Happy Birthday this week to:
November 17
1937 ● Gerry McGee → Lead guitar for pioneering and venerable rock ‘n’ roll instrumental combo The Ventures, “Walk – Don’t Run” (#2, 1960)
1937 ● Peter Cook → Writer, satirist, stage and film actor, modern British comedian, collaborator with Dudley Moore in the comedy duo Derek & Clive, “Goodbye-ee” (UK #18, 1965), host of UK TV music show Revolver, died from intestinal bleeding caused by alcoholism on 1/9/1995, age 57
1938 ● Gordon Lightfoot / (Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr.) → Globally-revered, nationally-beloved Canadian folk-pop singer, songwriter and guitarist with twenty Top 40 hits at home and eight in the US, including “Sundown” (#1, CAN #1, 1974) and his signature song, the improbable Top 40 hit “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” (#2, CAN #1, 1976), performed in concert worldwide and in Canadian national celebrations over a decades long career, issued his 21st and final studio album, Solo, in 2020, two months and 54 years after his debut album, and performed live for a final time in October 2022, died from natural causes on 5/1/2023, age 84.
1942 ● Bob Gaudio → Co-founder, co-songwriter and lead singer in early rock ‘n’ roll The Royal Teens, “Short Shorts” (#3, 1958), co-founder, constant member, songwriter and producer of Top 40 pop vocal quartet The Four Seasons, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (#1, 1962), producer and songwriter for many others, co-producer (with Frankie Valli) of the Tony-winning Broadway show Jersey Boys (2005)
1944 ● Gene Clark / (Harold Eugene Clark) → Early country-rock singer and songwriter with The New Christy Minstrels, seminal folk-country-rock The Byrds, “Mr. Tambourine Man” (#1, 1965), Dillard & Clark, co-wrote “Eight Miles High” (Top 20, 1966), died of a heart attack on 5/24/1991, age 46.
1946 ● Martin Barre / (Martin Lancelot Barre) → Guitarist and songwriter best known for his 43 years with progressive folk-rock Jethro Tull (“Living In The Past,” #11, UK #3, 1973) from their second album, Stand Up (#20, UK #3, 1969) to the band’s dissolution in 2012, along the way shared a Grammy Award for his guitar work on Crest Of A Knave (#32, UK #19, 1987) and appeared on several “best of” lists for his solo on “Aqualung” (1971), continues to tour and play Jethro Tull music as the Martin Barre Band in the 10s
1947 ● Rod Clements → Folk-rock bassist for Lindisfarne, “Lady Eleanor” (, 1971) and Jack The Lad, session work and solo albums
1947 ● Stewkey Antoni / (Robert Antoni) → Vocals for psych-rock/garage rock The Nazz, “Hello It’s Me” (#66, 1970) and hard rock Fuse (with Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos of the future Cheap Trick)
1948 ● Iain Sutherland → Vocals, guitars and keyboards with his brother, Gavin in Scottish folk-rock sibling duo The Sutherland Brothers (“(I Don’t Want To Love You But) You Got Me Anyway,” #48, 1973), then joined with an obscure rock group (and former backing band for Al Stewart) to form The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver, releasing nine UK singles including “Arms Of Mary” (#81, UK #5, 1975), earlier co-wrote “Sailing,” which became a hit when covered by Rod Stewart (#58, UK #1, 1975), retired from performing in the 80s but continued to write songs covered by Paul Young, Boyzone and others, died from undisclosed causes on 11/25/2019, age 71.
1951 ● Dino Martin / (Dean Paul Martin, Jr.) → Actor and singer, son of trad pop/MOR singer Dean Martin, member of the Hollywood-pedigree, teenage bubblegum pop trio Dino, Desi & Billy with Desi Arnaz Jr. and classmate Billy Hinsche, “”I’m A Fool” (#17, 1965), officer with the California Air National Guard, died when his CANG F-4 Phantom crashed in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles on 3/21/1987, age 35
1951 ● Johnny Fean → Joined Irish band Horslips in 1972 as guitarist and played with the Celtic rock pioneers for nearly 50 years through various dissolutions, reformations, and spin-offs, in 2008 played with horn rock The Miami Showband and later formed The Johnny Fean Band with Miami bandmate Stephen Travers, rejoined Horslips for occasional live performances in the 10s and died at home from unspecified causes on 4/28/2023, age 71.
1955 ● Peter Cox → New Wave synth-pop duo Go West, “King Of Wishful Thinking” (#8, 1990), now with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
1957 ● Jim Babjak → Founding member and lead guitarist for alt pop-rock The Smithereens, “Only A Memory” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1988), songwriter with multiple film and TV credits
1960 ● RuPaul / (RuPaul Andre Charles) → Cross-dressing drag queen, dance-pop singer and songwriter, “Back To My Roots” (Dance #1, 1993), TV and radio host
1966 ● Jeff Buckley / (Jeffrey Scott Buckley) → Alt folk-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Last Goodbye” (Modern Rock #19, 1995), son of folk singer Tim Buckley, drowned in a Memphis river during a fully-clothed, spontaneous swim on 5/29/1997, age 30
1967 ● Ben Wilson → Keyboardist for blues-rock jam band Blues Traveler, “Run-Around” (#8, 1995)
1967 ● Ronnie DeVoe / (Ronald Boyd DeVoe Jr.) → Vocals for R&B/teen pop then hip hop/new jack swing vocal quartet New Edition, “If It Isn’t Love” (#7, 1988), then Bell Biv Devoe, “Poison” (#3, 1990)
1972 ● Kimya Dawson → Singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist, has several solo albums and co-fronted the anti-folk duo Moldy Peaches, “Anyone Else But You” (2007) was featured in the hit film Juno
1980 ● Clarke Hanson / (Clarke Isaac Hanson) → Guitar, vocals and keyboards for teen pop-rock brother trio Hanson, “MMMBop” (Worldwide #1, 1997)
1981 ● Sarah Harding / (Sarah Nicole Hardman) → Singer in English-Irish pre-fab Euro-pop girl group Girls Aloud with twenty consecutive UK Top 10 hits (and four Number Ones) beginning with their debut single “Sound Of The Underground” (UK #1, 2002) and continuing for eight years into 2009, during the group’s hiatus to 2012 acted on BBC TV and contributed vocals to a one-off project, issued a solo EP in 2017 and a solo single (“Wear It Like a Crown”) in March 2021 that reached the #1 on iTunes, died from breast cancer on 9/5/2021, age 39.
November 18
1909 ● Johnny Mercer / (John Herndon Mercer) → Popular music lyricist, composer, singer and pianist, wrote or co-wrote over 1,500 songs, many of which are pop standards, won Grammy Awards for “Moon River” (1961) and “Days Of Wine And Roses,” died from an inoperable brain tumor on 6/25/1976, age 66
1922 ● Albert Dvorin → Music promoter and talent agent, planned and managed Elvis Presley‘s tours for 22 years from the mid-50s and coined the phrase “Elvis has left the building,,” died in a car accident returning from an Elvis impersonator performance on 8/22/2004, age 81
1926 ● Dorothy Collins / (Marjorie Chandler) → Canadian-American girl-next-door pre-rock ‘n’ roll traditional pop singer and TV entertainer, scored several minor hits in the 50s (“My Boy – Flat Top,” #16, 1955), featured vocalist on 50s top music variety show Your Hit Parade and spokeswoman for sponsor The American Tobacco Co., left to co-host TV’s immortal Candid Camera and perform in theater and on Broadway, died from asthma(!) and heart disease on 7/21/1994, age 67
1927 ● Hank Ballard / (John Henry Kendricks) → Vocals and frontman for R&B doo wop The Midnighters, raunchy proto-rock ‘n’ roll “Work With Me, Annie” (banned/no charts, 1954), solo, “Finger Poppin’ Time” (R&B #2, 1960), co-wrote “The Twist” for Chubby Checker (#1, 1960), died from throat cancer on 3/2/2003, age 75
1935 ● Pervis Staples → Grade school, street corner singing pals with Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls, toured the gospel circuit in the late 50s and early 60s with his father, Roebuck “Pops” and sisters Mavis and Cleotha as The Staple Singers, left before the group transitioned to soul-funk music with non-religious lyrics and a string of Top 40 hits, including “I’ll Take You There” (#1, 1972), became an agent for R&B girl-group The Emotions (“Best Of My Love,” #1, R&B #1, Dance #11, 1977) and operated a Chicago night club, died from unspecified causes on 5/6/2021, age 85.
1936 ● Don Cherry → Innovative “free” jazz cornetist and trumpeter, father of alternative singer Eagle-Eye and stepfather of hip hop dance-pop Neneh, died on 10/19/1995, age 58
1941 ● Con Cluskey / (Conleth “Con” Cluskey) → With his brother, Dec and John Stokes, founding member, vocals and multiple instruments in Irish beat pop-rock trio The Bachelors, “Diane” (#10, UK #1, 1964) and seven other UK Top 10 hits in 1964-66, continued to perform with various lineups of the band through the 00s
1945 ● Mark Weitz → Keyboards for 60s psych-pop-rock Strawberry Alarm Clock, “Incense And Peppermints” (#1, 1967)
1947 ● Mike Carbello → Congas and percussion for Latin-rock Santana, “Black Magic Woman” (#4, 1970), session work on over two dozen albums for The Rolling Stones, Steve Miller, Jimi Hendrix, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton and many others
1949 ● Herman “Ze German” Rarebell / (Hermann Erbel) → Drummer for German hard rock/metal Scorpions, “Rock You Like A Hurricane” (#25, 1984)
1950 ● Graham Parker → Author, singer, songwriter, guitarist, frontman for Brit pub-rock The Rumour and solo, “Wake Up (Next To You)” (#39, Mainstream Rock #19, 1985)
1950 ● Rudy Sarzo / (Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont) → Cuban-American bassist for heavy metal/pop-metal Quiet Riot, “Bang Your Head (Metal Health)” (#31, 1983)
1954 ● Charles Williams → Keyboardist for R&B/soul-funk-disco KC & The Sunshine Band, “That’s The Way (I Like It)” (#1, 1975) and five other #1 hits
1954 ● John Parr → One hit wonder pop-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” (#1, 1985)
1958 ● Laura Lynch / (Laura Caroline Lynch) → Founding member, upright bass guitarist, co-lead singer and occasional songwriter for country-rock “cowgirl” group Dixie Chicks (known as The Chicks since 2020), pushed out of the band in 1996 prior to their rise to stardom with three Pop Top 10 and fourteen Country Top 10 hits, including “Landslide” (#7, Country #2, 2002), started a second career in public relations for a Dallas hospital, later sold real estate and renovated commercial buildings in West Texas, died in an automobile crash on 12/22/2023, age 65.
1958 ● Michael Ramos → Keyboards for roots rock The BoDeans, “Closer To Free” (#16, 1993)
1960 ● Kim Wilde / (Kim Smith) → New Wave synth-pop singer, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (#1, 1987) plus 20 other Top 50 UK singles, author, Brit TV host and professional landscape gardener
1961 ● Janice Kuehnemund → Founding member, lead guitar and vocals for critically-panned but huge selling 80s all-female glam metal quartet Vixen, “Cryin'” (#22, 1989)
1962 ● Kirk Hammett → Lead guitar and vocals for heavy metal Metallica, “Enter Sandman” (#10, 1991), #11 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
1962 ● Jeff Ward → Journeyman drummer in the Chicago industrial music scene, including a brief stint with Nine Inch Nails (1990-1991) as their tour drummer and gigs with Ministry, Skafish and others, died by suicide brought on by heroin addiction on 3/19/1993, age 30
1963 ● Jeremy Tepper / (Jeremy Evan Tepper) → Musician, journalist and radio personality with a long and varied career performing and promoting alt country music (or “outlaw country” or the self-named “rig-rock” music for truckers) through his own band World Famous Blue Jays, in his own magazine Street Beat, on his record label Diesel Only, on his Outlaw Country Cruise of the Caribbean with 1,200 dedicated fans, and on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country and Willie’s Roadhouse channels as program director from the early 00s until his death following a heart attack in a New York City hospital on 6/14/2024, age 60.
1969 ● Duncan Sheik → Alternative pop-rock singer and songwriter, “Barely Breathing” (#16, 1997), Grammy-winning stage and film score composer
1972 ● Matt Knight → Bassist and vocals for alt pub rock/white soul Toploader, covered “Dancing In The Moonlight” (UK Top 10, 2000)
1975 ● Ant McPartlin / (Anthony David McPartlin) → Actor, singer and one half the pop music duo PJ & Duncan (later renamed Ant & Dec), “Lets Get Ready To Rhumble” (UK #9, 1994), TV host
1977 ● Fabolous / (John David Jackson) → East coast rapper, “Can’t Let You Go” (#4, 2003)
1984 ● Johnny Christ / (Joanthan Lewis Seward) → Starting in 2003, bass guitar and backing vocals for pop/metal Avenged Sevenfold, “Bat Country” (#60, Mainstream Rock #2, 2005)
November 19
1905 ● Tommy Dorsey → Noted Swing Era bandleader, trombonist and songwriter, “Tea For Two” (#7, 1958), brother of jazz reed player Jimmy Dorsey
1927 ● The Singing Postman / (Allan Francis Smethurst) → Brit folk singer and actual postal service employee who hummed tunes while delivering the mail and eventually released several novelty-pop albums and the hit “Hev Yew Gotta Loight, Boy,” which won the Novello Award in 1966 for best novelty song, died penniless in a Salvation Army hostel on 12/24/2000, age 73
1927 ● Joe Hunter → R&B pianist for Hank Ballard & The Midnighters (“Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go,” #6, R&B #1, 1960), then early 60s in Motown house band The Funk Brothers, which provided nearly all instrumentation behind every Motown hit, left in 1963 to become a freelance session player and arranger, died in Detroit on 2/2/2007.
1928 ● Don Hunstein / (Donald Robert Hunstein) → Staff photographer at Columbia Records from the 1950s to 1986, credited with hundreds of well-known photos of rock legendaries, including the iconic album cover to The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963) and memorable images of Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel and others, died from Alzheimer’s disease on 3/18/2017, age 88
1936 ● Robert Willie White → Session guitarist in Motown house band The Funk Brothers, played the guitar riff in The Temptations‘ classic “My Girl” (#1, 1965) and performed on multiple other Motown hits, died from complications following open heart surgery on 10/27/1994
1936 ● Ray Collins → Founding member and vocals in L.A. blue-eyed soul The Soul Giants, recruited Frank Zappa as guitarist who transformed the band into satirical rock group The Mothers Of Invention, “Brown Shoes Don’t Make It” (1967) and eventually Zappa’s backing band, left in 1968 and became a taxi driver and drifter until his death following a heart attack on 12/24/2012, age 73
1937 ● Geoff Goddard → Songwriter and session keyboardist, wrote “Johnny Remember Me” for John Leyton (UK #1, 1961) and dozens of other 60s rock ‘n’ roll tunes, played on Brit instrumental rock ‘n’ roll The Tornados‘ “Telstar” (#1, 1962), the first major US hit by a British group, retired from the music industry in the mid-60s, died on 5/15/2000
1938 ● Hank Medress → Vocals in blue-eyed R&B/doo wop The Tokens, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (#1, 1961), producer for Tony Orlando & Dawn, Melissa Manchester, Dan Hill, Rick Springfield and others, record label executive with EMI Canada and Bottom Line Records, died from lung cancer on 6/25/2007, age 68
1938 ● Jerry Fuller / (Jerrell Lee Fuller) → Songwriter, singer and record producer with seven minor charting singles as a solo artist but dozens of hits written for others, including chart-toppers by Ricky Nelson (“Travelin’ Man,” #1, UK #2, 1961) and Gary Puckett & The Union Gap’s “Young Girl” (#1, UK #1, 1968), also produced multiple hit recordings, among them the Knickerbockers’ “Lies” (#20, UK #1, 1966) and Al Wilson’s “Show and Tell” (#1, R&B #10, 1973), worked with country music artists such as Reba McEntire and Ray Price in he 70s and 80s, issued a three-volume set of his renditions of his own oeuvre in 2016-2018, died at home from lung cancer on 7/18/2024, age 85.
1939 ● Pete Moore / (Warren Moore) → Bass vocalist for R&B/soul-pop The Miracles, co-wrote “Going To A Go-Go” (#11, 1965)
1943 ● Fred Lipsius → Piano and saxophone for jazz-rock/pop-rock fusion band Blood, Sweat & Tears, “Spinning Wheel” (#2, 1969)
1946 ● Joe Correro, Jr. → Drummer for hard-edged rock ‘n roll Paul Revere & The Raiders, “Just Like Me” (#11, 1965) plus 14 other US Top 30 hit singles
1952 ● Bill Sharpe → Founding member and keyboardist for Brit jazz fusion Shakatak, “Night Birds” (UK #9, 1982)
1952 ● Eddie Rayner → Keyboards for New Wave pop-rock Split Enz, “I Got You” (#53, UK #12, 1980), producer and music director for New Zealand Idol
1954 ● Annette Guest → Vocals in Philly R&B/disco female group First Choice, “The Player, Part 1” (R&B #7, 1974)
1957 ● Phil Spalding / (Philip Trevor Spalding) → English child advertising model turned session bass guitarist, appeared on dozens of albums by Mick Jagger, Elton John and many others over a 40-year career, played in Mike Oldfield’s progressive rock band, with Steve Howe and Steve Hackett in album rock supergroup GTR, on the Lion King film soundtrack LP (1994), and with The Who at their acoustic concerts in London 2020, died from unexplained causes on 2/5/2023, age 65.
1960 ● Matt Sorum → Anglo-Norwegian hard rock drummer and percussion, toured with The Cult, joined hard rock Guns N’ Roses in 1989, “November Rain” (#3, 1992), then co-founded hard rock supergroup Velvet Revolver, “Fall To Pieces” (Mainstream Rock #1, 2004)
1965 ● J Spaceman / (Jason Pierce) → Leader of Brit psych-space-rock bands Spacemen 3, “Revolution” (UK Ind. #1, 1989) and Spiritualized, “Lazer Guided Melodies” (UK #27, 1992), solo
1965 ● Sonic Boom / (Pete Kember) → Founding member, guitar and organ for Brit psych-space-rock Spacemen 3, “Revolution” (UK Ind. #1, 1989)
1969 ● Travis McNabb → Drummer and percussionist with alt pop-rock Better Than Ezra, “Good” (#30, Modern Rock #1, 1995), since 2007 in backing band for country-pop duo Sugarland, “All I Want To Do” (#18, Country #1, 2008)
1971 ● Justin Chancellor → Bassist for prog-metal bands Peach and Grammy-winning Tool, “Vicarious” (Modern Rock #2, 2006)
1971 ● Tony Rich / (Antonion Jeffries) → Grammy-winning contemporary R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Nobody Knows” (#2, 1996)
November 20
1924 ● Irwin Stambler → Music-loving aeronautics engineer who published “The Encyclopedia of Rock, Pop and Soul” in 1974, one of the earliest compilations of facts and biographies covering a broad swath of contemporary music and a resource for countless researchers, authors and bloggers up to the present, died from sepsis on 2/10/2017, age 92
1930 ● Curly Putman / (Claude Putman, Jr.) → Nashville-based country-pop songwriter who wrote “Green, Green Grass Of Home,” covered by Porter Wagoner (Country #4, 1965), Tom Jones (#11, Easy #12, UK #1, 1966), Elvis Presley, Grateful Dead and many others, Paul McCartney‘s “Junior’s Farm” (#3, UK #16, 1974) was inspired by a visit to Putman’s Tennessee farm, died from congestive heart and kidney failures on 10/30/2016, age 85
1940 ● Tony Butala / (Anthony Francis Butala) → Lead vocals and only constant member of close-harmony folk-pop trio The Lettermen, “When I Fall In Love” (#1, 1961), still performing in the 10s
1941 ● Dr. John / (Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack, Jr.) → Six-time Grammy-winning New Orleans boogie-blues-folk-rock pianist, guitarist and singer of “voodoo” music, swamp rock and Mardi Gras-tinted jazz and blues, best-known for the piano funk single “Right Place, Wrong Time” (#9, 1973) and the Grammy duet with Rickie Lee Jones, “Makin’ Whoopee” (1989), but issued 32 albums and appeared with numerous other artists on hundreds of recordings, died from a heart attack on 6/6/2019, age 77.
1942 ● Norman Greenbaum → One hit wonder Jewish (not Christian) pop/rocker, “Spirit In The Sky” (#3, 1970), retired from music in late 70s and took up dairy farming
1943 ● Suze Rotolo / (Susan Rotolo) → Greenwich Village artist and Bob Dylan girlfriend who appeared with him on the iconic cover of album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963), died of lung cancer on 2/25/2011, age 67
1944 ● Mike Vernon / (Michael William Hugh Vernon) → Founder and CEO of Blue Horizon record label, blues-rock album producer with credits on dozens of albums for David Bowie, Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, Ten Years After and others
1944 ● Paul Griggs → Pop-rock musician, songwriter, bandmember and producer, formed mid-60s Brit pop-psych Octopus with his brother, Nigel (later of Split Enz), joined pre-fab pop band Guys ‘N’ Dolls, “There’s A Whole Lot Of Loving” (UK #2, 1975), since the mid-80s has written and produced various award-winning songs and several albums of his work
1945 ● “Dirty Dan” McBride / (Daniel Hatton) → Vocals for rock ‘n roll revival “greaser” parody group Sha Na Na (“(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet,” #55, 1975), died in his sleep on 7/23/2009, age 63
1946 ● Ray Stiles → Bassist in for Brit “good time” glam-rock ‘n’ roll Mud, “Tiger Feet” (UK #1, 1974), joined pop-rock The Hollies in 1989 and continues with the band
1946 ● Duane Allman / (Howard Duane Allman) → Slide guitar virtuoso and co-founder of Southern rock The Allman Brothers Band, did session work with Wilson Pickett, Derek And The Dominos (guitar solo on “Layla,” #10, 1972) and others, died in a motorcycle accident on 10/29/1971, age 24
1946 ● J. Blackfoot / (John Colbert) → Original member in R&B/soul vocal quartet The Soul Children (“I’ll Be The Other Woman, #36, R&B #3, 1973), the group did not meet the expectations of Isaac Hayes and other Stax Records executives who created the group to offset the loss of departed duo Sam & Dave, died from pancreatic cancer on 11/30/2011, age 65
1947 ● Joe Walsh → Songwriter and guitarist for underrated hard rock The James Gang, “Walk Away” (#51, 1971), left for an off-and-on solo career, “Life’s Been Good” (#12, 1978), joined the Eagles in 1975 and co-wrote “Life In The Fast Lane” (#11, 1976)
1950 ● Gary Green → Guitarist for innovative prog rock Gentle Giant from 1970 to 1980
1954 ● Frank Marino → Founder, frontman and lead guitarist for 70s Canadian power rock trio Mahogany Rush and various incarnations through the 00s
1956 ● Robert Poss → Guitar and vocals for guitar-centric, “noise” rock quartet Band Of Susans, “Where Have All The Flowers Gone” (1988)
1957 ● Jim Brown → Drummer in multiracial reggae-pop UB40, “Red Red Wine” (#1, 1988) and over 30 other Top 40 hits
1961 ● Jim Brickman → Former advertising jingle writer and classical-trained pianist turned adult pop and light new age singer and songwriter, “Simple Things” (Adult Contemporary #1, 2001) plus six gold and platinum, longtime host for his own radio music variety show and PBS TV music specials
1961 ● Paul King → Irish-born New Wave pop-soul singer and frontman for King, “Love & Pride” (US #55, UK #2, 1985), solo album, since 1989 a VJ and producer on MTV and VH1
1962 ● Gail Ann Dorsey → Top alt rock session bassist and backing vocalist, worked with Tears For Fears, Bryan Ferry, The The, Gwen Stefani and others, member of David Bowie‘s band since 1995
1962 ● Steve Alexander → Vocals for Brit soul/pop boy band Brother Beyond, “The Harder I Try” (UK #2, 1988)
1962 ● Todd Nance → Original drummer for Southern rock jam band Widespread Panic, sat in with other musicians at a charity event in Athens, Georgia in 1986 and, at the end of the show, the group formed Widespread Panic, stayed through twelve studio and eight live albums until 2016 when a chronic medical condition forced his early retirement, died from the same undisclosed illness on 8/19/2020, age 57.
1965 ● Mike D / (Michael Louis Diamond) → Drummer, singer and rapper for hardcore punk then hip hop masters the Beastie Boys, “Fight For Your Right” (#7, 1987)
1965 ● Sen Dog / (Senen Reyes) → Vocals and rapper in Latino R&B/hip hop Cypress Hill, “Insane In The Brain” (#19, Rap #1, 1994) and The Reyes Brothers
1966 ● Eg White / (Francis Anthony White) → Vocals in Brit soul/pop boy band Brother Beyond, “The Harder I Try” (UK #2, 1988), now a successful songwriter with hits by Will Young, Natalie Imbruglia, Joss Stone, Kylie Minogue and others
1966 ● Kevin Gilbert → Multi-instrumental composer and producer, member of prog rock Giraffe and Toy Matinee, co-wrote “All I Wanna Do” (#2, 1995) with then-girlfriend Sheryl Crow,, died from apparent autoerotic asphyxiation on 5/17/1996, age 29
1970 ● Phife Dawg / (Malik Isaac Taylor) → Trinidadian-American rapper and member of acclaimed artistic hip hop jazz-rap fusion trio A Tribe Called Quest, “Check The Rhime” (Rap #1, 1991), then solo, “Flawless” (Rap #4, 2000), died from complications of diabetes on 3/22/2016, age 45
1973 ● Jacqueline Abbott → Lead vocals for alt pop-rock The Beautiful South, “A Little Time” (UK #1, 1990)
1975 ● Davey Havok / (David Paden Passaro) → Lead vocals for alt-punk-rock AFI (A Fire Inside), “Miss Murder” (#24, Modern Rock #1, 2006) and electronica Blaqk Audio “Stiff Kittens” (Dance/Club #38, 2007)
1975 ● Dierks Bentley → Country-rock crossover singer, songwriter and guitarist with 14 Country Top 10 hits, ten of which went #1, including “What Was I Thinkin’ (#22, Country #1, 2003)
1975 ● Jeffrey Lewis → Anti-folk singer, songwriter and guitarist with over 20 solo and collaborative albums, underground comic book artist and frequent collaborator with the Moldy Peaches and other anti-folk acts
1975 ● Tamika Scott → Vocals for female R&B/dance-pop quartet Xscape, “Understanding” (#8, 1993)
1981 ● Kimberly Walsh → Singer in pre-fab all-girl Euro-pop vocal group Girls Aloud, “Sound Of The Underground” (UK #1, 2002)
1986 ● Michael Jared Followill → Bassist in Southern blues-indie rock Kings Of Leon, “Sex On Fire” (Modern Rock #1, 2008)
November 21
1907 ● Buck Ram / (Samuel Ram) → R&B/soul composer, arranger and producer from the 1930s on, managed 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, wrote and produced for The Coasters, The Drifters, Ike & Tina Turner and others, died on 1/1/1991, age 83
1933 ● Jean Shepard / (Ollie Imogene Shepard) → Pioneering female honky tonk and country music singer with 24 studio albums and 21 Country Top 20 hits, including the crossover singles “Slippin’ Away” (#81, Country #4, 1973) and, in collaboration with Ferlin Husky, “A Dear John Letter” (#4, Country #1, 1953), continued to perform into her 80s and became the first female to be a Grand Old Opry member for over 60 years, died from complications of Parkinson’s and heart disease on 9/25/2016, age 82
1941 ● David Porter → Songwriting partner with Isaac Hayes at Stax Records, co-wrote “Soul Man” (#2, 1967) for Sam & Dave and other hits, released two solo R&B/piano albums and several singles
1941 ● Andrew Love → Saxophonist for legendary Stax Records‘ house band The Memphis Horns, played sessions for Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Sam And Dave, Elvis Presley, The Doobie Brothers, The Rascals and countless other top rock and soul acts, continued to do session work until retiring in 2002 due to Alzheimer’s disease, died on 4/12/2012, age 70
1942 ● Thunderclap Newman / (Andy Newman) → Keyboards for one hit wonder Brit psych-pop, Pete Townshend-produced Thunderclap Newman, “Something In The Air” (#37, UK #1, 1969)
1948 ● Lonnie Jordan / (LeRoy Jordan) → Singer and keyboardist for laid-back R&B/soul-funk War, “Spill The Wine” (#3, 1970), solo.
1948 ● Rabbit Bundrick / (John Bundrick) → Touring keyboardist for The Who since the late 70s, session musician for Bob Marley, Roger Waters, Eric Burdon and others, briefly a member of Free, principal musician for The Rocky Horror Picture Show, solo
1948 ● Mark Tulin → Bassist for psych/garage rock icons The Electric Prunes (“I Had To Much To Dream (Last Night),” #11, 1967), joined psych/goth/prog rock Smashing Pumpkins in 2008, returned to recording with new versions of The Electric Prunes and other psych/garage rock oldies groups, collapsed after a SCUBA dive at a volunteer underwater cleanup event and died on 2/26/2011, age 62
1948 ● Tom Finn / (Thomas Joseph Finn) → Founding member, bass guitarist and vocals for baroque-pop The Left Banke and two hit singles, “Walk Away Renee” (#5, 1966) and “Pretty Ballerina “ (#15, 1967), after then group disbanded became an engineer at Bell Sound Studios and then stage manager at Buddy Rich’s New York jazz nightclub, in the 80s worked as a DJ in various New York clubs before founding his own company and developing an upscale clientele, including Bill Clinton’s 1999 White House Millennium Gala, died following a period of ill health on 6/27/2020, age 71.
1948 ● Michael David “Mick” Rock / (Michael Edward Charles Smith) → Acclaimed British photographer often called “The Man Who Shot the Seventies” for his prolific and iconic images of top-level 70s rock stars including Queen, Lou Reed, The Ramones and dozens of others, official photographer to David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust days, continued to shoot into the 10s, including promo images for Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga and Rufus Wainwright, published the photo album Debbie Harry and Blondie: Picture This (2019), died from undisclosed causes on 11/18/2021, age 72.
1949 ● Randy Zehringer → With his brother Rick Derringer, drummer in garage-rock legends The McCoys and their classic “Hang On Sloopy” (#1, 1965) plus two other clunky 60s rock hits, played with various versions of Johnny Winter and Edgar Winter‘s blues-rock groups in the 70s and retired from music due to health reasons in the mid-70s
1950 ● Gary Pihl → Guitarist for hard rock Sammy Hagar‘s band, left in 1986 to join arena rock Boston, “Amanda” (#1, 1986)
1950 ● Livingston Taylor → Light folk-pop singer and songwriter, “I Will Be In Love With You” (#13, 1978), brother of James Taylor
1952 ● Lorna Luft → TV and film actress with multiple small part credits, stage perfumer and unremarkable pop singer, daughter of Judy Garland and half-sister of Liza Minelli, issued several non-charting singles in the 70s and 80s, sang backing vocals on Blondie‘s album Eat To The Beat (1979)
1953 ● Asa Brebner → Bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and local club legend in a number Boston-area bands, including proto-punk/cult bands Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers (“Roadrunner,” 1977) and Robin Lane & The Chartbusters, whose video for “When Things Go Wrong” was a mainstay on early MTV, from 1988 on soldiered through a up-and-down solo career, did session and production work, drew cartoons for High Times and other magazines, attended Chartbusters reunions, died from a heart attack on 3/9/2019, age 65.
1955 ● Peter Koppes → Guitarist and backing vocals for Aussie New Wave psych-pop then prog rock The Church, “Under The Milky Way” (#30, 1989)
1962 ● Steven Curtis Chapman → Hugely successful contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter and guitarist fusing light 70s rock and pop sounds with religious themes, five-time Grammy winner and holder of 56 Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association and seven Artist of the Year awards from the GMA, “Cinderella” (Adult Contemporary #23, Christian #4, 2003), his songs have been recorded by Glen Campbell, Roger Whittaker and others
1965 ● Björk Gundmundsdottir → Vocals for Icelandic alt pop-rock The Sugarcubes, “Hit” (Modern Rock #1, 1991), solo and actress
1967 ● Margret Ornolfsdottir → Keyboards and vocals for Icelandic alt pop-rock The Sugarcubes, “Hit” (Modern Rock #1, 1991)
1968 ● Alex James → Bassist for alt rock then Britpop quartet Blur, “Girls & Boys” (Alt Rock #4, 1994), journalist, TV actor and host, radio personality and cheese maker
1970 ● Francis McDonald → Drummer in Scot pre-grunge, then power pop Teenage Fanclub, “Star Sign” (Mainstream Rock #4, 1991)
1974 ● Kelsi Marie Osborn → Vocals and guitar in country-pop sister trio SHeDAISY, “I Will…But” (#43, Country #2, 1999)
November 22
1899 ● Hoagy Carmichael / (Howard Hoagland Carmichael) → Composer, actor, singer, pianist and bandleader, wrote or co-wrote several classic American pop tunes including “Stardust” (1927), “Georgia On My Mind” (1930) and “Heart And Soul” (1938), died of heart failure on 12/27/1981, age 82
1941 ● Jesse Colin Young / (Perry Miller) → Mid-60s Greenwich Village folk singer and songwriter, co-founded folk-rock The Youngbloods (“Get Together, #5, 1969), left in 1972 for a 40-year solo career, including LPs Song For Juli (#51, 1973) and Songbird (#26, 1975) plus several charting singles
1941 ● Terry Stafford → One hit wonder country and pop-rock singer and songwriter with the Elvis sound-alike “Suspicion” (#4, 1961), died from liver ailments on 3/17/1996, age 54
1942 ● Floyd Sneed / (Floyd Chester Sneed) → Canadian drummer recruited by then-brother-in-law Tommy Chong (of stoner comedy act Cheech & Chong) to play in Chong’s rock band in the Vancouver, BC area, relocated to L.A. in 1966 and joined pop-rock hitmakers Three Dog Night with “Joy To The World” (#1, 1971) and nine other Top 10 hits between 1969 and 1973, left in 1977 to tour with the Ohio Players and other groups, as well as former TDN bandmate Chuck Negron the oldies circuit in the 90s and 00s, died from undisclosed causes on 1/27/2023, age 80.
1942 ● Stephen Caldwell → Vocals in mixed gender R&B doo-wop quartet The Orlons, “The Wah-Watusi” (#2, R&B #5, 1962), left the group in 1964 for a career in trade union management and 29 years on the Philadelphia Board of Education, reformed the group in 1988 for the oldies circuit
1946 ● Family Man Barrett / (Aston Francis Barrett) → Rastafarian and bassist for reggae bands The Upsetters and Bob Marley & The Wailers, “I Shot The Sheriff” (#1, 1974)
1946 ● Aston “Family Man” Barrett / (Aston Francis Barrett) → Jamaican musician and Rastafarian best known as the musical director and bandleader for reggae legend Bob Marley’s backing band before and after Marley’s death in 1981, played a large role in bringing reggae music’s hypnotic rhythms to the world stage, continued to front the band and mentor new generations of reggae bassists until retiring in 2016, turned the reins over to his son Aston Jr. who played his father in the biopic Bob Marley: One Love (2024), suffered as series of strokes and died of heart failure on 2/02/2024, age 77.
1947 ● Sonny Geraci → Lead singer for Cleveland garage rock quintet The Outsiders (“Time Won’t Let Me,” #5, 1966) and L.A. light AM pop Climax (“Precious And Few,” #3, 1972), one of only a very few artists who have scored Top 10 its fronting two different acts, continued to perform on the oldies circuit into the 10s
1947 ● Rod Price → Slide guitar for Brit boogie/blues-rock Foghat, “Slow Ride” (#20, 1975), solo, died following a heart attack on 3/22/2005, age 57
1948 ● Dennis Larden → With brother Larry, guitar and vocals for one hit wonder pop-folk Every Mother’s Son, “Come On Down To My Boat” (#6, 1967)
1950 ● “Miami” Steve (aka “Little Steve”) Van Zandt / (Steven Van Zandt) → Guitarist and songwriter, founding member of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, joined Bruce Springsteen‘s E Street Band in 1975, solo and frontman for Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul, social activist and founder of Artists United Against Apartheid, record producer and TV actor (“Silvio Dante” on The Sopranos).
1950 ● Tina Weymouth → Bassist for New Wave art-pop-rock Talking Heads, “Take Me To The River” (#26, 1978) and co-founder of synth-pop Tom Tom Club, “Genius Of Love” (#31, R&B #2, 1982)
1954 ● Craig Huxley / (Craig Hundley) → Child actor turned Emmy-winning film producer and Grammy-nominated musician and soundtrack producer over a wide range of projects, including concert collaborations with Deep Purple, session work with Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and others, soundtrack composer for the Star Trek movie series, music director for actor/singer William Shatner, founder of The Enterprise Interactive recording studios and producer of hits by Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, Paul McCartney and dozens more, music arranger for Broadway shows, IMAX films and extreme expedition Blue-ray videos
1957 ● Sharon Bailey → Percussion for Brit reggae-pop-ska band Amazulu, “Too Good To Be Forgotten” (UK #5, 1986)
1958 ● Jason Ringenberg → Founder, frontman for alt country-rock “cowpunk” Jason & The Scorchers, “Golden Ball And Chain” (Mainstream Rock #16, 1986), now records and performs children’s music as Farmer Jason
1960 ● Jim Bob / (James Morrison) → One half of the alt dance-pop sampling duo Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, “The Only Living Boy In New Cross” (Modern Rock #26, UK #7, 1992)
1962 ● Daniel Schmid → Co-founder and bassist for jazz-rock-ska-swing revival Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, “Zoot Suit Riot” (Modern Rock #15, 1998)
1962 ● Neil Fraser → Guitar for Brit folk-pop-soul Tindersticks, “Bathtime” (UK #38, 1997)
1968 ● Rasa Don / (Donald Norris) → Rapper in Grammy-winning, progressive rap, funk-soul-blues-hip-hop Arrested Development, “Mr. Wendal” (#6, 1992)
1970 ● Chris Fryar → Drummer for Grammy-winning alt-country-rock Zac Brown Band (“Knee Deep,” #18, Country #1,, 2012)
1976 ● Alex Grossi → Journeyman rock guitarist best known for his work with heavy metal/pop-metal Quiet Riot (“Bang Your Head (Metal Health),” #31, 1984)
1978 ● Karen O / (Karen Lee Orzolek) → Vocals and keyboards for New York alt/art-rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Gold Lion” (Alt Rock #14, 2006)
1979 ● Scott Robinson → Vocals for Brit dance-pop boy band 5ive (aka Five), “When The Lights Go Out” (#10, 1998)
1981 ● Ben Adams → Vocals for Brit-Norwegian pop-rock boy band A1, “Same Old Brand New You” (UK #1, 2000)
November 23
1925 ● Johnny Mandel / (John Alfred Mandel) → Journeyman jazz and Big Band musician in the 50s who became a Grammy-winning jazz and pop music composer, arranger and conductor for movie soundtracks after 1958, including “The Shadow Of Your Smile” from The Sandpiper (1964) and “Close Enough For Love” from Agatha (1969), best known for penning the melody and music to “Suicide Is Painless” (1970), the theme song from the movie and TV show MAS*H (and a surprise #1 hit in the UK) and the updated arrangement to “Unforgettable” (#14, AC #3, 1991) for Natalie Cole and her late, dubbed-in father, Nat King Cole, died from a heart ailment on 6/29/2020, age 94.
1939 ● Betty Everett → R&B/soul-pop vocalist and pianist, “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss)” (#6, R&B #1, 1964), died at home on 8/19/2001, age 61
1940 ● Freddie Marsden / (Frederick John Marsden) → With brother Gerry Marsden, co-founder and drummer in 50s Brit skiffle band Mars Bars, which shortly became Merseybeat pop-rock Gerry & The Pacemakers(“How Do You Do It?, #9, AUS #3, UK #1, 1964), the second most popular Liverpool, England band of all time, left the music industry in the late 60s to open a driving school, died from cancer on 12/9/2006, age 66
1945 ● Bobby Bloom / (Robert Bloom) → One hit wonder calypso-pop singer and songwriter, “Montego Bay” (#1, 1974), died in an accidental gun shooting on 2/28/74, age 28
1949 ● Alan Paul → Singer in Grammy-winning jazz-pop fusion vocal group Manhattan Transfer, “Boy From New York City” (#7, 1981)
1949 ● Marcia Griffiths / (Marcia Llyneth Griffiths) → Jamaican pop singer and the “Queen of Reggae,” solo artist in the 60s and later in the I Threes as backing vocalist for Bob Marley & The Wailers, went solo and scored the minor hit “Electric Boogie” (#51, 1982) which became the basis for Ric Silver‘s dance-craze, copyright-infested “Electric Slide” (1976)
1949 ● Sandra Stevens → Vocals in Brit sunny folk-pop Brotherhood of Man “United We Stand” (#13, UK #10, 1970)
1954 ● Bruce Hornsby → Grammy-winning rock-pop-jazz-classical-bluegrass keyboardist, singer and songwriter, bandleader for The Range “The Way It Is” (#1, 1986), solo, producer for Leon Russell and others, filled in on keyboards for the Grateful Dead, now fronts separate bluegrass and jazz bands
1962 ● Calvin Hayes → Keyboards and drums for underappreciated, one hit wonder (in the U.S.) New Wave sophisti-pop Johnny Hates Jazz, “Shattered Dreams” (#2, 1988)
1962 ● Chris Bostock → Bassist in dance-pop-rock Jo Boxers, “Boxer Beat” (UK #3, 1983)
1964 ● Conny Bloom / (Conquistador Blomqvist) → Guitarist and songwriter for Finnish glam-punk-metal Hanoi Rocks, covered Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s “Up Around The Bend” (UK #61, 1984)
1966 ● Charlie Grover → Drummer in post-grunge alt rock Sponge, “Molly (16 Candles Down The Drain” (Modern Rock #3, 1995)
1966 ● Ken Block → Lead singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer for Southern folk-rock Sister Hazel, “All For You” (#11, 1997), solo
1978 ● Alison Mosshart → Singer, songwriter and occasional model, lead singer for indie rock The Kills (“The Good Ones,” UK #23, 2005) and blues-rock supergroup The Dead Weather (“Die By The Drop,” Alt Rock #20, 2010)
1978 ● Tommy Marth / (Thomas Christian Marth, Jr.) → Freelance journalist, Las Vegas nightclub manager,Hard Rock Café marketing director and session saxophonist in alt hard rock The Killers (“Mr. Brightside,” #10, Alt. Rock #3, 2003), committed suicide by gunshot on 4/23/2012, age 33
1984 ● Lucas Stephen Grabeel → Pop singer and actor, played “Ryan Evans” in High School Musical movies (most watched cable TV movies ever)
1992 ● Miley Cyrus / (Destiney Hope Cyrus) → Teen idol actress and star of the Disney Hannah Montana series, then pop vocalist, “Party In The U.S.A.” (#2, 2009), daughter of country-pop singer Billy Ray Cyrus