Artie Shaw (Arthur Jacob Arshawsky) 
                            (May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004)

Shaw was a clarinetist, composer, and bandleader. He was also a author
who wrote both fiction and non-fiction short stories. Shaw had long been
suffering from diabetes.

Shaw led one of the most popular big bands in the late 1930s through
the early 1940s. Their signature song, a 1938 version of Cole Porter‘s
"Begin the Beguine", was a wildly successful single. He retired from the
music business in 1954.

Mike Gracia

      Ernie K-Doe (Ernest Kador, Jr.) (February 22, 1936 – July 5, 2001)

"Mother-in-Law" was written and produced by Allen Toussaint (below) who 
also played the piano solo. After several unsuccessful takes, a discouraged
Toussaint balled the composition up and threw it away as he was leaving the
studio. One of the backup singers, Willie Hopper, thought that it was such a
good song that he convinced K-Doe to calm down and give it one more try.

Allen Toussaint turned 75 in January