Died On This Date (February 23, 1997) Tony Williams / Jazz Drummer
themusicsover Tony Williams
December 12, 1945 – February 23, 1997
Tony Williams was an influential jazz drummer who is generally remembered for his early work with Miles Davis. He played with Davis throughout most of the ’60s. Under his own name, Williams released 14 albums between 1964 and his death, most of which were with Blue Note. As a sideman, Williams added drumming talents to albums by the likes of Allan Holdsworth, Branford Marsalis, Eric Dolphy, Herbie Hancock, and Stan Getz, to name a few. Williams also played drums on Album by former Sex Pistols lead singer, John Lydon’s band, Public Image Ltd. Tony Williams was 51 when he died of a heart attack on February 23, 1997.
What You Should Own
Calvin Owens was a respected jazz and blues trumpeter and band leader from Houston, Texas. He started learning to play the trumpet at the age of 13, and after graduating from high school, he turned professional by touring with a vaudeville act. In 1953, Owens began working with B.B. King, eventually becoming his bandleader. He played with him until 1957, when he landed a job at Peacock Records as a session player. Owens went on to play with the likes of 
Lee Morgan was a jazz trumpeter who was one of the key figures of the hard bop style. He received his first trumpet on his 13th birthday, and within five years, he was playing in 
Nat King Cole was an internationally renowned jazz singer, songwriter and pianist who broke many color barriers for African-American musicians. He is rightfully considered one of America’s musical treasures. Cole learned to play the piano as a child in his father’s church, and by the time he was in his mid teens, he was well on his way with a career in music. He made his first recording with his brother, Eddie, in 1936, and within a year, he moved to Los Angeles to be closer to the recording industry. In 1943, he became one of the first acts to sign with Capitol Records and when the label built its iconic round headquarters in Hollywood in 1956, it was dubbed “the house that Nat built.” Over the course of his career recording for Capitol, Cole released such now-standards as “L-O-V-E,” “Mona Lisa,” “Unforgettable,” and “Route 66.” In November of 1956, NBC caused a stir when it debuted The Nat King Cole Show, the first of its kind to be hosted by an African-American. In 1958, Cole released the widely successful Cole en Espanol, likely the first collection of Spanish songs recorded by an African-American. It spawned three similar Cole collections in the coming years. A heavy smoker through most of his life – he believed the smoking enhanced his voice – Nat King Cole died of cancer on February 15, 1965. He was 45.