Musical Calendar for February 18
- The Big Bands Database by Murray L. Pfeffer

BIRTHDAYS
1953     Robbie Bachman, drums, b. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Member group: 'Bachman-Turner Overdrive'
1892     Emil Barnes, Clarinet, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. 1970
1889     Birleanna Blanks, vocals, d. 1968, New York, NY, USA. Age: 79. This half American Indian and half African American was one of the first 'Blacks' in the American musical comedy theatre. Before 1920, she teamed with her sister as a singing and dancing act touring the vaudeville circuit. In 1919, Birleanna sang in a whole series of musical comedies at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem (New York city) beginning with "Over the Top", and then in other Negro theatres during the mid-1920s. She later sang with bandleader Fletcher Henderson's orchestra before leaving the music business in 1928.
1941     David Blue, vocals/guitar/actor, b. Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA, d. Dec. 2, 1982, New York, NY, USA. (Heart Attack while jogging). né: Stuart David Cohen. David was the son of a Jewish father and an Irish Catholic mother of French Canadian heritage.
1916     Claude Boone, C&W Singer-Songwriter/Guitar/Bass Fiddle/Electric Bass, b. (near) Ashville, NC, USA.
1930     Roy Burrowes, trumpet, b. Kingston, Jamiaca, d. Dec. 2, 1998
1928     Frank Butler, Drums, b. Kansas City, MO, USA. d. 1984
1922     Thomas "Sunnyland" Charles, guitar, b. Dumas, AR, USA.
1956     Dudley Connell, Bluegrass/C&W vocals, b. Scherr, WV, USA. Member: 'The Johnson Mountain Boys'
1952     Randy Crawford, vocals, b. Macon, GA, USA. Raised in Cincinnati, OH, she was already working in local clubs while still a teenager, accompanied by her father. Randy was the lead vocalist in a group that included bassist "Bootsy" Collins.
1947     Dennis DeYoung, vocals/keyboard, b. Chicago, IL, USA. Member group: 'Styx'
1941     Lajos Dudas, Clarinet/Composer/Teacher, b. Budapest, Hungary.
1952     Leonard Gill, bass, b. Sherrill, AR, USA.
1939     Bobby Hart, C&W singer-songwriter/producer, b. Phoenix, AZ, USA.
1955     Brian James, vocals, b. London, England. Member groups: 'The Damned' (Formed: 1976 in England, Disbanded: 1989 ), 'Lords Of The New Church'
1945     Jimmy Jewell, Tenor sax, b. Gillingham Kent, U.K. Member group: 'Gallagher & Lyle'
1904     Walter Johnson, Drums, b. New York, NY, USA. d. 1977
1914     "Pee Wee" King, C&W vocals/guitar/violin/composer/accordion/leader, b. Abrams, WI, USA. d. March 7, 2000, USA. né: Julius Frank Anthony Kuczynski
1926     "Little Caesar" né: Harry Caesar, vocals, b. Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
1922     Clyde Lombardi, Bass, b. New York, NY, USA. d. 1975
1952     Judy Kay "Juice" Newton, (Country/Pop) vocals, b. Lakehurst Naval Base, NJ, USA (raised in Virginia Beach, VA, USA).
1933     Yoko Ono, singer/producer/songwriter, b. Tokyo, Japan. John Lennon's widow, Sean's mother.
1922     Hazy Osterwald, Trumpet/Vibes/leader, b. Berne, Switzerland. After finishing his musical training at the Berne Conservatory, he joined Teddy Stauffer's orchestra. In 1944, he formed his own band, and by 1949, it had become a now legendary 'Hazy Osterwald Sextet'. In addition to touring Europe, the band also visited Israel, South America, and the U.S.A. They also appeared in some films. Among Osterwald's biggest hit releases were "Kriminaltango", and "Der Fahrstuhl nach oben ist besetzt". Over the years, the band's name was first changed to the "Hazy Osterwald Jet Set", then to "Hazy Osterwald and the Entertainers". Hazy's success was so great that he was ablt to found both his own record label, and artists agency. He also owned several night clubs. Circa 1990, he began to devote more time to playing his vibraphone, - in a sytle heavily influenced by Lionel Hampton.
1948     Steve Phillips, guitar/piano, b. London, UK
1904     DeDe Pierce, Trumpet/Cornet, b. New Orleans, LA, USA. d. 1973
1941     Herman Santiago, R&B vocals, b. New York, NY, USA. Best recalled for work with 'Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers'
1966     Tommy Scott, singer-songwriter/producer, b. Glasgow, Scotland. Member group: 'Space'
1961     Jasper Stainthorpe, bass, b. Tonbridge, Kent, England, UK. Member group: 'Then Jerico'
1941     Irma Thomas, (Soul) vocals, b. Ponchatoula, LA, USA.
Noteable Events occuring this date include:
1942.    The Mills Brothers recorded "Paper Doll" (Decca #18318).
1956.    Will Batts, violin, died in Memphis, TN, USA. Age: 52. Played with 'Jack Kelly's Jug Band'
1978.    Hattie Louise Bess, owner of Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville, TN, died. Age: 63
1978.    Ivin Ballen, label owner (Gotham), died in Miami, FL, USA. Age: 69
1980.    Paul Leroy Howard, alto sax, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 85
1981.    Joe "Brother Cornbread" Thomas, clarinet, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 78
1986.    Louis Keppard, guitar, died in New Orleans, LA, USA. Age: 98
1988.    Louvette Jackson, vocals, died in Atmore, AL, USA. Age: 42
1992.    William E. Smith,vocals, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 59
1995.    Eddie Williams, bass, died in Los Angeles, CA, USA. Age: 82. Played with 'The 3 Blazers', and with 'Johnny Moore'
1995.    Denny Cordell, producer/label owner: (Shelter), died in Dublin, Ireland. Age: 51
1995.    Johnny Carroll, (Rockabilly) vocals/keyboards, died in Dallas, TX, USA. Age: 57
2003.    C&W vocalist Johnny Paycheck, died in Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. Age: 64. (He was buried in a Woodlawn Cemetery plot in Nashville, TN, donated by C&W star George Jones.)

Songs Recorded/Released this date include:
1937    "(This is) My Last Affair", Teddy Wilson Orch. (Billie Holiday voc.)
1945    "Dont Fence Me In - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
1945    "Accentuate the Positive - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
1949    "Cruising Down The River", Morgan, Russ
1953    "Dont Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes", - Perry Como
1953    "I Let the Stars Get in My Eyes", - Goldie Hill
1953    "Till I Waltz Again with You", - Teresa Brewer
1956    "Poor People Of Paris, The", Baxter, Les
1956    "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", Lymon, Frankie
1960    "North to Alaska", - Johnny Horton
1961    "Calcutta", - Lawrence Welk Orch.
1961    "Calendar Girl", - Neil Sedaka
1967    "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's Th", Buffalo Springfield
1967    "Sock-It To Me-Baby!", Ryder, Mitch & The Detroit Wheels
1967    "Baby I Need Your Lovin'", Rivers, Johnny
1978    "Dust In The Wind", Kansas
1978    "Can't Smile Without You", Manilow, Barry
1989    "You Got It", Orbison, Roy
1989    "Walk The Dinosaur", Was (Not Was)