleader Buddy Johnson is born in Darlington, South Carolina.

December 28, 1914 Roebuck "Pops" Staples (The Staple Singers) is born on a cotton plantation near Winona, Mississippi.

December 10, 1914 Dorothy Lamour, actress and big band singer, is born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana. Starred with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in their series of Road To... movies.

December 8, 1914 Floyd Tillman, forerunner of western swing and honky tonk, is born in Ryan, Oklahoma, and grows up in Post, Texas.

October 17, 1914 Jazz musician John Clifford Mosley Jr., a trumpeter who also played the flugelhorn, the long horn and the flute, is born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. That's Mosley playing the flute during the intro of The Isley Brothers' 1971 cover of "Spill the Wine."

October 10, 1914 Singer/songwriter/pianist Ivory Joe Hunter is born in Kirbyville, Texas. Known for R&B hits like "I Lost My Mind" and "I Need You So," later recorded by Elvis Presley.

September 14, 1914 Music producer/songwriter Mae Axton is born in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Known as "The Queen Mother of Nashville," Axton co-wrote Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel."

September 7, 1914 Jazz composer/pianist Graeme Bell is born in Richmond, Victoria, Australia.

July 26, 1914 Erskine Hawkins, trumpeter and Big Band leader known for "Tuxedo Junction," is born in Birmingham, Alabama.

July 8, 1914 Swing era bandleader Billy Eckstine is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Known for his 1948 rendition of "I Apologize."

May 13, 1914 Country singer-songwriter Johnnie Wright (Johnnie and Jack), known for the 1965 hit "Hello Vietnam," is born in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.