Jazz Music in History

Events in Music

  • 1917-02-26 1st jazz records recorded - "Dixie Jazz Band One Step" and "Livery Stable Blues" by Original Dixieland Jass Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company in NYC
  • 1917-03-07 1st jazz record released on a 78 by Original Dixieland Jass Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company ("Dixie Jazz Band One Step," one side "Livery Stable Blues" other)
  • 1917-05-30 Jazz standard "Dark Town Strutters Ball" by Shelton Brooks recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band
  • 1919-10-23 Orchestra Hall, designed by C. Howard Crane opens in Detroit, Michigan; home of the Detroit Symphony, 1919-39 and 1989 to present, also known as The Paradise Theater, featuring top jazz performers and films, 1941-51
  • 1920-08-10 Mamie Smith and her Jazz Hounds record “Crazy Blues” for Okeh Records, first significant Blues hit by African American artist
  • 1924-06-09 "Jelly-Roll Blues" is recorded by American jazz pioneer pianist and composer Jelly Roll Morton

Jazz Singer Sounds Death Knell for Silent Movies

1927-10-06 "The Jazz Singer", directed by Alan Crosland, starring Al Jolson and May McAvoy, released, 1st film with a soundtrack (Honorary Academy Award 1928)

Creole Love Song

1927-10-26 American jazz vocalist Adelaide Hall makes her 1st recordings - "Creole Love Call" and "Blues I Love to Sing" - with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey

  • 1931-01-22 Jazz trumpeter Clyde McCoy records "Sugar Blues" for Columbia Records; sells over 14 million copies internationally

Minnie the Moocher

1931-03-03 Cab Calloway records "Minnie the Moocher" (Jazz's 1st million seller)

Shostakovich's Suite for Jazz

1934-03-24 Dmitri Shostakovich's Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 1 premieres in Leningrad, USSR

Music History

1936-07-25 Jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker marries his childhood sweetheart Rebecca Ruffin

Music History

1937-07-10 Belgian-Romani-French jazz guitarist'Django Reinhardt's "Quintette du Hot Club" 'debuts at La Grosse Pomme nightclub in Montmartre, Paris

Carnegie Hall's First Jazz Concert

1938-01-16 First jazz concert held at Carnegie Hall, performed by Benny Goodman and his band

Music History

1938-09-15 Jazz piano prodigy Margaret Johnson (20) makes her only recording, four sides with Billie Holiday in NYC: Johnson dies of tuberculosis less than a year later

"One O'Clock Jump"

1942-01-21 Count Basie records the music single and Jazz standard "One O'Clock Jump"

Met's First Jazz Concert

1944-01-18 The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City hosts a jazz concert for the first time - performers include Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Mildred Bailey, Red Norvo, Roy Eldridge, Jack Teagarden, and Benny Goodman, via remote hook-up. [1]

  • 1945-09-23 First Cavalcade of Jazz outdoor concert held at Wrigley Field, Los Angeles with Count Basie, Valaida Snow and others
  • 1945-11-26 Charlie "Bird" Parker leads recording session for the Savoy label marketed as the "greatest Jazz session ever" with Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis

Erroll Garner Concert

1950-03-27 Jazz pianist Erroll Garner's solo concert (Cleveland, Ohio)

Songs for Swingin' Lovers!

1956-03-05 Capitol Records releases "Songs for Swingin' Lovers!", the tenth album by American singer Frank Sinatra: upbeat collection of pop tunes with jazz arrangements by Nelson Riddle became the first album ever to top the new UK Albums Chart

"Tonight! America After Dark"

1957-01-28 "Tonight! America After Dark" premieres, with Jack Lescoulie & Al (Jazzbo) Collins on NBC (between Steve Allen & Jack Paar)

Miles Davis Quintet

1957-11-22 Miles Davis Quintet debuts a jazz concert at Carnegie Hall, NYC

  • 1957-12-08 CBS broadcasts "The Sound of Jazz", live from NYC: an all-star program featuring swing era and contemporary jazz artists, including Count Basie, Red Allen, Ben Webster;, Thelonious Monk, and Gerry Mulligan; highlight is the final collaboration of Billie Holiday and Lester Young on "Fine and Mellow"

Little Girl Blue

1958-06-24 Nina Simone releases her debut jazz album "Little Girl Blue"

  • 1959-09-11 Composer and jazz orchestra leader Duke Ellington wins NAACP's Springarn Medal for his musical achievements
  • 1959-12-14 The album "Time Out" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet is released, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard pop albums chart, and becomes the first jazz album to sell a million copies.

Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation

1960-12-21 Ornette Coleman records his influential album "Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation", establishes the name for the Free Jazz sound

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

1962-05-19 Marilyn Monroe sings "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to JFK before 15,000 attendees, accompanied by jazz pianist Hank Jones, at Madison Square Garden, NYC

Music Concert

1962-06-09 American pop and jazz singer Tony Bennett makes his Carnegie Hall concert debut, NYC

  • 1967-05-27 British folk-jazz fusion group Pentangle gives debut performance at the Royal Festival Hall, London, England
  • 1967-06-16 The first Montreux Jazz Festival is held in Switzerland, created by Claude Nobs [1]
  • 1969-07-03 Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island opens, 78, 000 attend over 4 days; performers include: George Benson; Blood, Sweat, and Tears; Jeff Beck; James Brown; Bill Evans; Sun Ra; Mothers of Invention; Dave Brubeck; Miles Davis; Stephane Grapelli; and Sly & The Family Stone
  • 1970-03-30 Columbia Records releases jazz artist Miles Davis's influential double album "Bitches Brew"; it becomes his highest charting title, wins a Grammy, and earns him his 1st gold record

Rich at Top of the Plaza

1973-02-06 American jazz drummer Buddy Rich plays influential performance at the Top of the Plaza in Richmond, New York, later televised by PBS

  • 1975-03-19 Buster Davis and Luther Henderson's musical "Doctor Jazz" opens at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC; runs for 5 performances
  • 1975-03-22 Buster Davis and Luther Henderson's musical "Doctor Jazz" closes at the Winter Garden Theatre, NYC, after 5 performances

Cannes Film Festival

1980-05-23 33rd Cannes Film Festival: "All That Jazz" directed by Bob Fosse and "Kagemusha" directed by Akira Kurosawa jointly awarded the Palme d'Or

Harry Connick Caught with Gun

1992-12-27 American jazz singer and piano player Harry Connick Jr is caught with 9mm gun in NYC's JFK airport

  • 1994-04-15 Jazz singer Tony Bennett records a session for "MTV's Unplugged" series at Sony Studios, NYC, featuring the Ralph Sharon trio, and guest appearances by Elvis Costello, and k.d.lang; album release wins 2 Grammy Awards
  • 1995-01-30 Jazz guitarist Kevin Eubanks officially becomes bandleader of "The Tonight Show"
  • 1996-08-08 American jazz artist Mel Tormé (70), suffers a stroke, ending his 65-year singing career
  • 1997-06-17 Wynton Marsalis releases his "Blood on the Fields" album (first jazz work to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music - 1997) [1]
  • 1997-09-15 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania public radio station WRTI (90.1 FM) switches from all jazz to classical-by-day/jazz-by-night format in response to loss of commercial classical station WLFN (95.7 FM); WFLN's library and several DJ's made the transition

Sports History

1997-11-01 Expanded Negro Leagues Museum and the new American Jazz Museum open in Kansas City's historic 18th and Vine district

  • 2001-09-11 Betty Farmer, American jazz and cabaret singer, killed in World Trade Center attack at 62
  • 2006-09-15 Trudy Pitts becomes 1st jazz artist to play a concert on Philadelphia's Kimmel Center's new 7,000 pipe organ

Oscar Peterson Cancels Concert

2007-06-08 Jazz legend Oscar Peterson forced to cancel his appearance at Carnegie Hall all-star performance (held in his honor), due to illness

Music History

2012-04-30 UNESCO celebrates the 1st International Jazz Day with a daylong celebration in Paris; a sunrise concert in New Orleans’ Congo Square; and a sunset concert at the United Nations in NYC; performers included Tony Bennett, George Benson, Terence Blanchard, Herbie Hancock, Hiromi, Angelique Kidjo, Lang Lang, Shankar Mahadevan, Hugh Masekela, and Esperanza Spalding [1]

Cheek To Cheek

2014-09-19 Columbia Records releases "Cheek To Cheek", a duet album of jazz standards by singers Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga; debuts at #1 on Billboard 200, Jazz Albums, and Traditional Jazz Albums charts.

Music History

2015-04-17 American jazz composer and saxophonist John Coltrane is awarded a posthumous Special Citation by the Pulitzer Prize board

  • 2015-05-26 Henry Threadgill releases his album "In for a Penny, In for a Pound" with jazz quintet Zooid (Pulitzer Prize for Music 2016)
  • 2017-11-15 American jazz and standards singer Tony Bennett receives Library of Congress Gershwin Prize at the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C.
  • 2023-12-15 American jazz vocal quartet "The Manhattan Transfer" marks their 50th anniversary with a farewell concert at Disney Hall in Los Angeles, California [1]

Birthdays in Music

Birthdays 1 - 100 of 1,808

  • 1872-03-20 Bernhard Seklas, German pianist, composer, conductor, and pedagogue thought to be the first jazz instructor, born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (d. 1934)
  • 1874-08-10 Bill Johnson, American jazz double bassist and banjo player , born in Talladega, Alabama (d. 1972) [birthdate disputed]
  • 1877-09-06 Charles "Buddy" Bolden, African-American jazz cornetist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1931)
  • 1881-02-08 (William) Crickett Smith, American ragtime, and jazz cornetist and trumpeter (James Reese Europe's Clef Club; Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolics; Louis Mitchell's Jazz Kings), and bandleader, born in Emporia, Kansas (d. 1944)
  • 1881-02-22 James Reese Europe, American ragtime and early jazz arranger, composer, and bandleader in New York, and with the military in France during WWI, born in Mobile, Alabama (d. 1919) [1] [2]
  • 1881-12-05 Coretté Alefred [Hardy], American-Russian-Soviet jazz, spiritual and pop lyrical and dramatic soprano, dancer, and actress, born in Churchville, New York (d. 1951)
  • 1881-12-19 Joseph "King" Oliver, American jazz cornet player, composer, bandleader, and mentor to Louis Armstrong, born in Aben, Louisiana (d. 1938) [1]
  • 1882-02-07 Wilbur Sweatman, American ragtime and dixieland jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader, born in Brunswick, Missouri (d. 1961) [1]
  • 1884-03-17 Alcide Nunez, American jazz clarinetist, born in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana (d. 1934)
  • 1884-08-03 Louis Gruenberg, Russian-American composer (Daniel Jazz), born in Brest-Litovsk, Russia (now Belarus) (d. 1964)

Al Jolson (1886-1950)

1886-05-26 American-Lithuanian jazz singer and silent film actor (Mamie, Swanee), born in Seredžius, Kovno Governorate, Russian Empire

  • 1886-12-25 Edward "Kid" Ory, American New Orleans style jazz trombonist, and band leader, born in LaPlace, Louisiana (d. 1973)
  • 1887-09-03 Frank Christian, American jazz trumpeter, born in Bywater, New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1973)
  • 1887-09-19 (Cora) "Lovie" Austin (née Taylor), American jazz and blues pianist, songwriter ("Down Hearted Blues"), and band leader (The Blues Serenaders), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee (d. 1972) [1]
  • 1888-03-07 Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau, American jazz guitarist and double-bassist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1969)
  • 1888-06-03 Tom Brown, American dixieland jazz trombonist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1958)
  • 1888-08-16 Armand J. Piron, American jazz violinist and composer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1943)
  • 1889-02-27 Freddie Keppard, American jazz cornetist (Original Creole Orchestra), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1933)
  • 1889-04-11 Nick LaRocca, American jazz coronetist and composer ("Tiger Rag"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1961)
  • 1889-12-27 Bunk Johnson, American jazz trumpeter, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1949) [1]
  • 1890-03-28 Paul Whiteman "The King of Jazz", American orchestra leader (George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue"), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 1967)
  • 1890-10-20 Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton [LeMothe], American jazz pioneer pianist and composer (King Porter Stomp), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1941)
  • 1890-12-02 Fate Marable, American jazz pianist, riverboat calliope player, and bandleader, born in Paducah, Kentucky (d. 1947)
  • 1890-12-30 Charles Cyril "Charlie" Creath, American jazz trumpeter, saxophonist, accordionist, and bandleader, born in Ironton, Missouri (d. 1951)
  • 1891-05-22 Eddie Edwards, American jazz trombonist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1963)
  • 1891-09-04 Sam Lanin, American sweet jazz arranger and bandleader (Roseland Orchestra; The Ipana Troubadors), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1977)
  • 1891-11-20 Julian Fuhs, German-American jazz pianist and bandleader (Follies Band), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 1975)
  • 1892-04-12 Johnny Dodds, American early jazz clarinetist, born in Waveland, Mississippi (d. 1940)
  • 1892-05-19 George "Pops" Foster, American jazz double bassist, tuba player, and trumpeter (Louis Armstrong; Sidney Bechet; Earl Hines), born in Macoll, Louisiana (d. 1969)
  • 1892-06-13 Richard M. Jones, American jazz pianist, accompanist, songwriter ("Trouble In Mind"), record producer (Louis Armstrong) and label manager (Okeh; Decca; Mercury), born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana (d. 1945)
  • 1892-08-23 Valdemar Eiberg, Danish jazz pioneer, saxophonist, and bandleader ("I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa"), born in Kolding, Denmark (d. 1965)
  • 1892-10-28 Ollie "Dink" Johnson, American Dixieland jazz clarinetist, pianist, and drummer, born in Biloxi, Mississippi (d. 1954)
  • 1893-03-18 (John) Jean Goldkette, French jazz pianist and bandleader, born in Valenciennes, France (d. 1962)
  • 1893-09-13 Larry Shields, American jazz clarinetist (Original Dixieland Jazz Band), born in New Orleans (d. 1953)
  • 1894-01-16 Irving Mills [Isadore Minsky], American jazz music publisher, manager (Duke Ellington, 1926-48), singer and lyricist, born in Odessa, Ukraine (d. 1985)
  • 1894-05-18 Lou Hooper, Canadian jazz pianist, and educator, born in North Buxton, Ontario (d. 1977)
  • 1894-11-05 (Jacob) "Jan" Garber, American violinist and sweet jazz bandleader, born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 1977)
  • 1895-02-07 Irving Aaronson, American jazz pianist and big band bandleader, born in New York City (d. 1963)
  • 1895-02-20 Jimmy Yancey, American boogie-woogie jazz and blues pianist, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1951) [birth year disputed - documentation ranges from 1894-1903]
  • 1895-03-31 Lizzie Miles [Elizabeth Landreaux], Creole American jazz, blues and gospel singer ("Man O'War"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1963)
  • 1895-04-03 (Edward Elzear} "Zez" Confrey, American jazz pianist and composer ("Kitten on the Keys"; "Dizzy Fingers."), born in Peru, Illinois (d. 1971)
  • 1895-04-20 Emile Christian, American jazz trombonist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1973)
  • 1895-06-17 Sam Wooding, American jazz pianist, bandleader, one of the 1st to tour Europe (Chocolate Kiddies), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1985)
  • 1895-10-12 Alfred "Tubby" Hall, American jazz drummer (King Oliver; Louis Armstrong), born in Sellers, Louisiana (d. 1945)
  • 1896-09-02 Amanda Randolph, American jazz and blues piano player and singer; stage, radio, and screen actress (The Laytons; Amos 'n Andy - "Ramona"; Danny Thomas Show - "Louise"), born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1967)
  • 1896-09-08 Elmer Schoebel, American jazz pianist, arranger (New Orleans Rhythm Kings; Isham Jones), and composer ("Farewell Blues"; "Prince Of Wails"), born in East St. Louis, Illinois (d. 1970)
  • 1897-02-22 Bob Ysaguirre, American jazz double bass and tuba player (Don Redman Orchestra), born in Belize, British Honduras (now Belize City, Belize) (d. 1982)
  • 1897-03-25 "Sweet" Emma Barrett, American Dixieland jazz pianist and singer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1983)
  • 1897-05-14 Sidney Bechet, American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer ("Petite Fleur"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1959)
  • 1897-05-23 Fred Guy, American jazz banjo player and guitarist (Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra; Duke Ellington's Washingtonians), born in Burkeville, Virginia (d. 1971)
  • 1897-07-11 Johnny Marvin, American jazz, pop, and country ukulele player, singer, and vaudevillian, born in Butler Oklahoma Territory (d. 1944)
  • 1897-08-22 Nick Lucas [Dominic Lucanese], American jazz guitarist and singer ("Tiptoe Through the Tulips"; "Painting the Clouds With Sunshine"), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 1982)
  • 1898-01-07 Al Bowlly, South African-British dance band vocalist ("Midnight, The Stars, And You"), and bandleader, born in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique (now Maputo, Mozambique) (d. 1941)
  • 1898-01-31 Fred Rich, Polish-American jazz pianist and dance band bandleader ("I'm Tickled Pink with a Blue-Eyed Baby"; The Abbott and Costello Show), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1956)
  • 1898-02-03 Lillian "Lil" Hardin Armstrong, American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 1971)
  • 1898-03-11 (Irving Milford) "Miff" Mole, American jazz trombonist, and composer (Red Nichols and His Five Pennies - "Slippin' Around"; Sophie Tucker), born in Roosevelt, Long Island, New York (d. 1961)
  • 1898-04-05 Herb Flemming [Nicolaiih El-Michelle], American jazz trombonist and vocalist, born in Butte, Montana (d. 1976)
  • 1898-05-14 [Arthur] Zutty Singleton, American jazz drummer (Louis Armstrong's Hot Five), born in Bunkie, Louisiana (d. 1975)
  • 1898-05-15 (Giovanni) John Abriani, Italian jazz violinist and bandleader, born in Lusiana, Italy (d. 1960)
  • 1898-05-28 Andy Kirk, American jazz drummer and bandleader (Clouds Of Joy - "I Won't Tell a Soul (I Love You)"), born in Newport, Kentucky (d. 1992)
  • 1898-09-16 (Charles) "Chick" Bullock, American jazz and dance band vocalist (Chick Bullock and His Levee Loungers), born in Butte, Montana (d. 1981)
  • 1898-10-22 (John) "Peck" Kelley, American jazz pianist and bandleader (Peck's Bad Boys), born in Houston, Texas (d. 1980)
  • 1898-12-24 Warren "Baby" Dodds, American jazz drummer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1959)
  • 1898-12-30 Vincent Lopez, American jazz pianist and big band bandleader ("Nola"), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1975) [1]
  • 1899-01-28 Zilner Randolph, American jazz trumpeter, arranger, and music educator, born in Dermott, Arkansas (d. 1994)
  • 1899-02-19 Louis "Kid Shots" Madison, American jazz cornetist (WPA Brass Band; Eureka Brass Band), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1948)
  • 1899-05-05 (Adolphe) Paul Barbarinan American jazz drummer (King Oliver; Red Allen Sextet; Onward Brass Band), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1969)
  • 1899-07-10 Noble Sissle, American jazz composer, singer, lyricist and playwright (Shuffle Along; "I'm Just Wild About Harry"), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 1975)
  • 1899-09-13 Frank "Big Boy" Goudie, American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist, and upholsterer, born in Youngsville, Louisiana (d. 1964)
  • 1899-10-14 Red McKenzie, American jazz singer (played comb-with-tissue-paper), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1948)
  • 1900-01-11 Wilbur De Paris, American swing and Dixieland jazz trombone player, born in Crawfordsville, Indiana (d. 1973)
  • 1900-01-22 Juan Tizol, Puerto Rican jazz trombonist (Duke Ellington), and composer ("Caravan"; "Perdido"), born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico (d. 1984)
  • 1900-02-03 Mabel Mercer, British jazz and cabaret singer whose style and phrasing influenced Frank Sinatra ("Fly Me To The Moon"), born in Burton upon Trent, England (d. 1984)
  • 1900-02-09 Walter Page, American jazz double bassist, saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Blue Devils; Count Basie Orchestra), born in Gallatin, Missouri (d. 1957)
  • 1900-02-13 Joseph "Wingy" Manone American jazz trumpeter, composer, singer, and bandleader ("Tar Paper Stomp"; "Downright Disgusted Blues"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1982)
  • 1900-02-25 Hartzell "Tiny" Parham, American jazz pianist, theater organist, and bandleader, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (d. 1943)
  • 1900-03-14 Bernie Cummins, American jazz drummer and big band bandleader ("Dark Eyes"), born in Akron, Ohio (d. 1986)
  • 1900-03-14 Ernest Hill, American jazz double-bassist, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 1964)
  • 1900-03-24 Algeria Junius "June" Clark, American jazz trumpeter and cornetist, born in Long Branch, New Jersey (d. 1963)
  • 1900-05-27 Chester Zardis, American jazz 'slap-style' double-bassist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1990)
  • 1900-05-28 Tommy Ladnier, American jazz trumpeter (Lovie Austin; King Oliver; New Orleans Feetwarmers; Noble Sissle; Sidney Bechet), born in Mandeville, Louisiana (d. 1939)
  • 1900-06-07 Glen Gray [Knoblauch], American jazz saxophonist and bandleader (Casa Loma Orchestra), born in Metamora, Illinois (d. 1963)
  • 1900-06-15 Paul J. Mares, American jazz trumpeter and composer ("Farewell Blues"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1949)
  • 1900-07-13 George Lewis [Joseph Zenon], American jazz clarinetist and bandleader (Bunk Johnson; Preservation Hall Jazz Band; "Burgundy Street Blues"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1968)
  • 1900-12-29 Willie Humphrey, American jazz clarinetist, born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1994)
  • 1901-02-20 Fred Robinson, American jazz trombonist (Louis Armstong's Hot Five; Fats Waller; Cab Calloway), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 1984)
  • 1901-05-15 Edmond Hall, American jazz clarinetist (Red Allen; Teddy Wilson), bandleader (Café Society Band), and composer (Profoundly Blue), born in Reserve, Louisiana (d. 1967)
  • 1901-05-24 Frank Signorelli, American swing jazz pianist (Original Dixieland Jazz Band; Joe Venuti's Blue Four), and songwriter (Stairway to the Stars), born in New York City (d. 1975)

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)

1901-08-04 American jazz trumpeter and singer ("Hello, Dolly!"; "What A Wonderful World"), born in New Orleans, Louisiana

  • 1901-09-02 Phil Napoleon [Filippo Napoli] American early jazz trumpeter and bandleader (Original Memphis Five; Napoleon and HIs Emperors), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1990)
  • 1901-09-26 Ted Weems [Wemyes], American jazz trombonist, violin player and big band bandleader (Somebody Stole My Girl; Heartache), born in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania (d. 1963)
  • 1901-10-20 Adelaide Hall, American-English musical theatre, cabaret, and jazz singer (Cotton Club; "Creole Love Call" with Duke Ellington), born in Brooklyn, NYC (d. 1993) [1]
  • 1901-11-09 (Francis) "Muggsy" Spanier, American swing jazz and Dixieland revival cornetist and trumpeter, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1967)
  • 1902-01-03 Preston Jackson [James Preston McDonald], American jazz trombonist (Preservation Hall Jazz Band), born in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 1983)
  • 1902-01-13 Louis "Putney" Dandridge American jazz pianist and singer (Heatin' Up Harlem), born in Richmond, Virginia (d. 1946)
  • 1902-01-23 Benny Waters, American jazz saxophonist & clarinetist, born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1998)
  • 1902-02-09 Blanche Calloway, American jazz vocalist, bandleader (Twelve Clouds of Joy), civil rights activist, and broadcaster, born in Rochester, New York (d. 1978)
  • 1902-02-10 Jack Pettis, American jazz saxophonist and bandleader, born in Ehrmandale, Indiana (d. 1963)
  • 1902-03-30 Ted Heath, British jazz trombonist, composer, and big band bandleader, born in Wandsworth, London, England (d. 1969)
  • 1902-04-06 James "Rosy" McHargue, American jazz clarinetist, and vocalist (Ted Weems Orchestra; The Wolverines), born in Danville, Illinois (d. 1999)

Weddings in Music

Duke Ellington

1918-07-02 American jazz orchestra bandleader Duke Ellington (19) weds high school sweetheart Edna Thompson in Washington, D.C.

Count Basie

1930-07-21 American jazz pianist Count Basie weds Vivian Lee Winn, in Kansas City, Missouri; divorce in 1934

Louis Armstrong

1938-10-11 American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong (37) weds longtime girlfriend Alpha Smith; divorce in 1942

  • 1940-07-13 American jazz pianist and bandleader Count Basie weds second wife American Catherine Morgan at the King County courthouse in Seattle, Washington, until her death in 1983

Billie Holiday

1941-08-25 American jazz singer Billie Holiday (26) weds American jazz trombonist Jimmy Monroe; divorce in 1947

Doris Day

1946-03-30 Ameican actress and singer Doris Day (23) weds American jazz saxophonist George Weidler (20); divorce in 1949

Ella Fitzgerald

1947-12-10 American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald (30) weds American jazz bass player Ray Brown (21); divorce in 1953

Nat King Cole

1948-03-28 Musician Nat King Cole (29) weds jazz singer Maria Hawkins (25) at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York

John Coltrane

1964-08-04 Jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane (35) weds jazz harpist and pianist Alice Macleod

Miles Davis

1968-09-30 American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis (42) weds American singer Betty Mabry (23); divorce 1969

Quincy Jones Jr

1968-10-17 Jazz trumpeter Quincy Jones Jr (35) weds actress Ulla Andersson (22)

  • 1981-11-26 Legendary American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis (55) weds American "Sounder" actress Cicely Tyson (47) at the home of actor Bill Cosby; divorce in 1989

Elvis Costello

2003-12-06 British rock singer-songwriter Elvis Costello (49) weds Canadian jazz pianist-singer Dianna Krall (39) at rock icon Elton John's estate outside of London, England

  • 2010-01-09 Food writer and former fashion model Sophie Dahl (32) weds British jazz singer Jamie Cullum (30) in Hampshire, England

Divorces in Music

Ella Fitzgerald

1953-08-28 American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald (36) divorces American jazz bassist Ray Brown (27) after 6 years of marriage

Deaths in Music

Deaths 1 - 100 of 1,128

  • 1919-05-09 James Reese Europe, American ragtime and early jazz arranger, composer, and bandleader in New York, and with the military in France during WWI, dies of a stab wound (received during an argument with one of his drummers), at 38
  • 1925-06-16 Emmett Hardy, American jazz cornetist, dies of tuberculosis at 22
  • 1929-03-15 Clarence "Pinetop" Smith, American jazz pianist and singer (Boogie Woogie Piano), dies of a gunshot wound in a dance-hall fight at 24
  • 1931-08-06 (Leon Bismarck) "Bix" Beiderbecke, American jazz cornetist - one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, pianist, and composer (In A Mist), dies of alcoholism exacerbated pneumonia at 28
  • 1932-03-01 Frank Teschemacher, American jazz clarinetist and alto-saxophonist, killed in a car accident at 25
  • 1932-05-20 James "Bubber" Miley, American jazz trumpet and cornet player (Duke Ellington, 1923-29 - "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo"; "Black And Tan Fantasy"), dies of tuberculosis at 29
  • 1933-03-04 Willie Walker, American jazz singer and guitarist (Dupree Blues), dies at 36
  • 1933-03-26 Eddie Lang [Salvatore Massaro], American jazz guitarist known as the "father of jazz guitar", dies of tonsil surgery complications at 30
  • 1933-07-15 Freddie Keppard, American jazz cornetist (Original Creole Orchestra), dies of tuberculosis at 44
  • 1934-12-08 Bernhard Seklas, German pianist, composer, conductor, and pedagogue thought to be the first jazz instructor, dies at 62
  • 1938-04-10 Joseph "King" Oliver, American jazz cornet player, composer, bandleader, and mentor to Louis Armstrong, dies of arteriosclerosis at 56 [1]
  • 1939-06-04 Tommy Ladnier, American jazz trumpeter (Lovie Austin; King Oliver; New Orleans Feetwarmers; Noble Sissle; Sidney Bechet), dies of a heart attack at 39
  • 1939-06-16 Chick Webb, American jazz drummer and big band bandleader (introduced Ella Fitzgerald), dies of Pott's disease (tuberculosis of the spine), at 34
  • 1939-07-13 Margaret Johnson, American jazz pianist known as "Countess" and "Queenie" (Andy Kirk's Clouds of Joy; Lester Young), dies of tuberculosis at 20
  • 1940-08-08 Johnny Dodds, American early jazz clarinetist, dies at 48
  • 1940-12-21 Hal Kemp, American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger and sweet jazz bandleader, dies as a result of a car accident at 36
  • 1941-09-01 "Kansas City" Frank [Melrose], American jazz and blues pianist, killed in a bar fight in Hammond, Indiana at 33
  • 1941-10-30 (Leon) "Chu" Berry, American swing jazz tenor saxophonist (Fletcher Henderson; Cab Calloway), dies in a car accident at 33
  • 1942-03-02 Charlie Christian, American jazz and swing guitarist (Benny Goodman Sextet), dies of tuberculosis at 25 [1]
  • 1942-06-02 (Roland) "Bunny" Berigan, American session and big band jazz trumpeter (Paul Whiteman; Benny Goodman - "King Porter Stomp"; Tommy Dorsey - "Marie"), vocalist, and bandleader ("I Can't Get Started"), dies from cirrhosis of the liver at 33
  • 1942-12-02 Karen Jønsson née (Pedersen), Danish jazz singer, pianist, songwriter, composer, and actress, dies of pneumonia at 33
  • 1943-02-17 Armand J. Piron, American jazz violinist and composer, dies at 54
  • 1943-04-04 Hartzell "Tiny" Parham, American jazz pianist, theater organist, and bandleader, dies at 43
  • 1943-06-08 (Wilford) "Min" Leibrook, American jazz tuba player and bassist (Paul Whiteman Orchestra), dies of meningitis at 40
  • 1943-08-03 Edward "Corky" Cornelius, American jazz trumpeter (Benny Goodman; Gene Krupa), dies of kidney failure at 28
  • 1943-10-05 Leon Roppolo, American early jazz clarinetist, dies at 41

Fats Waller (1904-1943)

1943-12-15 American jazz organist, piano player, singer and composer ("Ain't Misbehavin'"; "Honeysuckle Rose"; "Hot Chocolate"), dies of pneumonia at 39 [1]

  • 1944-02-16 Bob Zurke [Boguslaw Zukowski], American jazz pianist, arranger, (Bob Crosby Orchestra), and composer ("Old Tom-Cat On The Keys"), dies of complications of pneumonia aggravated by acute alcohol poisoning at 32
  • 1944-06-24 Rio Gebhardt, German jazz pianist, composer, and orchestra leader, dies in France during WWII battle at 36
  • 1944-08-30 (William) Crickett Smith, American ragtime, and jazz cornetist and trumpeter (James Reese Europe's Clef Club; Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolics; Louis Mitchell's Jazz Kings), and bandleader, dies at 53
  • 1944-12-10 Johnny Marvin, American jazz, pop, and country ukulele player, singer, and vaudevillian, dies of dengue fever at 47

Glenn Miller (1904-1944)

1944-12-15 American bandleader and jazz composer (Glenn Miller Orchestra - "In The Mood"; "Moonlight Serenade"; "String Of Pearls"), dies in a suspected plane crash over the English Channel, whiule serving in the US Army,at 40

  • 1945-03-19 Clyde Hart, American swing and bebop jazz piano player and arranger (Stuff Smith; Lionel Hampton; Roy Eldridge), dies of tuberculosis at 35
  • 1945-05-13 Alfred "Tubby" Hall, American jazz drummer (King Oliver; Louis Armstrong), dies at 49
  • 1945-12-08 Richard M. Jones, American jazz pianist, accompanist, songwriter ("Trouble In Mind"), record producer (Louis Armstrong) and label manager (Okeh; Decca; Mercury), dies at 53
  • 1946-02-15 Louis "Putney" Dandridge American jazz pianist and singer (Heatin' Up Harlem), dies at 44
  • 1947-01-16 Fate Marable, American jazz pianist, riverboat calliope player, and bandleader, dies of pneumonia at 56
  • 1947-07-12 Jimmie Lunceford, American swing jazz saxophonist and bandleader (Rhythm Is Our Business; For Dancers Only), dies of a heart attack at 45 [1] [2]
  • 1948-02-07 Red McKenzie, American jazz singer (played comb-with-tissue-paper), dies at 48
  • 1949-07-07 Bunk Johnson, American jazz trumpeter, dies after a series of strokes at 59 [1]
  • 1949-08-18 Paul J Mares, US jazz trumpetist/composer (Tin Roof Blues), dies at 49
  • 1949-12-02 Albert Ammons, American jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie pianist, dies at 42
  • 1949-12-28 Ivie Anderson, American swing jazz singer (Duke Ellington Orchestra, 1931-42), dies of complications from chronic asthma at 45 [1]
  • 1950-05-07 Bertha "Chippie" Hill, American blues and vaudeville singer (King Oliver's Jazz Band), struck and killed by a car in New York City at 45
  • 1950-07-06 Theodore "Fats" Navarro, American jazz trumpet player, dies from poor health following long-term heroin addiction, tuberculosis, and a weight problem, at 26
  • 1950-09-05 Al Killian, American big band and swing jazz trumpeter, and occasional bandleader, murdered by his landlord at 33

Al Jolson (1886-1950)

1950-10-23 American-Lithuanian jazz singer and silent film actor (Mamie, Swanee), dies at 64

  • 1951-03-25 Sidney “Big Sid” Catlett, American jazz drummer (Louis Armstrong), dies of a heart attack at 41
  • 1951-09-17 Jimmy Yancey, American boogie-woogie jazz and blues pianist, dies somewhere between age 50 and 57 - (birth year documentation uncertain)
  • 1951-10-23 Charlie Creath, American jazz trumpeter, saxophonist, accordionist, and bandleader, dies at 60

Mildred Bailey (1907-1951)

1951-12-12 American jazz singer known as "The Queen of Swing" ("Rockin' Chair"; "Please Be Kind"; "Darn That Dream"), dies of heart failure at 44

  • 1951-12-14 Coretté Alefred [Hardy], American-Russian-Soviet jazz, spiritual and pop lyrical and dramatic soprano, dancer, and actress, dies at 70
  • 1952-06-14 John Kirby [Kirk], American jazz double-bassist and tuba player (Benny Goodman; "Undecided"), dies at 43
  • 1953-11-21 Larry Shields, American jazz clarinetist (Original Dixieland Jazz Band), dies at 60
  • 1954-11-05 Oran "Hot Lips" Page, American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader, dies at 46
  • 1954-11-29 Ollie "Dink" Johnson, American Dixieland jazz clarinetist, pianist, and drummer, dies at 62

Charlie "Bird" Parker (1920-1955)

1955-03-12 American jazz saxophonist (Ornithology) and composer, dies of pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer at 34 in NYC

  • 1955-05-25 Wardell Gray, American swing and bebop jazz tenor saxophonist, dies at 34
  • 1955-08-28 Bob Gordon, American cool jazz baritone saxophonist, dies in a car accident at 27
  • 1955-11-17 James P. Johnson, American pianist and jazz composer (Charleston), dies at 64
  • 1956-06-26 Clifford Brown, American jazz trumpeter and composer (Joyspring, Jordu), dies at 25
  • 1956-09-08 Fred Rich, Polish-American jazz pianist and dance band bandleader ("I'm Tickled Pink with a Blue-Eyed Baby"; The Abbott and Costello Show), dies at 58
  • 1956-10-18 Harry Parry, Welsh jazz clarinetist and bandleader (BBC's Radio Rhythm Club), dies at 44
  • 1956-11-05 Art Tatum, American jazz pianist and composer, dies from complications of uremia at 47
  • 1956-11-07 Una Mae Carlisle, American jazz pianist and singer ("Walkin' By The River"), dies of pneumonia at 40
  • 1957-03-25 Joseph "Fud" Livingston, American jazz clarinetist, arranger, and composer ("I'm Thru With Love") and composer, dies at 50
  • 1957-06-12 Jimmy Dorsey, American big band jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and bandleader (Green Eyes; Tangerine; Pennies From Heaven), dies of throat cancer at 53
  • 1957-11-30 Dick McPartland, American jazz guitarist, dies at 52
  • 1957-12-20 Walter Page, American jazz double bassist, baritone saxophonist, tuba player, and bandleader (Blue Devils; Count Basie Orchestra), dies at 57
  • 1957-12-28 Ernie Henry, American jazz saxophonist (Fats Navarro; Dizzy Gillespie; Illinois Jacquet), dies of a heroin overdose at 31
  • 1958-03-25 Tom Brown, American dixieland jazz trombonist, dies at 69
  • 1958-09-17 Herbie Fields [Bernfeld], American jazz saxophonist and bandleader ("Dardanella"), dies from an intentional overdose of sleeping pills at 39
  • 1959-02-14 Warren "Baby" Dodds, American jazz drummer, dies at 60
  • 1959-05-14 Sidney Bechet, American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer ("Petite Fleur"), dies of lung cancer on his 62nd birthday
  • 1959-07-11 (Rossiere) "Shadow" Wilson, American jazz drummer (Thelonious Monk), dies of meningitis at 39

Billie Holiday (1915-1959)

1959-07-17 American jazz singer ("I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm"; "Strange Fruit"), and songwriter ("God Bless The Child"; "Lady Sings the Blues"), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 44

  • 1960-04-13 Beverly Kenney American jazz singer ("I Hate Rock n' Roll"; "Born To Be Blue"), takes her on life at 28
  • 1960-09-24 Mátyás Seiber, Hungarian-British classical and jazz composer (Scherzando), dies at 55
  • 1961-02-10 Velma Middleton, American jazz vocalist (Louis Armstrong's big bands and small groups), dies from complications of a stroke at 43
  • 1961-02-22 Nick LaRocca, American jazz coronetist and composer (Tiger Rag), dies at 71
  • 1961-03-09 Wilbur Sweatman, American ragtime and dixieland jazz clarinetist, composer, and bandleader, dies at 79
  • 1961-04-29 (Irving Milford) "Miff" Mole, American jazz trombonist, and composer (Red Nichols and His Five Pennies - "Slippin' Around"; Sophie Tucker), dies at 63
  • 1961-07-06 Scott LaFaro, American jazz bassist (Bill Evans Trio), dies in a car accident at 25
  • 1961-07-11 Erskine Butterfield, American swing and boogie-woogie jazz pianist, singer, and composer, dies at 48
  • 1962-03-24 (John) Jean Goldkette, French jazz pianist and bandleader, dies of a heart attack at 69
  • 1962-03-30 Jack Purvis, American jazz trumpet player and composer, dies at 55
  • 1962-08-14 June Richmond, American jazz singer (Jimmy Dorsey; Cab Calloway; Andy Kirk - "Hey Lawdy Mama"), dies of a heart attack at 47 [1]
  • 1962-10-17 (Henry) "Rubberlegs" Williams, American vaudeville dancer, and blues and jazz singer, dies at 55
  • 1963-01-13 (Conrad) "Sonny" Clark, American hard pop jazz and session pianist, composer, and group leader (Sonny's Crib), dies of a heart attack, exacerbated by heroin use, at 31
  • 1963-01-16 Ike Quebec, American jazz tenor saxophone player, and pianist, dies of lung cancer at 44
  • 1963-02-23 Algeria Junius "June" Clark, American jazz trumpeter and cornetist, dies at 62
  • 1963-02-28 Bobby Jaspar, Belgian jazz saxophonist, flautist and composer dies of a heart attack at 37
  • 1963-03-10 Irving Aaronson, American jazz pianist and big band lbandeader, dies of a heart attack at 68
  • 1963-03-17 Lizzie Miles [Elizabeth Landreaux], Creole-American jazz, blues and gospel singer ("Man O'War"), dies of a heart attack at 68
  • 1963-04-09 Eddie Edwards, American jazz trombonist, dies at 71
  • 1963-04-12 Herbie Nichols, American jazz pianist and composer ("Lady Sings the Blues"), dies of leukemia at 43
  • 1963-05-06 Ted Weems [Wemyes], American jazz trombonist, violin player and big band bandleader (Somebody Stole My Girl; Heartache), dies of emphysema at 61
  • 1963-08-14 Clyde Hurley, American session and big band jazz trumpeter (Glenn Miller - "Tuxedo Junction"; "In The Mood"), dies of heart failure at 46
  • 1963-08-23 Glen Gray [Knoblauch], American jazz saxophonist and bandleader (Casa Loma Orchestra), dies of lymphoma, at 63
  • 1963-08-24 Jack Pettis, American jazz saxophonist and bandleader, dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 61