BIRTHDAYS Vladimir Horowitz (1903) pianist/composer (died 1989) age 86 – heart attack Roger Williams (1924) pianist [“Autumn Leaves”/”Born Free”] (died 2011) age 87 – pancreatic cancer Richard Harris (1930) singer [“MacArthur Park”], also actor (died 2002) age 72 – Hodgkin’s lymphoma Albert Collins [born Albert Drewery] (1932) blues guitarist/singer/songwriter/harmonica player [“The Master of the Telecaster”]… Continue reading October 1 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Bernard “Buddy” Rich  (1917) jazz drummer/bandleader (died 1987) age 69 – heart failure Johnny Mathis (1935) singer/songwriter [“Chances Are”/”It’s Not for Me to Say”/”The Twelfth of Never”/Too Much, Too Little, Too Late”] Dewey Martin (1940) Buffalo Springfield drummer/co-founder (died 2009) age 68 – natural causes Frankie Lymon (1942) Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers lead… Continue reading September 30 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Orvon “Gene” Autry (1907) singer/songwriter/guitarist [“Back in the Saddle Again”/”Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”], also actor (died 1998) age 91 – lymphoma Franny Beecher (1921) Bill Haley & His Comets lead guitarist/co-founder (died 2014) age 92 – natural causes Jerry Lee Lewis [“The Killer”] (1935) singer/pianist/songwriter (died 2022) age 87 – natural causes Tommy Boyce… Continue reading September 29 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Ed Sullivan (1901) television host [“The Ed Sullivan Show”] (died 1974) age 73 – esophageal cancer Koko Taylor [born Cora Walton] (1928) blues singer [“Wang Dang Doodle”] (died 2009) age 80 – intestinal surgery complications Ben E. King (1938) Drifters lead singer/songwriter [“Save the Last Dance for Me”/”There Goes My Baby”] and solo singer/songwriter… Continue reading September 28 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Don Cornelius (1936) “Soul Train” host and producer (died 2012) age 75 – suicide by gunshot Don Nix (1941) solo/session guitarist/saxophonist/composer/arranger Randy Bachman (1943) The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive lead guitarist/songwriter/co-founder and solo singer/guitarist/songwriter Meat Loaf [born Marvin Lee Aday] (1947) singer/songwriter, also actor (died 2022) age 74 – unknown causes Greg Ham… Continue reading September 27 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS George Gershwin (1898) composer/pianist [“Swanee”/”Rhapsody in Blue”] (died 1937) age 38 – brain herniation with Duret hemorrhages Marty Robbins [born Martin Robinson] (1925) country singer/guitarist/songwriter [“The Hanging Tree”/”El Paso”/”A White Sport Coat”/”Streets of Laredo”], also NASCAR driver (died 1982) age 57 – heart surgery complications Joe Bauer (1941) Youngbloods drummer/songwriter/co-founder [“Get Together”] (died 1982)… Continue reading September 26 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS “Sweet” Joe Russell (1939) The Persuasions tenor and co-lead singer/co-founder (died 2012) age 72 – diabetes Wade Flemons (1940) Earth, Wind & Fire pianist/singer (died 1993) age 53 – cancer Jules Alexander (1943) The Association lead guitarist/singer/co-founder John Locke (1943) Spirit keyboardist/co-founder [“I Got a Line on You”] and Nazareth keyboardist (died 2006) age… Continue reading September 25 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Anthony Newley (1931) singer/songwriter, also actor (died 1999) age 67 – cancer Mel Taylor (1933) The Ventures and solo/session drummer (died 1996) age 62 – cancer Jim Henson (1936) puppeteer/inventor/singer (as Kermit the Frog) [“Rainbow Connection”] (died 1990) age 53 – toxic shock syndrome Barbara “Bibs” Allbut Brown (1940) The Angels singer/songwriter/co-founder [current] [“My… Continue reading September 24 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS John Coltrane (1926) jazz saxophonist/composer/bandleader (died 1967) age 40 – liver cancer Ray Charles [born Ray Robinson] (1930) singer/pianist/keyboardist/songwriter (died 2004) age 73 – acute liver disease Les McCann (1935) jazz pianist/singer [“Compared to What”] (died 2023) age 88 – pneumonia Steve Boone (1943) The Lovin’ Spoonful bassist/co-founder Julio Iglesias [born Julio Jose Iglesias… Continue reading September 23 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Toni Basil [born Antonia Basilotta] (1943) singer/choreographer [“Mickey”] “King” Sunny Ade [born Sunday Adeniyi] (1946) world music singer/multi-instrumentalist David Coverdale (1951) Whitesnake lead singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/co-founder [current], Deep Purple lead singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter, and solo singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Richard Fairbrass (1953) Right Said Fred lead singer/bassist/co-founder [current] [“I’m Too Sexy”] Doug Wimbish (1956) Living Colour bassist Debby Boone (1956) singer… Continue reading September 22 Music History Report