Died On This Date (October 15, 2011) Betty Driver / Noted English Singer & Actress
Betty Driver
May 20, 1920 – October 15, 2011
Betty Driver was an English singer, author, and actress who is best known for her 2800+ appearances on the popular British soap opera, Coronation Street. Prior to that, Driver starred in numerous musicals where she was able to show off her skills as a singer, mostly of ballads. She also entertained millions via the radio for many years. During the ’40s, Driver fronted big bands with whom she traveled around Europe entertaining WWII soldiers. Betty Driver was 91 when she passed away on October 15, 2011.
Thanks to Harold Lepidus for the assist.

Piet Noordijk was a respected Dutch saxophonist who, over a career that stretched several decades played in both orchestras and big bands. The list of groups he played with includes the Skymasters, Malando, the Ramblers, and the Metropole Orchestra. In 1965, Noordijk was presented with the Boy Edgar Prize, the highest achievement for a Dutch jazz musician, and in 1987, he won the Bird Award which is also bestowed upon only the best in his field. He went on to win other awards as well. Over the course of his career, Noordijk is known to have played with the likes of 

Frank Driggs was a jazz lover who became one of the genre’s most respected historians and collectors. Because of his reputation, producer legend,
Hal Roach was a jazz pianist who, for the better part of 36 years, held court at the popular Eli’s The Place For Steak in Chicago. Roach was just a young child living in Mississippi when he learned to play the piano on a piece of cardboard. He eventually moved to Chicago with his family, and after serving in the US Army in Korea, Roach focused on his music and soon landed the gig at The Place For Steak. In 1994, Roach was at the piano when in walked President Bill Clinton who was in town for a fundraiser. Despite being forewarned by the Secret Service to keep it on the down-low, Roach immediately kicked into “Hail To The Chief.” Over the course of his career, Roach also entertained the likes of 
