Late drummer, brass player and bandleader "Papa Jack" Laine (George Vitelle Laine) was born in New Orleans on September 21, 1873. Laine formed his first ragtime band circa 1890. He later founded the Reliance Brass Band, and led various units of the group until retiring from music in 1917. He passed away on June 1, 1966 at age 92. Read more here.
1912
Late songwriter, steel guitarist, and music publisher Ted Daffan (Theron Eugene Daffan) was born in Merryville, Louisiana on September 21, 1912. Daffan wrote the first truck driver song, "Truck Driver's Blues", which was a hit in 1939. Other noted Daffan penned songs include "I'm A Fool To Care", and the Ray Charles classic "Born To Lose" (using the pseudonym Frankie Brown). Ted Daffan and His Texans had eight Top 10 country hits between 1944 and 1946. He passed away in Houston, Texas on October 6, 1996 at age 84. Read more at Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. See Ted Daffan discography. Watch Ted Daffan videos on YouTube.
1926
Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers recorded "Sidewalk Blues", "Dead Man Blues", and "Steamboat Stomp" for the Victor Talking Machine Company in Chicago on September 21, 1926. Listen to the tracks on YouTube.
1948
Acclaimed piano player, vocalist, and composer Henry Butler was born in New Orleans on September 21, 1948. Butler died of cancer in New York City on July 2, 2018, at the age of 69. Read more here. See Henry Butler discography. Watch Henry Butler videos on YouTube.
1957
Saxophonist Darryl Adams was born (Darryl Anthony Adams) in New Orleans on September 21, 1957. He worked with Hurricane Brass Band, Tornado Brass Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and others. Adams passed away on December 19, 2018 at age 61. See Darryl Adams discography. Watch Darryl Adams videos on YouTube.
1959
"I Want To Walk You Home" by Fats Domino hit #1 on the R&B Chart on September 21, 1959. It was Domino's last #1 hit, but several singles would crack the Top 10 into the early 1960s. "I Want To Walk You Home" reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track was recorded at Cosimo Recording Studio in New Orleans, with Roy Montrell, Jimmie Davis, Cornelius "Tenoo" Coleman, Clarence Ford, and Buddy Hagans.
1959
Country music star and Shreveport, LA native Faron Young recorded "Riverboat" and "Face To The Wall" at Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville on September 21, 1959. Both songs made it to the Top 10 on the Country Singles Chart.
1964
Visual artist and ambient noise musician Keith Moore (aka Deacon Johnson) was born in New Orleans on September 21, 1964. Moore, known as the "King of Ambient Noise", founded the Jazz Fest alternative event NOizeFest. He died on April 10, 2007 after being shot in his car New Orleans. He was 42 years old. Keith was the son of famed New Orleans music artist Deacon John Moore. Read more here.
1974
Country blues man Jewell "Babe" Stovall passed away in New Orleans on September 21, 1974 at age 66. The Tylertown, Mississippi native had been a regular on the New Orleans music scene since the late 1950s. Read more here. See Babe Stovall discography. Watch Babe Stovall videos on YouTube.
1998
Louisiana natives Kenny Beard (1959-2017) and Trace Adkins were among songwriters honored at the 36th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards, held at Nashville's Opryland Hotel on September 21, 1998. Beard picked up two awards, for "The Rest of Mine" (written with Adkins) and "Is That A Tear" (cowritten with John Jarrard).
2002
Guitar slinger Kenny Wayne Shepherd performed at the Farm Aid '02 benefit concert in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania on September 21, 2002 (photo). Shepherd performed with the late Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble rhythm section, playing Vaughan's "Texas Flood" and Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)".
2011
The 2011 National Heritage Fellowship Awards Ceremony took place in Washington, D.C. on September 21, 2011. Honorees included Big Chief Bo Dollis (Theodore Emile Dollis) of the Wild Magnolia Mardi Gras Indians. Sadly, Dollis was too ill to attend the event. The honor was accepted by his son Gerard Dollis (aka Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr.).
