1985 – Newton Faulkner
Newton Faulkner, UK singer, songwriter, (2007 UK No.1 album ‘Hand Built By Robots’, 2007 UK Top 10 single ‘Dream Catch Me’).
1981 – Thomas Meighan
Thomas Meighan, lead singer, Kasabian, (2005 UK No.8 single ‘Cutt Off’, 2006 UK No.1 album ‘Empire’). Kasabian won a Brit Award in 2010 for Best British Group.
1981 – Jamelia
Jamelia, UK R&B singer, (2003, UK No.4 album ‘Thank You’).
1971 – Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige, American R&B soul singer, songwriter, actress. (1997 US No.1 album, ‘Share My World’, 1999 UK No.4 single’ ‘As’, 2001 US No.1 single, ‘Family Affair’, 2006 US No.1 album ‘The Breakthrough’). Blige has sold over 60 million records world-wide and is known as the ‘Queen of hip-hop soul.’
1971 – Tom Rowlands
Tom Rowlands, from English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers who had the 1996 UK No.1 single ‘Setting Sun’, and the 2007 UK No.1 album We Are The Night.
1968 – Tom Dumont
Tom Dumont, No Doubt, (1997 UK No.1 single ‘Don’t Speak’).
1958 – Vicki Peterson
Vicki Peterson, guitar, vocals, The Bangles, (1986 UK No.2 single with the Prince song ‘Manic Monday’, 1986 US No.1 single ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’).
1956 – Big Bank Hank
Big Bank Hank (Henry Lee Jackson), rapper from The Sugarhill Gang who were the first hip hop act to have a hit with the cross-over single ‘Rapper’s Delight’ in the pop charts in 1979. He died on Nov 11th 2014 aged 58 from kidney complications due to cancer.
1952 – Lee Ritenour
Lee Ritenour, American jazz guitarist. When he was 16 he played on his first recording session with the Mamas & the Papas. In 1979, he “was brought in to beef up” one of Pink Floyd’s The Wall’s heaviest rock numbers, ‘Run Like Hell’. He has worked with many artists including: Carly Simon, Art Garfunkel, Glen Campbell and Roberta Flack.
1951 – Charlie Huhn
American rock singer and guitarist Charlie Huhn. He has worked with many artists including, Ted Nugent, Gary Moore, Trevor Rabin, Humble Pie and Foghat.
1949 – Daryl Braithwaite
Australian singer Daryl Braithwaite, lead vocalist of Sherbet who scored 15 singles in the Australian top 40, including two No.1 hits. ‘Howzat (1976) was also a top 5 UK hit.
1949 – Frederick Dennis Greene
Frederick Dennis Greene, who was a member of Sha Na Na, the US rock ‘n’ roll group. Sha Na Na hosted the Sha Na Na syndicated variety series that ran from 1977 to 1981.
1948 – Terry Williams
Welsh rock drummer Terry Williams, who has worked with Dire Straits, Dave Edmunds’ band Love Sculpture, Graham Parker, Man, Nick Lowe, The Everly Brothers, Tina Turner and others.
1946 – Naomi Judd
American country music singer Naomi Judd. With her daughter, Wynonna Judd, she formed the highly successful singing duo known as the Judds. They scored twenty top-10 country hits (including fifteen at No.1) and went undefeated for eight consecutive years at all three major country music awards shows. In addition, the duo won five Grammy Awards. She died on 30 April 2022 age 76.
1946 – Tony Kaye
English keyboardist, songwriter, producer and manager Tony Kaye. He was a founding member of the rock band Yes and later played in Badfinger.
1942 – Clarence Clemons
Clarence Clemons, also known as The Big Man, saxophonist with E Street Band, (1987 UK No.16 single Born To Run). He released several solo albums and in 1985, had a hit single with “You’re a Friend of Mine,” a duet with Jackson Browne and as an actor Clemons featured in several films, including New York, New York and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Clemons died from complications caused by a stroke on June 18, 2011.
1933 – Goldie Hill
American country music singer Goldie Hill. She became one of the first women to reach the top of the country music charts with her 1953 No.1 hit, ‘I Let the Stars Get In My Eyes’. Along with Kitty Wells, she helped set the standard for later women in country music. Hill died from complications of cancer on 24 Feb 2005.
1924 – Slim Harpo
American blues musician Slim Harpo. His most successful and influential recordings included ‘I’m a King Bee’ (1957), ‘Rainin’ In My Heart’ (1961), and ‘Baby Scratch My Back’ (1966). A master of the blues harmonica, his stage name was derived from the popular nickname for that instrument, the “harp”. He died of a heart attack on 31 January 1970 aged 46.
1895 – Laurens Hammond
Laurens Hammond, inventor of the Hammond organ. The sound of the Hammond was used by many rock artists including; Procol Harum, Keith Emerson, Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers Band and the Faces. Hammond died on 3rd July 1973.
