Happy Birthday this week to:
Dec 14
1911 ● Lindley Armstrong “Spike” Jones → Multi-instrumentalist, musical comedian and satirist, bandleader for The City Slickers and their unique parodies of popular hits of all eras and genres, died on 5/1/1965 from the effects of emphysema
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1915 ● Jerry Daniels → Founding member, tenor vocals and string instruments for pioneering black R&B/doo wop group The Ink Spots, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” (#2, R&B #1, 1943), left the group in 1936 before they achieved popularity, died 11/7/1995
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1932 ● Charlie Rich → The “Silver Fox,” Grammy-winning country-pop-blues singer and musician, “The Most Beautiful Girl” (#1, 1974) plus eight other Country #1 singles and seven other Top 40 hits, died on 7/25/1995 from a blood clot in his lung
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1934 ● Johnny Moore → Lead vocalist for R&B/doo wop The Drifters in the mid-50s, left for military service and an unsuccessful solo career under the alias Johnny Darrow, rejoined The Drifters on May 21, 1964 to sing lead on “Under The Boardwalk” (#4, 1964) in place of former lead vocalist Rudy Lewis (who died the night before from a suspected heroin overdose), remained with the group through several hits and three decades of touring, died from respiratory failure on 12/30/1998
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1937 ● Warren Ryanes → Baritone vocals for one hit wonder R&B/doo wop sextet The Monotones, “(Who Wrote) The Book Of Love” (#5, 1958), died 6/16/1982
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1938 ● Gary Usher → California surf rock songwriter and record producer, co-wrote The Beach Boys‘ “In My Room” (#23, 1963) and others songs with Brian Wilson, produced two albums for The Byrds, died on 5/25/1990
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1943 ● Frank Allen (Francis Renaud McNeice) → Bassist for Merseybeat band The Searchers, “Needles And Pins” (#13, 1963)
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1944 ● Linda Jones → R&B/soul-gospel singer, “Hypnotized” (R&B #4, 1967), died 3/14/72 after collapsing into a diabetic coma after performing at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in New York
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1946 ● Jackie McAuley → Keyboards for Irish garage-rock, proto-punk Them, “Gloria” (#71, 1966), solo and co-founder of The Belfast Gypsies
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1946 ● Jane Birkin → Ingénue, film actress and pop singer, steamy duet with Serge Gainsbourg, “Je T’Aime… Moi Non Plus” (#69, 1970), the only French language US Top 100 hit
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1946 ● John Du Prez (Trevor Jones) → Trumpeter for Brit dance-pop band Modern Romance, “Can You Move” (Dance/Club #2, 1981) and “Best Years Of Our Lives” (UK #4, 1982)
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1946 ● Joyce Vincent-Wilson → Light pop vocalist in Tony Orlando & Dawn, “Knock Three Times” (#1, 1971)
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1947 ● Anna Marie “Patty” Duke → Pop singer and TV actor, “Don’t Just Stand There” (#8, 1965), star of The Patty Duke Show, actors’ union executive
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1949 ● Cliff Williams → Bassist for AC/DC replacing Mark Evans in 1977, “Back In Black” (#37, 1981)
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1954 ● Ray Stephens → TV actor and later lead singer for gay disco troupe Village People, “YMCA” (#2, 1979), died from drug abuse on 10/4/1990
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1958 ● Mike Scott → Singer, songwriter and leader of Celtic folk-rock The Waterboys, “Fisherman’s Blues” (Modern Rock #3, 1988)
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1958 ● Peter “Spider” Stacy → Founding member, vocals, guitar and tin whistle in Irish folk-punk-rock The Pogues, “Tuesday Morning” (Rock #11, 1993)
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1966 ● Mark Gillespie → Vocals for Brit electronic dance-pop boy band Big Fun, “Stomp!” (#12, 1994)
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1966 ● Tim Sköld → Former bassist for industrial-pop-metal Marilyn Manson, “The Dope Show” (Mainstream Rock #12, 1998)
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1975 ● Brian Dalyrimple → Vocals for urban R&B/dance-club brother quartet Soul For Real, “Candy Rain” (#2, 1995)
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1979 ● Sophie Monk → Singer in pre-fab Aussie all-girl pop vocal quintet Bardot, “Poison” (Aus. #1, 2000), solo
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1988 ● Vanessa Hudgens → American actress and singer in High School Musical movies (most watched cable TV movies ever)
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Dec 15
1919 ● Max Yasgur → Bethel, NY dairy farmer on whose property the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Festival was held, died of a heart attack on 2/8/1973
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1921 ● Alan “Moondog” Freed (Albert James Freed) → Superstar radio DJ, coined term “rock & roll”, TV and film cameo actor, died from liver failure 1/20/1965.
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1928 ● Jerry “Mr. Smooth” Wallace → Mildly successful pop crooner, “Primrose Lane” (#8, 1959), switched to country in the late 60s and scored four Country Top 25 hits, died of heart failure on 5/5/2008
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1932 ● Jesse Belvin → Early and underappreciated R&B/soul singer and songwriter, “Goodnight My Love” (R&B #7, 1956), co-wrote “Earth Angel” for The Penguins (#8, 1955), killed in a car crash on 2/6/1960 during a career upswing
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1939 ● Cindy Birdsong → R&B/soul vocals for Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles, “I Sold My Heart To The Junkman” (#15, 1962), replaced Flo Ballard in The Supremes in 1967, “River Deep, Mountain High” (#14, 1971), participates in reunions of both bands
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1942 ● Dave Clark → Frontman and drummer for Brit Invasion pop-rock Dave Clark Five, “Catch Us If You Can” (#4, 1965) and 11 other Top 25 hits in the US
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1946 ● Carmine Appice → Drummer for hard psych rock/proto-metal Vanilla Fudge, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (#6, 1968), formed boogie-rock Cactus in 1972, then “super” trio Beck, Bogert & Appice, “Superstition” (1973) and the Rod Stewart band
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1946 ● Harry Ray → Vocals in R&B/soul trio The Moments, “Love On A Two-Way Street” (#3, 1970), then name change to Ray, Goodman & Brown, “Special Lady” (#5, 1979), died on 10/1/1992
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1949 ● Don Johnson → Star of the 80s cop show Miami Vice and one hit wonder pop singer, “Heartbeat” (#5, 1986)
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1955 ● Paul Simonon → Bassist for influential and acclaimed punk-ska-dance-rock The Clash, “Rock The Casbah” (#8, 1982)
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1957 ● Tim Reynolds → Multi-instrumental musician and songwriter, sessions and tours with the Dave Matthews Band (“Space Between” #22, 2002) and permanent lead guitarist since 2008
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1960 ● Anthony “Tich” Critchlow → Drummer in Brit dance-pop-funk Living In A Box, “Living In A Box” (#17, 1987)
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1961 ● Nick Beggs → Bassist for one hit wonder New Wave light synth-bubblegum-pop Kajagoogoo, “Too Shy” (#5, 1983)
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1979 ● Edele Lynch → Vocals in Irish one hit wonder girl-group B*Witched, “C’est La Vie” (#9, 1999)
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1979 ● Keavy Lynch → Vocals in Irish one hit wonder girl-group B*Witched, “C’est La Vie” (#9, 1999)
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1980 ● Sergio Pizzorno → Guitar and vocals for Brit alt rock Kasabian, “Club Foot” (Modern Rock #27, 2004)
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Dec 16
1899 ● Noel Coward → Multi-talented author, poet, playwright, actor, stage, film and television producer and director, songwriter and pop/cabaret singer, “Mad About The Boy” (1932), died of a heart attack on 3/26/1973
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1931 ● Karl Denver (Angus Murdo McKenzie) → Scottish one hit wonder pop-rock singer, “Wimoweh” (UK #4, 1961), died on 12/21/1998 from a brain tumor
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1945 ● Tony Hicks → Guitar and vocals for British Invasion pop-rock The Hollies, “Bus Stop” (#5, 1966) and “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress” (#2, 1972)
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1946 ● Benny Andersson → Keyboards and vocals for internationally successful Scandinavian pop group ABBA, “Dancing Queen” (#1, 1976)
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1949 ● Billy “Reverend Willie G.” Gibbons → Guitar and vocals for venerable Texas blues/boogie rock trio ZZ Top, “Legs” (#8, 1984)
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1959 ● Steven Irvine → Drummer for Brit pop-rock Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, “Lost Weekend” (UK #17, 1985)
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1968 ● Christopher Thorn → Guitarist for roots-psych-alt rock Blind Melon, “No Rain” (Modern Rock #1, 1993)
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1968 ● Eulaulah Donyll “Lalah” Hathaway → The “First Daughter of Soul,” contemporary R&B and jazz-pop singer, “Heaven Knows” (R&B/Hip Hop #3, 1990), daughter of R&B/soul legend Donny Hathaway, member of the Daughters Of Soul supergroup with Nona Hendryx and others
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1971 ● Michael McCary → Former bass vocals for R&B/urban soul a cappella Boyz II Men, “End Of The Road” (#1, 1992)
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Dec 17
1936 ● Tommy Steele (Thomas William Hicks) → Early Brit rock ‘n roll teen idol vocalist, “Rock With The Caveman” (UK #13, 1956) and more than 20 other UK Top 40 hits, actor
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1937 ● Art Neville → Vocalist and pianist with New Orleans soul-funk sibling group The Neville Brothers, “Yellow Moon” (1989)
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1938 ● Carlo Little (Carl O’Neil Little) → First Rolling Stones drummer, replaced by Charlie Watts in 1963, session work including “Let’s Go To San Francisco” by The Flower Pot Men (UK #1, 1967)
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1939 ● Eddie Kendricks → Founding member and lead vocals for R&B giants The Temptations, “My Girl” (#1, 1965), left in 1971 for solo career, “Keep On Truckin” (#1, 1973) plus 18 other R&B Top 40 hits, died from lung cancer on 10/5/1992
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1942 ● Paul Butterfield → Blues-rock singer, harmonica player and bandleader with the legendary and biracial Butterfield Blues Band, later fronted Better Days and issued solo albums, died 5/4/1987 from a drug-related heart attack
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1943 ● David Dee (David John Harman) → Lead vocals for Brit 60s pop-rock two hit wonder quintet Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, “The Legend Of Xanadu” (UK #1, 1968), died of cancer on 1/9/2009
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1946 ● Martin Smith → Jazz and blues rock drummer for Brit prog-rockers Simon Dupree & The Big Sound and Gentle Giant, died on 3/2/1997 from internal hemorrhaging
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1947 ● Simon Bates → Brit radio DJ and music show host for the BBC Radio 1, Classic FM and The Breakfast Show on Smooth Radio
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1948 ● Jim Bonfanti → Drummer for Cleveland garage rock quartet The Choir, “It’s Cold Outside” (#68, 1967), then co-founded power pop The Raspberries, “Go All The Way” (#5, 1972), reunited in the 00s
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1949 ● Paul Rodgers → Guitar and vocals for proto-metal/hard rock Free, “All Right Now” (#4, 1970), hard rock Bad Company, “Can’t Get Enough” (#5, 1974), supergroup The Firm and rock duo The Law with Kenney Jones of The Who, solo
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1950 ● Carlton “Carlie” Barrett → Drummer for early reggae band The Upsetters and roots reggae Bob Marley & The Wailers, “Buffalo Soldier” (1983), murdered on 4/17/1987
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1951 ● Wanda Hutchinson → Vocals in R&B/soul-gospel and disco sister trio The Emotions, “Best Of My Love” (#1, 1977)
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1958 ● Mike Mills → Bassist for influential post-punk R.E.M., “The One I Love” (#9, 1987)
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1959 ● Bob Stinson → Guitarist for garage punk then alt rock pioneers The Replacements, “I’ll Be You” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1989), died of an accidental drug overdose on 2/18/1995
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1961 ● Sarah Dallin → Singer for pop-rock Bananarama, “Venus” (#1, 1986) and 11 Dance/Club Top 40 hits
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1964 ● David “Ginger” Walls → Founder, guitarist, singer and songwriter for Brit hard rock The Wildhearts, “Sick Of Drugs” (UK #14, 1995)
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1969 ● Micky Quinn → Bassist for Brit punk-pop trio Supergrass, “Alright/Time” (Modern Rock #1, 1995)
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1972 ● Craig “DJ Homicide” Bullock → DJ for funk-pop-rock Sugar Ray, “Fly” (#1, 1997), solo
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1973 ● Eddie Fisher → Drums and percussion for self-proclaimed “genreless” pop-rock OneRepublic, “Apologize” (#1, 2006), most popular digital download/highest airplay song ever to-date
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1978 ● Neil Christopher Sanderson → Co-founder, drummer and backing vocals for Canadian punk/metal Three Days Grace, “Just Like You” (Mainstream Rock #1, 2004)
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1989 ● Taylor York → Guitarist for alt rock/pop-punk Paramore, “Misery Business” (#27, 2007)
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Dec 18
1917 ● Eddie “Cleanhead” Vincent → Jump blues, jazz bebop and R&B alto saxophonist, blues shouter and bandleader, “Old Maid Boogie” (R&B #1, 1947), toured and recorded regularly through four decades before dying of a heart attack on 7/2/1988
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1931 ● Allen Klein → Businessman, talent agent, film producer, record label executive and manager for Sam Cooke, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and others, died from Alzheimer’s disease on 7/4/2009
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1938 ● Bryan James “Chas” Chandler → Bassist for British Invasion hard/blues-rock The Animals, “House Of The Rising Sun” (#1, 1964), producer and manager for Jimi Hendrix and Slade, died of heart failure on 7/17/1996
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1941 ● Sam Andrew → Founding member, guitarist and singer for 60s psych-rock Big Brother & The Holding Company, “Piece Of My Heart” (#12, 1968), Janis Joplin‘s Kozmic Blues Band, “Me And Bobby McGee” (#1, 1971), film score composer, reunited Big Brother in 1987 and continues
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1942 ● Les Cauchi → Tenor vocal for R&B/doo wop The Del-Satins, which became The Brooklyn Bridge, “Worst That Could Happen” (#3, 1968)
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1943 ● Keith Richards → The “Human Guitar Riff,” founding member, lead guitarist, and co-songwriter for The Rolling Stones, “Honky Tonk Woman” (#1, 1969), solo, Rolling Stone magazine’s #10 Great Guitarist of All Time
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1948 ● Bill Nelson → Prog rock, electropop, experimental and ambient music composer, guitarist and songwriter, founded and fronted prog rock Be Bop Deluxe, “Modern Music” (1977), prolific solo career since the late 70s
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1950 ● Martha Johnson → Vocals and leader of Canadian post-punk Martha & The Muffins, “Echo Beach” (Juno Single of the Year, 1980)
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1953 ● Elliot Easton → Lead guitar for The Cars, “My Best Friend’s Girl” (#35, 1978), The New Cars, power pop Click Five and roots rock Creedence Clearwater Revisited
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1958 ● Kevin “Geordie” Walker → Guitarist in post-punk/gloom-industrial metal Killing Joke, “Follow The Leaders” (#25, 1981)
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1959 ● Grantley Evan “Daddy G” Marshall → Vocals and songwriter in pioneering trip-hop collaborative duo Massive Attack, “Teardrop” (UK #10, 1998), producer
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1963 ● Greg D’Angelo → Drummer for Danish-American heavy/hair metal White Lion, “When The Children Cry” (#3, 1987)
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1964 ● Robson Green → Brit singer, songwriter, TV host and actor, covered “Unchained Melody” (UK #1, 1995)
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1966 ● Steve Dullaghan → Bassist for indie “blonde” pop-rockers The Primitives, co-wrote “Crash” (Modern Rock #3, 1988), died from a cannabis overdose on 2/4/2009
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1968 ● Andy Miller → Guitarist for goofball Brit power pop trio Dodgy, “Good Enough” (UK #4, 1996)
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1970 ● DMX (Earl Simmons) → Vocalist, songwriter and drum machine rap pioneer, “Party Up (Up In Here)” (#27, 1999), screen actor, Reality TV host
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1972 ● DJ Lethal (Leor Dimant) → Latvian-born producer and DJ/turntablist for House Of Pain and rap-metal Limp Bizkit, “My Way” (Mainstream Rock #4, 2001)
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1980 ● Christina Aguilera → Dance-pop singer, “Genie In A Bottle” (#1, 1999), collaborated with Mya, Lil’ Kim and Pink on remake of “Lady Maramalade” (#1, 2001)
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1980 ● Lyndsay Armaou → Vocals in Irish one hit wonder girl-group B*Witched, “C’est La Vie” (#9, 1999)
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Dec 19
1915 ● Edith Piaf (Edith Giovanna Gassion) → Widely popular French-born opera and adult pop singer, “Milord” (#88, 1959), died on 10/11/1963 from liver cancer
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1918 ● Professor Longhair (Henry Roeland Byrd) → Influential and pioneering New Orleans R&B singer and pianist, switched to blues and rock ‘n’ roll and later jazz, won a posthumous Grammy for the collection House Party New Orleans Style (1987), died of a heart attack on 1/30/1980
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1940 ● Phil Ochs → 60s folk “outlaw” singer and songwriter, “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” (1965), committed suicide by hanging himself at his sister’s home in Queens, NY on 4/9/1976
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1941 ● Maurice White → Seven-time Grammy-winning drummer, singer, songwriter, founder and frontman of R&B/soul-dance-pop Earth, Wind & Fire, “Shining Star” (#1, 1975), producer for Deniece Williams, The Emotions and others
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1944 ● Alvin Lee (Graham Barnes) → Underrated British blues-rock guitarist, founding member, lead vocals and lead guitar for Ten Years After, achieved instant if fleeting fame with his rendition of “I’m Going Home” at Woodstock in 1969 but other than “I’d Love To Change The World” (Top 40, 1971) never had significant commercial success, died on 3/6/2013 from “complications of a routine surgical procedure”
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1944 ● Ian Stuart Colman → Brit radio broadcaster, musician and record producer, founding member and bassist for one hit wonder pop-easy listening The Flying Machine (“Smile A Little Smile For Me,” Top 5, 1969), later acclaimed BBC Radio disc jockey
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1944 ● Zalman “Zal” Yanovsky → The “Zany One,” guitarist for folk-pop-rock The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer In The City” (#1, 1965), restaurateur in Kingston, Ontario, died 12/13/2002 after a heart attack
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1945 ● John McEuen → Singer, songwriter, guitar, banjo and mandolin for country-folk-bluegrass-rock The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, “Mr. Bojangles” (#9, 1971), solo and Grammy-winning producer
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1957 ● Doug Johnson → Keyboards for Canadian hard/pop-rockers Loverboy, “Turn Me Loose” (Mainstream Rock #6, 1981)
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1958 ● Limahl (Christopher Hamill) → Lead singer for one hit wonder New Wave light synth-bubblegum-pop Kajagoogoo, “Too Shy” (#5, 1983), solo, “Never Ending Story” (Adult Contemporary #6, 1984)
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1961 ● John Eascott → Trumpet for New Wave swing/pop Roman Holliday, “Don’t Try To Stop It” (#68, UK #14, 1983)
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1968 ● Kevin Shepard → Original drummer for Grammy-nominated alt/roots rock Tonic, “If You Could Only See” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1997)
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Dec 20
1936 ● Judy Henske → The “Queen of the Beatniks,” late 50s and 60s Greenwich Village and Laurel Canyon folk singer, songwriter and one-time TV actress, worked with Lenny Bruce and the Whiskey Hill Singers with ex-Kingston Triomember Dave Guard, recorded two solo albums on Elektra Records in the early 60s, married and recorded with Jerry Yester, including the cult album Farewell Aldebaran (1969), continues to record and perform into the 10s
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1944 ● Bobby Colomby → Drummer for jazz-rock/pop-rock fusion band Blood, Sweat & Tears, “Spinning Wheel” (#2, 1969)
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1945 ● Peter Criss (Criscoula) → Drummer and “Catman” character in campy hard/glam-rock Kiss, “Detroit Rock City” (#7, 1976), solo
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1948 ● Stephen “Little Stevie” Wright → Lead vocals for Aussie-based 60s pop-rock The Easybeats, “Friday On My Mind” (#16, 1967), then solo
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1949 ● Alan Parsons → Brit studio engineer, part-producer for The Beatles‘ Abbey Road (1969) and Let It Be (1970), plus Pink Floyd‘s The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), songwriter, musician and bandleader for prog-pop-rock The Alan Parsons Project, “Games People Play” (#16, 1981)
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1956 ● Guy Babylon → Keyboardist and contributor in the Elton John band, died in a swimming accident in his L.A. home pool on 9/2/2009
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1957 ● Anita Ward → One hit wonder R&B/soul-disco singer, “Ring My Bell” (#1, 1979)
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1957 ● Michael Watt → Seminal post-punk bassist and founder of Minutemen, dos, FireHouse, also with The Stooges and Banyan
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1957 ● Stephen William “Billy” Bragg → Brit alt rock singer, songwriter and left-wing activist, “Sexuality” (Modern Rock #2, 1991) and “She’s Leaving Home” (UK #1, 1988), wrote “A New England” for Kirsty MacColl (UK #7, 1985)
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1966 ● Chris Robinson → Founder, guitarist and songwriter for roots/raunch rock The Black Crowes, “Hard To Handle” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1991)
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1971 ● Roger J. Beaujard → Guitarist and drum machine programmer for death metal/deathgrind duo Mortician, “Chainsaw Dismemberment” (1999)
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1975 ● Graham Hopkins → Former drummer for Irish grunge rock Therapy?, then solo, now sessions and touring bands
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1980 ● Christopher “Dibs” Edwards → Bassist for Brit indie rock Kasabian, “Club Foot” (Modern Rock #27, 2004)
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1982 ● David Cook → Multi-instrumentalist post-grunge pop-rock singer and songwriter, “The Time Of My Life” (#3, 2008), winner of the seventh season of American Idol (2008)
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1990 ● JoJo (Joanna Noelle Levesque) → R&B/dance-pop singer and songwriter, “Too Little Too Late” (#3, 2006), actress
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