Harmonica and washboard player "Brother" Percy Randolph was born in New Orleans on September 19, 1914. Randolph worked with Snooks Eaglin, Little Freddie King, Billie & De De Pierce, and others. He passed away in New Orleans on October 29, 1991 at age 77. See Percy Randolph discography. Listen to Percy Randolph music on YouTube.
1919
Jazz trombone player Tom Ebbert (aka Tom Ebert) was born in Pittsburgh, PA on September 19, 1919. Tom, who spent more than five decades of his career in New Orleans, was a founding member of the Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble. He also worked with Wallace Davenport, Jacques Gauthe, Pud Brown, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the Palm Court Jazz Band, the Dukes of Dixieland, and others. Ebbert moved to Petersburg, Indiana shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. He passed away from complications due to Alzheimer's disease on January 7, 2013. He was 93. Read more here. See Tom Ebbert discography. Watch Tom Ebbert videos on YouTube.
1927
Colorful New Orleans entrepreneur Al Scramuzza (Alfred Scramuzza) was born in the French Quarter on September 19, 1927. Scramuzza, known as "The Crawfish King of New Orleans", founded Seafood City, a sprawling seafood market that once took up an entire city block and became one of the largest seafood operations in the Gulf South. The business moved more than 20,000 pounds of crawfish in a single day during peak seasons. He also started Scram Records, where he produced and released music by Little Sonny Jones, Eddie Bo, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, and others. Scramuzza passed way at his home in Metairie, LA on May 11, 2025, at the age of 97. Watch Al Scramuzza and Seafood City videos on YouTube.
1939
Bass player, vocalist and bandleader (also Air Force and commercial airline pilot) Stark Whiteman (William Stark Whiteman) was born in New Orleans on September 19, 1939. Whiteman played with 1950's and 60's bands The Crowns and The Jokers. He is best known for his 1959 single "We Will All Remember (Graduation Day)". The song, written by Henry Schroeder and Roy "Big Daddy" Wagener, was heard on local radio every May in the 1960's and 70's. The flip side of "Graduation Day", a rocker titled "Noise", featured Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John) on piano. Whiteman passed away in Metairie, LA on October 16, 1995 He was 56.
1945
Noted songwriter, musician and producer Tony Haselden was born in Mullins, South Carolina on September 19, 1945. Haselden moved to Louisiana as a teen. He was a founding member of Louisiana's LeRoux, and wrote some of their biggest songs, including their highest charted single, "Nobody Said It Was Easy". He later relocated to Nashville and became a top songwriter and producer in country music. Haselden passed away in Thibodaux, Louisiana on May 16, 2025 at age 79. Read more here and here.
1951
Singer, songwriter, producer, and former New Orleans resident Daniel Lanois was born in Hull, Quebec, Canada on September 19, 1951. One of the most sought-after producers of the 1980s and 1990s, Lanois founded Kingsway Studio in New Orleans in 1989. Lanois was behind the boards for the Neville Brothers' 1989 breakthrough album, "Yellow Moon" (the Nevilles picked up a Grammy for the track "Healing Chant"), and he also produced albums by U2, Bob Dylan ("Oh Mercy", which featured several Louisiana musicians), Emmylou Harris, and Brian Blade, among others. See Daniel Lanois discography. Watch Daniel Lanois videos on YouTube.
1952
Jazz historian, researcher, writer, and co-founder of Tipitina's Tad Jones (Thaddeus Bunol Jones) was born in New Orleans on September 19, 1952. His many accompishments including co-writing "Up From the Cradle of Jazz: New Orleans Music Since World War II" (with Jonathan Foose and Jason Berry), and discovering the baptismal certificate that established Louis Armstrong's true date of birth as August 4, 1901 (previously thought to be July 4, 1900). Jones died at his home on January 1, 2007 of accidental causes (obituary). He was 54 years old. Read more here and here.
1954
Louis Armstrong appeared on NBC TV's 'The Colgate Comedy Hour' on September 19, 1954. Watch Satchmo performing "The Whiffenpoof Song", "Birth of the Blues" (a duet with host Eddie Fisher), and "Back O' Town Blues".
1964
Al Hirt's album "Sugar Lips" entered the Billboard Top 40 Albums chart on September 19, 1964. It remained on the chart for 20 weeks, peaking at the #9 position. Hirt received a Gold Record for the album in 1965. The track "Pink Confetti" was written by Jerry Kennedy. Personnel on the album included piano legend Floyd Cramer.
1995
Blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd's debut album "Ledbetter Heights" was released on September 19, 1995, when he was just 18 years old. Shepherd was still in high school when the album was recorded. The title refers to a neighborhood in Shepherd's hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana (named in honor of folk music legend Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter). The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 30, 1996. It reached Platinum status on August 18, 2004. Shepherd's "Ledbetter Heights 30th Anniversary Tour" launched on February 19, 2026 in Dallas, TX. He revisited the landmark album with the May 8, 2026 release of "Ledbetter Heights (The 30th Anniversary Sessions)".
1997
The VH1 music series "Storytellers", featuring a performance by Elton John, aired live from the French Quarter House of Blues on September 19, 1997. This was the first time Storytellers had ever aired live.
The New Orleans Saints played their first post-Hurricane Katrina "home" game, at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, on September 19, 2005. Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis performed the National Anthem and Irvin Mayfield performed "America The Beautiful" before kick-off. Gulf Coast rockers 3 Doors Down performed at halftime. The Saints lost to the Giants on the Monday Night Football match-up, 27-10. See pre-game coverage, including an interview with Connick. Watch Jim Henderson's post game commentary from WWL TV.
2008
Legendary New Orleans drummer and session player Earl Palmer passed away at his California home on September 19, 2008 at age 83. The lynchpin behind Cosimo Matassa's famed J&M Studio band, Palmer's backbeat propelled hits by Little Richard, Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, and numerous others. He moved to Los Angeles in 1957 and became one of rock's premiere session players. From 1957 to 1966, he played on 50 Top 10 hits, from Johnny Otis's "Willie and the Hand Jive", to Sam Cooke's "Shake" to The Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Loving Feeling." Among the many other artists he recorded with are Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Sam Cooke, Ike & Tina Turner, The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Neil Young, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, and B.B. King. His biography, "Backbeat: Earl Palmer's Story", was published in 1999. Palmer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Read more here and here. Read this Earl Palmer and Dr. John interview from 2004. See Earl Palmer discography. Watch Earl Palmer videos on YouTube.
