Happy Birthday this week to:
October 09
1920 ● Yusef Abdul Lateef (William Emanuel Huddleston) → Jazz, swing, bop, New Age and world music multi-instrumentalist (primarily saxophone), composer, educator, music publisher and doctoral PhD whose 60-year career included session work, band membership, solo albums, touring groups and highest-level professorship stints, died after a long battle with prostate cancer on 12/23/2013, age 93
1937 ● Pat Burke → Jamaican-born flautist and saxophonist in Brit R&B/soul-pop The Foundations, “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” (#11, 1967)
1939 ● Overton Vertis “O.V.” Wright → R&B/gospel then Southern soul balladeer, “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry” (R&B #6, 1965) and five other R&B Top 40 hits, died from a drug abuse-related heart attack on 11/16/1980, age 41
1940 ● John Winston Lennon → Singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of The Beatles, with collaborator Paul McCartney co-wrote 21 US #1 hits, expressive if often neglected solo career, “Imagine” (#3, 1971) and 14 other Top 40 hits, social activist, sometime film actor, murdered outside his New York City apartment by a deranged fan on 12/8/1980, age 40
1944 ● John Entwistle → Influential bass guitarist and founding member of The Who, “I Can See For Miles” (#9, 1967) plus 16 other Top 40 hits, solo, “Talk Dirty” (Mainstream Rock #41, 1982), Rolling Stone magazine reader poll #1 rock bassist of all time, died from a cocaine-induced heart attack on 6/27/2002, age 57
1944 ● Nona Hendryx → R&B/soul, funk, pop and World music singer, songwriter and producer, founding member of 60s doo wop girl group The Bluebelles, which morphed into disco-funk Labelle, “Lady Marmalade” (#1, 1975), solo, “Why Should I Cry?” (#58, R&B #5, 1987), collaboration with Keith Richards, “Rock This House” (1985) and others, film and radio actress
1948 ● Clyde Jackson Browne → Laid-back California folk-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Running On Empty” (#11, 1977) and nine other Top 40 singles and four Top 20 albums
1954 ● James Fearnley → Accordion for Irish folk-punk-rock The Pogues, “Tuesday Morning” (Rock #11, 1993)
1957 ● Ini Kamoze (Cecil Campbell) → One hit wonder reggae/dance-club singer, “Here Comes The Hotstepper” (#1, 1994)
1959 ● Thomas Wydler → Swiss drummer and core member of Aussie alt rock Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, “Where The Wild Roses Grow” (Australia #2, UK #11, 1995)
1961 ● Kurt Neumann → Founder, guitar and vocals for roots rock The BoDeans, “Closer To Free” (#16, 1993)
1967 ● Mat Osman → Bassist for Britpop indie rock Suede, “Trash” (UK #3, 1996)
1968 ● Vix (Victoria Perks) → Violin and vocals for all-girl New Wave pop-punk quartet Fuzzbox (originally We’ve Got A Fuzz Box And We’re Gonna Use It), “International Rescue” (UK #11, 1989)
1969 ● Polly Jean “P.J.” Harvey → Alt rock singer/songwriter and guitarist, bandleader for her self-named trio and solo artist, “Down By The Water” (Alt Rock #2, 1995)
1973 ● Terry Balsamo → Lead guitarist for alt heavy metal Cold, “Stupid Girl” (Mainstream Rock #4, 2003), left to join Grammy-winning goth-pop-metal Evanescence, “My Immortal” (#7, 2004)
1975 ● Sean Ono Lennon → Avant garde-pop singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor, producer, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono and godson of Elton John, shares birthday with his deceased father
1978 ● Nicholas Byrne → Vocals for Irish pop boy band Westlife, “Swear It Again” (#20, 2000) and 17 UK Top 10 hits
1979 ● Alex Greenwald → Actor, model for The Gap clothing store and lead vocals and guitarist for power pop/indie rock Phantom Planet, “California” (Modern Rock #35, 2002)
1980 ● Brian Hurren → Keyboards for Scottish Celtic folk-rock Runrig, “An Ubhal As Airde (The Highest Apple)” (UK #18, 1995)
October 10
1909 ● “Mother” Maybelle Carter → Guitar, harmony vocals and 50-year member of traditional folk and country music act The Carter Family, matriarch of next-generation country-pop The Carter Sisters (“Pick The Wildwood Flower,” Country #34, 1973) with daughters Helen, June (later June Carter Cash) and Anita, performed until her death on 10/24/1978, age 69
1914 ● Ivory Joe Hunter → The “Baron of the Boogie”, blues pianist, singer and early rock ‘n’ roller, “Since I Met You, Baby” (#12, R&B #1, 1956), died of lung cancer on 11/8/1974, age 60
1917 ● Thelonius Monk → Jazz giant, pianist and composer, “Round Midnight” (1944) and the retrospective live album At Carnegie Hall (#107, 2005), died after a stroke on 2/17/1982, age 64
1923 ● Louis Gottlieb → Baritone vocals, bass guitar and comic routines for folk-pop trio The Limeliters, “A Dollar Down” (#60, 1961), left the group in 1965 to co-found the hippie commune Morning Star Ranch in Sonoma County, CA, rejoined in 1973 and performed through to his death on 7/11/1996, age 72
1938 ● Larry Finnegan (John Lawrence Finneran) → One hit wonder rock ‘n’ roll/pop singer, “Dear One” (#11, AUS #1, 1962), left the U.S. for Sweden and then Switzerland in the mid-60s, returned to the U.S. in the early 70s and died of a brain tumor on 7/22/1973, age 34
1943 ● Denis D’Ell (Dalziel) → Lead singer and harmonica player for one hit wonder English beat/pop-rock The Honeycombs, “Have I The Right?” (#5, 1964), died of cancer on 7/6/2005, age 61
1945 ● Alan Cartwright → Bassist for prog/psych rock Procol Harum, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” (#5, 1967), left in 1975, now operates a pub
1945 ● Jerry Lacroix → Journeyman harmonica, saxophone, songwriter and backing vocals for The Boogie Kings, Edgar Winter’s White Trash, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Rare Earth, sessions
1946 ● John Prine → Influential folk-country-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, albums Sweet Revenge (#135, 1973) and Grammy-winning Fair & Square (#55, 2005) and the oft-covered country-folk standard “Angel From Montgomery” (1971)
1948 ● Cyril Neville → Vocals and percussion in New Orleans soul-funk sibling group The Neville Brothers, “Yellow Moon” (1989)
1951 ● Keith Grimes → Backing band guitarist for Eva Cassidy, mixed-genre vocal interpreter of American classics and pop tunes including “Over The Rainbow” (1992)
1952 ● Sharon Osbourne → Sensible wife of heavy metal king Ozzy Osbourne, TV actress and judge on The X Factor and America’s Got Talent, producer, business manager and promoter
1953 ● James “Midge” Ure → Scottish guitarist, singer and songwriter, first with bubblegum pop Slik, “Forever And Ever” (UK #1, 1976), left to form pop-rock The Rich Kids, “Rich Kids” (UK #24, 1978), then New Wave electro-synth-pop pioneers Ultravox, “Vienna” (UK #2, 1980) and 15 other UK Top 40 singles, co-organized charity group Band Aid, “Do They Know It’s Christmas” (#13, 1984), solo, “Dear God” (Mainstream Rock #6, 1989)
1954 ● David Lee Roth → Flamboyant frontman, lead singer and songwriter for hard rock Van Halen, “Jump” (#1, 1984), solo, “Just Like Paradise” (#6, 1988), radio “shock jock” DJ with Howard Stern
1958 ● Tanya Tucker → Country singer and songwriter, first hit at age 13 with “Delta Dawn” (#72, Country #6, 1972), scored 10 Country #1 hits including “Lizzie And The Rainman” (#37, Country #1, 1975), 1991 Country Music Association singer of the year, starred in her own fly-on-the-wall TV show, Tuckerville, in 2005
1959 ● Kirsty MacColl → Brit singer and songwriter, “There’s A Guy Works Down In The Chip Shop (Swears He’s Elvis)” (UK #14, 1981) and “Walking Down Madison” (Dance/Club #18, 1991), died in a boating accident in Mexico on 12/18/2000, age 41
1960 ● Eric Martin → Vocals for pop-metal “shredder” band Mr. Big, “To Be With You” (#1, 1992)
1960 ● Gail Greenwood → Bass guitarist in alt rock Belly (“Feed The Tree,” #95, Alt Rock #1, UK #32, 1993) and grunge and riot grrrl L7 (“Pretend We’re Dead,” Alt Rock #8, UK #21, 1992), since 2003 with alt rock Benny Sizzler
1961 ● Martin Kemp → Bassist for New Romantic pop-rock Spandau Ballet, “True” (#4, 1983)
1963 ● Jim Glennie → Bassist in Brit alt pop-rock James, “Sit Down” (UK #2, 1991) and “Laid” (#61, Modern Rock #3, 1994)
1963 ● Jonny Male → Guitarist for techno-pop Republica, “Drop Dead Gorgeous” (Modern Rock #39, 1997)
1964 ● Graham Crabb → Drummer for dance-rock Pop Will Eat Itself, “X, Y & Zee” (Modern Rock #11, 1991)
1967 ● Mike Malinin → Guitar and vocals for alt-rock Goo Goo Dolls, “Iris” (#1, 1998)
1972 ● Vinnie Tattanelli → Drummer for power-pop Nine Days, “Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)” (#6, 2000)
1973 ● Scott Morriss → Bassist for indie rock The Bluetones, “Slight Return” (UK #2, 1996)
1979 ● Mýa Marie Harrison → R&B/smooth urban soul singer, “Case Of The Ex” (#2, 2000) and “Lady Marmalade” (#1, 2001) with Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim and Pink, dancer and actress
1981 ● Una Healy Foden → Vocals in electro-pop girl-group The Saturdays, “Missing You” (UK #3, 2010) and twelve other UK Top 10 hits
October 11
1919 ● Art Blakey → Grammy-winning jazz drummer and bandleader, played in various 40s big bands, in the 50s formed his own band, the influential and archetypical hard bop Jazz Messengers, led multiple lineups of the band and recorded his own solo albums until his death from lung cancer on 10/16/1990, age 71
1932 ● Dottie West (Dorothy Marie Marsh) → Influential, top-tier country music singer and songwriter with 18 Country Top 20 singles, including “A Lesson In Leaving” (#73, AC #42, Country #1, 1980) plus four Country Top 5 duets with Kenny Rogers, similar to mentor Patsy Cline faced respect issues in a male-dominated Nashville scene, financial problems plagued her during declining popularity in the 80s, sustained injuries in a roll-over car accident on her way to a comeback performance at the Grand Old Opry and died during surgery five days later on 9/4/1991, age 58
1946 ● Gary Mallaber → Drummer with blues-rock then psych-rock then pop-rock Steve Miller Band, “The Joker” (#1, 1973), then session work for dozens of artists, including Peter Frampton, Poco, Van Morrison and Bonnie Raitt
1946 ● Daryl Hall (Hohl) → Singer/songwriter and one half of Philly soul-pop-rock duo Hall & Oates, “Private Eyes” (#1, 1981), plus 20 other Top 20 hits
1950 ● Andrew Woolfolk → Saxophonist for R&B/soul-dance-pop Earth, Wind & Fire, “Shining Star” (#1, 1975)
1957 ● Chris Joyce → Drummer and co-founder of Brit soul-pop Simply Red, “Holding Back The Years” (#1, 1986)
1957 ● Blair Cunningham → Drummer for New Wave funk-pop Haircut 100, “Love Plus One” (#37, 1982)
1958 ● Tony Moore → Brit singer/songwriter, musician, radio personality and music promoter who was briefly keyboardist for heavy metal Iron Maiden and later with New Wave pop-rock Cutting Crew, “(I Just) Died In Your Arms” (#1, 1987), founded new music nightclub The Kashmir Klub in 1997 and currently manages other London music venues
1962 ● Andy McCoy (Antti Hulkko) → Guitarist for Finnish glam-punk-metal Hanoi Rocks, covered Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s “Up Around The Bend” (UK #61, 1984)
1962 ● Scott Johnson → Vocals and guitar for power-pop Gin Blossoms, “Found Out About You” (Modern Rock #1, 1994)
1971 ● MC Lyte (Lana Michele Moorer) → Rapper, “Cold Rock A Party” (#11, Rap #1, 1997), first female to release a full rap album (Lyte As A Rock, 1988), sometime TV actress
1973 ● Brendan Brown → Vocals and guitar for post-grunge Wheatus, “Teenage Dirtbag” (Modern Rock #7, 2001)
October 12
1927 ● Joe Olivier → Guitarist with early and important rock ‘n’ roll group Bill Haley & His Comets, “Rock Around The Clock” (#1, 1955)
1929 ● Nappy Brown (Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp) → R&B/gospel, blues and early rock ‘n’ roll-era singer and songwriter with a distinctive sing-song, added consonants delivery and several hits in the 50s, including “Don’t Be Angry” (#25, R&B #2, 1955), faded by 1960 but enjoyed a career revival in the 80s, died in his sleep on 9/20/2008, age 78
1935 ● Luciano Pavarotti → Highly successful and widely-admired Italian opera star and pop music singer, performed on Saturday Night Live and sang with U2 on “Miss Sarajevo”, died from pancreatic cancer on 9/6/1977, age 71
1935 ● Sam Moore (Samuel David Hicks) → Tenor vocals and one half of R&B/soul Sam & Dave, “Soul Man” (#2, 1967), the most successful and critically-acclaimed soul music duo of all time
1942 ● Melvin Franklin → Bass vocals for Motown R&B/soul legends The Temptations, “My Girl” (#1, 1965) and Grammy-winning “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” (#1, 1972), died after a coma-inducing seizure on 2/23/1995, age 52
1948 ● Rick Parfitt → Vocals and rhythm guitar for Brit psych-boogie rock Status Quo, “Pictures Of Matchstick Men” (#12, 1968)
1955 ● Jane Siberry → Canadian art-pop-rock singer and songwriter, “One More Colour” (Canada #27, 1985) from the album The Speckless Sky (#149, 1986)
1955 ● Pat DiNizio → Lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for alt pop-rock The Smithereens, “Only A Memory” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1988), solo albums plus XM satellite radio programmer and unsuccessful US Senate candidate
1956 ● Dave Vanian (David Letts) → Singer and founding member of first-wave punk rockers The Damned, “Eloise” (UK #3, 1986), solo, now hosts TV show featuring homemade horror movies contributed by viewers
1966 ● Brian Kennedy → Irish singer/songwriter, played in Van Morrison band, solo, “Life, Love And Happiness”, (UK #27, 1996), appeared on Broadway in The River Dance
1969 ● Martie Ervin Seidel Maguire → Multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter with country-rock girl group Dixie Chicks, “Not Ready To Make Nice” (#4, 2006)
1979 ● Jordan Pundik → Founding member, lyricist and lead vocals for pop-punk New Found Glory, “My Friends Over You” (Alt Rock #5, 2002)
October 13
1937 ● Bruce “Cousin Brucie” Morrow (Bruce Meyerowitz) → Beloved 60s and 70s pop-rock Top 40 radio DJ (WABC-am New York), then media businessman and currently Sirius XM satellite radio host
1940 ● Chris Farlowe (John Henry Deighton) → Rock, blues and blue-eyed soul singer, covered the Jagger/Richards song, “Out of Time” (UK #1, 1966), session work for Colosseum, Atomic Rooster, Jimmy Page and others
1941 ● Paul Simon → Highly acclaimed and ten-time Grammy-winning folk-pop-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, one half the 60 folk-pop duo Simon & Garfunkel, “Bridge Over Trouble Water” (#1, 1970), solo, “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” (#1, 1975) and 12 other Top 40 hits plus the 1986 Grammy Album of the Year, Graceland (#3, 1987)
1944 ● Robert Lamm → Founding member, vocals, keyboards and songwriter for horn-pop-rock Chicago, wrote “25 Or 6 To 4” (#4, 1970) and “Saturday In The Park” (#3, 1972), solo with seven albums plus a 2000 collaboration album with Gerry Beckley (America) and Carl Wilson (The Beach Boys)
1947 ● Sammy Hagar → Hard rock guitarist and lead singer with early heavy metal band Montrose, “Bad Motor Scooter” (1973), solo, “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy” (#13, 1983), replaced David Lee Roth in Van Halen, “When It’s Love” (#5, 1988), resumed solo career in 1995
1948 ● Peter David Spencer → Drums and vocals for pop-rock Smokie, “Living Next Door To Alice” (#25, 1977)
1948 ● John Ford Coley (John Edward Colley) → Guitar and vocals in folk-pop duo England Dan & John Ford Coley, “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight” (#2, 1976)
1950 ● Simon Nicol → Guitarist for renowned Brit folk-rock Fairport Convention, “Si Tu Dos Partir” (UK #21, 1969)
1959 ● Gerry Darby → Founding member and drummer for Brit jazz-pop-rock Carmel, “Bad Day” (UK #15, 1983)
1959 ● Marie Osmond → Youngest sibling of family-oriented light pop-rock The Osmonds, ten US Top 40 singles including “One Bad Apple” (#1, 1971), country-pop solo career, “Paper Roses” (#5, Country #1, 1973) and seven other Country Top 40 hits, TV host
1962 ● Rob Marche → Guitarist for dance-pop-rock Jo Boxers, “Boxer Beat” (UK #3, 1983)
1968 ● Carlos Marin → Baritone for pre-fab Euro-pop vocal quartet Il Divo, “Unbreak My Heart” (Adult Contemporary #33, 2005)
1970 ● Paul Potts → Welsh crossover opera singer and winner of the first series of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, debut album One Chance (#21, UK #1, 2007)
1977 ● Justin Peroff (Papadimitriou) → Canadian drummer for jazz/pop/rock Broken Social Scene, “1 2 3 4” (UK #4, 2007), TV and film actor
1980 ● Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas → R&B/contemporary urban singer, songwriter, dancer and actress, “Foolish” (#1, 2002)
1981 ● Kelechukwu “Kele” Rowland Okereke → Lead singer and rhythm guitarist for indie pop-punk revival Bloc Party, “Helicopter” (Dance #5, 2006), solo
October 14
1926 ● Bill Justis → Record company music director, arranger and film score composer (Smokey And The Bandit, 1977), co-wrote and played saxophone on his one hit wonder pioneer instrumental rock n’ roll song “Raunchy” (#2, 1957), died of cancer on 7/15/1982, age 55
1930 ● Robert Parker → New Orleans R&B/soul and rock ‘n’ roll singer and saxophonist, sessions for Fats Domino, Ernie K-Doe and others, then one hit wonder solo career, “Barefootin'” (#7, 1966)
1940 ● Cliff Richard (Harry Rodger Webb) → The “Brit Elvis” and biggest selling artist of all time in the UK, early rock n’ roll star, “Move It” (UK #2, 1958) credited as the first rock ‘n’ roll song from outside the U.S., then migrated to MOR pop and light rock, “Devil Woman” (#6, UK #9, 1976) plus over 100 UK Top 40 hits, TV actor
1942 ● Billy Harrison → Backing vocals and guitar for the early lineups of Irish garage-rock, proto-punk Them, “Gloria” (#71, 1966)
1945 ● Colin “Bomber” Hodgkinson → Jazz-rock bassist, co-founded 70s bass-centric fusion trio Back Door, session work for Jan Hammer, Alexis Korner, the Spencer Davis Group, Whitesnake and others
1946 ● Dan McCafferty → Founding member and lead singer of Scottish hard rock Nazareth, “Love Hurts” (#8, 1976), has appeared on all Nazareth albums plus two solo LPs
1946 ● David Justin Hayward → Guitar and vocals for prog rock then pop-rock The Moody Blues, wrote “Nights In White Satin” (#2, 1967) and “Your Wildest Dreams” (#9, 1986), still touring in 2011
1947 ● Norman Harris → R&B/Philly soul guitarist, founding member of MFSB, producer for multiple R&B/soul groups including The Delfonics and The Trammps, co-wrote hits for Gloria Gaynor, Wilson Pickett, the Spinners and others as part of the Baker-Harris-Young songwriting team, died of a heart attack on 3/20/1987, age 39
1948 ● Ivory Tilmon → Vocals in R&B/soul brother act The Detroit Emeralds, “Feel The Need In Me” (R&B #22, 1973)
1948 ● Marcia Barrett → West Indian vocalist in R&B/disco Euro-dance Boney M, “Rivers Of Babylon” (#30, UK #1, 1978)
1952 ● Chris Amoo → Vocals for Brit Northern soul/funk quartet The Real Thing, “You To Me Are Everything” (#64, UK #1, 1976)
1958 ● Thomas Dolby (Thomas Morgan Robertson) → Multi-instrumentalist New Wave synth-pop singer and composer, “She Blinded Me With Science” (#5, 1982), also member of Camera Club and the Lene Lovich band, producer for Joni Mitchell, Prefab Sprout and others, developed the RMF downloadable file format and Beatnik mobile phone software
1959 ● Anthony Jude “A.J.” Pero → Drummer for heavy metal Twisted Sister, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (#21, 1983), continued to perform with the band until his death from a heart attack on 3/20/2015, age 55
1959 ● Antimo Rivetti → Manager for Brit teen-pop blue-eyed soul Curiosity Killed The Cat, “Down To Earth” (UK #3, 1986)
1965 ● Karyn White → Contemporary R&B/pop singer, “Superwoman” (#8, 1988), now an interior design and real estate consultant
1974 ● Natalie Maines Pasdar → Singer, songwriter and guitarist for country-rock girl group Dixie Chicks, “Not Ready To Make Nice” (#4, 2006) plus Grammy Album of the Year Taking The Long Way (2006)
1975 ● Shaznay Lewis → Singer in Brit dance-pop-rock all-girl quartet All Saints, “Never Ever” (#4, 1998)
1978 ● Usher Raymond → The reigning “King of R&B,” Grammy-winning pop-soul singer, songwriter, dancer and actor, “Nice & Slow” (#1, 1998) plus 13 other Top 10 singles and three #1 albums
October 15
1925 ● McHouston “Mickey” (aka “Guitar”) Baker → Highly influential but little known 50s session guitarist at Atlantic Records, bridged R&B and rock ‘n’ roll as a backing guitarist, plus solo and duo Mickey & Sylvia, “Love Is Strange” (#11, 1957)
1935 ● Barry McGuire → One hit wonder folk-rock singer, songwriter and guitarist, “Eve Of Destruction” (#1, 1965), switched to Christian/gospel in the 70s
1938 ● Marv Johnson → Early Motown R&B/soul vocalist, “You Got What It Takes” (#10, 1959) and three other Top 40 hits between 1959 and 1961, moved into sales and promotion with Motown and sister labels, died from a stroke on 5/16/1993, age 54
1938 ● Fela Kuti (Olufela Ransome-Kuti) → Nigerian multi-instrumentalist singer, arranger, political activist and pioneer World music artist as inventor of the Afro-beat, used his influence and music to criticize his homeland’s authoritarian regimes while introducing a blend of James Brown funk with jazz and traditional African rhythms, sold millions of records in Africa and elsewhere despite near-constant government repression, died from complications of AIDS on 8/3/1997, age 58
1939 ● Talmadge “Tommy” Gough → Vocals for biracial R&B/doo wop The Crests, “Sixteen Candles” (#2, 1959), quit the group about 1970 and faded into obscurity, died of throat cancer on 8/24/2014. age 74
1942 ● Don Stevenson → Drummer, singer and songwriter for 60s San Francisco folk-roots-psych rock Moby Grape, “Omaha” (#88, 1967), continues to appear with the band, issued his first solo album (King Of The Fools) in 2010
1942 ● Chris Andrews → Pop-rock singer and songwriter, “Yesterday Man” (UK #3, 1965), wrote six UK Top 10 hits for Adam Faith and Sandie Shaw in the mid-60s,
1946 ● Richard Carpenter → Keyboards and vocals with sister Karen in AM pop/adult contemporary duo The Carpenters, “Close To You” (#1, 1970)
1948 ● Joe “Yo Yo” Jaramillo → Founding member and vocals for pioneering “East Side Sound” of L.A. Mexican-American one hit wonder brown-eyed-soul/garage rock quartet Cannibal And The Headhunters (“Land Of A Thousand Dances,” #30, 1965), died from liver disease on 5/24/2000, age 51
1948 ● Lance Dickerson → Drummer for country-rock/boogie/swing bar band Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen, “Hot Rod Lincoln” (#9, 1972), worked with various incarnations of the band through the 90s, died on 11/10/2003, age 55
1948 ● Chris De Burgh (Christopher John Davison) → Light pop-rock/adult contemporary singer, songwriter and keyboardist, “Lady in Red” (#3, 1986)
1951 ● Frank DiMino → Lead vocals for flamboyant, mostly-image glam-rock Angel, a Kiss-wannabe band with eight studio and live albums and a cult following but little commercial success, left in 1981, reunited with several original members in the 90s and currently plays in classic rock cover bands in Las Vegas
1953 ● Toriano “Tito” Jackson → Vocals and lead guitarist in R&B/pop-soul sibling act The Jackson 5, “I Want You Back” (#1, 1970)
1956 ● Chris Lacklison → Keyboards for glam pop-rock Kenny, “The Bump” (UK #3, 1975)
1962 ● David Stead → Drummer in alt pop-rock The Beautiful South, “A Little Time” (UK #1, 1990)
1962 ● Mark Reznicek → Drummer in post-grunge alt rock Toadies, “Possum Kingdom” (Modern Rock #4, 1995)
1963 ● Jay Bennett → Guitarist, songwriter and producer for alt country-rock Wilco, “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” (Mainstream Rock #22, 1997), solo, sessions and collaborations, died from an accidental overdose of painkillers on 5/24/2009, age 45
1966 ● Douglas Vipond → Drummer in Scottish indie pop-rock Deacon Blue, “Real Gone Kid” (UK #8, 1988)
1970 ● Ginuwine (Elgin Baylor Lumpkin) → Hip-hop soul crooner, “Differences” (#4, 2001) and five other Top 40 singles
1984 ● Shayne Ward → Contemporary pop singer and winner of the 2005 UK TV series The X Factor, “That’s My Goal” (UK #1, 2005)
