Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

April 11, 1957 Jim Lauderdale is born in Trautman, North Carolina. The Americana icon earns a reputation as a songwriter's songwriter in Nashville, where he writes popular songs for George Strait ("The King Of Broken Hearts"), Patty Loveless ("Halfway Down"), Vince Gill ("Sparkle"), and The Chicks ("Hole In My Head"), in addition to recording his own material. His longtime partnership with Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter results in over 100 songs, including "Memory," a ballad completed mere months before Hunter's death.

April 10, 1957 Bass guitarist Steve Gustafson (of 10,000 Maniacs) is born in Seville, Spain.

March 22, 1957 R&B singer Stephanie Mills is born in New York City. Her first hit is "Home," from the Broadway musical The Wiz. Mills plays Dorothy in the show's original run from 1975-1977.

March 21, 1957 Sean Dickson (lead singer for The Soup Dragons) is born in Scotland.

March 12, 1957 Marlon Jackson of The Jackson 5, is born in Gary, Indiana. His twin brother, Brandon, dies less than 24 hours later.

March 11, 1957 Cheryl Lynn ("Got To Be Real") is born Lynda Cheryl Smith in Los Angeles, California.

February 28, 1957 Cindy Wilson is born in Athens, Georgia, where along with her brother Ricky and three other friends, she forms The B-52s. On "Love Shack," she belts out one of the most famous (and misheard) lyrics of all-time: "tin roof, rusted!"

February 28, 1957 Phil Gould (drummer for Level 42) is born in Hong Kong, but raised on England's Isle of Wight.

February 28, 1957 Ian Stanley (original keyboardist for Tears For Fears) is born in High Wycombe, England.

February 25, 1957 Dennis Diken (drummer for The Smithereens) is born in Belleville, New Jersey.

February 13, 1957 Tony Butler (bassist for Big Country) is born in Shepherd's Bush, London, England.

February 6, 1957 Simon Phillips (drummer for Toto) is born in London, England.

January 19, 1957 Mickey Virtue (keyboardist for UB40) is born in Birmingham, England.

January 4, 1957 Patty Loveless is born Patty Lee Ramey in Pikeville, Kentucky. Her professional surname takes inspiration from her former married name, Lovelace.

December 30, 1956 Country singer Suzy Bogguss is born in Aledo, Illinois. She starts her career in 1985 by performing at a Tennessee amusement park called Silver Dollar City, soon-to-be renamed Dollywood.

December 23, 1956 Dave Murray (guitarist for Iron Maiden) is born in Edmonton, London, England.

December 8, 1956 Warren Cuccurullo is born in Brooklyn, New York. He joins Duran Duran in 1985 to replace guitarist Andy Taylor. He learned of the vacancy while working on Taylor's solo album - before the rest of the band had been informed.

December 6, 1956 Guitarist Randy Rhoads is born in Santa Monica, California. An early member of Quiet Riot, he makes his biggest impact as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist, supplying the electrifying riffs on songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley." He dies at 25 in an airplane accident.

December 6, 1956 Peter Buck (lead guitarist for R.E.M.) is born in Berkeley, California. While attending the University of Georgia, he works at Wuxtry Records and meets future bandmate Michael Stipe.

December 1, 1956 Julee Cruise is born in Creston, Iowa. The singer-songwriter writes the iconic theme ("Falling") to the cult TV series Twin Peaks.

November 11, 1956 Ian Craig Marsh (keyboardist for The Human League) is born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.

November 4, 1956 James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitarist for The Pretenders) is born in Hereford, Herefordshire, England.

October 23, 1956 Country singer Dwight Yoakam is born in Pikeville, Kentucky, but is raised in Columbus, Ohio. Aside from chart-topping hits like "Streets of Bakersfield" and "I Sang Dixie," Yoakam is also known for his roles in films like Sling Blade (1996) and Panic Room (2002).

October 2, 1956 Soul singer Freddie Jackson is born in Harlem, New York. Known for the 1985 hit "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)," among others.

September 30, 1956 Singer/songwriter Basia is born Barbara Trzetrzelewska in Jaworzno, Poland. Known for the '80s hits "Time and Tide" and "Cruising for Bruising."

September 22, 1956 Debby Boone is born in Hackensack, New Jersey, to Pat Boone and Shirley Foley Boone (daughter of country singer Red Foley). She is the third of their four children (all girls), and becomes part of their gospel group, The Boone Family. Debby becomes an actress and recording artist like her dad, and scores the biggest hit of 1977 with "You Light Up My Life."

September 19, 1956 Singer/actor Rex Smith is born in Jacksonville, Florida. He makes his Broadway debut in 1978 playing Danny Zuko in Grease, a role John Travolta makes famous in the movie.

September 12, 1956 Barry Andrews (keyboardist for XTC) is born in West Norwood, London, England.

September 10, 1956 Johnnie Fingers (keyboardist for The Boomtown Rats) is born John Peter Moylett in Ireland.

September 7, 1956 Songwriter Diane Warren, whose many hits include Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" and Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time," is born in Van Nuys, California.