Pick a Day

Born on January 26

1970 Gospel musician Kirk Franklin is born in Fort Worth, Texas.

1963 Andrew Ridgeley (of Wham!) is born in Windlesham, Surrey, England. He meets George Michael in high school.

1963 DJ Jazzie B (of Soul II Soul) is born Trevor Beresford Romeo in Hornsey, London, England.

1960 Charlie Gillingham (keyboardist for Counting Crows) is born in Torrance, California.

1958 R&B singer-songwriter Anita Baker is born in Toledo, Ohio, but is raised by foster parents in Detroit, Michigan.

1958 Norman Hassan (percussionist, trombonist for UB40) is born in Birmingham, England.

1955 Eddie Van Halen is born in Amsterdam. His family eventually settles in Pasadena, California, where he forms Van Halen with his brother, Alex, and quickly becomes one of the most acclaimed and influential guitarists in rock history.

1953 Lucinda Williams is born in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

1951 Big Star bass player Andy Hummel is born to former Miss America (1947) Barbara Walker Hummel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He is raised in Memphis, Tennessee.

1951 David Briggs, who replaces Ric Formosa as lead guitarist for Little River Band, is born in Melbourne, Australia.

1949 Derek Holt (guitarist for Climax Blues Band) is born in Stafford, England.

1948 Laurence "Corky" Laing (drummer for Mountain) is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

1945 Ashley Hutchings (bass guitarist for Fairport Convention) is born in Southgate, England.

1943 Jean Knight is born Jean Caliste in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1943 Thom Bell, whose productions for The Stylistics, The Delfonics, and The Spinners helped define the Philadelphia Soul sound, is born in Kingston, Jamaica.

1934 R&B pianist Huey "Piano" Smith is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1932 Country singer Claude Gray, dubbed The Tall Texan, is born in Henderson, Texas. Known for the 1960 hit "Family Bible."

1923 Broadway and film star Anne Jeffreys is born Anne Carmichael in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

1922 Pianist/vocalist Page Cavanaugh is born in Cherokee, Kansas. He notches a number of hits in the 1940s, including "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," as part of The Page Cavanaugh Trio with guitarist Al Viola and bassist Lloyd Pratt.

1913 Composer Jimmy Van Heusen, who teams with lyricist Sammy Cahn to write a number of hits, including "Come Fly With Me" for Frank Sinatra, is born Edward Chester Babcock in Syracuse, New York.

1908 Violinist Stephane Grappelli, who forms the jazz group Quintette du Hot Club de France along with guitarist Django Reinhardt, is born in Paris, France.