Late sax and clarinet player Captain John Handy was born in Pass Christian, MS on June 24, 1900. Handy moved to New Orleans as a teen. Early work included stints with bands led by Kid Albert, Kid Rena, Tut Johnson, Kid Howard, and his own band, the Louisiana Shakers. In later years, he worked and toured with Kid Sheik and played at Preservation Hall. He died on January 12, 1971 after playing with a group of friends in his hometown of Pass Christian, MS. He was 70 years old. Read more here, here, and here. Listen to Captain John Handy music on YouTube. Watch this 1965 performance with The December Band (f/ Handy, Kid Thomas Valentine, Big Jim Robinson, Sammy Penn, and Sammy Rimington).
1912
String bass player Ransom Knowling was born in New Orleans on June 24, 1912. Knowling played with Sidney Desvigne and John Robichaux before settling in Chicago. He later worked with the Harlem Hamfats, Big Bill Broonzy, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (Knowling and fellow New Orleanian Judge Riley backed Crudup on the classic "That's All Right"), Roosevelt Sykes, Washboard Sam, Muddy Waters, and many others. Listen to Ransom Knowling music on YouTube.
1946
Noted jazz bassist Clint Houston was born (Clinton Joseph Houston) in New Orleans on June 24, 1946. Houston played with Nina Simone, Roy Haynes, Roy Ayers, Stan Getz, Woody Shaw, Joanne Brackeen, and many others. He passed away on June 7, 2000. Read more here. Listen to Clint Houston music on YouTube.
1957
The Fats Domino single "It's You I Love" entered the Billboard Top 40 on June 24, 1957. It eventually peaked at #6 on the Best Sellers in Stores chart and #22 on the Hot 100 chart. The released version was the B-side of "Valley of Tears", and it featured overdubbed backing vocals. The original undubbed version was released on the 1993 Bear Family Records Fats Domino compilation "Out of New Orleans".
1965
The Hackberry Ramblers performed at the 8th Annual Berkeley Folk Music Festival held at the University of California, Berkeley on June 24, 1965. Their performance can be heard on the album Luderine Darbone's Hackberry Ramblers "Jolie Blonde" (tracks 20-26). Read more here.
1967
Shreveport, LA native Brenton Wood's single "The Oogum Boogum Song" entered the Billboard Top 40 on June 24, 1967. It peaked at #34 on the pop chart, and reached #19 on the R&B Chart.
1971
The ill-fated music festival known as the Celebration of Life got under way, three days late, at Cypress Point Plantation in McCrea, Louisiana (Pointe Coupee Parish) on June 24, 1971. Frustrated, hungry, and doped up music fans were treated to performances by John Sebastian, Chuck Berry, Eric Burdon and War, and blues man Jimmy Witherspoon. Watch the Celebration of Life documentary "McCrea 1971". Read more about the festival here.
1977
Jerry Lee Lewis appeared on the NBC TV music & variety series "The Midnight Special" on June 24, 1977. He performed "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "The Closest Thing to You". Watch the video here.
1997
Saxophone and clarinet player Steve Giarratano (Stephen Joseph Giarratano) passed away in New Orleans on June 24, 1997 at age 83. Giarratano played with Irving Fazola, Tony Almerico, WWL Radio Dawnbusters, Leon Kelner's Blue Room Orchestra, Rene Louapre's Society Orchestra, and others. His son, Steve F. Giarratano (1937-2022), was also a woodwinds player (obit / youtube).
