BIRTHDAYS Joseph “Country Joe” McDonald (1942) Country Joe and the Fish lead singer/guitarist/songwriter/co-founder Morgan Fisher (1950) Mott the Hoople keyboardist Richard Edson (1954) Sonic Youth drummer/co-founder Andy Gill (1956) Gang of Four guitarist/songwriter/co-founder (died 2020) age 64 – respiratory illness Grandmaster Flash [born Joseph Saddler] (1958) Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five rapper/DJ/co-founder Allen “Boff”… Continue reading January 1 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Andy Summers [born Andrew Somers] (1942) The Police guitarist/composer/songwriter/co-founder and solo guitarist/bassist/singer/composer/songwriter Pete Quaife [born Peter Kinnes] (1943) The Kinks bassist/co-founder (died 2010) age 66 – kidney failure John Denver [born Henry Deutschendorf Jr.] (1943) singer/songwriter/guitarist/fiddler (died 1997) age 53 – plane crash Burton Cummings (1947) The Guess Who lead singer/keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Donna Summer [born… Continue reading December 31 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Bo Diddley [born Elias Bates] (1928) singer/guitarist/songwriter/violinist [“Bo Diddley”/”I’m a Man”], also actor (died 2008) age 79 – heart failure Skeeter Davis [born Mary Penick] (1931) country singer/songwriter [“The End of the World”/”I Can’t Stay Mad at You”] (died 2004) age 72 – breast cancer Del Shannon [born Charles Westover] (1934) singer/songwriter/guitarist [“Runaway”/”Little Town… Continue reading December 30 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Ray Thomas (1941) The Moody Blues flautist/songwriter/composer (died 2018) age 76 – unknown causes Rick Danko (1943) The Band bassist/songwriter/co-founder (died 1999) age 55 – heart failure Marianne Faithfull (1946) singer/songwriter [“As Tears Go By”], also actress Colin “Cozy” Powell (1947) Rainbow and Emerson, Lake & Powell drummer/co-founder, The Jeff Beck Group, Whitesnake, and… Continue reading December 29 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Roebuck “Pops” Staples (1914) The Staple Singers singer/songwriter/guitarist/co-founder (died 2000) age 85 – concussion Johnny Otis [born Ioannis Veliotes] (1921) The Johnny Otis Show singer/composer/arranger/multi-instrumentalist [“Willie and the Hand Jive”] (died 2012) age 90 – natural causes Charles Neville (1938) The Neville Brothers saxophonist/co-founder (died 2018) age 79 – pancreatic cancer Edgar Winter (1946)… Continue reading December 28 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Winfield “Scotty” Moore III (1931) The Blue Moon Boys guitarist/co-founder and Elvis Presley guitarist (died 2016) age 84 – long illness Mike Pinder (1941) The Moody Blues keyboardist/songwriter/co-founder Les Maguire (1941) Gerry & the Pacemakers pianist/saxophonist [“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”/”Ferry Across the Mersey”] Peter Sinfield (1943) King Crimson guitarist/songwriter/co-founder Mick Jones… Continue reading December 27 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Abdul “Duke” Fakir (1935) Four Tops tenor singer/co-founder [current] Phil Spector (1939) record producer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist (died 2021) age 81 – COVID-19 complications Bob Carpenter (1946) Nitty Gritty Dirt Band keyboardist/accordionist [current] Henning Schmitz (1953) Kraftwerk keyboardist [current] James Kottak (1962) Scorpions drummer Lars Ulrich (1963) Metallica drummer/songwriter/co-founder [current] Jay Yuenger (1966) White Zombie guitarist [“Thunder… Continue reading December 26 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Cab Calloway (1907) jazz singer/bandleader/songwriter [“Minnie the Moocher”] (died 1994) age 86 – stroke complications Bill Horton (1929) The Silhouettes lead singer/co-founder [“Get a Job”] (died 1995) age 65 – unknown causes O’Kelly Isley Jr. (1937) The Isley Brothers singer/songwriter/co-founder [“It’s Your Thing”/”Fight the Power – Part 1”] (died 1986) age 48 – heart… Continue reading December 25 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Lee Dorsey (1924 or 1926) R&B and soul singer [“Ya Ya”/”Working in the Coal Mine”] (died 1986) age 61 or 59 – emphysema Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister (1945) Mötorhead lead singer/bassist/songwriter/co-founder [“Ace of Spades”] (died 2015) age 70 – prostate cancer, congestive heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmia Jan Akkerman (1946) Focus guitarist/songwriter/co-founder [“Hocus Pocus”/”Sylvia”] Ian… Continue reading December 24 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Johnny Kidd [born Frederick Heath] (1939) Johnny Kidd & the Pirates singer/songwriter/co-founder [“Shakin’ All Over”] (died 1966) age 30 – auto accident Jorma Kaukonen (1940) Jefferson Airplane guitarist/songwriter/co-founder and Hot Tuna lead guitarist/songwriter/co-founder [current] Eugene Record (1940) The Chi-Lites lead singer/songwriter/co-founder [“Oh Girl”/”Have You Seen Her”] (died 2005) age 64 – cancer Ron Bushy… Continue reading December 23 Music History Report