BIRTHDAYS Jerry Goldsmith (1929) composer/conductor (died 2004) age 75 – colon cancer Don Wilson (1933) The Ventures rhythm guitarist/co-founder ["Walk, Don't Run"/"Hawaii Five-O"] (died 2022) age 88 – natural causes Roberta Flack (1937) singer/songwriter/pianist ["The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face"/"Killing Me Softly With His Song"/"Feel Like Makin' Love"] (died 2025) age 88 – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis complications Jimmy Merchant (1940) Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers tenor singer ["Why Do Fools Fall in Love"]

BIRTHDAYS Ernest Tubb (1914) country singer/songwriter/guitarist ["Walking the Floor Over You"/"Waltz Across Texas"] (died 1984) age 70 – emphysema Bobby Lewis (1925) R&B singer ["Tossin's and Turnin'"] (died 2020) age 87 – pneumonia Barry Mann (1939) singer ["Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)"]songwriter/pianist/composer ["We Gotta Get Out of This Place"/"(You're My) Soul and Inspiration"/"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"/"Kicks"/"On Broadway"]

BIRTHDAYS John Williams (1932) composer/conductor/pianist ["Main Title (Theme From 'Jaws')"/"The Imperial March (from "Star Wars")] Creed Bratton (1943) The Grass Roots lead guitarist/co-lead singer/songwriter ["Let's Live for Today"/"Midnight Confessions"], also actor Adolfo "Fito" de la Parra (1946) Canned Heat drummer/songwriter/co-founder Paul Wheatbread (1946) Gary Puckett and the Union Gap drummer/co-founder Dan Seals (1948) England Dan & John Ford Coley singer/songwriter/guitarist ["I'd Really Love to See You Tonight"] and solo singer/songwriter/guitarist (died 2009) age 61 – mantle cell lymphoma…

BIRTHDAYS King Curtis (1934) session saxophonist ["Yakety Yak"/Charlie Brown"/"Respect"/"Game People Play"]/jazz bandleader (died 1971) age 37 – stabbed to death Sammy Johns (1946) country singer/songwriter ["Chevy Van"] (died 2013) age 66 – unknown causes Jimmy Greenspoon (1948) Three Dog Night keyboardist/songwriter (died 2015) age 67 – metastatic melanoma Joe English (1949) Paul McCartney & Wings drummer/songwriter Alan Lancaster (1949) Status Quo bassist/songwriter/co-founder ["Pictures of Matchstick Men"] (died 2021) age 72 – multiple sclerosis…

BIRTHDAYS Dave Berry (1941) singer ["The Crying Game"] Fabian (1943) singer ["Tiger"/"Turn Me Loose"], also actor Bob Marley (1945) Bob Marley and the Wailers singer/songwriter/guitarist/founder (died 1981) age 36 – malignant melanoma Richie Hayward (1946) Little Feat drummer/songwriter/co-founder (died 2010) age 64 – liver cancer Natalie Cole (1950) singer/songwriter ["This Will Be"/"I've Got Love on My Mind"] (died 2015) age 65 – congestive heart failure…

BIRTHDAYS Claude King (1923) country singer/guitarist/songwriter ["Wolverton Mountain"] (died 2013) age 90 – natural causes Hal Blaine (1929) Wrecking Crew drummer (died 2019) age 90 – natural causes Barrett Strong (1941) singer ["Money (That's What I Want)"]/ songwriter ["I Heard It Through the Grapevine"/"War"/"I Can't Get Next to You"] (died 2023) age 81 – unknown causes Alex Harvey (1935) The Sensational Alex Harvey Band lead singer/guitarist/songwriter/co-founder (died 1982) age 46 – heart failure…

BIRTHDAYS John Steel (1941) The Animals drummer/co-founder Florence LaRue (1944) The 5th Dimension singer/co-founder ["Aquarius"/"Let the Sunshine In"/"Up, Up and Away"/"Stoned Soul Picnic"] Alice Cooper (1948) Alice Cooper singer/songwriter/harmonica player/founder Marge Ganser (1948) The Shangri-Las singer/co-founder ["Leader of the Pack"] (died 1996) age 48 – breast cancer Mary Ann Ganser (1948) The Shangri-Las singer/co-founder ["Remember (Walking in the Sand)"] (died 1970) age 22 – drug overdose…

BIRTHDAYS Johnny "Guitar" Watson (1935) blues and funk guitarist/singer/songwriter ["Cuttin' In"] (died 1996) age 61 – heart attack Angelo D'Aleo (1940) Dion and the Belmonts singer/co-founder Eric Haydock (1943) The Hollies bassist/co-founder (died 2019) age 75 – long illness Dennis Edwards (1943) The Temptations lead singer/pianist ["Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)"/"Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"/"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"] (died 2018) age 74 – meningitis complications…

BIRTHDAYS Stan Getz (1927) jazz tenor saxophonist ["The Girl From Ipanema"] (died 1991) age 64 – liver cancer Clyde "Skip" Battin (1934) The Byrds, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and Flying Burrito Brothers bassist/songwriter (died 2003) age 69 – Alzheimer's disease Tom Smothers (1937) folk singer/guitarist, also actor (died 2023) age 86 – lung cancer Alan Caddy (1940) The Tornados lead guitarist/co-founder ["Telstar"] (died 2000) age 60 – liver failure…

BIRTHDAYS Bob Shane (1934) Kingston Trio singer/guitarist/songwriter/co-founder ["Tom Dooley"] (died 2020) age 85 – long illness Don Everly (1937) The Everly Brothers singer/guitarist/songwriter/co-founder (died 2021) age 84 – unknown causes Ray "Eye Patch" Sawyer (1937) Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show singer/guitarist/percussionist/co-founder ["The Cover of the Rolling Stone"] (died 2018) age 81 – brief illness Delano "Del" McCoury (1939) bluegrass guitarist/banjoist/singer…

BIRTHDAYS Franz Schubert (1797) composer ["Ave Maria"] (died 1828) age 31 – typhoid fever Eddie Cantor (1892) singer/songwriter ["Makin' Whoopee"/"If You Knew Susie"/"Merrily We Roll Along"], also actor (died 1964) age 72 – heart attack Mario Lanza (1921) operatic tenor singer ["Be My Love"/"The Loveliest Night of the Year"], also actor (died 1959) age 38 – pulmonary embolism Carol Channing (1921) singer ["Hello, Dolly"], also actress (died 2019) age 97 – natural causes…

BIRTHDAYS Joe Terry (1941) Danny and the Juniors lead baritone singer ["At the Hop"] (died 2019) age 78 – unknown causes Marty Balin (1942) Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship co-lead singer/guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter ["Miracles"] and solo singer/guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter (died 2018) age 76 – unknown causes Sandy Deanne (1945) Jay and the Americans singer/co-founder ["Come a Little Bit Closer"/"This Magic Moment"/"Cara Mia"] Steve Marriott (1947) Small Faces and Humble Pie lead singer/guitarist/harmonica player/songwriter/co-founder and solo singer/guitarist/songwriter (died 1991) age 44 – smoke inhalation…

BIRTHDAYS David Byron (1947) Uriah Heep lead singer/songwriter/co-founder ["Easy Livin'"] (died 1985) age 38 – alcohol-related complications Bill Kirchen (1948) Commander Cody and His Lost Airmen guitarist/singer/songwriter/co-founder ["Hot Rod Lincoln"] Tommy Ramone (1949) The Ramones drummer/songwriter/co-founder (died 2014) age 65 – bile duct cancer Peter Baumann (1953) Tangerine Dream keyboardist/songwriter Louie Pérez (1953) Los Lobos guitarist/drummer/songwriter/co-founder ["La Bamba"/"Come On, Let's Go"]

BIRTHDAYS Arthur Rubenstein (1887) classical pianist (died 1982) age 95 – natural causes Bernard "Acker" Blik (1929) jazz clarinetist ["Stranger on the Shore"] (died 2014) age 85 – cancer Dick Taylor (1943) The Pretty Things guitarist/songwriter/co-founder Brian Keenan (1943) Manfred Mann drummer (died 1984) age 42 – heart attack Marty Fried (1944) the Cyrkle drummer ["Red Rubber Ball"/"Turn-Down Day"] (died 2021) age 77 – unknown causes…

BIRTHDAYS Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756) composer/pianist (died 1791) age 35 – unknown (more than 100 causes have been considered) Elmore James (1918) blues guitarist/singer/songwriter ["King of the Slide Guitar"] (died 1963) age 45 – heart attack David Seville (1919) singer/pianist [“Witch Doctor”] and creator and voice of Alvin and the Chipmunks [“The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)”] (born 1972) age 52 – heart attack…

BIRTHDAYS Maria von Trapp (1905) Trapp Family Singers singer (died 1987) age 82 – heart failure Huey "Piano" Smith (1934) R&B pianist/songwriter ["Don’t You Just Know It"/"Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu"] (died 2023) age 89 – unknown causes Marshall Leib (1939) The Teddy Bears harmony singer/co-founder ["To Know Him is to Love Him"] (died 2002) age 63 – heart attack…

BIRTHDAYS Etta James (1938) blues, jazz, and gospel singer ["At Last"] (died 2012) age 73 – leukemia Dave Walker (1945) Savoy Brown, Fleetwood Mac, and Black Sabbath singer/guitarist Andy Pratt (1947) singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist ["Avenging Annie"] Michael Cotten (1950) The Tubes keyboardist/songwriter/co-founder Malcolm Green (1953) Split Enz drummer/songwriter Andy Cox (1956) Fine Young Cannibals guitarist/songwriter/co-founder ["She Drives Me Crazy"/"Good Thing"] Matt Odmark (1974) Jars of Clay guitarist/banjoist/songwriter/co-founder…

BIRTHDAYS Zeke Carey (1933) The Flamingos second tenor singer ["I Only Have Eyes for You"] (died 1999) age 66 – cancer Doug Kershaw (1936) country and Cajun music fiddler/singer/songwriter Ray Stevens (1939) country singer/songwriter/keyboardist ["Everything is Beautiful"/"The Streak"] Neil Diamond (1941) singer/songwriter/guitarist Aaron Neville (1941) The Neville Brothers singer/songwriter/co-founder and solo singer/songwriter ["Tell It Like It Is"] Warren Zevon (1947) singer/songwriter ["Werewolves of London"/"Lawyers, Guns and Money"] (died 2003) age 56 – mesothelioma…

BIRTHDAYS Ken Errair (1928) The Four Freshman singer (died 1969) age 41 – plane crash Joe Dowell (1940) singer ["Wooden Heart"] (died 2016) age 76 – heart attack Jerry Lawson (1944) The Persuasions lead singer/co-founder and solo singer (died 2019) age 75 – Guillain–Barré syndrome Anita Pointer (1948) The Pointer Sisters singer/songwriter/co-founder (died 2022) age 74 – cancer Bill Cunningham (1950) The Box Tops bassist/keyboardist/co-founder…

BIRTHDAYS Sam Cooke (1931) soul singer/songwriter/pianist/guitarist ["You Send Me"/"Twistin' the Night Away"] (died 1964) age 33 – justifiable homicide Addie "Micki" Harris (1940) The Shirelles singer (died 1982) age 42 – heart attack Steve Perry (1949) Journey lead singer/songwriter and solo singer/songwriter ["Oh Sherrie"] Nigel Pegrum (1949) The Small Faces drummer J.P. Pennington (1949) Exile co-lead singer/songwriter/co-founder ["Kiss You All Over"]

BIRTHDAYS Wolfman Jack (1938) disc jockey (died 1995) age 57 – heart attack Richie Havens (1941) folk singer/songwriter/guitarist ["Here Comes the Sun"] (died 2013) age 72 – heart attack Plácido Domingo tenor opera singer/conductor Mac Davis (1942) singer/songwriter/guitarist ["Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me"], also actor (died 2020) age 78 – heart surgery complications Edwin Starr (1942) singer/songwriter ["War"] (died 2003) age 61 – heart attack…

BIRTHDAYS Lead Belly (1888) blues singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter ["Midnight Special"/"Goodnight Irene"] (died 1949) age 60 – motor neuron disease Ottis "Slim" Whitman Jr. (1923) country singer/guitarist/songwriter ["Indian Love Call"] (died 2013) age 90 – heart failure Ron Townson (1933) The 5th Dimension singer/co-founder (died 2001) age 68 – renal failure William Powell Jr. (1942) The O'Jays singer/co-founder (died 1977) age 35 – cancer…

BIRTHDAYS Phil Everly (1939) The Everly Brothers singer/guitarist/songwriter/co-founder (died 2014) age 74 – lung disease Michael Crawford (1942) singer, also actor Janis Joplin (1943) Big Brother and the Holding Company, Kozmic Blues Band, Full Tilt Boogie Band and solo singer/songwriter (died 1970) age 27 – heroin overdose Laurie London (1944) singer ["He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"] Shelley Fabares (1946) singer ["Johnny Angel"], also actress…

BIRTHDAYS Bobby Goldsboro (1941) singer/songwriter/guitarist ["Honey"/"Watching Scotty Grow"/"Little Things"] David Ruffin (1941) The Temptations lead singer/co-founder and solo singer/drummer (died 1991) age 50 – accidental overdose Brett Hudson (1953) The Hudson Brothers singer/songwriter/co-founder Mark Collie (1956) country singer/guitarist/songwriter Tom Bailey (1956) Thompson Twins lead singer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter/co-founder ["Hold Me Now"/"Doctor! Doctor!"/"Lies"] Jonathan "JDevil" Davis (1971) KoЯn lead singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/co-founder Luther Dickinson (1973) The Black Crowes lead guitarist…

BIRTHDAYS Eartha Kitt (1927) singer ["C'est Si Bon"/"Santa Baby"], also actress (died 2008) age 81 – colon cancer Chris Montez (1943) singer/songwriter/guitarist ["Let's Dance"] William "Poogie" Hart (1945) The Delfonics lead singer/co-founder ["La-La (Means I Love You)"/"Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)"] (died 2022) age 77 – surgery complications Mick Taylor (1949) John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and Rolling Stones guitarist and session and solo guitarist/singer/multi-instrumentalist…