May 3rd:
Happy Birthday, to:
Bruce Hall [Bruce William Hall; rock musician and singer; bass guitarist with REO Speedwagon] -
May 3rd:
Happy Birthday, to:
Bruce Hall [Bruce William Hall; rock musician and singer; bass guitarist with REO Speedwagon] -
May 3rd:
Happy Birthday, to:
David Ball [David James Ball; synthpop and new wave keyboard player, electronic musician, singer and producer; Soft Cell] -
May 3rd:
Happy Birthday, to:
Mark Morrison [R&B and hip hop singer-songwriter; 'Return Of The Mack'] -
Christopher Cross won Best New Artist at the Grammys in 1980, as well as record, song, album of the year. And then the Oscar for Best Song for "Arthur."
Then he "Rode Like the Wind" out of town & never achieved that much success since.
Another example of talent being in the right place at the right time, I guess, and then enjoying success in the spotlight.
For most, no success at all by industry standards...and for those who do get lucky, success is fleeting for all but a very few......
May 3rd:
Happy Birthday, to:
Farrah Franklin [Farrah Laron Franklin, also Destiny Franklin; R&B singer-songwriter, music producer, actress and dancer; Destiny's Child] -
May 3rd:
Happy Birthday, to:
Napoleon XIV [Jerrold 'Jerry' Samuels; comedy and novelty singer, songwriter and record producer; 'They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!'] -
May 3rd:
Happy Birthday, to -
John Richardson [John George Richardson; pop, glam rock, rock and roll drummer and vocalist; The Rubettes] -
May 3rd:
Remembering, on her Birthday:
Virginia Vincent [Virginia Ruth Grohosky; 1918-2012; actress, Peg in 'I Want To Live!, 1958']
May 3rd:
Remembering, on her Birthday:
Betty Comden [Basya Cohen; 1917-2006; actress, librettist, lyricist and screenwriter; Comden and Green] -
May 3rd:
Remembering, on her Birthday:
Mary Astor [Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; 1906-1987; Brigid O'Shaugnessy in 'The Maltese Falcon'] -
May 3rd:
Remembering, on his Birthday:
Walter Slezak [1902-1983; Kapitan Willi in 'Lifeboat', 1944] -
May 3rd:
Remembering, on her Birthday:
Beulah Bondi [Beulah Bondy; 1889-1981; actress; Rachel Jackson in 'The Gorgeous Hussy'; Mary Wilkins in 'Of Human Hearts'] -
Walter Slezak played "The Clock King" on the TV series "Batman," one of my favorites for its campiness.
Yes...The Clock King, whose eyebrows resembled the hands of a clock which had stopped at ten minutes to two o'clock....
Forgot this: Walter Slezak's daughter Erika played on the soap opera "One Life To Live." I can't remember if her father made an appearance on this show.
Yes Moe, he did, in 1976...as Laszlo Braedeker, godfather of Vicki Lord..played by real life daughter, Erika....
May 4th:
Quote for the Day:
"I have never stopped performing live.
I've been blessed with the talent to sing and play the piano, so I can fit into a lot of different configurations and venues.
I play public and private performances, and it has served me well.
And I've been fortunate to work in Europe and Asia, as well as the US.
So, for those who have not attended my shows, it doesn't mean I'm not performing."
- Oleta Adams.
Happy Birthday, to: -
Oleta Adams [Oleta Angela Adams; soul and gospel singer and pianist; 'Get Here'] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on his Birthday: -
Nickolas Ashford [1941-2011; R&B, soul, funk, disco and gospel singer and songwriter; Ashford & Simpson] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on his Birthday: -
Tyrone Davis [Tyrone D. Fettson, or Tyrone D. Branch; 1938-2005; blues, soul and R&B singer; 'Can I Change My Mind'; 'Turn Back The Hands Of Time'; 'Turn Around'] -
Sounds like Ms Adams had an interesting career. She opened for Tears For Fears & stayed onstage to provide piano & vocals.
And.......with all the songs that they wrote Ashford & Simpson had only a few go to
Number 1 [and none on regular chart, on R&B/Dance]. And GREAT SONGS!!
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Ron Carter [Ronald Levin Carter; jazz double bassist and cellist; composer and arranger] -
You're right; I was only thinking about the ones they sang.
But, still a great writing team!
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Jackie Jackson [Sigmund Esco Jackson; pop, R&B and soul singer and musician; The Jackson 5; The Jacksons) -
I found it interesting that Tyrone Davis's "Can I Change My Mind" was the B side to
"A Woman Needs To Be Loved'...this was supposed to be the hit but everyone flipped the record.
He was on a PBS Special & he was great!
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Katherine Jackson [Katherine Esther Jackson, formerly Scruse; born Kattie B. Screws; mother of The Jackson 5] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Randy Travis [Randy Bruce Traywick; country and gospel music singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on her Birthday: -
Sharon Jones [Sharon Lafaye Jones; 1956-2016; soul and funk singer; The Dap-Kings] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Peggy Santiglia [Margaret Santiglia; pop singer and songwriter; The Delicates; Dusk; best known as lead singer with The Angels; 'My Boyfriend's Back'] -
Randy Travis had a demon called alcohol. Once found in the middle of a road drunk & naked. Also suffered a stroke & with intensive therapy could finally walk & talk. I think he finally gave up singing now. How sad. Husband was switching channels on the TV recently & came across Travis as a guest star on "Matlock."
May 4th:
Remembering, on her Birthday:
Audrey Hepburn [Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 1929-1993; actress, model, dancer and humanitarian; 'Roman Holiday'; 'Sabrina'; 'The Nun's Story'; 'Breakfast At Tiffany's'; 'Wait Until Dark'] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on his Birthday: -
Maynard Ferguson [Walter Maynard Ferguson; 1928-2006; jazz, jazz rock, jazz fusion and pop trumpeter, musician and bandleader] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Georg Wadenius [Georg 'Jojje' Wadenius; jazz, pop and rock multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer; session player and touring musician; lead guitarist with Blood, Sweat & Tears, 1972-1975] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Mannie Jackson [chairman, owner and former player; The Harlem Globetrotters] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Mary Elizabeth McDonough [actress; Erin Walton on 'The Waltons', 1972-1981] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Pia Zadora [Pia Alfreda Schipani; actress and singer; Kady Tyler in 'Butterfly'] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on his Birthday: -
Dick Dale [Richard Anthony Monsour; 1937-2019; surf rock guitarist, musician and vocalist] -
Ohhh, Dick Dale......the king of the surf guitarists without a doubt. Influenced many.
His song "Misirlou" is the guitar solo in "Pulp Fiction."
May 4th:
Remembering, on her Birthday:
Russi Taylor [1944-2019; voice artist; the voice of Disney's 'Minnie Mouse'; 1986-2019] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on his Birthday:
Howard De Silva [Howard Silverblatt; 1909-1986; actor, director and musical performer; Nat the bartender, in 'The Lost Weekend'; Ben Marino in 'Fiorello!'; Eddie in 'Verna : USO Girl'; ] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on his Birthday:
Luther Adler [Lutha Adler; 1903-1984; actor and director; took over from Zero Mostel as Tevye in 'Fiddler On The Roof' on Broadway] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Hilly Hicks [Hilly Gene Hicks, Sr; actor; Lewis Harvey on 'Roots'] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on her Birthday:
Roberta Peters [Roberta Peterman; 1930-2017; coloratura soprano, New York Metropolitan Opera Company] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Kimora Lee Simmons [formerly Perkins, latterly Leissner; entrepreneur, fashion designer, TV personality, author, philanthropist and model] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on his Birthday:
Ronnie Bond [Ronald James Bullis; 1940-1992; garage rock drummer; original drummer with The Troggs] -
May 4th:
Happy Birthday, to:
Zal Cleminson [Alastair Macdonald Cleminson; hard rock and blues rock guitarist, Sensational Alex Harvey Band] -
May 4th:
Remembering, on his Birthday:
Gregg Diamond [Gregory Oliver Diamond; 1949-1999; pop rock, jazz and disco pianist, drummer, songwriter and producer; Bionic Boogie; writer and co-producer of 'More, More, More', by Andrea True Connection] -
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