Born Today in Music, February 20th

2003
American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. She gained recognition with her lead roles in Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Her debut single the 2021 ’Drivers License’ broke various records and became one of the best-selling songs of the year and her 2021 debut studio album, Sour earned her three Grammy Awards.

1988
Rihanna, is born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Saint Michael, Barbados. At 16, she’s discovered by Evan Rogers of the group Rythm Syndicate. In 2007 she has the world-wide No.1 single ‘Umbrella’ featuring Jay-Z. ‘Umbrella’ became the longest running UK No.1 in the 21st Century. The song debuted at No.1 on the chart based on digital sales alone. Rihanna has sold more than 20 million albums and 60 million singles which makes her one of the best selling artists of all time. She is the youngest solo artist in Billboard charts history to achieve eleven No.1 singles.

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04:15

1985
Volkova Olegovna, singer, with Russian music duo Tatu who had the 2003 UK No.1 single ‘All The Things She Said’ which also topped the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Switzerland and other European countries. The duo represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 with the song ‘Ne Ver’, Ne Boysia’, finishing third.

1981
Edward Lay, drummer, with English rock band The Editors, who had the 2007 UK No.1 album An End Has a Start and earned the band a Brit Awards nomination for best British Band.

1979
Coy Bowles American guitarist with the Grammy Award winning country music group, Zac Brown Band. Their 2015 album Jekyll + Hyde which debuted at No.1 on the US chart featured the single ‘Heavy Is the Head’ with vocals from Chris Cornell.

1977
Edwin Graham, drummer with The Darkness who had the 2003 UK No.2 single ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’, and the 2003 UK No.1 album ‘Permission To Land’. The album was certified quadruple platinum in the United Kingdom, with sales of over 1,300,000 and in 2004 the band won three Brit Awards.

1975
Brian Littrell, singer with Backstreet Boys who had the 1997 US No.2 single ‘Quit Playing Games With My Heart’ and the 1999 UK No.1 single ‘I Want It That Way’.

1972
Neil Primrose, drummer with Scottish rock band Travis. Their 1999 UK album The Man Who spent nine weeks at No.1 on the UK Charts and one-hundred and thirty-four weeks in the top 100 of the chart. Travis had and 1999 UK No.10 single ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me’, plus over 10 other UK Top 40 singles.

1967
Kurt Cobain guitarist, singer, songwriter with Nirvana who had the 1991 hit ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit‘. Their 1991 album ‘Nevermind’ spent over two years on the UK chart. During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction, illness and depression. Cobain committed suicide on April 5th 1994. Cobain has been remembered as one of the most iconic rock musicians in the history of alternative music.

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04:39

1963
Ian Brown, lead singer of the alternative rock band the Stone Roses who had the 1989 UK No.8 single ‘Fool’s Gold’, taken from their 1989 self title album Brown had the the 1998 solo UK No.5 single ‘My Star’. Brown is also known for a cameo role in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

1955
Rock bassist Jon Brant (of Cheap Trick) is born in Chicago, Illinois. Cheap Trick, had the 1979 hit single ‘I Want You To Want Me’, and the 1988 US No.1 single ‘The Flame’.

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03:43

1953
Poison Ivy, (Kristy Wallace), guitar, The Cramps. Wallace was married to Cramps singer Lux Interior who died in Glendale, California on February 4, 2009.

1951
Randy California, guitarist, singer with Spirit, who had the 1969 US No.25 single ‘I Got A Line On You’, and the 1981 UK No.40 album ‘Potato Land’. He died on 2nd January 1997 when rescuing his 12 year-old son after he was sucked into a riptide in surf off Hawaii.

1950
Walter Becker, bass, guitar, vocals, songwriter with American group Steely Dan. Can’t Buy a Thrill, Steely Dan’s debut album, was released in 1972. It’s hit singles ‘Do It Again’ and ‘Reelin’ In the Years’ reached No. 6 and No. 11 respectively on the Billboard singles chart and the songs became staples on progressive radio. Steely Dan’s Two Against Nature won a Grammy in 2001 for Album of the year. Becker has produced records for Rickie Lee Jones, China Crisis and Michael Franks. Becker died on 3 September 2017 aged 67.

1946
J Geils, American guitarist, with The J. Geils Band who had the 1982 US No.1 & UK No.3 single ‘Centerfold’, which was taken from their US No.1 1981 album Freeze Frame. On April 11, 2017, Groton Police conducted a well-being check on Geils and found him unresponsive at his home. He was pronounced dead from natural causes at age 71.

1945
Alan Hull, guitarist, singer, songwriter with English group Lindisfarne who had the 1970s hit singles ‘Meet Me on the Corner’, ‘Lady Eleanor and ‘Run For Home’. Their album Fog on the Tyne became the biggest selling UK album in 1972. Hull also worked as a solo artist. He died of a heart attack on 17 November 1996.

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02:36

1944
Lew Soloff, from jazz-rock American music group Blood Sweat & Tears. They scored the 1969 US No.2 single ‘Spinning Wheel’, and the 1969 US No.12 single ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’. They had a US No.1 with their second album Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968.

1941
Buffy Sainte-Marie, Canadian singer, songwriter who had the 1971 UK No.7 single ‘Soldier Blue’. She wrote ‘Up Where We Belong’ the 1982 US No.1 & UK No.7 for Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.

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