Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for April 2nd

Today it's a tribute to a jazz legend, a great American rocker's having a birthday, and just how much would you pay for Beatles memorabilia?

4/02/1987 (28 years ago today) - Without a doubt, he was one of the greatest drummers of all time: jazz band leader Buddy Rich succumbed to complications from a brain tumor; he was 69 years old. Nice resume: Buddy worked with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and many more. Rush percussionist-extraordinaire Neal Peart organized a pair of '90's tribute albums (titled "Burning For Buddy") featuring the drumming of Kenny Aronoff, Steve Gadd, Max Roach and Matt Sorum. In Dave Clark's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame acceptance speech, one of the first things he said was "I could never play like Buddy Rich, but I like to think I did all right". Props all around, Buddy was intense and awesome!

4/02/2006 (9 years ago today) - A John Lennon scrapbook (from when he was 12 years old) that featured his drawings of Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus And The Carpenter" poem sold at auction for $239,733!!! This was the poem that inspired John to write "I Am The Walrus" in 1967. Also sold this day: a ship's log book written by Lennon during a rather stormy voyage to Bermuda in 1980 -- it fetched $22,741. Pretty cool stuff.

4/02/1941 - Happy Birthday to a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who has achieved bona-fide legendary status on his own terms: Leon Russell turns 74 today. Tulsa-born Claude Russell Bridges started out as a session musician and has recorded with {deep breath now, peeps!} Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Delaney & Bonnie, George Harrison, Joe Cocker, Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Dave Mason, B.B. King, Willie Nelson and too many more to name in this space. Leon's own compositions have been done by many artists from all genres, most notably the classic "A Song For You", which has been recorded by over 40 different bands and singers: The Carpenters, The Temptations, Peggy Lee, Ray Charles, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Donny Hathaway...in other words, All Hail The Mighty Leon!!!

Give us your feedback on the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"And when my life is over/Remember when we were together/We were alone and I was singin' this song for you...", xoxo!