Music History Events: Births
November 8, 1961 Leif Garrett is born Leif Per Nervik in Hollywood, California.
November 5, 1961 Counting Crows guitarist David Bryson is born in California.
October 31, 1961 U2 drummer Larry Mullen is born in Artane, Dublin, Ireland.
October 29, 1961 Randy Jackson (of The Jackson 5) is born Steven Randall Jackson in Gary, Indiana. As the ninth child, he's both the youngest Jackson brother and youngest child in the family until baby sister Janet is born in 1966.
October 25, 1961 Chad Smith (drummer for Red Hot Chili Peppers) is born Chadwick Gaylord Smith in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
October 18, 1961 Wynton Marsalis, jazz trumpeter, composer and teacher, is born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Music for Blood on the Fields, a three-and-a-half hour jazz oratorio telling the story of a couple finding freedom from slavery.
October 10, 1961 Martin Kemp (bassist for Spandau Ballet) is born in Islington, London, England. Also known for his role as Steve Owen on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
October 9, 1961 Kurt Neumann (singer, songwriter and guitarist for The BoDeans) is born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
October 4, 1961 Latin pop singer Jon Secada is born Juan Francisco Secada Ramirez in Havana, Cuba, but would be raised in Hialeah, Florida.
September 26, 1961 Cindy Herron (of En Vogue) is born in San Francisco, California.
September 13, 1961 Dave Mustaine is born in La Mesa, California. The first lead guitarist in Metallica, he's fired from the band because of drug use in 1983 before their debut album is released, but he has writing credits on four of the tracks. Soon after, he forms Megadeth, becoming their frontman and main songwriter.
August 24, 1961 Mark Bedford (bass guitarist for Madness) is born in Islington, London, England.
August 23, 1961 Dean DeLeo (guitarist for Stone Temple Pilots) is born in Newark, New Jersey.
August 22, 1961 Bangles drummer Debbi Peterson is born in Los Angeles.
August 22, 1961 Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears is born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.
August 12, 1961 Roy Hay (guitarist/keyboardist for Culture Club) is born in Southend, Essex, England.
August 10, 1961 INXS drummer Jon Farriss is born in Perth, Western Australia. His brothers Tim and Andrew are also in the band.
August 8, 1961 David Evans is born in East London. He later becomes The Edge as a member of U2.
August 8, 1961 Rikki Rocket (drummer for Poison) is born Richard Allan Ream in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
August 5, 1961 Themetta Suggs gives birth to Chuck Berry's second child, Chuck Berry Jr.
August 3, 1961 Lee Rocker, upright bass player in The Stray Cats, is born Leon Drucker in Long Island, New York.
August 2, 1961 Pete De Freitas (drummer for Echo And The Bunnymen) is born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
July 26, 1961 Singer-songwriter Gary Cherone is born in Malden, Massachusetts. Best known for his work in the band Extreme, he joins Van Halen for one album: Van Halen III, released in 1997.
July 24, 1961 Paul Geary (co-founder and drummer of Extreme) is born in Medford, Massachusetts.
July 23, 1961 Martin Gore of Depeche Mode is born in Essex, England.
July 22, 1961 Keith Sweat is born Keith Douglas Crier in Harlem, New York.
July 8, 1961 Toby Keith is born Toby Keith Covel in Clinton, Oklahoma. He works in the oil fields and for a rodeo company before launching his music career in his 30s. His pre-music life informs many of his songs, including "Beer For My Horses," inspired by his rodeo days.
July 8, 1961 Depeche Mode founder Andy Fletcher is born in Nottingham, England.
June 24, 1961 Curt Smith (bass guitarist, vocalist for Tears for Fears) is born in Bath, Somerset, England.
June 22, 1961 Pop singer Jimmy Somerville (of Bronski Beat) is born in Glasgow, Scotland.
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