Happy Birthday this week to:
January 29
1923 ● Ivo Robic → Croatian film actor and pop music singer with domestic and international presence for over 50 years, best known for his collaboration with Bert Kaempfert on the German-language pop hit “Morgen” (“Tomorrow,” #13, 1959), later a minor hit in English for Leslie Uggams and an instrumental version opened surf-rock The Ventures‘ first album, Walk, Don’t Run (1960), died from cancer on 3/9/2000, age 77.
1934 ● Ann Cole / (Cynthia Coleman) → Early R&B, jump jazz and gospel singer voted Most Promising Female R&B Vocals in 1956 but had the misfortune of being ahead of her time, cut numerous songs on different labels in the 50s and 60s but had only one Pop chart hit, “Don’t Stop The Wedding” (#98, 1962) and three R&B chart Top 25 hits, including “In The Chapel” (R&B #14, 1957), confined to a wheelchair following a 1966 car accident and died on 11/30/1986, age 52
1934 ● Noel Harrison / (Noel John Christopher Harrison) → Actor, 50s Olympic skier, son of Brit actor Rex Harrison and pop singer with the Academy Award-winning “The Windmills Of Your Mind” (1968) and several other, minor U.S. hits, acted in films and on stage, produced movies and shows, and continued to record and perform until his career was ended by heart attack on 10/19/2013, age 79
1936 ● James Jamerson → Bassist in Motown house band The Funk Brothers, which provided nearly all instrumentation behind every Motown hit, died from a heart attack on 8/2/1983, age 47.
1938 ● Jerry Brandt / (Jerome Jack Mair) → Promoter, nightclub and music entrepreneur whose early career as a music talent agent included managing Carly Simon and booking The Rolling Stones on their first tours of the US in the mid-60s, better known for owning and operating two New York City hot-spot clubs, The Electric Circus (1967-1971) and The Ritz (1980-1989), in between failing to create an American clone to Ziggy Stardust in the form of gay glam rocker Jobriath Boone and producing a very short-lived Broadway musical to capitalize on the late 70s disco craze, settled into a later career as a less-glamorous restaurateur and died from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 1/16/2021, age 82.
1942 ● Claudine Longet → French singer, actress and socialite with several minor US singles, including “Hello, Hello” (#91, AC #8, 1967) but best known as the former wife of crooner Andy Williams and for her conviction in the misdemeanor negligent homicide of her boyfriend, Olympic skier Spider Sabich in 1976
1943 ● Mark Wynter / (Terrence Sydney Lewis) → Early 60s, pre-Beatles Brit pop-rock singer, “Venus In Blue Jeans” (UK #4, 1962)
1943 ● Tony Blackburn / (Anthony Kenneth Blackburn) → Brit light pop singer, “So Much Love” (UK Top 40, 1969), then pirate radio and first BBC Radio 1 disc jockey
1944 ● Andrew Loog Oldham → The Rolling Stones‘ first manager, producer and promoter, 1964-68, launched the Immediate Records label in 1965 which enjoyed 24 UK Top 50 hits with artists like Jimmy Page, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, The Nice, Rod Stewart and others
1947 ● David Byron / (David Garrick) → Lead singer for hard/prog rock Spice, renamed Uriah Heep, “Easy Livin'” (#39, 1972), fired for erratic behavior in 1976, went solo but died of alcohol-induced liver failure on 2/28/1985, age 38
1949 ● Tommy Ramone / (Tamás Erdélyi) → Hungarian-born record producer and musician, co-wrote songs and played drums for seminal punk rock band The Ramones (“Rockaway Beach,” #66, 1978) and later produced several of their albums plus those by other artists, died from bile duct cancer on 7/11/2014, age 65.
1953 ● Louie Perez → Guitar and vocals for Grammy-winning Chicano/roots rock Los Lobos, “La Bamba” (#1, 1987), then Latin Playboys and Seguida
1954 ● Rob Manzoli → Vocals and guitar for Euro-dance-pop trio Right Said Fred, “I’m Too Sexy” (#1, 1992)
1961 ● David Baynton-Power → Drummer for Brit folk-pop alt rock James, “Laid” (Modern Rock #3, 1993)
1961 ● Eddie Jackson → Bassist for progressive pop-metal Queensrÿche, “Silent Lucidity” (#9, 1991)
1961 ● Pauline Henry → Lead vocals for dance-pop trio The Chimes, “1-2-3” (Dance/Club #1, 1990)
1962 ● Marcus Charles Vere → Synthesizer and keyboards for Brit dance-pop-funk Living In A Box, “Living In A Box” (#17, 1987)
1964 ● Roddy Frame → Founder, leader, guitarist, singer and songwriter for Scot New Wave pop-rock Aztec Camera, “The Crying Scene” (Modern Rock #3, 1990)
1968 ● Richard Battersby → Drummer for hard rock/raunchy The Wildhearts, “Sick Of Drugs” (UK #14, 1996)
1981 ● Jonny Lang / (Jon Gordon Langseth, Jr.) → Teenage prodigy blues-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Still Rainin'” (Mainstream Rock #8, 1998)
1982 ● Adam Lambert → Flamboyant, androgynous stage actor, American Idol runner-up (2009) and neo-goth pop singer, “Whataya Want From Me” (#10, 2010)
1987 ● Ashley Grace Pérez Mosa → Mexican-American singer and songwriter, with sister Hanna in contemporary Latin pop-rock duo HaAsh, “No Te Quiero Nada” (Latin Pop #6, 2008)
January 30
1928 ● Mitch Leigh / (Irwin Michnick) → Pop music composer who transitioned from advertising jingles to Broadway musical composition and production, best known as part of the three-man team that wrote and produced the long-running (2,328 performances) show Man Of La Mancha (1965) and the now-standard song “The Impossible Dream,” died from natural causes on 3/16/2014, age 86
1928 ● Hal Prince / (Harold Smith) → Thirty-two Tony-winning Broadway show producer and director, in a career spanning four decades oversaw hundreds of award-winning productions that spawned dozens of enduring pop recordings, among them Madonna‘s “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” from Evita (#8, Dance #1, 1997) and the soundtrack to West Side Story (1961), the longest running #1 album of all-time (54 weeks) on the Billboard 200 chart, remained active into the 10s and co-directed a retrospective of his career, Prince Of Broadway (2015) before dying following a brief illness on 7/31/2019, age 91.
1936 ● Horst Jankowski → German pianist and composer of easy listening and light space rock pop pieces, “A Walk In The Black Forest” (#12, 1965), died of cancer on 6/29/1998, age 62
1941 ● Joe Terranova → Baritone and bass vocalist for rock ‘n roll Danny & The Juniors, “At The Hop” (#1, 1958)
1942 ● Marty Balin / (Martyn Jere Buchwald) → Founding member, songwriter, vocals and guitar for San Francisco psych-rock Jefferson Airplane, “White Rabbit” (#8, 1967), left the band in 1971 due to “lifestyle differences” and his aversion to the drug culture, rejoined in 1975 and led the transformation to mainstream arena rock Jefferson Starship and wrote or co-wrote four Top 20 hits, including “Miracles” (#3, 1975), left again in 1978 for a mildly successful light pop-rock solo career, “Hearts” (#8, 1981), died from undisclosed causes on 9/27/2018, age 76.
1943 ● Sandy Deane / (Sandy Yaguda) → Founding member and vocals for clean cut pop-rock Jay & The Americans, “Cara Mia” (#4, 1965) and nine other Top 30 hits, continues to tour with the group on the oldies circuit into the 10s
1947 ● Steve Marriott → Guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, founder and leader of Brit raunch/psych-pop-rock The Small Faces, “Itchycoo Park” (#16, 1968), then blues-rock Humble Pie, “30 Days In The Hole” (1972) and solo, died in a house fire on 4/20/1991, age 44
1949 ● William King → Trumpet, guitar and synthesizers for Grammy-winning Motown R&B/soul-funk Commodores, “Three Times A Lady” (#1, 1978) and “Nightshift” (#3, 1985)
1951 ● Andy Anderson / (Clifford Leon Anderson) → In-demand session drummer and briefly a full member of post-punk/goth-rock The Cure (“Let’s Go To Bed,” Dance/Club #32, 1983), worked with Hawkwind, Iggy Pop, the Steve Hillage Band, Peter Gabriel, Mike Oldfield and many others, diagnosed with terminal cancer in early February 2019 and died a few weeks later on 2/26/2019, age 68.
1951 ● Marv Ross → Guitarist for sax pop-rock Quarterflash, “Harden My Heart” (#3, 1981)
1951 ● Phil Collins / (Philip David Charles Collins) → Immensely popular English drummer, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, starting in 1970 as a key and long-time member of prog-rock Genesis (“Invisible Touch” (#1, 1986), then from the early-80s in a highly successful parallel career as a pop-rock/blue-eyed soul solo act with seven US #1 singles (including “A Groovy Kind Of Love,” #1, 1988) and a dozen studio albums, along with Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney is one of only three recording artists to sell over 100 million records worldwide both as a solo artist and separately as a principal member of a band, also appeared in cameo roles in several films.
1952 ● Steve Bartek → At age 16 played flute and percussion on first album by Strawberry Alarm Clock but couldn’t join the band (too young), joined 80s New Wave ska-revival quirky synth-pop Oingo Boingo, “Weird Science” (Dance/Club #21, 1985)
1959 ● Jody Watley → Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer, first as lead vocals for disco trio Shalamar, “The Second Time Around” (#8, 1979), then solo “Real Love” (#1, 1987), wrote “Sweet Sixteen” for Destiny’s Child, record producer, founder of Avitone Records, fashion designer and fitness DVD host
1959 ● Mark Eitzel → Guitarist, singer, chief songwriter and frontman for critically acclaimed but light selling alt pop-rock American Music Club (1991 album Everclear), disbanded AMC for a jazz-pop solo career
1959 ● Steve Augeri → Rock ballad and arena rock singer with multiple bands in the 80s, joined arena rock Journey, “Who’s Crying Now” (#4, 1981) in 1998, resumed a solo career in 2010
1964 ● Angie Stone / (Angela Laverne Brown) → R&B/neo-soul singer, songwriter, keyboardist with urban soul-pop Vertical Hold, “Seems You’re Much Too Busy” (Top 40, 1993) then solo, “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” (Dance/Club #1, 2002), has written hits for Mary J. Blige and D’Angelo
1964 ● Marcel Karl Jacob → Swedish bass guitarist in hard rock/melodic metal Talisman and Last Autumn’s Dream, committed suicide on 7/21/2009, age 45
January 31
1906 ● The Honeydripper / (Roosevelt Sykes) → Boogie-blues piano player, known for pounding 8-bar rhythms and risqué lyrics, wrote several blues standards, including “Night Time Is The Right Time” (1937), died from a heart attack on 7/17/1983, age 77
1921 ● Mario Lanza / (Alfredo Arnold Cocozza) → Critically-acclaimed 1940s opera tenor, post-WW II film actor and 50s pop singer with “Drinking Song” (#1, 1955), the million-selling hit from his movie The Student Prince (1954), moved to Italy in 1956 and died of a pulmonary embolism on 10/7/1959, age 38
1928 ● Chuck Willis / (Harold Willis) → The “King of the Stroll”, R&B/blues-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his cover of “C.C. Rider” (#12, R&B #1, 1957), also wrote and recorded his own compositions, died from peritonitis on 4/10/1958, age 30
1931 ● Leslie Bricusse → Multiple award-winning pop music composer and lyricist, beginning in 1960 with “My Old Man’s A Dustman” (UK#1, 1960) for Lonnie Donegan and continuing over four decades on Broadway, TV and Hollywood, often in collaboration with actor/singer Anthony Newley or other partners, wrote or co-wrote the music and lyrics for the films Doctor Dolittle (1967), Scrooge (1970), Victor/Victoria (1982), Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1993) among others, and the hit songs “Goldfinger” (#8, AC #2, UK #21, 1964) for Shirley Bassey from Goldfinger (1964), “The Candy Man” (#1, Easy #1, 1972) for Sammy Davis Jr. from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and “Can You Read My Mind?” (#52, AC #3, 1979) for Maureen McGovern from Superman (1978), published a 2015 memoir Pure Imagination: A Sorta-Biography with a foreword written by his friend Elton John, died at home in France from natural causes on 10/19/2021, age 90.
1932 ● Rick Hall / (Roe Erister Hall) → Alabama sharecropper’s son, founder and principal of FAME Studios and creator of the Southern soul blend of blues, country, R&B and gospel known as the Muscle Shoals sound, produced, co-produced or engineered multiple pop, soul and country hits for Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, the Osmonds, Paul Anka and many others, awarded a Grammy Trustees lifetime achievement award in 2014, died from prostate cancer on 1/2/2018, age 85
1936 ● Marvin Junior → Lead baritone and lead vocals for 60-year R&B/doo wop, soul-funk and disco The Dells, “Oh What A Nite” (R&B #4, 1956) and the re-recording “Oh What A Night” (#10, R&B #1, 1969), continued to record and perform with the group through the early 10s, died in his sleep on 1/23/1998, age 77
1944 ● Charlie Musselwhite → Electric blues harmonica player and bandleader who came to prominence among other non-black blues artists in the Chicago blues movement of the 60s, over the decades released more than 20 albums and achieved recognition as “one of the top blues harp players of all time,” won the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album in 2014 for his collaboration LP with Ben Harper, Get Up! (2013)
1946 ● Terry Kath → Founder and guitarist for pop-rock/horn band Chicago, “Saturday In The Park” (#3, 1972), accidentally shot himself dead in game of Russian Roulette on 1/23/1978, age 31.
1948 ● Paul Jabara → Lebanese-American stage and film actor, pop music singer and songwriter, wrote the Academy Award-winning “Last Dance” for Donna Summer (#3, 1978) and co-wrote “It’s Raining Men” for The Weather Girls (#46, Disco #1, 1982) among other hits, died from complications of AIDS on 9/29/1992, age 44
1951 ● K.C. Casey / (Harry Wayne Casey) → Founder and frontman for R&B/soul-disco-funk kings KC & The Sunshine Band, “That’s The Way (I Like It)” (#1, 1975) and five other #1 hits
1951 ● Phil Manzanera / (Philip Targett-Adams) → Lead guitarist from 1972-83 for prog rock Roxy Music, “Love Is The Drug” (#30, 1976), then solo and collaborative work with Steve Winwood, David Gilmour and others, wrote 14-part radio program The A-Z Of Great Guitarists
1952 ● Curly Smith / (William Smith) → Drummer for hard rock Jo Jo Gunne, “Run Run Run” (#27, 1972), then sessions, played with reunited psych-rock Spirit and arena rock Boston between 1994 and 2000
1954 ● Adrian Vandenburg / (Adje Van Den Berg) → Dutch guitarist and co-writer for hard rock Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again” (#1, 1987), painter
1956 ● Johnny Rotten / (John Joseph Lydon) → Lead singer for premier punk rockers the Sex Pistols, “God Save The Queen” (UK #2, 1977), then founded post-punk Public Image Ltd., “This Is Not A Love Song” (UK #5, 1983)
1961 ● Lloyd Cole → Singer, songwriter, guitarist and frontman for Brit pop-rock Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, “Lost Weekend” (UK #17, 1985), solo
1964 ● Jeff Hanneman → Co-founder, lead guitar and songwriter for “Big Four” thrash metal Slayer, “Hate Worldwide” (#2, 2009), died from alcohol-induced liver failure on 5/2/2013, age 49
1966 ● Al Doughty / (Alan Jaworski) → Bassist for techno-electronic pop-dance Jesus Jones, “Right Here, Right Now” (#2, 1991)
1967 ● Chad Channing → First drummer for grunge rock Nirvana, played on debut indie label album Bleach, left the band in 1990, worked with The Methodists, East Of The Equator and Redband, now with Before Cars.
1967 ● Fat Mike Burkett / (Michael John Burkett) → Founder and bassist for punk-pop NOFX and punk cover band Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, founded independent record label Fat Wreck Chords and the 2004 anti-George W. Bush crusade Rock Against Bush
1967 ● Jason Cooper → Joined post-punk art-glam-goth rock The Cure, “The 13th” (Hot Dance #11, 1996) in 1995
1970 ● Minnie Driver / (Amelia Fiona Driver) → Grammy- and Emmy-nominated film and TV actress, singer and songwriter, light pop 2004 album Everything I’ve Got In My Pocket
1981 ● Justin Timberlake → Vocals for teen dance-pop harmony boy band NSYNC, “It’s Gonna Be Me” (#1, 2000), multi-platinum solo vocalist, “Cry Me A River” (#3, 2003), TV actor, tabloid star
1987 ● Marcus Mumford → Lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for Grammy-winning Brit folk-rock Mumford & Sons, “I Will Wait” (#12, Alt Rock #1, 2012)
February 01
1934 ● Bob Shane / (Robert Castle Schoen) → Founding member, baritone vocals and guitar for legendary folk-pop The Kingston Trio, the close harmony vocal group at the vanguard of the folk music revival of the 50s and 60s and a seminal force in bringing acoustic music to a dominant place in American pop music, the success of their first single, a version of “Tom Dooley” (#1, 1958) led to five straight #1 albums (of 14 total), including a five-week stretch in late 1959 with four albums in the Top 10, and was voted a “Song of the Century” by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), after the band dissolved in 1967 continued to tour as The New Kingston Trio with various sidemen and as the real thing after buying the rights to the name in 1976, forced into retirement by a 2004 heart attack, died in an Arizona hospice on 1/26/2020, age 85.
1937 ● Don Everly / (Isaac Donald Everly) → Older brother of Phil and one-half of the influential, close-harmony Nashville folk-rock duo The Everly Brothers, released 58 charting singles, nearly 30 of them Top 40 hits, and seven crossover Country/Pop Top 10 hits, including the enduring “Wake Up Little Suzie” (#1, Country #1, 1957) and “All I Have To D Is Dream” (#1, Country #1, 1958), most of their success coming before a stint in the Marine Corps starting in late-1961 and the British Invasion in 1964, pursued a mildly successful solo career in 1973-1984, rejoined Phil for recording and touring, including backing vocals on Paul Simon‘s “Graceland” (#81, Main #38, 1986), performed solo following Phil‘s death in 2014 and died at his Nashville home from unspecified causes on 8/21/2021, age 84.
1937 ● Ray “Dr. Hook” Sawyer / (Ray Sawyer) → Eye-patched, flambouyant frontman and lead singer for AM pop-rock Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, sang lead on “The Cover of Rolling Stone” (#6, 1972) and backing vocals on nine other Top 40 hits, left the band for a solo career in 1983, toured as Dr. Hook Featuring Ray Sawyer from 1988 to 2015, died after a short illness on 12/31/2018, age 81.
1938 ● Jimmy Carl Black / (James Inkanish, Jr.) → Drummer and vocals for Frank Zappa-led satirical rock group The Mothers Of Invention, “Brown Shoes Don’t Make It” (1967), toured with Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, died from lung cancer on 11/1/2008, age 70
1939 ● Del McCroury / (Delano Floyd McCroury) → Influential, Grammy-winning bluegrass musician and bandleader, winner of a National Heritage Fellowship award from the National Endowment for the Arts and over 30 awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, worked with such varied acts as Phish, The String Cheese Incident, Steve Earle and others
1939 ● Joe Sample / (Joseph Leslie Sample) → Jazz-fusion keyboardist and composer, founding member of 60s bluesy “hard bop” The Jazz Crusaders, which morphed into electric jazz-funk-pop The Crusaders in 1971, greatly increasing their reach and leading to several charting albums and a Top 40 hit, “Street Life” (#36, 1979), also recorded solo albums and did session work on numerous well-known albums, including Joni Mitchell‘s Court And Spark (#2, CAN #1, UK #20, 1974), Steely Dan‘s Aja (#3, UK #5, 1977) and Tina Turner‘s Private Dancer (#3, CAN #1, UK #2), died from mesothelioma on 9/12/2014, age 75
1940 ● Mark Fleischman / (Mark Harvey Fleischman) → American hospitality entrepreneur who owned multiple big-market restaurants over a 60-year career, best known for purchasing the infamous Manhattan nightclub Studio 54 in 1980 from its convicted, tax-evading founder/owners, ran the club through its apex and decline as AIDS and crack-cocaine altered the disco culture of the late 80s, developed a degenerative disease in 2016 and chose to die in a Swiss hospital from assisted suicide on 2/13/2022, age 82.
1942 ● Terry Jones / (Terence Graham Parry Jones) → Welsh comedian, screenwriter, cultural historian and late-in-life social commentator, best known as a co-founding member of the absurdly satiric, extremely entertaining British comedy troupe Monty Python’s Flying Circus (“Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life,” UK #3, 1991), their highly successful 60s-80s UK TV sketch program became a phenomenon in the US when introduced in 1974, continued to write and produce as a Python member, comedian, playwright, screen writer and political activist for 40 years until contracting and dying from degenerative dementia on 1/21/2020, age 77.
1947 ● Normie Rowe / (Norman John Rowe) → Top Australian pop singer of the early 60s, “Que Sera Sera” (AUS #1, 1965), drafted into military service and failed to regain his popularity following discharge
1948 ● Rick James / (James Ambrose Johnson, Jr.) → R&B/disco vocalist, dancer and bandleader, “Super Freak” (#16, 1981), plus 3 other R&B #1 hits in the 70s and 80s, found dead at home of cardiac failure on 8/6/2004, age 56
1950 ● Mike Campbell → Guitarist and long-time key collaborator with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Free Fallin'” (#7, 1989), co-songwriter with Don Henley and others, producer, member of Mudcrutch
1951 ● Fran Christina → Drummer for blues-boogie-rock Fabulous Thunderbirds, “Tuff Enuff” (#10, 1986)
1951 ● Rich Williams → One-eyed lead guitarist and occasional co-writer for prog/heartland rock Kansas, “Carry On Wayward Son” (#11, 1976)
1957 ● Dennis Brown → The “Crown Prince of Reggae”, prolific reggae/lovers rock singer, “Money In My Pocket” (UK #14, 1977), died from complications of a heart attack and cocaine abuse on 7/1/1999, age 42
1964 ● Jani Lane / (John Kennedy Oswald) → Lead singer for glam-rock/pop-metal Warrant, “Heaven” (#2, 1989), solo
1964 ● Dwyane Goettel → Classically-trained keyboardist for Canadian avant-industrial rock Skinny Puppy (“Testure,” Dance/Club #19, 1989) and multiple spin-off/side projects, died from a heroin overdose on 8/23/1995, age 31
1968 ● Lisa Marie Presley → The “Princess of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” only child of Elvis, occasional TV actor and pop singer, “Lights Out” (Adult Top 40 #18, 2003), married Michael Jackson in 1994, divorced on 12/10/1995
1969 ● Patrick Wilson → Drummer for post-grunge alt pop-rock Weezer, “Beverly Hills” (#10, 2005), now fronts The Special Goodness and has toured with Elton John since 1994
1971 ● Ron Welty → Drummer for 90s punk revival The Offspring, “Gone Away” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1997), left to form alt rock Steady Ground in 2003
1975 ● Big Boi / (Antwan Andre Patton) → Rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor, half of hip hop duo OutKast, “Ms. Jackson” (#1, 2001) and “Hey Ya” (#1, 2004)
1978 ● Jeff Conrad → Drummer for pop-rock Big City Rock then power pop/indie rock Phantom Planet, “California” (Modern Rock #35, 2002)
1990 ● Laura Marling → Brit neo-folk singer and songwriter, solo and collaboration with indie folk Noah And The Whale, “5 Years Time” (UK #7, 2007)
1994 ● Harry Styles → Vocals in Brit-Irish boy band quintet One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful” (#4, UK #1, 2011)
February 02
1927 ● Stan Getz / (Stanley Getz) → Renowned jazz tenor saxophonist known as “The Sound” for his light and lyrical melodies and improvisations, won eleven Grammy Awards, including one for the worldwide bossa nova hit “The Girl From Ipanema” (#5, 1964), died from liver cancer on 6/6/1991, age 64
1932 ● Arthur Lyman → The “King of Lounge Music,” jazz-pop and easy listening vibraphonist considered instrumental in crafting the sound of exotica, popularizing the relaxing faux-Polynesian music during the 50s and 60s with tunes like “Taboo” (#6, 1959) and “Yellow Bird” (#10, 1961), continued to perform until his death from throat cancer on 2/24/2002, age 70
1940 ● Alan Caddy → Guitarist for Brit instrumental rock ‘n’ roll The Tornados, “Telstar” (#1, 1962), the first major US hit by a British group, then solo and sessions for Kiki Dee, The Pretty Things, Spencer Davis Group, Dusty Springfield and others, died from the effects of long-term alcoholism on 8/16/2000, age 60
1940 ● Odell Brown → Soul, jazz and funk keyboardist, bandleader and session musician at Chess Records and other labels, played with Minnie Riperton, Curtis Mayfield and others, co-wrote and won two Grammy Awards with Marvin Gayee for “Sexual Healing” (#3, R&B #1, 1982), died on 5/3/2011, age 71
1941 ● Corey Wells / (Emil Lewandowski) → Co-founder and one of three lead vocalists for top-tier pop-rock Three Dog Night, “Joy To The World” (#1, 1971) and ten other Top 10 hits between 1969 and 1974, performed with various incarnations of the band until just before his death on 10/20/2015, age 74
1942 ● Graham Nash → Guitarist, singer and songwriter with pop-rock The Hollies, “Bus Stop” (#5, 1966), left in 1968 to found Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, “Just A Song Before I Go” (#7, 1977), duets with David Crosby, solo.
1943 ● Peter Macbeth / (Peter McGrath) → Bass guitar for Brit blue-eyed R&B/soul-pop The Foundations, “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” (#11, 1967)
1945 ● Ronald Goodson → Trumpets for blue-eyed soul one hit wonder John Fred & His Playboy Band, “Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)” (#1, 1968), died 11/4/1980
1946 ● Homer Howard Bellamy → Guitar, mandolin and vocals for country-pop sibling duo The Bellamy Brothers, “Let Your Love Flow” (#1, 1976)
1947 ● Peter Lucia / (Peter P. Lucia, Jr.) → Drummer for bubblegum-pop Tommy James & The Shondells, “Hanky Panky” (#1, 1966), later co-wrote psych-pop “Crimson And Clover” (#1, 1968)
1948 ● Alan McKay → Guitarist for R&B/soul-dance-pop Earth, Wind & Fire, “Shining Star” (#1, 1975)
1948 ● Edna Wright → Mid-60s back-up singer for Ray Charles, the Righteous Brothers and Cher, in 1968 formed a trio with friends to sing in a one-off performance in an Andy Williams TV special, signed to Holland-Dozier-Holland‘s Hot Wax Records and became R&B girl group Honey Cone with four Top 40 hits in the early 70s, including “Want Ads” (#1, R&B #1, 1971), recorded a solo album in 1977 and returned to back-up singing for U2, Kim Carnes, Aaron Neville and her sister Darlene Love, suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and died following a heart attack on 9/12/2020, age 72.
1949 ● Ross Valory → Bassist in blues-rock then psych-rock then pop-rock Steve Miller Band, “The Joker” (#1, 1974), then Journey, “Who’s Crying Now” (#4, 1981)
1963 ● Eva Cassidy → Mixed-genre vocal interpreter of American classics and pop tunes including “Over The Rainbow” (1992), had three UK #1 albums posthumously, died from cancer on 11/2/1996
1964 ● Charlie Heather → Drummer for alt folk-Celtic rock The Levellers, “Just The One” (UK #12, 1995)
1966 ● Robert DeLeo → Bassist for alt hard rock Stone Temple Pilots, “Interstate Love Song” (#18, 1994)
1966 ● Steve Firth → Bassist for post-Brit-pop Embrace, “Natures Law” (Download #2, 2006)
1968 ● Bradley Nowell → Lead singer and guitarist for California ska-punk revivalist trio Sublime, “What I Got” (#29, 1997), died from a heroin overdose on 5/25/1996, age 28
1969 ● John Spence → Original vocalist for “Third Wave” ska-rock No Doubt, “Don’t Speak” (Adult Top 40 #1, 1997), committed suicide on 12/21/1987 before the band’s first audition with a record company
1971 ● Ben Mize → Drummer for alt-rock Counting Crows, “Mr. Jones” (Modern Rock #2, 1994)
1975 ● Billy Mohler → Bassist for post-grunge alt rock The Calling, “Wherever You Will Go” (#5, 2001)
1977 ● Shakira / (Shakira Isabell Mebarak Ripoll) → Colombian-born R&B/contemporary pop singer, “Hips Don’t Lie” (worldwide #1, 2006)
February 03
1920 ● Russell Lee Arms → One hit wonder pop singer (“Cinco Robles (Five Oaks),” #22, 1957) and sometime 60s TV actor best known as a house vocalist on Your Hit Parade, the 50s weekly NBC radio and TV musical variety show where a cast of regulars performed the popular hits of the day, died from natural causes on 2/13/2012, age 92
1928 ● Val Doonican / (Michael Valentine Doonican) → Irish folk-pop/easy listening singer and TV host, “Walk Tall” (UK #3, 1964)
1928 ● Frankie Vaughan / (Frank Abelson) → Brit film actor and popular singer known as “Mr. Moonlight”, recorded over 80 singles, including “Green Door” (UK #2, 1956), died 9/17/1999 of heart failure
1935 ● Johnny “Guitar” Watson / (Johnny Watson, Jr.) → Electric blues guitarist and songwriter, “Space Guitar” (1954) turned R&B/funk-rocker, “A Real Mother For Ya” (#41, R&B #5, 1977), collapsed and died on stage in Japan on 5/17/1996
1936 ● James J. Marshall → Grammy-winning rock music photographer famous for shooting Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire and iconic scenes at Woodstock among hundreds of photos on album covers and in music magazines, received a posthumous Grammy Award in 2014, the only photographer ever so honored, died in his sleep on 3/24/2010, age 74
1939 ● Johnny Bristol / (John William Bristol) → R&B/soul singer (“Hang On In There Baby,” #8, R&B #2, 1974), songwriter and producer for Motown Records, co-produced “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (#19, R&B #3, 1967) for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell plus tracks for Edwin Starr, The Velvelettes, Jermaine Jackson and others, moved to Columbia Records in 1973 and helped Boz Scaggs hone his blue-eyed soul album Slow Dancer (1974),continued to record into the 90s, died from natural causes on 3/21//2004, age 65
1940 ● Angelo d’Aleo → Vocals for R&B doo wop Dion & The Belmonts, “Runaround Sue” (#1, 1961)
1943 ● Eric Haydock / (Eric John Haydock) → Original bassist for British Invasion pop-rock The Hollies (“Bus Stop, #5, 1966) and one of the first English bassists to play the six-string Fender Bass IV, fired in 1966 after questioning the integrity of the bands managers, attempted an unsuccessful solo career and eventually became a music shop proprietor, died from undisclosed causes on 1/5/2019, age 76.
1943 ● Shawn Phillips → 60s folk-rock pioneer singer/songwriter, collaborated with Donovan, sang on The Beatles‘ “Lovely Rita (Meter Maid)”, issued light space rock albums and singles in the 70s, including “Lost Horizon” (#63, 1973)
1943 ● Neil Bogart / (Neil Scott Bogatz) → Record company executive with Cameo-Parkway and Buddha Records, key player in the rise of 60s/70s bubblegum pop, co-founded Casablanca Records in 1973, signed Kiss, T. Rex and others, but the label became associated with the disco craze with acts like Donna Summer and The Village People, died of lymphoma on 5/8/1982, age 39
1943 ● Dennis Edwards → Three-stint member (1968-77, 1979-83, 1992-present) and frequent lead vocalist of R&B giants The Temptations, “My Girl” (#1, 1965) and Grammy-winning “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” (#1, 1972)
1945 ● Johnny Cymbal / (John Hendry Blair) → Scottish-born pop singer, songwriter and producer, sang “Mr. Bass Man” (#16, 1963) as himself and “Cinnamon” (#11, 1968) using his brother’s name, Derek, later a country songwriter based in Nashville, died of a heart attack on 3/16/1993
1946 ● Stan Webb → Guitar, vocals and frontman for Brit blues-rock Chicken Shack (featured keyboard player and future Fleetwood Mac member Christine Perfect), “I’d Rather Go Blind” (UK #14, 1969)
1947 ● Dave Davies → Founder (with brother Ray), lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional songwriter for The Kinks, “Lola” (#9, 1970), #88 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 greatest guitarists list
1947 ● Melanie Safka → 60s folk-pop “flower power” singer, songwriter and Woodstock veteran, “Brand New Key” (#1, 1971) and five other early 70s Top 40 hits
1949 ● Killer Kane / (Arthur Harold Kane, Jr.) → Bass guitar for proto-glam-rock New York Dolls, “Personality Crisis” (1973), died 7/13/2004 from complications from leukemia
1951 ● Jeanette Hutchinson → Vocals for R&B/soul-gospel sister trio The Emotions, “Best Of My Love” (#1, 1977)
1956 ● Lee Ranaldo → Co-founder and guitarist for alt rock/avant-garde Sonic Youth, “100%” (Modern Rock #4, 1992)
1959 ● Lol Tolhurst / (Laurence Tolhurst) → Founding member and former drummer for post-punk art-glam-goth rock The Cure, “Friday I’m In Love” (Modern Rock #1, 1992), left in 1989, currently with wife Cindy Levinson in alt rock Levinhurst
1960 ● Tim Chandler → Bassist in alternative Christian rock bands Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies and The Choir
1965 ● Nick Hawkins → Guitarist for Big Audio Dynamite II, “Rush” (Modern Rock #1, 1991), left in 1997 for solo writing and production career, died of heart attack on 10/10/2005
1970 ● Richie Kotzen → Guitarist for glam-metal Poison, “Stand” (Mainstream Rock #15, 1993), then joined pop-metal “shredder” band Mr. Big and jazz-rock fusion Vert with former Return To Forever rhythm section Stanley Clarke and Lenny White
1982 ● Jessica Harp → With Michelle Branch, one half of the country-pop duo The Wreckers, “Leave The Pieces” (#34, Country #1, 2006), briefly solo then retired in 2010 to concentrate on songwriting for other artists
1990 ● Sean Kingston / (Kisean Jamal Anderson) → Jamaican-born dancehall/reggae-pop rapper, “Beautiful Girls” (#1, 2007)
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1929 ● Paul Burlison → Pioneer rockabilly guitarist and founding member of The Rock And Roll Trio with Johnny and Dorsey Burnette, left the music business to become an electrical contractor when their several singles met with little success, stayed out of the business until the rockabilly revival of the 90s, continued with parallel careers until his death from colon caner on 9/27/2003, age 74
1941 ● John Steel → Original drummer for British Invasion hard/blues-rock The Animals, “House Of The Rising Sun” (#1, 1964), left in 1966
1943 ● Jimmy Johnson / (Jimmy Ray Johnson) → Guitarist, session musician, recording engineer and founding member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (also known as The Swampers), the renowned studio ensemble that recorded hundreds of songs and albums, first at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama in the 60s and, starting in 1969, at their own Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in nearby Sheffield, contributed to dozens of hits by Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd and countless others, also engineered three tracks on The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers album, among many others, died from kidney failure on 9/5/2019, age 76.
1943 ● Barry Beckett / (Barry Edward Beckett) → Keyboardist, session musician, record producer and founding member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (also known as The Swampers), the renowned studio musician ensemble that recorded hundreds of songs and albums at Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama, including hits by Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd and countless others, also toured with Traffic and produced albums by ‘Bob Dylan and others, died from natural causes on 6/10/2009
1944 ● Florence LaRue → Vocals for mainstream R&B/soul-pop The 5th Dimension, “Aquarius” (#1, 1967)
1947 ● Mary Ann Ganser → With twin sister Margie and two Weiss sisters, vocals in quintessential girl group quartet The Shangri-Las and twelve charting singles in 1964-1965 mostly themed with teenage tragedies and melodramas, including “Leader Of The Pack” (#1, UK #11, 1964), began having issues with drug and alcohol addiction as the group disbanded in 1968 and died of a heroin overdose on 3/14/1970, age 23.
1947 ● Margie Ganser / (Marguerite Ganser) → With twin sister Mary Ann and two Weiss sisters, vocals in quintessential girl group quartet The Shangri-Las and twelve charting singles in 1964-1965 mostly themed with teenage tragedies and melodramas, including “Leader Of The Pack” (#1, UK #11, 1964), returned to school after the group disbanded in 1968, graduated with a high school degree, married in 1972 and worked for a regional telephone company until contracting breast cancer and dying from the disease on 7/28/1996, age 49.
1948 ● Alice Cooper / (Vincent Damon Furnier) → Singer and frontman for campy glam-rock the Earwigs and Alice Cooper Band, “School’s Out” (#7, 1972)
1950 ● James Dunn → Vocals for R&B/Philly soul The Stylistics, “You Make Me Feel Brand New” (#2, 1974) plus 15 R&B Top 40 singles
1951 ● Phil Ehart → Co-founder, continuous member and drummer for prog/heartland rock Kansas, “Carry On Wayward Son” (#11, 1977), now manages the group’s affairs
1952 ● Jerry Shirley → Drummer for Brit blues-rock Humble Pie, “30 Days In The Hole” (1972), sessions and collaborations, re-formed Humble Pie in 80s
1960 ● Matthieu Hartley → Original keyboardist for post-punk art-glam-goth rock The Cure, “Friday I’m In Love” (Modern Rock #1, 1992)
1960 ● Tim Booth → Founding member and lead singer for Brit alt pop-rock James, “Sit Down” (UK #2, 1991) and “Laid” (Modern Rock #3, 1994), left in 2001 solo career, rejoined in 2007
1962 ● Clint Black → Trad-country-pop crossover guitarist and singer/songwriter, “When I Said I Do” (#31, Country #1, 1999)
1963 ● Noodles Wasserman / (Kevin Samuel Wasserman) → Lead guitar and backing vocals for punk/metal The Offspring, “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” (Mainstream Rock #5, 1998)
1968 ● Steve Queralt → Bassist for Brit neo-psych shoegazing band Ride, “Twisterella” (Modern Rock #12, 1992)
1975 ● Natalie Imbruglia → Aussie-born actress, model and alt pop-rock singer, “Torn” (#1, 1997)
1975 ● Rick Burch → Bassist for alt rock/neo-punk Jimmy Eat World, “The Middle” (#5, Adult Top 40 #2, 2002)
1976 ● Cam’ron (aka “Killa Cam”) / (Cameron Giles)) → Grammy-nominated rapper and actor, founded The Diplomats and The U.N., solo, “Oh Boy” (#4, 2002)
1977 ● Gavin DeGraw → Blue-eyed soul and pop-rock singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist, “I Don’t Want To Be” (#10, 2004)
1982 ● Kimberly Wyatt → Singer, songwriter, dancer, model, actress and choreographer best known as a former member of the Pussycat Dolls, left in 2010 and continues to perform fronting Her Majesty & The Wolves
