Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

May 9, 1979 Pierre Bouvier (lead singer, guitarist for Simple Plan) is born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

May 9, 1979 Rock singer and party starter Andrew W.K. is born Andrew Wilkes-Krier in Stanford, California. He defines his style and image with songs like "Party Hard," "It's Time To Party" and "Big Party," which he says encourage an active and thoughtful lifestyle. He expounds on the meaning of party culture in interviews, speaking engagements, and even an advice column in The Village Voice.

May 4, 1979 Lance Bass of 'N Sync is born James Lance Bass in Laurel, Mississippi.

April 29, 1979 Matt Tong (drummer for Bloc Party) is born in Bournemouth, England.

April 29, 1979 Pop singer-songwriter Jo O'Meara (of S Club 7) is born in Romford, Greater London, England.

April 22, 1979 Alt-rocker Daniel Johns (frontman for Silverchair) is born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.

April 11, 1979 Rock drummer and vocalist Sebastien Grainger (of Death from Above 1979) is born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

April 10, 1979 Pop singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor is born in Hounslow, London, England.

March 30, 1979 Norah Jones is born Geetali Norah Shankar in New York City. Her father is the Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, but Norah never lives with him. Raised by her mom, the concert promoter Sue Jones, she grows up in Texas before venturing back to New York to pursue music in 1999.

March 22, 1979 Chaka Khan gives birth to her son, Damien Milton Patrick Holland.

March 14, 1979 Jacques Brautbar (guitarist for Phantom Planet) is born in Los Angeles, California.

March 11, 1979 Joel and Benji Madden (Good Charlotte) are born Joel Rueben Combs and Benjamin Levi Combs in Waldorf, Maryland.

March 8, 1979 Tom Chaplin (lead singer of Keane) is born in Hastings, East Sussex, England.

February 11, 1979 Brandy (Brandy Norwood) is born in McComb, Mississippi.

January 21, 1979 Nokio the N-Tity (of the R&B group Dru Hill) is born Tamir Mateen Raheem Hameed Ruffin in Baltimore, Maryland.

January 20, 1979 Linkin Park drummer Rob Bourdon is born in Calabasas, California.

January 10, 1979 Chris Smith, the half of Kris Kross known as "Daddy Mac," is born in Atlanta. The duo has a #1 hit in 1992 with "Jump."

December 30, 1978 R&B singer Tyrese is born Tyrese Darnell Gibson in Watts, Los Angeles, California. He catches his break singing the slogan "Always Coca-Cola" for a 1994 Coke commercial.

December 28, 1978 John Legend is born John Roger Stephens in Springfield, Ohio. He earns credits as a singer and piano player on tracks for Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys and Kanye West before launching his solo career with his 2004 album Get Lifted.

December 2, 1978 Nelly Furtado is born in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to Portuguese parents. Her 2000 debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, includes the hits "Turn Off The Light" and "I'm Like A Bird," but she reaches new heights with her 2006 album Loose, produced by Timbaland. That one includes the #1 hits "Promiscuous" and "Say It Right."

November 30, 1978 Clay Aiken is born Clayton Holmes Grissom in Raleigh, North Carolina. He goes on to place second behind Ruben Studdard on the second season of American Idol.

November 22, 1978 Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is born Karen Orzolek in Busan, South Korea. She's raised in New Jersey when her family moves to America.

November 10, 1978 Rapper Eve is born Eve Jihan Jeffers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

November 9, 1978 Sisqo (lead singer of the R&B quartet Dru Hill) is born Mark Althavean Andrews in Baltimore, Maryland.

October 28, 1978 Justin Guarini, who comes in second to Kelly Clarkson on the first season of American Idol, is born Justin Eldrin Bell in Columbus, Georgia.

October 26, 1978 Mark Barry of BBMak is born in Manchester, England.

October 14, 1978 Usher is born Usher Raymond IV in Dallas, Texas. He relocates to Atlanta and puts out his first album when he's 15. He rules the charts in the '00s with seven #1 hits, including the club banger "Yeah!"

September 27, 1978 3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold is born in Escatawpa, Mississippi. He's 15 when he gets the idea for their hit "Kryptonite." "It's easy to be there for someone when they're down," he says of the song, "but it's not always easy to be there for somebody when they're doing good."

September 12, 1978 Ruben Studdard is born in Frankfurt, Germany, where his father is stationed with the US Army, but grows up in Birmingham, Alabama. He goes on to win Season 2 of American Idol.

September 6, 1978 Rapper Foxy Brown is born Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand in New York City, New York.