Born: July 25, 1894

Died: September 21, 1974

World War I veteran and country-pop singer with four charting singles in the early 60s, including "Old Rivers" (#5, AC #2, Country #3, 1962), but best known as three-time Grammy-winning actor on stage and film, and as Grampa Amos on TV's The McCoys in the late 50s, died from emphysema on 9/21/1974, age 80

Born: April 17, 1926

Died: September 21, 2009

Drummer in electric Mississippi Delta blues trio The Jelly Roll Kings known for his minimalist drum kit, died from congestive heart failure on 9/21/2009, age 83

Born: March 31, 1934

Died: September 21, 2016

Nashville-based country and pop singer/songwriter with a handful of minor hits as a solo artist in the 50s and 60s, but best known for writing dozens of hits for others in the 60s and 70s, including "Ebony Eyes" by The Everly Brothers (#8, 1961), "Tobacco Road" by The Nashville Teens (#14, UK #6, 1960) and "Indian Reservation" by Paul Revere & The Raiders (#1, 1971), died from as heart attack on 9/21/2016, age 82

Born: June 19, 1928

Died: September 21, 2020

Founding member, guitarist and baritone vocals for 50s R&B vocal group The Variatones, which became The Four Lovers in 1956 and, from 1960, Top 40 pop vocal quartet The Four Seasons, "Big Girls Don't Cry" (#1, 1962) and over three dozen other charting hits, left in 1971 and sold his stake in the group to cover gambling and tax debts, worked odd jobs through the 80s then rejoined the group for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1990 and at the 2005 opening of Tony Award-winning documentary-style musical Jersey Boys chronicling the group's early days, died from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 9/21/2020, age 92.

Born: June 24, 1939

Died: September 21, 1998

Founding member, bass guitar and backing vocals for folk-sunshine-pop Spanky & Our Gang, "Someday Will Never Be The Same" (#9, 1967), session work for Fred Neil, Tom Paxton, Linda Ronstadt and Steve Miller, among others, died of cancer on 9/21/1998, age 59

Born: January 09, 1941

Died: September 21, 2020

Dynamic, eccentric country and rock musician with the one hit wonder blue-eyed soul single "Treat Her Right" (#2, R&B #2, 1965) and a stage presence envied and copied by many later rock and rollers, especially for his smooth moonwalks, effortless ground flops, microphone twirls and other acrobatic antics, recorded through the 80s with 25 charting country singles, performed on the oldies circuit into the 00s, died from a heart attack after years of poor health on 9/21/2020, age 79.

Born: June 05, 1946

Died: September 21, 2011

Progressive rock guitarist, played with several hard rock bands and founded psych-rock Andromeda in the 60s, joined Atomic Rooster ("The Devil's Answer," UK #4, 1971) in 1970, then tried a solo career ("Don't Be A Dummy," UK #33, 1979) in between stints for Thin Lizzy and a reformed Atomic Rooster, died from a heart attack on 9/21/2011, age 65

Born: August 01, 1946

Died: September 21, 2006

Bassist for prog/space-rock King Crimson, "The Court Of The Crimson King" (#80, 1970), founding member of hard rock supergroup Bad Company, "Can't Get Enough" (#5, 1974), died following a heart attack on 9/21/2006, age 60

Born: October 03, 1947

Died: September 21, 2015

Trumpet player and founding member of soul/funk The Bar-Kays, "Soul Finger" (#17, R&B #3, 1967), which also served as Stax Records' in-house session group and Otis Redding's backing band, survived the December 1967 plane crash that killed Redding and four bandmates, reformed the The Bar-Kays and backed Isaac Hayes on his landmark album, Hot Buttered Soul (1969), continued to perform until his death on 9/21/2015 , age 68

Born: July 05, 1949

Died: September 21, 2013

Rhythm guitarist in the Jerry Kasenetz/Jeffrey Katz ever-changing team of session musicians whose recordings were marketed as Ohio Express ("Yummy Yummy Yummy," #4, 1968) and other fictional pop acts, continued to perform in various oldies-circuit groups until he died from fibrosis of the lungs on 9/21/2013, age 64

Born: December 01, 1951

Died: September 21, 1987

Fretless bass player for jazz-rock fusion group Weather Report, "Birdland" (1976), solo and sessions for Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny Group, Blood, Sweat & Tears and others, died after being beaten into a coma during an altercation outside a Florida nightclub on 9/21/1987, age 35