Prolific musician, session player, arranger, and conductor René Hall was born in Morgan City, Louisiana on September 26, 1912. Hall played banjo and guitar with jazz bands in New Orleans before moving to New York, and later Los Angeles. He worked with Earl "Fatha" Hines, Billy Ward and the Dominoes, Ritchie Valens ("La Bamba"), Ray Charles ("I Don't Need No Doctor"), Larry Williams ("Bad Boy"), and many, many others. He was the arranger and conductor on Sam Cooke's 1964 civil rights anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come" and Marvin Gaye's 1973 hit album "Let's Get It On". Hall died of heart disease in Los Angeles, California on February 11, 1988 at age 75. Read more here and here. See Rene Hall's extensive discography. Watch Rene Hall videos on YouTube.
1947
Keyboard player and vocalist David Batiste (David Russell Batiste Sr.) was born in New Orleans on September 26, 1947. The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee founded the noted funk band David Batiste and The Gladiators with his brothers in 1961. In 1965, the band was a talent show winner at Harlem's famous Apollo Theater. They had a hit with "Funky Soul (Parts 1 & 2)", released in 1970 on Soulin' Label. Batiste also performed with the Meters as the keyboardist from 1977 to 1980. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Offeat Magazine in 2023, Sons David Russell Batiste Jr. (1965–2023), Damon Batiste, Jamal Batiste, and Ryan Batiste are also musicians. He is the uncle of musician and composer Jon Batiste.
1966
Lee Dorsey appeared on ABC TV's "Where the Action Is" on September 26, 1966. Dorsey performed his hits "Working in the Coalmine" and "Ya Ya". Watch the video here.
Grammy winning trumpet player, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Nicholas Payton was born in New Orleans on September 26, 1973. Payton, the son of late bassist Walter Payton, studied music at NOCCA and UNO. He won a Grammy in 1997 for "Stardust", from the album he recorded with the late Doc Cheatham. The Chicago Tribune, in their review of "Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton" wrote "Listen to these trumpeters in musical dialogue and you are hearing one end of the 20th century speaking to another". See Nicholas Payton discography. Watch Nicholas Payton videos on YouTube.
1990
Harry Connick Jr.'s home video "Singin' and Swingin'" was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 26, 1990.
Blues man Buddy Guy was musical guest on NBC's "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on September 26, 2005. Buddy Guy and his band performed "What Kind of Woman Is This", from his album, "Bring 'Em In". Watch the video here.
2012
The Hunter Hayes single "Storm Warning" was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 26, 2012. It was the first single from his self-titled debut album.
2020
Farm Aid 2020 On the Road was held virtually (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) on September 26, 2020. The event, which was streamed online, featured performances by Jon Batiste (videos), and many others.
