New Orleans Radio

Welcome New Orleans Radio

 

Todays Date

Todays Date
05-31-2025

Birthday Wishes

Yearbirthday
1933Shirley Verrett, She's a mezzo-soprano who has enjoyed great fame since the late 1960s, much admired for her radiant voice and great versatility. (92)
1937Louis Hayes, A superior hard bop drummer best known for supporting soloists rather than taking the spotlight himself, he led a band in Detroit as a teenager and was with Yusef Lateef during 1955-1956. (88)
1938Peter Yarrow, He's an American singer best known as Peter from Peter, Paul and Mary. It was Yarrow who wrote that group's most famous song, "Puff the Magic Dragon." He received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Cornell University in 1959. (87)
1941Johnny Paycheck, He was a country music singer. Most famous for his 1977 hit song "Take This Job And Shove It." He died in 2003. (84)

Todays_Events

YearMusical_Fact
1967 Duke Ellington's longtime co-composer Billy Strayhorn dies in New York.
1969 "My Cherie Amour" was released by Stevie Wonder on Tamla Records on this day.
1974 "Be Thankful For What You Got" won William DeVaughn a gold record on this day.
1975 Freddy Fender took the gold today as his hit 'Before The Next Teardrop Falls' hit #1 on the Billboard charts.
1975 Shreveport, Louisiana native soul singer, Bettye Swann (Betty Jean Champion) made it to the Billboard R&B charts on this day for the last time as a solo performer with her song "All The Way In Or All The Way Out".
1980 Lipps, Inc made their 15 minutes of fame on this day as they ascended to the top of the pop charts with 'Funkytown'.
2000 Tom Ayres, Music producer and native of Sabine Parish, Louisiana passed away on this day at the age of 66. David Bowie gives credit to Tom as the man who brought him to RCA Records. He worked for Hanna-Barbera Productions, ABC Records, Columbia Records. Kama Sutra Records, Buddha Records and RCA Records. He also worked with the Sir Douglas Quintet and with singers Ultra Violet and Gene Vincent.
2005Leo P. Abshire, a cajun fiddler and a master fiddle maker and a native of Gueydan, Louisiana passed away on this day at the age of 71. he cam from a musical family that included his late cousin, the famous accordion player Nathan Abshire, and accordion player Ray Abshire. He has traveled around the world twice, playing for the Queen of England, Princess Di, and President Clinton. He played with the famous accordion player Joe Bonsall for 20 years. He also travelled and played with the late Eddie Le Juene, the late Milton Adams, and many more.