Died On This Date (May 24, 2014) Ed Shaughnessy / Drummer In Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show Band
themusicsover Ed Shaughnessy
January 29, 1929 – May 24, 2013
As a driving force of the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson band, Ed Shaughnessy was one of the most famous drummer in America, if not the world, for the better part of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Specializing in swing and bebop, Shaughnessy cut his teeth in New York City during the 40s playing with the likes of Jack Teagarden and George Shearing. He then went on to play behind Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Count Basie before being hired by the Tonight Show Band with whom he played for 29 years. In between, he played on recordings by a list of who’s who of jazz greats. Ed Shaughnessy was 84 when he died of a heart attack on May 24, 2013.
For more on Ed Shaughnessy, please watch this clip from namm.org. Thanks to Dan Del Fiorentino for its usage.
Bert Weedon was a popular British guitarist during the 1950s and 1960s. Although he leaned more easy listening that rock, he was a direct influence on the likes of Brian May, Keith Richards, 
Clare Fischer was a pianist, composer and arranger who, besides having his own respectable career as a musician, arranged music for some of pop music’s biggest stars. Fischer was still a child when he first started making music, and after graduating from college and serving in the Army, he pursued a career in music. During the late ’50s, he took on his first gig of note as the pianist and arranger for popular vocal quartet, the Hi-Los. It was his work with the group that helped establish them as a major influence on the likes of the Manhattan Transfer, Brian Wilson, and Quincy Jones. It was around that time that he also arranged music for jazz greats Cal Tjader, Donald Byrd, and 
John Levy was a talented bassist who went on to become jazz and pop music’s first African-American artist manager of any significance. Born in New Orleans, Levy ultimately landed in New York City, where in 1949, he was hired to play in the 
George Shearing was a popular and influential jazz pianist and composer who could claim over 300 pieces as his own. Born blind in London, Shearing spent his early professional career playing in an all-blind band – he started playing the piano at just three years old. During his late 20s, Shearing moved to the United States where he continued to master his complex style of swing, bop and bebop. In 1949, he formed the George Shearing Quintet and went on to record for such labels as Verve, Capitol, and MGM. His hits included “Lullaby Of Birdland” and “September In The Rain.” Over the years he’s collaborated with the likes of 