Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

February 14, 1944 Denny Zager (of Zager & Evans) is born in Wymore, Nebraska.

February 13, 1944 Rebop Kwaku Baah (percussionist for Traffic, Wings) is born in Konongo, Ghana.

February 13, 1944 Broadway/film actress Stockard Channing, who plays Betty Rizzo in Grease (1978), is born Susan Antonia Williams Stockard in New York City.

February 12, 1944 Country singer Moe Bandy is born in Meridian, Mississippi.

February 5, 1944 J.R. Cobb (guitarist for Classics IV, Atlanta Rhythm Section) is born in Birmingham, Alabama.

February 5, 1944 Al Kooper (of The Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears) is born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt in Brooklyn, New York.

February 4, 1944 Florence LaRue (of The 5th Dimension) is born in Plainfield, New Jersey, but grows up in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

February 1, 1944 Tommy Duffy (bass guitarist for Lindisfarne) is born in England.

January 31, 1944 Electric blues harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite is born in Kosciusko, Mississippi.

January 27, 1944 Rocker Kevin Coyne is born in Derby, England.

January 27, 1944 Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is born in Birmingham, England.

January 21, 1944 Chris Britton (lead guitarist for The Troggs) is born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.

January 19, 1944 Shelley Fabares is born in Santa Monica, California. She becomes famous as daughter Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show, on which she performs the hit song "Johnny Angel."

January 19, 1944 Laurie London, known for the 1958 hit single "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," is born in Bethnal Green, East London, England.

January 18, 1944 "Legs" Larry Smith (drummer for Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) is born in Oxford, England.

January 17, 1944 French singer-songwriter Françoise Hardy is born in Paris.

January 16, 1944 Country pop singer Jim Stafford is born in Winter Haven, Florida. His first charting hit is "Swamp Witch" in 1973.

January 12, 1944 Cynthia Robinson of Sly & the Family Stone is born in Sacramento, California.

January 10, 1944 Frank Sinatra Jr. is born Francis Wayne Emmanuel Sinatra to legendary crooner Frank Sinatra and first wife, Nancy Barbato Sinatra, in Jersey City, New Jersey. The name Emmanuel is an homage to Frank Sr.'s friend Manie Sacks, then head of Columbia Records.

January 7, 1944 Michael McCartney is born in Liverpool, England. As "Mike McGear," he forms a band called The Scaffold, but he's best known as the younger brother of Paul McCartney.

December 31, 1943 John Denver is born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. in Roswell, New Mexico.

December 31, 1943 Pete Quaife (original bass guitarist for The Kinks) is born Peter Alexander Greenlaw Quaife in Tavistock, Devon, England.

December 29, 1943 Rick Danko (bassist for The Band) is born in Blayney, Ontario, Canada. He drops out of school at age 14 to become a musician.

December 27, 1943 Peter Sinfield (keyboardist, lyricist for King Crimson) is born in Fulham, London, England.

December 25, 1943 Guitarist Trevor Lucas (of Fairport Convention) is born in Bungaree, Victoria, Australia. He learns to play the guitar to help with his dyslexia.

December 23, 1943 Harry Shearer (aka Derek Smalls of Spinal Tap) is born in Los Angeles, California. Shearer is also known for voicing a number of characters on The Simpsons, including Principal Skinner and Ned Flanders.

December 21, 1943 Guitarist Albert Lee is born in Lingen, Herefordshire, England. Worked with Jon Lord and Eric Clapton, among others.

December 21, 1943 Gwen McCrae, known for the 1975 hit "Rockin' Chair," is born in Pensacola, Florida.

December 14, 1943 Frank Allen (bass guitarist for The Searchers) is born Francis Renaud McNeice in Hayes, Middlesex, England.

December 12, 1943 Dickey Betts, a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, is born Forrest Richard Betts in West Palm Beach, Florida. The lead guitarist in the band for most of their run, he's also a key songwriter, writing and singing lead on their biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man."