Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

February 12, 1935 Gene McDaniels is born in Kansas City, Kansas, but grows up in Omaha, Nebraska. Wrote Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Makin' Love."

February 11, 1935 Gene Vincent is born Vincent Eugene Craddock in Norfolk, Virginia.

February 5, 1935 Alex Harvey (of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band) is born in Glasgow, Scotland.

February 3, 1935 Blues rocker Johnny "Guitar" Watson is born in Houston, Texas.

January 20, 1935 Country singer Buddy Blake Cunningham, known for the 1950s songs "Please Convince Me" and "Right Or Wrong," is born in Jackson, Mississippi.

January 10, 1935 Ronnie Hawkins, whose group The Hawks is a precursor to The Band, is born in Huntsville, Arkansas.

January 6, 1935 Nino Tempo is born Antonino LoTempio in Niagara Falls, New York. In 1963, he scores a #1 hit on the pop charts with "Deep Purple," a duet with his sister, April Stevens.

December 30, 1934 Del Shannon of "Runaway" fame is born Charles Weedon Westover in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

December 25, 1934 R&B singer McKinley Mitchell, known for the 1962 hit "The Town I Live In," is born in Jackson, Mississippi.

December 15, 1934 Opera singer Raina Kabaivanska is born in Burgas, Bulgaria.

December 11, 1934 Bass baritone singer Curtis Williams (of The Penguins) is born in Los Angeles, California.

December 9, 1934 Bluesman Junior Wells is born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr. He is raised in West Memphis, Arkansas (where he may have also been born). He learns harmonica from his cousin, Junior Parker.

December 1, 1934 Soul singer Billy Paul ("Me And Mrs. Jones") is born in Philadelphia.

November 27, 1934 Al Jackson (of Booker T. & the MG's) is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

October 31, 1934 Rockabilly musician Ray Smith, known for the 1960 hit "Rockin' Little Angel," is born in Melber, Kentucky.

October 19, 1934 Dave Guard (of The Kingston Trio) is born Donald David Guard in San Francisco, California.

October 8, 1934 Baritone singer Doc Green (of The Drifters) is born in Harlem, New York.

October 1, 1934 Songwriter Geoff Stephens of The New Vaudeville Band is born in New Southgate, North London.

September 21, 1934 Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen is born in Westmount, Quebec, Canada.

September 19, 1934 Brian Epstein (Beatles manager) is born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.

September 8, 1934 Country singer Bill Parsons is born in Crossville, Tennessee. Known for his association with Bobby Bare, who was the real voice on the 1959 hit "The All American Boy," which was mistakenly credited to co-writer Parsons.

September 3, 1934 Bluesman Freddie King is born in Gilmer, Texas. He is raised in Chicago's South Side.

August 20, 1934 Country/rock musician "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow (of The Flying Burrito Brothers) is born in South Bend, Indiana.

August 9, 1934 Country singer-songwriter Merle Kilgore is born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Co-wrote "Ring of Fire" with June Carter Cash.

July 25, 1934 Jazz musician and composer Don Ellis is born in Los Angeles, California.

July 24, 1934 Jazz drummer Rudy Collins, who performed with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Cab Calloway, is born in New York City.

July 12, 1934 Pianist Van Cliburn is born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He rises to prominence when he wins the inaugural quadrennial International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow.

July 2, 1934 Folk singer Tom Springfield (of The Springfields) is born Dionysius P. A. O'Brien in Hampstead, London, England. He'll welcome sister Dusty Springfield a few years later.

June 16, 1934 Carl "Little Caesar" Burnett (of Little Caesar & the Romans) is born.

June 11, 1934 R&B singer James "Pookie" Hudson (of The Spaniels) is born in Des Moines, Iowa.