Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

January 12, 1970 Zack de la Rocha, the lead singer and lyricist of Rage Against The Machine, is born in Long Beach, California. He uses his platform to draw attention to causes like the military-industrial complex ("Bulls On Parade") and police brutality ("Killing In The Name") while pushing musical boundaries by merging rock with rap.

December 30, 1969 Jay Kay (lead singer of Jamiroquai) is born Jason Luis Cheetham in Wangford, Suffolk, England.

December 26, 1969 Peter Klett (lead guitarist for Candlebox) is born in Bellevue, Washington.

November 19, 1969 Travis McNabb (drummer for Better Than Ezra) is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

November 18, 1969 Duncan Sheik is born in Montclair, New Jersey.

November 16, 1969 Bryan Abrams (of Color Me Badd) is born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

November 9, 1969 Sandra Denton (aka Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa) is born in Kingston, Jamaica. She spends her childhood in Queens, New York, and Logan, Utah.

November 4, 1969 Sean Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, and Diddy, is born in Harlem, New York City. With his Bad Boy Records, he launches the careers of The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans, and helps bring hip-hop into the mainstream with the 1997 hits "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "I'll Be Missing You."

November 2, 1969 Korn bass player Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu is born in Los Angeles, California. His nickname comes from his resemblance to the cartoon cat Garfield.

October 29, 1969 Douglas "SA" Vincent Martinez (vocalist, DJ for 311) is born in Omaha, Nebraska.

October 21, 1969 R&B singer Garfield Bright (of Shai) is born in Nashville, Tennessee. Known for the 1992 hit "If I Ever Fall In Love."

October 17, 1969 Wyclef Jean of Fugees is born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. When he is 9, his family moves to Brooklyn, New York, where he is raised.

October 16, 1969 Brian Wilson's wife Marilyn gives birth to their second child, Wendy. Along with Chynna Phillips and her older sister Carnie, she forms the group Wilson Phillips.

October 12, 1969 Martie Maguire of The Chicks is born Martha Elenor Erwin in York, Pennsylvania.

October 9, 1969 PJ Harvey is born Polly Jean Harvey in Bridport, Dorset, England.

October 7, 1969 Leeroy Thornhill (of The Prodigy) is born in Barking, East London, England.

October 3, 1969 Gwen Stefani is born in Fullerton, California. In 1987 she becomes lead singer of No Doubt, a band formed by her brother Eric. She releases her first solo album in 2004 and in 2014 becomes a coach on The Voice.

September 15, 1969 DJ Kay Gee (of Naughty by Nature) is born Keir Gist in East Orange, New Jersey.

September 6, 1969 Dance-pop artist CeCe Peniston is born Cecilia Veronica Peniston in Dayton, Ohio, but would be raised in Phoenix, Arizona. Known for the 1991 hit "Finally."

September 6, 1969 R&B singer Macy Gray is born Natalie Renée McIntyre in Canton, Ohio.

September 5, 1969 Rock guitarist Dweezil Zappa is born Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa in Los Angeles, California, to singer/songwriter Frank Zappa and his wife, Gail.

September 2, 1969 R&B singer K-Ci Hailey (of Jodeci) is born in Monroe, North Carolina.

August 31, 1969 Acoustic rocker Jeff Russo (of Tonic) is born. Composer for the FX series Fargo.

August 29, 1969 Singer/bassist Me'Shell NdegéOcello is born Michelle Lynn Johnson in Berlin, Germany. She is raised in Washington, DC.

August 28, 1969 Paul and Linda McCartney have their first child: a daughter named Mary, named after Paul's mother.

August 26, 1969 No Doubt drummer Adrian Young is born in Long Beach, California.

August 18, 1969 Rapper Everlast is born Erik Francis Schrody in Valley Stream, New York.

August 17, 1969 Singer/actor Donnie Wahlberg (of New Kids on the Block) is born in Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts.

August 17, 1969 Rapper Kelvin Mercer (of De La Soul) is born in The Bronx, New York.

August 12, 1969 Singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram is born in Munster, West Germany.