Bill Pickett, cowboy and rodeo performer
Dec. 5, 1871-Apr. 2, 1932
Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Gulliver Books, 1996)
Born in Travis County, Texas, Pickett invented the rodeo sport of bulldogging. Yahoo!
Pickett was included in The National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1971. He was the first African American inducted into this elite group.
Little Richard, musician
Dec. 5, 1932-
Shake, Rattle and Roll: The Founders of Rock & Roll by Holly George-Warren, illustrated by Laura Levine (Houghton Mifflin, 2001)
Little Richard was one of the earliest rockers. This deluxe showman from Georgia made his first record at 18 and found fame in 1955 with his hit called "Tutti Fruitti."
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Little Richard in 1986.
Martin Van Buren, U.S. President
Dec. 5, 1782-July 24, 1862
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
A brief description of the 8th, one-term president who loved to sing.
Read more about Van Buren at a site devoted to American Presidents.
