Died On This Date (May 14, 1959) Sidney Bechet / Jazz Great
themusicsover Sidney Bechet
May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959
Sidney Bechet was one of jazz’s greatest soloists. He began playing as a young teen in New Orleans, and by the time he was 20, he was traveling the world and making his mark on both the saxophone and clarinet. He was a prolific composer as well. Bechet’s life was not without controversy as evident by the pistol duel he once instigated in Paris. Bechet evidently had a notoriously bad temper. He was jailed and later deported. Bechet died on his 62nd birthday, May 14, 1959.
William D. Littleford entered the publishing business in 1934 when he joined the staff of Billboard magazine, which his grandfather founded in 1894. Starting as an apprentice, Littleford became GM in 1943, and then President and CEO in 1958. He stayed in that position until the magazine was sold in the mid ’80s, afterwhich he was appointed Chairman Emeritus. He passed away in his home at the age of 94.
Trumpet player Chet Baker began to get noticed in the early ’50s first while playing with 
Bob Wills was a Texas born western swing musician and songwriter. He is referred to as the “King of Western Swing.” As a child, when Wills wasn’t picking cotton, he was learning to play the mandolin and fiddle. Throughout the ’40s, Wills and his Texas Playboys were the most popular musical act in the country not only because they were outstanding musicians, but because Wills continued to “break the rules” of popular music. Wills continued to draw sizable crowds and sell plenty of records throughout the ’50s. In 1962, he suffered his first of two heart attacks in as many years. After his recovery, he continued on until 1962 when he suffered a life changing stroke in that he was left paralyzed on his right side. Another stroke in December of 1973 left Wills in a coma until his death on May 13, 1975.
Perry Como was one of America’s most popular singers of the 20th century. With a career that spanned over 50 years, Como sold many millions of records. He also starred in his own weekly variety show in the ’50s. Because of its immense popularity, it became the benchmark for all such shows to come. At the time, Como was the highest paid television entertainer in history, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Como died in his sleep on May 12, 2001 at the age of 88. It has been reported that he suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease in his final years.