This Week’s Birthdays (June 27 – July 3)

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Joey Covington

Happy Birthday this week to:

June 27
1925 ● Doc Pomus / (Jerome Felder) → Blues singer, guitarist and performer turned prolific rock and pop songwriter, wrote or co-wrote with collaborator and pianist Mort Shuman many memorable hits, including “Turn Me Loose” (Fabian, #9, 1959), “Teenager In Love” (Dion & The Belmonts, #5, 1959), “Save The Last Dance For Me” (The Drifters, #1, 1960), “Sweets For My Sweet” (The Drifters, #16, 1961), and “Viva Las Vegas” (Elvis Presley, #29, 1964), died from lung cancer on 3/14/1991, age 65
1942 ● Bruce Johnston / (Benjamin Baldwin) → Guitar and vocals for surf-pop-rock The Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations” (#1, 1966), solo, wrote Grammy-winning “I Write The Songs” for Barry Manilow (#1, 1976)
1945 ● Joey Covington / (Joseph Edward Michno) → Session and touring drummer in the mid-60s, joined psych-rock Jefferson Airplane in 1969 and co-wrote the band’s last chart hit “Pretty As You Feel” (#60, 1972), left in the early 70s but continued in the San Francisco music scene, co-wrote “With Your Love” (#6, 1976) for Jefferson Starship and worked in a reformed Quicksilver Messenger Service and other Bay-area revival and all-star bands, died in a head-on car collision on 6/4/2013, age 67
1951 ● Gilson Lavis → Drummer in Chuck Berry‘s band, also toured with Jerry Lee Lewis and Dolly Parton, then 1976-92 with New Wave pop-rock Squeeze, “Tempted” (#49, 1981), now Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
1958 ● Lisa Germano → American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, 1994 album Geek The Girl, session work for David Bowie, Sheryl Crow, Iggy Pop, Jewel, John Mellencamp, Simple Minds and others
1958 ● Jeffrey Lee Pierce → Hard-living guitarist, singer and founder of 80s L.A. alt punk rock/cowpunk The Gun Club, left for a brief solo career but returned in 1987, died from a drug addiction-related brain hemorrhage on 3/31/1996, age 37
1959 ● Lorrie Morgan / (Loretta Lynn Morgan) → Country-pop singer, “What Part Of No” (Country #1, 1992) and 17 other Country Top 20 hits
1962 ● Michael Ball → Brit TV host, stage actor and pop singer, “Love Changes Everything” (UK #2, 1989)
1970 ● Laurence Colbert → Drummer for Brit neo-psych shoegazing band Ride, “Twisterella” (Modern Rock #12, 1992)
1976 ● Leigh Nash → Singer for Christian pop-rock Sixpence None The Richer, “Kiss Me” (#2, 1998)
1983 ● Evan David Taubenfeld → Lead guitarist and vocals with Avril Lavigne, “Complicated” #2, 2002), formed punk-pop The Black List Club in 2004

June 28
1902 ● Richard Rodgers → Stage, film and TV music composer and lyricist with over 900 titles and 43 musicals, collaborator with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein III on some of the best-known songs in popular music, died on 12/30/1979, age 77
1936 ● Cathy Carr / (Angelina Catherine Cordovano) → USO-tour and Big Band vocalist, later one hit wonder languid pop singer with her rendition of “Ivory Tower” (#2, 1956), continued to record through the 60s with little notice, died from unspecified causes on 11/22/1988, age 52
1943 ● Bobby Harrison → Drummer for prog/psych rock Procol Harum, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” (#5, 1967), formed psych rock Freedom in 1968
1945 ● David Knights → Original bass guitarist for prog/psych rock Procol Harum, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” (#5, 1967), left in 1969
1959 ● Clint Boon → Keyboards for Brit psych-alt rock Inspiral Carpets, “Two Worlds Collide” (Modern Rock #8, 1992), formed The Clint Boon Experience in 1995
1963 ● Beverley Craven → Brit easy listening singer/songwriter and balladeer, “Promise Me” (UK #3, 1991) and “Holding On” (Adult Contemporary #30, 1992)
1963 ● Charles Clouser → Keyboardist and drummer for industrial rock Nine Inch Nails, “The Day The World Went Away” (#17, 1999), producer and sound engineer for Deftones, White Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein and others
1965 ● Saul Davis → Guitar and violin for Brit alt pop-rock James, “Sit Down” (UK #2, 1991) and “Laid” (#61, Modern Rock #3, 1994)
1966 ● Bobby Bare, Jr. → Country and roots rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, at age 8 received a Grammy nomination with his father, Bobby Bare, for the duet “Daddy What If” (#41, Country #2, 1974), frontman for alt country-rock Young Criminals Starvation League and indie rock Bare Jr.
1971 ● Ray Slijngaard → Vocals for Euro dance-pop 2 Unlimited, “Tribal Dance” (Dance/Club #7, 1993)
1977 ● Mark Stoermer → Bass guitarist for pop-alt hard rock The Killers, “Mr. Brightside” (#10, 2005)
1979 ● Tim McCord → Bassist for Grammy-winning goth-pop-metal Evanescence, “Bring Me To Life” (#5, 2003)
1986 ● Kellie Dawn PicklerAmerican Idol runner-up and contemporary country/country-pop singer with eight Country Top 40 hits, including “Best Days Of Your Life” (Country #12, 2008) from the Country #1 (Pop #9) album Kellie Pickler

June 29
1901 ● Nelson Eddy / (Nelson Ackerman Eddy) → Classically-trained baritone pop and opera crossover singer and movie actor with nearly 300 recordings and 19 films, often with singing partner Jeanette MacDonald, died hours after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while performing in Florida on 3/6/1967, age 65
1910 ● Frank Loesser / (Frank Henry Loesser) → Tony- and Oscar-winning Broadway and film composer, wrote the lyrics and music to Guys And Dolls and How To Success In Business Without Really Trying, wrote “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (1944), the Academy Awards best song of the year, died from lung cancer on 7/26/1969, age 59
1911 ● Bernard Herrmann / (Max Herrmann) → Innovative, Academy Award-winning film score composer best known for composing the music to Psycho, North By Northwest, Vertigo, Taxi Driver and dozens of other films, and the theme songs to The Twilight Zone and Have Gun – Will Travel, died in his sleep on 12/24/1975, age 64
1933 ● Bob Fass / (Robert Morton Fass) → Irreverent, opiniated, freewheeling and well-connected baritone-voiced radio DJ with WBAI in New York over nearly 50 years, widely credited with pioneering free-format programming on rock music radio in major markets across North America the 60s and early 70s, co-founded the Yippie movement and hosted many “sit-ins” gathering listeners to protest various social injustices, his “Radio Unnameable” broadcast in some form from 1963 until his death from congestive heart failure on 4/21/2021, age 87.
1935 ● Johnnie Richardson → One half of the R&B vocal duo Johnnie & Joe, “Over The Mountain, Across The Sea” (#8, R&B #3, 1957) and two other R&B Top 20 hits in 1957, played the oldies circuit and recorded a 1982 album, died following a stroke on 10/25/1988, age 53
1936 ● Leonard Lee → One half of 50s teen R&B/pop male-female contrasting duet-style Shirley & Lee, “Let The Good Times Roll” (#20, R&B #1, 1956), a solo career following a split from Shirley Goodman met with little success, became a social worker and died of a heart attack on 10/23/1976, age 40
1938 ● Billy Storm / (William Hamlin Jones) → Frontman for 50s-60s rock ‘n’ roll Billy Storm & The Valiants, “I’ve Come Of Age” (#28, 1959).
1940 ● Larry Brown / (Lawrence Russell Brown) → Lyricist and composer, wrote or co-wrote numerous pop hits, including “C’mon Marianne” (#9, 1967) for The Four Seasons, “I Woke Up In Love This Morning” (#13, 1971) for The Partridge Family, and “Knock Three Times” (#1, 1971) and “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree” (#1, 1973) for Tony Orlando And Dawn.
1942 ● Gilberto Gil / (Gilberto Moreira) → Brazilian “tropicalia” samba-salsa-pop-rock fusion singer and guitarist, Grammy-winning album Quanta Gente Veio Ver: Ao Vivo (1998), Minister of Culture for Brazil, 2003-2008
1943 ● Roger Ruskin Spear → Co-founder, kazoo, Jew’s harp, musical toy instrumentalist for Brit comedy-rock Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, “I’m The Urban Spaceman” (UK #5, 1968), died 1/18/1990
1945 ● Little Eva / (Eva Boyd) → Babysitter and maid for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin, who wrote her hit “The Loco-Motion” (#1, 1962) about her dancing while doing housework, died of cervical cancer on 4/10/2003, age 57
1948 ● Bill Kirchen → The “Dieselbilly King,” versatile rockabilly, boogie, Western swing, rock ‘n’ roll and trucking music guitarist with Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, “Hot Rod Lincoln” (#9, 1972), multiple solo albums including the Grammy-winning Word To The Wise (2010), frontman for several bands and tours/sessions with Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris and others
1948 ● Dervin Gordon → With twin brother Lincoln, Jamaican-born lead vocals for Brit reggae-pop The Equals, “Baby Come Back” (#32, 1968)
1948 ● Ian Paice → Drummer for hard rock/prog rock Deep Purple, “Smoke On The Water” (#4, 1973), the only constant member of the band since it formed in 1968, also played with hard rock Whitesnake, “Here I Go Again” (#1, 1987)
1948 ● Lincoln Gordon → With twin brother Dervin, Jamaican-born guitarist for Brit reggae-pop The Equals, “Baby Come Back” (#32, 1968)
1953 ● Colin Hay → Co-founder, vocals and guitar for Scottish-Australian Men At Work, “Down Under” (#1, UK #1, 1983), their Grammy-winning debut album, Business As Usual, was simultaneously the #1 US and UK album in January 1983, gaining them the distinction of being the only Aussie band to hold all four top spots at once
1954 ● Billy Hinsche → High school classmate and member of teenage bubblegum pop trio Dino, Desi & Billy with Dean Paul Martin and Desi Arnaz Jr., “I’m A Fool” (#17, 1965), later became a session and touring guitarist for The Beach Boys and the brother-in-law of Carl Wilson
1964 ● Steadman Pearson → Vocals for Brit family R&B/dance-pop quintet 5 Star, “Can’t Wait Another Minute” (#41, Dance/Club #7, 1986) and fifteen Top 40 singles in native England
1978 ● Nicole Scherzinger → Vocals for all-girl teen dance-pop quintet Eden’s Crush, “Get Over Yourself” (#1, 2001), the first #1 debut single by an all-female group, then lead singer for dance-pop Pussycat Dolls, “Don’t Cha” (#2, 2005), solo, “Baby Love” (Dance/Club #4, 2007), winner of Dancing With The Stars in 2010
1978 ● Sam Farrar → Bassist for power pop/indie rock Phantom Planet, “California” (Modern Rock #35, 2002), son of John Farrar of The Shadows (“Apache,” Worldwide #1, 1960)
1979 ● Richard Breen → Vocals for Brit dance-pop boy band 5ive (aka Five), “When The Lights Go Out” (#10, 1998)
1983 ● Aundrea Aurora Fimbres → Singer for MTV Making the Band program winner and pre-fab, all-girl dance-pop quintet Danity Kane, “Show Stopper” (#8, 2006)

June 30
1917 ● Lena Horne / (Lena Mary Calhoun Horne) → Grammy-winning contemporary pop singer, stage, film and TV actress and nightclub entertainer with a 70 year career from the Cotton Club in the 30s to Hollywood films in the 40s to blacklisting in the 50s to TV and Broadway in the 70s and 80s, recorded several charting hits, including “Love Me Or Leave Me” (#19, 1955), died from unspecified causes on 5/9/2010, age 92.
1936 ● Dave Van Ronk / (David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk) → Folk and acoustic blues singer/songwriter and guitarist, heralded figurehead in the 60s Greenwich Village folk coffeehouse scene, influenced Bob Dylan and many other young folksters, died from complications of colon cancer surgery on 2/10/2002, age 65.
1937 ● Larry Henley / (Lawrence Joel Henley) → Lead vocals for pop-rock trio The Newbeats, “Bread And Butter” (#2, 1964) but better known as a Nashville songwriter with several Country #1 hits and for co-writing “Wind Beneath My Wings” (#1, 1989) for Bette Midler, died from complications of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases on 12/18/2014, age 77
1939 ● Tony Hatch → Composer, pianist, Pye Records staff songwriter, producer for The Searchers, David Bowie, the Montanas and others, wrote “Downtown” for Petula Clark (#1, 1964)
1940 ● Larry Hall / (Lawrence Kendall Hall) → One hit wonder pop singer with the debut hit “Sandy” (#15, 1960), left the industry after several unsuccessful follow-ups and became an Oregon cattle rancher, died from cancer on 9/24/1997, age 57
1943 ● Flo Ballard / (Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman) → Founding member and singer with R&B/soul-pop trio The Supremes, “Where Did Our Love Go” (#1, 1964), left in 1967 when Motown snubbed her and pushed Diana Ross to the front, tried to become a solo act but was largely unsuccessful, died of a heart attack on 2/22/1976, age 32
1944 ● Glenn Shorrock → Songwriter, lead vocals and co-founder of several top-level Aussie pop/rock bands, including Little River Band, “Lonesome Loser” (#6, 1979), solo
1946 ● Billy Brown / (William Brown) → Vocals for R&B/soul trio The Moments, “Love On A Two-Way Street” (#3, 1970), then name change to sweet soul Ray, Goodman & Brown, “Special Lady” (#5, R&B #1, 1979)
1949 ● Andy Scott → Guitar and synthesizer for neo-bubblegum/glam pop-rock Sweet, “Ballroom Blitz” (#5, 1973)
1949 ● Robert Ford, Jr. / (Rober Ford, Jr.) → Music journalist whose 1978 article in Billboard was the magazine’s first coverage of the nascent New York hip hop scene and led to a career mentoring young rappers, including Russell Simmons, Nelson George and Kurtis Blow, for whom he co-wrote and co-produced “The Breaks” (#87, R&B #4, 1980), the first rap song certified gold, later produced three albums for Full Force, Rodney Dangerfield’s Rappin’ Rodney spoof album (1983) and the rap song “City Of Crime” for Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd from the 1987 film Dragnet, also worked at SimmonsRush Communications, which launched the careers of LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and others, founded his own management company and developed R&B-pop Hi-Five and the hit “I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)” (#1, R&B #1, 1990), died from several unspecified chronic illnesses on 5/19/2020, age 70.
1951 ● Stanley Clarke → Virtuoso electric and acoustic jazz and jazz-rock fusion bassist, bandleader and solo, “Sweet Baby” (#19, R&B #6, 1981), collaborated with Chick Corea in fusion band Return To Forever, session work for Santana, Keith Richards, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney and others, film score composer
1953 ● Hal Lindes → Guitarist and film score composer, joined post-punk New Wave rock Dire Straits, “Money For Nothing” (#1, 1985) in 1981, solo and session work
1956 ● Philip Adrian Wright → Joined synth-pop pioneers The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me” (#1, 1981) in 1978 as “Director of Visuals”, learned keyboards, left the band in 1986 to pursue graphic design
1957 ● Doug Sampson → Original drummer for Brit heavy metal Iron Maiden, “Flight Of Icarus” (Mainstream Rock #8, 1983), left the band in 1977 to escape the rigors of constant touring and never played professionally again
1962 ● Julianne Regan → Vocals for goth-rock All About Eve, “Martha’s Harbour” (UK #10, 1988)
1963 ● Yngwie Malmsteen → Swedish composer, bandleader and technically accomplished neo-classical heavy metal guitarist, pioneer of the lightning fast “shredding” technique, “Heaven Tonight” (Mainstream Rock #19, 1988)
1967 ● Cammy Camell / (Peter James Camell) → Bass and rhythm guitar for Brit jangle pop The La’s, “There She Goes” (#49, UK #13, 1991)
1968 ● Philip Anselmo → Lead vocals for alt heavy metal Pantera, “Planet Caravan” (Mainstream Rock #21, 1994)
1969 ● Tom Drummond → Bassist for alt pop-rock trio Better Than Ezra, “Good” (#30, Modern Rock #1, 1995)
1979 ● Andrew Burrows → Drummer for Brit-Swede indie pop-rock Razorlight, “America” (UK #1, 2006)
1983 ● Anton Gordon → Vocals in teen pop boy band One True Voice, “Sacred Trust / After You’re Gone” (UK #2, 2002)
1983 ● Cheryl Cole / (Cheryl Ann Tweedy) → Singer in pre-fab all-girl Euro-pop vocal group Girls Aloud, “Sound Of The Underground” (UK #1, 2002), judge on the UK version of The X Factor in 2008, solo, “Fight For This Love” (UK #1, 2009)
1984 ● Fantasia / (Fantasia Barrino) → R&B/soul singer, actress, “I Believe” (#1, 2004), the first debut single to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart
1985 ● T-Pain / (Faheem Rasheed Najm) → R&B/hip hop MC and singer, “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” (#1, 2007)
1992 ● Lamb Lennon Gaede → With fraternal twin sister Lynx, one half of the white supremacist bubblegum teen pop/”hate rock” duo Prussian Blue, “I Will Bleed For You” (2004)
1992 ● Lynx Vaughan Gaede → With fraternal twin sister Lamb, one half of the white supremacist bubblegum teen pop/”hate rock” duo Prussian Blue, “I Will Bleed For You” (2004)

July 01
1915 ● Willie Dixon → The “Poet Laureate of the Blues,” vital Chicago blues pioneer, singer, songwriter and guitarist, composed over 500 songs, including recognized standards such as “Spoonful,” “Back Door Man,” “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Little Red Rooster” and many others, major influence on blues-rockers, including The Allman Brothers Band, Cream, The Doors, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, died of heart failure on 1/29/1992, age 76
1928 ● Bobby Day / (Robert James Byrd) → R&B/doo wop vocals and songwriter with The Hollywood Flames, “Buzz Buzz Buzz” (#11, R&B #5, 1957), then solo, “Rockin’ Robin” (#2, R&B #1, 1958), later one half of the duo Bob & Earl, “Harlem Shuffle” (#44, 1963), died of cancer on 1/27/1990, age 62
1933 ● Eddie Bond / (Eddie James Bond) → Rockabilly Hall of Fame singer and radio DJ who appeared on the TV music program Louisiana Hay Ride and toured with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and others, famously rejected the then 18-year-old Elvis Presley, three years his younger, after the future superstar auditioned for his band, telling Elvis he should stick to driving a truck because he’d “never make it as a singer,” died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on 3/20/2013, age 79.
1939 ● Delaney Bramlett → Accomplished guitarist and songwriter, member of house band The Shindogs for TV pop music variety show Shindig, one half of husband/wife front for rock/soul revue Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, “Never Ending Song Of Love” (#13, 1971), worked with Eric Clapton, Dave Mason and George Harrison died from complications of gall bladder surgery on 12/27/2008, age 69
1942 ● Andraé Crouch → The “Father of Modern Gospel,” Grammy-winning, renowned and respected pioneer of contemporary gospel, singer, writer, producer, solo artist, “I’ll Be Thinking Of You” (R&B #69, 1980), collaborated with Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Madonna and others, film score composer and pastor, died following a heart attack on 1/8/2015, age 72
1945 ● Debbie Harry → Singer and frontwoman for New Wave pop-rock Blondie, “Heart Of Glass” (#1, 1979), solo, “In Love With Love” (#70, Dance/Club #1, 1987)
1946 ● June Monteiro → Singer for pop girl trio The Toys, “A Lover’s Concerto” (#2, 1965)
1948 ● John Ford → Bass and acoustic guitar for Brit folk-prog-rock The Strawbs, “Part Of The Union” (UK #2, 1973), formed rock duo Hudson Ford with bandmate/drummer Richard Hudson, “Pick Up The Pieces” (UK #8, 1973), then punk rock The Monks, “Nice Legs Shame About Her Face” (UK #19, 1979)
1949 ● John Farnham → Hugely popular solo pop-rock singer and songwriter in his native Australia, “You’re The Voice” (#82, UK #6, 1987)
1951 ● Fred Schneider → Vocals and frontman for New wave alt-dance-rock The B-52’s, “Love Shack” (#3, 1989)
1951 ● Victor Willis → Original member, lead singer, songwriter and policeman or naval officer character for campy, suggestive gay pop-rock vocal man band The Village People, “Y.M.C.A.” (#2, 1978), co-wrote most of the band’s hit songs and became embroiled in a copyright dispute after leaving in 1980, released a solo album in 2015 that had been recorded in 1979
1951 ● Anne Feeney → Pittsburgh-area folk-bluegrass guitarist and trial attorney representing mostly refugees and domestic violence survivors who turned to music full-time in 1989 and became an impassioned and prolific folk-protest singer and songwriter, releasing twelve albums from 1992 to 2010, touring relentlessly, sharing stages with legends Pete Seeger and John Prine among others, and participating in thousands of protest rallies, her signature song, the anthemic “Have You Been to Jail for Justice” was covered by Peter, Paul & Mary and used as a rallying cry at countless events around the world, contracted the COVID-19 virus while in physical rehab for a broken back abd died on 2/3/2021, age 69.
1952 ● Dan Akroyd → TV and film actor, singer and portrayer “Elwood Blues” in the Saturday Night Live skit, movie and spin-off band The Blues Brothers, “Soul Man” (#14, 1979).
1952 ● Ndugu Chancler / (Leon Chancler) → Grammy-winning jazz-funk drummer, percussionist and sought-after sessionman, worked The Crusaders, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson (drummed on “Billie Jean,” #1, 1983), Carlos Santana, Frank Sinatra, Donna Summer, Weather Report and many others on hundreds of albums, died from prostate cancer on 2/3/2018, age 65
1956 ● Phil Solem → Singer, songwriter, co-founder of power pop Great Buildings, which became The Rembrandts, “I’ll Be There For You” (#17, 1995), the theme song to the TV situation comedy Friends
1959 ● Edem Ephraim → With Dennis Fuller, one half of Brit/Austrian dance-europop London Boys, “London Nights” (UK #2, 1989), died with Fuller in a car collision on 1/21/1996, age 36
1960 ● Champagne King / (Evelyn King) → R&B/disco and post-disco singer, “Love Come Down” (#17, Dance/Club #1, 1982)
1960 ● Ted Key → Bassist for Brit jangle-guitar pop-rock The Housemartins, “Caravan Of Love” (UK #1, 1986)
1963 ● Roddy Bottum → Keyboards for influential metal/funk/hip hop/punk fusion band Faith No More, “Epic” (#9, 1990)
1964 ● Pol Burton → Drummer for punk-pop-dance Transvision Vamp, “Baby I Don’t Care” (, 1983)
1971 ● Adam MacDougall → Keyboards for roots/raunch rock The Black Crowes, “Hard To Handle” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1991)
1971 ● Missy Elliott / (Melissa Elliott) → Hugely successful, four time Grammy-winning female rapper and songwriter, “Work It” (#2, 2002), producer, wrote “If Your Girl Only Knew” (#11, Dance/Club #6, 1996) for Aaliyah

July 02
1917 ● Murry Wilson / (Murry Gage Wilson) → Tough-love patriarch, business manager, co-producer and publisher for Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilsonn in the formative years of sunshine pop/surf rock The Beach Boys (“I Get Around,” #1, 1964), dismissed as manager by Brian in 1964 and died from a heart attack on 6/4/1973, age 55
1925 ● Marvin Rainwatef / (Marvin Percy) → One quarter Cherokee country, rockabilly and pop singer, “Gonna Find Me A Bluebird” (#18, Country #3, 1957) and “Whole Lotta Woman” (#60, UK #1, 1958), age 88
1927 ● Lee Allen → Early rock ‘n’ roll tenor saxophonist and session musician in New Orleans in the 50s, played on many hits by Fats Domino (“I’m Walking,” #4, R&B #1, 1957), Little Richard (“Tutti Frutti,” #14, R&B #2, 1956) and others but found little success on his own except for “Walkin’ With Mr. Lee” (#54, 1958), performed with Fats Domino through the 70s, and with Stray Cats and The Blasters in the 80s, died on 10/18/1994, age 67.
1936 ● Tom Springfield / (Dion O’Brien) → Vocals and songwriting with sister Dusty Springfield in light folk-pop trio The Springfields, “Silver Threads And Golden Needles” (#20, 1962)
1937 ● Dee Palmer / (David Palmer) → Classically-trained composer, arranger and keyboardist with long-lived Brit folk-rock Jethro Tull, “Living In The Past” (#11, 1973), underwent male-to-female sex change operation in 2004
1939 ● Paul Williams → Vocals for R&B giants The Temptations, “My Girl” (#1, 1965) and Grammy-winning “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” (#1, 1972), shot himself to death on 8/17/1973, age 34
1942 ● Leapy Lee / (Graham Pulleybank) → One hit wonder Brit comedian and stage actor turned country-pop crossover singer, “Little Arrows” (#16, Country #11, 1968)
1945 ● Peter Cruikshank → Bassist for blues-rock power trio The Groundhogs, which had three UK Top 10 albums in the early 70s, including Split (1971)
1949 ● The Professor / (Roy Bittan) → Keyboards and synthesizer for Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band, session work for David Bowie, Jackson Browne, Dire Straits, Peter Gabriel, Meat Loaf, Stevie Nicks, Bob Seger, others
1950 ● Duncan Mackay → Keyboards for glam rock Cockney Rebel, “Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)” (UK #1, 1975)
1952 ● Johnny Colla → Saxophone and guitar for pop-rock bar band Huey Lewis & The News, “The Power Of Love” (#1, 1985)
1952 ● Gene Taylor → Blues, blues-rock and boogie woogie keyboardist with a long career in a variety of bands, including stints in his teens on piano for blues legends Big Joe Turner and T-Bone Walker, worked with boogie-blues Canned Heat in the 70s, toured with The Blasters and recorded with Doug Sahm and others in the 80s, joined retro-blues The Fabulous Thunderbirds (“Tuff Enuf,” #10, 1986) in 1993 through 2007, all the while issuing two solo albums and participating in various projects, including several gigs with influential retro blues-rock The Downchild Blues Band (earlier the inspiration for Dan Akroyd and comedy partner John Belushi‘s The Blues Brothers), left for Belgium in 2007 and fronted his own band on the European blues-rock circuit, returned to the US and died in his bed at home near Austin, TX, from unknown causes (but believed related to the lack of heat in the house caused by the 2021 Texas power crisis) on 2/20/2021, age 68.
1954 ● Pete Briquette → Bass and vocals for Irish pop-punk Boomtown Rats, “I Don’t Like Mondays” (#73, 1979) and “Rat Trap” (UK #1, 1979), the first rock song by an Irish band to reach #1 in the UK
1955 ● Jerry Hall → Fashion model and sometime actress known chiefly for her marriage to Rolling Stone Mick Jagger in November 1990, ending in divorce in 1999
1956 ● Jeffrey Cooper → Backing vocals for synth-dance-funk Midnight Star, “Operator” (#18, R&B #1, 1990)
1957 ● Mike Anger → Bassist in New Wave pop-rock Blow Monkeys, “Digging Your Scene” (#14, 1986)
1961 ● Annie Ruddock / (Ann-Marie Teresa Antoinette Ruddock) → Vocals and saxophone for Brit reggae-pop-ska band Amazulu, “Too Good To Be Forgotten” (UK #5, 1986)
1964 ● Roy Boulter → Drummer for Brit synth-pop The Farm, “Groovy Train” (#41, Dance/Club #4, 1991)
1965 ● Dave Parsons → Bassist for punk-pop-dance Transvision Vamp, “Baby I Don’t Care” (, 1983), joined alt-rock Bush, “Glycerine” (Mainstream #4, 1995) in 1992
1970 ● Monie Love / (Simone Wilson) → Former protégé of Queen Latifah and member of Native Tongues hip hop collective, solo rapper, “It’s A Shame, My Sister” (#26, Dance/Club #2, 1991)
1974 ● Rocky Gray → Drummer for Grammy-winning goth-pop-metal Evanescence, “Bring Me To Life” (#5, 2003), played lead guitar for Christian metal Living Sacrifice and drums for other metal bands in his native Arkansas
1983 ● Michelle Branch → Teen pop singer/songwriter and guitarist, “All You Wanted” (#6, 2002) and duet with Carlos Santana, “The Game Of Love” (#5, 2002), then formed country-pop The Wreckers, “Leave The Pieces” (#34, Country #1, 2006)
1985 ● Ashley Michelle Tisdale → Model, actress and singer in High School Musical movies (most watched cable TV movies ever), solo, “It’s Alright, It’s OK” (Dance/Club #20, 2009)

July 03
1878 ● George M. Cohan / (George Michael Cohan) → Heralded composer, playwright and entertainer known as the “Father of American musical comedy” and for publishing more than 300 songs, including enduring favorites “Give My Regards To Broadway” (1904), “The Yankee Doodle Boy” (1904) and “You’re A Grand Old Flag” (1906), created and produced over 50 Broadway musicals in the 10s and 20s, acted in and produced movie musicals in the 30s, died from cancer on 11/5/1942, age 64
1893 ● “Mississippi” John Hurt / (John Smith Hurt) → Dexterous country-blues guitarist and songwriter who might have passed in obscurity but for the 60s blues-folk revival, his 1964 recordings for the Library of Congress touched off a brief period in the spotlight that continued after his death from a heart attack on 11/2/1966, age 73
1929 ● David Lynch → Vocals for hugely successful R&B/doo wop The Platters, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” (#1, 1958) and 13 other Top 20 hits between 1955 and 1967, died of cancer on 1/2/1981, age 51
1930 ● Tommy Tedesco → Top session guitarist, billed by Guitar Player magazine as the most recorded guitarist in history, worked on TV and film scores and recorded with The Association, The Beach Boys, Cher, Sam Cooke, The Everly Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, The Monkees, Elvis Presley, Nancy and Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, The Supremes, Frank Zappa and numerous others, died from lung cancer on 11/10/1997, age 67
1934 ● Hot Dog Rog / (Roger Christian) → Songwriter and popular Los Angeles radio DJ in the 60s and 70s, co-wrote several surf-rock and hot rod songs and ballads, including “Little Deuce Coup” (#15, 1963) and “Don’t Worry Baby” (#24, 1964) with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena” (#3, 1964) and “Dead Man’s Curve” ((#8, 1964) with Jan Berry of Jan & Dean, died from kidney and liver failure on 7/11/1991, age 57
1936 ● Frederick Tupper Saussy III → American composer, musician, advertising executive, watercolor painter, author, high school English teacher, jazz recording artist and Nashville Symphony contributor best known as the songwriter and keyboardist for psych-pop The Neon Philharmonic, “Morning Girl” (#17, 1969), later convicted of tax evasion and spent nearly 10 years as a fugitive before surfacing and turning himself in, became chapel music director and piano instructor for prisoners while serving his sentence in a California correctional facility, upon release wrote several books and resumed recording, died from a heart attack on 3/16/2007, two days before the release of his first CD and first new music album in 37 years, The Chocolate Orchid Piano Bar (2007), age 70
1940 ● Maureen Kennedy → Vocals for 60s all-girl Brit-pop ensemble The Vernon Girls, “Lover Please” (UK #16, 1962)
1940 ● Fontella Bass → Gospel-rooted R&B/soul diva and pianist, “Rescue Me” (#4, R&B #1, 1965), left the music business in the mid-70s to raise her children, successfully sued for back royalties in the 90s, died following a heart attack on 12/26/2012, age 72
1943 ● Garland Jeffreys → African-American/Puerto Rican American rock, reggae and blues singer and songwriter, “Wild In The Street” (1973) and several solo albums
1943 ● Judith Durham → Vocals for Aussie folk-sunshine pop The Seekers, “Georgy Girl” (#2, 1967), solo
1946 ● Victor Unitt → Guitarist with Brit blues then prog-rock Edgar Broughton Band, “Apache Dropout” (UK #33, 1970), joined blues-rock The Pretty Things and appeared on the album Parachute (1970)
1947 ● Betty Buckley → Film (Carrie, 1976), TV (Eight Is Enough, 1977) and Broadway (Cats, 1983) actress, traditional pop and show tunes singer with 14 solo albums, plus cast recording of multiple Broadway shows
1948 ● Paul Barrere → Multi-genre guitarist and songwriter, most prominently with Southern-fried blues/boogie rock Little Feat for three decades, wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s best-known songs, including “All That You Dream” (1975), “Time Loves A Hero” (1977), “Down On The Farm” (1979) and “Hate To Lose Your Lovin’” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1989), during breaks from the band issued three solo albums and performed with Taj Mahal, Carly Simon, Phil Lesh And Friends, Bob Dylan, Robert Palmer and others, and as a duo with bandmate Fred Tackett, died from liver disease on 10/26/2019, age 71.
1949 ● John Verity → Guitarist for hard/art rock Argent, “Hold Your Head Up” (#5, 1972), formed Phoenix and later Charlie, “It’s Inevitable” (Mainstream Rock #13, 1983), solo, producer
1949 ● Johnnie Wilder, Jr. → Co-founder and Lead vocals in multinational, sophisticated disco-funk Heatwave, “Boogie Nights” (#2, 1977), died in his sleep on 5/13/2006, age 56
1950 ● Damon Harris → Joined Motown R&B/soul legends The Temptations as tenor vocalist in 1971, Grammy-winning “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” (#1, 1972), left in 1975 and formed disco Impact, “Give A Broken Heart A Break” (Disco #5, 1976), solo
1952 ● Laura Branigan / (Laura Ann Branigan) → Grammy-winning 80s pop-rock singer, songwriter and actress with a pair of hits, “Gloria” (#2, 1982) and “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” (#12, AC #1, 1983) plus writing credits for soundtracks to Flashdance (1983) and Ghostbusters (1984) and TV and stage acting, died of a brain aneurysm on 8/26/2004, age 52
1952 ● Andy Fraser → Bassist and songwriter, briefly with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers before co-founding power rock Free (“All Right Now,” #4, 1970) at age 16, wrote “Obama (Yes We Can)” for Barack Obama’s 2009 presidential campaign, his songs have been covered by Joe Cocker, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart and others, died from cancer and AIDS on 3/16/2015, age 62
1955 ● Mike Corby → Keyboards and guitars for mainstream pop-rock The Babys, “Isn’t It Time” (#13, 1977), left in 1978
1955 ● Neil Clark → Guitar for Brit pop-rock Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, “Lost Weekend” (UK #17, 1985)
1956 ● Stephen Pearcy → Lead vocalist for hard rock/glam and hair metal Ratt, “Round And Round” (#12, 1984)
1960 ● Vince Clarke / (Vincent John Martin) → Keyboards, synthesizer and founding member of electro-dance/synth-pop Depeche Mode, “Just Can’t Get Enough” (Dance/Club #26, 1982), left to form synth-pop duo Yaz (Yazoo in the UK), “Nobody’s Diary” (Dance/Club #1, 1983), then co-founded synth-pop duo The Assembly, “Never Never” (UK #4, 1983), then synth-dance duo Erasure, “Chains Of Love” (#12, Dance/Club #4, 1988) plus over 20 other Dance/Club hits
1968 ● Martyn Walsh → Bassist for Brit psych-alt rock Inspiral Carpets, “Two Worlds Collide” (Modern Rock #8, 1992)
1969 ● Butterfly / (Ishmael Butler) → Vocals and producer for hip hop rap-jazz fusion trio Digable Planets, “Reachin’ (A New Refutation Of Time And Space)” (#15, R&B #5, 1993)
1969 ● Kevin Hearn → Keyboards, accordion and guitar for Canadian alt-rock Barenaked Ladies, “One Week” (#1, 1998)
1975 ● Javier Weyler → Drummer for Welsh alt rock/trad rock Stereophonics, “Have A Nice Day” (Modern Rock #26, UK #5, 2001), replacing Richard Cable who departed in 2003
1976 ● Shane Lynch → Vocals for Irish teen-pop boy band Boyzone, “No Matter What” (Adult Contemporary #12, 1999)

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