Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

September 7, 1970 Chad Sexton (drummer/percussionist for 311) is born in Lexington, Kentucky.

August 31, 1970 Debbie Gibson is born in Brooklyn, New York. A music prodigy, she has two #1 hits while still in her teens: "Foolish Beat" in 1988 and "Lost In Your Eyes" a year later.

August 29, 1970 R&B singer Carl Martin (of Shai) is born in Lafayette, Louisiana. Known for the 1992 hit "If I Ever Fall in Love."

August 27, 1970 No Doubt bass player Tony Kanal is born in London to Indian parents. He and frontwoman Gwen Stefani date for about seven years, triggering the song "Don't Speak," but they manage to remain friends and bandmates after their split.

August 25, 1970 Country singer Jo Dee Messina is born in Holliston, Massachusetts. She moves to Nashville when she's 19 and lands her first hit with "Heads Carolina, Tails California" in 1996. In 2022 that song gets new life when Cole Swindell references it in "She Had Me At Heads Carolina."

August 20, 1970 Nu-metal pioneer Fred Durst (frontman for Limp Bizkit) is born in Gastonia, North Carolina.

August 14, 1970 Kevin Cadogan (guitarist for Third Eye Blind) is born in Oakland, California.

August 11, 1970 DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad (of A Tribe Called Quest) is born in Brooklyn, New York.

August 3, 1970 Deftones guitarist Stephen Carpenter is born in Sacramento, California. A driving force behind the band's unique sound, he goes on to become recognized as one of the top metal guitarists of his era.

August 1, 1970 Music video director Harold "Hype" Williams is born in Queens, New York. He breaks into directing rap videos in the early '90s with clips from Puff Daddy, The Notorious B.I.G., and Nas before adding work with Kanye West and Jay-Z to his resume in the ensuing decades.More

July 23, 1970 Sam Watters (of Color Me Badd) is born in Camp Springs, Maryland. He follows up his Color Me Badd tenure as a hit songwriter for Kelly Clarkson ("All I Ever Wanted") and Fantasia ("When I See You"), among others.

July 8, 1970 Beck is born Bek David Campbell in Los Angeles, California. He adopts the surname Hansen from his mom, former Andy Warhol protege Bibbe Hansen.

July 2, 1970 Rapper Monie Love is born Simone Gooden in Battersea, London, England.

June 24, 1970 Glenn Medeiros is born in Kauai, Hawaii.

June 22, 1970 Steven Page (former co-lead of Barenaked Ladies) is born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.

June 9, 1970 Ed Simons of The Chemical Brothers is born in Herne Hill, South London, England.

June 8, 1970 R&B singer Nicci Gilbert (of Brownstone) is born in Detroit, Michigan.

June 6, 1970 Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer is born in Bakersfield, California. He earns the nickname by being able to spread out his toes so they look like a monkey paw.

June 5, 1970 Claus Norreen (guitarist for Aqua) is born in Charlottenlund, Denmark.

June 2, 1970 Cypress Hill lead rapper B-Real is born Louis Freese in Los Angeles, California.

June 2, 1970 Dominic Greensmith (original drummer for Reef) is born in England.

May 19, 1970 Rapper Prince Be (of P.M. Dawn) is born Attrell Cordes in Jersey City, New Jersey. His stepfather is Kool & the Gang's George Brown.

May 18, 1970 Mark Richardson (drummer for Skunk Anansie) is born in Leeds, England.

May 17, 1970 R&B singer Darnell Van Rensalier (of Shai) is born in New Jersey.

May 17, 1970 Pop singer Jordan Knight (of New Kids on the Block) is born in Worcester, Massachusetts.

May 4, 1970 Gregg Alexander of The New Radicals is born Gregory Aiuto in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

April 29, 1970 Rapper/entrepreneur Master P is born Percy Robert Miller in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1998 his No Limit Records releases 16 albums that are certified Gold, including Ghetto Fabulous by Mystikal, Charge It 2 Da Game by Silkk The Shocker, and his own MP Da Last Don.

April 26, 1970 Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins (TLC) is born in Des Moines, Iowa.

April 20, 1970 Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest is born Malik Taylor in Queens, New York. His insistent delivery provides the counterweight to Q-Tip's smooth flows in the group. Stricken with diabetes, he dies in 2016 at 45.

April 18, 1970 Greg Eklund (drummer for Everclear) is born in Jacksonville, Florida.