Happy Birthday this week to:
October 30
1908 ● Patsy Montana / (Ruby Rose Blevins) → Country singer, songwriter and occasional actress, the first female country music artist to have a million-selling record (“I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” 1935), died of cancer on 5/3/1996, age 87
1925 ● Teo Macero / (Attilio Joseph Macero) → Jazz musician, composer and record producer who produced three of the best-selling and groundbreaking jazz albums of all time, Dave Brubeck‘s Time Out (1959) and Miles Davis‘ Kind Of Blue (1959) and Bitches Brew (1970), also issued several solo albums, played in various jazz ensembles and projects, and produced TV and film soundtracks, including Martin Scorsese‘s The Blues, died in his sleep on 2/19/2008, age 82
1931 ● Dick Gautier / (Richard Gautier) → Stand-up comedian, nightclub singer, small-role film and TV sitcom actor, game show panelist and Tony Award nominated actor, portrayed the vain rock ‘n’ roll star in the original Broadway version of Bye, Bye Birdie (1960) (1960) and the robot character Hymie in the Get Smart TV program (1965-1970), appeared in multiple other programs and did voice-over work into the 90s, died from pneumonia on 1/13/2016, age 85.
1934 ● Ray Smith → One hit wonder rockabilly and teen-pop singer, “Rockin’ Little Angel” (#22, 1960, the biggest hit for little Judd Records, owned by Sun Records‘ owner Sam Phillips‘ brother, Jud), continued to record and perform in the U.S. and Canada without success, committed suicide on 11/29/1979, age 45
1939 ● Eddie Holland / (Edward Holland, Jr.) → With brother Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, one third of the Motown songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, co-wrote dozens of hits for The Supremes, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, Freda Payne, Chairmen Of The Board and others, producer and solo artist, “Jamie” (#30, R&B #6, 1962).
1939 ● Grace Slick / (Grace Barnett Wing) → Singer, songwriter and lead vocals for 60s psych-rock The Great Society, then Jefferson Airplane, “Somebody To Love” (#5, 1967) and 70s/80s arena rock Jefferson Starship, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us” (#1, 1987)
1939 ● Norman West / (Norman Richard West, Jr.) → 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
1941 ● Otis “Big Daddy” Williams / (Otis Miles, Jr.) → Co-founder and baritone for The Elgins, which became R&B giants The Temptations, “My Girl” (#1, 1965) and Grammy-winning “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” (#1, 1972), still performs with the group as the only original member
1945 ● Henry Winkler / (Henry Franklin Winkler) → Emmy-winning stage and TV actor, film director and producer, played the character Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli on retro-50s sitcom Happy Days in the 70s
1946 ● Chris Slade / (Christopher Rees) → Welsh drummer for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, “Blinded By The Light” (#1, 1977), also played or toured with Gary Moore, The Firm, AC/DC, Uriah Heep and others
1947 ● Timothy B. Schmit → Folk then country-rock bassist, first with Poco, left in 1977 to join Eagles, “New Kid In Town” (#1, 1977), sessions and solo, “Boys Night Out” (#25, 1987)
1949 ● David Green → Bassist in Aussie light pop-rock Air Supply, “The One That You Love” (#1, 1981)
1960 ● Byron Burke → Vocals in R&B/house urban-dance Ten City, “Right Back To You” (Dance #1, 1989)
1960 ● Joey Belladonna / (Joseph Belladini) → Lead singer for speed/thrash metal Anthrax, “Only” (Mainstream #26, 1993), solo
1962 ● Geoff Beauchamp → Guitarist in Brit pop-rock Eighth Wonder, “Cross My Heart” (Dance/Club #10, 1988)
1963 ● Jerry DeBorg → Guitarist in techno-electronic pop-dance Jesus Jones, “Right Here, Right Now” (#2, 1991)
1965 ● Gavin Rossdale → Lead singer and rhythm guitar for alt-rock Bush, “Glycerine” (Mainstream #4, 1995) and Institute, “Bullet-Proof Skin” (Mainstream Rock #26, 2005), solo, married to Gwen Stefani
1969 ● Snow / (Darrin O’Brien) → Juno Award-winning Canadian reggae-rapper, “The Informer” (#1, 1993)
1970 ● Tommy Walter → Co-founder, bassist and songwriter for indie rock Eels, “Novocaine For The Soul” (Modern Rock #1, 1997), then founded alt-rock Abandoned Pools, “The Remedy” (Modern Rock #27, 2002)
1973 ● Maurizio Lobina → Keyboards for Italian dance-pop trio Eiffel 65, “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” (#6, 1999)
1976 ● Kassidy Lorraine Osborn → Vocals in country-pop sister trio SHeDAISY, “I Will…But” (#43, Country #2, 1999)
1989 ● Vanessa White → Vocals in electro-pop girl-group The Saturdays, “Missing You” (UK #3, 2010)
October 31
1912 ● Dale Evans / (Lucille Wood Smith) → “Queen of the Cowgirls” and beloved country-and-western entertainer with her third husband, singing cowboy Roy Rogers, wrote the signature song “Happy Trails To You” and co-starred in 28 films with her husband and on the popular 50s TV series The Roy Rogers Show, died from congestive heart failure on 2/7/2001, age 88
1926 ● Sir Jimmy Savile → Radio DJ, dance hall manager, music impresario, actor, TV host, first (1964) and last (2006) host of BBC’s Top of the Pops program, died from pneumonia on 10/29/2011, age 84
1927 ● Anita Kerr → Country-pop and easy listening vocalist, composer and bandleader, fronted Grammy-winning The Anita Kerr Singers and contributed to country music’s pop-oriented “Nashville Sound” in the 60s by providing backing vocals on scores of albums by top artists, collaborated with Rod McKuen on mood-music albums in the 60s, wrote and produced film soundtracks in the 80s
1937 ● Tom Paxton → Greenwich Village folk singer and songwriter, “The Last Thing On My Mind” (1964) and the children’s song “Goin’ To The Zoo” (1964), still touring and recording in the 10s
1939 ● Farka Touré / (Ali Ibrahim Touré) → The “African John Lee Hooker,” talented and renowned Malian singer, multi-instrumentalist and world music recording artist with dozens of albums in several languages, blended African rhythmic and musical traditions that evoke the origins North American blues, ranked #76 on Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” died from bone cancer of 3/7/2006, age 66
1940 ● Eric Griffiths → Guitarist in the original lineup of skiffle/rock ‘n’ roll band The Quarrymen, precursor to The Beatles, left in 1958 to join the Merchant Navy, died from pancreatic cancer on 1/29/2005, age 64
1945 ● Rik Kenton → Bassist in Brian Ferry-led art/glam/prog rock Roxy Music (“Virginia Plan,” UK #4, 1972) in the early 70s, left for a brief solo career then founded 80s mixed race, reggae-pop-rock Savage Progress (“My Soul Unwraps Tonight,” 1984)
1945 ● Russ Ballard → Guitarist and songwriter in hard/art rock Argent, wrote “God Gave Rock And Roll To You” (1973), solo career and songwriter for other artists, including Three Dog Night‘s “Liar” (#7, 1971) and Hot Chocolate‘s “So You Win Again” (#31, 1977)
1952 ● Tony Bowers → Bassist for Brit blues-rock Blind Eye, punk rock Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, and soul-pop Simply Red, “Holding Back The Years” (#1, 1986)
1952 ● Bernard Edwards → Bassist, co-founder, co-writer and producer for top R&B/disco band Chic, “Le Freak” (#1, 1978), produced albums for ABC, Power Station, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart and others, died from pneumonia after an all-star “tribute” show in Japan on 4/18/1996, age 43
1961 ● Larry Mullen. Jr. → Drummer and songwriter for Irish mega-star rockers U2, “With Or Without You” (#1, 1987) “With Or Without You” (#1, 1987), co-wrote and arranged the official Irish national football team song “Put ‘Em Under Pressure” for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, frequent collaborator with bandmate Adam Clayton, including work on the soundtrack to the 1996 film Mission: Impossible and the remake of “Theme from Mission: Impossible” (#8, 1996).
1963 ● Johnny Marr / (John Martin Maher) → Guitarist and songwriter for definitive Brit indie rock The Smiths, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” (UK #10, 1984), post-punk supergroup Electronic, “Getting Away With It” (Dance/Club #7, 1990), The The, Modest Mouse and The Cribs
1963 ● Mikkey Dee / (Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou) → Drummer and songwriter in theatrical rock King Diamond, left in 1992 to join punk-metal Motörhead, “Born To Raise Hell” (UK #47, 1994)
1964 ● Colm O’Ciosoig → Drummer for art-prog-rock, “shoe-gazing” pioneers My Bloody Valentine, “Only Shallow” (Modern Rock #27, 1992)
1965 ● Annabella Lwin / (Myint Myint Aye) → Vocals in New Wave Afro-Euro-synth-pop Bow Wow Wow, “I Want Candy” (#22, 1982)
1966 ● Ad-Rock / (Adam Horovitz) → Guitarist and rapper in hardcore punk then blue-eyed hip hop the Beastie Boys, “Fight For Your Right” (#7, 1987)
1967 ● Adam Schlesinger / (Adam Lyons Schlesinger) → Chief songwriter, guitarist and vocalist in power pop Fountains Of Wayne (“Stacy’s Mom,” #21, 2003), indie pop Ivy and supergroup Tinted Windows, enjoyed a second career writing songs for TV, theater and film soundtracks, including Academy Award-nominated “That Thing You Do” (#41, 1996) from the movie of the same name, and producing for The Monkees, Robert Plant, They Might Be Giants and others, died from complications of the COVID-19 virus at the peak of his career on 4/1/2020, age 52.
1968 ● Al Mackenzie → Multi-instrumentalist in techno-dance-pop D:Ream, “U R The Best Thing” (Dance #1, 1993)
1968 ● Alistair McErlaine → Guitarist in Scottish blues-rock Texas, “In My Heart” (Alt Rock #14, 1991)
1968 ● Vanilla Ice / (Robert Matthew Van Winkle) → Blue-eyed rapper, “Ice Ice Baby” (first hip hop single to hit #1, 1990)
1970 ● Linn Berggren / (Malin Berggren) → Vocals in Swedish pop-rockers Ace Of Base, “All That She Wants” (#2, 1993)
1980 ● Charles Moniz → Canadian drummer for hardcore punk rock Grade, later bassist for Avril Lavigne band
1981 ● Frank Iero / (Frank Anthony Iero, Jr.) → Rhythm guitarist and vocalist in 00s alt rock/emo band My Chemical Romance, “Welcome To The Black Parade” (#9, 2006), vocals for Leathermouth
1982 ● Gabriela Irimia → Romanian singer with her twin sister Monica in one hit wonder dance-pop duo The Cheeky Girls, “Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)” (UK #2, 2002)
1982 ● Monica Irimia → Romanian singer with her twin sister Gabriella in one hit wonder dance-pop duo The Cheeky Girls, “Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum)” (UK #2, 2002)
November 01
1903 ● Don Robey → Record label owner, producer and songwriter whose influence over the development of R&B/pop was immeasurable, launched or managed the careers of Bobby “Blue” Bland, Big Mama Thornton, the Dixie Hummingbirds, Memphis Slim, Little Junior Parker and many others through his Peacock and Duke labels (the first African-American to own a successful record label), sold to ABC/Dunhill in 1973 and died of a heart attack on 6/16/1975, age 71
1936 ● Andre Williams / (Zephire Andre Williams) → Detroit-area R&B/blues musician whose talking-style vocals were an early precursor of hip hop/rap music, recorded with The Don Juans and solo (“Bacon Fat,” R&B # 9, 1957), co-wrote “Shake A Tail Feather” covered by The Five Du-Tones, James & Bobby Purify (#25, 1967) and Ike & Tina Turner, spent the 60s writing for Motown acts and occasionally recording (“Cadillac Jack,” R&B #46, 1968), descended into drug addiction and homelessness in the 80s but returned in the 90s when his gravelly-baritone delivery and smutty, off-color songs were “discovered” by a new generation – including neo-punk rockers – and his popularity resurged, recorded a variety of albums in disparate genes, including country, smooth soul, funk and rap until his death from cancer on 3/17/2019, age 82.
1937 ● “Whisperin'” Bill Anderson / (James William Anderson III) → Prolific and respected country music singer/songwriter, TV personality and Sirius XM radio host with 29 Country Top 10 hits from 1960 to 1979 and seven crossover country-pop singles, including “Still” (#8, Country #1, 1963), over 400 of his songs have been recorded and released by other artists
1940 ● Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler → Vietnam veteran and one hit wonder pop star, “The Ballad Of The Green Berets” (#1, 1966), fell into a coma after being shot in an attempted robbery and died a year later on 11/5/1989, age 49
1944 ● Kinky Freidman / (Richard S. Freidman) → The “Jewish Cowboy,” irreverent country-rock satirist, singer, songwriter and bandleader, The Texas Jewboys, novelist, journalist and would-be politician
1944 ● Mike Burney → Saxophonist for eccentric jazz-pop Wizzard, “See My Baby Jive” (UK #1, 1973)
1946 ● Rick Grech / (Richard Roman Grechko) → Bassist for blues/art rock Family, “In My Own Time” (UK #4, 1971), supertrio Blind Faith (US #1 album Blind Faith, 1969), Traffic, Ginger Baker’s Air Force, died from alcohol-related kidney failure on 3/17/1990, age 43
1947 ● Jim Steinman / (James Richard Steinman) → Multi-genre piainist, singer, composer and record producer best known for writing all of the songs on Meat Loaf‘s hugely successful, operatic Bat Out Of Hell LP (#14, 1977), among other music and theatrical achievements wrote and produced hit singles “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” (Bonnie Tyler, #1, 1983), “Read ‘Em And Weep” (Barry Manilow, #14, AC #1, 1983) and “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” (Air Supply, #2, 1983), continued to write and produce through the 90s, 00s and 10s, (including an aborted, heavy metal version of Tchaikovsky‘s The Nutcracker in 2012), suffered a second stroke in 2017 and died after four years of declining health on 4/19/2021, age 73.
1949 ● David Foster → Canadian producer, composer, musician, arranger for dozens of top MOR/easy listening artists and recordings, including The Bee Gees, Michael Bublé, Clay Aiken, Céline Dion, Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Faith Hill and many others
1950 ● Dan Peek → Multi-instrumental singer and songwriter for folk-pop America, wrote “Lonely People” (#5, 1974), later moved to Contemporary Christian pop music, died in his sleep on 7/24/2011, age 60
1951 ● Ronald “Khalis” Bell / (Ronald Nathan Bell) → With his brother Robert “Kool” Bell and five other, co-founding member, saxophonist, co-songwriter and singer for jazz-fusion then R&B/funk Kool & The Gang, “Jungle Boogie” (#4, R&B #2, 1973) plus nearly 30 other R&B Top 10 singles in the 1970s and 80s, including the enduring, wedding party standard “Celebration” (#1, R&B #1, 1980), continued to perform and record with his band until a sudden death from undisclosed causes on 9/9/2020, age 68.
1954 ● Chris Morris → Guitarist for pop-rock one hit wonder Paper Lace, “The Night Chicago Died” (#1, UK #3, 1974), a second single “Billy, Don’t Be A Hero” (#96, UK #1, 1974) qualifies them as a two hit wonder in the UK
1957 ● Lyle Lovett → Witty country-pop singer/songwriter, “Give Me Back My Heart” (Country #13, 1987), three-time Grammy Award winner, former husband of actress Julia Roberts
1959 ● Eddie Macdonald → Bassist for post-punk anthem rockers The Alarm, “Sold Me Down The River” (Mainstream #2, 1989)
1962 ● Anthony Kiedis → Vocals for funk-rock Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Californication” (Modern Rock #1, 2000)
1962 ● Mags Furuholmen → Guitar and keyboards for Norwegian synth-pop A-ha, “Take On Me” (#1, 1985)
1963 ● Rick Allen → Drummer for hard rock/metal Def Leppard, “Love Bites” (#1, 1988), lost his left arm in an auto accident in England in 1984 but continued with custom-constructed acoustic and electronic drumkits
1966 ● Willie D / (William Dennis) → Vocals in controversial gangsta/horror-rap Geto Boys, “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” (#23, 1991), solo, “Dear God” (Rap #4, 2002)
1967 ● Sophie B. Hawkins → Eclectic rock, pop, jazz, R&B and African music singer and songwriter, “As I Lay Me Down” (#6, 1995)
1969 ● Darren Partington → Keyboards and percussion for electronic/acid-house band 808 State, “Pacific State” (UK #10, 1989)
1975 ● Bo Bice / (Harold Elwin “Bo” Bice, Jr.) → Husky-voiced American Idol runner-up, pop/rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Inside Your Heaven” (#2, 2005)
1981 ● LaTavia Roberson → Backing vocals in Grammy-winning R&B/dance-pop Destiny’s Child, “Say My Name” (#1, 2000), stage actress
November 02
1929 ● Amar G. Bose, Ph.D. / (Amar Gopal Bose) → MIT graduate student, audio engineer and classical music lover, visionary engineer, inventor and billionaire entrepreneur whose namesake company, the Bose Corporation, is synonymous with top-quality audio systems and residential and automotive speakers, his company introduced the revolutionary 901 Series of home speaker systems, the Bose Wave radio, “sound docks” and noise-cancelling headphones, died from undisclosed causes on 7/12/2013, age 83
1931 ● Phil Woods → Four-time Grammy-winning alto saxophonist, in touring bands for Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman in the 50s, fronted his own bands in the 60s, then session work for Billy Joel (alto sax solo on “Just The Way You Are”), Steely Dan (“Doctor Wu”), Paul Simon (“Have A Good Time”) and others, continued to record and perform until just before his death from emphysema on 9/29/2015, age 83
1936 ● Max Crook / (Maxfield Doyle Crook) → Keyboard musician and basement electronics engineer who developed the Musitron, a hybrid monophonic synthesizer featured on Del Shannon‘s “Runaway” (Worldwide #1, 1961), the song he co-wrote with Shannon and that introduced electronics to pop music, later recorded electronic, instrumental versions of contemporary pop hits and an album of gospel and spiritual music under the pseudonym Maximilian, died from natural causes on 7/1/2020, age 83.
1937 ● Speedo Carroll / (Earl Carroll) → Singer and frontman for R&B/doo wop The Cadillacs, “Speedo” (#17, R&B #3, 1955), left in 1963 to join The Coasters and performed with the group through the 80s, now on the oldies circuit
1938 ● Jay Black / (David Blatt) → Lead vocals and de facto frontman for clean-cut, pop-rock vocal group Jay & The Americans, joined the group in 1963 (replacing departed lead singer Jay Traynor) and sang lead on nine Top 25 hits in the rest of the decade, including “This Maguc Moment” (#6, AC #5, 1968) and his signature song “Cara Mia” (#4, 1965), following breakup of the group in 1973, contiunued to tour as Jay Black & The Americans with a variety of backing musicians until losing the rights to the name in 2006 in a personal bankruptcy proceding to satisfy unpaid taxes incurred to cover gambling debts, toured as a solo act through 2014 and died of a heart attack while suffering from dementia and pneumonia on 10/22/2021, age 82.
1941 ● Bruce Welch → Guitarist with instrumental pop-rock The Shadows, “Apache” (Worldwide #1, 1960)
1942 ● Kenny Jeremiah / (Kenneth Scott Jeremiah) → Original member and lead vocals for one hit wonder Philly blue-eyed soul vocal group The Soul Survivors (“Expressway To Your Heart,” #4, R&B #3, 1967), after break-up in 1970 continued to perform on the oldies circuit and recorded “Shame Shame Shame” (#12, R&B #1, 1975) with disco group Shirley & Company, appeared in occasional Soul Survivors reunions in the 00s and 10s, died from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 12/4/2020, age 78.
1943 ● Dave Munden → Original member, drummer and frequent lead singer in British Invasion pop-rock The Tremeloes, “Silence Is Golden” (US #11, UK #1, 1967), recorded and toured with the band as the only constant member from 1958 through 2018 when he retired due to health concerns, died from undisclosed causes on 10/15/2020, age 77.
1944 ● Keith Emerson / (Keith Noel Emerson) → Influential and accomplished progressive rock keyboardist, first with 60s Brit prog rock The Nice (“America,” 1968) then as founding member of prog rock supergroup Emerson Lake & Palmer (“Lucky Man,” #48, 1971), and later as a moderately successful solo artist and in Emerson, Lake & Powell and short-lived 3, issued a final studio album, The Three Fates Project in 2012 and was about to launch a tour of Japan when he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on 3/10/2016, age 71
1945 ● J.D. Souther / (John David Souther) → Country-rock singer and songwriter, session musician and producer for Linda Ronstadt, co-wrote hits for the Eagles, including “New Kid In Town” (#1, 1977), member of the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, solo “You’re Only Lonely” (#7, 1979)
1947 ● Dave Pegg → Electric folk bassist for renowned Brit folk-rock Fairport Convention, “Si Tu Dos Partir” (UK #21, 1969), long-lived Brit folk-rock Jethro Tull, “Living In The Past” (#11, 1973), solo, producer
1948 ● Ed Ward / (Edmund Osbourne Ward) → Highly respected rock music historian, critic and NPR radio host, started in the 70s as a staff writer for Crawdaddy!, then record review editor for Rolling Stone and later Creem magazines known as one of the first to write seriously about rock ‘n’ roll, relocated and wrote wrote for newspapers in Austin, TX (where he was 1987 co-founder of Austin’s South by Southwest music festival), joined NPR for the national roll-out of the program Fresh Air on which he was music historian and commentator for 30 years through 2017, wrote several books on rock ‘n’ roll music and “Let It Roll,” a 24-episode podcast between 2018 and 2020, found dead at home from undisclosed causes on 5/3/2021, age 72.
1952 ● Maxine Nightingale → Brit R&B/soul singer, “Right Back Where We Started From” (#2, 1976)
1954 ● Melvin Edmonds → With his younger brother, Kevon, and high school chum Keith Mitchell, vocals in contemporary R&B/soul trio After 7, signed to Virgin Records and scored three Top 20 singles in 1989-1990: “Heat Of The Moment,” (#19, R&B #5, 1989), “Can’t Stop,” (#6, R&B #1, 1990) and “Ready or Not” (#7, R&B #1, 1990), all three co-written and co-produced by another younger brother, R&B superstar Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, left the band and was replaced by his son, Jason, but returned for the group’s 2016 comeback album Timeless, died following a brief but unspecified illness on 5/18/2019, age 64.
1956 ● Fred Fairbrass → Guitarist for dance-pop Right Said Fred, “I’m Too Sexy” (#1, 1991)
1957 ● Carter Beauford → Drummer for pop-funk-rock jam band Dave Matthews Band, “Don’t Drink The Water” (#4, 1998)
1961 ● k. d. lang / (Kathryn Dawn Lang) → Canadian singer and songwriter, started as country-pop and shifted to adult contemporary and dance-pop, “Constant Craving” (#38, Adult Contemporary #2, 1992)
1962 ● Ron McGovney → Original bassist for heavy metal Metallica, “Enter Sandman” (#10, 1991), left in 1982 after several demo recordings but before the band’s first true album
1963 ● Bobby Dall → Bassist in hair metal/power ballad Poison, “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” (#1, 1988)
1965 ● Andy Barker → Drummer in electronic/acid-house 808 State, “Pacific State” (, 1989)
1967 ● Alvin Chea → Vocals in a cappella gospel Take 6, “I L-O-V-E U” (R&B #19, 1990)
1969 ● Fieldy Arvizu / (Reginald Arvizu) → Bassist for nu metal Korn, “Here To Stay” (Mainstream #4, 2002)
1971 ● John Hampson → Guitarist and songwriter for indie power pop Nine Days, “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)” (#6, 2000)
1974 ● Nelly / (Cornell Haynes, Jr.) → Grammy-winning hip hop vocalist, “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)” (#7, 2000), record producer, music entrepreneur and record label CEO
1975 ● Chris Walla → Guitarist for indie pop-rock Death Cab For Cutie, “Soul Meets Body” (Modern Rock #5, 2005)
November 03
1926 ● Ray Edenton / (Ray Quarles Edenton) → Acoustic and rhythm guitarist fluent in country, pop and rock, longtime member of the heralded Nashville A-Team collective of top-tier session musicians, played on many thousands of recordings by a wide variety of artists including the The Everly Brothers (“Wake Up Little Susie,” #1, Country #1, 1957)”, Roger Miller (“King of the Road,” #4, Country #1, 1965) and Neil Young (album Comes A Time, #7, 1978), plus Elvis Presley, the The Beach Boys, Reba McEntire and many others, co-wrote the hit “You’re Running Wild,” (Country #7, 1956) for the Louvin Brothers, retired in 1991, inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and died on 9/22/2022, age 95.
1930 ● Mable John → Underrated R&B, blues and gospel singer, older sister of R&B legend Little Willie John, became the first female vocalist signed by Berry Gordy to his Tamla label (which preceded Motown Records by two years), left after several unsuccessful singles, recorded for Stax Records (“Your Good Thing Is About To End,” #95, R&B #6, 1966) and sang in Ray Charles‘ backing group, The Raelettes, appeared as blues singer Bertha Mae in Honeydripper (2007) and the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom (2013) about R&B backing singers, founded an L.A. charity in 1986 that helped feed and clothe the homeless and later received a Doctor of Divinity degree, died from undisclosed causes on 8/25/2022, age 91.
1933 ● John Barry / (Jonathan Barry Prendergrast) → Grammy- and Academy Award-winning film score composer for 11 James Bond films and others, including the theme song to Born Free (1966) and the soundtrack to Dances With Wolves (1989), died from a heart attack on 1/30/2011, age 77
1934 ● Bill Arhos → Creator and long-time executive producer of Austin City Limits, the PBS musical variety show that introduced much of America to the sound of redneck rock and progressive country music, and became the longest-running live concert program on television and the only TV show to receive the National Medal of Arts, died from heart disease on 4/11/2015, age 80, age 80
1941 ● Brian Poole → Lead singer and frontman for British Invasion pop-rock The Tremeloes, “Silence Is Golden” (US #11, UK #1, 1967), solo, daughters Karen and Shellie formed Alisha’s Attic in the 90s.
1941 ● Billy Bumble / (R. C. Gamble) → Frontman for the touring version of novelty pop/rock B. Bumble & The Stingers, the collection of Rendezvous Records session musicians whose light rock instrumental covers of classical pieces included “Bumble Boogie” (#21, 1961) and “Nut Rocker” (#23, UK #1, 1962), left the music industry in 1965 and eventually became a college professor of economics, died on 8/2/2008, age 66
1943 ● Bert Jansch → Scottish acoustic blues and folk singer, songwriter and guitarist, 60s duo with John Renbourn then co-founded folk-rock group Pentangle (“Light Flight,” UK #43, 1970), continued to record and perform as a solo artist, in collaborative projects and with various lineups of Pentangle until his death from lung cancer on 10/5/2011, age 67
1944 ● Bob Nave / (Robert Gordon Nave) → Multi-talented musician, original guitarist with one hit wonder The Lemon Pipers and the first bubblegum pop hit, “Green Tambourine” (#1, 1968), after the band broke up in 1970 spent five decades as a jazz radio DJ, record store manager, financial services advisor, keyboardist for Cincinnati-area rock band Blues Merchants, and early supporter of not-for-profit Play It Forward benefitting financially struggling Ohio musicians, died from unspecified causes on 1/28/2020, age 75.
1945 ● Bobby LaKind / (Robert Jay LaKind) → Lighting stagehand turned percussionist and backing vocals for blue-eyed soul/pop-rock The Doobie Brothers, “What A Fool Believes” (#1, 1979), gained songwriting co-credits on the band’s reunion album, Cycles (#17, 1989) but left shortly thereafter due to terminal colon cancer, which claimed his life on 12/24/1992, age 47
1946 ● Nick Simper → Bassist for early Brit rock ‘n’ roll Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, survived the 1966 car crash that killed Johnny Kidd, quit The Pirates in 1968 to co-found hard rock Deep Purple, fired in 1969 and pursued a solo career and founded/fronted hard rock Warhorse, Flying Fox and Fandango
1946 ● Tommy Dee / (Thomas De Generes) → Guitarist in blue-eyed soul one hit wonder John Fred & His Playboy Band, “Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)” (#1, 1968)
1948 ● Lulu / (Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie) → Scottish pop singer and songwriter, “To Sir With Love” (#1, 1967), actress, TV host, continues performing in 2011
1953 ● Van Stephenson / (Van Wesley Stephenson) → Pop-rock singer and songwriter with three charting hits in the 80s, including “Modern Day Delilah” (#22, 1984), co-founded country-rock Blackhawk (“There You Have It,” #41, Country #4, 1998) in 1992 on guitar and backing vocals, left the band to fight skin cancer but died from the disease on 4/9/2001, age 47
1954 ● Adam Ant / (Stuart Leslie Goddard) → Singer and frontman for post-punk New Wave glam-pop Adam & The Ants, “Goody Two Shoes” (#12, 1983), film and TV actor
1960 ● James Prime → Keyboards for Scottish indie pop-rock Deacon Blue, “Real Gone Kid” (UK #8, 1988)
1960 ● Maff Ashman / (Matthew Ashman) → Underrated post-punk and New Wave guitarist with an early lineup of Adam And The Ants (“Goody Two-Shoes,” #12, 1982), left in 1980 to form Afro-Euro-synth-pop Bow Wow Wow (“I Want Candy,” #22, 1982), later co-founded post-punk Chiefs Of Relief and punk-revival Agent Provocateur, died from complications of diabetes on 11/11/1995, age 35
1962 ● Ian McNabb → Guitar and vocals for Brit neo-psychedelic rock Icicle Works, “Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly)” (#37, 1984)
1962 ● Marilyn / (Peter Anthony Robinson) → Brit New Romantic dance-pop singer, “Calling Your Name” (UK #4, 1983)
1969 ● Mark Roberts → Guitarist in Welsh indie-alt-rock Catatonia, “Mulder And Scully” (, 1998)
1969 ● Robert Miles / (Roberto Concina) → Italian dream-house DJ, composer, producer and electronica musician, “Children” (Dance/Club #1, 1996)
1973 ● Mick Thomson → Lead guitarist for Grammy-winning alt metal/rap-metal Slipknot, “Duality” (Mainstream Rock #5, 2004)
1976 ● Ras / (Rahsaan J. Bromfield) → Vocals in Brit R&B/dance-pop boy band Damage, “Wonderful Tonight” (UK #3, 1997)
1980 ● Dan Marsala → Guitar and vocals for alt rock/post-hardcore Story Of The Year, “Anthem Of Our Dying Day” (Modern Rock #10, 2004)
November 04
1929 ● Paul Vance / (Joseph Paul Florio) → Pop music songwriter best known for co-writing (with Lee Pockriss) the hit songs “Catch A Falling Star” (#3, 1957) for crooner Perry Como and “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” (#1, 1960) for teen pooper Brian Hyland, also known as the target for an imposter who claimed to have written “Itsy Bitsy” but sold his rights as a young man, erroneous obituaries about the faker (Paul Van Valkenburgh) circulated in 2006 and reached the real Paul Vance through numerous media sources and his family, forcing him to deny his death and submit royalty payment receipts to prove himself the true co-writer, continued to write and produce for others into the 80s, owned over 150 harness=racing horses in his later years, died from natural causes on 5/30/2022, age 92.
1938 ● Harry Elston → Vocalist in Ray Charles‘ backing group The Hi-Fi’s, then co-founder and singer in pop-rock vocal group The Friends Of Distinction, “Grazing In The Grass” (#3, 1969)
1940 ● Delbert McClinton → Texas blues and country-rock guitarist, harmonica player, singer and songwriter, “Giving It Up For Your Love” (#8, 1980), played on Bruce Channel‘s one hit wonder “Hey Baby” (#1, 1962), wrote “Two More Bottles Of Wine” for Emmylou Harris (Country #1, 1978)
1944 ● Scherrie Payne → Younger sister of R&B/soul singer Freda Payne and the “Little Lady With The Big Voice,” frontgal and lead vocals for The Supremes in the mid-70s during the waning years of the group’s popularity, scored three Top 10 Dance hits in the 70s, including “I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking”(Dance #3, 1976), continues to perform with various Supremes spin-offs and as a solo act into the 10s
1947 ● Mike Smith / (Michael Joseph Smith) → Saxophone for Welsh early prog rock septet Amen Corner, “(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice” (UK #1, 1969)
1954 ● Chris Difford → Guitarist, vocalist and lyricist for New Wave pop-rock Squeeze, “Tempted” (#49, Mainstream Rock #8, 1981)
1956 ● James Honeyman-Scott → Guitarist, songwriter and founding member of post-punk New Wave hard pop-rock The Pretenders, “Back On The Chain Gang” (#5, 1982), died from cocaine abuse on 6/16/1982, age 25
1963 ● Lena Hilda Zavaroni → Teen pop shooting star singer, discovered on UK TV talent show Opportunity Knocks, at 10 years old became the youngest British singer to earn a silver disc, “Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me)” (UK #10, 1974), died after years of battling anorexia nervosa on 10/1/1999, age 35
1965 ● Jeff Scott Soto → Puerto Rican-American heavy metal and arena rock vocalist for Talisman, Yngwie Malmsteen Band, Journey and solo
1965 ● Wayne Static / (Wayne Richard Wells) → Lead vocals, guitar, keyboards and programming for industrial metal band Static-X, “Push It” (Mainstream Rock #20, 1999), solo
1966 ● Kool Rock-ski / (Damon Wimbley) → Member of novelty rap trio The Fat Boys, “Wipe Out” (#12, 1987), film actor and solo hip hop artist
1969 ● Puff Daddy aka P. Diddy / (Sean John Combs) → Producer, Bad Boy Records founder, stage and screen actor, fashion designer, entrepreneur and Grammy-winning rapper, “I’ll Be Missing You” (#1, 1997)
1971 ● Shawn Rivera → Co-founder and vocals for contemporary R&B vocal group Az Yet, “Hard To Say I’m Sorry” (#8, 1997), producer, percussionist, session musician
1974 ● Louise / (Louise Elizabeth Nurding Redknapp) → Brit R&B/dance-pop singer for girl-group Eternal, “Stay” (#19, UK #3, 1993), then solo, “Naked” (UK #5, 1996)
1977 ● Kavana / (Anthony Kavanaugh) → Brit actor, pop singer and songwriter, “I Can Make You Feel Good” (UK #8, 1997)
November 05
1911 ● Roy Rogers / (Leonard Franklin Slye) → “King of the Cowboys,” hugely popular actor in Western films and on his own 50s TV program, business entrepreneur and twangy country-and-western singer with dozens of albums and a dozen charting singles, including “My Chickashay Gal” (Country #4, 1947), best known to current generations as the frontman for Roy Rogers Family Restaurants, died of congestive heart failure on 7/8/1998, age 86
1931 ● Harold McNair → Jamaican-born calypso and jazz saxophonist and flautist, worked as a sideman for Kenny Clarke, Quincy Jones and others, did session work for Donovan, John Martyn and others, fronted his own ensembles and co-founded jazz-blues-rock fusion Ginger Baker’s Air Force, died from lung cancer on 3/7/1971, age 39
1931 ● Ike Turner / (Izear Luster Turner, Jr.) → Legendary R&B and rock ‘n’ roll bandleader, “Rocket 88” (R&B #1, 1951) and as a duo with then-wife Tina Turner, “Proud Mary” (#4, 1971), died from emphysema on 12/7/2007, age 76
1936 ● Billy Sherrill / (Billy Norris Sherrill) → Songwriter, record producer and Nashville music executive credited with mixing 60s pop maximalism with country music to create the “countrypolitan” sound and invigorate the careers of Tammy Wynette and George Jones, among others, co-wrote “Stand By Your Man” (#19, Country #1, 1968) with Wynette and “The Most Beautiful Girl ” (#1, Country #1, 1973) for Charlie Rich, produced albums for dozens of top artists, including Barbara Mandrell, Ray Charles, Johnny Paycheck and Elvis Costello, died after a brief illness on 8/4/2015, age 78
1941 ● Art Garfunkel → Grammy-winning folk-pop singer and guitarist in 60s partnership with Paul Simon, then adult contemporary pop solo career, “All I Know” (#9, 1973), film actor in Carnal Knowledge (1971)
1943 ● Mike Clifford → Pop singer and songwriter known best for his hit “Close To Cathy” (#12, 1962), also recorded numerous movie soundtrack songs in the late 60s and early 70s, continues to tour and record into the 10s
1943 ● Pablo Samellhi Gomez → Drummer for Spanish rock ‘n roll band Los Bravos, “Black Is Black” (US #4, 1966), the first US Top 10 hit by a Spanish band
1946 ● Gram Parsons / (Cecil Ingram Connor III) → Legendary and pioneering country-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, played in The International Submarine Band, joined The Byrds in 1968 for the seminal Sweetheart Of The Rodeo album, co-founded The Flying Burrito Brothers in 1969, issued two solo albums before dying from a heroin overdose on 9/19/1973, age 26.
1946 ● Loleatta Holloway → Stage actress and backing vocalist, then R&B/disco singer, “Love Sensation” (Dance #1, 1980), continued to record dance/pop singles into the 00s, died from heart failure on 3/31/2011, age 64
1947 ● Peter Noone → Vocals and frontman for British Invasion pop-rock Herman’s Hermits, “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter” (#1. 1965)
1948 ● Donnie McDougall → Guitarist for Canadian rockers The Guess Who, “American Woman” (#1, 1970), still performs with the group
1948 ● Peter Hammill → Guitarist, pianist, singer and songwriter for progressive/art rock Van Der Graf Generator, left the band in 1971 for solo career, releases solo (as Rikki Nadir) and VDGG reunion albums sporadically through 2008
1948 ● Charles Bradley / (Charles Edward Bradley) → Journeyman R&B/soul singer whose physical and vocal resemblance to soul great James Brown eventually led him from homelessness to a late-in-life career as the funk and soul performer “Black Velvet” and a debut album, No Time For Changes (2011) age 62, toured extensively with various bands and recorded several other albums until his death from liver cancer on 9/23/2017, age 68
1956 ● Helen O’Hara / (Helen Bevington O’Hara) → Violinist in New Wave pop-rock Dexys Midnight Runners, “Come On Eileen” (#1, 1983), solo
1957 ● David Moyse → Guitarist for Aussie light pop-rock Air Supply, “The One That You Love” (#1, 1981)
1957 ● Mike Score → Keyboards, guitar and lead singer for bizarrely-teased hair New Wave pop-rock A Flock of Seagulls, “I Ran (So Far Away)” (#9, 1982)
1959 ● Bryan Adams / (Bryan Guy Adams) → Grammy-winning Canadian pop-rock/power ballad singer, songwriter, guitarist, photographer and philanthropist with the global hit “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” (#1, CAN #1, UK #1, 1991) plus 18 other US Top 40 hits and ten Top 10 studio albums in Canada, supports education efforts on struggling countries through his private foundation and has won awards for his photographic images, including a portrait of British royalty that is in the National Portrait Gallery in London
1959 ● Ken Coomer → Drummer for alt-metal Clockhammer, joined seminal roots rock trio Uncle Tupelo in 1992, left in 1994 to co-found alt country-rock Wilco, “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” (#22, 1997)
1959 ● Rob Fisher → Keyboards, vocals and songwriting for New Wave synth-pop Naked Eyes, “(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me” (#10, 1983) and pop-soul Climie Fisher, “Love Changes Everything” (#23, 1988), died following surgery for intestinal cancer on 8/25/1999. age 39
1961 ● David Bryson → Guitarist for alt-rock Counting Crows, “Mr. Jones” (Modern Rock #2, 1994)
1965 ● Paris Grey / (Shanna Jackson) → Vocals and one half of the house and electro-techno/dance-pop duo Inner City, “Big Fun” (Dance-Club #1, 1984)
1968 ● Mark Hunter → Keyboards for Brit alt pop-rock James, “Sit Down” (UK #2, 1991) and “Laid” (#61, Modern Rock #3, 1994)
1971 ● Jon Greenwood → Guitar and keyboards for alt/indie rock Radiohead, “There There” (Modern Rock #14, 2003)
1974 ● David Ryan Adams → Alt country-rock singer and songwriter, “New York, New York” (Adult Top 40 #18, 2002) and with country-rock The Cardinals
1975 ● Lisa Scott-Lee → Vocals and dance routines for pre-fab Brit dance-pop group The Steps, “5, 6, 7, 8” (UK #14, 1997)
1985 ● Kate Jenna DeAraugo → Australian singer, winner of the third season of Australian Idol in 2005, solo, “Maybe Tonight” (Australia #1, 2005) then joined pre-fab dance-pop girl group Young Divas
1987 ● Kevin Jonas → Singer in teen-pop ballad trio the Jonas Brothers, “Burnin’ Up” (#5, 2008), TV actor
