BIRTHDAYS

1935 Julie Andrews, vocals/actor
b. Walton-on-Thames, England.

1910 "Blind Johnny" Brown
guitar/harmonica
b. Montgomery, AL, USA.

1908 Joe "from Bowling Green" Dean, piano
b. St. Louis, MO, USA. d.


1902 Edna Fischer, piano
b: Oakland (?), CA, USA
d: Nov. 2, 1997.
This child prodigy was playing the piano before she was old enough to even attend school. After graduating from Berkeley High School she toured with the show, "Topsy and Eva" starring the Duncan Sisters. Her friendship with the Duncan sisters would last a lifetime, even collaborating with them on several of her own compositions. While still in her teens, she performed at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. At a very early age, she was first heard on radio station KRE.
In 1926, after recuperating from a multiple fracture of her right wrist (due to a auto accident), she became a regular on Radio Station KFRC and was heard on the "Happy Go Lucky Hour", and the "Blue Monday Jamboree," where she co-starred with Morey Amsterdam (Cellist/Actor) and Tommy Harris (Vocs). (Here's a photo of Tommy Harris, a singer who later had his own club Tommy's Place, where he led his own small group with Ernie Filice on accordion, Jimmy Davis on guitar, Lyle Daniels on violin, Truman Johnson on Bass, and Tommy on vocals. Harris was just age 14 when he was heard singing on Station KFRC. He and Joaquin Garay were the regulars on the station's show called Feminine Fancies.) In 1928, Fischer married Milton C. Hayes, then a purser for Oceanic Lines steamship company, and later general manager of the Press Club of San Francisco. (Hayes passed away in 1981.)

After her days at station KFRC, she went on to play on a great many radio shows including one of her own. In the late 1930s, her radio program "Stars in the Making" (heard on NBC's station KPO) showcased San Francisco's budding musical talents. (She would reprise the show in 1983.) For the next 2 decades, Fischer was heard on NBC and KPO, -often on the Signal Oil Company's show Carefree Carnival, co-starring Meredith Wilson and Tommy Harris (with whom she had worked at station KFRC.)
In addition to playing the piano, Fischer also composed several tunes including 1929's, "Someday Soon" with lyrics by the Duncan Sisters (Columbia label: Anson Weeks and his Orchestra). In 1930, She and Anson Weeks co-composed the tune "Sorry", with the lyric again by the Duncan Sisters (Vivian and Rosetta ). Among the other tunes she composed are "Bored To Tears", (Edna Fischer), "Dream in My Heart", (Edna Fischer), "Driftwood", lyric by Al Garman and Vick Knight, "God Had His Arm Around Me" with Al Garman lyric, and "That Man In My Life", (Edna Fischer). She also composed the 1939-1940 Golden Gate International Exposition Theme Song, "There's Lots of Fun Over on Treasure Island".

In 1942, Decca Records recorded Bing Crosby singing her composition "My Great, Great Grandfather". During WWII, she entertained at various Service Camps, Bond Rallies, and such. With the advent of television in the late 40s and early 1950s, Fischer became music director of KPIX-TV, where, she worked with bandleader Del Courtney's Orch., among others. By the mid-'50s, her career tapered off and she was mostly inactive. But in 1983, two years after her husband's demise, Fischer again appeared in a new edition of "Stars in the Making", this time on San Francisco's National PublicRadio station KALW-FM. In 1997, she died in her sleep, age 95.
Bio:
www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/fischer.html
Bio:
users.adams.net/~jfs/edna3.htm


1893 Cliff Friend
composer/piano
b. Cincinnati, OH, USA.
d. June 27, 1974, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
Overview
Cliff Friend, a successful songwriter, was most active from the early 1920's through the mid-1950's. Friend and Lyricist Dave Franklyn were real 'Tin Pan Alley' men...a now extinct breed. They wrote their songs 'to order' for vaudevillians, radio and recording artists, dance bands, and also under 'quota contracts' for music publishers. From their office (in the Tin Pan Alley area), they would make daily rounds demonstrating and playing their wares to entertainers in their dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, hotel rooms and even in 'Steam Rooms'. But their biggest hit was uy Lombardo. Among the scores they composed for the Lombardo orchestra were "The Anniversary Waltz", "Time Waits For No One". "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down", "Trade Winds", and When My Dream Boat Comes In".

Cliff came from a musical family; one of pioneer stock, one of Ohio's first families. His father was the first violinist with the Woods Theater orchestra. Educated at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, his ambition was to become a concert pianist but a three year long bout with Tuberculosis somewhat dashed these hopes. Cliff met another Cincinnatian, Harry Richmond - later to become a nationally famous nightclub singer - and together they played the Ohio vaudeville houses. The pair eventually wound up in Los Angeles where they met and joined Buddy De Sylva, who was then strumming a ukelele in a pseudo-Hawaiian band at Baron Long's roadhouse.

While in California, Friend and Richmond met Al Jolson who encouraged them to leave for New York, where the team starved for two years; occasionally living off Jolson's bounty. Jolson, then playing in the musical 'Bombo' was helpful in getting some of Friend's songs placed in the show. Jolson also helped Friend place some songs in 'The Passing Show' and some Winter Garden (theater) productions. (Friends first "hit" was "You Tell Her - I Stutter", recorded in 1922.


1890 Stanley Holloway
actor/singer b: Great Britain
(October 1 ,1890 -January 30 ,1982 ) was a British actor and entertainer famous for his comic and character roles on stage and screen. He was also renowned for his recordings of comic monologues.
BIO:
www.britmovie.co.uk/actors/h/015.html
Wikipedia Bio:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Holloway

*LISTEN:
www.emusic.com/album/10589/10589285.html


1913 Santiago "Don" Jimenez, accordion
b. San Antonio, TX, USA.
d. December 18,1984 San Antonio, TX. USA.
BIO:
www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook...fji3.html
*LISTEN:
www.amazon.com/exec/obido...598-1044013

1911 Irwin Kostal, Leader
b. Chicago, IL, USA.
Best recalled as bandleader on the 'Garry Moore' show. (USA)
BIO:
movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movi...aphy.html


1913 Harry Lookofsky, violin/viola
b. Paducah, KY, USA.
d. June 8, 1998, York, PA, USA.
85 yrs old.
BIO:
www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist.aspx
BIO:
www.jonroseweb.com/c_articl...ille.html

1912 Sherwood Mangiapane
bass/sousaphone
b. New Orleans, LA, USA.
Worked w. Blue Parody Orch;
Johnny Wiggs; Papa Laine,
and Service Band in England 1944


1915 "Skeets" McDonald, C&W vocals/guitar.
b. Greenway, AR, USA. né: Enos William McDonald.
BIO:
www.bear-family.de/tabel1/n...ald_e.htm
BIO:
www.rockabilly.nl/artists/skeets.htm

1912 Johnny Meyer, Accordion
b. Amsterdam, Netherlands

1926 Max Morath, pianist/vocals
b. Colorado Springs, CO, USA.
best known for playing the early 'Rags'
WEB-SITE:
www.maxmorath.com/
BIO:
www.ragtime.nu/morath.htm
BIO & *LISTEN:
www.oldies.com/product/vi...description

1919 Jessie Mae Robinson
songwriter, b. Call, TX, USA.

1904 Terry Shand, composer
b. Uvalde, TX, d. Nov. 11, 1977

1893 Wesley "Kid Sox" Wilson, vocal/piano/organ
b. Dec 31, 1969, Jacksonville, FL, USA,
d. Oct 10, 1958, Cape May Court House, NJ, USA.
Leola B. Pettigrew, a classic blues singer and guitarist from Alabama became Leola Wilson following her marraige to her performing partner Wesley Wilson. Ironically, the pair were born in the same year, met and began performing together in 1905 and were wed seven years later. They performed in vaudeville, travelling shows, musical comedies, and revues. You may not recognize the name Wesley Wilson. Perhaps you know him by some of his other performing names which include Catjuice Charlie, Pigmeat Pete, Kid Wilson, Jenkins, Socks, and either Sox Wilson or Socks Wilson. His wife Leola was better known as Coot Grant, and while the pair sometimes appeared as 'Grant and Wilson', many other names were placed on their marquees and on their record labels, including 'Hunter And Jenkins' and 'Kid and Coot'.
The pair both appeared and recorded with such Jazz artists as Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, and Mezz Mezzrow. In 1933, they appeared in the film Emperor Jones starring singer Paul Robeson. Along the way, the husband and wife team composed well over 500 songs, including "Gimme A Pigfoot and A Bottle of Wine" that was made famous by Bessie Smith's recording. Grant, on her own, also recorded some Blues, and in 1926 collaborated with guitarist "Blind" Blake. In the mid-1930s, with the world-wide depression at it's peak, their careers faltered. In the mid-1940s, Mezz Mezzrow hired them to perform and write material for his new King Jazz label. In 1958, Wesley retired, but Leola continued to perform. She eventually dropped from sight, and regretfully no details are known about her death.


1832 Henry Clay Work, Composer
b: Middletown, CT, USA
d. June 8, 1884, Hartford, CT, USA.
Bio & *LISTEN:
www.pdmusic.org/work.html
More:
www.poemhunter.com/henry-cl...7/page-1/


Notable Events on this date include:

1905.
The Julliard School of Music
was founded in New York City.

1982.
"Slim" Newman, member of
"The Georgia Crackers" died.

1990.
Lee Rogers, vocals
died in ?Memphis, TN, USA.


1994.
Scott Dunbar, guitar
died in Centreville, MS, USA.
Age: 90

Songs Recorded/Released this date include:

1913 "Underneath the Tango Moon," Arthur Collins-Byron Harlan vocs. --Carroll tune.
1919 "Happy", Joseph C.Smith's Orch, --Hugo Frey tune.
1924 "How Come You Do Me Like You Do", -- Original Memphis Five, --Austin-Bergere tune
1925 "What Do We Care if it's One O'clock", --International Novelty Orch

1925
"Remember"
~Isham Jones and his Orch.
Irv. Berlin tune
*LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/is...ember.ram


1928
"My Blue Heaven"
~Whispering Jack Smith vocal.

1928
"The Mooche"
~Duke Ellington & his Orch
Ellington-Mills
*LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/el...ooche.ram

1928 "Come On, Baby!", Cliquot Club Eskimos (Reser orch) (voc.t.s.) --A.Gottler-S.Clare-M.Pinkard tune
1928 "Little Red Caboose", Paul Warmack's Gully Jumpers,

1929
"Moaning the Blues"
~Victoria Spivey voc.
Victoria Spivey-Acuff Rose tune
*LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/sp...blues.ram

1929
"Walk Right In"
~Cannon Jug Stompers
Hosea Woods-Gus Cannon tune.
*LISTEN:
www.redhotjazz.com/songs/cj...ghtin.ram

1929 "Sweet and Hot", Bob Effros & his Orch. --M.Mosiello-F.Signorelli tune
1930 "Lonely", Lloyd Huntley and his Orch.
1930 "Three Little Words", Jacques Renard and his Orch --Bert Kalmar/Harry Ruby tune
1930 "Wond'ring", Lloyd Huntley and his Orch, -Sherman; Lewis tune
1932 "On a Little Street Where Old Friends Meet", Bud Billings (Frank Luther),
1940 "Sophisticated Lady", Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton --Parish-Mills-Ellington tune
1940 "Pitter Panther Patter", Duke Ellington (piano), --Duke Ellington tune

My Blue Heaven Lyrics

When Whippoorwills call,
And evening is nigh
We'll hurry to My Blue Heaven.
A turn to the right,
A little white light
Will lead you to My Blue Heaven.
You'll see a smiling face,
A fire place, a cosy room,
A little nest
That's nestled where the roses bloom.
Just Mollie and me, and Baby makes three,
We're happy in My Blue Heaven.

words: George Whiting
music: Walter Donaldson
copyright: 1927 Loe Feist Inc. New York