Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

February 21, 1951 Vince Welnick (keyboardist for The Tubes, Grateful Dead) is born in Phoenix, Arizona.

February 20, 1951 Randy California of the band Spirit is born in Los Angeles. Born Randy Craig Wolfe, he writes and performs the guitar instrumental "Taurus," which becomes the subject of a lawsuit claiming Led Zeppelin incorporated it into the intro of "Stairway To Heaven."

February 20, 1951 Kathie Baillie, lead singer and guitarist of the country band Baillie & the Boys, is born in Morristown, New Jersey.

February 15, 1951 Melissa Manchester is born in the Bronx, New York.

February 14, 1951 Simple Minds drummer Kenny Hyslop is born in Helensburgh, Scotland.

February 13, 1951 Singer/actor David Naughton is born in West Hartford, Connecticut.

February 9, 1951 Dennis "DT" Thomas (alto saxophonist Kool & the Gang) is born in Jersey City, New Jersey.

February 4, 1951 Phil Ehart (drummer for Kansas) is born in Coffeyville, Kansas.

February 1, 1951 Rich Williams (guitarist for Kansas) is born in Topeka, Kansas.

February 1, 1951 Fran Christina (drummer for The Fabulous Thunderbirds) is born in Texas.

January 31, 1951 Harry Wayne Casey, founder of KC and the Sunshine Band, is born in Opa-locka, Florida. He leads the way into the disco era, first by writing and producing the 1974 George McCrae hit "Rock Your Baby," and then with a string of KC hits, including "Get Down Tonight" and "I'm Your Boogie Man."

January 31, 1951 Phil Manzanera (lead guitarist of Roxy Music) is born Philip Geoffrey Targett-Adams in London, England.

January 30, 1951 Phil Collins is born in Chiswick, London, England. Before embarking on a solo career in 1980, he is the drummer and lead singer for Genesis.

January 30, 1951 Marv Ross (guitarist for Quarterflash) is born in Oregon.

January 27, 1951 Brian Downey (Thin Lizzy drummer) is born in Dublin, Ireland.

January 27, 1951 Seth Justman (The J. Geils Band keyboardist) is born in Washington, D.C.

January 26, 1951 David Briggs, who replaces Ric Formosa as lead guitarist for Little River Band, is born in Melbourne, Australia.

January 26, 1951 Big Star bass player Andy Hummel is born to former Miss America (1947) Barbara Walker Hummel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He is raised in Memphis, Tennessee.

January 19, 1951 Martha Davis (lead singer of The Motels) is born in California.

January 12, 1951 Big Star guitarist Chris Bell is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

January 9, 1951 Crystal Gayle ("Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue") is born in Paintsville, Kentucky. She's the younger sister of country singer Loretta Lynn.

January 6, 1951 Blues singer Kim Wilson (of Fabulous Thunderbirds) is born in Detroit, Michigan, but will be raised in Goleta, California.

December 28, 1950 Alex Chilton of The Box Tops and Big Star is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

December 27, 1950 Terry Bozzio (drummer for Missing Persons, Captain Beefheart) is born in San Francisco, California.

December 17, 1950 Carlton "Carlie" Barrett (drummer for The Wailers) is born in Kingston, Jamaica.

December 9, 1950 Joan Armatrading is born in Basseterre, Saint Kitts. Her family moves to England when she is 7, and raises her in Birmingham.

December 8, 1950 Dan Hartman is born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The "I Can Dream About You" singer also pens hits for other artists, including "Free Ride" for Edgar Winter Group and "Living In America" for James Brown.

December 2, 1950 Country singer John Wesley Ryles is born in Bastrop, Louisiana. He makes his debut with the 1968 hit single "Kay."

November 22, 1950 Little Steven Van Zandt (guitarist/mandolinist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band) is born in Boston, Massachusetts.

November 22, 1950 Tina Weymouth (bass guitarist for Talking Heads) is born Martina Michele Weymouth in Coronado, California.