January 28, 1953 Derek Bentley is hanged for the murder of Police Constable Sidney Miles, who on November 2, 1952, was shot dead on a Croydon rooftop by 16-year-old Christopher Craig. Christopher Craig, too young to be executed, was paroled in 1963. The murder and trial later become the topic of the Ewan MacColl song "Ballad Of Derek Bentley."
January 19, 1953 Desi Arnaz Jr. is born to Hollywood powercouple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, stars of the wildly popular sitcom I Love Lucy. The birth is a pop culture milestone as the couple's fictional counterparts, Lucy and Ricky, welcome "Little Ricky" at the same time (a smart, but controversial, decision to write Ball's pregnancy into the show). Shortly after, Desi Jr. appears on the very first cover of TV Guide. He goes on to form a band with Dean Martin's son Dean Paul and schoolmate Billy Hinsche (Dino, Desi & Billy).
January 18, 1953 Brett Hudson is born in Portland, Oregon, the youngest in The Hudson Brothers lineup.
January 10, 1953 Pat Benatar is born Patricia Andrzejewski in Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York. Classically trained as a vocalist, she uses her exceptional range to soar into the choruses of hits like "Love Is A Battlefield" and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." A fixture on MTV, she becomes one of the biggest stars of the '80s.
December 31, 1952 When his original guitarist has a stroke just before a New Year's Eve gig, popular St. Louis boogie-woogie pianist Johnnie Johnson hires a 26-year-old hairdresser named Chuck Berry for his group The Sir John's Trio.
October 21, 1952 Brent Mydland (fourth keyboardist for Grateful Dead) is born in Munich, Germany. He is raised in San Francisco, and Antioch, California.
September 19, 1952 Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers is born in New York City. His sophisticated disco group transforms the genre in the '70s with hits like "Le Freak," "Good Times" and "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)." Rodgers becomes a legendary producer for the likes of Diana Ross (Diana), David Bowie (Let's Dance), Daft Punk (Random Access Memories), and Madonna (Like A Virgin).
September 9, 1952 Dave Stewart, who forms Eurythmics with Annie Lennox in 1980, is born in Sunderland, England. A relentless collaborator, he co-writes songs for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers ("Don't Come Around Here No More"), Celine Dion ("Taking Chances"), Mick Jagger ("Old Habits Die Hard") and many others.
August 13, 1952 Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton records the original version of "Hound Dog," later popularized by Elvis Presley.
July 12, 1952 Philip Taylor Kramer (bass guitarist for Iron Butterfly) is born in Youngstown, Ohio.
July 2, 1952 Johnny Colla, who plays guitar and saxophone for Huey Lewis & the News and also assists with songwriting, is born in Sacramento, California.
July 1, 1952 Dan Aykroyd is born in Ottawa. What's he doing on a music history calendar? He formed The Blues Brothers with John Belushi and also appeared on "We Are The World."
June 21, 1952 Marcy Levy is born in Detrot. She co-writes and sings on Eric Clapton's "Lay Down Sally," and using the name Marcella Detroit, forms the duo Shakespears Sister with Siobhan Fahey (ex-Bananarama). Levy's year of birth is often incorrectly listed as 1959.
April 28, 1952 Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth is born in Rochester, New York. She is raised in Los Angeles, California.
April 11, 1952 Singin' In The Rain, starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and newcomer Debbie Reynolds, is released in the US, but barely makes a splash.More
March 21, 1952 Cleveland stakes a claim on rock history when the Moondog Coronation Ball is held at the Cleveland Arena. Organized by the WJW DJ Alan Freed ("Moondog" on the air), it is widely considered the first rock concert. It may also be one of the shortest, as it is shut down after one song.More
February 18, 1952 Pop/country singer Juice Newton is born Judy Kay Newton in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
February 12, 1952 Michael McDonald is born outside of St. Louis. As a solo artist, his hits include "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" and "Sweet Freedom," but his voice is also heard on songs he records as a member of The Doobie Brothers and a frequent collaborator with Steely Dan, as well as hundreds of other recordings as a backup singer.
February 4, 1952 Jerry Shirley (drummer for Humble Pie) is born in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, England.
December 31, 1951 Fermin Goytisolo (percussionist for KC and the Sunshine Band) is born in Cuba.
December 10, 1951 Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is born Juan Raul Davis Rodriguez in Sabinal, Texas. Among other hits, reached #5 on the country charts with a cover of the Eagles' "Desperado."
December 4, 1951 Gary Rossington is born in Jacksonville, Florida. He becomes a founding member and guitarist of both Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Rossington-Collins Band. Rossington is inducted into the Rock and Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
November 14, 1951 Alec John Such, Bon Jovi's bass player from their founding in 1983 until his departure in 1994, is born in Yonkers, New York.
November 12, 1951 The musical Paint Your Wagon opens at the Shubert Theater, New York City. In 1969, it's turned into a movie musical starring Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin.
November 1, 1951 Ronald Bell, the musical director for Kool & the Gang who plays a variety of instruments in the group, is born in Youngstown, Ohio. He forms the band with his older brother, Robert "Kool" Bell.
October 26, 1951 Bass player Bootsy Collins is born William Earl Collins in Cincinnati, Ohio. He rises to prominence as a member of James Brown's backing band from 1969-1971, then joins Parliament-Funkadelic, where he writes songs with George Clinton and comes up with otherworldly bass grooves that forge the sound of funk.
October 7, 1951 John Mellencamp is born in Seymour, Indiana. He has Spina bifida, but survives thanks to an experimental surgery performed at Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis.More
October 2, 1951 Sting is born Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner in Wallsend, Northumberland, England. He earns his nickname when a fellow musician says he looks like a bee in his yellow-and-black striped sweater. He is working as a schoolteacher when his band The Police hit the big time.More
September 22, 1951 David Coverdale is born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Redcar and Cleveland, England. After fronting Deep Purple from 1973-1976, he forms his own band, Whitesnake, in 1978.
September 20, 1951 Frank Capra's musical comedy Here Comes the Groom, starring Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman, debuts in theaters. It features the comedic number "In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening," which goes on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
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