BIRTHDAYS Frédéric Chopin [born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin] (1810) pianist/composer [“Piano Sonata No. 2” (aka “Funeral March”)/”Nocturne”] (died 1849) age 39 – tuberculosis? Glenn Miller (1904) trombonist/bandleader/composer [“In the Mood”/”Chattanooga Choo Choo”/”Little Brown Jug”/”Pennsylvania 6-5000”] (died 1944) age 40 – plane crash? Harry Belafonte [born Harold Bellanfanti Jr.] (1927) singer/songwriter [“The Banana Boat Song”], also actor… Continue reading March 1 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Tommy Tune (1939) singer, also actor/dancer/choreographer Joe South [born Joseph Souter] (1940) singer/songwriter/guitarist [“Games People Play”] (died 2012) age 72 – heart failure Marty Sanders [born Martin Kupersmith] (1941) Jay and the Americans guitarist [current] [“This Magic Moment”] Brian Jones (1942) Rolling Stones guitarist/songwriter/founder (died 1969) age 27 – death by misadventure Donnie Iris… Continue reading February 28 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Dexter Gordon (1923) jazz saxophonist/composer, also actor (died 1990) age 67 – kidney failure Eddie Gray (1948) Tommy James & the Shondells guitarist [“I Think We’re Alone Now”/”Mony, Mony”] Bobby Balderrama (1950) ? & the Mysterians lead guitarist/co-founder [“96 Tears”] Neal Schon (1954) Santana guitarist, Bad English guitarist/songwriter/co-founder [“When I See You Smile”/”Price of… Continue reading February 27 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Antoine “Fats” Domino (1928) singer/songwriter/pianist (died 2017) age 89 – natural causes J.R. “Johnny” Cash (1928) The Highwaymen and Million Dollar Quartet singer/songwriter/guitarist/co-founder and solo singer/songwriter/guitarist (died 2003) age 71 – diabetes complications Paul Cotton (1943) Poco guitarist/co-lead singer/songwriter [“Heart of the Night”] (died 2021) age 78 – unknown causes Bob “The Bear” Hite… Continue reading February 26 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Enrico Caruso (1873) operatic tenor (died 1921) age 48 – peritonitis Ralph Stanley (1927) The Stanley Brothers and Clinch Mountain Boys banjo player/co-founder (died 2016) age 89 – skin cancer Faron Young (1932) country singer/songwriter [“Hello Walls”], also actor (died 1996) age 64 – suicide by gunshot Doug Yule (1947) Velvet Underground guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter David… Continue reading February 25 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS David “Fathead” Newman (1933) Ray Charles saxophonist [“The Right Time”] and solo saxophonist/flautist/composer (died 2009) age 75 – pancreatic cancer Paul Jones [born Paul Pond] (1942) Manfred Mann lead singer/harmonica player/songwriter/co-founder [“Do Wah Diddy Diddy”] George Harrison (1943) The Beatles guitarist/singer/sitarist/songwriter/co-founder, The Traveling Wilburys singer/songwriter/guitarist/co-founder and solo singer/songwriter/guitarist Nicky Hopkins (1944) Quicksilver Messenger Service,… Continue reading February 24 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS George Frederic Handel (1685) composer [“Messiah”] (died 1759) age 74 – unknown causes Johnny Winter [born John Winter III] (1944) guitarist/singer/songwriter (died 2014) age 70 – emphysema-related pneumonia Mike Maxfield (1944) Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas lead guitarist/co-founder Norman “Rusty” Young (1946) Poco lead singer/steel guitarist/dobro player/songwriter/co-founder (died 2021) age 75 – heart… Continue reading February 23 Music History report

BIRTHDAYS Norman “Hurricane” Smith (1923) record producer and musician [“Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?”] (died 2008) age 85 – cancer Guy Mitchell [born Albert Cernik] (1927) singer [“Singing the Blues”/”Heartaches by the Number”], also actor (died 1999) age 72 – cancer surgery complications Texas Johnny Brown [born John Brown] (1928) blues guitarist/songwriter/singer [“Two Steps… Continue reading February 22 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Nina Simone [born Eunice Waymon] (1933) R&B and jazz singer/songwriter/pianist (died 2003) age 70 – breast cancer Paul Newton (1948) Uriah Heep bassist/songwriter/co-founder Jerry Harrison (1949) The Modern Lovers guitarist/songwriter/co-founder and Talking Heads keyboardist/guitarist [“Life During Wartime”/”Once in a Lifetime”/”Burning Down the House”] Vince Welnick (1951) Tubes keyboardist/songwriter/co-founder and Grateful Dead keyboardist (died 2006)… Continue reading February 21 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Nancy Wilson (1937) blues, jazz, and R&B singer [“(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am”] (died 2018) age 81 – kidney cancer Barbara Ellis (1940) The Fleetwoods singer/songwriter [“Come Softly to Me”/”Mr. Blue”] Buffy Sainte-Marie [born Beverly Sainte-Marie] (1941) singer/songwriter/guitarist [“Mister Can’t You See”] Lew Soloff (1944) Blood, Sweat & Tears trumpeter (died 2015)… Continue reading February 20 Music History Report