Pick a Day

Born on August 9

1972 Arion Salazar (bass guitarist for Third Eye Blind) is born in Oakland, California.

1963 Whitney Houston is born in Newark, New Jersey, to gospel/soul singer Cissy Houston and John Russell Houston Jr. After years in the background as a session singer, she releases her self-titled debut album in 1985. Thanks to smash hits like "How Will I Know," "Saving All My Love For You," and "The Greatest Love Of All," she breaks through MTV's color barrier as one of the first Black female artists to achieve heavy rotation on the network.

1959 Rapper Kurtis Blow is born Kurt Walker in The Bronx, New York.

1947 R&B/Soul singer Barbara Mason is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1947 Singer-songwriter Amanda McBroom is born.

1946 John Parry (trombonist for The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band) is born.

1946 Marinus "Rinus" Gerritsen (bassist, keyboardist for Golden Earring) is born in The Hague, South Holland, Netherlands.

1944 Vivian "Viv" Prince (drummer for The Pretty Things) is born in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England.

1939 Billy Henderson, a founding member of The Spinners, is born in Detroit, Michigan.

1934 Country singer-songwriter Merle Kilgore is born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Co-wrote "Ring of Fire" with June Carter Cash.