Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

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.

September 2, 1956 Fritz McIntyre (keyboardist for Simply Red) is born in Birmingham, England.

August 27, 1956 Glen Matlock (original bass guitarist for The Sex Pistols) is born in Paddington, London, England.

August 14, 1956 Sharon Bryant (of Atlantic Starr) is born in Westchester County, New York.

August 8, 1956 Alister "Ali" Score (drummer for A Flock Of Seagulls) is born in Beverley, Yorkshire, England.

July 20, 1956 Paul Cook (drummer for The Sex Pistols) is born in Hammersmith, London.

July 15, 1956 Marky Ramone (drummer for The Ramones) is born Marc Steven Bell in Brooklyn, New York.

July 15, 1956 Joe Satriani is born in Westbury, New York.

July 12, 1956 Christian singer Sandi Patti is born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

June 30, 1956 Philip Adrian Wright (first Director of Visuals, then keyboardist for The Human League) is born in Wakefield, England.

June 22, 1956 Derek Forbes (former bass guitarist for Simple Minds) is born in Glasgow, Scotland.

June 15, 1956 Bernie Shaw (lead vocalist for Uriah Heep) is born in Victoria, British Columbia.

June 5, 1956 Richard Butler (lead singer of The Psychedelic Furs) is born in Kingston upon Thames, London, England.

June 5, 1956 Saxophone player Kenny G is born Kenneth Gorelick in Seattle, Washington. His instrumental hits "Songbird" and "Silhouette" usher in a new radio format in the '80s: Smooth Jazz. With at least 50 million albums sold, he lays claim to the title of best-selling instrumentalist in history.

June 3, 1956 Danny Wilde (of The Rembrandts) is born Daniel Thomas in Houlton, Maine.

May 24, 1956 Larry Blackmon (frontman for Cameo) is born in New York City.

May 7, 1956 Anne Dudley (of The Art of Noise) is born in Beckenham, Kent, England.

April 28, 1956 Rock singer-songwriter Jimmy Barnes, who performs with Cold Chisel and INXS, is born James Dixon Swan in Glasgow, Scotland.

April 12, 1956 German musician Herbert Grönemeyer, who also starred in the 1981 war film Das Boot, is born in Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany.

March 12, 1956 Steve Harris is born in London, England. After giving up dreams of playing pro soccer, he forms Iron Maiden, becoming the group's bass player and a primary songwriter.

March 5, 1956 Teena Marie is born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica, California.

March 2, 1956 Mark Evans (bassist for AC/DC) is born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, where he meets his future bandmates at the city's Station Hotel in 1975.