Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

November 16, 1938 Troy Seals (guitarist for James Brown) is born in Bighill, Kentucky. Also a country songwriter, his compositions will be recorded by Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, and Randy Travis. He is the older brother of Jim Seals of the soft-rock duo Seals & Crofts.

November 11, 1938 Roger Lavern (keyboardist for The Tornados) is born in Kidderminster, England.

November 7, 1938 Soul singer Dee Clark, known for the 1961 hit "Raindrops," is born in Blytheville, Arkansas.

November 6, 1938 PJ Proby is born James Marcus Smith in Houston, Texas.

November 4, 1938 R&B singer Harry Elston (of Friends Of Distinction) is born in Dallas, Texas.

November 2, 1938 Jay Black (lead singer of Jay & the Americans) is born David Blatt in New York City, where he'll grow up in the Boro Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.

November 1, 1938 Jazz saxophonist Mike Burney (of Wizzard) is born in Great Barr, Birmingham, England.

October 18, 1938 R&B singer Ronnie Bright (of The Coasters) is born in New York.

October 16, 1938 Rock singer/songwriter Nico is born Christa Päffgen in Cologne, Germany.

October 15, 1938 R&B singer Marv Johnson is born in Detroit, Michigan. His song "Come to Me" was the first record on the Tamla label, which would later become Motown.

October 14, 1938 Country singer Melba Montgomery is born Iron City, Tennessee, but would be raised in Florence, Alabama. Known for her duets with George Jones and her 1974 solo hit, "No Charge."

October 5, 1938 Doo-wop/rock singer Carlo Mastrangelo (of Dion & The Belmonts and Pulse) is born in the Bronx, New York.

October 5, 1938 Country singer Johnny Duncan is born in Dublin, Texas. Known for the '70s hits "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous" and "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better," among others.

October 3, 1938 Rockabilly singer Eddie Cochran is born in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

September 28, 1938 Ben E. King, who does time in The Drifters before scoring a solo hit with "Stand By Me, is born in Henderson, North Carolina.

September 12, 1938 Soul/gospel singer Judy Clay is born Judith Grace Guions in St. Pauls, North Carolina.

August 24, 1938 Mason Williams is born in Abilene, Texas. Aside from becoming a comedy writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and Saturday Night Live, he also works as a guitarist and composer.

August 24, 1938 David Freiberg (vocalist and multi-instrumentalist for Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane) is born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

August 22, 1938 Rock singer/guitarist Dale Hawkins is born in Gold Mine, Louisiana.

August 21, 1938 Kenny Rogers is born in Houston, Texas. His most famous song, "The Gambler," is released when he is 40.

August 21, 1938 Singer-songwriter Ernie Maresca, who penned several Dion hits, is born in The Bronx, New York City.

August 16, 1938 R&B/Pop singer and actress Ketty Lester is born Revoyda Frierson in Hope, Arkansas. Known for her 1962 hit "Love Letters."

August 13, 1938 Pop/R&B musician Dave "Baby" Cortez is born David Cortez Clowney in Detroit, Michigan.

August 8, 1938 Actress/singer Connie Stevens is born in Brooklyn, New York. Had a #3 hit with "Sixteen Reasons" in 1960.

July 28, 1938 Guitarist/songwriter George Cummings (of Dr. Hook) is born in Meridian, Mississippi.

July 26, 1938 Bobby Hebb, who had a hit with "Sunny" in 1966, is born in Nashville, Tennessee.

July 18, 1938 Ian Stewart, an original member of The Rolling Stones who becomes an unofficial member in 1963, is born in Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland.

July 16, 1938 Tony Jackson (bass guitarist for The Searchers) is born in Dingle, Liverpool, England.

July 5, 1938 Thomas "Snuff" Garrett, a record producer known for his work with Bobby Vee, Del Shannon, Sonny Curtis, and Sonny & Cher, is born in Dallas, Texas.

July 4, 1938 Bill Withers is born in Slab Fork, West Virginia.