Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

July 20, 1978 Elliott Yamin is born Efraym Elliott Yamin in Los Angeles, California.

July 18, 1978 Tony Fagenson (drummer for Eve 6) is born. His dad is record producer and bass player Don Was (of Was (Not Was)).

July 4, 1978 Stephen McNally (who puts the "Mak" in BBMak) is born in Liverpool, England.

June 29, 1978 Nicole Scherzinger is born Nicole Valiente in Honolulu, Hawaii (she takes the last name of her stepfather, who adopts her). In 2003 she becomes the lead Pussycat Doll; later she becomes a judge on shows like The X Factor UK and The Masked Singer, and a Broadway star, winning a Tony for her lead role in Sunset Boulevard.

June 10, 1978 R&B singer LeMisha Grinstead (of 702) is born in Las Vegas, Nevada.

May 16, 1978 Guitarist Zoltan Bathory is born in Szentendre, Hungary, where he grows up under communist rule. As an adult he moves to America, teaches himself English, and forms the metal band Five Finger Death Punch. "Growing up in a country that had no resources will make you resourceful," he says.

April 27, 1978 Jim James is born James Edward Olliges Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky. He plays around his hometown in a too-loud rock band called Month Of Sundays until his acoustic urges lead him to start up a folksy alt-country band named My Morning Jacket.

April 15, 1978 Chris Stapleton is born in Lexington, Kentucky. He studies engineering at Vanderbilt University before turning his attention to music, writing songs for other artists and fronting two bands before launching his solo career with his 2015 album Traveller.

April 12, 1978 Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman is born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. Despite his musical aspirations he enrolls in University College London to study mechanical engineering, but music wins out when he meets his future bandmates at the school, including singer Chris Martin.

March 8, 1978 Kameelah Williams (lead singer of the R&B trio 702) is born in Las Vegas, Nevada.

January 10, 1978 Shinedown frontman Brent Smith is born Knoxville, Tennessee. He's the main songwriter in the band, delivering emotionally charged tunes like "Second Chance" and "A Symptom of Being Human."

January 9, 1978 A.J. McLean of Backstreet Boys is born in West Palm Beach, Florida.

December 12, 1977 Dino Meneghin (guitarist for The Calling) is born in Walnut Creek, California.

December 1, 1977 Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson is born in Agoura Hills, California. His heavy-but-melodic riffs power hits like "Crawling" and "What I've Done," helping the band become one of the most popular acts of the '00s.

November 18, 1977 Rapper Fabolous is born John David Jackson in Brooklyn, New York City.

November 8, 1977 Country singer Bucky Covington is born William Joel Covington III, along with identical twin brother Robert, in Rockingham, North Carolina. Bucky will go on to compete on Season 5 of American Idol, taking eighth place.

October 16, 1977 John Mayer is born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His 2001 debut album, Room For Squares, catches on with heartfelt songs like "No Such Thing" and "Your Body Is A Wonderland." In 2015 he takes a surprising turn, joining the band Dead & Company, where he plays Grateful Dead classics with three former members of the iconic group.

September 13, 1977 Fiona Apple is born in Manhattan to singer Diane McAfee and actor Brandon Maggart.More

September 12, 1977 Paul McCartney's son, James, is born.

September 11, 1977 Rapper Ludacris is born Christopher Brian Bridges in Champaign, Illinois. In his teens, he moves with his mother to Atlanta, Georgia, where he makes his mark in music.

September 11, 1977 Jon Buckland (lead guitarist for Coldplay) is born in Islington, London, raised in Pantymwyn, North Wales.

August 27, 1977 Rapper Mase is born Mason Durell Betha in Jacksonville, Florida. Known for "Feel So Good" and "Lookin' at Me" from his 1997 solo debut, Harlem World.

August 10, 1977 Aaron Kamin (lead guitarist for The Calling) is born in Studio City, California.

July 10, 1977 Cher gives birth to Elijah Blue Allman, her first and only child with Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers.

June 23, 1977 Jason Mraz is born in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

June 12, 1977 Blues rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd is born Kenny Wayne Brobst in Shreveport, Louisiana.

May 13, 1977 Rapper Pusha T is born Terrence LeVarr Thornton in the Bronx borough of New York City. He grows up in the suburbs of Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he and his older brother, Gene (aka No Malice) form the hip-hop duo Clipse and write street songs about their experiences as drug dealers. As a solo artist, he's crowned the King of Coke Rap with singles like "Nosetalgia" and "Neck & Wrist."

April 16, 1977 Stevie Wonder becomes a father for the second time when his son Kieta is born.

April 9, 1977 Alt rock singer-songwriter Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance) is born in Summit, New Jersey.

March 18, 1977 Devin Lima of LFO is born Harold Lima in Boston, Massachusetts.