This Week in Music History

Interesting Happenings in Music History

5/29/1987 - Michael Jackson attempts to buy Elephant Man's remains

5/31/1969 - Stevie Wonder releases "My Cherie Amour"

Stevie wows them again. Watch in wonder.

Birthdays

5/24/1956 - Larry Blackmon, funk-R&B (Cameo-“Word Up!)

5/29/1953 - Danny Elfman, LA Calif, composer (Simspon Show Theme)

5/29/1950 - Rebbie [Maureen] Jackson, Gary Indiana, singer (R U Tuff Enuff)

5/30/1909 - Benny Goodman, Chicago, clarinetist/bandleader (King of Swing)

6/02/1944 - Marvin Hamlisch, NYC, composer/pianist (Sting, Chorus Line)

6/03/1906 - Josephine Baker, dancer/singer/actress, French performer (Moulin Rouge)

6/03/1927 - Boots Randolph, Paducah KY, saxophonist (Yakety Sax)

6/03/1930 - Dakota Staton, [Aliyah Rabia], Pittsburgh, PA - Jazz singer (In the Night)

6/03/1942 - Curtis Mayfield, Chicago, Singer-songwriter/vocalist, guitarist (People Get Ready, Superfly)

May we never forget the contributions of this man. Here, Curtis gets a little help from Taylor Dane and David Sanborn in a clip taken from the now defunct "Sunday Night" jazz program.

6/03/1950 - Deniece Williams, Gary, IN, singer (Let’s Hear It For The Boy)

6/04/1937 - Freddie Fender, San Benito, Texas, country singer (Wasted Days and Wasted Nights)

6/04/1945 - Anthony Braxton, Chicago, Il – Saxophone, avant-garde jazz musician

6/04/1961 - El Debarge, Detroit, Mich, R&B singer (Debarge-All this Love)

Deaths

5/28/1996 - James George "Jimmy" Rowles, jazz pianist, dies at 77

5/30/1993 - Sun Ra, (Herman S Blount), jazz pianist (Solar Arkestra), dies at 79

5/30/1977 - Paul Desmond, US jazz saxophonist, Dave Brubeck Quartet, dies at 52

6/01/1991 - David Ruffin, R7B singer (Temptations), dies of drug overdose at 50

6/01/1996 - Don Grolnick, jazz musician, dies at 48

6/02/1987 - Andres Segovia, Classical guitarist, dies

6/02/1987 - Sammy Kaye, orch leader (Sammy Kaye Show), dies at 77

6/02/1997 - Doc Cheatham, jazz musician, dies at 91

On 6/04/1916 - Mildred J Hill, composer/musician (Happy Birthday To You), dies at 56

Did you know?

·         "Happy Birthday to You" first appeared in print in 1912 using the melody of "Good Morning to All" with different lyrics.^[2] Its popularity continued to grow through the 1930's, with no author identified for the new lyrics, nor credit given for the melody from "Good Morning to You". Based on 1935 copyright registrations by the Summy Company, and a series of court cases (which all settled out of court)^[3], the sisters became known as the authors of "Happy Birthday to You". The Hill Foundation today shares royalties on public performances of the song.

Hill and her sister were posthumously inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame on June 12, 1996.

*(Source – Wikipedia)