October 7, 1988 William Boone “Billy” Daniels, vocalist and Broadway actor, died. Daniels was born September 12, 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. Daniels was a nightclub entertainer and was the biggest cabaret draw in New York City during the 1950s. He was also popular in Europe and in 1952 headlined at The London Palladium and broke […]
Tag Archives | Broadway
September 26th in African American History – Bessie Smith
September 26, 1937 Bessie Smith, blues singer, died. Smith was born on April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 1912, she was hired as a dancer with the Moses Stokes troupe which included Ma Rainey. By the early 1920s, Smith had starred with Sidney Bechet in “How Come?,” a musical that made its way to […]
September 20th in African American History – Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (Jelly Roll Morton)
September 20, 1885 Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe (Jelly Roll Morton), ragtime and jazz pianist, bandleader and composer, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. The date of his birth is not confirmed because no birth certificate has ever been found, but it is generally believed to be this date. At the age of 14, Morton began playing […]
August 26th in African American History – Branford Marsalis
August 26, 1960 Branford Marsalis, saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator, was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. In 1980, while still a Berklee College of Music student, Marsalis toured Europe playing saxophone in a large ensemble led by drummer Art Blakey. In 1981, he joined his brother Wynton in Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. His primary focus since […]
August 17th in African American History – Pearl Mae Bailey
August 17, 1990 Pearl Mae Bailey, jazz vocalist and actress, died. Pearl Mae Bailey was born March 29, 1918 in Southampton County, Virginia. She made her stage debut at 15 when she won an amateur contest in Philadelphia. In 1941, during World War II, Bailey toured the country with the USO, singing and dancing for American […]
August 2nd in African American History – Fela Anikulapo Kuti
August 2, 1997 Fela Anikulapo Kuti, multi-instrumentalist, composer and human rights activist, died. Fela was born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti on October 15, 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. In 1958, Fela was sent to London to study medicine, but decided to study music instead at the Trinity College of Music. In 1963, he moved back to […]
July 29th in African American History – Luther Henderson
July 29, 2003 Luther Henderson, arranger, composer, orchestrator, and pianist, died. Henderson was born March 14, 1919 in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1942, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the Juilliard School of Music. From 1944 to 1946, Henderson served as staff orchestrator for the United States Navy School of Music. Henderson served […]