1971 – Tony Rich
Tony Rich, R&B singer-songwriter best known for his 1996 US No.2 hit single ‘Nobody Knows’ under the moniker “The Tony Rich Project”. Rich won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best R&B Album.
1971 – Justin Chancellor
English musician Justin Chancellor from American rock band Tool who had the 2001 US No.1 album Lateralus. He was a member of the band Peach.
1965 – Jason Pierce
Jason Pierce from the English space rock band Spiritualized. They released the critically acclaimed 1997 album Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, which NME magazine named as their Album of the Year.
1965 – Pete Kember
Pete Kember (Sonic Boom), Spacemen 3, 1990 album ‘Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To’.
1960 – Matt Sorum
American drummer and percussionist Matt Sorum, who was a member of The Cult before joining Guns N’ Roses (as Steven Adler’s replacement) and then Slash’s Snakepit and Velvet Revolver.
1954 – Annette Guest
Annette is a member of the AmAmericanirl group First Choice. They had the 1973 UK No.9 single ‘Smarty Pants’ and the US hit ‘Armed and Extremely Dangerous’.
1952 – Bill Sharpe
British musician Bill Sharpe from Shakatak. They had the 1982 UK No.9 single ‘Night Birds’ and the 1984 top 10 hit ‘Down on the Street’.
1946 – Joe Correro
Joe Correro, Paul Revere and the RaRaiders (1971 US No.1 single ‘Indian Reservation’, plus 14 other US Top 30 hit singles).
1943 – Fred Lipsius
Fred Lipsius, piano, sax, from the jazz-rock American band Blood Sweat & Tears. They scored the 1969 US No.2 single ‘Spinning Wheel’, and the 1969 US No.12 single ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’. They had a US No.1 with their second album Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968.
1941 – Eddie Raynor
Eddie Rayner, keyboards, from New Zealand group Split Enz who had the 1980 UK No.12 single ‘I Got You’. Split Enz had ten albums (including seven studio albums) reach the top ten of the Official New Zealand Music Chart.
1939 – Pete Moore
Pete Moore, The MiMiracles1970 UK & US No.1 single with Smokey Robinson, ‘The Tears Of A Clown’).
1938 – Hank Medress
Hank Medress, from American male doo-wop-style vocal group The Tokens who had the 1961 US No.1 & UK No.11 single with its cover of Solomon Linda’s ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. He died of lung cancer on 25th June 2007 aged 68.
1937 – Ray Collins
Ray Collins, vocals, Frank Zappa Band. Collins was the lead singer on the band’s first two albums: Freak Out! (1966), and Absolutely Free (1967). Collins died on 24 December 2012.
1934 – Dave Guard
There are a number of folk singers and songwriters who have gained notoriety over the past few decades, including Dave Guard. Guard was a founding member of the Kingston Trio (1958 US No.1 & UK No.5 hit ‘Tom Dooley’, plus nine other US Top 40 hits). The 56-year-old man died of cancer on March 22, 1991, at the age of 56.
1932 – Harry Robertson
Scottish musician, bandleader Harry Robertson. He was responsible for writing and producing ‘Hoots Mon’ by Lord Rockingham’s XI, which stayed at No.1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in 1958. Lord Rockingham’s XI was a group of British session musicians put together to play as the resident band on the pop TV programme Oh Boy! Shown nationally on ITV in the UK in 1958/59.
1927 – Joe Hunter
Musician and keyboardist Joe Hunter who was a veteran session musician as one of the Funk Brothers who helped craft the distinctive Motown sound. He performed with such legendary Motown acts as Marvin Gaye Smokey Robinson and Martha and the Vandellas. Hunter died on 2 February 2007 in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 79.
