Died On This Date (January 23, 1973) Kid Ory / New Orleans Jazz Pioneer

Edward “Kid” Ory
December 25, 1886 – January 23, 1973

Kid Ory was one of Dixieland jazz’s most influential trombonists.  His was one of the most popular New Orleans jazz bands during the first decade of the 20th century.  It was the one-time home to such greats as King Oliver and Louis Armstrong.  Ory moved to Los Angeles in 1919 and quickly became the premier New Orleans jazz band there.  It was in Los Angeles that he began making records.  He moved to Chicago during the mid ’20s and retired from the business during the Depression years.  He came back in 1944 and for the better part of the next twenty years, he was the top New Orleans jazz band in the country.  Ory retired completely in 1966 and passed away on January 23, 1973 at the age of 86.

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Kid Ory

Died On This Date (January 23, 1976) Paul Robeson / Folk Great

Paul Robeson
April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976

Paul Robeson was an amazing renaissance man.  He was an internationally famous stage and screen actor, multi-lingual orator, scholar, professional athlete, social justice activist, lawyer, and a singer who possessed a booming baritone voice.  With all that came controversy.  Due to his vocal social justice beliefs and worldwide fame, he found himself to be a direct target by the government and media during the McCarthy era.  Robeson is perhaps best known as the first African-American actor to portray Othello on Broadway.  He was also played the iconic character, “Joe” (which was written for him) in the London, Broadway, and film versions of Show Boat.  His version of the show’s “Ol’ Man River,” is considered to be definitive one.  Other recordings, like 1939’s Ballad For Americans, made him a hero to the ’60s folk movement.  There is far too much about this remarkable man to be included here, so do yourself a favor and read more about him elsewhere.  Paul Robeson was 77 when he died of a stroke on January 23, 1976.

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Ballad For Americans - Paul Robeson

Died On This Date (January 23, 1990) Peter Sweval / Looking Glass; Starz

Peter Sweval (Born Piet Sweval)
April 13, 1948 – January 23, 1990

Peter Swevel was the founding bassist for New Jersey pop band, Looking Glass.  In 1972, they released their only hit, “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” which shot to #1 on the singles chart while selling over a million copies.  No honorable ’70s pop collection is complete without it.  After Looking Glass broke up in 1974, Swevel and Jeff Grob formed Starz, a hard rock band that also had one big hit, “Cherry Baby.”  The band signed with Capitol Records and built a sizable cult following that still exists to this day.  Musically, Starz has been compared to Aerosmith, Kiss and Cheap Trick, and have been cited as a direct influence on the likes of Motley Crue and Poison.  Peter Swevel, age 42, passed away on January 23, 1990 of unknown causes.

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Violation - Starz

Died On This Date (January 23, 1993) Thomas A. Dorsey / The Father Of Gospel Music

Thomas A. Dorsey
July 1, 1899 – January 23, 1993

Thomas A. Dorsey was a ’20s era singer, musician and composer who has been called the “Father of Gospel.”  Dorsey’s career began in jazz during the early ’20s, a time when he formed the backing band for Ma Rainey.  In 1928, and going by the name, Georgia Tom, Dorsey teamed up with Tampa Red to record “Tight Like That” which went on to sell seven million copies.  Over the course of his career, he is said to have written over 400 songs.  During the mid ’20s, Dorsey set his focus creating a music that would become known as Gospel.  He took standard Christian praise and married it with jazz and blues.  Many of his gospel songs have become standards and have been recorded by greats of future generations of rock ‘n roll and R&B.  Thomas A. Dorsey was 93 when he passed away on January 23, 1993.

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Precious Lord Recordings of the Great Gospel Songs of Thomas A. Dorsey - Thomas A. Dorsey

Died On This Date (January 23, 1936) John Mills, Jr. / The Mills Brothers

John Mills, Jr.
October 19, 1910 – January 23, 1936

John Mills, Jr. with guitar
John Mills, Jr. with guitar

John Mills, Jr. along with his three brothers made up the Mills Brothers, a popular jazz vocal quartet throughout most of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.  John Jr. sang bass in the group and played guitar.  Their songbook included such hits as “Tiger Rag,” “Dinah,” and “St. Louis Blues.”  As the boys were just starting to establish themselves on the world stage, tragedy struck while on their first European tour as John Jr. came down with pneumonia with which he struggled for several months.  After they assumed he was well, the group headed back to England where John Jr. once again became sick, only this time resulting in his sudden death on January 24, 1936.   The guys eventually regrouped and struck out again with their father, John Sr. filling the vacant slot.