This Week’s Birthdays (August 27 – September 2)

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The Captain & Tennille (Daryl Dragon, left)

Happy Birthday this week to:

August 27
1927 ● Moishe (or Mo) Levy / (Morris Levy) → Jazz club owner, music publisher and record label owner/executive best known as the founder and CEO of jazz, rock and pop label Roulette Records, the Birdland jazz night club in New York City and the Northeast US retail music chain Strawberries, his career included multiple allegations of embezzlement and shady business deals, convicted of Federal extortion charges in 1988, contracted cancer, lost an appeal in January 1990 to have his sentence forgiven for health reasons, died four weeks before reporting for a 10-year prison sentence on 5/21/1990, age 62
1932 ● Hal Lucas / (Harold Lucas) → Founding member and baritone vocals in pioneering, genre-defining R&B/doo wop The Clovers, “Ting-A-Ling” (R&B #1, 1952) and 18 other R&B Top 10 hits in the early 50s plus the crossover “Love Potion No. 9” (#23, R&B #23, 1959), stayed with the group and various splinters until his death from lung cancer on 1/6/1994, age 61
1937 ● Phil Shulman / (Philip Arthur Shulman) → Multi-instrumentalist (sax, flute, clarinet, piano and percussion) for pop/rock Simon Dupree & The Big Sound, “Kites” (UK #9, 1967), then founding member of innovative prog rock Gentle Giant
1937 ● Tommy Sands / (Thomas Adrian Sands) → Late 50s teen idol singer with one big hit among a half dozen charting singles, “Teen Age Crush” (#2, 1956), appeared on multiple TV shows and in several top films before his career waned in the late-60s, performed on the oldies circuit into the 90s
1942 ● Daryl “Captain” Dragon / (Daryl Frank Dragon) → Touring and recording keyboardist, and occasional song co-writer, with The Beach Boys in the early 70s, later joined with future wife Toni Tennille in MOR/light pop-rock duo Captain & Tennille (“Love Will Keep Us Together,” #1, 1975 and six other Top 10 hits), their popularity leading to a TV variety program in 1976-77, continued to tour and record until developing a neurological condition in 2009, died from kidney failure on 1/2/2019, age 76.
1944 ● Tim Bogert / (John Voorhis Bogert III) → Bassist and vocals for psychedelic rock/proto-metal Vanilla Fudge and their heavy arrangements of pop hits, including “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (#6, UK #18, 1968), later formed boogie-rock Cactus with Fudge bandmate and drummer Carmen Appice, both then recruited by Jeff Beck in 1972 to supergroup and power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice (“I’m So Proud,” 1973), over the next three-and-a-half decades participated in various sessions and tours, issued several solo albums, taught at the Musicians’ Institute in Hollywood and rejoined Vanilla Fudge for reunion tours, retired from performing in 2010 following a motorcycle accident and died from cancer on 1/13/2021, age 76.
1945 ● Malcolm Allured → Drummer for Brit rock ‘n’ roll revival Showaddywaddy, “Under The Moon Of Love” (UK #1, 1976) and over 20 other UK Top 40 singles
1949 ● Jeff Cook / (Jefftrey Alan Cook) → Lead guitar, fiddle and vocals in country-rock Wildcountry, by 1978 the high school group morphed into country-rock superstars Alabama and 32 Country #1 hits over two decades at the top of the charts – seven of them also Hot 100s – including “Love In The First Degree” (#15, Country #1, 1981), after the band stopped performing fronted his own groups and issued nine solo albums between 2005 and 2018; the last, “Why Not Me” (2018), an improbable but good-humored collaboration with William Shatner of “Star Trek” fame, owned a recording studio, radio station and restaurant, toured occasionally with Alabama, the final time just before his death from complications of Parkinson’s disease on 11/7/2002, age 73.
1950 ● John Turnbull → Brit pop-rock guitarist and singer, started with the psych-pop band Skip Bifferty in the mid-60s, since played with Nick Lowe, Dave Stewart, Eurythmics, Ian Dury And The Blockheads and others, also contributed to film soundtracks including Get Carter (1971)
1951 ● Kevin Kavanaugh → Keyboards for New Jersey rock ‘n roll bar band Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, “Talk To Me” (1978)
1953 ● Alex Lifeson / (Alexander Zivojinovich) → Guitarist, backing vocals and founding member of Canadian arena rock/power trio Rush, “New World Man” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1982) and 24 other Mainstream Rock Top 20 singles
1956 ● Glen Matlock → Bassist and songwriter for the original lineup of punk rock Sex Pistols, “Anarchy In The U.K.” (1976), left in 1977 and replaced by Sid Vicious, formed New Wave power pop The Rich Kids and other bands with limited success, joined the reformed Sex Pistols in 1996
1961 ● Yolanda Adams → Four-time Grammy-winning R&B/gospel singer, “Open My Heart” (#57, Gospel #1, 1999), Billboard magazine’s #1 gospel artist of the 00s, radio host
1970 ● Tony Kanal → Bassist for “Third Wave” ska-rock No Doubt, “Don’t Speak” (Adult Top 40 #1, 1997)
1972 ● Jimmy Pop / (James Moyer Franks) → Lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and chief songwriter for alt rock/comedy/satire Bloodhound Gang, “The Bad Touch” (Modern Rock #6, 1999)
1975 ● Mase / (Mason Durell Betha) → Hip hop entertainer, songwriter and rapper, duet with Kelly Price, “Feel So Good” (#5, Rap #1, 1997), also worked with Puff Daddy, Blackstreet and others, leads an international ministry
1979 ● Jonathan Siebels → Co-founder and guitarist for teen punk-pop trio Eve 6, “Inside Out” (#28, Mainstream Rock #5, 1998)
1979 ● Sarah Neufeld → Violinist for Grammy-winning Canadian alt/indie rock Arcade Fire, “Keep The Car Running” (Alt #32, 2007), side project is six-piece instrumental rock group Bell Orchestre
1986 ● Mario / (Dewar Bennett) → R&B/pop singer and songwriter, “Let Me Love You” (#1, 2004), film actor, fashion model and philanthropist

August 28
1904 ● Ernie Fields / (Ernest Lawrencce Fields) → Jazz and Swing-era musician, arranger and bandleader, first with the Royal Entertainers, then scored a lone hit with his Ernie Fields Orchestra, a cover of Glenn Miller‘s “In The Mood” (#4, UK #13, 1959), as a session musician at Rendezvous Records in the 50 and 60s played on numerous singles, including surf-rock “Out Of Limits” (The Marketts, #3, 1964), died from natural causes on 5/11/1997, age 92
1925 ● Billy Grammer → Country guitarist with multiple, minor hits on the country charts and one crossover hit, “Gotta Travel On” (#4, Country #5, 1959), retired from recording in the late 60s but performed at the Grand Ole Opry for years thereafter, died after a long illness on 8/10/2011, age 85
1931 ● John Perkins → Lead singer for Canadian pop cover vocal quartet The Crew Cuts, “Sh-Boom” (#1, 1954)
1937 ● Clem Cattini / (Clemente Cattini) → Drummer for Brit rock ‘n’ roll Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, “Shakin’ All Over” (UK #1, 1960) and The Tornados, “Telstar” (#1, 1962), then top session drummer who’s played on over 40 UK #1 hits by artists such as Bay City Rollers, Hot Chocolate, Tom Jones, The Seekers and T. Rex, reformed The Tornados in the 90s
1937 ● Joe Osborn → Bass guitarist best known as a member of Ricky Nelson‘s early band (“Travelin’ Man,” #1, 1961) and of the acclaimed Wrecking Crew group of L.A. studio musicians, with whom he backed dozens of top artists on multiple hit songs and numerous film scores and TV commercials, moved to Nashville in 1974 and as an in-demand session musician played bass on over 50 Country #1 hit songs
1940 ● Walter Ward → Founding member and lead singer for 50s/60s doo wop The Olympics (“Western Movies,” #8, R&B #7, 1958), continued to perform on the oldies circuit up to his death on 12/11/2006, age 66
1940 ● Joseph Shabalala / (Bhekizizwe Joseph Siphatimandla Mxoveni Mshengu Bigboy Shabalala) → South African musician, composer and founder/frontman of Ladysmith Black Mambo, a popular local a capella vocal group that Paul Simon tapped to back the Grammy-winning Graceland (#3, 1986) album, thereby introducing Zulu choral music (isicathimiya music) to an international audience, co-wrote “Homeless” and “Diamonds On The Soles of Her Shoes” with Simon, won a Grammy for his group’s follow-on album Shaka Zulu, continued to record and perform with the group on the world stage into the 2000s, turned leadership of the project over to his son, Thamsanqa in 2008, retired in 2014 and died from an undisclosed medical condition on 2/11/2020, age 78.
1940 ● Ivy Jo Hunter / (George Ivy Hunter) → Detroit native who signed to Motown Records as a sax and trumpet sessionman, then moved up to songwriting and penned and/or produced many dozens of songs for the label, often in collaboration with Motown A&R executive William “Mickey” Stevenson, including Martha & The Vandellas‘ “Dancing In The Street” (#2, R&B #8, 1964) and The Four Tops’ “Ask The Lonely” (#24, R&B #9, 1965), stayed in Detroit when Motown moved to Lo Angeles in 1970 and wrote songs and produced recordings for Funkadelic and others, died from undisclosed causes on 10/6/2022, age 82.
1942 ● Ken Andrew → Drummer for Scot bubblegum pop-rock Middle Of The Road, “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” (UK #1, 1971)
1943 ● David Soul / (David Richard Solberg) → Folk singer turned 70s TV actor (cop show Starsky & Hutch, 1975-1979) turned pop singer, “Don’t Give Up On Us” (#1, UK #1, 1977), plus four other UK Top 20 hits and two Top 10 albums, moved to the UK, became a citizen and continued his stage and TV acting career into the 10s
1943 ● Honey Lantree / (Anne Margot Lantree) → London hair salon assistant turned rock ‘n’ roll drummer for one hit wonder English beat/pop-rock The Honeycombs (“Have I The Right?”, #5, UK #1, 1964), one of the very few women to play drums on a major hit in the 60s or any other era, recorded and toured with the band until their break-up in 1967, left the business to raise a family but returned for Honeycombs reunions in the 90s, died from breast cancer on 12/23/2018, age 75.
1948 ● Daniel Seraphine → Founding member and drummer for pop-rock/horn band Chicago, “Saturday In The Park” (#3, 1972), left in 1990 and became a theatrical producer, formed Chicago Transit Authority in 2010
1948 ● Fred Cole / (Frederick Lee Cole) → Unheralded guitarist, singer and songwriter with a 50-year career as frontman for various garage, punk and proto-grunge rock bands that built a deep cult following in the Pacific Northwest and Europe, he and his wife, Kathleen were two-thirds of the 20-year garage-punk trio Dead Moon, continued to record and perform in the Portland, OR music scene until his death from liver cancer on 11/9/2017, age 69
1949 ● Hugh Cornwell → Guitar and vocals punk-rock The Stranglers, “Strange Little Girl” (UK #7, 1982) plus over 20 other UK Top 40 hits, some time TV actor, author, solo career with seven albums, session work
1949 ● Martin Lamble → Founding member and original drummer for renowned Brit folk-rock Fairport Convention, “Si Tu Dos Partir” (UK #21, 1969), died when the band’s equipment truck crashed after a show in Birmingham, England on 5/14/1969, age 19
1951 ● Wayne Osmond → Vocals for family-oriented light pop-rock The Osmonds, ten US Top 40 singles including “One Bad Apple” (#1, 1971)
1952 ● Dave Hlubek → Co-founder and lead guitar for Southern rock power-guitar band Molly Hatchet, “Flirtin’ With Disaster” (#42, 1980), died from a heart attack on 9/2/2017, age 65.
1961 ● Kim Appleby → Singer and actress, with younger sister Melanie in R&B/dance-pop duo Mel & Kim, “Respectable” (Dance/Club #1, 1986)
1965 ● Shania Twain / (Eileen Regina Edwards) → Five-time Grammy-winning, Canadian-born country-pop megastar singer/songwriter, “You’re Still The One” (#2, 1998) from the album Come On Over, the best-selling album of all time by a female artist in any genre
1969 ● Jack Black / (Thomas Jacob Black) → Film actor (School Of Rock, 2003), comedian and musician, one half of the comedy/rock cult duo Tenacious D with Kyle Gass, “POD (The Pick Of Destiny)” (#57, UK #20, 2006)
1969 ● Mary Anna McCartney → Professional photographer and television documentary producer, daughter of Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman McCartney
1974 ● Peter Turner → Bassist in prog/alt rock Elbow, “Grounds For Divorce” (UK #19, 2008) from the Mercury Music Prize-winning album The Seldom Seen Kid
1978 ● Max Collins → Co-founder and bassist for teen punk-pop trio Eve 6, “Inside Out” (#28, Mainstream Rock #5, 1998)
1982 ● Margaret LeAnn Rimes → Teenage country-pop crossover star, “Blue” (#26, Country #10, 1996), has since won multiple Grammy Awards and issued 14 albums and six Top 40 singles
1986 ● Florence Welch → Pop, soul and baroque genre-bending singer/songwriter and frontwoman for Florence + The Machine, “Dog Days Are Over” (#21, 2010)

August 29
1920 ● Charlie “Bird” Parker / (Charles Parker, Jr.) → Virtuoso, pioneering and influential jazz/bebop saxophonist and composer with a brief but prolific career and several entries in the Grammy Hall of Fame, tributes include Weather Report‘s “Birdland” (1977), Steely Dan‘s “Parker’s Band” (1974), the chirping bird guitar sound created by Duane Allmann at the end of Derek & The Dominoes‘ “Layla” (1974) and Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts‘ children’s book Ode To A High Flying Bird (1964), died of a heart attack brought on by cirrhosis and pneumonia on 3/12/1955, age 34
1924 ● Dinah Washington / (Ruth Lee Jones) → Often called the “Queen of the Blues,” widely popular 40s-50s blues, jazz, and R&B singer, “What A Difference A Day Made” (#8, 1959), died from a barbiturate overdose on 12/14/1963, age 39.
1927 ● Jimmy C. Newman → Country and Cajun music singer, songwriter and bandleader with 30 hits in the Country Top 40 in the 50s and 60s and a lone crossover hit, “A Fallen Star” (#23, Country #2, 1957), died from cancer on 6/21/2014, age 86
1937 ● Marshall Sewell → Bass vocals for doo-wop The Edsels, “Rama Lama Ding Dong” (#21, 1961), later joined the Cleveland, OH police force and retired as a sergeant in 2001, died from esophageal cancer on 6/5/2013, age 75
1940 ● Johnny Paris / (Johnny Pocisk) → Frontman and saxophonist for instrumental rock ‘n’ roll Johnny & The Hurricanes, “Red River Rock” (#5, UK #3, 1959) and three other charting hits in 1959 and 1960, formed a new Hurricanes following disbandment of the first in 1965 and toured until 2005, just before his death from post-surgery infections on 5/1/2006, age 65
1941 ● Ron Bushy → Drummer for hugely-important, proto-metal 60’s psych-rock Iron Butterfly and the only bandmember to play on all of the band’s six albums, forever immortalized for his long drum solo during the 17-minute, major rock classic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (#30, 1970), played with Iron Butterfly for over 40 years and issued several solo albums during his career, died after losing a battle with esophageal cancer on 08/29/2021, age 75.
1942 ● Holmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. → Founding member and guitarist for proto-punk The Velvet Underground, “White Light/White Heat” (1968), died of cancer on 8/30/1995, age 53
1943 ● Dick Halligan / (Richard Bernard Halligan) → Founding member, keyboardist, songwriter and backing vocalist in innovative jazz-pop-rock fusion band Blood, Sweat & Tears and their major hits in the late 60s and early 70s, including “Spinning Wheel” (#2, 1969) plus “And When I Die” (#2, 1969), co-wrote several of the bands lesser hits, including “Lisa Listen To Me” (#71, 1971), left in 1972 to pursue a long and varied career penning film scores, recording jazz-rock pieces and conducting orchestras at Carnegie Hall in New York City, died from natural causes on 1/18/2022, age 78.
1945 ● Chris Copping → Bassist and organist for English beat The Paramounts, “Poison Ivy” (#35, 1964), joined prog/psych rock Procol Harum in 1969, “Conquistador” (#16, 1972), later with Astrid Monday and art-rock Gnidrolog
1953 ● Rick Downey → Tour drummer for hard rock/pop metal Blue Öyster Cult, played on the tour that resulted in the Extraterrestrial Live album (#29, 1982) and the subsequent The Revölution By Night (#93, 1983)
1958 ● Elizabeth Fraser → Vocals for Scottish alt rock/dream-pop Cocteau Twins, “Heaven Or Las Vegas” (Modern Rock #9, 1990)
1958 ● Michael Jackson / (Michael Joseph Jackson) → The “King of Pop,” singer, songwriter, cultural icon and pre-teen front for R&B/pop-soul sibling band The Jackson Five, “I Want You Back” (#1, 1970), went solo in 1971 and recorded “Billie Jean” (#1, 1983) and 11 other US #1 hits and 9 US Top 10 albums, the most successful pop entertainer of all time, died from heart failure induced by a doctor-administered mix of anxiety-relieving drugs and sedatives on 6/25/2009, age 50
1959 ● Eddi Reader / (Sadenia Reader) → Singer and songwriter for Brit neo-skiffle pop Fairground Attraction, “Perfect” (#80, UK #1, 1988), solo
1963 ● Jerry Fehily → Drummer for Irish rockers Hothouse Flowers, “Don’t Go” (Modern Rock #7, 1988)
1967 ● Anton Newcombe → Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, founder and frontman for eclectic indie rock/neo-psychedelic The Brian Jonestown Massacre, with over a dozen albums to date, including Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request (1996), an homage to The Rolling Stones psych-rock album (1967)
1969 ● Me’Shell NdegeOcello / (Mary Johnson) → Singer/songwriter, rapper, bassist and R&B/neo-soul and jazz-pop vocalist, duet with John (Cougar) Mellencamp, “Wild Night” (#3, 1994) plus solo, “Who Is He And What Is He To You? (Dance/Club #1, 1996)
1970 ● Groove Martin / (Carl Martin) → Vocals for R&B/urban contemporary soul quartet Shai, “If I Ever Fall In Love” (#2, 1992)
1971 ● Alex Griffin → Bassist for indie punk-rock Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, “Not Sleeping Around” (Modern Rock #1, 1992)
1975 ● Kyle Cook → Guitarist for post-grunge alt rock Matchbox Twenty, “Bent” (#1, 2000)
1980 ● David Desrosiers → Bassist and backing vocals for French-Canadian pop-punk Simple Plan, “Perfect” (#24, Canada #5, 2003)
1993 ● Liam Payne → Vocals in Brit-Irish boy band quintet One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful” (#4, UK #1, 2011)

August 30
1919 ● Kitty Wells / (Ellen Muriel Deason) → Pioneering country music singer and the first female country star for her barrier-breaking hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels (#27, Country #1, 1952), recorded 27 other Country Top 10 hits and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award for her 30 year recording career, died from complications of a stroke on 7/16/2012, age 92
1928 ● Johnny Mann → Composer of film scores and advertising jingles in the 50s, voice of Theodore on the original TV series Alvin & The Chipmunks (1961), music director for the NBC Comedy Hour and The Joey Bishop Show, and frontman for Grammy-winning clean-cut 60s and 70s easy listening Johnny Mann Singers, died of heart failure on 6/18/2014, age 85
1930 ● Ernie Ball / (Ronald Sherwood Ball) → Musician and business entrepreneur in guitar-related products through his Ernie Ball and Music Man companies, developed and sold the “Slinky” set of guitar strings used by Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and many current guitarists, continued to be involved with the business until his death after a long illness on 9/9/2004, age 74
1935 ● John Phillips → Known as “Papa John,” singer, songwriter, guitarist, founder and frontman for folk-pop The Mamas & The Papas, “Monday Monday” (#1,1966), died of heart failure on 3/18/2001, age 65
1939 ● John Peel / (John Robert Parker Ravenscroft) → Offshore pirate station Radio London DJ, then from 1967 to 2004 the longest serving BBC Radio 1 and most influential British DJ ever, died in Peru of a heart attack on 10/25/2004, age 65
1941 ● John McNally → Founder, guitarist and singer for Merseybeat band The Searchers, “Needles And Pins” (#13, 1963)
1943 ● Robert Crumb → Artist, comic book and album cover illustrator, founder of the satirical and subversive underground comix movement, developed the “Keep on truckin'” and “Fritz the Cat” characters
1944 ● Chuck Colbert / (Charles Colbert) → Bassist for pop-rock one hit wonder American Breed, “Bend Me Shape Me” (Top 10, 1968)
1945 ● Fred Tackett → Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, first as a session player for and since 1988 as a full-time member of Southern-fried blues-boogie rock Little Feat, “Dixie Chicken” (1973) and “Hate To Lose Your Lovin'” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1988)
1950 ● Micky Moody → Guitarist in Brit blues-rock Juicy Lucy, covered Bo Diddley‘s classic “Who Do You Love” (UK #14, 1970), left in 1973 for session work, in 1978 joined Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again” (#1, 1987) but left for solo career and sessions
1951 ● Dana / (Rosemary Brown Scallon) → Irish folk-pop singer, won the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest with the worldwide hit “All Kinds Of Everything” (UK #1, 1970), in the 90s shifted to Christian pop music, “As We Lay” (#59, 1997)
1952 ● Kenny Andrews → Singer in Brit doo wop/rock ‘n’ roll revival vocal group Darts, “Don’t Let It Fade Away” (UK #18, 1978)
1953 ● Horace Panter / (Stephen Graham Panter) → Bassist for ska revival/punk rock The Specials, “Ghost Town” (UK #1, 1981), then pop-soul General Public, “I’ll Take You There” (Dance/Club #1, 1994) and The Specials reunion concert, author and special needs teacher
1954 ● Ron Beitle → Drummer with one hit wonder funk-pop Wild Cherry, “Play That Funky Music” (#1, 1976)
1958 ● Martin Jackson → Drummer with post-punk Magazine, “Shot By Both Sides” (UK #41, 1978) and for Brit sophisti-pop Swing Out Sister, “Breakout” (#6, 1987) plus other Manchester New Wave bands
1961 ● Keith McKenzie → Founding member and drummer for Scottish electronic psych/dance rock crossover band The Shamen, “Ebenezer Goode” (UK #1, 1992)
1963 ● Paul Oakenfold → Dance-pop “house” music pioneer and DJ, toured with U2, Perfecto Records founder, producer and remixer for Happy Mondays, Simply Red, M People, New Order, Stone Roses and U2
1964 ● Robert Clivillés → Songwriter, vocals, producer and one half of the R&B/electro-dance-pop team C+C Music Factory, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” (#1, 1990)
1966 ● Peter Cunnah → Lead singer for 90s techno-dance-pop D:Ream, “U R The Best Thing” (Dance #1, 1993), solo
1971 ● Lars Frederiksen → Danish-American guitarist and vocalist in punk rock revival Rancid, “Time Bomb” (Modern Rock #8, 1995), producer
1974 ● Rich Cronin → Lead singer and chief songwriter for pop/rap trio LFO (Lyte Funkie Ones or Low Frequency Oscillator), “Summer Girls” (#3, 1999), left the band and attempted a solo career until dying from complications of leukemia on 9/8/2007, age 35
1986 ● George Ross / (George Ryan Ross III) → Lead guitarist and singer for alt rock/pop punk quartet Panic! At The Disco, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” (#7, 2006)

August 31
1918 ● Alan Jay Lerner → Grammy-winning stage, screen and pop music lyricist and librettist, songwriting partner of Frederick Loewe, co-wrote dozens of Broadway shows and movies including Brigadoon (1947), My Fair Lady (1956) and Camelot (1960), died from lung cancer on 6/14/1986, age 67
1937 ● Bobby Parker / (Robert Lee Parker) → Electric blues and blues-rock guitarist and songwriter, his lone charting single, “Watch Your Step” (#51, 1961) was covered by The Beatles, Spencer Davis Group, Carlos Santana and others, continued to record and perform regionally until his death from a heart attack on 10/31/2013, age 76
1939 ● Jerry Allison / (Jerry Ivan Allison) → Drummer in early and influential rock ‘n’ roll The Crickets alongside frontman Buddy Holly, with whom he co-wrote the classic hits “That’ll Be The Day” (#1, 1957) and “Peggy Sue” (#3, 1957), became de factor leader of The Crickets after Holly left in 1958, but their success was limited over the ensuing years, continued to record and front The Crickets in various incarnations for six decades, including a stint as the Liberty Records house band and for years on the oldies tour, died from cancer on his Tennessee farm nine days before his 83rd birthday on 8/22/2022, age 82.
1940 ● Wilton Felder → Founding member and saxophonist with hard bop The Jazz Crusaders (jazz-funk The Crusaders after 1971), “Street Life” (#36, 1979), plus side work as a solo artist and session musician on electric bass for Billy Joel, Steely Dan, Randy Newman and others, died from myeloma on 9/27/2015, age 75
1944 ● Roger Dean → English artist and album cover designer for Asia, Atomic Rooster, Greenslade, Steve Howe, Uriah Heep, Yes and others
1945 ● Van Morrison / (George Ivan Morrison) → Northern Irish singer, songwriter, musician and poet, started as lead singer for Irish garage rock Them, “Here Comes The Night” (#24, UK #2, 1965), then a long and prolific blue eyed soul/rock solo career, “Brown Eyed Girl” (#10, UK #8, 1967) and over 40 albums plus six Grammy Awards
1945 ● Bob Welch → Pop/rock guitarist for pre-superstardom Fleetwood Mac, “Hypnotized” (1973), left in 1974 for largely unsuccessful solo career, “Sentimental Lady” (#8, 1978), committed suicide with a shotgun on 6/7/2012, age 66
1947 ● Peter Gage → Guitarist, pianist, composer and producer, founding member of blue-eyed soul Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band, “Michael (The Lover)” (UK #39, 1966), later co-founded jazz-rock fusion Dada and R&B/horn band Vinegar Joe with Robert Palmer and Elkie Brooks (his future wife), produced songs for Brooks and albums for Joan Armatrading and The Meteors, among others
1948 ● Andy Stein → Classically trained violinist, saxophonist, arranger and composer, started with country-rock/boogie/swing bar band Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, “Hot Rod Lincoln” (#9, 1972), thereafter in sessions or show bands and recordings with classical greats Itzhak Perlman and Placido Domingo, with pop artists Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and many others, with jazz artists Wynton Marsalis, Manhattan Transfer and multiple others, played with the Prairie Home Companion (PBS-TV) house band for 22 years.
1948 ● Rudolf Schenker → Founder (at age 16), rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for German hard rock/metal Scorpions, “Rock You Like A Hurricane” (#25, 1984)
1948 ● Ricky Gardiner → Scottish guitarist and songwriter best known for recording with David Bowie on his Low album (1997), for co-writing two tracks on Iggy Pop‘s classic album Lust For Life (1977), including the memorable opening riff on “The Passenger” (1977, UK #22 on its re-release in 1998), recorded multiple albums with various rock and ambient groups over the years, released a number of solo albums featuring mostly guitar and electronic instrumentals, battled a rare neurological condition for his last 12 years and succumbed to the disease on 5/13/2022, age 73.
1954 ● John Davis → Pop singer best known for actually singing the vocals for Milli Vanilli, the scandalous, lip-synching dance-pop vocal duo whose frontmen Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan were stripped of their 1989 Grammy award when in 1990 it was revealed that they never actually sang on their albums or in concert, formed The Real Milli Vanilli in 1991 with other former Milli Vanilli singers to issue the duo’s second album, which had been recorded in 1990 but not released after the scandal hit, performed occasionally with Fab Morvan in Europe over the ensuing years and died from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 5/24/2021, age 66.
1955 ● Anthony Thistlethwaite → Multi-instrumentalist for Celtic folk-rock The Waterboys, “Fisherman’s Blues” (Modern Rock #3, 1988), sessions, solo
1957 ● Gina Schock → Drummer for New Wave pop-punk girl group The Go-Go’s, “We Got The Beat”, (#2, 1982), the most successful all-female pop and rock band of all time and the only one to play their own instruments and write their own songs
1957 ● Glenn Tilbrook → Songwriter, guitar and vocals for New Wave pop-rock Squeeze, “Tempted” (#49, 1981)
1959 ● Tony DeFranco → Lead singer for teen bubblegum-pop sibling quintet The DeFranco Family, “Heartbeat-It’s A Lovebeat” (#3, 1973)
1960 ● Chris Whitley / (Christopher Becker Whitley) → Roots and blues-rock guitarist and songwriter with two charting singles in the 90s, “Big Sky Country” (Mainstream Rock #36, 1991) and “Living With The Law” (Mainstream Rock #28, 1991), died from lung cancer on 11/20/2005, age 45
1961 ● Bruce Guthro → Lead vocals and guitar for Scottish Celtic folk-rock Runrig, “An Ubhal As Airde (The Highest Apple)” (UK #18, 1995)
1963 ● Larry Waddell → Keyboards for new jack swing R&B/soul-pop sextet Mint Condition, “What Kind Of Man Would I Be?” (#17, 1996)
1963 ● Reb Beach / (Richard Earl Beach, Jr.) → Berklee College of Music graduate, session guitarist for Chaka Khan, Roger Daltrey and The Bee Gees in the mid-80s, co-founded glam/prog metal Winger (“Headed For A Heartbreak,” #19, Mainstream #8, 1989) in the late 80s, played with several prominent hard rock and metal bands in the 90s, including Alice Cooper, Dokken and Sega, joined reformed Whitesnake in 2002 and currently tours and records with Winger and Whitesnake
1967 ● Gerard Love → Bassist for Scot pre-grunge, then power pop Teenage Fanclub, “Star Sign” (Mainstream Rock #4, 1991)
1969 ● Jeff Russo → Guitarist for Grammy-nominated alt/roots rock Tonic, “If You Could Only See” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1997)
1970 ● Debbie Gibson / (Deborah Ann Gibson) → Teen pop singer-songwriter, “Foolish Beat” (#1, 1988) and seven other Top 25 hits in the late 80s, actress
1977 ● Craig Nicholls → Singer, songwriter, guitarist and frontman for Aussie garage rock revival The Vines, “Get Free” (Mainstream Rock #27, 2002)
1977 ● Del Marquis / (Derek Gruen) → Guitarist for dance-glam-rock Scissor Sisters, “Filthy Gorgeous” (Dance/Club #1, 2005)

September 01
1927 ● Tommy Evans → Bass vocals for R&B/doo wop The Drifters, “Fools Fall In Love” (#69, R&B #10, 1957)
1931 ● Boxcar Willie / (Lecil Travis Martin) → Popular country singer and hobo-garbed persona, regular guest on TV show Hee Haw, charted eight minor Country Top 100 hits, including “Bad News” (Country #36, 1982), perfumed on stage into the 90s and died from leukemia on 4/12/1999, age 67
1932 ● Cherie DeCastro / (Cherie Dawn DeCastro) → Middle of three sisters who formed the 50s Cuban-American pop singing trio The DeCastro Sisters (“Teach Me Tonight,” #2, 1954) and the only one to appear on every recording, TV appearance and stage performance made by the group over several decades, died from pneumonia on 3/14/2010, age 87
1933 ● Conway Twitty / (Harold Lloyd Jenkins) → Early rock ‘n’ roll, R&B and pop singer, “It’s Only Make Believe” (#1, 1958), then 70s and 80s country superstar, “Tight Fittin’ Jeans” (Country #1, 1981) and over 50 other Country #1 hits, died suddenly from an abdominal aneurysm on 6/5/1993, age 59
1933 ● Marshall Lytle → Rock ‘n’ roll bass guitarist and member of Bill Haley & His Comets, played bass on all their hits including “Rock Around The Clock” (#1, 1955), left to form Las Vegas lounge act The Jodimars, died from lung cancer on 5/25/2013, age 79
1944 ● Archie Bell → Frontman for R&B/Philly soul and funk Archie Bell & The Drells, “Tighten Up” (#1, 1968) and twelve additional R&B Top 40 singles
1945 ● Diane Ray → One hit wonder teenaged pop singer, “Please Don’t Talk To The Lifeguard” (#31, 1963)
1945 ● Peter Hewson → Vocals for Brit pop-rock Chicory Tip, “Son Of My Father” (UK #1, 1972), one of the first hit singles to prominently feature a Moog synthesizer
1946 ● Barry Gibb → Vocals and guitar for pop-rock then disco sibling trio The Bee Gees, “Stayin’ Alive” (#1, 1977), as a songwriter wrote or co-wrote dozens of Top 40 hits, including a Number 1 song in each decades from the 60s to the 00s
1946 ● Greg Errico → Drummer for R&B/soul-funk Sly & The Family Stone, “Family Affair” (#1, 1971), toured Weather Report in 1973, played with David Bowie‘s band in 1974, has toured or played with numerous other rock and funk acts, including Santana, the Jerry Garcia Band, Tower of Power, and Journey.
1949 ● Russell Field → Guitarist for Brit rock ‘n’ roll revival Showaddywaddy, “Under The Moon Of Love” (UK #1, 1976) and over 20 other UK Top 40 singles
1955 ● Bruce Foxton → Bass, vocals and songwriter for Brit punk-rock/mod revival The Jam, “Town Called Malice” (Mainstream Rock #31, 1982) and the reformed late 80s version of Irish punk rock Stiff Little Fingers
1957 ● Gloria Estefan / (Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García) → Seven-time Grammy-winning Cuban/American singer and songwriter, lead vocals for Latin dance-pop Miami Sound Machine, “Anything For You” (#1, 1988), solo with multiple Top 10 hits, including salsa/disco revival “Oye!” (Dance/Club #1, 1998)
1957 ● Phil Johnstone → English record producer and songwriter, best known for his collaborative work with former Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant, co-wrote “Heaven Knows” (Main #1, 1988) and most of the other songs on Plant‘s album Now And Zen (1988) and co-produced several other Plant 90s solo albums, later worked with singer Alannah Myles and pop-folk The Levellers, suffered from declining health for several years and died on 5/31/2021, age 63.
1960 ● Cass / (Cass Lewis) → Bassist for Brit alt rock/metal Skunk Anansie, “All I Want” (UK #14, 1996)
1965 ● Craig McLachlan → Aussie TV actor and pop singer, covered Bo Diddley‘s “Mona” (UK #2, 1990)
1970 ● Spigg Nice / (Ronald Blackwell) → DJ and rapper for influential 90s gangsta rap The Lost Boyz, “Music Makes Me High” (#51, Dance/Club #3, Rap #5, 1996), tried and sentenced in 2004 to 37 years in prison for multiple bank robberies in New Jersey
1973 ● J.D. Fortune / (Jason Dean Bennison) → Canadian singer and winner of the 2005 CBS reality TV series Rock Star: INXS, since then has fronted Aussie New Wave dance-groove-pop INXS, “Pretty Vegas” (#37, Hot Digital #9, 2005)
1976 ● Babydaddy / (Scot Hofman) → Bassist for dance-glam-rock Scissor Sisters, “Filthy Gorgeous” (Dance/Club #1, 2005)
1976 ● Peter Brown → Drummer for post-grunge Wheatus, “Teenage Dirtbag” (Modern Rock #7, 2001)
1984 ● Joseph Mark Trohman → Guitarist for alt rock/punk-pop Fall Out Boy, “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” (#2, 2007)

September 02
1914 ● Booker T. Laury / (Lawrence Laury) → Overlooked Memphis blues, gospel and boogie-woogie piano player in the barrelhouse style with a performing and recording career that spanned nearly 60 years, but only got to recorded his own solo album in 1990 at the age of 76 and never achieved fame nor fortune, died of cancer on 9/23/1995, age 81
1925 ● Hugo Montenegro → Composer, arranger and orchestra conductor primarily for film soundtracks, including “The Good, The Bad And The Ugly” (#2, 1968), died from emphysema on 2/6/1981, age 55
1925 ● Russ Conway / (Trevor Herbert Stanford) → Pop music pianist and composer, instrumental “Side Saddle” (UK #1, 1959) plus 17 other UK Top 40 singles, died on 11/16/2000, age 75
1932 ● Emil Richards / (Emilio Joseph Radocchia) → Veteran vibraphonist, percussionist, bandleader and session musician whose finger-snapping kept time on The Addams Family TV theme song, whose bongo playing underscored the Mission Impossible theme, and who performed as part of the Wrecking Crew team of L.A. studio musicians, appearing on thousands of recordings by George Harrison, Quincy Jones, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa and scores of others, issued nine LPs as frontman for the Microtonal Blues Band and other groups, collected over 350 world music instruments and eventually donated or sold the collection before dying from undisclosed causes on 12/13/2019, age 87.
1933 ● Richard Lewis → Tenor vocals for one hit wonder R&B/doo wop quartet The Silhouettes, “Get A Job” (#1, 1958)
1938 ● Judy Clay / (Judith Grace Guions) → R&B/soul and gospel singer best known for her duets with Billy Vera as The Sweet Inspirations, the first interracial singing duo, “Storybook Children” (#54, R&B #20, 1968), recorded several other minor hits as a solo artist and turned to session work for Ray Charles, Van Morrison and others, died from injuries in a car accident on 7/19/2001, age 62
1939 ● Bobby Purify / (Robert Lee Dickey) → With cousin James Purify, R&B/Southern soul duo James & Bobby Purify, their debut single “I’m Your Puppet” (#6, R&B #5, 1966) mixed doo wop and Stax-style horns and sold over a million copies, issued nine other charting singles before retiring in 1970, became a city maintenance supervisor in Florida and occasionally performed at gospel music events, died from undisclosed causes on 12/29/2011, age 72.
1939 ● Sam Gooden / (Samuel Gooden) → Founding member and baritone vocals for quintessential 60s Chicago-soul/gospel/doo wop vocal group The Impressions and “It’s All Right” (#4, 1963) plus another ten Top 10 and twenty-five R&B Top 10 hits, led the group for five decades following the departures of groupmates Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield for solo careers, died at home in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, from undisclosed causes on 8/4/2022, age 87.
1940 ● Jimmy Clanton → Swamp pop teen idol singer and songwriter, “Just A Dream” (#4, 1958), continues today on the oldies circuit
1943 ● Roz Ashford-Holmes / (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes) → Founding member and alto vocalist for Motown R&B/gospel-soul girl group Martha & The Vandellas, “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave” (#4, 1963)
1943 ● Gordy Harmon → Founding member, songwriter and vocals in L.A. R&B/soul quintet The Whispers, wrote “The Time Will Come” (R&B #17, 1969) and several other early singles, left in 1973 after damaging his larynx in a car accident and missed the group’s big hits in the 80s, lived in relative obscurity until dying in his sleep at home from natural causes on 1/5/2023, age 79.
1945 ● Marty Grebb / (Martin Joseph Grebb) → Multi-instrumentalist musician, played keyboard for Chicago-based pop-horn-rock The Buckinghams (“Kind Of A Drag,” #1, 1967) in 1966-1968, later toured with Leon Russell, Elton John, Chicago, and most notably Bonnie Raitt as a member of her band for 25 years, appeared on over 30 albums as a sessionman and issued two of his own in the 90s, most recently played in The Weight Band, a collection of former members of The Band, with whom he cut two albums in the 90s, developed cancer in ca. 2015 and died from an apparent suicide on 1/1/2020, age 74.
1946 ● Billy Preston / (William Everett Preston) → Child prodigy pianist and Grammy-winning gospel-rooted R&B/soul-funk keyboardist, singer and songwriter, “Will It Go Round In Circles” (#1, 1972) and nine other Top 40 hits, in-demand session musician for Little Richard, Ray Charles and others, the only musician to be credited on a Beatles recording other than the band’s four members (“Let It Be” is listed as Beatles with Billy Preston), fell into a coma following a pericarditis attack at a drug rehabilitation center and died seven months later on 6/6/2006, age 59
1951 ● Mik Kaminski / (Michael Kaminski) → Violinist for pop-rock Electric Light Orchestra, “Don’t Bring Me Down” (#4, 1979) and 26 other Top 40 hits, later co-founded one hit wonder pop Violinski, “Clog Dance” (UK #17, 1979)
1953 ● John Zorn → Avant-garde and experimental music composer, arranger and producer, performed on scores of albums as a solo artist or with multiple musicians in a broad range of genres, composed film scores and TV jingles and produced the Filmworks 25-volume collection of movie soundtracks
1957 ● Steve Porcaro / (Steven Maxwell Porcaro) → Founding member, keyboards and songwriter for pop/arena rock Toto (“Africa,” #1, 1982), younger brother of bandmates Jeff and Mike Porcaro, son of jazz/pop drummer Joe, left the band in 1987 for a solo career, songwriting and film score composing, session work for Yes, Michael Jackson and Jefferson Airplane, and producing for and collaborating with his daughter Heather and others, rejoined Toto for tours in 2010 and 2015.
1958 ● Fritz McIntyre → British keyboardist best known as a founding member (1985) of soul-pop Simply Red (“Holding Back The Years,” #1, UK #1, 1986) and co-writer with Mick Huffnall of several of the bands songs before leaving in 1995 for a solo pop album, a Christian music album released in Canada, and a later career as the music director for a Florida church, died from undisclosed causes on 8/24/2021, age 62.
1958 ● Jerry Augustyniak / (Jerome Stanley Augustyniak) → Drummer for folk-pop 10,000 Maniacs, “These Are Days” (Alt-Rock #1, 1992)
1959 ● Paul Deakin → Drummer for Grammy-winning country-rock The Mavericks, “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” (Country #13, 1996)
1966 ● Dino Cazares → Co-founder and guitarist for industrial metal Fear Factory (“Shock,” Mainstream Rock #16, 1998) as well as metal bands Nailbomb, Asesino, Brujeria and Divine Heresy, perfected the technique of using digital modeling processors in his guitar work
1969 ● K-Ci Hailey / (Cedric Hailey) → With brother Joel, vocals in R&B/electro-dance “bad boy” quartet Jodeci, “Lately” (#4, 1993), left with Joel to form romantic soul duo K-Ci & JoJo, “All My Life” (#1, 1998)
1975 ● Tony Thompson → Lead vocalist for R&B/New Jack Swing quintet Hi-Five, “I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)” (#1, 1991), died after accidentally inhaling Freon from an air conditioning unit on 6/1/2007, age 31
1987 ● Spencer James Smith → Drummer for alt rock/pop punk quartet Panic! At The Disco, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” (#7, 2006)

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