B.W. Stevenson (Born Lewis Stevenson)
October 5, 1949 – April 28, 1988
Born in Dallas, Texas, B.W. Stevenson was singer-songwriter of country pop songs. He had one big hit, 1973’s “My Maria,” which reached #9 on the Billboard pop singles chart. The song became a #1 country hit for Brook & Dunn in 1996. Stevenson died while undergoing heart valve surgery on April 28, 1988. He was 38.
Charley Patton
DOB Unknown – April 28, 1934
If Delta Blues has a flash point, it was most likely Charley Patton. His gritty voice, passionate singing and flashy guitar playing made him a local celebrity throughout the juke joints and plantation dances of the 1920s South. He’s influenced no less than John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson. As stated at allmusic.com, “He epitomized the image of a ’20s sport blues singer: rakish, raffish, easy to provoke, capable of downing massive quantities of food and liquor, a woman on each arm, with a flashy, expensive-looking guitar fitted with a strap and kept in a traveling case by his side, only to be opened up when there was money or good times involved.” Charley Patton was indeed the blues’ first superstar. He died of heart failure on April 28, 1934. Although his actual date of birth remains a mystery, most believe he was 34 when he died.
Al Hirt
November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999
Al Hirt was given his first trumpet at six and by sixteen, he and friend Pete Fountain were already playing professionally around New Orleans. After a tour of duty as a bugler in WWII, went to work in various swing bands, backing the likes of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey. He settled back in New Orleans by the ’50s, becoming an integral part of the city and its musical heritage. Over the next two decades, more than twenty of his albums appeared on the Billboard pop charts. One of Hirt’s other loves was football, and in 1967, he became a minority owner of the New Orleans Saints. Al Hirt died at 76 of liver failure after spending a year in a wheelchair due to edema in his leg.
William “Count” Basie
March 24, 1904 – April 26, 1984
Count Basie is one of most important jazz musicians and band leaders in American history. Born in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1904, Basie was encouraged by his mother to learn the piano, paying 25 cents a lesson for the young boy. Dropping out of junior high school, he took a job at a local movie house where one day when the regular pianist failed to show up for work, Basie took over playing behind the silent films. He never looked back. By his late teens he was playing at local parties, dances and talent shows, and when he wasn’t playing, he was hustling for his next gig. In the mid ’20s, Basie was fully immersed in the jazz scene that was building in Harlem. He would lead his Count Basie Orchestra on and off for the next fifty years. Throughout his astounding career, Basie played for royalty around the world; recorded with a who’s who of popular music – from Frank Sinatra to Duke Ellington, from Billie Holiday to Sarah Vaughan; won nine Grammys; had four songs selected to the Grammy Hall of Fame; appeared on television and in film; and performed at John F. Kennedy’s inaugural ball. He passed away of pancreatic cancer on April 26, 1984 at the age of 79.
Danny McKenna
April 14, 1952 – April 26, 2006
Danny McKenna was the founding guitarist for Texas rock band, Toby Beau who scored a 1978 hit with “My Angel Baby.” It was a #1 hit on the Easy Listening charts and reached #13 on the overall singles chart. The single would eventually achieve gold status and was recognized by BMI for receiving over 1 million radio plays. Due in part to the success of the single, Toby Beau toured with the likes of Bob Seger, Steve Miller Band and the Doobie Brothers. McKenna left the band before the release of their follow-up album and returned to Texas, got married and had two children. He started a successful business as a luthier, repairing and refurbishing all kinds of stringed instruments for local musicians, as well as others throughout Texas. He also handmade several guitars and instruments of his own invention, such as an electric “J-fiddle” and a hybrid between an electric guitar and a mandolin. McKenna always remained active as a musician and formed several local bands throughout the years, and he was extremely generous when sharing his love of music, often doing free repairs for churches or students who couldn’t afford it. He passed away on April 26, 2006 at the age of 54. – Additional information courtesy of Emily McKenna.
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