Blues man George Curly "Barefoot" Miller was born in New Orleans on July 23, 1902. The son of Barnum and Bailey Circus performers, Miller began his career shining shoes and tap-dancing on the streets of New Orleans. He settled in the Dallas, TX area in the 60's where he became known for his flamboyant suits, racy jokes and shoeless tap-dancing. A throwback to the vaudville era, Miller's shows were a blend of stand-up comedy and blues, with a bit of vaudevillian sparkle thrown in for good measure. Miller performed regularly in the Dallas area until his death on May 2, 1999. See Curly "Barefoot" Miller discography. Watch Curly "Barefoot" Miller videos on YouTube.
1943
Swamp rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Tony Joe White was born in the Goodwill community, just outside of Oak Grove, Louisiana on July 23, 1943. White had a Top 10 hit in 1969 with his self-penned "Polk Salad Annie". His songs have been covered by Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Brook Benton, Johnny Adams, Tina Turner (he wrote 4 tracks for Tina's Grammy nominated "Foreign Affair" album), Joe Cocker, Waylon Jennings, and many others. White's classic, "Rainy Night in Georgia", a #1 hit for Brook Benton, has been covered by over 50 different artists. He was inducted posthumously into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. White passed away from a heart attack at his home near Nashville on October 24, 2018. He was 75. See Tony Joe White discography. Watch Tony Joe White videos on YouTube.
1999
New Orleans rapper Juvenile (Terius Gray) was arrested in a Jacksonville, Florida shopping mall on July 23, 1999. Juvenile was charged with resisting arrest and breach of peace after he and two of his associates got into a fracas with Regency Square mall security guards who had asked Juvenile to remove a tilted cap and bandanna, a breach of the mall's safety code.
2002
Cash Money Records released Lil Wayne's third solo album, "500 Degreez", on July 23, 2002. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 and hit #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart on August 12, 2002.
2003
Classical pianist and Shreveport, Louisiana native Van Cliburn received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush at the White House on July 23, 2003.
