BIRTHDAYS John Lee Hooker (1912) blues singer/songwriter/guitarist [“One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”/”Boom Boom”/”Boogie Chillen”] (died 2001) age 88 – unknown illness Ron Dante [born Carmine Granito] (1945) The Archies lead singer/songwriter [“Sugar, Sugar”] Gary “Mutha” Withem (1946) Gary Puckett and the Union Gap keyboardist/co-founder [“Young Girl”] Donna Jean Godchaux (1947) Grateful Dead backup singer… Continue reading August 22 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS William “Count” Basie (born 1904) jazz pianist/organist/bandleader/composer [“One O’Clock Jump”/”All of Me”] (died 1984) age 79 – pancreatic cancer Kenny Rogers (1938) Kenny Rogers and The First Edition lead singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/co-founder [“Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)”], The New Christy Minstrels lead singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and solo lead singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist [“The Gambler”/Lady”/”Islands in… Continue reading August 21 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Jim Reeves (1923) country music singer/songwriter [“He’ll Have to Go”/”Distant Drums”] (died 1964) age 40 – plane crash Paul Robi (1931) The Platters singer (died 1989) age 67 – pancreatic cancer Isaac Hayes (1942) singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist [“Theme From ‘Shaft’”], also actor (died 2008) age 65 – stroke Ralf Hütter (1946) Kraftwerk lead singer/keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist/co-founder [current] [“Autobahn”]… Continue reading August 20 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Peter “Ginger” Baker (1939) Cream [“Toad”/”White Room”/”Sunshine of Your Love”], Blind Faith, and Ginger Baker’s Air Force drummer/songwriter/co-founder (died 2019) age 80 – unknown illness Johnny Nash (1940) reggae singer/songwriter/composer [“I Can See Clearly Now”] (died 2020) age 80 – long illness Edwin Hawkins (1943) The Edwin Hawkins Singers singer/songwriter/keyboardist/founder [“Oh Happy Day”/”Lay Down… Continue reading August 19 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Johnny Preston (1939) singer [“Running Bear”] (died 2011) age 71 – heart failure Carl Wayne [born Colin Tooley] (1943) The Move lead singer/bassist/guitarist/co-founder and Carl Wayne & The Vikings and The Hollies lead singer (died 2004) age 61 – esophageal cancer Sarah Dash (1945) Labelle singer/co-founder [“Lady Marmalade”] and solo singer/songwriter (died 2021) age… Continue reading August 18 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Mark Dinning (1933) singer [“Teen Angel”] (died 1986) age 52 – heart attack John “The Chief” Seiter (1944) Spanky & Our Gang and The Turtles drummer Greg Talley (1947) The Box Tops lead guitarist/songwriter/co-founder [current] John “Sib” Hashian (1949) Boston drummer/co-founder (died 2017) age 67 – heart attack Kevin Rowland (1953) Dexys Midnight Runners… Continue reading August 17 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Eydie Gormé [born Edith Garmezano] (1928) singer [“Blame It on the Bossa Nova”] (died 2013) age 84 – unknown illness Billy Joe Shaver (1939) country singer/guitarist/songwriter, also actor (died 2020) age 81 – stroke Robert “Squirrel” Lester (1942) The Chi-Lites second tenor singer (died 2010) age 67 – liver cancer Gary Loizzo (1945) The… Continue reading August 16 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Bill Pinkney (1925) The Drifters bass-baritone singer/co-founder (died 2007) age 81 – heart attack Bobby Helms (1933) country singer [“Jingle Bell Rock”/”My Special Angel”] (died 2997) age 63 – emphysema/asthma Bobby Byrd (1934) The Famous Flames singer/songwriter/founder (died 2007) age 73 – cancer Don Rich [born Donald Ulrich] (1941) Buck Owens and the Buckaroos… Continue reading August 15 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Armando “Buddy” Greco (1926) jazz singer/pianist/arranger [“The Lady is a Tramp”] (died 2017) age 90 – natural causes Darrell “Dash” Crofts (1938) Seals and Crofts singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/co-founder David Crosby (1941) The Byrds; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Crosby, Stills & Nash; and Crosby & Stills singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist/co-founder and solo singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist (died 2023) age 81 – long… Continue reading August 14 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Don Ho (1930) singer/pianist/ukulele player [“Tiny Bubbles”] (died 2007) age 78 – cardiac arrest OK Tony “Captain Outrageous” Santini [born Scott Powell] (1948) Sha Na Na lead singer/co-founder Cliff Fish (1949) Paper Lace bassist/co-founder [“The Night Chicago Died”/”Billy Don’t Be a Hero”] Dan Fogelberg (1951) singer/songwriter/composer/multi-instrumentalist [“Longer”/”Leader of the Band”] (died 2007) age 56… Continue reading August 13 Music History Report