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Music History Events: Births

June 29, 1935 Leonard Lee (of Shirley & Lee) is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

May 27, 1935 Jazz composer/pianist Ramsey Lewis, who will have hit instrumental versions of "Hang On Sloopy" and "The In Crowd" with his Ramsey Lewis Trio, is born in Chicago, Illinois.

May 13, 1935 Pop songwriter Teddy Randazzo is born in Brooklyn, New York. Known for '60s hits "Pretty Blue Eyes," "Goin' Out Of My Head," and "Hurt So Bad," among others.

May 11, 1935 Kit Lambert, manager of The Who and co-founder of Track Records, is born Christopher Sebastian Lambert in Middlesex, England.

May 10, 1935 Larry Williams, '50s rock and roll singer known for hits like "Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

May 9, 1935 Nokie Edwards, guitarist for The Ventures, is born Nole Floyd Edwards in Lahoma, Oklahoma.

April 18, 1935 Record producer Paul Rothchild (The Doors, Janis Joplin) is born in Brooklyn, New York.

April 16, 1935 Bobby Vinton is born Stanley Robert Vintula in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

April 11, 1935 Doo-wop singer Richard Berry, composer and original performer of "Louie Louie," is born in Extension, Louisiana.

April 7, 1935 Country singer-songwriter Bobby Bare is born in Ironton, Ohio.

March 31, 1935 Trumpet player Herb Alpert is born in Los Angeles, California. After defining the "Tijuana sound" on his 1962 song "The Lonely Bull," he becomes one of the top-selling album artists of the '60s, behind only Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Frank Sinatra. He's also a label boss, with A&M Records (his partnership with Jerry Moss) home to Cat Stevens, Styx, the Carpenters and many other top acts.

March 17, 1935 Pop singer/drummer Adam Wade is born Patrick Henry Wade in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Known for "Take Good Care Of Her" (1961), among other hits.

March 6, 1935 Sylvia Vanderpool of the duo Mickey & Sylvia is born in New York City. As Sylvia Robinson, she forms Sugarhill Records and assembles the Sugarhill Gang of "Rapper's Delight" fame.

February 19, 1935 Bob Engemann of The Lettermen is born in Highland Park, Michigan.

February 17, 1935 Country singer Johnny Bush is born in Houston, Texas. He writes "Whiskey River," which becomes a signature tune for Willie Nelson.

February 12, 1935 Gene McDaniels is born in Kansas City, Kansas, but grows up in Omaha, Nebraska. Wrote Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Makin' Love."

February 11, 1935 Gene Vincent is born Vincent Eugene Craddock in Norfolk, Virginia.

February 5, 1935 Alex Harvey (of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band) is born in Glasgow, Scotland.

February 3, 1935 Blues rocker Johnny "Guitar" Watson is born in Houston, Texas.

January 20, 1935 Country singer Buddy Blake Cunningham, known for the 1950s songs "Please Convince Me" and "Right Or Wrong," is born in Jackson, Mississippi.

January 10, 1935 Ronnie Hawkins, whose group The Hawks is a precursor to The Band, is born in Huntsville, Arkansas.

January 6, 1935 Nino Tempo is born Antonino LoTempio in Niagara Falls, New York. In 1963, he scores a #1 hit on the pop charts with "Deep Purple," a duet with his sister, April Stevens.

December 30, 1934 Del Shannon of "Runaway" fame is born Charles Weedon Westover in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

December 25, 1934 R&B singer McKinley Mitchell, known for the 1962 hit "The Town I Live In," is born in Jackson, Mississippi.

December 15, 1934 Opera singer Raina Kabaivanska is born in Burgas, Bulgaria.

December 11, 1934 Bass baritone singer Curtis Williams (of The Penguins) is born in Los Angeles, California.

December 9, 1934 Bluesman Junior Wells is born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr. He is raised in West Memphis, Arkansas (where he may have also been born). He learns harmonica from his cousin, Junior Parker.

December 1, 1934 Soul singer Billy Paul ("Me And Mrs. Jones") is born in Philadelphia.

November 27, 1934 Al Jackson (of Booker T. & the MG's) is born in Memphis, Tennessee.

October 31, 1934 Rockabilly musician Ray Smith, known for the 1960 hit "Rockin' Little Angel," is born in Melber, Kentucky.