Pick a Day

Born on December 31

2022 Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters dies of cancer at 74.

1972 Joe McIntyre of New Kids on the Block is born in Needham, Massachusetts. He joins NKOTB just before turning 13.

1963 Scott Ian (guitarist, backing vocalist for Anthrax) is born Scott Ian Rosenfeld in Queens, New York.

1959 Paul Westerberg (lead singer, guitarist for The Replacements) is born in Minnesota.

1951 Tom Hamilton (bass player for Aerosmith) is born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He co-writes the hits "Janie's Got A Gun" and "Sweet Emotion."

1951 Fermin Goytisolo (percussionist for KC and the Sunshine Band) is born in Cuba.

1948 Donna Summer is born LaDonna Adrian Gaines in Boston, Massachusetts. She earns her new surname when a record label misprints her married name, Sommer, as Summer.

1947 Burton Cummings (lead singer, keyboardist for The Guess Who) is born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

1943 John Denver is born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, New Mexico.

1943 Pete Quaife (original bass guitarist for The Kinks) is born Peter Alexander Greenlaw Quaife in Tavistock, Devon, England.

1942 Andy Summers (guitarist for The Police) is born Andrew James Somers in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, England. The self taught guitarist, renowned for his use of modern electronic effects, is also a talented photographer and publishes several books of behind-the-scenes shots of the band recording and performing.

1930 Blues and folk singer Odetta is born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Alabama. Named the "Queen of American folk music" by Martin Luther King Jr., Odetta sings "O Freedom" at the 1963 March on Washington.

1928 Classic pop singer Ross Barbour (of The Four Freshmen) is born in Columbus, Indiana.

1920 Actor Rex Allen, who has a country hit with "Don't Go Near the Indians" in 1962, is born near Willcox, Arizona.

1905 The composer Jule Styne is born Julius Kerwin Stein in London.