Died On This Date (September 15, 2007) Specs Powell / Jazz Drummer
themusicsover Gordon “Specs” Powell
June 5, 1922 – September 15, 2007
Specs Powell was a versatile jazz drummer who is mostly associated with the swing era. During the early part of his career, he played with the likes of Ben Webster and Benny Carter. In later years he worked with Benny Goodman, Erroll Garner and Billie Holiday. Starting in the mid ’40s, Gordon was a staff musician for CBS Television, eventually becoming the drummer in the Ed Sullivan Show house band. Powell stayed active into the ’70s. He died of kidney disease complications on September 15, 2007.
Click here to watch the NAMM Oral History interview of Specs Howell. Courtesy of Dan Del Fiorentino
Furry Lewis is one of country blues’ pioneers, making his name as a songwriter and guitarist in the early decades of the 20th century. He started performing at local parties while still in his teens, and by the late ’20s, he was recording sides for Vocalion Records in Chicago. Lewis had minor successes during his early years, but still needed to rely on his job as a city street sweeper until his retirement in 1966. His career rebounded during the folk revival of the ’60s, even being the topic of the Joni Mitchell song, “Furry Sings The Blues” (aparrently he was not a fan). The ’70s found Lewis touring the country along with 
