Happy Birthday this week to:
September 15
1903 ● Roy Acuff / (Roy Claxton Acuff) → The “King of Country Music,” singer, fiddler and country music promoter credited with “mainstreaming” early country music, co-founder of Acuff-Rose Music, which signed Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers and others, died of heart failure on 11/23/1992, age 89
1924 ● Bobby Short / (Robert Waltrip Short) → Sophisticated New York cabaret singer with a seven-decade career entertaining through pre-rock popular standards by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin and others, recorded dozens of albums of jazz, blues, pop, easy listening, cabaret and swing music, continued to perform into the early 00s, died from leukemia on 3/21/2005, age 80
1928 ● Cannonball Adderley / (Julian Edwin Adderley) → High school band director turned renowned, Grammy-winning alto jazz saxophonist, bandleader and solo artist, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” (#11, R&B #2, 1967), died of a stroke on 8/8/1975, age 46
1931 ● Jac Holzman → Music business executive, founded Elektra Records in 1950 and started other important music labels, signed fledging acts such as The Doors, Carly Simon, Bread and others, went on to various music industry executive positions, including stints with Time-Warner, Sony and Panavision
1933 ● Pat Barrett → High tenor for Canadian pop cover vocal quartet The Crew Cuts, “Sh-Boom” (#1, 1954)
1938 ● Sylvia Moy / (Sylvia Rose Moy) → Motown Records songwriter and producer, the first such female at the label, worked extensively with Stevie Wonder, co-writing his hits “I Was Made To Lover Her” (#2, R&B #1, UK #5, 1965), “Mon Cherie Amour” (#7, R&B #5, UK #2, 1969) and others plus hits for other Motown soul acts such as Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston (“It Takes Two,” #14, R&B #4, UK #16, 1966) and The Isley Brothers (“This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You),” #12, R&B #6, UK #3, 1956), later formed a not-for-profit to mentor underprivileged Detroit children in the arts, died from complications of pneumonia on 4/15/2017, age 78
1940 ● Jimmy Gilmer / (James Axley Gilmer) → Frontman and lead singer for early rock & roll/surf pioneers The Fireballs and “Sugar Shack” (#1, R&B #1, 1963), the band released ten other charting singles – two of them Top 20 hits – and served as the house band at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, following break-up in 1969 enjoyed a successful career in Nashville as a music publisher and manager, returned to perform in occasional Fireballs reunions, the last in 2022, died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on 9/8/2024, age 83.
1941 ● Les Braid → Bassist for Brit pop-rock The Swinging Blue Jeans, “Hippy Hippy Shake” (#21, 1964)
1941 ● Signe Toly Anderson → Original female vocalist for psych-rock Jefferson Airplane, appeared on their debut album Takes Off (1966) as harmony vocalist and lead on “Chauffeur Blues,” left in October 1966 to spend time with her new daughter, was replaced by Grace Slick and faded from view, died from obstructive pulmonary disease on 1/28/2016. age 74.
1942 ● Lee Dorman → Bassist for psych rock Iron Butterfly, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (#30, 1970), later hard rock Captain Beyond, died of unknown causes at home on 12/21/2012, age 70.
1946 ● Ola Brunkert → Swedish drummer in the backing band for internationally successful Scandinavian pop group ABBA, “Dancing Queen” (#1, 1976), bled to death after hitting his head on a glass door and suffering a slit throat from a shard of broken glass 3/17/2008, age 61.
1956 ● Jaki Graham → UK star but US one hit wonder R&B/dance-pop singer, “Ain’t Nobody” (Dance/Club #1,1994)
1958 ● Tim Whelan → Guitar for Brit New Wave synth-pop Furniture, “Brilliant Mind” (UK #21, 1986)
1960 ● Mitch Dorge / (Michel Dorge) → Drummer, songwriter and producer for Canadian alt pop-rock Crash Test Dummies, “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” (#4, 1993)
1967 ● Mimi Parker / (Mimi Jo Parker) → With her husband, Alan Sparhawk on guitars and a rotating lineup of bassists over the years, drums and harmony vocals in minimalist alt rock Low, the band never had a hit single nor a gold album in nearly 30 years but became a steady and influential element in the 90s post-grunge, “slowcore” sound of brooding lyrics and dirge-like rhythms, diagnosed with ovarian cancer in late 2020 and died from the disease on 11/5/2002, age 55.
1969 ● Allen Shellenberger → Drummer for indie rock/pop punk Lit (“My Own Worst Enemy,” #51, Modern Rock #1, 1999), died from a malignant brain tumor on 8/13/2009, age 39
1976 ● Ivette Sosa → Vocals for all-girl teen dance-pop quintet Eden’s Crush, “Get Over Yourself” (#1, 2001), the first #1 debut single by an all-female group
1976 ● KG Goldsmith / (Kingsley Goldsmith) → Lead vocals for Brit R&B/swingbeat soul boy band MN8, “I’ve Got A Little Something For You” (UK #2, 1995)
1977 ● Paul Thomson → Drummer for Scottish art-pop-rock Franz Ferdinand, “Take Me Out” (Alt Rock #3, 2004)
1978 ● Zachary Filkens → Lead guitarist of self-proclaimed “genreless” pop-rock OneRepublic, their “Apologize” (#1, 2006) is the most popular digital download/highest airplay song ever to-date
September 16
1913 ● Florence Greenberg → New Jersey housewife who parlayed an unlikely hit record by an unknown teen group, The Shirelles (“I Met Him On A Sunday” #49, 1958) into an improbable career as a music executive and owner of Scepter Records, the leading independent label of the 60s and home to Dionne Warwick, The Isley Brothers, B.J. Thomas and many others, sold out and retired in 1976, died from complications of a stoke on 11/2/1995, age 82
1921 ● Jon Hendricks / (John Carl Hendricks) → NEA Jazz Master, Emmy, Grammy and Peabody award winning jazz-pop singer and songwriter noted as one-third of the 50s-60s vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross and an originator of “vocalese,” the art of putting lyrics to existing jazz instrumentals, won a Grammy award with Bobby McFerrin for “Another Night In Tunisia” from the Manhattan Transfer album Vocalese, for which he wot all of the lyrics, later taught college-level jazz history courses and wrote a stage show and TV documentary about the genre, died from natural causes on 11/22/2017, age 96.
1925 ● Charlie Byrd → Classically-trained acoustic jazz guitarist who brought Brazilian bossa nova music to the mainstream in North America with the album Jazz Samba (#1, 1963) with Stan Getz and the instrumental “Desalinate” (#15, AC #4, 1962), continued to record mostly easy listening jazz-pop and authored a book on guitar instruction, died from cancer on 12/2/1999, age 74
1925 ● B.B. King / (Riley B. King) → The reigning “King of the Blues” and important electric guitarist, “The Thrill Is Gone” (#15, R&B #1,1970), influenced countless electric blues and rock guitarists, #3 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list, died in his sleep on 5/14/2015, age 89
1934 ● Richard Blandon → Lead singer for early doo-wop The Dubs (“Could This Be Magic,” #23, 1957), left then returned to a reformed group which he fronted into the 80s, died on 12/30/1991, age 57
1938 ● Gary Lemel → Erstwhile early-60s, pre-Beatles Vee Jay Records pop singer, wised up and became a film music producer, eventually as a senior executive at Casablanca Records, Boardwalk Records and Columbia Pictures, joined Warner Bros. in 1997 as chief of worldwide music and later as president of Warner‘s film division for 23 years, dubbed “the Godfather of the Modern Soundtrack” for supervising countless blockbuster soundtrack albums, including The Big Chill (1983), Ghostbusters (1984) and St. Elmo’s Fire (1985), performed in various pop-rock moonlight bands until incapacitated by degenerative Lewy brain disease, died from complications of Parkinson’s disease on 7/6/2019, age 80.
1941 ● Joe Butler → Drummer for 60s hit making folk-rock quartet The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer In The City” (#1, 1966)
1942 ● Bernard Calvert → Bassist for British Invasion pop-rock The Hollies, “Bus Stop” (#5, 1966)
1944 ● Betty Kelly → Vocals for Motown R&B/soul girl group The Velvelettes, “Needle In A Haystack” (#45, 1964), left to join R&B/pop-soul girl group Martha & The Vandellas, “Dancing In The Street”” (#2, 1964)
1944 ● Winston Grennan → The “Master Drummer of Jamaica,” session drummer and bandleader credited with creating the “One Drop” ska and rocksteady-based beat that underlies reggae music and the “Flyers” beat that precursed reggae, worked with Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and many other top reggae, ska, soul and pop acts, died from cancer on 10/27/2000, age 56.
1948 ● Kenney Jones → Drummer for Brit raunch/psych-pop-rock The Small Faces, “Itchycoo Park” (#16, 1968), hard-rockers The Faces, “Stay With Me” (#17, 1971), replaced deceased Keith Moon in 1979 in The Who, “You Better You Bet” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1981)
1948 ● Ron Blair → Original bassist for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (#3, 1981), left in 1982 for session career and rejoined in 2002
1950 ● David Bellamy → With brother Homer, one half of country-pop The Bellamy Brothers, “Let Your Love Flow” (#1, 1976) and 35 other Country Top 40 hits
1952 ● Tom Leadon → Older brother of former Eagle Bernie Leadon and teenage co-founder with Tom Petty of early 70s country-rock Mudcrutch (“Depot Street,” no charts, 1975), left before the group dissolved in late 1975, moved to Los Angeles and joined Linda Ronstadt’s backing band and, in 1976, country-rock Silver (“Wham Bam,” #16, 1976), moved to Nashville, taught guitar and played in pop-blues band The Bayjacks for decades, reunited with Petty and Mudcrutch in 2004 to release a “debut” album and perform live until Petty’s death in 2017, appeared in several Petty memorial concerts in Gainesville, Florida, Mudcrutch’s hometown, in the 10s and early 20s, died from natural causes on 3/22/2023, age 70.
1953 ● Alan Leslie Barton → Guitarist for Brit pop/rock novelty-party quartet Black Lace, “Agadoo” (UK #2, 1984), joined pop-rock Smokie in 1986 as guitarist and lead vocalist, died when the band’s tour bus crashed in Germany on 3/23/1995, age 41
1954 ● Colin Newman → Vocals, guitar and songwriting for art/punk then post-punk then electronic Wire, “Eardrum Buzz” (Modern Rock #2, 1989), solo artist, producer and co-founder of the Swim Records label
1954 ● Frank Reed / (Frank Kevin Reed) → Joined a reconstituted version of Chicago R&B/smooth soul The Chi-Lites (“Have You Seen Her?”, #3, 1971) in 1988 as lead vocalist and remained with the band until his death on 2/26/2014, age 59
1956 ● Dave Blood / (Dave Schultise) → Ph.D. candidate in economics at Purdue University turned punk rock bassist in punk quartet Dead Milkmen, left the band in 1995 to move to Serbia to work and study, returned to the U.S. in the aftermath of the NATO bombing campaign in 1999, committed suicide by drug overdose on 3/10/2004, age 47
1960 ● Ean Evans / (Donald Evans) → Bass guitarist in multiple rock bands in the Southeastern U.S., joined raunchy Southern rockLynyrd Skynyrdd in 2001, replacing original and deceased bassist Leon Wilkeson, continued with the band until his death from lung cancer on 5/6/2009, age 48
1961 ● Bilinda Butcher → Guitar and vocals for art-prog-rock, “shoe-gazing” pioneers My Bloody Valentine, “Only Shallow” (Modern Rock #27, 1992)
1962 ● Stephen Jones → Founder, guitarist, vocals and frontman of Brit lounge/melodramatic pop group Babybird, “You’re Gorgeous” (UK #3, 1996), solo, novelist
1963 ● Richard Marx → Pop/rock singer and songwriter, “Right Here Waiting” (#1, 1987) turned Grammy-winning adult contemporary balladeer, “Dance With My Father” (Song of the Year 2003)
1964 ● The Snake / (David Sabo) → Co-founder and lead guitar for New Jersey-based hair metal/pop-metal Skid Row (“I Remember You,” #6, 1989), teenage friend of rocker Jon Bon Jovi and original lead guitarist in JBJ‘s band
1968 ● Marc Anthony / (Marco Antonio Muñiz) → Multi-talented, Grammy-winning Latin dance-pop (“tropical salsa”) singer, “I Need To Know” (#3, 1991), film actor
1969 ● Justine Frischmann → Co-founder guitar and vocals for alt rock/Britpop Suede, left for mixed-gender, post-punk alt rock Elastica, “Connection” (Modern Rock #2, 1994), now an abstract painter
1976 ● Shannon Noll → Australian pop-rock singer, runner-up of the first series of Australian Idol (2003), ten consecutive Aussie Top 10 singles, including “What About Me?” (AUS #1, 2004)
1976 ● Tina Barrett → Vocals for pre-fab teen pop S Club 7, “Never Had A Dream Come True” (#10, 2001)
1977 ● Musiq Soulchild / (Talib Johnson) → R&B/neo-soul, funk, blues and gospel fusion hip hop artist, “Halfcrazy” (#16, 2002)
1981 ● Christopher Cester → Drummer and backing vocals for Aussie hard rock/garage punk Jet, “Cold Hard Bitch” (Mainstream Rock #1, 2004)
1984 ● Katie Melua / (Ketevan Melua) → Jazz-pop/adult contemporary singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Nine Million Bicycles” (UK #5, 2005), album Piece By Piece (Jazz Albums #3, 2006)
1992 ● Nick Jonas → Singer and songwriter in teen-pop ballad trio the Jonas Brothers, “Burnin’ Up” (#5, 2008), actor
September 17
1923 ● Hank Williams / (Hiram King Williams) → The “Father of Contemporary Country Music” with 35 oft-covered Country Top 10 hits, including “Hey, Good Lookin'” (Country #1, 1951), died in his limo to a show on 1/1/1953, age 29
1923 ● Ralph Sharon → Grammy-winning jazz pianist, composer and arranger known for his 50 year collaboration with Tony Bennett and the signature song “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” (#19, 1962), continued to perform with his own jazz-pop ensemble until his death on 3/31/2015, age 91
1926 ● Bill Black → Early rock ‘n roll bassist in Elvis Presley‘s backing band and his own Bill Black Combo, “Smokie” (1959), died from a brain tumor on 10/21/1965 at age 39
1926 ● Brother Jack McDuff / (Eugene McDuffy) → Hard bop and jazz-soul Hammond B-3 organist and bandleader known for his funky, bluesy style and mentorship to young guitarist George Benson in his mid-60s quartet, continued to record until his death from heart failure on 1/23/2001, age 74
1929 ● Sil Austin / (Silvester “Sil” Austin) → Jazz saxophonist in the 40s, switched to more accessible blues and funk-pop sound in the 50s and scored several hits, including “Slow Walk” (#17, R&B #3, 1956) , continued to record and perform into the 90s before dying from prostate cancer on 9/1/2001
1937 ● Phil Cracolici → Lead vocals for one hit wonder blue-eyed doo wop quintet The Mystics, “Hushabye” (#20, 1959)
1939 ● LaMonte McLemore → Founding member and vocals for R&B/soul-pop The 5th Dimension, “Up, Up And Away” (1967), professional photographer for Playboy, Jet, Ebony, Harper’s Bizarre and others
1944 ● Les Emmerson / (Robert Leslie Emmerson) → Guitarist, songwriter and co-lead singer for Canadian pop-rock quintet The Staccatos and seven Top 40 hits in Canada in the 60s, the band changed labels and its name, becoming one hit wonder Five Man Electrical Band based on the anthemic international hit “Signs” (#3, CAN #4, 1971), issued five solo singles before and after the band dissolved in 1976, continued to write and perform largely out of the limelight for four decades while living off royalties, issued an album of previously unreleased songs in 2007, died from complications of the COVID-19 virus on 12/10/2021, age 77.
1947 ● Lol Crème / (Laurence Neill “Lol” Crème) → Guitar, vocals and songwriter for soft pop-rock 10cc, “I’m Not In Love” (#2, 1975), co-founded pop duo Godley & Crème, “Cry” (#16, 1985) and joined art-rock/synth-pop Art Of Noise in 1998, now a music video producer.
1947 ● Jim Hodder → Steely Dan backing band drummer 1972-74, session drummer for Sammy Hagar and David Soul, drowned in his backyard swimming pool on 6/5/1990, age 42
1950 ● Fee Waybill / (John Waldo Waybill) → Lead singer and songwriter for camp-rock pop-rock satirists The Tubes, “She’s A Beauty” (#10, 1978), producer for Bryan Adams, Richard Marx and others
1950 ● Richard Macphail / (Richard Paul Macphail) → English musician and vocalist for 60s pop-rock Anon, which merged with another teenaged prep school band in 1967 to form prog-rock Genesis, took over as tour manager for the group in their early years, received credit on the Genesis album Foxtrot (1972) and a dedication on Genesis Live (1973), left and managed Genesis bandmember Peter Gabriel’s touring in 1977 and 1978, dropped out of the music industry in the early 80s but returned to the radio airways in the 10s and co-authored My Book of Genesis in 2017, died unexpectedly from undisclosed causes on 8/27/2024, age 73.
1952 ● Steve Sanders → Baritone singer and member of country/gospel/folk The Oak Ridge Boys, “Elvira” (#5, Country #1, 1981) replacing original member William Lee Golden from 1987 to 1995, left the band and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on 6/10/1998, age 45
1953 ● Steve Williams → Drummer for early and influential Welsh heavy metal band Budgie, “Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman” (1971)
1959 ● Will Gregory → Vocals and synthesizer with Alison Goldfrapp in Brit electro-dance-pop due Goldfrapp, “Number 1” (Dance/Club #1, 2005)
1961 ● Ty Tabor → Lead guitar, songwriting and vocals for progressive metal/Christian rock King’s X, “It’s Love” (Mainstream Rock #6, 1990)
1962 ● Baz Luhrmann / (Mark Anthony Luhrmann) → Australian screenwriter, film director and one hit wonder novelty-pop/spoken word artist, “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” (#45, Adult Top 40 #10, 1999), directed Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001) and Australia (2008)
1962 ● BeBe Winans / (Benjamin Winans) → Grammy-winning R&B/soul and gospel crossover singer in duets with sister CeCe (Priscilla), “Close To You” (R&B/Hip Hop #21, 2009) or solo, “Thank You” (Dance/Club #6, 1998)
1963 ● Jarvis Crocker → Singer for alt rock/Britpop Pulp, “Common People” (UK #2, 1995)
1966 ● Doug E. Fresh / (Douglas E. Davis) → Rapper, producer and pioneering beat boxer known as “The Human Beat Box” for his near-perfect imitations of drum machines and effects using his mouth, lips, gums and throat, frontman for hip hop Get Fresh Crew, “The Show” (Hip Hop #3, 1985) and solo, “Freaks/I-ight (Alright)” (Dance #3, 1994)
1968 ● Anastacia Lyn Newkirk → R&B/dance-pop singer, “One Day In Your Life” (Dance/Club #1, 2002)
1968 ● John Penney → Vocals for indie punk-rock Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, “Not Sleeping Around” (Modern Rock #1, 1992)
1968 ● Lord Jamar / (Lorenzo Dechalus) → DJ and MC for alt hip hop trio Brand Nubian, “Don’t Let It Go To Your Head” (#54, Rap #3, 1998)
1969 ● Adam Devlin / (Adam Tadek Gorecki) → Guitarist and songwriter for indie rock The Bluetones, “Slight Return” (UK #2, 1996)
1969 ● Candy Dulfer → Dutch alto saxophonist, “On & On” (Smooth Jazz #13, 2009), sessions and backing bands for Van Morrison, Prince and others, collaborated with Dave Stewart, “Lily Was Here” (UK #6, 1990)
1969 ● Keith Flint / (Keith Charles Flint) → High-energy, double-mohawk dancer and vocalist for electronic dance/rap The Prodigy (“Firestarter,” #30, UK #1, 1996), one of several bands at the forefront of the 90s underground British “big beat,” “rave” and “hardcore” movements developed from industrial dance music of the 70s and 80s, the band scored eleven UK Top 10 hits despite attempts by the UK government to clamp down on the rave music scene, after the mid-00s balanced his Prodigy performances with motorbike racing and pub ownership, suffered from lifelong depression and hung himself at home on 3/4/2019, age 49.
1970 ● Vinnie / (Vincent Brown) → Vocals and sampling for pop-rap crossover trio Naughty By Nature, “O.P.P.” (#6, 1991) and Grammy-winning Poverty’s Property, Best Rap Album for 1995
1971 ● Paul Winterhart → Drummer for post-Britpop psych/mystic rock Kula Shaker, “Hush” (Mainstream Rock #19, 1997)
1973 ● A. Jay Popoff / (Alan Jay Popoff) → Frontman and vocals for post-grunge punk-pop Lit, “My Own Worst Enemy” (#51, Mainstream Rock #6, 1999)
1974 ● Jimmy Fallon → Stand-up comedian, film and TV actor, awards show host, former Saturday Night Live cast member and comedy/satire music singer/songwriter with the Grammy-nominated album The Bathroom Wall (#47, 2002)
1976 ● Maile Misajon → Vocals for all-girl teen dance-pop quintet Eden’s Crush, “Get Over Yourself” (#1, 2001), the first #1 debut single by an all-female group
1977 ● Ryan Dusick → Drummer for alt funk-rock Maroon 5, “She Will Be Loved” (#5, 2004)
1979 ● Chuck Comeau → Drummer for French-Canadian pop-punk Simple Plan, “Perfect” (#24, Canada #5, 2003)
1979 ● Flo Rida / (Tramar Lacel Dillard) → People’s Choice award Southern rapper, singer/songwriter and MC, “Low” feat. T-Pain (#1, 2007) and 12 other U.S. Top 20 hits through 2015
1985 ● Jonathan Jacob Walker → Bassist for emo-pop Panic! At The Disco, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” (#7, 2006)
September 18
1929 ● Teddi King / (Theodora King) → One hit wonder jazz and pop singer in the 40s and 50s, “Mr. Wonderful” (#18, 1956), faded during Beatlemania but made a brief comeback in the 70s before dying from lupus disease on 11/18/1977, age 48
1933 ● Jimmie Rodgers / (James Frederick Rodgers) → Pop and easy listening singer with numerous crossover hits in the late 50s, including “Honeycomb” (#1, Country #7, R&B #1, 1957) and 13 other Top 40 hits through the 70s, suffered a fractured skull and long-term brain damage in a 1967 beating on a California freeway allegedly carried out by an off-duty Los Angeles policeman, sued and settled with the LAPD out-of-court, attempted to resume his career with limited success beyond a handful of adult contemporary hits in the 70s, worked as a performer, producer and theater operator in Branson, MO until retirement in 2002, tested positive for the COVID-19 virus just before dying from kidney failure on 1/18/2021, age 87.
1939 ● Rosalie Trombley / (Rosalie Helen Gillan (Trombley)) → Switchboard operator and receptionist, rose to become music director at AM Top 40 powerhouse CKLW in Windsor, ON (across the river from Detroit), known for her uncanny ability to tag a hit record and is generally credited with “breaking” numerous artists across North America, including Alice Cooper, Aerosmith and Bob Seger, who later wrote a tribute “Rosalie” about her (on the LP Back In ’72, 1978), left the station after a format change in the 80s, in 2005 received Canada’s first Juno Award recognizing women in Canadian broadcasting, now memorialized as the “Rosalie Award,” died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on 11/23/2021, age 82.
1940 ● Frankie Avalon / (Francis Thomas Avallone) → Pretty-boy teen idol pop singer, “Venus” (#1, 1959) and 11 other Top 40 hits between 1958 and 1962, then film actor, Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)
1945 ● Bam King / (Alan King) → Guitar and vocals for Brit pub rock/blue-eyed soul Ace, “How Long” (#3, 1975)
1945 ● P. F. Sloan / (Philip Gary Schlein) → Folk, pop and rock singer and songwriter known best for co-writing numerous 60s hits with Steve Barri, in particular the protest anthem “Eve Of Destruction” (#1, 1965) for Barry McGuire and “Secret Agent Man” (#3, 1966) for Johnny Rivers, recorded singles and several albums under various pseudonyms and band names, performed until just prior to his death from pancreatic cancer on 11/15/2015, age 70
1949 ● Kerry Livgren → Founding member, guitarist and songwriter for prog/heartland rock Kansas, wrote “Carry On Wayward Son” (#11, 1977) and “Dust In The Wind” (#6, 1978), converted to Christianity and formed religious-tinged hard rock AD with other Kansas bandmates, solo
1951 ● Dee Dee Ramone / (Doug Colvin) → Bassist for seminal punk rock band The Ramones, “Rockaway Beach” (#66, 1978), died of a drug overdose on 6/5/2002, age 50
1955 ● Keith Morris → Frontman and lead vocals for hardcore L.A. punk rockers Black Flag, Circle Jerks and supergroup Off!
1961 ● Frosty Beedle / (Martin Beedle) → Drummer for New Wave pop-rock Cutting Crew, “(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight” (#1, 1987)
1962 ● Joanne Catherall → Vocals for late-70s synth-pop pioneers The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me” (#1, 1981)
1962 ● Richard Walmsley → Writer and producer with electro-dance-pop The Beatmasters, “Warm Love” (Dance #16, 1990), the trio also produced hits for Cookie Crew, Yazz and P.P. Arnold, and albums for Erasure, Pet Shop Boys and others
1965 ● John David Dunlop → Canadian guitarist, composer, producer and music recording engineer, lead guitarist for hard rock The Full Nine and, since 2008, power trio Triumph (“All The Way,” Mainstream Rock #2, 1983)
1966 ● Nigel Clark → Lead singer and bassist for goofball Brit power pop trio Dodgy, “Good Enough” (UK #4, 1996)
1966 ● Spike Spice / (Ian Spice) → Co-founder and drummer for Brit pop-rock Breathe, “Hands To Heaven” (#3, 1988)
1967 ● Mike Heaton → Drummer for Brit pop-rock Embrace, “Gravity” (Mainstream Rock #36, UK #7, 2004)
1967 ● Ricky Bell → 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)
September 19
1921 ● Billy Ward / (Robert L. Williams) → Child prodigy pianist and frontman, vocals and arranger for early R&B/doo wop Billy Ward & The Dominoes, (“Sixty Minute Man,” #17, R&B #1, 1951), the group spawned the careers of soul giants Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson, died in a long-term care hospital on 2/16/2002, age 80
1931 ● Brook Benton / (Benjamin Franklin Peay) → R&B/soul and early rock ‘n’ roll singer, “The Boll Weevil Song” (#2, 1961), plus comeback track “Rainy Night In Georgia” (#4, 1979) and 21 other Top 40 hits, died from complications of spiral meningitis on 4/9/1998, age 56
1934 ● Brian Epstein → Music entrepreneur, record store owner, manager of The Beatles from 1962 until his death, managed other Liverpool acts including Gerry & The Pacemakers, Cilla Black and The Cyrkle, died from an accidental overdose of barbiturates and alcohol on 8/27/1967, age 32
1935 ● Nick Massi / (Nicholas Macioci) → Bass guitarist, arranger and vocalist for Top 40 pop vocal quartet The Four Seasons, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (#1, 1962), died of cancer on 12/24/2000, age 65
1937 ● Paul Siebel / (Paul Karl Siebe) → Greenwich Village 60s folk scene singer/songwriter and guitarist with a short-lived career, known solely for other artists’ cover versions of his songs, most notably “Louise” (1970), covered by Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt and nearly two dozen others, issued two critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums in the early 70s before dropping out of sight due to depression, drugs and stage fright, baked bread for a restatarant and worked in a county parks department until his death in hospice care from pulmonary fibrosis on 4/5/2022, age 84.
1940 ● Bill Medley → Blue-eyed soul singer and, with Bobby Hatfield, one half of hugely successful pop-rock duo The Righteous Brothers, “Unchained Melody” (#4, 1965), solo career including the Grammy-winning “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” (#1, 1987)
1940 ● Paul Williams → Grammy-winning pop songwriter, wrote “An Old Fashioned Love Song” (#4, 1971) for Three Dog Night, “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie, and “We’ve Only Just Begun” (#2, 1970) and “Rainy Days And Mondays” (#2, 1971) for the Carpenters, solo act pop singer (“Waking Up Alone,” #60, 1972) and actor
1940 ● Sylvia Tyson / (Sylvia Fricker) → Canadian singer in influential male/female folk harmony vocal duo Ian & Sylvia, wrote “You Were On My Mind” for folk-pop We Five (#32, 1965)
1941 ● Mama Cass / (Ellen Naomi Cohen) → Vocals and percussion for folk-pop quarter The Mamas & The Papas (“Monday Monday,” #1, 1966), enjoyed a brief solo singing (“Dream A Little Dream Of Me,” #12, UK #11, 1968) and early 70s TV acting career before dying of a heart attack in Harry Nilsson‘s London apartment on 7/29/1974, age 32
1942 ● Freda Payne → R&B/soul-pop singer, “Band of Gold” (#3, 1970), TV and film actress
1943 ● Mike Arnone → Vocals for Italian-American doo wop The Duprees, “You Belong To Me” (#7, 1962)
1945 ● David Bromberg → Multi-string instrumentalist and blues-folk and roots rock singer/songwriter, “The Holdup” (1971), now owns a violin sales and repair shop
1946 ● John Coghlan → Drummer for Brit psych-boogie rock Status Quo, “Pictures Of Matchstick Men” (#12, 1968)
1949 ● Twiggy / (Lesley Hornby) → Iconic 60s model and later stage, screen and TV actress, one hit wonder pop singer, “Here I Go Again” (UK #17, 1976)
1951 ● Daniel Lanois → Grammy-winning Canadian record producer, guitarist and composer, best known producing Peter Gabriel‘s So (1986), U2‘s The Joshua Tree (1987) and Achtung Baby (1991), plus albums by Brian Eno, Bob Dylan and others, recorded nearly 20 solo albums beginning with Acadie (1989)
1952 ● Nile Rodgers / (Nile Gregory Rodgers) → Guitarist, co-founder and co-writer for R&B/disco band Chic, “Le Freak” (#1, 1978), influential record producer, composer and arranger, produced albums for David Bowie (Let’s Dance, 1983), Madonna (Like A Virgin, 1984), Mick Jagger (She’s The Boss, 1985) and others, continues to record, perform, write soundtracks and produce albums for others into the 10s
1955 ● Rex Smith → Stage and film actor and brief pop singer, debuted on Broadway in the lead role as Danny Zuko in ,em>Grease (1978), followed with a three-year recording career and the lone hit “You Take My Breath Away” (#10, 1979), returned to screen acting from the 80s through the 00s
1957 ● Rusty Egan → Drummer for New Wave power pop The Rich Kids, “Rich Kids” (UK #24, 1978) and New Romantic synth-pop Visage, “Fade To Grey”(UK #8, 1981), London nightclub DJ
1958 ● Lita Ford / (Carmelita Rosanna Ford) → Guitar, vocals and founding member of teenage all-girl hard rock group The Runaways, “Cherry Bomb” (1976), pop-metal solo career, “Close My Eyes Forever” (#8, 1988)
1964 ● Trisha Yearwood / (Patricia Lynn Yearwood) → Grammy-winning country singer, “How Do I Live” (#23, Country #2, 1996) and 28 other Country Top 40 hits, TV and occasional film actress, cookbook editor
September 20
1911 ● Frank De Vol → Music arranger, theme song composer and actor, arranged music for numerous 40s and 50s hits, including “Nature Boy” (#1, 1948) by Nat King Cole, produced “The Happening” (#1, 1967) for The Supremes from the soundtrack to the movie of the same name he wrote, issued a series of “mood music” albums and led his own radio orchestra, composed the theme songs to dozens of movies and TV shows, including My Three Sons and The Brady Bunch, appeared as a deadpan comic actor on numerous TV sitcoms, died from congestive heart failure on 10/27/1999, age 88
1911 ● Frank De Vol / (Frank Denny De Vol) → Composer and music arranger, wrote arrangements for pop stars Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole (“Nature Boy,” #1, 1948) and others in the 40s, composed and recorded several “mood music” albums in the 50s and TV theme songs in the 60s, including Gidget, The Brady Bunch and My Three Sons, executive with Columbia Records, bandleader on stage and TV, wrote movie scores to Cat Ballou (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), The Frisco Kid (1979) and dozens more, played house bandleader Happy Kyne on the TV satire/sitcom Fernwood 2 Night (1977), died from congestive heart failure on 10/26/1999, age 88.
1917 ● Johnny Allen → Grammy-winning arranger, pianist, bandleader and producer, worked with both Motown and Stax Records for artists including The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and The Staple Singers, co-wrote the “Theme From Shaft” (#1, 1971) with Isaac Hayes and shared the Best Instrumental Arrangement award at the 14th Grammy Awards in 1972, continued to perform in various jazz bands into his 90s, died from pneumonia on 1/29/2014, age 96
1924 ● Gogi Grant / (Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg) → Mid-50s pop singer with five albums in two years and two Top 10 hits, “Suddenly There’s A Valley” (#9, 1955) and “The Wayward Wind” (#1, UK #9, 1956), the latter knocking Elvis Presley‘s “Heartbreak Hotel” from the #1 spot, faded from view during Beatlemania, died on 3/10/2016, age 91
1925 ● Bobby Nunn / (Ulyssess B. Nunn, Sr.) → R&B/doo wop singer with The Robins, “Smokey Joe’s Café” (#79, R&B #10, 1955), then as bass vocals for offshoot soul-pop The Coasters, but left before their big hits “Yakety Yak” (#1, 1958) and “Charlie Brown” (#2, 1959) and founded The Dukes in 1959, rejoined a new lineup of The Coasters in the mid-60s and toured and recorded with various versions of group through to his death from a heart attack on 11/5/1986, age 61
1930 ● Eddie Bo / (Edwin Joseph Bocage) → New Orleans-style jazz, blues and funk pianist, singer and prolific songwriter, released over 50 singles, including “Hook And Sling” (R&B #13, 1969) and the seminal funk song “Check Your Bucket,” wrote for and recorded with Art Tatum, Etta James and The Neville Brothers, among others, his “I’m Wise” was covered by Little Richard as “Slippin’ And Slidin'” (#33, R&B #2, 1956), May 22 is “Eddie Bo Day” in New Orleans, died following a heart attack on 3/18/2009, age 78
1930 ● Harry Harrison / (Harry Harrison, Jr.) → Affable, mildly corny but venerable New York City radio personality known as the “Morning Mayor” and the only one to broadcast on three of the market’s top music stations, WMCA-AM (1959-1968 as one of the “Good Guys” on-air team), WABC-AM, WABC-AM (1968-1979 as a member of its “All-American” team) and WCBS-FM (1980-2005), inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2019, died from undisclosed causes on 1/28/2020, age 89.
1938 ● Eric Gale → Jazz and session guitarist with a dozen of his own albums as frontman for various bands, plus appearances on over 500 other albums by Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Grover Washington, Jr. and many others over a 35 year career, died from lung cancer on 5/25/1994, age 55
1945 ● Sweet Pea Atkinson / (Hillard Atkinson) → Co-lead vocalist in soul-funk-pop Was (Not Was) on all of their 80s albums (plus the 2008 reunion LP, Boo!) and their signature hit, “Walk The Dinosaur” (#7, 1987), later participated in other Don (Weiss) Was and David (Fagenson) Was projects, issued a solo album, toured with Lyle Lovett for 10 years, and sang vocals for Elton John, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, A.J. Croce and many others, died following a heart attack on 5/5/2020, age 74.
1946 ● Mick Rogers / (Michael Oldroyd) → Guitarist and songwriter with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, “Blinded By The Light” (#1, 1977)
1948 ● Chuck Panozzo / (Charles Salvatore Panozzo) → With fraternal twin brother John and neighborhood pal Dennis De Young, co-founding member and drummer in the teenage rock band that eventually became prototypical arena rockers Styx, “Too Much Time On My Hands” (#9, 1981) and seven other Top 10 singles plus five Top 10 albums, continues to tour with the band and advocate for gay rights in the 20s.
1948 ● John Panozzo / (John Anthony Panozzo) → With fraternal twin brother Chuck and neighborhood pal Dennis De Young, co-founding member and drummer in the teenage rock band that eventually became prototypical arena rockers Styx, “Too Much Time On My Hands” (#9, 1981) and seven other Top 10 singles plus five Top 10 albums, died from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage and cirrhosis of the liver after years of alcohol abuse on 7/16/1996, age 47.
1953 ● Ricci Martin / (Ricci James Martin) → Youngest son of actor and singer Dean Martin, collaborated with Beach Boy Carl Wilson (his future brother-in-law) on the 1977 album Beached, replaced his deceased brother, Dino Martin, in the 90s revival of the 60s teen bubblegum pop trio Dino, Desi & Billy with Desi Arnez, Jr. and Billy Hinsche (“I’m A Fool,” #17, 1965), sang his father’s hits and told stories in a long-running Vegas-style tribute show, died at home from unspecified causes on 8/3/2016, age 62
1954 ● Tony Destra → Original drummer for Philly glam-rock Cinderella, “Shelter Me” (Mainstream Rock #5, 1990), left in 1985 to join glam-metal Britny Fox, “Long Way To Love” (Mainstream Rock #33, 1988), died in car accident on 2/8/1987, age 32
1957 ● Alannah Currie → Vocals for New Wave synth-pop Thompson Twins, “Hold Me Now” (#3, 1983), now a sculptural art-furniture artist
1960 ● David Hemingway → Lead vocals for Brit jangle-guitar pop-rock The Housemartins, “Caravan Of Love” (UK #1, 1986), then co-founded alt pop-rock The Beautiful South, “A Little Time” (UK #1, 1990)
1960 ● Cowboy Wiggins / (Robert Wiggins) → MC and vocals for hip hop pioneers Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five (“The Message,” R&B #4, 1982), the first hip hop group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, died from complications of cocaine addiction on 9/8/1989, age 28
1966 ● Nuno Bettencourt → Portuguese guitarist and songwriter for funk metal/hard rock Extreme, “More Than Words” (#1, 1991), solo, various collaborations and frontman for several hard rock bands
1967 ● Gunnar Nelson → With twin brother Matthew, one half of the pop-metal sibling act Nelson, “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love And Affection” (#1, 1990), son of deceased pop-rocker Ricky Nelson
1967 ● Matthew Nelson → With twin brother Gunnar, one half of the pop-metal sibling act Nelson, “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love And Affection” (#1, 1990), son of deceased pop-rocker Ricky Nelson
1968 ● Ben Shepherd → Bassist in seminal grunge-rock group Soundgarden, “Black Hole Sun” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1994)
1979 ● Rick Woolstenhulme → Drummer for post-grunge pop-rock Lifehouse, “Hanging On A Moment” (Billboard Song of the Year 2001) and “You And Me” (#5, 2005)
1981 ● Keith Semple → Vocals in teen pop boy band One True Voice, “Sacred Trust / After You’re Gone” (UK #2, 2002)
September 21
1913 ● Janet Ertel / (Janet Ertel Bleyer) → Founding member and vocalist in close-harmony pop music girl group The Chordettes (“Mr. Sandman,” #1, 1954 and “Lollipop,” #2, 1958)), later married Cadence Records (the group’s label) founder and owner Archie Bleyer, with whom she had a daughter who went on to marry Cadence artist Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers, died of cancer on 11/22/1988, age 75
1923 ● Jimmy Young / (Leslie Ronald Young) → Pop singer, “Unchained Melody” (UK #1, 1955) and BBC Radio 2 DJ from 1973 to 2002
1932 ● Don Preston → Keyboards for Frank Zappa-led satirical rock group Mothers of Invention, “Brown Shoes Don’t Make It” (1967), sessions
1932 ● Graeme Goodall → Australian recording engineer, studio designer, record producer, co-founder of Island Records and prominent figure in the development of Jamaican music and its recording industry, worked with dozens of ska, reggae and pop acts, including The Wailers, The Skatalites and Desmond Decker, died from natural causes on 12/3/2014, age 82
1934 ● Leonard Cohen / (Leonard Norman Cohen) → Influential and oft-covered Canadian folk-pop singer/songwriter, “Bird On The Wire” (1969), Grammy-winning Album of the Year River: The Joni Letters (2007)
1936 ● Dickey Lee / (Royden Dickey Lipscomb) → Country-pop singer/songwriter, “Patches” (#6, 1962), then migrated to country music in the 70s and had 16 Country Top 40 hits, including “Rocky” (Country #1, 1975)
1942 ● U-Roy / (Ewart Beckford) → Reggae DJ and key figure in Jamaican “toasting,” the precursor to rap music which combined rhythmic spoken or chanted words over previously recorded songs, issued dozens of singles in the US and UK in the 70s, as well as three Top 10 hits in Jamaica and a DJ version of the John Holt-penned “The Tide Is High” (a worldwide #1 hit for New Wave pop-rock Blondie in 1980), collaborated with reggae artists and DJs through his career and influenced countless current hip hop DJs, issued toasting covers of reggae and popular music hits through the 10s, suffered from multiple health issues in his later years and died in a hospital on @/17/2021, age 78.
1943 ● David Hood → Bassist, session musician and founding member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section (also known as The Swampers), the renowned studio musician ensemble that recorded hundreds of songs and albums at Muscle Shoals Studio in Alabama, including hits byAretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd and countless others, also toured with Traffic in the 70s and produced songs by Cher and Willie Nelson, among others
1944 ● Jesse Davis / (Jesse Ed Davis III) → Native American guitarist with a lone blues-rock solo album (Jesse Davis, 1971) featuring Eric Clapton, Gram Parsons and Leon Russell, performed with George Harrison‘s Concert For Bangladesh (1971) and became a highly-regarded session musician and producer, worked with Gene Clark, John Lennon, Jackson Browne (solo on “Doctor My Eyes,” #8, 1972), Taj Mahal and many others, died from a heroin overdose on 6/22/1988, age 43
1944 ● Bobby Tench / (Rober Tench) → Respected guitarist, songwriter and soulful vocalist over a 50 year career fronting his own bands (Gass and Hummingbird) and touring and recording as a sideman with multiple British rock luminaries, including Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, Ginger Baker and Eric Burdon, also recorded with Freddie King, Junior Marvin, Humble Pie and many others, the Gibson guitar he sold to Mark Knopfler in the mid-90s sold at auction for over $850,000 in 2024, just days before he died from undisclosed causes on 2/19/2024, age 79.
1947 ● Don Felder → Lead guitar, vocals and songwriter for country-rock and pop Eagles, composed music to “Hotel California” (#1, 1976), solo and collaborations with former bandmates
1947 ● Rupert Hine / (Rupert Neville Hine) → English musician with eleven albums as a solo artist and as frontman for mid-70s pop-rock Quantum Jump, whose ”The Lone Ranger” did not chart in 1976 but reached UK #5 on re-release in 1979, best known as a producer and songwriter for synth-pop The Fixx (“One Thing Leads To Another.” #4, 1983), R&B diva Tina Turner (“Better Be Good To Me,” #5, R&B #6, 1984), and numerous tracks and albums for Bob Geldof, Howard Jones, Stevie Nicks and many others, along with a variety of politically- and environmentally-conscious projects over the years, suffered from renal cancer in the early 10s and died from undisclosed causes on 6/4/2020, age 72.
1949 ● Colin Gibson → Brit bassist and composer, started with psych-pop band Skip Bifferty in the 60s, later joined Ginger Baker’s Air Force and did session work for Stefan Grossman, Alvin Lee, Steve Howe and others, co-wrote a UK TV sitcom and film soundtracks, collaborates and produces various projects into the 10s.
1952 ● David Gregory → Lead guitarist for quirky New Wave synth-pop XTC, “Making Plans For Nigel” (UK #17, 1979) and side project for the band under the pseudonym The Dukes Of Stratosphear
1954 ● Philthy Animal Taylor / (Philip John Taylor) → Drummer for punk-metal Motörhead, “Ace Of Spades” (UK #15, 1980), during periods away from the band did session work and collaborations with thrash metal artists, died from abusive lifestyle liver failure on 11/11/2015, age 61
1959 ● Corinne Drewerey → Vocals for Brit sophisti-pop Swing Out Sister, “Breakout” (#6, 1987)
1967 ● Faith Hill / (Audrey Faith Perry) → Five time Grammy-winning country-pop crossover star, “Breathe” (#2, 1999) and eight Country #1 hits, Billboard magazine’s #1 Adult Contemporary artist for 2009
1967 ● Timmy T / (Timothy Torres) → Rap-dance “freestyle” performer, “One More Try” (#1, 1991)
1967 ● Tyler Stewart → Drummer for Canadian alt-rock Barenaked Ladies, “One Week” (#1, 1998)
1968 ● Jon Brooks → Drummer for “Madchester” alt rock The Charlatans UK, “The Only One I Know” (Mainstream Rock #37, 1991)
1968 ● Trugoy the Dove / (David Jude Jolicoeur) → MC and vocals for jazz rap and alt hip hop trio De La Soul, “Me Myself And I” (R&B #1, 1989)
1972 ● David Silveria → Drummer for nu metal Korn, “Here To Stay” (Mainstream #4, 2002)
1972 ● Liam Gallagher → Frontman and vocals for Grammy-nominated Brit pop Oasis, “Wonderwall” (#8, 1996), the band had 22 consecutive UK Top 10 hits, now fronts Beady Eye
1973 ● Jimmy Constable → Vocals and co-founding member of Brit teen-dance-pop boy band 911, covered The Bee Gees‘ “More Than A Woman” (UK #2, 1998) and Bobby Gosh‘s “A Little Bit More” (UK #1, 1999), a US #11 hit for Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show in 1976
1977 ● Sam Rivers → Bassist for rap-metal Limp Bizkit, “My Way” (Mainstream Rock #4, 2001)
1977 ● The-Dream / (Terius Youngdell Nash) → Grammy-winning rapper, songwriter and record producer, “Shawty Is A 10” (#17, 2007), co-wrote “Baby” for Justin Bieber (#5, 2010), “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” for Beyoncé (#1, 2008) and other hit songs
1984 ● Wale / (Olubowale Victor Akintimehin) → Rapper with multiple collaborative singles and albums, including the BET Award-winning “Lotus Flower Bomb” (#38, R&B #1, Rap #3, 2011) featuring Miguel
1989 ● Jason Derülo / (Jason Desrouleaux) → R&B/urban soul singer/songwriter, actor and dancer, “Watcha Say” (#1, 2009)