Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

October 27, 1940 Fabulous Wailers guitarist and trumpeter John Greek is born.

August 15, 1940 Mark Marush, saxophonist for the Fabulous Wailers, is born.

July 18, 1940 Jim Kweskin, founder of Jim Kweskin Jug Band, is born in Stamford, Connecticut.

June 17, 1940 Bass player Chuck Rainey is born Charles Walter Rainey III in Cleveland, Ohio.

August 30, 1939 The influential British DJ John Peel is born (John Robert Parker Ravenscroft).

September 15, 1938 Motown songwriter Sylvia Moy ("Uptight (Everything's Alright)," "It Takes Two") is born in Detroit.

August 11, 1937 Shel Talmy, who produces the first Who album and much of the early Kinks output, is born in Chicago, Illinois.

May 5, 1937 Electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire is born in Coventry, England.

November 27, 1936 Producer Henri Belolo is born in Morocco. He works with many disco acts, and with his partner Jacques Morali, creates The Village People.

August 22, 1936 Chuck Brown is born in North Carolina. He would relocate to Washington, DC and pioneer the go-go sound, best heard on his hit "Bustin' Loose."

March 20, 1936 Lee "Scratch" Perry, a reggae musician, label boss (Upsetter) and producer, is born in Jamaica. Known for his work with Bob Marley, Perry also records with Keith Richards, Beastie Boys and George Clinton.

January 29, 1936 James Jamerson, the bass player in Motown's house band The Funk Brothers, is born in South Carolina. His distinctive grooves form the bedrock of many hits released on the label; good examples of his work are "My Girl" by The Temptations and "Where Did Our Love Go" by The Supremes.

August 29, 1935 Controversial singer and co-founder of the West Coast Pop Experimental Art Band Bob Markley is born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

November 12, 1934 Charles Manson is born. Why is he on a music calendar? He wrote and recorded songs before he was imprisoned, including one called "Cease To Exist," which Dennis Wilson re-wrote for The Beach Boys as "Never Learn Not to Love."

June 22, 1934 Leon Rosselson, satirical singer and children's book author, is born in Harrow, Middlesex, England.

March 18, 1934 Charley Pride is born on a cotton farm in the tiny town of Sledge, Mississippi. After his baseball career stalls, he becomes a country music star, one of the first African Americans to break through in the format.

September 8, 1933 Playback singer Asha Bhosle is born in Imperial India. She goes on to record more songs than anyone in history, mostly for Bollywood films.

August 1, 1930 Composer Lionel Bart is born in Stepney, London, England.

April 8, 1929 Singer-songwriter Jacques Brel is born in Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium.

December 13, 1925 Actor/entertainer Dick Van Dyke is born in West Plains, Missouri, but grows up in Danville, Illinois. He stars and sings in the hit musicals Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, featuring the famous title song.

October 29, 1925 Israeli songwriter Haim Hefer is born Haim Feiner in Sosnowiec, Poland.

October 22, 1925 Singer-songwriter Dory Previn is born Dorothy Langan in New Jersey. She writes the lyrics to many movie song compositions from her second husband, André Previn.

October 20, 1925 Tom Dowd is born in New York City. After giving up a career in nuclear physics, he becomes a top producer, able to coax sounds out of many famous artists with his technical expertise and agreeable personality. His production credits include Idlewild South by The Allman Brothers and 461 Ocean Boulevard by Eric Clapton.

August 14, 1924 Lyricist Lee Adams is born in Mansfield, Ohio. Known for his work with composer Charles Strouse, particularly Bye Bye Birdie.

October 17, 1923 Jazz guitarist Barney Kessel is born in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

August 11, 1922 Ron Grainer, composer of the "Doctor Who Theme," is born in Queensland, Australia.

May 27, 1922 Actor and occasional singer Christopher Lee is born in Belgravia, Westminster, London. He's best known for his villainous roles in Dracula, The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

November 16, 1921 Composer Ben Weisman, co-author of "Rock-A-Hula Baby," is born.

March 19, 1921 Tommy Cooper is born in Caerphilly, Wales.

December 12, 1920 British music publisher Dick James is born Leon Isaac Vapnick in London. His high-profile clients include Elton John and The Beatles.