This Week’s Birthdays (November 8 – 14)

Happy Birthday this week to:

November 08
1913 ● Arnold “Gatemouth” Moore → Booming-voiced ordained minister, gospel and Chicago blues singer and songwriter, wrote “Did You Ever Love A Women?” for B. B. King and “Somebody’s Got To Go” for Rufus Thomas, died of natural causes on 5/19/2004, age 90
1927 ● Ken Dodd → Brit music hall traditional stand-up comedian, songwriter and adult pop singer, “Tears” (UK #1, 1965) and 18 other UK Top 40 hits, TV and film actor
1927 ● Patti Page / (Clara Ann Fowler) → Grammy-winning traditional adult pop singer, “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window?” (#1, 1953) and 13 other Top 40 hits, the best-selling female artist of the 50s, died from heart and lung failure on 1/1/2013, age 85.
1929 ● Bert Berns / (Bertrand Russell Berns) → Pioneer and prolific rock ‘n’ roll songwriter and producer, wrote or co-wrote “Twist And Shout”, “Hang On Sloopy”, “Here Comes The Night” and many others, co-founded Bang! Records, died from a heart attack on 12/31/1967, age 38
1941 ● Laura Webb / (Laura Webb Childress) → With four other teens from her Spanish Harlem housing complex, founding member and soprano vocals in rare 50s R&B girl group The Bobbettes (“Mr. Lee,” #6, R&B #1, 1957), the first all-girl group to have a Top 10 hit (and an R&B #1), continued to record and perform into the 70s, died from colon cancer on 1/8/2001, age 57
1942 ● Johnny Perez → Original member and percussion for roots/psych-rock The Sir Douglas Quintet, “She’s About A Mover” (#13, UK #15, 1965), later owned Topanga Skyline Studios, died from cirrhosis of the liver on 9/11/2012, age 69
1942 ● Donnie Fritts / (Donald Ray Fritts) → Session musician and songwriter, first in the Muscle Shoals, Alabama music scene in the 60s and later in Nashville as part of the “outlaw country” movement of the 70s, wrote or co-wrote dozens of songs, including “Breakfast In Bed” for Dusty Springfield (#10, 1968), “We Had It All” for Dolly Parton (#28, 1986) and seven other charting singles, played in Kris Kristofferson’s band for over 20 years, issued five solo albums (three after 2008), died from complications following heart surgery on 8/27/2019, age 76.
1944 ● Bonnie Bramlett / (Bonnie Lynn O’Farrell) → Blue-eyed soul and blues-rock singer, first Caucasian in Ike and Tina Turner‘s backing vocal group The Ikettes, one half of the husband-and-wife duo Delaney & Bonnie, “Never Ending Song Of Love” (#13, 1971), solo, TV actress
1944 ● Jack Jones → Drummer for underappreciated and little known (except in Germany) Britbeat/power pop The Creation, “Painter Man” (UK #36, GER #8, 1967)
1944 ● Robert Nix → Original drummer and songwriter for Southern rock Atlanta Rhythm Section, “Imaginary Lover” (#7, 1978)
1944 ● Rodney Slater → Founding member and sax player for Brit comedy-rock Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, “I’m The Urban Spaceman” (UK #5, 1968).
1945 ● Jannie Pought / (Janice Pought) → With her teenage sister, Emma and three other teens from her Spanish Harlem housing complex, founding member and soprano vocals in rare 50s R&B girl group The Bobbettes (“Mr. Lee,” #6, R&B #1, 1957), the first all-girl group to have a Top 10 hit (and an R&B #1), died after being stabbed to death by a stranger on a Jersey City street in September 1980, age 35
1945 ● Don Murray / (Donald Ray Murray) → Founding member and drummer for pop-rock The Turtles, “Happy Together” (#1, 1967), died from complications from ulcer surgery on 3/22/1996, age 50
1946 ● John Farrar → Guitarist for instrumental pop-rock The Shadows, “Apache” (Worldwide #1, 1960), then backing musician, songwriter and producer for Olivia Newton-John, wrote or co-wrote several of her hits, including “You’re The One That I Want” (#1, 1978)
1946 ● Roy Wood → Co-founder, guitar and vocals for Brit psych-rock The Move, “Blackberry Way” (UK #1, 1968) and Electric Light Orchestra, “Telephone Line” (#7, 1977)
1946 ● The Big Figure / (John Martin) → Founding member and first drummer for Brit pub-rock Dr. Feelgood, “Milk And Alcohol” (UK #9, 1979)
1947 ● Minnie Riperton → Sweet chirping pop singer and songwriter, “Loving You” (#1, 1974), died of cancer on 7/12/1979, age 31
1949 ● Alan Berger → Bassist for New Jersey rock ‘n roll bar band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, “Talk To Me” (1978)
1949 ● Bonnie Raitt / (Bonnie Lynn Raitt) → Eight-time Grammy-winning roots, folk and blues-rock singer, songwriter and slide guitarist, soldiered through two decades of critical acclaim but light sales until breakout album Nick Of Time (#1, 1990) and Top 10 single “Something To Talk About” (#5, 1991), issued seven more studios albums through 2016, including the #1 Longing In Their Hearts (1994), continues to record, perform and appear in collaborative projects in the late 10s.
1949 ● Lee Freeman → Rhythm guitar, vocals and songwriting for 60s psych-pop-rock Strawberry Alarm Clock, “Incense And Peppermints” (#1, 1967), died from cancer on 2/14/2010, age 60
1951 ● Gerald Alston → Joined R&B/doo wop then sweet soul quintet The Manhattans (“Kiss And Say Goodbye,” #1, 1976) in 1970 on lead vocals to replace the deceased George Smith, left for a solo career from 1988 to 1995 (“Slow Motion,” R&B #3, 1990), rejoined and continues into the 10s
1954 ● Rickie Lee Jones → Jazz, R&B/soul and pop-rock singer and songwriter “Chuck E’s In Love” (#4, 1979)
1957 ● Porl Thompson → Guitar, saxophone and keyboards for post-punk art-glam-goth rock The Cure, “Friday I’m In Love” (Modern Rock #1, 1992)
1958 ● Terry Lee Miall → Drummer for post-punk/New Wave pop-rock Adam And The Ants, “Goody Two-Shoes” (#12, 1982)
1961 ● Leif Garrett / (Leif Per Nervik) → Pop-rock teen idol singer, “I Was Made For Dancin'” (#10, 1978), film and TV actor
1964 ● Cubie Burke → Briefly joined his five siblings in the “First Family of Soul,” Chicago R&B/soul The Five Stairsteps (“O-o-h Child,” #7, R&B #14, 1970) but left to become a professional dancer with Alvin Ailey and other troupes, died from a brain injury on 5/14/2014, age 49
1969 ● Jimmy Chaney → Drummer for alt rock/funk-metal Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, “Do Right” (Modern Rock #12, 1999)
1970 ● Diana King → Jamaican-born reggae dancehall singer and songwriter, “Shy Guy” (#13, 1994)
1970 ● Rat Pring / (Gareth Pring) → Guitarist for indie punk-rock Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, “Not Sleeping Around” (Modern Rock #1, 1992)
1971 ● Tech N9ne / (Aaron Dontez Yates) → Hardcore rapper known for his dynamic rhymes schemes and speed rapping, released over a dozen official albums including The Gates Mixed Plate (#13, 2010), co-founder of Strange Music record label
1977 ● Tiffani Wood → Singer in pre-fab Aussie all-girl pop vocal quintet Bardot, “Poison” (Aus. #1, 2000)
1985 ● Jack Osbourne → Record label talent scout, TV actor, star of The Osbournes and Adrenaline Junkie, son of Ozzy Osbourne

November 09
1935 ● Jerry Hopkins / (Elisha Gerald Hopkins) → Eclectic rock music critic and lifestyle journalist for Rolling Stone magazine and other publications, wrote noteworthy biographical books about Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Elvis Presley and others, best known for penning “No One Here Gets Out Alive” about The Doors‘ frontman Jim Morrison and for a late-in-life relationship with a transgender prostitute, died from heart failure on 6/3/2018, age 82
1936 ● Mary Travers / (Mary Allin Travers) → Perhaps the most important female figure in the folk-revival movement and anti-war protest songs of the 60s, vocals and guitar for seminal folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary “Blowin’ In The Wind” (#2, AC #1, 1963), died from complications of leukemia on 9/16/2009, age 72
1937 ● Roger McGough → Poet, lyricist and vocalist in comedy-pop The Scaffold, “Lily The Pink” (UK #1, 1968) and “Thank U Very Much” (#69, UK #4, 1968), BBC Radio host and voice-overs for commercials
1941 ● John Dean → Bass vocals for blue-eyed soul/doo wop The Reflections (“(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet,” #6, 1964), continues to perform with the group into the 10s
1941 ● Tom Fogerty / (Thomas Richard Fogerty) → Rhythm guitar in the shadow of his brother and band frontman John Fogerty in roots rock/”swamp” rock Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Down On The Corner,” #3, 1969), left in 1971 for a middling solo career, contracted AIDS from blood transfusions during back surgery and died several years later on 9/6/1990, age 48
1942 ● Edward Sexton → Teenaged waiter at the Waldorf hotel in London’s West End, served patrons dressed for the opera and parlayed the experience into a long career as a Saville Row tailor designing custom suits and sophisticated stage-wear for rock royalty, from Mick Jagger to Eric Clapton and The Beatles (for the Abbey Road cover), later designed costumes for Broadway shows and top-end clothing chains, died from undisclosed causes on 7/26/2023, age 80.
1943 ● Lee Graziano → Drums for one hit wonder pop-rock American Breed, “Bend Me Shape Me” (Top 10, 1968)
1944 ● Phil May / (Philip Arthur Dennis Wadey) → Co-founder and only constant member of raunchy blues-rock/proto-punk The Pretty Things, lesser known contemporaries of The Rolling Stones and Yardbirds, fronted the band through R&B and psych-rock in the 60s to hard rock in the 70s and punk in the 80 but never achieved the commercial success of “Don’t Bring Me Down” (UK #10, 1964) and two other Top 40 hits in the UK, wrote the lyrics for the concept album S. F. Sorrow (1968), considered by many the first rock opera, retired from the band in 2018 and died from emphysema and complications following hip surgery on 5/15/2020, age 75.
1946 ● Benny Mardones / (Ruben Armand Mardones) → One hit wonder blue-eyed soul singer, “Into The Night” (# 11, 1980 and #20, 1989), one of only 10 artists to have charted the same song in the Top 20 on two separate occasions, recorded sporadically in the 80s and had an Adult Contemporary Top 30 hit in 2003, but mostly toured and performed in clubs, particularly in his adopted home of Central New York State for thirty years before Parkinson’s disease forced his retirement and subsequent death on 6/29/2020, age 73.
1948 ● Alan Gratzer → Drums and percussion for arena rock REO Speedwagon, “Keep On Lovin’ You” (#1, 1980)
1948 ● Joe Bouchard → Bassist in hard rock/pop metal Blue Öyster Cult, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (#12, 1976)
1949 ● Tommy Caldwell → Founding member and bassist for Southern rock The Marshall Tucker Band, “Heard It In A Love Song” (#14, 1977), died in a car crash on 4/28/1980, age 30
1950 ● Dennis Provisor → Keyboardist, vocals and songwriter for AM Top 40 pop-rockers The Grass Roots, “Midnight Confessions” (#5, 1968), continued to tour into the 00s with the band and with his own The Hits on the oldies circuit
1953 ● Michael J. Mullins → Vocals for Brit dance-pop band Modern Romance, “Can You Move” (Dance/Club #2, 1981) and “Best Years Of Our Lives” (UK #4, 1982)
1954 ● Dennis Stratton → Guitarist for Brit heavy metal Iron Maiden, “Flight Of Icarus” (Mainstream Rock #8, 1983)
1960 ● Demetra Plakas → Drummer for all-girl post-punk/grunge band L7, “Pretend We’re Dead” (Alt Rock #8, 1992)
1962 ● Silk Hurley / (Steve W. Hurley) → Club DJ, pioneering Chicago house-music producer, songwriter, and four time Grammy Award-nominee, “Work It Out” (Dance #3, 1989), two time Remixer of the Year (1999 and 2000) and Best Remixed Recording (2002 and 2003),
1969 ● Sandy “Pepa” Denton → Vocals in female hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, “Let’s Talk About Sex” (#13, 1991)
1970 ● Scarface (Brad Jordan) → Rapper and songwriter in gangsta/horror-rap trio Geto Boys, “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” (#23, 1991), then Dirty South solo rap career, “Smile” (#12, Rap #2, 1997)
1970 ● Susan Tedeschi → Electric blues and soul guitarist with roots in gospel, singer, songwriter and bandleader with multiple Grammy nominations, frontwoman for the Susan Tedeschi Band and, in collaboration with her husband Derek Trucks, Soul Stew Revival and the Tedeschi Trucks Band, solo with multiple albums, including Back To The River (Blues Albums #1, 2008)
1973 ● Nick Lachey / (Nicholas Scott Lachey) → Lead vocals in adult contemporary/sweet soul boy band 98 Degrees, “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” (#2, 2000)
1974 ● Joe C. / (Joseph Callaja) → Diminutive rapper, musician, touring band member and comic sidekick for rapper Kid Rock (“Only God Knows Why,” #19, Mainstream, Rock #5, 1999), died in his sleep from complications of lifelong coeliac disease on 11/16/2000, age 26
1977 ● Sisqó / (Mark Andrews) → R&B/urban soul and hip hop bad boy with Dru Hill, “How Deep Is Your Love” (#3, 1998), then solo, “Thong Song” (#3, 2000)
1984 ● Delta Goodrem → Australian TV actress (Nina Tucker in soap opera Neighbours) and pop singer, “Lost Without You” (Adult Contemporary #18, Australia #1, 2005) plus six other Australian #1 singles

November 10
1916 ● Billy May / (Edward William May, Jr.) → Highly acclaimed Big Band leader, composer, arranger and trumpeter, fronted Billy May & His Orchestra, and charted a version of “Charmine” (#17, 1952), arranged Frank Sinatra‘s acclaimed concept albums Come Fly With Me (1958), Come Dance With Me! (1959) and Come Swing with Me! (1961). wrote the theme songs to TV’s The Green Hornet (1966) , Batman (1967) and The Mod Squad (1968), among others, died of a heart attack on 1/22/2004, age 87
1922 ● Kenneth Pitt / (Kenneth Cooper Pitt) → British music promoter and talent manager for Manfred Mann, Goldie & The Gingerbreads and other early-60s pop-rockers, signed in 1967 as manager for vaudeville/pop artist David Jones just before he changed his name to David Bowie, attempted to develop him as a pop, film and theater star but was fired after the release of “Space Oddity” (#124, UK #5, 1969) when Bowie moved to glam rock, thereafter became a consultant and publicity agent for U.S. artists touring the U.K., published a book Bowie: The Pitt Report in 1985, died after a brief illness on 2/25/2019, age 96.
1928 ● Marilyn Bergman / (Marilyn Keith Bergman nee Katz) → With her husband Alan in Grammy-winning songwriting duo whose lyrics were often set to music by Lew Spence, Marvin Hamlisch and Michel Legrand, best known among their hundreds of lyric works are two Oscar-winning songs, “The Windmills of Your Mind” (from The Thomas Crown Affair, 1968) and “The Way We Were” (title song to the 1974 movie), also wrote the lyrics to the movie score to Yentl (1983) and the words to theme songs to hit TV sitcoms Maude (1972), Good Times (1974) and Alice (1976), compilations of their songs include Barbra Streisand‘s What Matters Most (2011) and Sinatra Sings Alan & Marilyn Bergman (2019), first woman president of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), serving from 1994 to 2009, received a Trustees Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2013 jointly with Alan, died from respiratory failure on 1/8/2022, age 93.
1933 ● Mack Rice / (Bonny Rice) → R&B songwriter and singer best known for writing the classic and enduring “Mustang Sally” for himself (R&B #15) and Wilson Pickett (#23, R&B #6, 1966), also co-wrote “Respect Yourself” for The Staple Singers (#12, R&B #2, 19761) and songs covered by many others, died at home in Detroit from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on 6/27/2016, age 82
1939 ● Bubba Facenda / (Tommy Facenda) → Back-up singer for Gene Vincent in his band, the Blue Caps in the late 50s, left the group and became a one hit wonder rock ‘n’ roll singer with the anthemic “High School U.S.A.” (#28, 1959) and its 40 different versions mentioning different schools by region, later became a firefighter in Virginia, toured with a reunited Blue Caps in the 80s
1940 ● Screaming Lord Sutch / (David Edward Sutch) → Brit comedy-rock bandleader and solo artist, “Jack The Ripper” (1963), wannabe politician and leader of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, fought in numerous parliamentary elections without winning, committed suicide on 6/16/1999, age 58
1941 ● Kyu Sakamoto / (Hisashi Oshima) → Japanese pop star with the one hit wonder “Sukiyaki” (#1, 1963), the first US #1 by a Japanese artist, died in a commercial airliner crash on 8/12/1985, age 43
1944 ● Tim Rice → Multiple award-winning film, theater and Broadway lyricist and producer, collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) and with Elton John on The Lion King (1994), among many other shows
1945 ● Donna Fargo / (Yvonne Vaughn) → Country-pop singer and songwriter, “The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A.” (#11, 1972)
1946 ● Roy Thomas Baker → Teenage assistant sound engineer at Decca Records in London and later at Trident Studios in Soho, engineered albums by The Rolling Stones, David Bowie and The Who by age 25, moved into producer’s chair and created dozens of gold- or platinum-winning albums in the 70s and 80s for rock’s elite artists, including five by glam-prog-rock Queen (plus the Grammy-nominated, operatic mega-hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” #9, UK #1, 1975), emigrated to the US in the mid-70s, formed RTB Audio Visual Productions and produced albums for Journey, Foreigner and The Cars, joined Elektra Records as A&R executive and signed Metallica, 10,000 Maniacs and Simply Red, among others, continued to produce albums into the 10s, died at home in California from unannounced causes on 4/12/2025, age 78.
1946 ● Jim Gilstrap / (James Gilstrap) → Vietnam War veteran and smooth tenor R&B studio session vocalist in the early 70s before joining Stevie Wonder’s backing group, Wonderlove and appearing on the landmark albums Talking Book (1972) and Innervisions (1973) and singing the opening lines of the classic “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (#1, AC #1, R&B #3, 1973); launched a solo career in 1975 with Roxbury Records, scoring a disco-soul hit with “Swing Your Daddy” (#55, R&B #10, UK #4, 1975) and releasing four solo albums; continued singing in a session backing role for the next forty years on scores of albums by several dozens top acts, including George Benson, Boz Scaggs, and Luther Vandross, as well as TV theme songs, Disney Movie soundtracks and a Japanese film; died from natural causes on 7/18/2026, age 79.
1947 ● Dave Loggins / (David Allen Loggins) → Pop-rock one hit wonder singer and songwriter with the wistful “Please Come To Boston” (#5, 1974) and a vocal duet with Anne Murray, “Nobody Loves You Like I Do” (#103, Country #31, 1984), discontinued his solo career and became a top Nashville songwriter by the early 80s, wrote “You Make me Want To Make You Mine” (Country #1, 1985) for Juice Newton and “Morning Desire” (#72, Country #1, 1985) for Kenny Rogers, plus songs recorded by Three Dog Night, Tanya Tucker, Toby Keith and the Oak Ridge Boys, among several others, his languid “Augusta” (1981) became the theme song for the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, died in a Nashville hospital from unspecified causes on 7/10/2024, age 76.
1947 ● Glen Buxton → Founder and guitarist for glam-rock/metal Alice Cooper band, co-wrote “School’s Out” (#7, 1972), died of pneumonia on 10/19/1997, age 49
1947 ● Allee Willis / (Alta Sherral Willis) → Former Columbia Records office secretary who rose to become a Grammy-winning songwriter as co-writer of Patti LaBelle’s “Stir It Up” from the soundtrack album to Beverly Hills Cop (1984), also co-wrote wedding-reception staple song “September” for Earth, Wind & Fire (#8, R&B #1, 1978), the theme song to the hit TV sitcom Friends by the Rembrandts (“I’ll Be There For You,” #1, 1995), and the score to the Tony-winning Broadway musical The Color Purple (2005), worked as an art director, set designer and community promoter in her hometown Detroit through the 10s, died from cardiac arrest on 12/24/2019, age 72.
1948 ● Greg Lake / (Gregory Stewart Lake) → Progressive rock guitarist and songwriter recognized as a key figure in the Euro-centric symphonic rock movement in the late 60s and 70s, founding member of prog/space-rock King Crimson (“The Court Of The Crimson King,” #80, 1970) and supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer (“Lucky Man,” #48, 1971), plus a solo hit “I Believe In Father Christmas” (UK #2, 1975) and multiple collaborations over five decades, died from cancer on 12/7/2016, age 68
1950 ● Bram Tchaikovsky / (Peter Bramall) → Guitar and vocals for power pop/rock The Motors, “Airport” (UK #4, 1978), solo, “Girl Of My Dreams” (#37, 1979)
1950 ● Ronnie Hammond → Lead singer for Southern rock Atlanta Rhythm Section, “Imaginary Lover” (#7, 1978), solo, died of a heart attack on 3/14/2011, age 60
1954 ● Mario Cipollina → Bassist for pop-rock bar band Huey Lewis & The News, “The Power Of Love” (#1, 1985)
1954 ● Keith Leblanc → Master percussionist whose career began in the late 70s as the drummer in the Sugar Hill Records house band, provided the rhythm underneath early hip hop superstars the Sugarhill Gang and Grandmaster Flash, later recorded the first sampling record “No Sell Out” (1983) an played with industrial hip hop Tackhead, in the dub music collective On-U Sound, and in sessions for dozens of artists including R.E.M., Tina Turner and Nine Inch Nails, issued seven solo albums over 20 years through 2005, died from unspecified causes on 4/4/2024, age 69.
1959 ● Frank Maudsley → Bassist for bizarrely-teased hair New Wave pop-rock A Flock of Seagulls, “I Ran (So Far Away)” (#9, 1982)
1959 ● Laura MacKenzie Phillips → Film and TV actress, singer and songwriter in The New Mamas & The Papas, daughter of “Papa” John Phillips
1961 ● Junior Giscombe / (Norman Washington Giscombe) → Brit R&B singer and songwriter, “Mama Used To Say” (#30, R&B #2, 1982) and duet with Kim Wilde, “Another Step (Closer To You)” (UK #8, 1987)
1965 ● David Hawes → Bassist for Brit indie rock/shoegazing band Catherine Wheel, “Black Metallic” (Modern Rock #9, 1991)
1966 ● Steve Mackey / (Stephen Patrick Mackey) → Bass guitarist and producer for alt rock/Britpop Pulp, joined the band just before it rose to prominence during the so-called Cool Britannia era in the 90s with multiple dance-pop hits, including “Common People” (UK #2, 1995) and eight other UK Top 10 hits in the latter half of the decade, left when the band dissolved in 2001 and began a multi-faceted career as a fashion photographer, a cameo TV and film actor, and a producer and songwriter for groups including indie rock Arcade Fire, former Pulp-mate Jarvis Cocker, avant garde Dean Blunt, and a slew of other acts, reunited with Pulp from 2010 to 2013 but declined a scheduled tour with the group in 2023, spent three months in a hospital with an undisclosed illness before dying on 3/2/2023, age 56.
1967 ● Andrew Vowles → Co-founder and vocals for electro-dance/trip hop progenitor duo Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (UK #13, 1991)
1968 ● Steve Brookstein → Blue-eyed soul singer and winner of the first series of UK TV show The X Factor in 2004, “Against All Odds” (UK #1, 2004)
1969 ● Kermit Leveridge / (Paul Leveridge) → Rapper and vocals with alt Brit-pop Black Grape, “England’s Irie” (UK #6, 1996)
1970 ● Derry Brownson → Keyboards and samples for Brit dance-rock quintet EMF (Epsom Mad Funkers), “Unbelievable” (#1, 1990)
1970 ● Warren G / (Warren Griffin III) → Hip hop producer and West Coast rapper, “Regulate” (#2, 1994)
1971 ● Big Punisher / (Christopher Rios) → Corpulent Latino rapper “Still Not A Player” (#24, Dance/Club #3, 1998), died from obesity-related heart failure on 2/7/2000, age 28
1975 ● Jim Adkins / (James Christopher Adkins) → Lead singer and guitarist for alt rock/neo-punk Jimmy Eat World, “The Middle” (#5, Adult Top 40 #2, 2002)
1978 ● Drew McConnell → Bassist for indie psych-rock Babyshambles, “Delivery” (#6, 2007)
1978 ● Eve Jeffers / (Eve Jihan Jeffers) → Hip hop singer and MC, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” (#2, 2001)
1979 ● Christopher Joannou → Co-founder and bassist in Aussie alt-grunge-rock Silverchair, “Tomorrow” (Modern Rock #1, 1994)
1983 ● Miranda Lambert → Country-pop singer and songwriter, as a solo artist scored fifteen Country Top 20 hits and several crossover singles, including “The House That Built Me” (#28, Country #1, 2010), performed numerous charting duets with others, including “We Were Us” (#26, Country #1, 2013) with Keith Urban, fronts the girl group Pistol Annies.

November 11
1906 ● Bukka White / (Booker T. Washington White) → Delta blues guitarist, singer and performer, “Parchman Farm Blues” (1940), other artists have covered his work, including Bob Dylan, Fixin’ To Die Blues” (1962), died of cancer on 2/26/1977, age 70
1927 ● Mose Allison / (Mose John Allison, Jr.) → Modern jazz and Delta blues pianist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2013, his songs have been covered by The Who, John Mayall, Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, The Pixies and many others, died from natural causes on 11/15/2016, age 89.
1929 ● LaVern Baker / (Delores Williams) → R&B and jazz-pop singer, “Jim Dandy” (#17, 1956) plus 7 other Top 40 and 12 other R&B Top 10 hits, died from coronary disease on 3/10/1997, age 67
1930 ● Hank Garland / (Walter Louis Garland) → Highly-regarded rockabilly, country and jazz studio musician, recorded with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and others, issued an improbable but well-received jazz album, Jazz Winds From A New Direction (1961), stopped recording following a near fatal 1966 car accident, died from an infection on 12/27/2004, age 74
1934 ● Don Graham / (Donald Fredrick Graham) → Junior-level music promoter at Warner Bros. in the late 50s with multiple hits like “Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)” (#4, R&B #30, 1959), co-founded future mega-chain Tower Records in 1960, joined A&M Records as national sales manager in 1961, co-founded jazz-pop Blue Thumb Records in 1968 and started his own promotion/production company in 1980, remained active as a promoter and producer through the 90s, retired and died of stomach cancer on 7/7/2022, age 85.
1936 ● Jack Keller → Composer, songwriter and record producer, wrote or co-wrote several teen pop and pop-rock hits in the 50s and 60s, including “Just Between You And Me” (The Chordettes, #8, 1957) and “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” (Connie Francis, #1, 1960), composed TV theme songs for Bewitched, Gidget and other programs, produced The Monkees‘ first album and for artists in Nashville in the 80s, died from leukemia on 4/1/2005, age 68
1936 ● Opal Courtney, Jr. → Vocals for pioneer R&B/doo wop The Spaniels, “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight” (R&B #5, 1954), died after a heart attack on 9/18/2008, age 71
1938 ● Roger Lavern / (Roger Keith Jackson) → Keyboards for Brit instrumental rock ‘n’ roll The Tornados, “Telstar” (#1, 1962), the first major US hit by a British group, died from prostate cancer on 6/15/2013, age 74
1939 ● Albie Galione → Vocals in white R&B/doo wop quartet The Passions, “Gloria” (1958)
1940 ● Dennis Coffey → R&B, soul and funk guitarist, sessionman and solo artist, member of The Funk Brothers, Motownn’s house band which provided nearly all instrumentation behind every Motown hit, first white artist to perform on Soul Train when he played his instrumental “Scorpio” (#6, 1971) in January 1972, issued 14 solo albums from 1969 to 2011 and continues to perform in his hometown of Detroit into the 10s
1941 ● Peter Meaden → The “Mod God,” publicist and manager for numerous rock bands, especially during the Mod subculture period in the 60s U.K., briefly managed The Who and later Captain Beefheart, died from a barbiturate overdose on 7/29/1978. age 36
1943 ● Mac Kissoon / (Gerald Farthing) → Vocals with his sister, Katherine Farthing, in one hit wonder easy listening/bubblegum pop duo Mac & Katie Kissoon (“Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep,” #20, 1971), she went on to decades of session backing vocals work while his career stalled as a member of James Last‘s ensemble
1945 ● Vince Martell / (Vincent Martemucci) → Lead guitar and vocals for psych-rock Vanilla Fudge, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (#6, 1968)
1946 ● Chris Dreja / (Christopher Walenty Dreja) → Founding member, bassist, rhythm guitarist and sometime songwriter for legendary British blues-rock The Yardbirds; played behind lead guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page; co-wrote many of the songs on and doodle-sketched the cover of the band’s debut UK album Yardbirds (1966, commonly referred to as Roger The Engineer in the UK and released as Over Under Sideways Down in the US and elsewhere); after the band folded in 1968 took up a career as a commercial photographer, joined a spin-off band Box of Frogs in the 80s and a reformed Yardbirds in 1992, played with the group until health issues forced retirement in 2013; died in a London nursing home from complications of a stroke and COPD on 9/25/2025, age 78.
1947 ● Pat Daugherty → Bassist for Southern raunch-rock Black Oak Arkansas, “Jim Dandy To The Rescue” (Top 30, 1973).
1947 ● Eric Hall → Flamboyant, fashion-conscious and skilled negotiator with an early career as a rock music promoter, worked with the Sex Pistols, T. Rex, Queen and others – at one point claiming the song “Killer Queen” (#12, UK #2, 1974) was written about him – before a chance meeting in 1986 led to a lucrative and limelit career as an agent for some of England’s top football stars in the early years of the Premier League, fell into a coma for three months in 1997 after contracting E.coli and ending his football agency career, hosted various radio programs until his death from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 11/16/2020,age 73.
1947 ● Bruce Barthol → Original bassist for country-rock Country Joe & The Fish, left the band in London in 1968 at the conclusion of a European tour and co-formed folk-rock Formerly Fat Harry, returned to San Francisco in 1972, founded Energy Crisis and in 1976 became musical director for the Tony Award winning San Francisco Mime Troupe, participated in occasional Fish reunions before retiring from the Mime Troupe in 2009, died from unspecified causes on 2/20/2023, age 75.
1950 ● Jim Peterick → Founder, guitarist and lead writer for blue-eyed soul The Ides of March, “Vehicle” (#2, 1970) and Survivor, “Eye Of The Tiger” (#1, 1982)
1952 ● Paul Cowsill → Vocals for family pop band The Cowsills, “The Rain, The Park And Other Things” (#2, 1967) and theme song from Broadway musical Hair, (#2, 1969), inspiration for the TV show The Partridge Family
1953 ● Andy Partridge → Co-founder, guitarist and songwriter for quirky New Wave synth-pop XTC, “Making Plans For Nigel” (UK #17, 1979) and side project for the band under the pseudonym The Dukes Of Stratosphear
1953 ● Marshall Crenshaw → Power pop singer and songwriter, “Someday, Someway” (#36, 1982), movie actor, portrayed John Lennon in the road version of Beatlemania
1956 ● Ian Craig Marsh → Guitarist and founding member of late-70s synth-pop pioneers The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me” (#1, 1981), left to form 80s synth-pop Heaven 17, “Temptation” (UK #2, 1983) and “Contenders” (Dance/Club #6, 1987)
1957 ● Gad Robinson / (Tony Robinson) → Bass, vocals and 40-year member of long-lived roots reggae Aswad (Arabic for “black”), “Don’t Turn Around” (, 1988), one of the most popular and successful Brit reggae bands
1962 ● Gunnar Mathias “Mic” Michaeli → Keyboardist for Swedish hard rock/glam-metal Europe, “The Final Countdown” (#8, 1986)
1966 ● Peaches / (Merrill Beth Nisker) → Canadian electronic groovebox rapper known for her vulgar lyrics, sexual themes and flamboyant stage presence, “Wild Thing” (Dance #4, 2007)
1969 ● Gary Powell → Drummer for indie/punk revival The Libertines, “Can’t Stand Me Now” (UK #2, 2004), played with the New York Dolls on their 2004 reunion tour, then indie rock Dirty Pretty Things, “Bang Bang You’re Dead” (UK #5, 2006)
1973 ● Jason White → Touring guitarist for 12 years in post-grunge alt rock/punk revival Green Day, “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” (#2, 2004), joined the band as a full member in 2012, also with punk/garage rock, no touring, fun only supergroup Pinhead Gunpowder
1974 ● Static Major / (Stephen Garrett) → Grammy-winning R&B singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer, member of the R&B trio Playa, “Cheers 2 U” (#38, 1998), died during a surgical procedure to treat a rare blood disorder on 2/25/2008, age 33

November 12
1917 ● Jo Stafford / (Jo Elizabeth Stafford) → Classical-trained singer who chose traditional, breezy pop and sultry jazz for a career that ran from the 30s to the 80s, “You Belong To Me” (#1, 1952) also the first song by a female artist to reach #1 in the UK, occasional film acting and parody records, died from congestive heart failure on 7/16/2008, age 90
1931 ● Bob Crewe / (Robert Stanley Crewe) → Producer and songwriter for Top 40 pop vocal quartet The Four Seasons, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (#1, 1962), also produced hits by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Freddy Cannon, Roberta Flack and his own band, The Bob Crewe Connection, “Music To Watch Girls By” (#15, 1967), injured his brain in a fall and died from its effects four years later on 9/11/2014, age 82.
1934 ● Charles Manson / (Charles Milles Maddox) → Semi-illiterate, habitual petty criminal and aspiring folk musician who penned the original version of what became The Beach Boys “Never Learn Not To Love” (1968) and issued two unremarkable solo albums, later achieved infamy as the insidious ringleader of the Manson Gang of disaffected, mostly middle class young women who carried out multiple crimes including the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles in 1969, used The Beatles “Helter Skelter” (1969) as his rallying cry for a racial conflict in the US, inspired the stage name of hard rock band and frontman Marilyn Manson, died from undisclosed causes but suspected intestinal cancer in a Federal prison while serving a life sentence without parole on 11/19/2017, age 83
1936 ● Charlotte Davis → Vocals in R&B/doo wop The Tune Weavers, “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby” (#5, 1957)
1936 ● Mort Shuman / (Mortimer Shuman) → Singer, pianist and prolific pop-rock songwriter, often in collaboration with Doc Pomus, wrote or co-wrote “Viva Las Vegas,” “Teenager In Love,” “This Magic Moment” and many others, died from complications following liver surgery on 11/3/1991, age 54
1939 ● Ruby Nash Curtis → Lead singer in R&B/soul vocal group Ruby & The Romantics, “Our Day Will Come” (#1, 1963) and two additional Top 20 hits
1939 ● Terry “Buzzy” Johnson / (Isaiah Samuel Johnson, Jr.) → Baltimore native guitarist, songwriter and baritone vocalist in a local singing group before joining R&B/doo wop legends The Flamingos at age 18 and arranging the vocals and music for most of the group’s early hits, including “I Only Have Eyes For You” (#11, R&B #3, 1959), recruited to Motown Records in 1964 as an arranger and worked with the Temptations, the Four Tops, and the Supremes, among others, returned to touring in the 80s as frontman for Terry Johnson’s Flamingos and continued until 2024, along the way entering the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the group in 2001, issued two indie singles in 2017 and died in Las Vegas from unspecified causes on 10/8/2025, age 86.
1941 ● Jerry Scholl → Vocals in one hit wonder blue-eyed R&B/doo wop quintet The Mello-Kings, “Tonite, Tonite” (#77, 1957), continued to tour on the rock ‘n’ roll oldies circuit into the 90s
1942 ● Pooch Tavares / (Arthur Paul Tavares) → With four of his Cape Verdean-American brothers, vocals in R&B/funk-disco Tavares and eight Top 40 hits, including “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel” (#15, R&B #3, 1976) and “More Than A Woman” (#32, R&B #36) from the Grammy-winning soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever, suffered a stroke in 2014 and retired from the group after 55 years, died from unspecified causes on 4/15/2024, age 81.
1943 ● Brian Hyland → Pre-Beatles bubblegum-pop teen idol singer, “Sealed With A Kiss” (#3, 1962)
1943 ● Jimmy Hayes → Vocals in a cappella The Persuasions, “Chain Gang” (1971) and “I Really Got It Bad For You” (#56, 1974)
1943 ● John Walker / (John J. Maus) → Guitar and vocals in pop-rock trio The Walker Brothers, “Make It Easy On Yourself” (US #16, UK #1, 1965), died from liver cancer on 5/7/2011, age 67
1944 ● Booker T. Jones → Organist and frontman for Stax Records house band Booker T. & The MG’s, “Green Onions” (#3, 1966), solo
1945 ● Neil Young → Juno- and Grammy-winning, venerable Canadian country-folk-rock singer/songwriter, started in the early 60s with instrumental rock band The Squires in Manitoba and Ontario, moved to Los Angeles and co-founded seminal folk-rock Buffalo Springfield (“For What It’s Worth,” #7, 1967), started a solo career in 1968 and issued two albums before joining folk-rock superquartet Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (“Ohio,” #11, 1970) in 1969, over the next 40 years appeared as the fourth member of the group on seven albums, simultaneously advancing a highly successful solo career with nine US Top 10 albums and three US Top 10 singles, including “Heart Of Gold” (#1, 1972) and “Rockin’ In The Free World” (Mainstream Rock #2, 1989), his lyrical commentary on social and political issues – and anti-war songs – influenced his peers and new generation musicians equally, continues to record, perform and produce film documentaries into the 10s and issued his 39th studio album, Colorado, in October 2019.
1947 ● Buck Dharma / (Donald Roeser) → Guitar and vocals for hard rock/pop metal Blue Öyster Cult, wrote “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (#12, 1976)
1948 ● Errol Brown → Jamaican vocalist and frontman for Brit interracial R&B/soul-disco Hot Chocolate, “You Sexy Thing” (#3, 1976) and 27 other UK Top 40 hits, including one in every year from 1970 to 1984, died from liver cancer on 5/6/2015, age 66
1952 ● Laurence Juber → Grammy-winning guitarist, played lead for Paul McCartney‘s Wings (1978-81), sessions, solo
1953 ● Calum Macdonald / (Malcolm Macdonald) → Percussion for Scottish Celtic folk-rock Runrig, “An Ubhal As Airde (The Highest Apple)” (UK #18, 1995)
1955 ● Les McKeown / (Leslie Richard McKeown) → Lead vocals for Scottish teen-pop, tartan-clad boy band Bay City Rollers, joined in 1973 and helped the obscure local band achieve worldwide popularity in 1974 with two UK number ones (“Bye Bye Baby” and “Give a Little Love”) and a re-recorded, McKeown-led, US #1 version of “Saturday Night” (#1, 1975), left for a solo career as the band’s fortunes descended and issued nine solo albums through 2016, was scheduled to tour in July 2021 with a post-COVID Rollers incarnation but died at home from unspecified causes on 4/20/2021, age 65.
1955 ● Walt Aldridge / (James Walton Aldridge Jr.) → Lead singer, guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for county-rock The Shooters in late 80s, the band charted seven country singles in three years, including “Borderline” (Country #12, 1988), thereafter worked as a producer, songwriter and session musician at renowned Fame Recording Studios in Alabama for 17 years, wrote Country #1 hits for Travis Tritt (“Modern Day Bonnie And Clyde,” Country #1, 2000) and Heartland (“I Loved Her First,” Country #1, 2006) among more than 50 other Top 40 hits for a broad range of artists, from Lou Reed, to Wilson Pickett to Reba McEntire, died from undisclosed causes on 11/19/2025, a week after his 70th birthday.
1955 ● Ike Willis / (Isaac Willis) → Singer and rhythm guitarist best known as one of the longest-serving and most recognizable members of avant-garde composer and rock icon Frank Zappa’s various bands from 1978 to 1988; sang the baritone vocals and voiced the dialogue for Zappa’s concept album Joe’s Garage Acts I, II & III (#27, 1979) – portraying the titular character, Joe – as well as Tinsel Town Rebellion (#66, 1981) and Does Humor Belong In Music? (1986); following Zappa‘s 1993 death performed as a guest artist and co-frontman with major Zappa tribute ensembles including Project/Object, The Grandmothers, and the Ugly Radio Rebellion; fronted The Ike Willis Band, released two solo studio albums under his own name in the 80s and 90s, and was working on another album prior to his death from prostate cancer on 5/19/2026, age 70.
1964 ● David Ellefson → Bassist for hard rock/metal Metallica, then thrash-metal Megadeth, “Symphony Of Destruction” (Mainstream #29, 1992)
1964 ● Vic Chestnutt / (James Victor Chestnutt) → Quadriplegic singer, songwriter and guitarist known for his dark, haunting but comic roots rock style and 17 albums, two produced by Michael Stipe of R.E.M., and songs performed by Madonna, the Indigo Girls, Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M. and others on the charity album Sweet Relief II: The Gravity Of The Situation (1993), died while in a muscle relaxant overdose-induced coma on 12/25/2009, age 45
1968 ● Jo Dunne → Bass guitar in all-girl New Wave pop-punk quartet Fuzzbox (originally We’ve Got A Fuzz Box And We’re Gonna Use It), “International Rescue” (UK #11, 1989)
1976 ● Tevin Campbell → Teenaged hip hop and R&B/soul singer, “Tell Me What You Want Me To Do” (#6, 1991) and four other Top 40 hits between 1990 and 1994

November 13
1938 ● Tracy Schwarz / (Daniel Tracy Schwarz) → Renowned traditional fiddler, banjoist and guitarist, early member of the folk revival trio New Lost City Ramblers for ten years beginning in 1962 and played on a dozen NLCR albums during the group’s heyday performing mountain ballads and songs of the pre-war deep South, left in the early 70s to tend to his Pennsylvania farm but continued to record and perform sporadically with others, including Strange Creek Ramblers and Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa in the 70s, with his first wife Eloise in Tracy’s Family Band in the late 70s, and after 1989 with his second wife Ginny Hawker, the pair issued two albums in the early 00s along with his dozen solo albums, many of them fiddler or banjo instructional records, died in a hospice from undisclosed causes on 3/29/2025, age 86.
1940 ● Baby Washington / (Justine Washington) → R&B/sultry soul vocalist with sixteen R&B hits in four decades through the early 80s, including her biggest, the crossover “That’s How Heartaches Are Made” (#40, R&B #10, 1963), continued to perform into the 10s on cruises and oldies specials
1940 ● Carol Connors / (Annette Kleinbard) → Original member of short-lived, one hit wonder pop vocal trio The Teddy Bears (“To Know Him Is To Love Him,” #1, 1958) with Phil Spector, co-wrote “Hey Little Cobra” for the Rip Chords (#4, 1964) and earned an Academy Award for co-writing “Gonna Fly Now” (#1, 1977), the theme song from the film Rocky (1977)
1941 ● Odia Coates → R&B/soul singer known for several light pop duet recordings in the 70s with crooner Paul Anka, including (“You’re) Having My Baby” (#1, 1974), died from breast cancer on 5/19/1991, age 49.
1941 ● Raymond “Froggy” Froggatt / (Raymond William Froggatt) → English musician and songwriter who achieved minimal commercial acclaim on his own over seven decades of work but provided hits for 60s Britbeat bands Dave Clark Five with “The Red Balloon” (UK #7, 1968) and Cliff Richard’s “The Ship” (UK #8, 1969), released nearly 40 albums of solo work and as frontman for his own country-rock bands through 2018, died following a short, unspecified illness on 7/23/2023, age 81.
1942 ● John P. Hammond / (John Paul Hammond ) → Award-winning but commercially underappreciated blues revivalist singer and guitarist; son of legendary record producer John H. Hammond Jr.; from 1963 to 2024 issued nearly 40 albums of mostly acoustic blues, folk and Americana music, including interpretations of classic blues by Robert Johnson and other blues legends, and several featuring high-profile collaborators like Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield and Duane Allman; recorded and toured for over six decades as a virtuoso guitarist and harmonica player; was celebrated as a preservationist of the genre and was a mainstay on the blues festival circuit until just before his death in a hospital from cardiac arrest on 2/28/2026, age 83.
1944 ● Timmy Thomas / (Timothy Earle Thomas) → One hit wonder R&B/soul singer, songwriter and keyboardist, his anti-war “Why Can’t We Live Together” (#3, R&B #1, 1973) ranks as a key protest song in the Vietnam War era, continued to record with only a few minor hits and produce records for other artists for several decades until his death from cancer on 3/11/2022, age 77.
1946 ● Ray Wylie Hubbard → Texas Hill Country folk and blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, wrote “Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother” but had little commercial success with 15 studio albums, currently hosts a music radio program featuring Americana artists and is considered an elder statesman of Texas music
1947 ● Toy Caldwell / (Toy Tallmadge Caldwell) → Founding member, chief songwriter and lead guitarist for Southern rock pioneers The Marshall Tucker Band, “Heard It In A Love Song” (#14, 1977), fronted Toy Caldwell Band, died from respiratory failure on 2/25/1993, age 45
1949 ● Roger Steen → Guitarist for camp-rock pop-rock satirists The Tubes, “She’s A Beauty” (#10, 1978)
1949 ● Terry Reid / (Terrance James Reid) → British hard rock guitarist, bandleader, supporting act, session player and solo artist, nicknamed “Superlungs” for his vocal abilities and highly regarded as a rock guitarist despite relatively low commercial success; turned down offers to join early lineups of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin in 1968 and went on to a blues-rock solo career with five studio albums from 1968 to 1978, a sixth in 1991, and mostly session work in the 80s for Jackson Browne, Don Henley and others; returned to touring in the 90s and spent the ensuing three decades in various groups at venues worldwide; announced the cancellation of his 2025 tour due to a cancer diagnosis and died from the disease two months later on 8/4/2025, age 75.
1951 ● Bill Gibson → Percussion for pop-rock bar band Huey Lewis & The News, “The Power Of Love” (#1, 1985)
1953 ● Andrew Ranken → Drummer and occasional vocalist in London-based Celtic punk group The Pogues for 35 years; provided the driving, military-style percussion and occasional vocals on all of the band’s influential albums, including Rum Sodomy & the Lash (1985) and If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988); and the enduring holiday classic “Fairytale of New York” (UK #2, 1987); in between break-up in 1996 and reunion in 2001 fronted The Men They Couldn’t Hang and led his own group, The Kippers; following the final dissolution of the band in 2014, continued to collaborate with former bandmates and participate in various folk-rock projects; died from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on 3/13/2026, age 72.
1956 ● Aldo Nova / (Aldo Caporuscio) → Canadian pop-rock guitarist, vocalist and producer, “Fantasy” (#23, Mainstream Rock #3, 1982), wrote or co-wrote and produced songs by multiple artists, including the title track to Celine Dion‘s album, A New Day Has Come (#1, CAN #1, UK #1, 2002)
1960 ● Wayne Parker → Bassist for Canadian pop-rock Glass Tiger, “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” (#2, 1986)
1964 ● Dirty Walter Kibby / (Walter A. Kibby II) → Vocals and trumpet for alt rock ska-punk-funk fusion Fishbone, “Sunless Saturday” (Modern Rock #7, 1991)
1979 ● Nikolai Fraiture → Bassist for early 00s garage rock revival The Strokes, “Juicebox” (Modern Rock #9, 2005)
1980 ● Monique Coleman / (Adrienne Monique Coleman) → Pop singer and actress, played “Taylor” in High School Musical movies (most watched cable TV movies ever)

November 14
1900 ● Aaron Copland → Award-winning and influential composer, teacher, writer, critic and conductor known for his “populist” compositions archetypical of the sound of American music, wrote chamber music, vocal works, opera and film scores, including “Fanfare For The Common Man” and “Hoedown” in the 1940s, both of which were interpreted by prog-rock Emerson, Lake & Palmer in the 1970s, died from Alzheimer’s disease and respiratory failure on 12/2/1990, age 89
1915 ● Martha Tilton → Top-level swing and traditional pop vocalist with 24 Top 40 hits with Benny Goodman in the late 30s and another nine as a solo artist in the 40s, including “And The Angels Sing,” (#1, 1939), survived the onslaught of rock ‘n’ roll by acting in movies (The Benny Goodman Story, 1955) and making appearances on radio and TV variety shows, died on 12/8/2006, age 91
1934 ● Ellis Marsalis / (Ellis Louis Marsalis, Jr.) → Famed New Orleans jazz pianist and patriarch of the Marsalis family of jazz musicians, which includes nationally-recognized sons Branford (saxophone) and Wynton (trumpet), performed and recorded for decades and inspired others in the revival of traditional jazz in the late 20th century, along the way earned a master’s degree in music education, mentored high school students through the jazz studies program at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and won a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master Award, died from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 4/1/2020, age 85.
1936 ● Freddie Garrity / (Frederick Garrity) → Eccentric frontman and vocalist for British Invasion novelty/comedy pop-rock ‘n’ roll Freddie & The Dreamers, “I’m Telling You Now” (#1, 1965), appeared in children’s TV shows, died from pulmonary hypertension on 5/19/2006, age 69
1937 ● Joe Billingslea, Jr. → Founder and lead singer for early Motown R&B/soul quartet The Contours, “Do You Love Me” (#3, R&B #1, 1962), left Motown and the band in 1964 to work in an auto plant and later a career in law enforcement, reformed the band in the 70s and still tours as The Contours in the 10s
1937 ● Walt Maddox / (Walter Lee Maddox III) → Vocals in doo wop quartet The Marcels; joined during a lineup change just six months after the group’s big hit “Blue Moon” (#1, R&B #1, 1961) but in time to sing lead on the only other Top 10 hit, “Heartaches” (#7, R&B #19, 1961); left in 1963 for a solo career with several 80s singles before recording and touring as Walt Maddox & The Marcels in the late 80s; won a trademark lawsuit against former Marcel groupmate Allen Johnson in 1996 and used the Marcel name exclusively thereafter; appeared in the TV documentary Doo Wop 50 in 1999 and was inducted into the Vocal Hall of Fame in 2002; died after a long illness on 3/30/2026, age 89.
1938 ● Cornell Gunter / (Cornelius Gunter) → Founding member of R&B/doo wop The Platters, “The Great Pretender” (#1, 1956), left the group in 1954 to join The Flairs and The Coasters (“Yakety Yak,” #1, 1959), enjoyed a mildly successful solo career in the 60s and a resurgence in the late 80s before being murdered in his car in Las Vegas by an unknown assassin on 2/26/1990, age 51
1945 ● John Gary Williams → Lead singer for Memphis R&B vocal quartet The Mad Lads, a 60s Stax Records group instrumental in developing a more refined, Northern soul sound to complement Stax‘s grittier Southern soul with hits such as “Don’t Have to Shop Around” (#93, R&B #11, 1965) and “I Want Someone” (#74, R&B #10, 1966), charged with the gunshot wounding of a Memphis police officer in 1968 but received a lighter sentence for lack of direct involvement, released a lone solo album in 1973 at the depths of the label’s financial crisis, died after a long fight against throat cancer on 5/28/2019, age 73.
1947 ● Buckwheat / (Stanley Joseph Dural, Jr.) → Grammy-winning frontman and accordionist for contemporary zydeco band Buckwheat Zydeco (“I Need Your Lovin’,” 1983) mixing Louisiana Creole culture with R&B and rock, toured with Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon and others, died from lung cancer on 9/24/2016, age 68
1949 ● J.Y. Young / (James V. Young) → Guitarist for prototypical arena rock band Styx, “Too Much Time On My Hands” (#9, 1981)
1951 ● Alec Jon Such → Bassist for pop-metal superstars Bon Jovi, “Living On A Prayer” (#1, 1987), dismissed in 1994 and owned a motorcycle shop in New York City in the 00s
1951 ● Frankie Banali → Drummer and manager for multi-platinum heavy metal/pop-metal Quiet Riot and the Top 10 hit, “Cum On Feel The Noize” (#5, 1983) from the band’s LP, Metal Health (#1, 1983), the first heavy metal album to top the Billboard 200 chart, following the band’s dissolution in 1989 toured and recorded with several heavy metal acts and with his own bands, rejoined Quiet Riot for three stints, the last of which included the band’s fourteenth studio album, Hollywood Cowboys (2019), died from pancreatic cancer on 8/20/2020, age 68.
1951 ● Stephen Bishop → Pop-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, “On And On” (#11, 1976) and the theme song from the film Tootsie (1977)
1951 ● Alec John Such / (Alexander John Such) → New Jersey bar manager responsible for booking late-teenage Jon Bon Jovi & The Wild Ones onto his stage, then became a founding member and bassist in hard rock Bon Jovi for five albums and nine Top 10 hits, including “Livin’ On A Prayer” (#1, UK #4, 1986), left the band in 1994 due to a ten-year age difference over his bandmates and burnout from touring, retired from music but briefly rejoined for the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, died at home in his sleep from natural causes on 6/4/2022, age 70.
1954 ● Yanni / (Yiannis Chryssomalis) → Grammy-winning New Age composer and pianist with seven Top 40 albums, including Live At The Acropolis (#5, 1994)
1957 ● Drew Zingg / (Jonathan Drew Zingg) → Versatile rock, jazz, blues and soul guitarist, played in New York clubs and did session work before and in between tours with Steely Dan and their side project, The New York Rock and Soul Revue from 1989 to 1994, and Boz Scaggs from 1996 and through the mid-00s, at varying times recorded or toured with Rikki Lee Jones, Gladys Knight, Patti Austin and many others, issued an eponymous solo album in 2012 featuring guest vocals by Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs (bandmates in NYRSR) and a previously unreleased instrumental track, “Megashine City” written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan, died from undisclosed causes on 4/10/2025, age 67.
1964 ● Andrew Banfield → Vocals in Brit R&B/neo-soul-funk The Pasadenas, “Tribute (Right On)” (Dance/Club #27, UK #5, 1988)
1964 ● DJ Run / (Joseph Ward Simmons) → Founding member and vocalist in premier hardcore rap group Run-D.M.C., “Walk This Way” (#4, 1986), now an ordained and practicing Pentecostal minister under the name Reverend Run
1964 ● Nic Dalton → Bassist for post-punk rock then teen-pop Lemonheads, “Into Your Arms” (Modern Rock #1, 1993)
1965 ● Stuart Stapels → Vocals and guitar for Brit folk-pop-soul Tindersticks, “Bathtime” (UK #38, 1997)
1968 ● Brian Yale → Bassist for post-grunge alt rock Matchbox Twenty, “Bent” (#1, 2000)
1972 ● Douglas Payne → Bassist for Scottish trad rock Travis, “Why Does It Always Rain On Me” (#36, UK #10, 2000) plus 11 other UK Top 40 hits
1974 ● Adina Howard → One hit wonder urban contemporary R&B/soul-pop singer, “Freak Like Me” (#2, 1995)
1974 ● Brendon Benson → Multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter with six solo albums, a number of production credits and a member of power pop The Raconteurs (“Steady, As She Goes,” #54, Alt Rock #1, 2006)
1975 ● Faye Louise Tozer → Vocals and dance routines for pre-fab Brit dance-pop group The Steps, “5, 6, 7, 8” (UK #14, 1997), film and theater actress
1975 ● Travis Barker → Drummer for pop-punk Blink-182, “All The Small Things” (#6, 2000)
1982 ● Joy Williams / (Joy Elizabeth Williams) → Contemporary Christian singer and songwriter with an eponymous debut album at age 17 and eight others by 2009, recorded and performed with John Paul White as four-time Grammy winning folk-pop duo The Civil Wars (“Barton Hollow,” #101, AAA #15, 2011), resumed a solo career in 2014