BIRTHDAYS John “Dizzy” Gillespie (1917) jazz trumpeter/composer/singer (died 1993) age 75 – pancreatic cancer Norman Wright (1937) Del-Vikings tenor singer [“Come Go With Me”] (died 2010) age 72 – long illness Manfred Mann [born Michael Lubowitz] (1940) Manfred Mann and Manfred Mann’s Earth Band keyboardist/guitarist/songwriter/singer/founder Jimmy Beaumont (1940) The Skyliners lead singer/songwriter/co-founder [“Since I Don’t… Continue reading October 21 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Jelly Roll Morton [born Ferdinand LaMothe] (1890) ragtime and jazz pianist/bandleader/composer (died 1941) age 50 – asthma Grandpa Jones [born Louis Marshall] (1913) country singer/banjoist [“T for Texas”], also actor (died 1998) age 84 – strokes Eddie Harris (1934) jazz tenor saxophonist [“Compared to What”] (died 1996) age 62 – congestive heart failure Jay… Continue reading October 20 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Dave Guard (1934) The Kingston Trio singer/guitarist/banjoist/co-founder [“Tom Dooley”] (died 1991) age 56 – cancer George McCrae (1944) soul and disco singer [“Rock Your Baby”] Peter Tosh (1944) The Wailers singer/guitarist/keyboardist/co-founder and solo singer/guitarist/keyboardist (died 1987) age 42 – murdered (during home invasion) Jeannie C. Riley [born Jeanne Stephenson] (1945) country and gospel singer… Continue reading October 19 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Charles “Chuck” Berry (1926) singer/guitarist/songwriter (died 2017) age 90 – cardiac arrest Ronnie Bright (1938) The Coasters bass singer (died 2015) age 77 – unknown causes Cynthia Weil (1940) songwriter [“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”/”Kicks”/”(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration”/’”On Broadway”/”We Gotta Get Out of This Place”/”Here You Coma Again”] (died 2023) age 82 –… Continue reading October 18 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS The Singing Nun [born Jeanne-Paule Deckers] (1933) folk singer/guitarist [“Dominique”] (died 1985) age 51 – suicide Jim Seals (1941) Seals and Croft singer/co-founder [“Summer Breeze”/”Diamond Girl’] (died 2022) age 80 – long illness Earl Thomas Conley (1941) country singer/guitarist/songwriter (died 2019) age 77 – cerebral atrophy Alan Howard (1941) Brian Poole and the Tremeloes… Continue reading October 17 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Nico [born Christa Paffgen] (1938) Velvet Underground singer and solo singer/songwriter/lyricist/composer, also actress (died 1988) age 49 – cerebral hemorrhage Charles “Fred” Turner (1943) Bachman-Turner Overdrive bassist/songwriter/singer/co-founder [“Roll on Down the Highway”/”Let It Ride”/”Take It Like a Man”] Roger Hawkins (1945) Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section drummer [“When a Man Loves a Woman”/”Mustang Sally”/”Respect”/”I’ll Take… Continue reading October 16 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS MacHouston “Mickey” Baker (1925) Mickey & Sylvia guitarist/singer/songwriter/co-founder [“Love is Strange”] and session guitarist (died 2012) age 87 – heart and kidney failure Barry McGuire (1935) singer/songwriter/guitarist/harmonica player [“Eve of Destruction”] (died 1993) age 54 – stroke Fela Kuti [born Ouldela Ransome-Kuti] (1938) Afrobeat multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter (died 1997) age 58 – AIDS-related complications Marv Johnson… Continue reading October 15 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Robert Parker (1930) R&B singer/saxophonist [“Barefootin’”] (died 2020) age 89 – natural causes Melba Montgomery (1938) country singer/songwriter [“No Charge” (with George Jones)] Cliff Richard [Sir Harry Webb; born Harry Webb] (1940) Cliff Richard and the Shadows lead singer/guitarist/songwriter/cofounder and solo singer/guitarist/songwriter [“Devil Woman”/”We Don’t Talk Anymore”] Billy Harrison (1942) Them guitarist/co-lead singer/co-founder Colin… Continue reading October 14 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Etterlene “Mama” DeBarge-Rodriguez (1935) DeBarge singer/co-founder [current] Shirley Caesar-Williams (1938) gospel singer Paul Simon (1941) Simon & Garfunkel singer/guitarist/songwriter/co-founder and solo singer/guitarist/songwriter Robert Lamm (1944) Chicago keyboardist/singer/songwriter/co-founder [current] Sammy Hagar (1947) Montrose and Chickenfoot lead singer/guitarist/songwriter/co-founder, Van Halen lead singer/guitarist/songwriter, and solo singer/guitarist/songwriter Lacy J. Dalton [born Jill Byrem] (1946) country singer/songwriter/guitarist John Ford… Continue reading October 13 Music History Report

BIRTHDAYS Joe Olivier (1927) Bill Haley and His Comets guitarist (died 2001) age 74 – diabetes surgery complications Sam Moore (1935) Sam & Dave singer/songwriter/co-founder and solo singer/songwriter Luciano Pavarotti (1935) operatic tenor (died 2007) age 71 – pancreatic cancer Melvin “Blue” Franklin (1942) The Temptations bass singer/pianist/guitarist/co-founder (died 1995) age 52 – heart failure… Continue reading October 12 Music History Report