Happy Birthday this week to:
October 18
1926 ● Chuck Berry / (Charles Edward Berry) → Early breakthrough rock ‘n’ roll pioneer, enduring and immortal guitarist, singer and songwriter, “Johnny B. Goode” (#8, 1958) and 13 other Top 40 hits, major influence on The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and countless other rock and pop artists, found unresponsive in his home and pronounced dead on 3/18/2017, age 90
1938 ● Ronnie Bright → R&B/doo wop bass singer with The Valentines, The Cadillacs and the Deep River Boys, plus session work including a duo with Johnny Cymbal, “Mr. Bass Man” (#16, 1963), now with The Coasters
1940 ● Cynthia Weil → Grammy-winning Brill Building songwriter, often as collaborator with her husband, Barry Mann, wrote or co-wrote dozens of hits for varied artists, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” (#1, 1965) for The Righteous Brothers and “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” (#13, UK #2, 1965) for The Animals
1943 ● Russ Giguere → Vocals, percussion and guitar in light pop-rock vocal group The Association, “Along Comes Mary” (#7, 1966), left briefly for solo career but returned and still tours with the band in 2011
1947 ● Laura Nyro / (Laura Nigro) → Light folk-jazz-pop singer, guitarist and composer with several acclaimed solo albums, wrote “Eli’s Coming” for Three Dog Night (#10, 1969), “Wedding Bell Blues” for The 5th Dimension (#1, 1969), “And When I Die” for Blood, Sweat & Tears (#2, 1969) and “Stoney End” for Barbra Streisand (#6, 1971), died of ovarian cancer on 4/8/1997, age 49
1949 ● Joe Egan → Co-founder, keyboards and vocals in Scottish folk-pop-rock Stealers Wheel, co-wrote “Stuck In The Middle With You” (#6, 1973), left the music industry in the early 80s for a career in book publishing
1949 ● Gary Richrath → Guitarist and principal songwriter for arena rock REO Speedwagon, wrote “Take It On The Run” (#5, 1981) and others songs, left in 1989 for an unsuccessful solo career, rejoined the band for a single benefit concert in 2013, died from unspecified causes on 9/13/2015, age 65
1956 ● Dick Crippen → Bassist in oddball Brit punk-rock Tenpole Tudor, “Who Killed Bambi” (UK #6, 1979)
1958 ● Denise Dufort → Founding member, vocals and drums for early all-girl heavy metal group Painted Lady, which became Girlschool, “Hit And Run” (UK #32, 1981)
1961 ● Wynton Marsalis / (Wynton Learson Marsalis) → Virtuoso jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader, one of the “Young Lions” and a major figure in jazz since the 1980s, his album Standard Time, Vol. 1 (1987) is one of five Grammy-winning albums.
1966 ● Tim Cross → Bassist in post-grunge alt rock Sponge, “Molly (16 Candles Down The Drain)” (Modern Rock #3, 1995)
1971 ● Mark Morriss → Lead singer for indie rock The Bluetones, “Slight Return” (UK #2, 1996), solo
1974 ● Peter Svensson → Guitarist for Swedish pop-rock The Cardigans, “Lovefool” (#1, 1996)
1975 ● Baby Bash / (Ronald Ray Bryant) → Mexican-American smooth rapper, “Suga Suga” (#7, 2003)
1977 ● Simon Rix → Bassist for indie rock Kaiser Chiefs, “Ruby” (UK #1, 2007)
1982 ● Ne-Yo / (Shaffer Smith) → Urban contemporary R&B/pop singer, “So Sick” (#1, 2005) and “Miss Independent” (#7, 2008), the 2009 Grammy Award for Best R&B song
1984 ● Esperanza Spalding / (Esperanza Emily Spalding) → Child-prodigy violinist, 15-year-old concertmaster for the Chamber Music Society of Oregon, Berklee College of Music graduate and four-time Grammy-wining jazz bassist and singer with a growing catalogue of solo albums, including Radio Music Society (#10, Jazz #1, 2012) and collaborations with others
1987 ● Zachary Efron → Actor and singer, “Troy Bolton” in High School Musical movies (most watched cable TV movies ever)
October 19
1910 ● John C. Mills, Jr. → Bass vocals and guitar in six-decade jazz and pop quartet The Mills Brothers (“Cab Driver,” #23, Adult #3, 1968), best known for approximating instrument sounds with vocals, first as a novelty act in the vaudeville era of the 20s and later as the music behind their singing, died while on tour in England on 1/23/1936, age 25
1911 ● George Cates → Big band and easy listening orchestrator, composer and record producer with the instrumental medley hit “Moonglow And Theme From Picnic” (#31, 1956) but known best as the musical director for The Lawrence Welk Show and his successful 50s and 60s TV program, composed Welk‘s theme song “Champagne Fanfare” and led the on air orchestra through 1982, died from heart failure on 5/10/2002, age 90
1934 ● Dave Guard / (Donald David Guard) → Founding member, guitar, banjo, vocals, songwriter and arranger for influential folk-pop The Kingston Trio, “Tom Dooley” (#1, 1958) plus nine other Top 40 hits, left the band in acrimony in 1961, issued solo albums, authored books and participated in occasional reunions until his death from lymphoma on 3/22/1991, age 56
1937 ● Jerry Jaye / (Gerald Hatley) → Singer and guitarist with the rockabilly-tinged Top 30 hit “My Girl Josephine” (#29, 1967) and the country “Honky Tonk Women Love Redneck Men” (Country #32, 1976), continued to record and perform with little impact into the 00s
1940 ● Larry Chance / (Larry Figueiredo) → Lead vocals and frontman for white R&B/doo wop The Earls, “Remember Then” (#24, 1963), still performing on the oldies circuit
1944 ● George McCrae → R&B/soul-disco singer and songwriter, “Rock Your Baby” (#1, 1974), Rolling Stone magazine’s #1 song for 1974
1944 ● Peter Tosh / (Winston Hubert McIntosh) → Guitar and vocals in legendary reggae group The Wailers, left in 1974 for solo career, “(You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back” (1978), murdered by intruders in his home on 9/11/1987, age 42
1945 ● Jeannie C. Riley / (Jeanne Carolyn Stephenson) → Grammy-winning country-pop singer, “Harper Valley PTA” (#1, 1968) and six Country Top 10 hits, switched to gospel music in the late 70s
1945 ● Divine / (Harris Glenn Milstead) → Drag queen, cult-movie star (Pink Flamingos, 1972, and others) and campy disco/dance singer, “Native Love (Step By Step)” (Dance #21, 1982), died from obesity-related cardiomegaly on 3/7/1988, age 42
1946 ● Keith Reid → Chief lyricist with prog/psych rock Procol Harum, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” (#5, 1967), theater management executive.
1947 ● Wilbert Hart → Vocals in pioneering “Philadelphia Sound” smooth R&B/soul The Delfonics, “La-La (Means I Love You)” (#4, 1968), still tours and records with various lineups
1948 ● Patrick Simmons → Guitar and vocals for California soul-pop-rock The Doobie Brothers, “Listen To The Music” (#11, 1972), only consistent member during the band’s 40-plus year history
1955 ● Nino DeFranco → Vocals for teen bubblegum-pop sibling act The DeFranco Family, “Heartbeat-It’s A Lovebeat” (#3, 1973)
1957 ● Karl Wallinger → Keyboardist for pop-rock The Waterboys, then guitar and vocals for World Party, “Way Down Now” (Modern Rock #1, 1990), wrote “She’s The One” for Robbie Williams (UK #1, 1999)
1960 ● Jennifer-Yvette Holliday → R&B/pop singer and Tony-winning actress in the stage version of Dreamgirls (1981), won Grammy Award for “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” (#22, R&B #1, 1982)
1960 ● Woody Woodgate / (Daniel Woodgate) → Drummer for punk/ska revival Madness, “Our House” (#7, 1982) and over 20 other UK Top 40 singles
1965 ● Todd Park Mohr → Namesake, frontman, lead singer, guitarist and chief lyricist for 90s pop/rock Big Head Todd & The Monsters, “Bittersweet” (Mainstream Rock #14, 1993)
1966 ● Sinitta Renay Malone → Anglo-American R&B/dance-pop singer, “Toy Boy” (Dance/Club #19, UK #4, 2005), sometime stage actress
1972 ● Pras Michel / (Prakazrel Michel) → Rapper with R&B/jazz-rap The Fugees, “Killing Me Softly” (#1, 1996), solo, “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Mýa (#15, 1998)
1976 ● Pete Loeffler → Lead guitarist and lead singer in alt metal sibling trio Chevelle, “The Clincher” (Mainstream Rock #3, 2005)
October 20
1885 ● Jelly Roll Morton / (Ferdinand Joseph Lemott) → Early and pivotal jazz pianist and composer credited for writing many of the earliest jazz songs, including “Black Bottom Stomp” (1926), died from asthma on 7/10/1941, age 65
1901 ● Frank Churchill → Pianist and pop music composer known for penning some of the best-loved of Walt Disney‘s early songs for animated short and feature length films, including “Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?” for Three Little Pigs (1933) and “Whistle While you Work” for Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937), won the Oscar for Best Score co-writing the instrumental music to Peter Pan (1941). committed suicide on 5/14/1942, age 40
1910 ● Charlie Fuqua → Founding member, baritone vocals and guitar for pioneering black R&B/doo wop group The Ink Spots, “To Each His Own” (#1, R&B #3, 1946), continued with various incarnations of the group through the 50s, died on 12/21/1971, age 61
1913 ● Grandpa Jones / (Louis Marshall Jones) → Banjo-picking, multi-decade country and gospel music singer, balladeer and Nashville fixture with multiple singles in the 50s and 60s (“T For Texas,” Country #5, 1963), joined the cast of TV country music/comedy show Hee Haw in 1969 and became a national celebrity, died following two strokes after a performance at the Grand Ole Opry on 2/19/1998, age 84
1934 ● Bill Chase / (William Chiaiese) → Jazz and Big Band trumpeter, played with Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman, formed Grammy-nominated jazz-rock fusion Chase, “Get It On” (Top 30, 1971) from the album Chase (#22, 1971), died with other bandmembers in a charter plane crash while on tour on 8/9/1974, age 39
1934 ● Eddie Harris → Innovative, virtuoso jazz saxophonist known for introducing the electrically-amplified saxophone, for his version of “Theme From Exodus (” #36, R&B #16, 1961), for penning the jazz standard “Freedom Jazz Dance” for Miles Davis (1966), and for the collaboration with jazz pianist Les McCann on Swiss Movement (#29, R&B #2, Jazz #1, 1969) and “Compared To What” (CB #96, R&B #35, 1970), died from bone cancer and kidney disease on 11/5/1996, age 62
1937 ● Wanda Jackson → The “Queen of Rockabilly” and later country-pop singer, “Right Or Wrong” (#29, Country #9, 1961) and “Fancy Satin Pillows” (Country #13, 1970)
1939 ● Jay Siegel → Vocals in blue-eyed soul/doo wop The Tokens, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (#1, 1961)
1940 ● Kathy Kirby / (Kathleen O’Rourke) → The “Golden Girl of British Pop,” child prodigy singer and actress whose meteoric rise to stardom in Britain was followed by a quick descent into bankruptcy and obscurity with five years, “Secret Love” (UK #4, 1963), died of a heart attack on 5/19/2011,, age 60
1942 ● John Carter / (John Nicholas Sheakespeare) → Singer, songwriter, session musician and founding member of Brit folk-pop trio The Ivy League, “Funny How Love Can Be” (UK #8, 1965), left to write and produce for pre-fab psych-pop one hit wonder The Flower Pot Men, “Let’s Go To San Francisco” (UK #1, 1967), co-wrote “Little Bit O’ Soul” for The Music Explosion (#2, 1967), “Beach Baby” for The First Class (#4, 1974) and other hits
1945 ● Ric Lee → Drummer for British blues-rock Ten Years After, “I’d Love To Change The World” (Top 40, 1971)
1949 ● Larry Gonsky → Co-founder and keyboards for one hit wonder pop-rock Looking Glass, “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” (#1, 1972)
1950 ● Tom Petty / (Thomas Earl Petty) → Singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader whose music was a staple of rock radio for nearly four decades, fronted roots rock Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (“The Waiting,” #19, Mainstream Rock #1, 1981), issued three solo albums with several hits, including “Free Fallin'” (#7, 1989), joined supergroup The Traveling Wilburys (“Handle With Care,” Mainstream Rock #2, 1988) and reformed the predecessor band to The Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch, in 2007, recorded and toured with The Heartbreakers until his death from cardiac arrest on 10/2/2017, age 66
1951 ● Al Greenwood → Founding member and keyboardist for British-American arena rock band Foreigner, “Double Vision” (#2, 1978), left to form The Spys and session work
1958 ● Mark King → Bass guitar and vocals in jazz-funk-pop fusion Level 42, “Lessons In Love” (#12, 1987)
1958 ● Ricky Byrd → Guitarist with post-punk/hard rock Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll” (#1, 1982)
1964 ● David Ryan → Drummer in post-punk rock then teen-pop Lemonheads, “Into Your Arms” (Modern Rock #1, 1993)
1964 ● Jim “Soni” Sonefeld / (James George Sonefeld) → Drums and vocals for 90s pop-rock quartet Hootie & The Blowfish, “Only Wanna Be With You” (#6, 1995)
1965 ● Norman Blake → Guitar and vocals in Scot pre-grunge, then power pop Teenage Fanclub, “Star Sign” (Mainstream Rock #4, 1991)
1971 ● Dannii Minogue / (Daniellle Jane Minogue) → Aussie pop superstar, actress, model and gay rights activist, “Love And Kisses” (UK Singles #8, Australia #4, 1991) and “Begin To Wonder” (Dance/Club #14, 2003), younger sister of Kylie Minogue
1971 ● Snoop Dogg / (Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr.) → Hugely controversial but successful gangsta rapper, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (#1, 2004) and 8 other Top 40 hits plus multiple Rap Top 10 singles
1977 ● Nicholas Hodgson → Drummer in indie rock Kaiser Chiefs, “Ruby” (UK #1, 2007)
1978 ● Paul Wilson → Bassist for Irish indie-rock Snow Patrol, “Chasing Cars” (#5, 2006)
October 21
1917 ● Dizzy Gillespie / (John Birks Gillespie) → Highly influential bebop and modern jazz trumpet virtuoso, Grammy-winning soloist and orchestra leader, instrumental in the development of Afro-Cuban jazz, died of pancreatic cancer on 1/6/1993, age 75
1925 ● Doctor Ross / (Charles Isaiah Ross) → The “Harmonica Boss,” blues/boogie singer and one-man band guitarist, drummer and harmonica player, “Chicago Breakdown” (1953), won Grammy Ward for his album Rare Blues (1981), died on 9/28/1993, age 67
1925 ● Celia Cruz / (Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso) → Cuban singer, actress, the “Queen of Latin Music” and most popular Latin artist of the 20th century with eight Grammy Awards, twenty-three gold albums, and a National Medal of the Arts, performed with every major Latin bandleader and in every major city in Central and South America, died from complications following surgery for a brain tumor on 7/16/2003, age 77
1936 ● Sheila Jones → Vocals for English pop non-sister trio The Kaye Sisters, “Ivory Tower” (UK #20, 1956)
1937 ● Norman Wright → Tenor vocals in R&B/doo wop The Del-Vikings, “Come Go With Me” (#4, 1957)
1940 ● Jimmy Beaumont → Vocals and frontman for R&B/doo wop The Skyliners, “Since I Don’t Have You” (#12, 1959)
1940 ● Manfred Mann / (Manfred Lubowitz) → South African keyboards, vocals, songwriter, singer and frontman for British Invasion pop-rock Manfred Mann, “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” (#1, 1964), then founded prog/pop-rock Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, “Blinded By The Light” (#1, 1977), solo and producer
1941 ● Steve “The Colonel” Cropper / (Steven Lee Cropper) → Guitarist, songwriter, producer, highly regarded session player, member of Stax Records house band Booker T. & The MG’s, “Green Onions” (#3, 1962) and The Blues Brothers, “Soul Man” (#14, 1979), ranks #36 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
1942 ● Elvin Bishop → Country-blues-rock guitarist, first with The Butterfield Blues Band then solo, “Fooled Around And Fell In Love” (#3, 1976)
1942 ● Yvonne Fair / (Flora Yvonne Coleman) → Backing vocals for the James Brown Revue and solo Motown R&B/soul singer, “It Should Have Been Me” (#85, 1976), died from undisclosed causes on 3/6/1994, age 51
1943 ● Ron Elliott → Songwriter and lead guitarist for pop-rock The Beau Brummels, wrote “Laugh, Laugh” (#15, 1964), solo, sessions and production work
1943 ● Chet Flippo → Writer and editor at Rolling Stone magazine in the 70s and early 80s, championed country music and introduced Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Waylon Jennings to millions of readers, wrote several books, including Your Cheatin’ Heart: A Biography Of Hank Williams (1981), University of Tennessee journalism adjunct professor, Billboard magazine Nashville bureau chief and country music cable TV channel (CMT) editorial director since 2001, died on 6/19/2013 after a brief illness
1945 ● Kathy Young → One hit wonder teen-pop singer, “A Thousand Stars” (#3, 1961)
1946 ● Lee Loughnane / (Lee David Loughnane) → Founding member, trumpeter and songwriter in horn-pop-rock Chicago, “Saturday In The Park” (#3, 1972), continues with the group in a leadership role
1946 ● Lux Interior / (Erick Lee Purkhiser) → Founding member and lead singer for punk-rock The Cramps, “Bikini Girls With Machine Guns” (Modern Rock #10, 1989), died from a burst artery on 2/4/2009, age 62
1947 ● Tetsu Yamauchi → Bassist for early hard-rockers The Faces, “Stay With Me” (#17, 1971), then for proto-metal/hard rock Free, “All Right Now” (#4, 1970)
1952 ● Brent Mydland → Fourth (and longest serving) keyboardist and occasional songwriter for Grateful Dead, “Touch Of Grey” (#9, 1987), died from a drug overdose on 7/26/1990, age 37
1953 ● Charlotte Irene Caffey → Singer, songwriter and bassist for New Wave pop-punk girl group The Go-Go’s, “We Got The Beat”, (#2, 1982), the most successful all-female pop and rock band of all time and the only one to play their own instruments and write their own songs
1953 ● Eric Faulkner / (Eric Falconer) → Scottish guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, in 1972 joined tartan-clad, teen-pop boy band Bay City Rollers (“Saturday Night,” #1, 1976) and penned several of their 70s UK hits, continued to record and perform with various BCR line-ups and as as solo artist into the 10s
1957 ● Attila the Stockbroker / (John Baine) → Punk-folk-pop poet musician and author, frontman for Barnstormer, worked with John Otway and TV Smith
1957 ● Julian Cope → Author, poet, antiquary, musician, electro-pop-psychedelia guitarist and songwriter for The Teardrop Explodes, “Reward” (UK #6, 1981), then solo, “World Shut Your Mouth” (#84, UK #19, 1986)
1957 ● Luke Lukather / (Steven Lee Lukather) → Guitarist for arena pop-rock Toto, “Hold The Line” (#5, 1978), producer, solo
1959 ● Rose McDowall → Vocals for punk-goth-pop Strawberry Switchblade, “Since Yesterday” (UK #5, 1984)
1961 ● Peter Olsson → Original bassist for Swedish hard rock/glam-metal Europe, “The Final Countdown” (#8, 1986)
1969 ● Garfield A. Bright → Vocals for R&B/urban contemporary soul quartet Shai, “If I Ever Fall In Love” (#2, 1992)
1971 ● Jade Jagger → Jewelry designer, jet-set socialite and only child of Mick Jagger and former wife Bianca, half-sister to six other Jagger offspring
1971 ● Nick Oliveri → Former bassist for stoner metal Queens Of The Stone Age, “No One Knows” (#51, Mainstream Rock #5, 2002) and other hard rock bands, currently frontman for punk/metal Mondo Generator
1971 ● Tony Mortimer → Vocalist and rapper for Brit teen dance-pop/hip hop boy band East 17, “Stay Another Day” (UK #1, 1994), plus over 15 other UK Top 40 hits
October 22
1936 ● Bruce Belland → Founding member and lead singer for clean-cut light pop vocal quartet The Four Preps, “26 Miles (Santa Catalina)” (#2, 1958) and 6 other Top 40 hits between 1958 and 1961, later co-starred on the TV sitcom Ozzie And Harriet, wrote several songs for other artists and produced network TV game shows, continued to tour with incarnations of The Four Preps into the 00s
1939 ● Ray Jones → Early bassist for British Invasion pop-rock Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, “Little Children” (#7, 1964), died 1/22/2009, age 60
1942 ● Bobby Fuller / (Robert Gaston Fuller) → Tex-Mex rock ‘n roll singer, songwriter, guitarist and bandleader of the Bobby Fuller Four, “I Fought The Law” (#9, 1959), found dead from unexplained causes in a car parked outside his Hollywood apartment on 7/18/1966, age 23
1942 ● Annette Funicello → Singer, film and TV actress, child cast member on the original Mickey Mouse Club, then teen idol singer, “Tall Paul” (#7, 1959) and beach party film actress in several genre-creating beach films, including Beach Blanket Bingo (1965) and others, died after a long battle with multiple sclerosis on 4/8/2013, age 70
1945 ● Leslie West / (Leslie Weinstein) → Guitarist in pioneering hard rock/heavy metal band Mountain, “Mississippi Queen” (#21, 1970), then power trio West, Bruce & Laing, continues to front various Mountain reincarnations through 2010
1946 ● Eddie Brigati / (Edward Brigati, Jr.) → Vocals and songwriter in blue-eyed soul The Rascals, “Groovin”” (#1, 1967)
1952 ● Greg Hawkes → Synthesizer for New Wave synth-pop-rock The Cars, “Just What I Needed” (#27, 1978), solo and sessions
1956 ● Stiv Bators / (Steven John Bator) → Punk then power pop singer, guitarist and frontman, first for early and nihilistic punk rock The Dead Boys, then New Wave post-punk The Wanderers and later goth rock The Lords Of The New Church, suffered internal injuries when hit by a taxi in a Paris intersection and died several days later on 6/4/1990, age 33
1960 ● Cris Kirkwood → Bassist in punk-psych-country-rock Meat Puppets, “Backwater” (Mainstream Rock #2, 1994)
1965 ● John Wesley Harding / (William Stace) → Folk-pop singer/songwriter, “The Person You Are” (Modern Rock #8, 1991), authorBob Dylan
1968 ● Shaggy / (Orville Richard Burrell) → Reggae dance-pop singer, “It Wasn’t Me” (#1, 2000)
1968 ● Shelby Lynne / (Shelby Lynne Moorer) → Grammy-winning country-pop-rock singer/songwriter, “Wall In Your Heart” (Adult Contemporary #22, 2002)
1976 ● Jonathan Foreman → Co-founder, lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter for alt rock/Christian rock Switchfoot, “Meant To Live” (#18, Modern Rock #5, 2004)
1983 ● Plan B / (Benjamin Paul Balance-Drew) → Rapper, R&B/neo soul singer, songwriter, actor and film director, released the critically acclaimed debut album Who Needs Actions When You Got Words (UK #30, 2006) and followed with The Defamation Of Strickland Blues (UK #1, 2010), had small roles in multiple films, wrote and directed the hip hop musical Ill Manners (2012) and its accompanying UK #1 soundtrack
1985 ● Zachary Walter Hanson → Guitar, keyboards and vocals in teen pop-rock trio Hanson, “MMMBop” (Worldwide #1, 1997)
October 23
1919 ● Katie Lee / (Kathryn Louise Lee) → Folk singer with a dozen albums, mostly about Western U.S. cowboys and rivers, author of several books on similar subjects, and environmental activist best known for her decades-long opposition to the construction and ongoing presence of the Glen Canyon Dam in Northern Arizona, her music and narration were featured on a Smithsonian Institute Folkways compilation album, Songs And Stories From Grand Canyon (2005), died from undisclosed causes on 11/1/2017, age 98
1930 ● Boozoo Chavis / (Wilson Chavis) → Accordion maestro and one of the principal architects of the modern Zydeco sound, the music created by French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, refused to play publicly following his single, the first Zydeco hit “Paper In My Shoe” (1954) but returned in 1984 to tour and record until just prior to his death from complications of a heart attack on 5/5/2001, age 70
1937 ● Yvonne Staples → Backing singer and business manager for father-daughters family gospel then mainstream R&B vocal group The Staple Singers (“I’ll Take You There,” #1, 1972 and two other Top 5 hits), eschewed the limelight but was a recognized stalwart behind the scenes for the group and various solo acts, including her sister, Mavis, for nearly 40 years, retired in the 10s and died from colon cancer on 4/10/2018, age 80
1939 ● Charlie Foxx → With sister Inez, one half of the one hit wonder R&B/soul duo Inez & Charlie Foxx, “Mockingbird” (#7, 1963), died from leukemia on 9/18/1998, age 58
1940 ● Ellie Greenwich / (Eleanor Louise Greenwich) → Brill Building pop music songwriter, singer and producer, wrote or co-wrote multiple hit songs (often with Phil Spector or husband Jeff Barry), including “Be My Baby” for The Ronettes (#2, 1963), “Chapel Of Love” for The Dixie Cups (#1, 1964) and “Hanky Panky” for Tommy James & The Shondells (#1, 1966), died of a heart attack on 8/26/2009, age 68
1942 ● Jan Savage / (Buck Jan Reeder) → Guitarist in psychedelic rock/proto-garage punk The Seeds, “Pushin’ Too Hard” (#36, 1966), left the band in 1968 and fell into obscurity outside the music industry except for reunions in 1989 and 2003, died from undisclosed causes on 8/5/2020, age 77.
1943 ● Barbara Ann Hawkins → With sister Rosa Lee Hawkins and cousin Joan Marie Johnson, vocals in 60s R&B/pop girl-group The Dixie Cups, “Chapel Of Love” (#1, 1964)
1947 ● Greg Ridley → Co-founder and bassist for blues-rock Spooky Tooth, left in 1969 to co-found Humble Pie, “30 Days In The Hole” (1972) and “Hot ‘N’ Nasty” (#52, 1972), left music in 1975 but returned for Humble Pie reunions after 2001, died of pneumonia on 11/19/2003, age 56
1949 ● Würzel Burston / (Michael Burston) → Guitarist for early punk-metal Motörhead, “Ace Of Spades” (UK #15, 1980), left the band for solo career, died from heart disease on 7/9/2011, age 61
1949 ● Nick Tosches / (Nicholas P. Tosches) → Music journalist, biographer and poet labelled as one of the “Noise Boys” in the 70s for his brash, unconventional “gonzo” style, wrote for Creem, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and others magazines but best known for his biographies of Jerry Lee Lewis (Hellfire, 1982), Dean Martin and boxer Sonny Liston, also issued four novels and many other works of fiction and journalism, his Autobiography was released in 2018, died from undisclosed causes on 10/20/2019, age 69.
1953 ● Pauline Black → Vocals in New Wave 2 Tone ska revival The Selecter, “On My Radio” (UK #8, 1979)
1956 ● Dwight Yoakam → Grammy-winning, pioneering roots-country singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Streets Of Bakersfield” (Country #1, 1988) and 13 other Country Top 10 hits
1957 ● Kelly Marie / (Jacqueline McKinnon) → Scottish R&B/disco-pop vocalist, “Feels Like I’m In Love” (UK #1, 1980)
1959 ● Weird Al Yankovic / (Alfred Matthew Yankovic) → Grammy-winning comedian, multi-instrumentalist and song parodist, “Eat It” (#12, 1984) parodying Michael Jackson‘s “Beat It” and “White & Nerdy” (#9, 2006) parodying “Ridin'” by Chamillionaire
1964 ● Roberto Trujillo → Bassist in thrash metal Suicidal Tendencies, “I’ll Hate You Better” (Mainstream Rock #34, 1993) and side project funk-metal Infectious Grooves, joined Ozzy Osbournes band in 1994 and Metallica in 2003
1966 ● David Thomas → Vocals in a cappella gospel Take 6, “I L-O-V-E U” (R&B #19, 1990)
1972 ● Richard McNamara → Guitarist in Brit-pop rockers Embrace, “Gravity” (Modern Rock #36, UK #7, 2004)
1986 ● Miguel / (Miguel Jontel Pimentel) → R&B/pop soul singer and guitarist with seven R&B Top 10 hits as a solo or featured artist, including “Adorn” (#17, R&B #1, 2012)
October 24
1911 ● Sonny Terry / (Saunders Terrell) → Blues and folk harmonica player, developed the “whoopin'” style, session man for Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and others, Broadway and TV actor, died of natural causes on 3/11/1986, age 74
1930 ● The Big Bopper / (Jiles Perry “J.P.” Richardson, Jr.) → Booming-voiced early rock ‘n’ roll DJ, singer and bandleader, “Chantilly Lace” (#6, 1958), died along with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens in an Iowa plane crash on the night of 2/3/1959, age 28
1936 ● Bill Wyman / (William George Perks) → Three-decade bassist for megastar hard rock The Rolling Stones, “Brown Sugar” (#1, 1971), issued solo albums in the 70s, co-founded supergroup Willie And The Poor Boys in the 80s, quit The Stones and now fronts The Rhythm Kings featuring Albert Lee and Peter Frampton
1936 ● Fast Fingers Dawkins / (Jimmy Dawkins) → Blues guitarist and mellow-voiced singer known as a pioneer of the aggressive, percussive “West Side” Chicago blues style, recorded and toured with Otis Rush, Andrew “Big Voice” Odom and others, his debut album Fast Fingers (1969) won the Grand Prix du Disque de Jazz from the Hot Club of France in 1971 as the year’s top album, died of undisclosed causes on 4/10/2013, age 76
1937 ● Santo Farina → Steel guitarist in Italian-American one hit wonder brother duo Santo & Johnny, pop-rock guitar instrumental “Sleepwalk” (#1, 1959)
1942 ● Donald W. Gant → Singer, songwriter and record producer, one half of pop-rock duo The Neon Philharmonic, “Morning Girl” (#17, 1969), produced albums for Jimmy Buffett, Lefty Frizzell and others, died following a serious boating accident on 3/15/1987, age 44
1944 ● Ted Templeman → Singer, guitarist and vocal arranger in folk-sunshine-pop Harper’s Bizarre, “Feelin’ Groovy” (#13, 1967), then record producer for Van Morrison, Little Feat, The Doobie Brothers, Van Halen and others
1946 ● Jerry Edmonton / (Gerald McCrohan) → Drummer in Canadian-American hard rock, proto-metal Steppenwolf, “Born To Be Wild” (#2, 1968), died in a car accident on 11/29/1993, age 47
1947 ● Robert Edgar Broughton → Singer, guitarist and frontman for Brit blues then prog-rock Edgar Broughton Band, “Apache Dropout” (UK #33, 1970)
1948 ● Barry Ryan / (Barry Sapherson) → Singer with identical twin brother in pop Paul & Barry Ryan, “Don’t Bring Me Your Heartaches” (1965), solo, “Eloise” (UK #1, 1968), currently a professional photographer
1948 ● Buffin Griffin / (Terence Dale Griffin) → Drummer in early Brit glam-rockers Mott The Hoople, “All The Young Dudes” (#37, 1972), producer for The Cult, Hanoi Rocks, Nirvana and others, including BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel
1948 ● Paul Ryan / (Paul Sapherson) → Singer and songwriter with identical twin brother in pop vocal duo Paul & Barry Ryan, “Don’t Bring Me Your Heartaches” (1965), wrote his brother’s solo hit, “Eloise” (UK #1, 1968), left the industry and managed a chain of hairdressing salons until his death from lung cancer on 11/29/1992, age 44
1949 ● Tiny Tavares / (Perry Lee Tavares) → Cape Verdean-American singer with his four brothers in R&B/funk-disco Tavares, “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel” (#15, 1976), continued to tour into the 10s
1962 ● Debbie Googe → Bassist for art-prog-rock, “shoe-gazing” pioneers My Bloody Valentine, “Only Shallow” (Modern Rock #27, 1992)
1969 ● Rob Green → Drummer in blue-eyed soul revival and trad rock Toploader, “Dancing In The Moonlight” (UK #7, 2000)
1970 ● Alonza Bevan → Bassist for post-Britpop psych/mystic rock Kula Shaker, “Hush” (Mainstream Rock #19, 1997)
1970 ● Eds Chesters / (Edward Daniel Chesters) → Drummer for indie rock The Bluetones, “Slight Return” (UK #2, 1996)
1978 ● Sabrina Washington → Lead vocals in “UK urban” R&B/dance-pop trio Mis-Teeq, “One Night Stand” (Dance/Club #4, 2004), solo and TV actress
1979 ● Ben Gillies → Co-founder and drummer for Aussie alt-grunge-rock Silverchair, “Tomorrow” (Modern Rock #1, 1994)
1980 ● Monica / (Monica Arnold) → R&B/urban contemporary singer, “Before You Walk Out Of My Life” (#7, R&B #1, 1995) and seven other Top 10 hits
1983 ● Adrienne Bailon → Hip hop soul and R&B/dance-teen-pop 3LW (aka 3 Little Women), “No More (Baby I’ma Do Right)” (#23, 2001) and Disney pre-fab dance-pop Cheetah Girls, “Strut” (#53, 2006), TV host and film actress
1986 ● Drake / (Aubrey Drake Graham) → Canadian R&B/hip hop vocalist, “Find Your Love” (#5, 2010) and six other Top 40 hits, TV actor
