Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

December 29, 1931 R&B singer John "Buddy" Bailey (of The Clovers) is born in Seneca, Virginia.

December 27, 1931 Jazz pianist Walter Norris is born in Little Rock, Arkansas.

December 27, 1931 Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley's original guitarist) is born in Gadsden, Tennessee.

December 16, 1931 Karl Denver is born in Springburn, Glasgow, Scotland. He lands several '60s-era hits on the UK pop chart with his signature falsetto yodeling.

December 11, 1931 Singer and actress Rita Moreno, known for her role as Anita in the Broadway smash and subsequent film West Side Story, is born Rosa Dolores Alverío in Humacao, Puerto Rico. She is raised in New York City.

December 7, 1931 Bobby Osborne (of The Osborne Brothers) is born in Leslie County, Kentucky.

December 3, 1931 Pop singer Jaye P. Morgan is born Mary Margaret Morgan in Mancos, Colorado. Her high school classmates nickname Mary, the class treasurer, "Jaye P." after the famous banker J. Pierpont Morgan.

November 30, 1931 Teddy Wilburn (of the country duo The Wilburn Brothers) is born in Hardy, Arkansas. In addition to recording hit records, Teddy and brother Doyle start a music publishing company and sign an up-and-coming singer named Loretta Lynn.

November 25, 1931 Nat Adderley, jazz cornet and trumpet player, is born in Tampa, Florida, to a family that includes older brother, Julian, also known as sax player Cannonball Adderley.

November 24, 1931 Guitarist Tommy Allsup (of The Crickets) is born in Owasso, Oklahoma. Co-wrote The Ventures' "Guitar Twist." Allsup nearly became a tragic footnote in music history when he flipped a coin to win a seat on the plane that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, but he "lost" to Valens.

November 16, 1931 Folk singer Bob Gibson is born in Brooklyn, New York. Introduces Joan Baez to a national audience at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival.

November 5, 1931 Ike Turner is born in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

September 26, 1931 George Chambers (of The Chambers Brothers) is born in Carthage, Mississippi.

September 24, 1931 Anthony Newley is born in London, England. The actor will also write a string of popular ballads with songwriting partner Leslie Bricusse, including "Feeling Good."

September 19, 1931 Pop/R&B singer Brook Benton is born Benjamin Franklin Peay in Lugoff, South Carolina.

September 12, 1931 Country singer George Jones is born in Saratoga, Texas.

September 1, 1931 Country singer Boxcar Willie is born Lecil Travis Martin in Sterrett, Texas.

August 28, 1931 Drummer Clem Cattini (of The Tornados) is born Stoke Newington, North London, England.

August 20, 1931 Paul Robi of The Platters is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

August 20, 1931 Jazz drummer Frank Capp is born in Worcester, Massachusetts.

August 16, 1931 Traditional Pop/Swing singer Eydie Gorme is born in The Bronx, New York.

August 7, 1931 Herb Reed (founding member of The Platters) is born in Kansas City, Missouri.

July 31, 1931 Jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell is born in Detroit, Michigan.

July 18, 1931 Thomas "Papa Dee" Allen (percussionist, vocalist for War) is born in Wilmington, Delaware.

July 11, 1931 Singer-songwriter Thurston Harris is born in Pomona, California.

July 11, 1931 Tab Hunter is born in New York City. He's best known as an actor, but has a huge hit in 1957 with "Young Love."

July 6, 1931 Della Reese is born Delloreese Patricia Early in the Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan.

June 14, 1931 Sax player Junior Walker (of Junior Walker & the All-Stars) is born in Blytheville, Arkansas.

May 31, 1931 Jazz guitarist Dick Garcia is born in New York City.

May 28, 1931 Sonny Burgess, rockabilly guitarist of the Pacers and later The Sun Rhythm Section, made up of former Sun Records' session musicians, is born Albert Austin Burgess of Newport, Arkansas.