Happy Birthday this week to:
July 09
1916 ● Norman Pickering / (Norman Charles Pickering) → Engineer, musician and inventor credited with improving the “pickup” that translates the information in a record groove into an analog signal for sound reproduction via the Pickering cartridge, died from cancer on 11/18/2015, age 99
1925 ● Alan Dale / (Aldo Sigismondi) → Immensely popular traditional pop and light rock ‘n’ roll singer in the 50s, “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” (#14, 1955), hosted his own TV and radio shows, died on 4/20/2002, age 76
1927 ● Ed Ames / (Edmund Dantes Urick) → Singer with his three siblings in hugely popular 50s vocal quartet The Ames Brothers, the group scored nine Top 10 hits and 42 other charting singles from 1947 to 1963, including “Rag Mop” (#1, 1950), and starred in a weekly TV variety show The Ames Brothers Show in 1956, played half-Cherokee, half-white “Mingo” in the Daniel Boone TV series (1964-1969), started a short but successful Easy Listening solo singer career in the mid-60s (“My Cup Runneth Over,” #8, AC #1, 1967 among six consecutive AC Top 10 hits), performed in regional stage productions and occasional TV programs through the 90s before retiring and living out of the limelight, was the last surviving Ames Brother at his death from Alzheimer’s disease on 5/23/2023, age 95.
1929 ● Lee Hazelwood → Country-pop singer, songwriter and producer, collaborated with rockabilly guitarist Duane Eddy on a number of hits, including “Rebel Rouser” (#6, 1958), wrote and produced the Nancy Sinatra hit, “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” (#1, 1966), died of renal cancer on 8/4/2007, age 78
1940 ● John Salvato → Vocals for Italian-American doo wop The Duprees, “You Belong To Me” (#7, 1962)
1941 ● Donald McPherson → Founding member and lead singer for R&B/soul The Main Ingredient, “I’m So Proud” (#49, R&B #13, 1971), died of leukemia on 7/4/1971 before the band’s breakout hit, “Everybody Plays The Fool” (#3, 1972), age 30
1941 ● Mac MacLeod / (Keith MacLeod) → Guitarist and songwriter in the 60s folk scene in central England, played with John Renbourn and toured as bassist in Donovan Leitch‘s band, reputedly inspiring Donovan‘s “Hurdy Gurdy Man” (#5, UK #4, 1968), toured and performed with a succession of acts in the late-60s and 70s, including The Other Side (with Boz Scaggs), post-The Zombies Argent, and his own power trio rock band Hurdy Gurdy, returned to the industry in 1999 after a decade-long hiatus and formed Silverlining with Kinks‘s bassist Jim Rodford, performed with Donovan in the 00s for the first time in 40 years, suffered from various illnesses for six years and died from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 11/16/2020, age 79.
1946 ● Joe Micelli → Drums and percussion for blue-eyed soul one hit wonder John Fred & His Playboy Band, “Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)” (#1, 1968)
1946 ● Bon Scott / (Ronald Belford Scott) → Scotland-born original frontman and lead vocals for Aussie power chord hard rock AC/DC, “Highway To Hell” (#47, 1979), drank himself to death on 2/19/1980, age 33
1947 ● Mitch Mitchell / (John Graham Mitchell) → Child actor and accomplished teenage jazz drummer turned rock stickman for pop-rock Georgie Fame (“The Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde,” #7, CAN #1, UK #1, 1967) and then psych-rock Jimi Hendrix Experience (“Purple Haze,” US #65, UK #3, 1967), later in ITV’s Ready Steady Go! house band and various one-off projects, drummed in Hendrix Experience tribute tours and died in his sleep in a hotel room following one such show on 11/12/2008, age 61
1950 ● Gwen Guthrie → R&B/soul singer and songwriter, solo artist, “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent” (#42, Dance/Club #1, 1986), backing vocals for Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Madonna, Stevie Wonder and others, died of uterine cancer on 2/3/1999, age 48
1952 ● Carlos Peron → Founding member and multi-instrumentalist for Swiss electronic dance-pop Yello, “Oh Yeah” (#51, 1987), then solo
1953 ● Kate Garner → Vocals for quirky Brit New Wave synth-pop Haysi Fantayzee, “John Wayne Is Big Leggy” (UK #11, 1982)
1954 ● Debbie Sledge → Lead vocals for family R&B/disco girl-group Sister Sledge and the disco anthem “We Are Family” (#2, 1979) plus ten other R&B Top 10 hits
1959 ● Jim Kerr → Vocals for Scottish New Wave pop-rock Simple Minds, “(Don’t You) Forget About Me” ($1, 1985)
1959 ● Marc Almond → Vocals for New Wave synth-pop duo Soft Cell, “Tainted Love” (#8, 1982), formed euro-disco Marc & The Mambas in 1983 and solo since 1984
1959 ● D. H. Peligro / (Darren Eric Henley) → Longtime drummer for influential West Coast punk rockers The Dead Kennedys (“Police Truck,” UK Indie #1, 1980), kept the group’s beat in two stints, the first from 1981 to their break-up in 1986, then joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers (“Under The Bridge,” #2, Alt #6, 1991) for a brief and acrimonious time in 1988, fronted his own band and played with others in the 90s until rejoining The Dead Kennedys when reformed in 2001 and, except for a brief hiatus in 2008 as a break from constant touring, stayed with the band until dying following an accidental fall in his L.A. home on 10/28/2022, age 63.
1964 ● Courtney Love / (Courtney Michelle Harrison) → Guitar and vocals for post-punk Babes In Toyland, formed and fronted grunge rock Hole in 1989, “Celebrity Skin” (Mainstream Rock #4, 1998), solo, married Kurt Cobain from Nirvana on 2/24/1992, film actress in Sid And Nancy (1986) and The People Vs. Larry Flynt (1999)
1965 ● Frankie Bello / (Frank Joseph Bello) → Bassist for speed/thrash metal Anthrax, “Only” (Mainstream #26, 1993)
1965 ● Tom Hingley → Vocals for Brit psych-alt rock Inspiral Carpets, “Two Worlds Collide” (Modern Rock #8, 1992)
1967 ● Dickon Hinchcliffe → Guitar and violin for Brit folk-pop-soul Tindersticks, “Bathtime” (UK #38, 1997)
1967 ● Owen Paul → Guitar for Welsh indie-alt-rock Catatonia, “Mulder And Scully” (, 1998)
1971 ● Kelvin Grant → Vocals for ska/reggae band Musical Youth, “Pass The Dutchie” (#10, 1982)
1975 ● Isaac Brock / (Isaac Christopher Brock) → Founding member, singer, guitarist and lyricist for indie rock Modest Mouse, “Float On” (Top 40 #32, 2004) and the album We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (#1, 2007), also fronts a side project, indie rock Ugly Casanova
1975 ● Jack White / (John Anthony Gillis) → With wife Meg White, guitar and vocals in garage rock revival duo The White Stripes, 2007 Grammy-winning song “Icky Thump” (#26, 2007), side projects with power pop The Raconteurs and indie rock Dead Weather, produced country legend Loretta Lynn‘s comeback album Van Lear Rose (2004)
1976 ● Dan Estrin → Guitarist for post-grunge indie pop-rock Hoobastank, “The Reason” (#2, 2004)
1986 ● Kiely Alexis Williams → Vocals in R&B/dance-teen-pop 3LW (aka 3 Little Women), “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)” (#23, 2001)
July 10
1900 ● Mitchell Parish → Pop music lyricist and collaborator with Duke Ellington and numerous other top composers for multiple hits from the 20s to 50s, known best for penning the lyrics to Hoagy Carmichael‘s music for the American pop classic “Stardust,” one of the most recorded songs in history (originally “Star Dust,” 1927), died from natural causes on 3/31/1993, age 92
1931 ● Jerry Herman / (Gerald Sheldon Herman) → Award-winning Broadway composer and lyricist best known for three top theater scores – Hello, Dolly! (1964, won two Tony awards and Billboard #1 pop album), Mame (1966) and La Cage Aux Folles (1983, two Tony awards), the latter a groundbreaking exploration of homosexuality in mainstream American entertainment, his 17 Broadway shows spawned several pop standards, including Louis Armstrong‘s version of “Hello, Dolly!”, which ended The Beatles‘ 14-week reign at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in late-1964, openly gay for most of his life and diagnosed HIV-positive in 1985, lived for nearly 35 years with the virus until dying from undisclosed causes on 12/26/2019, age 88.
1933 ● Jumpin’ Gene Simmons / (Morris Eugene Simmons) → One hit wonder rockabilly singer and songwriter with the novelty song “Haunted House” (#11, 1964), Kiss frontman Gene Simmons (born Chiam Witz) took the name as a tribute to the singer, died after a long illness on 8/29/2006, age 73
1936 ● Johnny Griffith → Piano and keyboard session musician, member of The Funk Brothers, Motown Record‘s house band which provided nearly all instrumentation behind every Motown hit, died from a heart attack on 11/10/2002, age 66
1939 ● Mavis Staples → Lead vocalist for four-sister R&B/soul-gospel act The Staple Singers, “I’ll Take You There” (#1, 1972)
1939 ● John Eastman / (John Lindner Eastman) → Entertainment industry attorney with a history of helping high-profile clients through difficult periods in their careers, most notably representing Paul McCartney (husband of sister Linda Eastman) during the dissolution of The Beatles in 1969 and 1970, also represented Billy Joel in lawsuits against his former manager and lawyer, as well as David Bowie, Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber and others, continued to work with McCartney and his various business ventures, including a 2017 lawsuit with Sony Music over the U.S. copyrights to songs McCartney wrote with John Lennon, died from pancreatic cancer on 8/10/2022, age 83.
1940 ● Richie Albright / (Richard Albright) → Legendary country music drummer credited for encouraging superstar Waylon Jennings to adopt elements of rock ‘n’ roll in his “outlaw country” songs, played behind Jennings in his backing and recording band The Waylors from the early 60s to Jennings‘ death in 2002, then with other former bandmates as Waymore’s Outlaws, occasionally joined by namesake Waylon Albright Jennings, the star’s son with wife Jesse Colter, died from undisclosed causes on 2/9/2021, age 80.
1941 ● Ian Whitcomb / (Ian Timothy Whitcomb) → One hit wonder Brit singer/songwriter with the vaudevillian, British Invasion “You Turn Me On” (#8, 1965), later authored After The Ball (1972) and other books on pop music history, wrote for magazines and newspapers, recorded soundtracks and albums of varying genres from ragtime to music hall, wrote and starred in documentaries for BBC-TV and other outlets, and performed on stage and as a radio DJ through to his death from complications of a 2012 stroke on 4/19/2020, age 78.
1942 ● Ronnie James Dio / (Ronald James Padavona)) → Heavy metal vocalist and songwriter, frontman for Rainbow, “Since You’ve Been Gone” (#57, 1979) and “Stone Cold” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1982), Black Sabbath (1979-82), “Turn Up The Night” (Mainstream Rock #24, 1982), founded heavy metal quintet Dio, “Rainbow In The Dark” (Mainstream Rock #14, 1983), died from stomach cancer on 5/16/2010, age 67
1943 ● Jerry Miller → Guitarist for 60s San Francisco folk-roots-psych rock Moby Grape, “Omaha” (#88, 1967)
1944 ● Beaky Dymond / (John Dymond) → Rhythm guitar for Brit 60s pop-rock two hit wonder quintet Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, “The Legend Of Xanadu” (UK #1, 1968), left in 1989 but rejoined the band on the oldies circuit in 2013
1947 ● Arlo Guthrie → Folk/rock singer/songwriter with three notable songs, the comic-monologue-song “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” (1967), “Coming Into Los Angeles” from the Woodstock festival and movie, and “The City Of New Orleans” (#18, 1972), son of folk legend Woody Guthrie
1948 ● John Whitehead → With Gene McFadden, one-half the soul music songwriting duo for Philadelphia International Records, co-wrote “Back Stabbers” for The O’Jays (#3, R&B #1, 1972) and other hits, including the disco smash “Ain’t’ No Stopping Us Now” (#13, R&B #1, 1979) for their own album McFadden & Whitehead (1979), died from in an unsolved but apparently mistaken-identity murder outside his home on 5/11/2004, age 55
1949 ● Dave Smalley → Founding member and lead 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)
1950 ● Greg Kihn → Pop/rock singer, songwriter and bandleader, Greg Kihn Band, “Jeopardy” (#2, 1983)
1953 ● Rik Emmett / (Richard Gordon Emmett) → Lead guitar and vocals for Canadian power rock trio Triumph (“All The Way,” Mainstream Rock #2, 1983), left the band in 1988 to pursue a moderately successful solo career, rejoined in 2008, contributes to Guitar Player magazine and teaches music business at Humber College in Toronto
1954 ● Neil Tennant → Vocals for synth-pop dance Pet Shop Boys, “West End Girls” (#1, 1986)
1958 ● Béla Anton Leoš Fleck → Innovative jazz-bluegrass (“blu-bop”) banjo player, first with New Grass Revival, “Callin’ Baton Rouge” (Country #37, 1989) then as bandleader for Grammy-winning progressive folk-bluegrass Béla Fleck And The Flecktones, “The Sinister Minister” (Best Pop Instrumental, 1997), session work and tours with Asleep At The Wheel, Dave Matthews Band, Phish and others
1959 ● Sandy West / (Sandra Sue Pesavento) → Drummer, singer, songwriter and founding member of teenage all-girl hard rock group The Runaways, “Cherry Bomb” (1976), died from cancer on 10/21/2006, age 47
1960 ● Martyn P. Casey → Keyboards for alt rock Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, “Where The Wild Roses Grow” (Australia #2, UK #11, 1995)
1962 ● Play Martin / (Christopher Martin) → With Christopher “Kid” Reid, one half of the positive-attitude hip hop musical duo Kid ‘N Play, “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody” (#51, Rap #1, 1991), the duo branched into acting with film appearances and their own short-lived TV program
1964 ● Graham Lambert → Guitarist for Brit psych-alt rock Inspiral Carpets, “Two Worlds Collide” (Modern Rock #8, 1992)
1965 ● Peter DiStefano → Guitarist for alt rock/post-punk Jane’s Addiction, “Been Caught Stealing” (Mainstream Rock #29, 1990), then co-founded hard art-rock Porno For Pyros, “Pets” (Mainstream Rock #25, 1993), solo
1970 ● Gary LeVox → Vocals for country-pop Rascal Flatts, “Here Come Goodbye” (#11, Country #1, 2009)
1970 ● Jason Orange → Vocals for teen pop quintet Take That, “Back For Good” (#7, UK #1, 1995) and seven other UK #1 hits including “Patience” (UK #1, 2006)
1974 ● Imelda May / (Imelda Clabby Higham) → Irish-born jazz-pop and neo-burlesque singer and guitarist, “Mayhem” (Ireland #24, 2010), plus sessions and backing vocals for Jeff Beck, Elvis Costello, Elton John and others
1976 ● Elijah Blue Allman → Guitarist, vocalist and songwriting for industrial/nu metal Deadsy, “The Elements” (1997), also worked with Orgy, Sugar Ray, Korn and others, son of Cher and Gregg Allman, currently a contemporary artist in L.A.
1980 ● Jessica Simpson → Tabloid-fodder film and reality TV actress, 90s dance-pop and 00s contemporary country-pop singer, “Irresistible” (#15, 2001), featured on MTV’s Newlyweds show with her husband and 98 Degrees member Nick Lachey
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 ● Algy Ward / (Alasdair Mackie Ward) → Punk and heavy metal bassist and singer, beginning with Aussie rock The Saints in 1977 on their third single, “This Perfect Day” (UK #34, 1977) and lasting through the band’s first dissolution in late 1978, thereafter joined punk-rock The Damned for a brief stint and appearance on the LP Machine Gun Etiquette (1979), in 1980 formed New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) band Tank and fronted the band through six albums over 20 years, in the 2010s competed with a second Tank headed by former Tank bandmates and issued two more Tank albums by 2018, died in a hospital after a long illness on 5/17/2023, age 63.
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 / (Christine Anne Perfect) → Singer, songwriter and keyboardist, major contributor to the mega-success of pop-rock Fleetwood Mac in the 70s and 80s, wrote or co-wrote many of the group’s huge hits, including “Don’t Stop” (#3, UK #32, 1977) and “Little Lies” (#4, UK #5,, 1987), started in blues band Chicken Shack in the late 60s and sang lead on several unremarkable singles, married Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie and joined his blues-rock band in 1969, retired from music in 1998 but returned for one-off Fleetwood Mac reunions and a collaboration with bandmate Lindsey Buckingham in 2017, died following a brief illness on 11/30/2022, age 79.
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 Andrew Wilkinson) → Founding member and first lead guitarist for pioneering Brit pub-rock Dr. Feelgood (“Milk And Alcohol,” UK #9, 1979), his hard-edged, staccato guitar take on R&B sounds drove the band to the front wave of punk music in the mid-70s, reached the top of the UK album charts with the LP Stupidity (UK #1, 1976) and provided a huge influence to coming punkers, over the ensuing years founded blues-rock Solid Senders, fronted his own bands, joined Ian Dury‘s The Blockheads for a time, and appeared in a small role in the 2010s TV series Game of Thrones, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had a large tumor removed in 2013, died from the disease on 11/21/2022, age 77.
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
1941 ● Gil Bridges / (Gilbert Bridges) → Co-founder and saxophone for R&B/blue-eyed rock-and-soul Rare Earth, the first all-white Motown act to have a hit record, “Get Ready” (#4, R&B #20, 1970), followed with eleven other charting singles in the 70s, including “(I Know) I’m Losing You” (#7, R&B #20, 1970) and “I Just Want to Celebrate” (#7, R&B #30, 1971), performed with the band on stage and in the studio for six decades, appearing on every Rare Earth record ever recorded, and was the sole original member still standing at his death from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 12/8/2021, age 80.
1945 ● Jim Gordon / (James Beck Gordon) → Top session drummer in the 60s and 70s, co-wrote “Layla” (#10, UK #7, 1972) with Eric Clapton and was a member of Derek & The Dominos as well as Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen touring band, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, and the elite group of L.A. session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, which led to work with The Byrds, The Everly Brothers, The Monkees, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa and many others, appeared on hundreds of hit singles and albums over 20 years before developing paranoid schizophrenia and murdering his mother in 1984, sentenced to life in prison where he died from natural causes on 3/13/2023, age 77.
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
1931 ● Robert Gordy / (Robert Louis Gordy Sr.) → Songwriter, sometime pop singer, younger brother of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy, Jr., and chief executive of the company’s publishing division, Jobete Music, credited with growing the business from a mid-60s holding company for Motown‘s copyrights into a major, highly-profitable global publishing enterprise by the 80s, retired in 1985 and led a quiet life outside the music industry, died at home from natural causes on 10/21/2022, age 91.
1932 ● Willie Cobbs / (Willie C. Cobbs) → Blues singer and songwriter best known for penning the now-blues standard “You Don’t Love Me” (1960), the song has been covered by dozens of artist from John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers to Junior Wells to Ike & Tina Turner to, most notably, The Allman Brothers Band on the live album At Fillmore East (1971), continued to record on various labels and perform at blues festivals, as well as a role in the 1991 movie Mississippi Masala, until just before his death from unspecified causes on 10/25/2021, age 89.
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
1958 ● Gary Corbett → Session and touring keyboardist with Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson and others before co-writing “She Bop” (#3, 1984) for Cindi Lauper, the song’s success opened doors to Lou Gramm‘s touring band and a 5-year stint with Kiss starting in 1987, then joined glam-metal Cinderella on keyboards and backing vocals until their breakup in 2017, battled lung cancer and died the day before his birthday and on the same day as longtime Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar, 7/14/2021, age 62.
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 ● Buju Banton / (Mark Anthony Myrie) → Jamaican dancehall reggae singer and Rastafarian, “Champion” (Dance #15, 1995)