Happy Birthday this week to:
August 08
1907 ● King Carter / (Bennett Lester Carter) → Lifetime Grammy Award and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master alto saxophonist with a long and prolific career from the late 20s to the early-00s, his best known composition was the Grammy-winning “Prelude To A Kiss” (Best Jazz Instrumental, 1994), died from natural causes on 7/12/2003, age 95
1920 ● Jimmy Witherspoon → Late 40s jump blues “shouter” and rock ‘n’ roll roots singer, “Ain’t Nobody’s Business (Parts 1 & 2)” (R&B #1, 1949), his style went out in the late 50s and he switched to blues-rock, recorded occasionally through he 70s, toured and performed until just before he died of throat cancer on 9/18/1997, age 77
1921 ● Webb Pierce → One of the most popular 50s/60s honky tonk and rockabilly singer/songwriters with dozens of Country Top 20 hits and a handful of crossover hits, including “More And More” (#22, Country #1, 1954) and “I Ain’t’ Never” (#24, Country #2, 1959), lived a large and flamboyant lifestyle from the end of his recording days in the early 80s to his death from pancreatic cancer on 2/24/1991, age 69
1932 ● Mel Tillis / (Lonnie Melvin Tillis) → Prolific country music singer (despite a pronounced stutter) and songwriter with 34 songs in the Country Top 10 and the crossover hit “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town” (#6, Country #39, 1970) for Kenny Rogers & The New Edition, others of his songs have been covered by Linda Ronstadt, Ricky Van Shelton, Waylon Jennings and others, later invested in radio stations, music publishing and a theater in Branson, Missouri, died from respiratory failure on 11/19/2017, age 85
1933 ● Joe Tex / (Joseph Arlington) → R&B/Southern soul singer, “Hold On To What You’ve Got” (#5, 1965) and eight other Top 40 hits, died of a heart attack on 8/13/1982, age 49
1938 ● Connie Stevens / (Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingoglia) → Pop music singer with six charting singles in 1959-65, including “Sixteen Reasons” (#3, 1960), then starred in the TV series Hawaiian Eye and in numerous films in the 60s, turned to various business and humanitarian projects in the 80s and 90s, and added film direction and screenwriting to her resume in the 90s and 00s
1938 ● Don Jacobucci → Baritone vocals for two hit wonder doo wop quartet The Regents, original “Barbara Ann” (#13, 1961) and “Run Around” (#28, 1961)
1939 ● Phil Balsley → Baritone vocals in country-gospel-pop crossover harmonic quartet The Statler Brothers (“Flowers On The Wall,” #4, Country #2, 1965), known as the “Quiet One” for his on stage presence and humble appearance
1939 ● Jerry Slick / (Gerald Slick) → Aspiring filmmaker, rock drummer, first husband of singer Grace Slick and co-founding member of San Francisco 60s acid rock The Great Society, the group recorded dozens of songs but released only one single, “Someone To Love” (1965) during their brief existence which ended in 1966 when Grace left to join Jefferson Airplane (and release the re-titled “Somebody To Love” (#5, 1967)), joined psych-rock The Final Solution for a brief stint before re-focusing on filmmaking, divorced Grace and won a Clio award in 1971 for an advertisement recruiting San Francisco police officers, died from undisclosed causes on 3/19/2020, age 80.
1942 ● Jay David / (John David) → Drummer for AM pop-rock Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, “Sylvia’s Mother” (#5, 1972) plus nine other Top 40 hits
1944 ● Michael Johnson → Adult contemporary pop and country singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Bluer Than Blue” (#12, 1978) and two other Top 40 hits plus seven Country Top 40 singles
1944 ● John Renbourn → English singer, songwriter and guitarist with a nearly 5 decade solo career and over 30 albums, but best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch and co-founding folk-rock group Pentangle (“Light Flight,” UK #43, 1970), continued to record tour until his death from a heart attack on 3/26/2015, age 70
1949 ● Airrion Love → Vocals for R&B/Philly soul The Stylistics, “You Make Me Feel Brand New” (#2, 1974) plus 15 R&B Top 40 singles
1949 ● Keith Carradine → Four-decade Broadway stage and Hollywood film actor with a short pop music career based on the Oscar-winning, self-penned “I’m Easy” (#17, AC #1, 1976) from the movie Nashville (1975)
1956 ● Ali Score / (Alister Score) → Drummer for bizarrely-teased hair New Wave pop-rock A Flock of Seagulls, “I Ran (So Far Away)” (#9, 1982)
1956 ● Chris Foreman → Guitar for punk/ska revival Madness, “Our House” (#7, 1982) and over 20 other UK Top 40 singles
1956 ● David Grant → Pop singer and member of Brit soul/funk Linx, “You’re Lying” (R&B #27, 1981) and “Intuition” (UK #7, 1981), then solo, “Watching You Watching Me” (UK #10, 1983), celebrity vocal coach and husband of Carrie Grant
1957 ● Dennis Drew → Keyboardist, co-founder and one of two constant members of folk-pop 10,000 Maniacs, “These Are Days” (Alt-Rock #1, 1992)
1961 ● Paul Jackson → Bassist for New Wave pop-rock T’Pau, “Heart And Soul” (#4, 1987)
1961 ● Rikki Rockett / (Richard Allen Ream) → Drummer for hair metal/power ballad Poison, “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” (#1, 1988), solo and owner of a custom drum kit manufacturing company
1961 ● The Edge / (David Howell Evans) → Guitarist, occasional vocalist and sometime songwriter for Irish mega-star rockers U2, “With Or Without You” (#1, 1987)
1962 ● Kool Moe Dee / (Mohandas Dewese) → Member of early hip hop/old-school rap Treacherous Three, left for Grammy-winning solo career in 1986, “Rise ‘N’ Shine” (Rap #1, 1991)
1973 ● Scott Stapp / (Anthony Scott Flippen) → Founding member, lead vocalist and lyricist for Grammy-winning post-grunge Creed, “With Arms Wide Open” (#1, 2000), solo
1973 ● Toby Allen → With brothers Andrew and Mike Tierney and another schoolmate, co-founder and vocals in Motown-inspired Aussie teen-pop boyband Human Nature (“Everytime You Cry,” AUS #3, 1997), currently in residence on the Las Vegas Strip performing in a Motown-themed show
1974 ● Brian Harvey → Vocalist and rapper for Brit teen dance-pop/hip hop boy band East 17, “Stay Another Day” (UK #1, 1994), plus over 15 other UK Top 40 hits
1976 ● Drew Lachey → With brother Nick and two others, vocalist in adult contemporary pop-rock boy band 98 Degrees, “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” (#2, 2000), TV and Broadway actor, celebrity dancer on Dancing With The Stars in 2006
1976 ● JC Chasez / (Joshua Scott Chasez) → Lead vocals for teen dance-pop harmony boy band ‘N Sync, “It’s Gonna Be Me” (#1, 2000), solo
1981 ● Bradley McIntosh → Vocals for pre-fab teen pop S Club 7, “Never Had A Dream Come True” (#10, 2001)
1983 ● Vanessa Joy Amorosi → Australian pop singer/songwriter and guitarist, “Absolutely Everybody” (UK #7, Australia #6, 1999) and “This Is Who I Am” (Australia #1, 2009)
August 09
1913 ● Harry Mills / (Harry Flood Mills) → Baritone vocals in six-decade jazz and pop quartet The Mills Brothers (“Cab Driver,” #23, Adult #3, 1968), best known for approximating instrument sounds with vocals, first as a novelty act in the vaudeville era of the 20s and later as the music behind their singing, continued to perform with his brothers until his death on 6/28/1982, age 68
1934 ● Merle Kilgore → Country-pop singer, songwriter and business manager best known for co-writing “Ring Of Fire” (Johnny Cash #17, Country #1, 1963) with June Carter Cash and “Wolverton Mountain (“#6, Country #1, 1962) for Claude King, for being Johnny Cash‘s best man at his wedding in 1968, for managing Hank Williams Jr., and for his involvement with the Country Music Association, died from heart failure on 2/6/2005, age 70
1939 ● Billy Henderson → Founding member and vocals for Grammy-winning Motown and later Atlantic R&B/soul quintet The Spinners, “Then Came You” (#1, 1974) plus eleven other Top 20 hits in the 70s, died from diabetes on 2/7/2007, age 67
1944 ● Viv Prince / (Vivian St. John Prince) → Drummer for raunchy R&B/blues-rock British Invasion band The Pretty Things, “Don’t Bring Me Down” (UK #10, 1964)
1946 ● Marinus Gerritsen → Bassist for Dutch hard rock Golden Earring, “Radar Love” (#13, 1974), over 40 hits and 30 gold and platinum albums in the Netherlands
1947 ● Amanda McBroom → Singer, songwriter, cabaret performer and TV and voice actress best known for writing “The Rose” (Bette Midler, #3, AC #1, 1979) from the soundtrack to the 1979 film of the same name, and for roles on Broadway shows and TV series including Hawaii Five-O and Charlie’s Angels
1947 ● Barbara Mason → R&B/soul-pop one hit wonder singer, “Yes, I’m Ready” (#5, 1965)
1948 ● Bill Collings / (William Ralph Collings) → Pre-med college drop out whose curiousity for guitars led him to become a luthier and founder of Collings Guitars, a leading mass-producer of stringed instruments, his guitars were used by Lyle Lovett, Pete Townshend, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and many others, died from bile duct cancer on 7/14/2017, age 68
1955 ● Charlie Morgan → Session drummer and percussionist, played with Kate Bush, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Orleans, Tom Robinson Band, Tina Turner and others
1959 ● Kurtis Blow / (Kurtis Walker Combs) → First commercially-successful rapper, first hip hop artist to sign with a major record label and first to have a gold rap song, “The Breaks” (R&B #4, Dance/Club #9, 1980), producer and songwriter
1963 ● Whitney Houston → Immensely popular, Grammy and Emmy award winning R&B/pop singer with the biggest hit single in rock/pop history, “I Will Always Love You” (#1, 1993) plus nine other US #1s, cousin of soul-pop songstress Dionne Warwick and goddaughter of R&B/soul diva Aretha Franklin, drowned in a hotel bathtub on 2/12/2012, age 48
1970 ● Arion Salazar → Original bassist for post-grunge indie pop Third Eye Blind, “Semi-Charmed Life” (#4, 1997)
1978 ● Luke Concannon → Guitar and vocals for Brit folk-rock-hip hop one hit wonder duo Nizlopi, “JCB Song” (UK #1, 2005)
August 10
1909 ● Leo Fender / (Clarence Leonidas Fender) → Inventor of the Fender Broadcaster, Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars used by countless rock musicians, died of Parkinson’s disease on 3/21/1991, age 81
1922 ● Al Alberts / (Al Albertini) → Co-founding member and vocals in traditional pop quartet The Four Aces, “Love Is A Many-splendored Thing” (#1, 1955) and 30 other Top 40 hits between 1950 and 1969, became a musical variety TV program host in Philadelphia, retired in 1994 and died from renal failure on 11/27/2009, age 87
1928 ● Jimmy Dean / (Jimmy Ray Dean) → Country music singer and Grammy-winning crossover country-pop star, “Big Bad John” (#1, 1961), prime time TV variety show personality, breakfast sausage businessman and film actor, died of natural causes on 6/13/2010, age 81
1928 ● Eddie Fisher / (Edwin Jack Fisher) → Pop/adult contemporary crooner, “I Need You Now” (#1, 1954), TV actor, ex-husband of Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor, Connie Stevens and 2 others, father of actresses Carrie Fisher (Star Wars, 1977) and Joely Fisher (TVs Ellen, 1994-98), died following hip surgery on 9/22/2010, age 82
1939 ● Sal Cuomo → First tenor vocals for two hit wonder doo wop quartet The Regents, original “Barbara Ann” (#13, 1961) and “Run Around” (#28, 1961)
1940 ● Tunes Antunes / (Michael Antunes) → Saxophone player for New England one hit wonder rock ‘n’ roll bar band John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band, “On The Dark Side” (#7, 1983), acted with bandmates in the rock band-based movie Eddie & The Cruisers (1983)
1940 ● Bobby Hatfield → Blue-eyed soul singer and, with Bill Medley, one half of hugely successful pop-rock duo The Righteous Brothers, “Unchained Melody” (#4, 1965), died from a cocaine overdose while on tour on 11/5/2003, age 63
1943 ● Ronnie Spector / (Veronica Bennett Spector) → Lead singer and frontgal (in front of sister Estelle) in quintessential 60s pop “Wall of Sound” girl group The Ronettes, “Be My Baby” (#2, 1963), married the band’s producer Phil Spector in 1968
1943 ● James Griffin → Songwriter, guitar and vocals for soft MOR pop-rock Bread, “Make It With You” (#1, 1970), co-wrote “For All We Know,” the 1971 Academy Award Best Song of the Year by the Carpenters from the movie Lovers And Other Strangers, issued several solo albums and performed in various country-rock combos through the early 00s, died from complications of cancer on 1/11/2005, age 61
1945 ● Larry Larden → With brother Dennis, guitar and vocals for one hit wonder pop-folk Every Mother’s Son, “Come On Down To My Boat” (#6, 1967)
1945 ● Brian Carman → Founding member, guitarist and songwriter for garage/surf rock The Chantays, co-wrote their instrumental hit “Pipeline” (#4, 1963), continued to perform with the band until his death from Crohn’s disease on 3/1/2015, age 69
1946 ● Mick Clarke / (Michael Clarke) → Bass vocals for glam rock/rock ‘n roll revival The Rubettes, “Sugar Baby Love” (UK #1, US #37, 1974)
1947 ● Ian Anderson → Frontman, flautist and vocals for long-lived Brit folk-rock http://bit.ly/JET371, “Living In The Past” (#11, 1973), solo
1949 ● Andy Cresswell-Davis → Co-founder, drummer and vocalist for New Wave pop-rock The Korgis, “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” (#18, 1980), previously played on John Lennon‘s Imagine album, solo and sessions since The Korgis broke up for good in the early 90s
1950 ● Patti Austin → R&B/jazz-pop singer, “Baby Come to Me” (#1, 1983), duets with Michael Jackson, James Ingram and George Benson, backing vocals for Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones and others
1959 ● Mark Price → Drummer for goth-rock All About Eve, “Martha’s Harbour” (UK #10, 1988)
1961 ● Jon Farriss → Drummer for Aussie New Wave dance-groove-pop INXS, “Need You Tonight” (#1, 1987)
1962 ● Julia Fordham → Sultry-voiced jazz-pop singer and songwriter, backing singer for Mari Wilson and Kim Wilde, solo, “Happy Ever After” (Adult Contemporary #24, 1989) and “Wake Up With You (The I Wanna Song)” (Dance/Club #10, 2002)
1967 ● Lorraine Pearson → Vocals for Brit family R&B/dance-pop quintet 5 Star, “Can’t Wait Another Minute” (#41, Dance/Club #7, 1986) and fifteen Top 40 singles in native England
1967 ● Todd Nichols → Guitarist for alt pop-rock Toad The Wet Sprocket, “All I Want” (#15, 1992)
1968 ● Biv Bivins / (Michael Bivins) → Vocals for R&B/teen pop then hip hop/new jack swing vocal quartet New Edition, “If It Isn’t Love” (#7, 1988), then Bell Biv Devoe, “Poison” (#3, 1990)
1968 ● Leigh Marklew → Bassist for hard rock/heavy metal Terrorvision, “Tequila” (UK #2, 1999)
1972 ● Devon Allman → Guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, founder and bandleader for blues-rock Honeytribe, LP Space Age Blues debuted at #7 on Billboard‘s Blues Albums chart (2010), occasionally appears as a guest musician for his father, Gregg Allman and The Allman Brothers Band, currently in blues-rock supergroup Royal Southern Brotherhood with Cyril Neville and others
1977 ● Aaron Kamin → Co-founder and guitarist for post-grunge alt rock The Calling, “Wherever You Will Go” (#5, 2001)
August 11
1922 ● Ronald Erle Grainer → Australian-born, UK-based film and TV soundtrack composer, wrote score for To Sir, With Love (1967) and theme to BBC sci-fi TV show Doctor Who (1963-1986, 2005 to present) plus dozens of other films and programs, died from spinal cancer on 2/21/1981, age 58
1925 ● Mike Douglas / (Michael Delaney Dowd, Jr.) → Successful “Big Band” and pop singer, first with the Kay Kyser Band in the 40s and later in Los Angeles nightclubs, in the 60s became a widely popular talk show host of Emmy-winning, nationally-syndicated The Mike Douglas Show and a staunch supporter of all things Philadelphia, reprised his singing career with “The Men In My Little Girl’s Life” (#6, 1966), died from dehydration on 8/11/2006, his 81st birthday
1937 ● Shel Talmy → Record producer and music arranger with a deep resume in a short period in the mid-60s, including British Invasion guitar rock bands The Kinks (“You Really Got Me,” #7, UK #1, 1964) and The Who (“I Can’t Explain,” #93, UK #8, 1965 and their debut album My Generation, UK #5, 1965), plus cult group The Creation, Aussie rock ‘n’ roller The Easybeats (“Friday On My Mind,” #16, UK #6, 1967), unsuccessful early songs for future star Boston, folk-rock The Pentangle, folk-pop Chad & Jeremy and others, “retired” from producing in the 70s
1939 ● Ronnie Dawson / (Ronald Monroe Dawson) → The “Blond Bomber,” rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll guitarist and bandleader with several unremarkable 50s singles and extensive session work in the 60s, found relative success in the U.K. n the 80s and 90s and toured extensively, died from throat cancer on 9/30/2003, age 64
1942 ● Guy Villari → Lead vocals for two hit wonder doo wop quartet The Regents, original “Barbara Ann” (#13, 1961) and “Run Around” (#28, 1961)
1942 ● Mike Hugg → Drums, percussion and second longest surviving member of British Invasion pop-rock Manfred Mann, “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” (#1, 1964), film and TV theme composer, advertising jingle writer, solo artist
1943 ● Jim Kale / (Michael James Kale) → Bassist for Canadian rockers The Guess Who, “American Woman” (#1, 1970), has managed and toured with various reincarnations of the band through the 00s
1943 ● Kenny Gamble / (Kenneth Gamble) → With partner Leon Huff in the famed Philadelphia songwriting and production team of Gamble & Huff, crafted the “Philly soul” sound as the founders and chief creative team for Motown-rival Philadelphia International Records, wrote and produced dozens of hits from “Expressway To Your Heart” (The Soul Survivors, #4, R&B #3, 1967) to “Love Train” (The O’Jays, #1, R&B #1, 1972) and “Close the Door” (Teddy Pendergrass, #25, R&B #1, 1978), after the disco era the shine on the label faded but the two continued to write into the 10s
1943 ● Denis Payton / (Denis Archibald West Payton) → Horns and backing vocals for British Invasion pop-rock The Dave Clark Five, “Catch Us If You Can” (#4, 1965) and 13 other Top 20 hits in the US (but only nine in their home UK), died from cancer on 12/17/2006, age 63
1946 ● Michael Fonfora → Classically-trained, Canadian blues-rock keyboardist and member of short-lived 60s psych-rock The Electric Flag, then Elektra Records pre-fab rockers Rhinoceros and later Toronto rockers Blackstone, played with Lou Reed‘s band in the 70s and in 1990 joined influential retro blues-rock The Downchild Blues Band, inspiring Dan Akroyd and comedy partner John Belushi to form The Blues Brothers, played with the band until retiring in 2015, died from cancer on 1/8/2021, age 76.
1948 ● Bill Hurd → Keyboards for glam rock/rock ‘n roll revival The Rubettes, “Sugar Baby Love” (, US #37, 1974)
1949 ● Eric Carmen → Founding member, keyboards and vocals for Cleveland garage rock quartet The Choir, “It’s Cold Outside” (#68, 1967), then co-founded power pop The Raspberries, “Go All The Way” (#5, 1972), started soft rock solo career in 1975, “All By Myself” (#2, 1976) and six other Top 40 hits
1950 ● Erik Braunn / (Erik Keith Braunn) → Teenaged guitarist for psych-rock Iron Butterfly, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (#30, 1970),left in 1969 for session work and production until his death from a birth defect-related heart attack on 7/25/2003, age 53
1952 ● Bob Mothersbaugh → Founding member, lead guitarist and vocalist for quirky 80s pop-rock Devo, “Whip It” (#14, 1980), also produced soundtracks for film and television, including the Rugrats series during the 90s, rejoined Devo bandmates in music production company Mutato Muzika
1954 ● Bryan Bassett → Guitar and vocals for one hit wonder funk-pop Wild Cherry, “Play That Funky Music” (#1, 1976), started music producer career in the 80s, toured with hard rock Foghat and Southern hard rock Molly Hatchet in the 90s and 00s
1954 ● Joe Jackson / (David Ian Jackson) → Punk-challenging British New Wave pop-rock singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, “Steppin’ Out” (#6, 1982), moved into eclectic pop-jazz-classical fusion in the 90s, won Grammy Award – Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2000 for Jackson: Symphony 1
1956 ● Alan Frew → Vocals for Canadian pop-rock Glass Tiger, “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” (#2, 1986), solo
1957 ● Richie Ramone / (Richard Reinhardt) → Drummer and songwriter, joined punk rock The Ramones in 1983, wrote hit song “Somebody Put Something In My Drink” (1986)
1958 ● Jah Wobble / (John Joseph Wardle) → Bassist, vocalist, songwriter and co-founder of punk rock Public Image Ltd., “This Is Not A Love Song” (UK #5, 1983), solo
1960 ● Paul Gendler → Guitarist for Brit dance-pop band Modern Romance, “Can You Move” (Dance/Club #2, 1981) and “Best Years Of Our Lives” (UK #4, 1982)
1962 ● Bragi Ólafsson → Bassist for Icelandic alt pop-rock The Sugarcubes, “Hit” (Modern Rock #1, 1991)
1964 ● Hamish Seelochan → Vocals in Brit R&B/neo-soul-funk The Pasadenas, “Tribute (Right On)” (Dance/Club #27, UK #5, 1988)
1968 ● Charlie Sexton → Blues-rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, bandleader and solo artist, “Beat’s So Lonely” (#17, 1985) from his debut album at age 16, sessions for Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Ron Wood and others
1970 ● Ali Shaheed Muhammad → DJ/producer for artistic hip hop jazz-rap fusion trio A Tribe Called Quest, “Check The Rhime” (Rap #1, 1991), solo, producer
1970 ● Andy Bell → Guitar and vocals for Brit neo-psych “shoegazing” band Ride, “Twisterella” (Modern Rock #12, 1992), later Hurricane , joined Oasis in 1999
1976 ● Ben Gibbard → Vocals for indie pop/rock Death Cab For Cutie, “Soul Meets Body” (Modern Rock #5, 2005)
1976 ● Brendan Bayliss → Founding member, lead guitarist and vocalist for neo-prog rock jam band Umphrey’s McGee, album Mantis (#62, Indie #6, 2009)
1978 ● Mack Daddy / (Chris Kelly) → Vocals for teen sensation pop-rap duo Kriss Kross, “Jump” (#1, 1992), died from an apparent drug overdose on 5/1/2013, age 34
1981 ● Sandi Thom → Scottish neo-folk-rock singer/songwriter, “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)”, the first song to reach UK #1 based solely on the strength of downloads
1985 ● Asher Roth → White suburban rapper, “I Love College” (#12, 2009), built an early following through web sites Facebook and MySpace
1985 ● J-Boog / (Jarell Houston) → Vocals for R&B/hip hop urban boy band B2K, “Bump, Bump, Bump” (#1, 2002)
August 12
1918 ● Sid Bernstein → Music producer, promoter and concert impresario best known for bringing The Beatles to New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1964 and Shea Stadium in 1965, also booked shows in New York for The Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, The Moody Blues, The Kinks and other British Invasion bands, managed The Rascals and Laura Nyro in the 60s and early 70s, later arranged tours for Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac and others, died at age 95 on 8/21/2013, age 95
1918 ● Roy C. Bennett / (Israel Brodsky) → Songwriter and collaborator with Sid Tepper, with whom he wrote over 300 songs, including “Red Roses For A Blue Lady” for Vaughn Monroe (#4, 1948), “The Young Ones” for Cliff Richard (UK #1, 1962) and over 40 for Elvis Presley, died of natural causes on 7/2/2015, age 96
1920 ● Percy Mayfield → R&B balladeer and songwriter, solo artist, “Please Send Me Someone To Love” (R&B #1, 1950), wrote “Hit The Road Jack” for Ray Charles (#1, 1961), died following a heart attack on 8/11/1984, age 63
1926 ● Joe Jones → New Orleans R&B singer, songwriter and arranger, pianist for B. B. King, solo artist, “You Talk To Much” (#3, 1960), record producer and manager for various R&B acts, including girl group The Dixie Cups, died following heart bypass surgery on 11/27/2005, age 79.
1927 ● Porter Wagoner → Country-pop megastar known for his rhinestone-encrusted suits, pompadour hairdo, 16 Country Top 10 hits, including “The Carroll County Accident” (#92, Country #2, 1968) and multiple duet albums and hits with protégée Dolly Parton (“Please Don’t Stop Loving Me,” Country #1, 1974), toured and performed at the Grand Ole Opry until just before his death from lung caner on 10/28/2007, age 80
1929 ● Buck Owens / (Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr.) → Country music megastar singer, songwriter and guitarist, pioneer of the “Bakersfield sound” blending country and pop, “I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail” (#25, Country #1, 1965) and 19 other Country #1 hits, The Beatles covered his “Act Naturally” (#47, 1965), bandleader for The Buckaroos, TV host (Hee Haw), died after lengthy illnesses on 3/24/2006 , age 76
1944 ● Larry Troutman → With three of his brothers and two non-family members, co-founder, percussion and backing vocals in underrated but influential funk sextet Zapp, “More Bounce To The Ounce” (R&B #2, 1980), shot and killed his brother and bandmate Roger Troutman in an apparent murder/suicide on 4/25/1999, age 54
1945 ● Joe Rascoff / (Joseph Fishel Rascoff) → New York City accounting firm partner who left in the early 70s to manage road financial affairs for The Rolling Stones, his company later expanded to business management and tour production for The Allman Brothers Band, David Bowie, U2, Paul Simon, Sting and others and advised artists on royalty negotiations and accounting, briefly led electronic dance music producer SFX Entertainment in the 10s before retiring, died firm prostate cancer on 4/6/2017, age 71
1948 ● Ron Mael → With brother Russell Mael, keyboardist for quirky pop-rock Sparks, “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us” (UK #2, 1974) and “Just Got Back From Heaven” (Dance/Club #7, 1989)
1949 ● Mark Knopfler → Frontman, lead guitar, songwriter and vocals for post-punk New Wave rock Dire Straits, “Sultans Of Swing” (#4, 1979), solo, Notting Hillbillies
1950 ● Craig Douglas / (Terence Perkins) → Early Brit pop-rock singer, “Only Sixteen” (UK #1, 1959) plus nine other UK Top 40 singles
1950 ● Kid Creole / (Thomas August Darnell Browder) → Guitarist, songwriter and frontman for multi-genre, big band-style Latin-tinged pop-rock Kid Creole & The Coconuts, “It’s A Wonderful Thing, Baby” (Dance Club #18, UK #4, 1982)
1953 ● Jerry Speiser → Drummer for Scottish-Australian Men At Work, “Down Under” (#1, UK #1, 1983), their Grammy-winning debut album, Business As Usual, was simultaneously the #1 US and UK album in January 1983, gaining them the distinction of being the only Aussie band to hold all four top spots at once
1954 ● Pat Metheny → Seventeen-time Grammy-winning jazz-rock fusion guitarist, composer and bandleader, sessions and side projects with David Bowie, Gary Burton, Chick Corea and many others
1958 ● Jürgen Dehmel → Bassist for German pop-rock band Nena, “99 Luftballons” (#2, 1984)
1961 ● Roy Hay → Guitar and vocals for New Wave synth-pop Culture Club, “Karma Chameleon” (#1, 1984) plus seven other UK top 10 singles
1963 ● Sir Mix-A-Lot / (Anthony Ray) → Hip hop MC, producer and rapper, “Baby Got Back” (#1, 1992) which one a Grammy for Best Rap Performance
1968 ● Paul Tucker → Keyboards for Brit R&B/Northern soul duo Lighthouse Family,”Lifted” (UK #4, 1996) and 9 other UK Top 40 hits
1969 ● Tanita Tikaram → Brit folk-pop singer and songwriter, “Twist In My Sobriety” (Modern Rock #25, UK #22, 1988)
August 13
1921 ● Jimmy McCracklin / (James David Walker, Jr.) → West Coast blues pianist and songwriter with a seven decade recording and performing career and hundreds of songs and over 30 albums, best known for his blues/dance “The Walk” (#7, R&B #5, 1958), died from natural causes on 12/20/2012, age 91
1930 ● Don Ho / (Donald Tai Loy Ho) → Air Force fighter pilot turned iconic Hawaiian pop/island music singer and entertainer with the signature song, “Tiny Bubbles” (#57, 1966), appeared in Honolulu and Vegas nightclubs over a 50-year career, guested on 70s TV sitcoms and briefly hosted his own program, suffered from coronary problems for many years but continued to perform until just before his death from heart failure on 4/14/2007, age 76
1938 ● Baby Cortez / (David Cortez Clowney) → Pop and R&B organist with two Top 10 instrumentals, “The Happy Organ” (#1, 1959), the first instrumental #1 and the first major pop hit to feature an electric organ, and “Rinky Dink” (#10, 1962), faded from view by the late 60s
1939 ● Howard Tate → R&B/soul singer and songwriter with several minor chart hits, including “Ain’t Nobody Home” (#63, R&B #12, 1966) but best known for penning “Get It While You Can” by Janis Joplin (#78, 1971), died from leukemia on 12/2/2011, age 72
1940 ● John Stokes / (Sean James Stokes) → With brothers Con and Dec Cluskey, founding member, vocals, bass guitar and harmonica in Irish beat pop-rock trio The Bachelors, “Diane” (#10, UK #1, 1964) and seven other UK Top 10 hits in 1964-66, following a split in 1984 formed pop-rock Stokes & Coe
1947 ● David Ivor St. Hubbins → Fictional character (lead singer and rhythm guitarist) played by Michael McKean in the “mock-rock” parody band Spinal Tap from the movie This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
1948 ● Tony Santini / (Scott Powell) → Vocals with “greaser” revival parody rock-and-doo-wop Sha Na Na (“(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet,” #55, 1975), TV actor, physician
1949 ● Cliff Fish → Original bassist for pop/rock one hit wonder Paper Lace, “The Night Chicago Died” (#1, UK #3, 1974), a second single “Billy, Don’t Be A Hero” (#96, UK #1, 1974) qualifies them as a two hit wonder in the UK
1949 ● Jonathan Arendt → Bassist for pop/rock one hit wonder Paper Lace, “The Night Chicago Died” (#1, UK #3, 1974), a second single “Billy, Don’t Be A Hero” (#96, UK #1, 1974) qualifies them as a two hit wonder in the UK
1951 ● Dan Fogelberg → Quintessential 70s-80s country-pop-rock singer/songwriter, “Part Of The Plan” (#31, 1975) and “Leader Of The Band” (#9, Adult Contemporary #1, 1982), political and environmental activist, died from prostate cancer on 12/16/2007, age 56
1952 ● Hughie Thomasson / (Hugh Edward Thomasson) → Founding member, lead singer and guitarist for Southern hard rock Outlaws (“Hurry Sundown,” #34, 1975), disbanded the group in 1996 and joined raunchy Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd (“Sweet Home Alabama,” #8, 1974), reformed Outlaws in 2005 and toured until dying in his sleep from a heart attack on 9/9/2007, age 55
1958 ● Feargal Sharkey → Guitarist for Irish punk/New Wave pop-rock The Undertones, “My Perfect Cousin” (UK #9, 1980), solo, “A Good Heart” (#74, UK #1, 1985)
1959 ● Danny Bonaduce → Vocals and bass guitar in the pre-fab TV show sunshine pop group The Partridge Family, “I Think I Love You” (#1, 1970), producer, reality TV show host and panelist
1959 ● Mark Nevin → Vocals and songwriter for Brit neo-skiffle pop Fairground Attraction, “Perfect” (#80, UK #1, 1988)
1959 ● Michael Bradley → Bassist for Irish punk/New Wave pop-rock The Undertones, “My Perfect Cousin” (UK #9, 1980)
1964 ● Ian Haugland / (Håkan Jan Haugland) → Drummer for Swedish hard rock/glam-metal Europe, “The Final Countdown” (#8, 1986)
1984 ● “Baby Blue” Smith / (Diamond Blue Smith) → Vocals for Miami-based R&B/hip-hop quartet Pretty Ricky, “Grind With Me” (#7, 2005)
1984 ● James Morrison / (James Morrison Catchpole) → Award-winning Brit soul-pop singer/songwriter and guitarist, “You Give Me Something” (UK #5, 2006) from his first album Undiscovered, which debuted at #1 on the UK albums chart
August 14
1915 ● Alyce King / (Alice Golda Driggs Clarke) → Vocalist for complex and sophisticated four-part harmony 30s, 40s and 50s Big Band/pop sibling singing group The King Sisters, “The Hut-Sut Song” (Top 30, 1944), recorded with her sisters on hundreds of albums and numerous radio specials over three decades and in the musical-variety TV program The King Family Show (1966-1969) and holiday specials thereafter, died from respiratory problems on 8/23/1996, age 81
1924 ● Lee Adams → Musical theater lyricist best known for his collaborations with Charles Strouse, including Tony-winners Bye Bye Birdie (1960) and Applause (1970), and co-writing the opening theme to the 70s TV sitcom All In The Family (“Those Were The Days”)
1926 ● Buddy Greco / (Armando Joseph Greco) → Jazz-pop pianist and Las Vegas lounge singer, member of Benny Goodman‘s band in the mid-40s and Frank Sinatra‘s “Rat Pack” in the 60s, enjoyed a long and prolific solo career, covered “Mr. Lonely” (#64, 1962) and issued over 60 albums and 100 singles, performed into the 00s and died on 1/10/2017, age 90
1940 ● Dash Crofts / (Darrell Crofts) → Guitar, mandolin, vocals and songwriting for 70s light pop-rock duo Seals & Crofts, “Summer Breeze” (#6, 1972) and “Diamond Girl” (#6, 1973)
1941 ● Connie Smith / (Constance June Meador) → Hugely popular 60s and 70s female country artist with 20 singles in the Country 10 and three #1 albums but extremely limited recognition on the mainstream pop side (“Once A Day” (#101, Country #1, 1964) was her first overall single and her highest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100), continues to persevere as a gospel singer in the 10s
1941 ● David Crosby → Guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of seminal folk-country-rock The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (#1, 1965) and folk-pop Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, “Just A Song Before I Go” (#7, 1977), collaborated with Graham Nash, “Immigration Man” (#36, 1972), then solo career with albums including Wind On The Water (#6, 1975) and singles including “Drive My Car” (Mainstream Rock #3, 1989)
1941 ● Lionel Morton → Vocals and rhythm guitar for early 60s Brit pop The Four Pennies, “Juliet” (UK #1, 1964), the most important British Invasion era act with no chart presence in the US
1946 ● Larry Graham → Bassist for R&B/soul-funk Sly & The Family Stone, “Family Affair” (#1, 1971), then founder/frontman funk band Graham Central Station
1947 ● Maddy Prior / (Madelaine Edith Prior) → Lead vocals for Brit electric folk-rock revival band Steeleye Span, “All Around My Hat” (UK #5, 1975)
1948 ● Bruce Thomas → Bassist for Elvis Costello‘s backing band The Attractions, “Pump It Up” (UK #24, 1978), session work and author
1951 ● Slim Dunlap / (Bob Dunlap) → Lead guitar for garage punk then alt rock pioneers The Replacements, “I’ll Be You” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1989), solo
1956 ● Sharon Bryant → Lead vocals for R&B/soul urban contemporary Atlantic Starr, “When Love Calls” (R&B #5, 1979), solo, sessions
1960 ● Sarah Brightman → Brit classical-pop-Broadway crossover singer and actress, dancer and vocals for disco Hot Gossip “I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper” (UK #6, 1978), played Jemima in Cats (1981) and Christine Daaé in Phantom Of The Opera (1986), solo, “Harem” (Dance/Club #1, 2003)
1963 ● Jez Willis → Partner/producer in Brit dance-pop duo Utah Saints, “Something Good” (UK #4, 1992)
1965 ● Mark Collins → Guitarist for “Madchester” alt rock The Charlatans UK, “The Only One I Know” (Mainstream Rock #37, 1991) and three UK #1 albums
1970 ● Kevin Cadogan → Lead guitar for post-grunge indie pop Third Eye Blind, “Semi-Charmed Life” (#4, 1997)
1974 ● Ana Matronic / (Ana Lynch) → Vocals and frontwoman for dance-glam-rock Scissor Sisters, “Filthy Gorgeous” (Dance/Club #1, 2005)
1977 ● Ed Harcourt → Multi-instrumentalist Brit chamber pop singer/songwriter, “All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed” (UK #35, 2003)
