Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

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.

June 18, 1961 Alison Moyet is born Geneviève Alison Jane Moyet in Billericay, Essex, England. After singing in blues bands, she teams with Vince Clarke to form Yazoo, which has hits with "Only You" and "Situation." In 1984 she puts out her first solo album, Alf, which goes to #1 in the UK.

June 14, 1961 Culture Club lead singer Boy George is born George Alan O'Dowd in Eltham, London, England. He starts wearing makeup and women's clothes in secondary school, a look he adapts with Culture Club to provide a striking visual presence that gets lots of attention on MTV. The band has a run of hits in the early '80s that includes "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?," "I'll Tumble 4 Ya" and "Karma Chameleon."

June 11, 1961 Robert Birch (vocalist for Stereo MC's) is born in Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, England.

June 10, 1961 Maxi Priest is born Max Elliott in Lewisham, London, England. His song "Close To You" goes to #1 in America in 1990.

June 10, 1961 Identical twins Kim and Kelley Deal are born in Dayton, Ohio. Together, they form The Breeders; Kim is also the bass player in the Pixies.

June 4, 1961 El DeBarge is born Eldra Patrick DeBarge in Detroit, Michigan. He will become the lead singer of his family's group, DeBarge.

May 28, 1961 Roland Gift (lead singer of Fine Young Cannibals) is born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.

May 17, 1961 New age singer Enya is born Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin in Dore, Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland. "Eithne" is pronounced "Enya," so she goes with that spelling to avoid confusion.

May 12, 1961 Billy Duffy (guitarist for The Cult) is born in Hulme, Manchester, England.

May 7, 1961 Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell is born in Pontypridd, Wales.

April 26, 1961 Chris Mars (drummer for The Replacements) is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

April 11, 1961 Doug Hopkins (lead guitarist, songwriter for the Gin Blossoms) is born in Seattle, Washington, but will be raised in Tempe, Arizona.

April 2, 1961 Keren Jane Woodward (of Bananarama) is born in Bristol, England.

April 1, 1961 Mark White, guitarist and keyboardist for the English new wave group ABC, is born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

March 21, 1961 Slim Jim Phantom (drummer for Stray Cats) is born James McDonnell in Brooklyn, New York.

March 11, 1961 Dead or Alive bass player Mike Percy is born.

March 11, 1961 Big Country guitarist Bruce Watson is born in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, but soon moves to Scotland with his family, where the group is formed.

February 26, 1961 John "Jon Jon" Foster (of The Bronski Beat) is born in Basildon, Essex, England.

February 16, 1961 Andy Taylor (guitarist for Duran Duran) is born in Cullercoats, Northumberland, England. He later joins supergroup The Power Station while Duran Duran are on hiatus. The success of his new venture persuades him to leave the band he helped form as a teenager.

February 13, 1961 Henry Rollins is born Henry Garfield in Washington, DC. A die-hard punk fan from an early age, he becomes Black Flag's lead singer in 1981. When that group dissolves in 1986, he launches the Rollins Band and builds a second career as a writer, spoken-word artist, and actor (catch him on Season 2 of Sons of Anarchy).

February 13, 1961 Les Warner (drummer for The Cult) is born in London, England.

February 8, 1961 Sam Llanas (vocalist, guitarist of The BoDeans) is born in Wisconsin.