Happy Birthday this week to:
November 10
1916 ● Billy May / (Edward William May, Jr.) → Highly acclaimed Big Band leader, composer, arranger and trumpeter, fronted Billy May & His Orchestra, and charted a version of “Charmine” (#17, 1952), arranged Frank Sinatra‘s acclaimed concept albums Come Fly With Me (1958), Come Dance With Me! (1959) and Come Swing with Me! (1961). wrote the theme songs to TV’s The Green Hornet (1966) , Batman (1967) and The Mod Squad (1968), among others, died of a heart attack on 1/22/2004, age 87
1933 ● Mack Rice / (Bonny Rice) → R&B songwriter and singer best known for writing the classic and enduring “Mustang Sally” for himself (R&B #15) and Wilson Pickett (#23, R&B #6, 1966), also co-wrote “Respect Yourself” for The Staple Singers (#12, R&B #2, 19761) and songs covered by many others, died at home in Detroit from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on 6/27/2016, age 82
1939 ● Bubba Facenda / (Tommy Facenda) → Back-up singer for Gene Vincent in his band, the Blue Caps in the late 50s, left the group and became a one hit wonder rock ‘n’ roll singer with the anthemic “High School U.S.A.” (#28, 1959) and its 40 different versions mentioning different schools by region, later became a firefighter in Virginia, toured with a reunited Blue Caps in the 80s
1940 ● Screaming Lord Sutch / (David Edward Sutch) → Brit comedy-rock bandleader and solo artist, “Jack The Ripper” (1963), wannabe politician and leader of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, fought in numerous parliamentary elections without winning, committed suicide on 6/16/1999, age 58
1941 ● Kyu Sakamoto / (Hisashi Oshima) → Japanese pop star with the one hit wonder “Sukiyaki” (#1, 1963), the first US #1 by a Japanese artist, died in a commercial airliner crash on 8/12/1985, age 43
1944 ● Tim Rice → Multiple award-winning film, theater and Broadway lyricist and producer, collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) and with Elton John on The Lion King (1994), among many other shows
1945 ● Donna Fargo / (Yvonne Vaughn) → Country-pop singer and songwriter, “The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A.” (#11, 1972)
1946 ● Chip Hawkes / (Leonard Hawkes) → Bassist for 60s Britbeat Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, co-wrote “(Call Me) Number One” (#27, UK #2, 1969), moved to Nashville in the 70s to write and record with Waylon Jennings and others, reformed The Tremeloes in 1979, managed his son, pop star Chesney Hawkes and formed his own band in the 90s, continues to tour and perform into the 10s on the European oldies circuit with various retro bands
1947 ● Dave Loggins → Pop-rock one hit wonder singer and songwriter, “Please Come To Boston” (#5, 1974), cousin of Kenny Loggins
1947 ● Glen Buxton → Founder and guitarist for glam-rock/metal Alice Cooper band, co-wrote “School’s Out” (#7, 1972), died of pneumonia on 10/19/1997, age 49
1948 ● Greg Lake / (Gregory Stewart Lake) → Progressive rock guitarist and songwriter recognized as a key figure in the Euro-centric symphonic rock movement in the late 60s and 70s, founding member of prog/space-rock King Crimson (“The Court Of The Crimson King,” #80, 1970) and supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer (“Lucky Man,” #48, 1971), plus a solo hit “I Believe In Father Christmas” (UK #2, 1975) and multiple collaborations over five decades, died from cancer on 12/7/2016, age 68
1950 ● Bram Tchaikovsky / (Peter Bramall) → Guitar and vocals for power pop/rock The Motors, “Airport” (UK #4, 1978), solo, “Girl Of My Dreams” (#37, 1979)
1950 ● Ronnie Hammond → Lead singer for Southern rock Atlanta Rhythm Section, “Imaginary Lover” (#7, 1978), solo, died of a heart attack on 3/14/2011, age 60
1954 ● Mario Cipollina → Bassist for pop-rock bar band Huey Lewis & The News, “The Power Of Love” (#1, 1985)
1959 ● Frank Maudsley → Bassist for bizarrely-teased hair New Wave pop-rock A Flock of Seagulls, “I Ran (So Far Away)” (#9, 1982)
1959 ● Laura MacKenzie Phillips → Film and TV actress, singer and songwriter in The New Mamas & The Papas, daughter of “Papa” John Phillips
1961 ● Junior Giscombe / (Norman Washington Giscombe) → Brit R&B singer and songwriter, “Mama Used To Say” (#30, R&B #2, 1982) and duet with Kim Wilde, “Another Step (Closer To You)” (UK #8, 1987)
1965 ● David Hawes → Bassist for Brit indie rock/shoegazing band Catherine Wheel, “Black Metallic” (Modern Rock #9, 1991)
1966 ● Steve Mackey → Bassist for alt rock/Britpop Pulp, “Common People” (UK #2, 1995)
1967 ● Andrew Vowles → Co-founder and vocals for electro-dance/trip hop progenitor duo Massive Attack, “Unfinished Sympathy” (UK #13, 1991)
1968 ● Steve Brookstein → Blue-eyed soul singer and winner of the first series of UK TV show The X Factor in 2004, “Against All Odds” (UK #1, 2004)
1969 ● Kermit Leveridge / (Paul Leveridge) → Rapper and vocals with alt Brit-pop Black Grape, “England’s Irie” (UK #6, 1996)
1970 ● Derry Brownson → Keyboards and samples for Brit dance-rock quintet EMF (Epsom Mad Funkers), “Unbelievable” (#1, 1990)
1970 ● Warren G / (Warren Griffin III) → Hip hop producer and West Coast rapper, “Regulate” (#2, 1994)
1971 ● Big Punisher / (Christopher Rios) → Corpulent Latino rapper “Still Not A Player” (#24, Dance/Club #3, 1998), died from obesity-related heart failure on 2/7/2000, age 28
1975 ● Jim Adkins / (James Christopher Adkins) → Lead singer and guitarist for alt rock/neo-punk Jimmy Eat World, “The Middle” (#5, Adult Top 40 #2, 2002)
1978 ● Drew McConnell → Bassist for indie psych-rock Babyshambles, “Delivery” (#6, 2007)
1978 ● Eve Jeffers / (Eve Jihan Jeffers) → Hip hop singer and MC, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” (#2, 2001)
1979 ● Christopher Joannou → Co-founder and bassist in Aussie alt-grunge-rock Silverchair, “Tomorrow” (Modern Rock #1, 1994)
1983 ● Miranda Lambert → Country-pop singer and songwriter, as a solo artist scored fifteen Country Top 20 hits and several crossover singles, including “The House That Built Me” (#28, Country #1, 2010), performed numerous charting duets with others, including “We Were Us” (#26, Country #1, 2013) with Keith Urban, fronts the girl group Pistol Annies
November 11
1906 ● Bukka White / (Booker T. Washington White) → Delta blues guitarist, singer and performer, “Parchman Farm Blues” (1940), other artists have covered his work, including Bob Dylan, Fixin’ To Die Blues” (1962), died of cancer on 2/26/1977, age 70
1927 ● Mose Allison / (Mose John Allison, Jr.) → Modern jazz and Delta blues pianist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2013, his songs have been covered by The Who, John Mayall, Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, The Pixies and many others, died from natural causes on 11/15/2016, age 89
1929 ● LaVern Baker / (Delores Williams) → R&B and jazz-pop singer, “Jim Dandy” (#17, 1956) plus 7 other Top 40 and 12 other R&B Top 10 hits, died from coronary disease on 3/10/1997, age 67
1930 ● Hank Garland / (Walter Louis Garland) → Highly-regarded rockabilly, country and jazz studio musician, recorded with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash and others, issued an improbable but well-received jazz album, Jazz Winds From A New Direction (1961), stopped recording following a near fatal 1966 car accident, died from an infection on 12/27/2004, age 74
1936 ● Jack Keller → Composer, songwriter and record producer, wrote or co-wrote several teen pop and pop-rock hits in the 50s and 60s, including “Just Between You And Me” (The Chordettes, #8, 1957) and “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” (Connie Francis, #1, 1960), composed TV theme songs for Bewitched, Gidget and other programs, produced The Monkees‘ first album and for artists in Nashville in the 80s, died from leukemia on 4/1/2005, age 68
1936 ● Opal Courtney, Jr. → Vocals for pioneer R&B/doo wop The Spaniels, “Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight” (R&B #5, 1954), died after a heart attack on 9/18/2008, age 71
1938 ● Roger Lavern / (Roger Keith Jackson) → Keyboards for Brit instrumental rock ‘n’ roll The Tornados, “Telstar” (#1, 1962), the first major US hit by a British group, died from prostate cancer on 6/15/2013, age 74
1939 ● Albie Galione → Vocals in white R&B/doo wop quartet The Passions, “Gloria” (1958)
1940 ● Dennis Coffey → R&B, soul and funk guitarist, sessionman and solo artist, member of The Funk Brothers, Motownn’s house band which provided nearly all instrumentation behind every Motown hit, first white artist to perform on Soul Train when he played his instrumental “Scorpio” (#6, 1971) in January 1972, issued 14 solo albums from 1969 to 2011 and continues to perform in his hometown of Detroit into the 10s
1941 ● Peter Meaden → The “Mod God,” publicist and manager for numerous rock bands, especially during the Mod subculture period in the 60s U.K., briefly managed The Who and later Captain Beefheart, died from a barbiturate overdose on 7/29/1978. age 36
1943 ● Mac Kissoon / (Gerald Farthing) → Vocals with his sister, Katherine Farthing, in one hit wonder easy listening/bubblegum pop duo Mac & Katie Kissoon (“Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep,” #20, 1971), she went on to decades of session backing vocals work while his career stalled as a member of James Last‘s ensemble
1945 ● Chris Dreja → Rhythm guitar and songwriter for blues-rock The Yardbirds, “For Your Love” (#6, 1965)
1945 ● Vince Martell / (Vincent Martemucci) → Lead guitar and vocals for psych-rock Vanilla Fudge, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (#6, 1968)
1947 ● Pat Daugherty → Bassist for Southern raunch-rock Black Oak Arkansas, “Jim Dandy To The Rescue” (Top 30, 1973)
1950 ● Jim Peterick → Founder, guitarist and lead writer for blue-eyed soul The Ides of March, “Vehicle” (#2, 1970) and Survivor, “Eye Of The Tiger” (#1, 1982)
1952 ● Paul Cowsill → 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
1953 ● Andy Partridge → Co-founder, guitarist and songwriter for quirky New Wave synth-pop XTC, “Making Plans For Nigel” (UK #17, 1979) and side project for the band under the pseudonym The Dukes Of Stratosphear
1953 ● Marshall Crenshaw → Power pop singer and songwriter, “Someday, Someway” (#36, 1982), movie actor, portrayed John Lennon in the road version of Beatlemania
1956 ● Ian Craig Marsh → Guitarist and founding member of late-70s synth-pop pioneers The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me” (#1, 1981), left to form 80s synth-pop Heaven 17, “Temptation” (UK #2, 1983) and “Contenders” (Dance/Club #6, 1987)
1957 ● Gad Robinson / (Tony Robinson) → Bass, vocals and 40-year member of long-lived roots reggae Aswad (Arabic for “black”), “Don’t Turn Around” (, 1988), one of the most popular and successful Brit reggae bands
1962 ● Gunnar Mathias “Mic” Michaeli → Keyboardist for Swedish hard rock/glam-metal Europe, “The Final Countdown” (#8, 1986)
1966 ● Peaches / (Merrill Beth Nisker) → Canadian electronic groovebox rapper known for her vulgar lyrics, sexual themes and flamboyant stage presence, “Wild Thing” (Dance #4, 2007)
1969 ● Gary Powell → Drummer for indie/punk revival The Libertines, “Can’t Stand Me Now” (UK #2, 2004), played with the New York Dolls on their 2004 reunion tour, then indie rock Dirty Pretty Things, “Bang Bang You’re Dead” (UK #5, 2006)
1973 ● Jason White → Touring guitarist for 12 years in post-grunge alt rock/punk revival Green Day, “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” (#2, 2004), joined the band as a full member in 2012, also with punk/garage rock, no touring, fun only supergroup Pinhead Gunpowder
1974 ● Static Major / (Stephen Garrett) → Grammy-winning R&B singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer, member of the R&B trio Playa, “Cheers 2 U” (#38, 1998), died during a surgical procedure to treat a rare blood disorder on 2/25/2008, age 33
November 12
1917 ● Jo Stafford / (Jo Elizabeth Stafford) → Classical-trained singer who chose traditional, breezy pop and sultry jazz for a career that ran from the 30s to the 80s, “You Belong To Me” (#1, 1952) also the first song by a female artist to reach #1 in the UK, occasional film acting and parody records, died from congestive heart failure on 7/16/2008, age 90
1931 ● Bob Crewe / (Robert Stanley Crewe) → Producer and songwriter for Top 40 pop vocal quartet The Four Seasons, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (#1, 1962), also produced hits by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Freddy Cannon, Roberta Flack and his own band, The Bob Crewe Connection, “Music To Watch Girls By” (#15, 1967), injured his brain in a fall and died from its effects four years later on 9/11/2014, age 82
1934 ● Charles Manson / (Charles Milles Maddox) → Semi-illiterate, habitual petty criminal and aspiring folk musician who penned the original version of what became The Beach Boys “Never Learn Not To Love” (1968) and issued two unremarkable solo albums, later achieved infamy as the insidious ringleader of the Manson Gang of disaffected, mostly middle class young women who carried out multiple crimes including the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles in 1969, used The Beatles “Helter Skelter” (1969) as his rallying cry for a racial conflict in the US, inspiration the stage name of hard rock band and frontman Marilyn Manson, died from undisclosed causes but suspected intestinal cancer in a Federal prison while serving a life sentence without parole on 11/19/2017, age 83
1936 ● Charlotte Davis → Vocals in R&B/doo wop The Tune Weavers, “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby” (#5, 1957)
1936 ● Mort Shuman / (Mortimer Shuman) → Singer, pianist and prolific pop-rock songwriter, often in collaboration with Doc Pomus, wrote or co-wrote “Viva Las Vegas,” “Teenager In Love,” “This Magic Moment” and many others, died from complications following liver surgery on 11/3/1991, age 54
1939 ● Ruby Nash Curtis → Lead singer in R&B/soul vocal group Ruby & The Romantics, “Our Day Will Come” (#1, 1963) and two additional Top 20 hits
1941 ● Jerry Scholl → Vocals in one hit wonder blue-eyed R&B/doo wop quintet The Mello-Kings, “Tonite, Tonite” (#77, 1957), continued to tour on the rock ‘n’ roll oldies circuit into the 90s
1943 ● Brian Hyland → Pre-Beatles bubblegum-pop teen idol singer, “Sealed With A Kiss” (#3, 1962)
1943 ● Jimmy Hayes → Vocals in a cappella The Persuasions, “Chain Gang” (1971) and “I Really Got It Bad For You” (#56, 1974)
1943 ● Pooch Tavares / (Arthur Paul Tavares) → Vocals in five brother R&B/funk-disco Tavares, “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel” (#15, 1976)
1943 ● John Walker / (John J. Maus) → Guitar and vocals in pop-rock trio The Walker Brothers, “Make It Easy On Yourself” (US #16, UK #1, 1965), died from liver cancer on 5/7/2011, age 67
1944 ● Booker T. Jones → Organist and frontman for Stax Records house band Booker T. & The MG’s, “Green Onions” (#3, 1966), solo
1945 ● Neil Young → Juno- and Grammy-winning, venerable Canadian country-folk-rock singer/songwriter, started in the early 60s with instrumental rock band The Squires in Manitoba and Ontario, moved to Los Angeles and co-founded seminal folk-rock Buffalo Springfield (“For What It’s Worth,” #7, 1967), started a solo career in 1968 and issued two albums before joining folk-rock supertrio Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (“Ohio,” #11, 1970) in 1969, over the next 40 years appeared as the fourth member of the group on seven albums, simultaneously advancing a highly successful solo career with nine US Top 10 albums and three US Top 10 singles, including “Heart Of Gold” (#1, 1972) and “Rockin’ In The Free World” (Mainstream Rock #2, 1989), his lyrical commentary on social and political issues – and anti-war songs – influenced his peers and new generation musicians equally, continues to record, perform and produce film documentaries into the 10s and issued his 39th studio album, Colorado, in October 2019.
1947 ● Buck Dharma / (Donald Roeser) → Guitar and vocals for hard rock/pop metal Blue Öyster Cult, wrote “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (#12, 1976)
1948 ● Errol Brown → Jamaican vocalist and frontman for Brit interracial R&B/soul-disco Hot Chocolate, “You Sexy Thing” (#3, 1976) and 27 other UK Top 40 hits, including one in every year from 1970 to 1984, died from liver cancer on 5/6/2015, age 66
1952 ● Laurence Juber → Grammy-winning guitarist, played lead for Paul McCartney‘s Wings (1978-81), sessions, solo
1953 ● Calum Macdonald / (Malcolm Macdonald) → Percussion for Scottish Celtic folk-rock Runrig, “An Ubhal As Airde (The Highest Apple)” (UK #18, 1995)
1955 ● Leslie McKeown → Vocals for Scottish teen-pop boy band Bay City Rollers, “Saturday Night” (#1, 1976)
1964 ● David Ellefson → Bassist for hard rock/metal Metallica, then thrash-metal Megadeth, “Symphony Of Destruction” (Mainstream #29, 1992)
1964 ● Vic Chestnutt / (James Victor Chestnutt) → Quadriplegic singer, songwriter and guitarist known for his dark, haunting but comic roots rock style and 17 albums, two produced by Michael Stipe of R.E.M., and songs performed by Madonna, the Indigo Girls, Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M. and others on the charity album Sweet Relief II: The Gravity Of The Situation (1993), died while in a muscle relaxant overdose-induced coma on 12/25/2009, age 45
1968 ● Jo Dunne → Bass guitar in all-girl New Wave pop-punk quartet Fuzzbox (originally We’ve Got A Fuzz Box And We’re Gonna Use It), “International Rescue” (UK #11, 1989)
1976 ● Tevin Campbell → Teenaged hip hop and R&B/soul singer, “Tell Me What You Want Me To Do” (#6, 1991) and four other Top 40 hits between 1990 and 1994
November 13
1940 ● Baby Washington / (Justine Washington) → R&B/sultry soul vocalist with sixteen R&B hits in four decades through the early 80s, including her biggest, the crossover “That’s How Heartaches Are Made” (#40, R&B #10, 1963), continued to perform into the 10s on cruises and oldies specials
1940 ● Carol Connors / (Annette Kleinbard) → Original member of short-lived, one hit wonder pop vocal trio The Teddy Bears (“To Know Him Is To Love Him,” #1, 1958) with Phil Spector, co-wrote “Hey Little Cobra” for the Rip Chords (#4, 1964) and earned an Academy Award for co-writing “Gonna Fly Now” (#1, 1977), the theme song from the film Rocky (1977)
1941 ● Odia Coates → R&B/soul singer known for several light pop duet recordings in the 70s with crooner Paul Anka, including (“You’re) Having My Baby” (#1, 1974), died from breast cancer on 5/19/1991, age 49
1942 ● John P. Hammond → Grammy-winning, underappreciated white blues-folk guitarist, songwriter, producer
1944 ● Timmy Thomas → One hit wonder R&B/soul singer, songwriter and keyboardist, “Why Can’t We Live Together” (#3, 1973), record producer
1946 ● Ray Wylie Hubbard → Texas Hill Country folk and blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, wrote “Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother” but had little commercial success with 15 studio albums, currently hosts a music radio program featuring Americana artists and is considered an elder statesman of Texas music
1947 ● Toy Caldwell / (Toy Tallmadge Caldwell) → Founding member, chief songwriter and lead guitarist for Southern rock pioneers The Marshall Tucker Band, “Heard It In A Love Song” (#14, 1977), fronted Toy Caldwell Band, died from respiratory failure on 2/25/1993, age 45
1949 ● Roger Steen → Guitarist for camp-rock pop-rock satirists The Tubes, “She’s A Beauty” (#10, 1978)
1949 ● Terry Reid → British hard rock guitarist, bandleader, supporting act, session player and sideman
1951 ● Bill Gibson → Percussion for pop-rock bar band Huey Lewis & The News, “The Power Of Love” (#1, 1985)
1953 ● Andrew Ranken → Drummer for Irish folk-punk-rock The Pogues, “Tuesday Morning” (Rock #11, 1993)
1956 ● Aldo Nova / (Aldo Caporuscio) → Canadian pop-rock guitarist, vocalist and producer, “Fantasy” (#23, Mainstream Rock #3, 1982), wrote or co-wrote and produced songs by multiple artists, including the title track to Celine Dion‘s album, A New Day Has Come (#1, CAN #1, UK #1, 2002)
1960 ● Wayne Parker → Bassist for Canadian pop-rock Glass Tiger, “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” (#2, 1986)
1964 ● Dirty Walter Kibby / (Walter A. Kibby II) → Vocals and trumpet for alt rock ska-punk-funk fusion Fishbone, “Sunless Saturday” (Modern Rock #7, 1991)
1979 ● Nikolai Fraiture → Bassist for early 00s garage rock revival The Strokes, “Juicebox” (Modern Rock #9, 2005)
1980 ● Monique Coleman / (Adrienne Monique Coleman) → Pop singer and actress, played “Taylor” in High School Musical movies (most watched cable TV movies ever)
November 14
1900 ● Aaron Copland → Award-winning and influential composer, teacher, writer, critic and conductor known for his “populist” compositions archetypical of the sound of American music, wrote chamber music, vocal works, opera and film scores, including “Fanfare For The Common Man” and “Hoedown” in the 1940s, both of which were interpreted by prog-rock Emerson, Lake & Palmer in the 1970s, died from Alzheimer’s disease and respiratory failure on 12/2/1990, age 89
1915 ● Martha Tilton → Top-level swing and traditional pop vocalist with 24 Top 40 hits with Benny Goodman in the late 30s and another nine as a solo artist in the 40s, including “And The Angels Sing,” (#1, 1939), survived the onslaught of rock ‘n’ roll by acting in movies (The Benny Goodman Story, 1955) and making appearances on radio and TV variety shows, died on 12/8/2006, age 91
1936 ● Freddie Garrity / (Frederick Garrity) → Eccentric frontman and vocalist for British Invasion novelty/comedy pop-rock ‘n’ roll Freddie & The Dreamers, “I’m Telling You Now” (#1, 1965), appeared in children’s TV shows, died from pulmonary hypertension on 5/19/2006, age 69
1937 ● Joe Billingslea, Jr. → Founder and lead singer for early Motown R&B/soul quartet The Contours, “Do You Love Me” (#3, R&B #1, 1962), left Motown and the band in 1964 to work in an auto plant and later a career in law enforcement, reformed the band in the 70s and still tours as The Contours in the 10s
1938 ● Cornell Gunter / (Cornelius Gunter) → Founding member of R&B/doo wop The Platters, “The Great Pretender” (#1, 1956), left the group in 1954 to join The Flairs and The Coasters (“Yakety Yak,” #1, 1959), enjoyed a mildly successful solo career in the 60s and a resurgence in the late 80s before being murdered in his car in Las Vegas by an unknown assassin on 2/26/1990, age 51
1944 ● Scherrie Payne → Lead singer for R&B/soul The Glass House, “Crumbs Off The Table” (#59, R&B #7, 1969), replaced Diana Ross and Jean Terrell in The Supremes in 1973, “You’re My Driving Wheel” (#85, Dance/Club #5, 1977), still performs with other former Supremes, younger sister of soul singer Freda Payne
1947 ● Buckwheat / (Stanley Joseph Dural, Jr.) → Grammy-winning frontman and accordionist for contemporary zydeco band Buckwheat Zydeco (“I Need Your Lovin’,” 1983) mixing Louisiana Creole culture with R&B and rock, toured with Eric Clapton, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon and others, died from lung cancer on 9/24/2016, age 68
1949 ● J.Y. Young / (James V. Young) → Guitarist for prototypical arena rock band Styx, “Too Much Time On My Hands” (#9, 1981)
1951 ● Alec Jon Such → Bassist for pop-metal superstars Bon Jovi, “Living On A Prayer” (#1, 1987), dismissed in 1994 and owned a motorcycle shop in New York City in the 00s
1951 ● Frankie Banali → Drummer and manager for heavy metal/pop-metal Quiet Riot, “Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” (#31, 1983)
1951 ● Stephen Bishop → Pop-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, “On And On” (#11, 1976) and the theme song from the film Tootsie (1977)
1954 ● Yanni / (Yiannis Chryssomalis) → Grammy-winning New Age composer and pianist with seven Top 40 albums, including Live At The Acropolis (#5, 1994)
1964 ● Andrew Banfield → Vocals in Brit R&B/neo-soul-funk The Pasadenas, “Tribute (Right On)” (Dance/Club #27, UK #5, 1988)
1964 ● DJ Run / (Joseph Ward Simmons) → Founding member and vocalist in premier hardcore rap group Run-D.M.C., “Walk This Way” (#4, 1986), now an ordained and practicing Pentecostal minister under the name Reverend Run
1964 ● Nic Dalton → Bassist for post-punk rock then teen-pop Lemonheads, “Into Your Arms” (Modern Rock #1, 1993)
1965 ● Stuart Stapels → Vocals and guitar for Brit folk-pop-soul Tindersticks, “Bathtime” (UK #38, 1997)
1968 ● Brian Yale → Bassist for post-grunge alt rock Matchbox Twenty, “Bent” (#1, 2000)
1972 ● Douglas Payne → Bassist for Scottish trad rock Travis, “Why Does It Always Rain On Me” (#36, UK #10, 2000) plus 11 other UK Top 40 hits
1974 ● Adina Howard → One hit wonder urban contemporary R&B/soul-pop singer, “Freak Like Me” (#2, 1995)
1974 ● Brendon Benson → Multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter with six solo albums, a number of production credits and a member of power pop The Raconteurs (“Steady, As She Goes,” #54, Alt Rock #1, 2006)
1975 ● Faye Louise Tozer → Vocals and dance routines for pre-fab Brit dance-pop group The Steps, “5, 6, 7, 8” (UK #14, 1997), film and theater actress
1975 ● Travis Barker → Drummer for pop-punk Blink-182, “All The Small Things” (#6, 2000)
1982 ● Joy Williams / (Joy Elizabeth Williams) → Contemporary Christian singer and songwriter with an eponymous debut album at age 17 and eight others by 2009, recorded and performed with John Paul White as four-time Grammy winning folk-pop duo The Civil Wars (“Barton Hollow,” #101, AAA #15, 2011), resumed a solo career in 2014
November 15
1905 ● Mantovani / (Annunzio Paolo Mantovani) → Italian composer, light-orchestra conductor and hugely popular easy listening star (“Around The World,” #12, 1957) with 25 albums in the U.S. Top 40 (six simultaneously in 1959), known for his signature cascading strings music structure and mastery of stereo recording techniques, became the most successful British album artist before The Beatles, continued to compose music until his death on 3/30/1980
1916 ● Herb Abramson / (Herbert C. Abramson) → Atlantic Records co-founder and co-owner, president of subsidiary Atco Records, A-1 Studios owner and chief executive, died on 11/9/1999, age 82
1928 ● C. W. McCall / (William D. Fries, Jr.) → Advertising executive turned one hit wonder outlaw country singer and lyricist during the 70s truck driving/CB radio craze, “Convoy” (#1, 1976)
1929 ● Joe Hinton → Journeyman gospel singer with several Memphis vocal groups, then one hit wonder deep R&B/soul balladeer with Willie Nelson‘s “Funny (How Time Slips Away)” (#13, 1964), died from skin cancer at the peak of his career on 8/13/1968, age 38
1932 ● Petula Clark → Hugely popular 50s Brit film actress then Grammy-winning pop singer, “Downtown” (#1, 1965), the first US #1 single by a British female singer, plus 14 other Top 40 hits
1932 ● Clyde McPhatter → Founder and frontman for influential R&B doo wop The Drifters, “Honey Love” (R&B #1, 1954), left in 1956 for solo career, “A Lover’s Question” (#6, R&B #1, 1958) plus six other Top 40 and 11 other R&B Top 20 hits, died after a heart attack on 6/13/1972, age 39
1937 ● Little Willie John / (William Edward John) → Influential but little known R&B/soul singer and songwriter with 17 charting hits, including “Fever” (#24, R&B #1, 1956) and “Talk To Me, Talk To Me” (#20, R&B #5, 1958), convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to prison for stabbing another man in 1966, died in Washington State Penitentiary from a heart attack on 5/26/1968, age 30
1941 ● Rick Kemp → Bassist for Brit electric folk-rock revival band Steeleye Span, “All Around My Hat” (UK #5, 1975)
1941 ● Jim Dickinson → Rock and blues musician, singer, record producer and frontman, started in the mid-60s as a session musician for The Rolling Stones (piano on “Wild Horses”), Ry Cooder and others, as a member of backing band The Dixie Flyers worked for Hank Ballard, Aretha Franklin, Dion and more, went solo in the mid-70s and began producing records for others, died following triple-bypass heart surgery on 8/15/2009, age 67
1945 ● Frida Andersson / (Anni-frid Lyngstad Andersson) → Vocals for internationally successful Scandinavian pop group ABBA, “Dancing Queen” (#1, 1976)
1949 ● Steve Fossen → Founding member and bassist for hard rock Heart, “Magic Man” (#9, 1976), left in 1982 and in 1988 co-founded Canadian power ballad rock Alias, “More Than Words Can Say” (#2, 1990)
1952 ● Michael Cooper → Singer and guitarist for R&B/soul-funk group Con Funk Shun, “Ffun” (#23, 1978)
1953 ● Alexander O’Neal → R&B/smooth soul singer, started with dance-funk The Time, “Get It Up” (R&B #6, 1981), left for solo career, “Fake” (#25, R&B #1, 1987)
1954 ● Tony Thompson → Drummer for top disco/funk band Chic, “Le Freak” (#1, 1978), session work for Madonna, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and others, drummer for the reunited Led Zeppelin in 1985-86, died from renal cell cancer on 11/12/2003, age 49
1955 ● Joe Leeway → Percussion for New Wave synth-pop Thompson Twins, “Hold Me Now” (#3, 1983)
1960 ● Keith Washington → Grammy-nominated R&B/smooth soul one hit wonder balladeer, “Kissing You” (#40, R&B/Hip Hop #1, 1991)
1968 ● Ol’ Dirty Bastard / (Russell Tyrone Jones) → Founding member and bad boy of influential East Coast rap group Wu-Tang Clan, “C.R.E.A.M.” (Hot Rap #8, 1994), collapsed and died during a studio recording session on 11/13/2004, age 35
1974 ● Chad Kroeger / (Chad Robert Thurton) → Lead guitar and vocals for Canadian post-grunge hard rock Nickelback, “How You Remind Me” (#1, 2001)
1988 ● B.o.B. / (Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr.) → R&B/alt Dirty South hip hop singer and songwriter, “Nothin’ On You” (#1, 2010) and two other Top 10 hits in debut
November 16
1873 ● W.C. Handy / (William Christopher Handy) → Highly-influential cornetist, bandleader, songwriter, teacher and music publisher known as the “Father of the Blues,” credited with mainstreaming rural Southern roots music to its contemporary form, published hundreds of new and re-written songs, including the widely popular “The St. Louis Blues” (1914), led a variety of groups from string quartets to minstrels to brass bands, died from bronchial pneumonia on 3/28/1958, age 85
1901 ● Jesse Stone → Songwriter and key figure in the development of rock ‘n’ roll and R&B music in the 50s, wrote or co-wrote several rock ‘n’ roll standards, including “Shake Rattle And Roll” (1954), “Flip Flop And Fly” (1955) and “Don’t Let Go” (1958), died from natural causes on 4/1/1999, age 97
1927 ● Norman Gimbel → Multiple-genre popular music lyricist and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee (1984), co-winner of the song-of-the-year Grammy Award for “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (Roberta Flack, #1, UK #6, 1973), won best-original-song Oscar Award for “It Goes Like It Goes” by Jennifer Warnes from the film Norma Rae (1979), wrote the theme songs to many TV programs, including Happy Days (1974-84) and the spin-off Laverne & Shirley (1976-1983), scored music and wrote songs for movies well into his 80s, died from undisclosed causes on 12/19/2018, age 91
1931 ● Bob Gibson / (Samuel Robert Gibson) → 50s folk singer, songwriter, guitarist and banjoist whose influence on 60s folk revivalists Joan Baez, Harry Chapin, Peter, Paul & Mary and others exceed his success as a recording artist, his career was cut short by drug and alcohol problems, died from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) on 9/28/1996, age 64
1931 ● Hubert Sumlin → Celebrated electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known for his multi-decade collaborations with Howlin’ Wolf, inspiration to Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones), Robbie Robertson (The Band), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and others, #43 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarist of All-Time list, died on 12/4/2011 of heart failure
1933 ● Garnett Mimms → R&B/gospel-soul singer and bandleader, “Cry Baby” (#4, R&B #1 1963) and three other Top 30 hits, left the industry by 1980, became a born-again Christian and ordained minister focused on helping lost souls in prisons
1938 ● Toni Brown → Co-founder, vocals and pianist for hippy folk-rock Joy of Cooking, “Brownsville” (#66, 1981), solo
1938 ● Troy Seals → Country-pop singer, songwriter, guitarist and session musician, brother of Jim (Seals & Crofts, “Summer Breeze,” #6, 1972) and Dan (England Dan & John Ford Coley, “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight,” #2, 1976)
1940 ● John Ryanes → Second bass singer for one hit wonder R&B/doo wop sextet The Monotones, “(Who Wrote) The Book Of Love” (#5, 1958), died 5/30/1972, age 31
1941 ● Dan Penn / (Wallace Daniel Pennington) → Blue-eyed soul singer, songwriter and producer known more for his creations for others than his own recordings, including “I’m Your Puppet” for James & Bobby Purify (#6, 1966), “The Dark End Of The Street” for James Carr (#77, R&B #10, 1966), “The Letter” (#1, 1967) and “Cry Like A Baby” (#2, 1968) for The Box Tops and other artists connected withFAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, continues to write and produce mostly country music into the 10s
1943 ● Blue Lovett / (Winfred “Blue” Lovett) → Founding member and bass vocals in R&B/doo wop then sweet soul quintet The Manhattans, “Kiss And Say Goodbye” (#1, 1976), remained with versions of the group until his death on 12/9/2014, age 71
1945 ● Teenie Hodges / (Mabon Lewis Hodges) → Memphis soul session guitarist and songwriter, worked at Hi Records in the 70s and recorded with multiple acts, best known for working with Al Greenn and co-writing “Take Me To The River” (#117 on Rolling Stone magazine’s Top 500 Songs of All Time list) and “Love And Happiness” (#98 on the list), died from emphysema on 6/22/2014, age 68
1948 ● Chi Coltrane → Teen prodigy pianist and one hit wonder blue-eyed soul, funk and jazz-pop singer with great promise and expectations but a lone charting single, “Thunder And Lightning” (#17, 1972)
1949 ● Patti Santos → Lead vocals for San Francisco psych-folk-rock It’s A Beautiful Day, “White Bird” (1969), died in a car accident on 12/14/1989, age 40
1958 ● Harry Rushakoff → Drummer with post-punk alt rock Concrete Blonde, “Joey” (Modern Rock #1, 1990)
1962 ● Mani (Gary Mounfield) → Bassist for Brit guitar pop-rock The Stone Roses, “One Love” (Alt Rock #9, 1990), then jangle pop/dance fusion Primal Scream, “Movin’ On Up” (Modern Rock #2, 1992)
1964 ● Diana Krall → Two-time Grammy-winning Canadian jazz-pop singer, songwriter and pianist, “Jingle Bells” (Adult Contemporary #5, 2005), the best-selling female jazz artist of the 90s and 00s, married to Elvis Costello
1966 ● Christian “Flake” Lorenz → Keyboardist for heavy metal/Kraut rock Rammstein, “Sehnsucht” (Mainstream Rock #20, 1998)
1966 ● Dave Kushner → Rhythm guitar for punk-metal Wasted Youth and hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver, “Slither” (#56, Mainstream Rock #1, 2004), sessions, solo, film and TV scores
1969 ● Byran Abrams → Vocals in a cappella hip hop harmony group Color Me Badd, “I Wanna Sex You Up” (#2, 1991)
1974 ● Eric Judy → Founding member, bassist and backing vocalist for alt rock Modest Mouse (Lampshades On Fire,” Alt #1, Rock #12, CAN #40), left in 2012 to join indie rock Ugly Casanova
1979 ● Trevor Penick → Vocals for pre-fab teen idol boy-band O-Town, “All Or Nothing” (#3, 2001)
