Happy Birthday this week to:
July 11
1929 ● Danny Flores → Saxophonist, songwriter and frontman for one hit wonder Tex-Mex pop-rock The Champs, wrote the Latin-flavored instrumental classic “Tequila” (#1, R&B #1, 1958) under the pseudonym Chuck Rio to avoid legal trouble with another record label, his “dirty” sax and repeated growling of the single-word lyric “tequila” are the highlights of the song, left the band in the early 60s, toured extensively across the West and recorded sporadically until his death from pneumonia on 9/19/2006, age 77
1931 ● Tab Hunter / (Arthur Kelm Gelien) → Actor in more than 40 movies and one hit wonder teen idol singer, “Young Love” (#1, 1957)
1931 ● Thurston Harris → One hit wonder rock ‘n’ roll singer “Little Bitty Pretty One” (#6, R&B #2, 1957), the song also charted with versions by Frankie Lymon and The Jackson 5, died from a heart attack on 4/14/1990, age 58
1932 ● Billy Davis / (Roquel Billy Davis) → Detroit R&B singer in an early version of The Four Tops and songwriter with several hits recorded by others, including “Lonely Teardrops” by Jackie Wilson (#7, R&B #1, 1959), produced “Rescue Me” for Fontella Bass (#4, R&B #1, 1965) among other hits, turned to advertising and produced the jingles “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony),” “”Things Go Better With Coke” and other jingles for Coca-Cola, died of natural causes on 9/2/2004, age 72
1938 ● Terry Garthwaite → With collaborator Toni Brown, co-frontwoman, guitar and vocals in folk-rock Joy Of Cooking, “Brownsville” (#66, 1971), solo
1946 ● John Lawton / (John Cooper Lawton) → Rock vocalist for various 60s-70s English bands, then led German prog rock and early heavy metal cult band Lucifer’s Friend for seven albums through the mid-80s and again in the 00s, along the way fronted and sang lead for Brit prog rock Uriah Heep (“Free Me,” 1977) and participated in projects with other bands plus one-off supergroups until his sudden and unexpected death from undisclosed causes on 6/29/2021, age 74.
1947 ● Jeff Hanna → Guitar and vocals for country-folk-bluegrass-rock The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, “Mr. Bojangles” (#9, 1971)
1947 ● John Holt / (Winston Holt) → Jamaican singer and prolific songwriter with ska and rocksteady vocal quartet The Paragons, wrote “The Tide Is High” (1969), which became a US and UK #1 for Blondie in 1980, died from colon cancer on 10/19/2014, age 67
1950 ● Bonnie Pointer / (Patricia Eva Pointer) → With her co-founder/sister June in 1969 as a duo, and then with siblings Ruth and Anita, vocals in retro-40s R&B/skat-pop-swing-funk-disco-bebob The Pointer Sisters and several charting hits in the 70s (“Yes We Can Can,” #11, R&B #12, 1973), left the group in 1977 for Motown Records and a moderately successful solo career (“Heaven Must Have Sent You,” #11, Dance #8, 1979), the others continued on as a dance-pop trio with a string of huge hits in the 80s, “Slow Hand” (#2, 1981) and “Neutron Dance” (#6, Dance #4, 1984), reunited with her sisters for two performances in the 90s and toured Europe in 2008, died from cardiac arrest on 6/8/2020, age 69.
1953 ● Benjamin DeFranco → Vocals for teen bubblegum-pop sibling act The DeFranco Family, “Heartbeat-It’s A Lovebeat” (#3, 1973)
1953 ● Peter Brown → Electronic, disco, funk and dance-pop singer, songwriter and producer with seven charting hits between 1977 and 1982, including disco-funk “Dance With Me” (#88, R&B #5, 1977), co-wrote “Material Girl” for Madonna (#2, 1985), left the industry in the late 80s due to hearing loss
1957 ● Peter Murphy → Vocals for seminal goth-rock Bauhaus, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” (1979), co-founded alt goth Dali’s Car, then solo, “Cuts You Up” (Mainstream Rock #10, 1990)
1959 ● Richie Sambora / (Richard Stephen Sambora) → Guitarist for pop-metal superstars Bon Jovi, “Living On A Prayer” (#1, 1987)
1959 ● Suzanne Vega → Folk-pop singer/songwriter and guitarist, “Luka” (#3, 1987)
1961 ● Adrian York → Piano for New Wave swing/pop Roman Holliday, “Don’t Try To Stop It” (#68, UK #14, 1983)
1965 ● Scott Shriner → Bass and vocals for post-grunge alt pop-rock Weezer, “Beverly Hills” (#10, 2005)
1966 ● Melanie Susan Appleby → Singer and actress, with older sister Kim in R&B/dance-pop duo Mel & Kim, “Respectable” (Dance/Club #1, 1986), died from pneumonia during cancer treatments on 6/18/1990, age 23
1969 ● Al Sobrante / (John Kiffmeyer) → Drummer for California punk rock Sweet Children, left the band in 1990 during its transition to post-grunge alt rock/punk revival Green Day, “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” (#2, 2004)
1975 ● Lil’ Kim / (Kimberly Denise Jones) → Hip hop actress, model and rapper, member of rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A., “Player’s Anthem” (#13, Rap #2, 1995), solo, “Not Tonight” (#6, Rap #2, 1997)
1975 ● Rick McMurray → Founding member, drummer and backing vocals for Irish neo-punk/pop-rock Ash, “Goldfinger” (UK #5, 1996)
1975 ● Samer El Nahhal → Bassist for Finnish heavy metal monster-masked Lordi, winners of 2006 Eurovision Song Contest with “Hard Rock Hallelujah”
1978 ● Kathleen Edwards → Critically-acclaimed Canadian-born light country and roots rock singer and songwriter, “The Cheapest Key” (2008), toured with Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones
July 12
1895 ● Oscar Hammerstein II → Stage, film and TV music lyricist/librettist with over 800 titles, many of which are included in the Great American Songbook, collaborator with Richard Rogers on some of the best-known songs in popular music, died from stomach cancer on 8/23/1960, age 65
1928 ● Barbara Russell Cowsill → Matriarch and vocals for family pop band The Cowsills, “The Rain, The Park And Other Things” (#2, 1967) and theme song from Broadway musical Hair, (#2, 1969), inspiration for the TV show The Partridge Family, died from emphysema on 1/31/1985, age 56
1935 ● Barry Mason / (John Barry Mason) → Five-time Novello Award-winning English musician and songwriter, wrote or co-wrote thousands of songs, including over 60 charting, mostly MOR pop hits, many in collaboration with songwriter Les Reed, their best known include “The Last Waltz” for Engelbert Humperdinck (#25, AC #6, UK #1, 1967) and “Kiss Me Goodbye” for Petula Clark (#15, UK #50, 1968), also co-wrote “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)” for Edison Lighthouse (#5, UK #1, 1971) with Tony Macaulay, another Reed/Mason composition became “Marching On Together,” the anthem for English football club Leeds United, since sung by LUFC fans at every match for nearly 50 years, died from undisclosed causes on 4/16/2021, age 85.
1939 ● Kenny Dino / (Kenneth J. Diono) → One hit wonder pop singer, “Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night” (#24, 1961), died from a heart attack while driving on Interstate 95 in Florida on 12/10/2009, age 70
1942 ● Swamp Dogg / (Jerry Williams, Jr.) → Self-proclaimed “musical genius” rock & soul songwriter, producer, soul artist, “Mama’s Baby, Daddy’s Maybe” (R&B #33, 1970)
1942 ● Steve Young → Influential but largely unknown singer, songwriter, pioneer of country-rock sounds and early contributor to the anti-establishment “outlaw country” movement in the 70s, wrote Waylon Jennings‘s anthemic “Lonesome On’ry and Mean” (1973) and other songs for Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson, issued two dozen albums and a lone charting hit, “It’s Not Supposed to Be That Way” (Country #84, 1984), best known for penning “Seven Bridges Road” which became a hit for the Eagles (#21, 1981) and a staple of their lives shows, sustained head injuries in a fall in 2015 and died 18 months later on 3/17/2016, age 73
1943 ● Christine McVie → Vocals and songwriter for Chicken Shack, then huge pop-rock Fleetwood Mac, “Go Your Own Way” (#10, 1977), solo
1946 ● Jeff Christie → Frontman, lead vocals, bassist and chief songwriter for one hit wonder Brit light pop-rock Christie, “Yellow River” (#23, UK #1, 1970), continued to tour on the oldies circuit with various lineups through the 10s
1946 ● Peter Pye → Rhythm guitarist for one hit wonder English beat/pop-rock The Honeycombs, “Have I The Right?” (#5, 1964)
1947 ● Wilko Johnson / (John Wilkinson) → Founding member and first lead guitar for Brit pub-rock Dr. Feelgood, “Milk And Alcohol” (UK #9, 1979), then founding member of blues-rock Solid Senders
1948 ● Walter Egan → One hit wonder singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Magnet And Steel” (#8, 1978), now a high school teacher
1949 ● Malcolm Jones → Bassist for one hit wonder pop-rock Blues Image, “Ride Captain Ride” (#4, 1970), then Scottish Celtic folk-rock Runrig, “An Ubhal As Airde (The Highest Apple)” (UK #18, 1995)
1950 ● Eric “The Fox” Carr / (Paul Caravello) → Drummer for campy hard/glam-rock Kiss, “Detroit Rock City” (#7, 1976), died from cancer on 11/24/1991, age 41
1952 ● Liz Mitchell → West Indian vocalist for R&B/disco Euro-dance Boney M, “Rivers Of Babylon” (#30, UK #1, 1978)
1952 ● Philip Taylor Kramer → Bass guitar for Iron Butterfly, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (#30, 1970), presumed a suicide when his body and wrecked car were discovered in a Malibu canyon four years after he disappeared on 2/12/1995, age 42
1953 ● Billy Alessi / (William Alessi) → With identical twin brother Bobby, vocals in one hit wonder pop-rock duo Alessi Brothers, “Oh, Lori” (UK #8, 1977)
1953 ● Bobby Alessi / (Robert Alessi) → With identical twin brother Billy, vocals in one hit wonder pop-rock duo Alessi Brothers, “Oh, Lori” (UK #8, 1977)
1956 ● Sandi Patty / (Sandra Faye Patty) → Often referred to as “The Voice”, Grammy-winning contemporary Christian music (CCM) and new age singer and pianist
1959 ● Ray Gillen → Journeyman rock vocalist for hard rock Black Sabbath, all-star project Phenomena II, blues-rock Badlands, “Dreams In The Dark” (Mainstream Rock #39, 1989), Tariff, and Sun Red Sun, died from AIDS on 12/1/1993, age 34
1962 ● Dan Murphy → Guitarist for garage rock superstar group Soul Asylum, “Runaway Train” (#5, 1993)
1964 ● Tim Gane → Guitar and keyboards for experimental/electronic pop-rock Stereolab, “Ping Pong” (UK #45, 1994)
1967 ● John Petrucci → Virtuoso metal/”shredder” guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer, founding member and producer for progressive metal Dream Theater, “Pull Me Under” (Mainstream Rock #10, 1992), included in GuitarOne magazine’s Top 10 greatest guitar shredders of all time
1972 ● Brett A. Reed → Original drummer in punk rock revival Rancid, “Time Bomb” (Modern Rock #8, 1995), left in 2010 to concentrate on side project psychobilly Devils Brigade
1976 ● Tracie Spencer → Teen pop singer, “In This House” (#3, 1990) and “It’s All About You (Not About Me)” (#18, 1999)
1984 ● Gareth Gates → Brit teen pop singer, TV’s Pop Idol runner up in 2002, “Unchained Melody” (#1, 2002)
July 13
1915 ● Hucklebuck Williams / (Paul Williams) → Saxophonist, composer and 40s bandleader with the first big R&B hit, “The Hucklebuck” (R&B #1, 1949) among eight other R&B Top 20 singles, became a member of the Atlantic Records house band and music director of James Brown‘s backing band in the 60s, opened a music booking business in the late 60s, died of natural causes on 9/14/2002, age 87
1923 ● Norma Zimmer → The last and best-known “Champagne Lady” from the Lawrence Welk Show and a Christian music singer on radio and TV and in various groups from the 50s through the 70s, including with Billy Graham, died on 5/10/2011, age 87
1928 ● Al Rex / (Albert Floyd Piccirilli) → Bassist in rockabilly Bill Haley & His Comets on nine Top 20 singles in the mid-50s, including the rock ‘n’ roll anthem “Rock Around The Clock” (#1, 1955) and “See You Later Alligator” (#6, 1956), left to form is own band in 1960 and found limited success, dropped out of music thereafter and died from undisclosed causes on 5/24/2020, age 91.
1935 ● Pete Escovedo → Mexican-American jazz and fusion percussionist with Latin-rock Santana, “Black Magic Woman” (#4, 1970), solo and leader of Latin big band Azteca
1942 ● Jay Uzzell → With brothers James and Moses and cousin George Wooten, vocals for R&B/doo wop The Corsairs, “Smoky Places” (#12, 1962)
1942 ● Roger McGuinn / (James Joseph McGuinn III) → Twelve-string Rickenbacker jingle-jangle guitarist, songwriter, singer and founding member of seminal folk-country-rock The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (#1, 1965), McGuinn-Clark & Hillman, “Don’t You Write Her Off” (#33, 1979), solo
1942 ● Stephen Bladd → Drummer for boogie-blues-rock ‘n roll bar band J. Geils Band, “Centerfold” (#1, 1982)
1942 ● Tom King / (Thomas R. King) → Founder, frontman, songwriter and lead guitarist for garage/horn rock The Outsiders, “Time Won’t Let Me” (#5, 1966), producer and manager, died from heart failure on 4/23/2011, age 68
1946 ● Cheech Marin / (Richard Anthony Marin) → Mexican-American comedian, TV actor (Nash Bridges, 1996-2001), Disney voice artist and one half the stoner comedy team Cheech & Chong (album Big Bambu, #2, 1972), released two albums of bilingual children’s music, My Name Is Cheech, The School Bus Driver (1992) and Coast To Coast (1997)
1954 ● Thelma Louise Mandrell → Country-pop bassist and singer, played in sister Barbara Mandrell‘s band, The D-Rights, then solo, “Save Me” (Country #5, 1985)
1955 ● Mark “The Animal” Mendoza / (Mark Glickman) → Bassist for proto-punk The Dictators, joined heavy metal Twisted Sister in 1978, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (#21, 1983)
1958 ● Danny Gayol / (Rafael Bernardo Gayol) → Drummer for roots rock and adult pop BoDeans, “Closer To Free” (#16, 1993)
1961 ● Lawrence Donegan → Bassist for Scottish jangle-pop-rock The Bluebells, “Young At Heart” (UK #1, 1983), then Brit pop-rock Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, “Lost Weekend” (UK #17, 1985), author and golf journalist
1966 ● Gerald Levert → Vocals and frontman for R&B/smooth soul trio LeVert, “Casanova” (#5, R&B #1, 1987), son of O’Jays vocalist Eddie Levert, died of a heart attack on 11/10/2006, age 40
1969 ● Barney Greenway / (Mark Greenway) → Extreme metal singer for punk/grindcore Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror and Benediction
1974 ● Deborah Cox → Canadian R&B singer/songwriter, “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” (#2, 1998)
July 14
1912 ● Woody Guthrie / (Woodrow Wilson Guthrie) → Legendary and highly influential American music giant, folk singer and songwriter, “This Land Is Your Land” (1940) and hundreds of others, died from complications of Huntington’s disease on 10/3/1967, age 55
1926 ● Lowman Pauling → Guitarist, singer and songwriter for gospel, jump blues and doo wop fusion quintet The “5” Royales, “Tears Of Joy” (R&B #9, 1957), co-wrote “Dedicated To The One I Love” (#81, 1961) which was covered by The Shirelles (#3, 1961) and The Mamas & The Papas (#2, 1967), also wrote or co-wrote hits for James Brown, Ray Charles and others, died while at work as a janitor in a Brooklyn, NY synagogue on 12/26/1973, age 47
1932 ● Del Reeves / (Franklin Delano Reeves) → Country music singer and songwriter with 25 Country Top 40 hits in the 60s and 80s, including “Girl On The Billboard” (Country #1, 1965), moved into music and artist management and discovered Billy Ray Cyrus in the 90s, continued to perform until just prior to his death from emphysema on New Year’s Day 2007, age 74
1938 ● Bob Scholl → Lead vocals for R&B/doo wop one hit wonder quintet The Mello-Kings, “Tonite, Tonite” (#77, 1957), died in a boating accident on 8/27/1975, age 37
1939 ● Vince Taylor / (Brian Maurice Holden) → Early and flamboyant Brit rock ‘n’ roll singer with The Playboys and solo, career cut short by drug and alcohol abuse and erratic behavior, served as the inspiration for David Bowie‘s Ziggy Stardust character and the Golden Earring song “Just Like Vince Taylor,” died from cancer on 8/28/1991, age 52
1945 ● Jim Gordon → Top session drummer in the 60s and 70s, co-wrote “Layla” (#10, 1972) with Eric Clapton, worked with The Byrds, The Everly Brothers, The Monkees, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa and others, diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic serving a prison sentence since 1984 for murdering his mother
1948 ● Tommy Mottola → CEO of Sony Music Entertainment and Columbia Records, mentored Hall & Oates, John (Cougar) Mellencamp, Diana Ross, Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez, among others, ex-husband of dance-pop diva Mariah Carey
1952 ● Chris Cross / (Christopher St. John) → Bass and synthesizer for New Wave electro-synth-pop pioneers Ultravox, “Vienna” (UK #2, 1980) and 15 other UK Top 40 singles
1952 ● Bob Casale, Jr. → Guitarist and keyboardist for quirky 80s pop-rock Devo, “Whip It” (#14, 1980), left in the mid-80s for a career in music and TV sound engineering and production, worked with Police guitarist ‘Andy Summers and others, rejoined Devo bandmates in Mutato Muzika, died of heart failure on 2/17/2014, age 61
1955 ● Matthew Seligman → Bass guitarist with 70s neo-psych-pop The Soft Boys and in short stints with 80s synth-pop Thompson Twins (“Hold Me Now,” #3, UK #4, 1983) and Thomas Dolby (“Hyperactive,” #62, UK #17, 1984), in the later 80s and 90s became a successful session bassist for Sinead O’Connor, David Bowie (Live Air 1985), Tori Amos and others, earned a law degree in the 90s and practiced as a human rights and personal injury lawyer until his death from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 4/17/2020, age 64.
1965 ● Igor Khoroshev → Keyboardist replacing Rick Wakeman in archetypal, pioneer progressive rock band Yes, “Roundabout” (#13, 1971), solo
1966 ● Ellen Reid → Keyboards and backing vocals for Canadian alt pop-rock Crash Test Dummies, “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” (#4, 1993)
1966 ● Tanya Donelly → Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist, co-founder of alt rock Throwing Muses, “Dizzy” (Modern Rock #8, 1989), guitar and vocals for alt rock The Breeders, “Cannonball” (#44, 1993) and alt pop-rock Belly, “Feed The Tree” (#1, Modern Rock, 1993), solo
1971 ● Nick McCabe → Lead guitar for neo-psych-pop The Verve, “Bittersweet Symphony” (#12, 1998), session work, now founder of The Black Ships
1975 ● Taboo / (Jaime Luis Gómez) → Rapper and singer with Black Eyed Peas, “Don’t Phunk With My Heart” (#3, 2005)
1975 ● Tiny Cottle-Harris / (Tameka Cottle-Harris) → Vocals for female R&B/dance-pop quartet Xscape, “Understanding” (#8, 1993)
1987 ● Dan Reynolds → Frontman for Las Vegas-based indie pop-rock Imagine Dragons (“Radioactive,” #3, Rock #1, 2012)
July 15
1904 ● Dorothy Fields → Prolific, Oscar-winning stage and screen librettist/lyricist, wrote the words to over 400 Broadway tunes, her best known compositions were “On the Sunny Side Of The Street” (1930), a hit for The Pied Pipers (#17, 1945), and the jazz-pop standard “Big Spender” (1966) made famous by Shirley Bassey (UK #21, 1967), in 1971 became the first woman elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, her 48-year songwriting career continued up to her death from a heart attack on 3/28/1974, age 68.
1913 ● Cowboy Copas / (Lloyd Estel Copas) → Country music singer in the 40s and 50s with nine Country Top 10 songs and a lone crossover hit, “Alabam” (#63, Country #1, 1960), otherwise known for being killed in the same plane crash that took country star Patsy Cline‘s life on 3/5/1963, age 49
1936 ● H.B. Barnum / (Hidle Brown Barnum) → Child actor turned novelty song singer (as “Pee Wee” Barnum or just “Dudley”), pianist and songwriter for doo wop The Robins (“Quarter To Twelve”, 19578) and instrumental pop solo artist (“Lost Love,” #35, 1961), later produced records for Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, The Supremes and others, and scored TV specials and advertising jingles
1937 ● Wes Wilson / (Robert Wesley Wilson) → Graphic artist and a leading designer of 60s psychedelic posters promoting rock concerts in the San Francisco Bay-area at venues such as Bill Graham‘s Fillmore West and the nearby Avalon Ballroom, his LSD-inspired artwork introduced fluid typesets, curved block lettering, loud colors and provocative imagery for shows by Jefferson Airplane, The Doors and other top acts, with one Grateful Dead poster appearing on the cover of Life magazine in 1967, left for the Ozarks in the 70s and painted until dying from unspecified causes on 1/24/2020, age 82.
1939 ● Tommy Dee / (Tommy Donaldson) → San Bernardino, CA disc jockey, moved to Nashville to try a career as a country music songwriter and singer, best known for penning and recording, with Carol Kay and The Teen-Aires, “Three Stars” (#11, 1959), the pop-rock tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, who died in an Iowa plane crash in February 1959, continued to write and record for various labels with limited success, dropped into obscurity in the 70s and died on 1/26/2007, age 68
1944 ● Millie Jackson / (Mildred Jackson) → R&B/soul singer “If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want To Be Right” (1975)
1945 ● Peter Lewis → Lead guitar for 60s San Francisco folk-roots-psych rock Moby Grape, “Omaha” (#88, 1967)
1946 ● Linda Ronstadt → Lead vocals for folk-pop Stone Poneys, “Different Drum” (#13, 1967), then prolific and multi-genre, Grammy-winning country-pop-rock solo career, “You’re No Good” (#1, 1975), duet with Aaron Neville, “Don’t Know Much” (#2, 1989) and 17 other Top 40 hits
1947 ● Ian McCredie → Guitarist for Scot bubblegum pop-rock Middle Of The Road, “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” (UK #1, 1971)
1947 ● Roky Erickson / (Roger Kynard Erickson) → Singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of legendary Austin, Texas acid/garage rock The 13th Floor Elevators (the first band to use the term “psychedelic rock” to describe their music – and their LSD/stoner lifestyle), the band’s 3-year stint led to four albums, seven singles and a lone charting hit (“You’re Gonna Miss Me,” #55, 1966), became an early casualty of LSD and other hallucinogens and entered a state mental institution to avoid imprisonment on drug charges after the band broke up in 1969, fronted his own bands and recorded and performed with others over the ensuing decades, all the while suffering from schizophrenia and paranoia, died from undisclosed causes on 5/31/2019, age 71.
1947 ● Peter Banks / (Peter William Brockbanks) → Original lead guitarist for prog rock pioneers Yes (1968-70), pushed out and co-founded prog-rock Flash, “Small Beginnings” (#29, 1972), went solo and performed with various bands and Yes offshoots and tribute bands until his death from heart failure on 3/7/2013, age 65
1948 ● Artimus Pyle / (Thomas Delmar Pyle) → Drummer for raunchy Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Sweet Home Alabama” (#8, 1974), solo and sessions
1949 ● Trevor Horn → Bassist, songwriter and co-founder of New Wave synth-pop The Buggles, “Video Killed The Radio Star” (#40, 1979), producer, lead vocals and bassist for Yes, then full producer for such diverse acts as Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner and others
1951 ● Cool Ruler Isaacs / (Gregory Anthony Isaacs) → Jamaican superstar reggae singer with a languid, suave and sexy delivery that became known as “lovers rock,” recorded over 70 studio albums of material in his 30-year career, including Night Nurse (Reggae Albums #16, 2002) and many self-penned hit songs, died from lung cancer after years of drug abuse on 10/25/2010, age 59
1952 ● David Pack → Co-founder, guitarist principal songwriter and lead singer for pop-rock Ambrosia (“Biggest Part Of Me,” #3, 1980), also produced albums for multiple rock and pop artists (Phil Collins, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Vai and others) plus various concerts and events, including Bill Clinton‘s presidential inaugurations in 1993 and 1997, continues to tour and perform with Ambrosia and others into the 10s
1952 ● Jeff Carlisli → Founding member and guitarist for Southern arena rockers .38 Special, “Hold On Loosely” (Mainstream Rock #3, 1981)
1952 ● Johnny Thunders / (John Genzale, Jr.) → Hard-living guitarist and vocalist for influential glam-rock/proto-punk New York Dolls (“Personality Crisis,” 1973), also fronted Brit punk The Heartbreakers and released several solo albums, died under suspicious circumstances but of a suspected methadone overdose on 4/23/1991, age 38
1953 ● Alicia Bridges → One hit wonder disco diva, “I Love The Night Life (Disco ‘Round)” (#5, 1978)
1956 ● Marky Ramone / (Marc Bell) → Drummer for seminal punk-rockers The Ramones, “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker” (#81, 1977)
1956 ● Satch Satriani / (Joe Satriani) → Guitar virtuoso, instructor and mentor, solo artist, brief bandmember of Mick Jagger‘s band (1988) and Deep Purple (1984), sessions, currently lead guitarist with blues-funk-rock supergroup Chickenfoot
1956 ● Ian Curtis → Singer, lyricist, guitarist and often frontman for post-punk/synth-pop Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Dance/Club #42, 1980), hung himself at home after succumbing to depression and epilepsy on 5/18/1980, age 23
1966 ● Jason John Bonham → Rock drummer and son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, performed with Zeppelin members individually and as a band on numerous occasions following his father death in 1980, toured and recorded with Paul Rodgers, UFO, Joe Bonamassa, Foreigner and others
1970 ● Chi Ling Dai Cheng → Bassist for Grammy-winning alt heavy metal Deftones, “Change (In The House Of Flies)” (Mainstream Rock #9, 2000)
1973 ● John Dolmayan → Drummer for Grammy-winning, Armenian-American hard rock/alt metal System Of A Down, “Aerials” (Mainstream Rock #1, 2002)
1977 ● Ray Toro → Lead guitar for 00s alt rock/emo band My Chemical Romance, “Welcome To The Black Parade” (#9, 2006)
1983 ● Mark Anthony Myrie / (Buju Banton (Mark Anthony Myrie)) → Jamaican dancehall reggae singer and Rastafarian, “Champion” (Dance #15, 1995)
July 16
1925 ● Cal Tjader / (Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr.) → Highly successful, Grammy-winning non-Latino Latin jazz drummer, vibraphonist and bandleader with eight charting albums in the 60s and 70s, including Soul Sauce (#52, R&B #8, 1965), credited with the early development of Latin rock and acid jazz, died of a heart attack while on tour in the Philippines on 5/5/1982, age 56
1927 ● Mindy Carson → Pre-rock ‘n’ roll traditional pop vocalist, often in duets with Guy Mitchell but with several charting songs of her own, including “Wake The Town And Tell The People” (#13, 1955), stopped recording and moved to Broadway musicals in the 60s
1939 ● Denise LaSalle / (Ora Denise Allen) → Contemporary urban blues singer and songwriter with over a hundred songwriting credits and several self-written hits R&B hits as a singer, including “Now Run And Tell That” (#46, R&B #3, 1972), “Trapped By A Thing Called Love” (#13, R&B #1, 1971) and the zydeco remake “My Tu-Tu” (UK #6, 1985), performed on the gospel and blues festival circuits, inducted to the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame in 2015, reigned as the “Queen of the Blues” at her death from complications of leg amputation surgery on 1/8/2018, age 78
1940 ● Tony Jackson → Bass and vocals for Merseybeat band The Searchers, “Needles And Pins” (#13, 1963), died from a variety of ailments related to long-term alcohol abuse on 8/18/2003, age 63
1942 ● Desmond Dekker / (Desmond Dacres) → Influential and first Jamaican ska/reggae star, singer and frontman for The Aces, “The Israelites” (#8, 1968), died of a heart attack on 5/25/2006, age 63
1944 ● Thomas Boggs → Drummer for short-lived blue-eyed soul The Box Tops (“The Letter,” #1, 1967), left the industry in the early 70s for a long career as a restaurateur, died of cancer on 5/5/2008, age 63
1949 ● Ray Major → Guitarist for early Brit glam-rockers Mott The Hoople, “All The Young Dudes” (#37, 1972), which became Mott in 1974 and British Lions in 1976
1952 ● Stewart Copeland → Drummer for Brit prog/avant-garde rock Curved Air, “Back Street Luv” (UK #4, 1974), then co-founded post-punk New Wave pop-rock The Police, “Every Breath You Take” (#1, 1983), solo under the pseudonym Klark Kent, collaborations and session work, classical music and film score composer
1961 ● Mark McEntee → Founder, co-frontman and guitarist for Aussie power pop Divinyls, “I Touch Myself” (#4, 1991)
1964 ● Polly Hancock → Guitar and vocals for Brit indie-folk-pop Popinjays, “Vote Elvis” (Modern Rock #17, 1988)
1971 ● Edward Joel Kowalczyk → Lead vocals for alt rock Live, “Lightning Crashes” (Modern Rock #5, 1995), solo
1978 ● TJ / (Tito Joseph Jackson) → With brothers Tariano Adaryll “Taj” and Taryll Adren Jackson, vocals in R&B/urban soul trio 3T, “Anything” (#15, 1995), sons of Tito and nephews of Michael Jackson
July 17
1928 ● Vince Guaraldi / (Vincent Dellaglio) → Grammy-winning jazz pianist, bandleader and composer noted for penning the music and arrangements for the nearly all of the animated Peanuts television specials and films, including the signature “Linus & Lucy,” died from an aortic aneurysm on 2/6/1976, age 47
1938 ● Stanley Bronstein → Founding member and saxophonist for jazz-psych-rock Elephant’s Memory, “Mongoose” (Top 100, 1969), which became the backing band for John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the early 70s, worked with John Lennon on his 1972 album ‘Some Time In New York City’
1942 ● Gale Garnett / (Gale Zoë Garnett) → New Zealand-born Canadian pre-The Beatles one hit wonder pop singer with the Grammy-winning “We’ll Sing In The Sunshine” (#4, , 1964), later fronted psych-pop The Gentle Reign and became a journalist and TV actress
1942 ● Spencer Davis / (Spencer David Nelson Davies) → Welsh guitarist and leader of popular 60s British pop-rock The Spencer Davis Group with hits such as “Gimme Some Lovin'” (#7, UK #2, 1966) and “I’m A Man” (#10, UK #9, 1967) sung my bandmate Steve Winwood, struggled to keep the band relevant after Winwood left to form supergroup Traffic, became an A&R executive with Island Records in the 70s and promoted Eddie & The Hit Rods, Robert Palmer and Winwood‘s solo career, reformed SDG on two occasions and fronted several oldies acts through the years, died from pneumonia on 10/19/2020, age 81.
1945 ● Eric McCredie → Bassist for Scot bubblegum pop-rock Middle Of The Road, “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” (UK #1, 1971), died on 10/6/2007, age 62
1947 ● Abraham Laboriel, Sr. → Mexican-American session and tour bassist with over 4,000 recording s to his credit, including work with George Benson, Barbra Streisand, Chris Isaak, Elton John, Madonna and many others in nearly every genre, issued three solo albums
1947 ● Wolfgang Flür → Electronic percussion for German electro-rock pioneers Kraftwerk, “Autobahn” (#25, 1975)
1947 ● Mick Tucker → Drummer and backing vocals for glam pop-rock Sweet, “Ballroom Blitz” (#5, 1973), died of leukemia on 2/14/2002, age 54
1948 ● Ron Asheton → Guitarist for influential proto-punk The Stooges, “I Wanna Be Your Dog” (1969), #29 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, found dead in his home on 1/6/2009 having died of a heart attack a day or two earlier, age 60
1949 ● Geezer Butler / (Terence Butler) → Longtime bassist and lyricist for hard rock/gloom metal Black Sabbath, “Paranoid” (#61, 1970) and “Psycho Man” (Mainstream Rock #3, 1998), founding member of heavy metal supergroup Heaven & Hell in 2006
1949 ● Mike Vale → Bassist for bubblegum-pop Tommy James & The Shondells, “Hanky Panky” (#1, 1966) and psych-pop, “Crimson And Clover” (#1, 1968)
1950 ● Phoebe Snow (Phoebe Ann Laub) → Poet, songwriter and folk-pop-jazz singer, “Poetry Man” (#5, 1974), backing vocals and collaborations with multiple other artists, died from complications of a brain hemorrhage on 4/26/2011, age 60
1952 ● Chet McCracken → Drummer for California soul-pop-rock The Doobie Brothers, “Listen To The Music” (#11, 1972)
1952 ● Nicolette Larson → Country-rock backing vocalist and country-pop solo artist, “Lotta Love” (#8, 1979), died from cerebral edema and liver failure on 12/16/1997, age 45
1957 ● Bruce Crump → Drummer for Southern rock power-guitar band Molly Hatchet, “Flirtin’ With Disaster” (#42, 1979), then Gator Country
1963 ● Regina Belle → R&B-jazz-gospel singer/songwriter, Grammy-winning duet with Peabo Bryson, “A Whole New World” (#1, 1993)
1963 ● Kim Shattuck / (Kimberly Dianne Shattuck) → Singer, songwriter and former bassist for L.A. all-female garage rock The Pandoras, left in 1990 to found and front pop-punk rock The Muffs (“Sad Tomorrow,” 1995), known for sneering vocals, high-pitched screams, loud guitars and jangle-pop melodies, during breaks from band collaborated with others (including the Pixies) and with Pandoras reunions, died from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease), just weeks before release of the Muffs‘ seventh studio album, No Holiday, on 10/2/2019, age 56.
1966 ● Lou Barlow → Bassist for influential indie/cult rock Dinosaur Jr., “Start Choppin'” (Modern Rock #3, 1993)
1967 ● Stokely Williams → Lead singer and drummer for new jack swing R&B/soul-pop sextet Mint Condition, “What Kind Of Man Would I Be?” (#17, 1996)
1970 ● Mandy Smith → Dance-pop singer, model, ex-wife of Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman whom she started dating in 1983 at age 13 (he was then 47) and married in 1989, divorced 1992, Wyman‘s son dated Mandy‘s mother.
1971 ● DJ Minute Mix / (Jarrett Cordes) → Innovative brother hip hop, smooth soul, urban R&B and prog rap duo P.M. Dawn, “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss” (#3, Dance/Club #6, 1991), stepson of George Brown, founding member of soul/funk Kool & The Gang
1982 ● Natasha Hamilton → Vocals for Brit dance-pop vocal trio Atomic Kitten, “Whole Again” (UK #1, 2000)
1985 ● Tom Fletcher → Guitar and vocals for Brit pop-rock boy band McFly, “All About You” (UK #1, 2005)
1987 ● Jeremih / (Jeremy Felton) → Contemporary R&B/hip hop singer and songwriter with slow jam “Birthday Sex” (#4, R&B #1, 2009) and three other Top 20 hits
