Pick a Day

Born on October 26

1978 Mark Barry of BBMak is born in Manchester, England.

1967 Keith Urban is born in Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand, but moves with his family to Queensland, Australia when he's 2. He conquers America in the '00s with a string of hits that includes "Somebody Like You" and "You'll Think Of Me." In 2012 he's inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

1963 Natalie Merchant (lead singer of 10,000 Maniacs) is born in Jamestown, New York.

1953 Keith Strickland of The B-52s is born in Athens, Georgia. He starts as the band's drummer but moves to guitar after Ricky Wilson dies of AIDS in 1985.

1952 David Was (of Was (Not Was)) is born David Weiss in Detroit, Michigan.

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.

1946 Keith Hopwood (rhythm guitarist for Herman's Hermits) is born in Manchester, England.

1944 Michael Piano (of The Sandpipers) is born in Rochester, New York.

1929 Neal Matthews Jr. (of The Jordanaires, backing vocalists for Elvis Presley) is born in Nashville, Tennessee.

1913 Jazz saxophonist Charlie Barnet is born in New York City. Known for a hit rendition of "Cherokee" and the 1944 swing hit "Skyliner."

1911 Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1685 Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti is born in Naples, Italy.