Born today in music, December 21st

1974
Erika María Ender Simoes, more commonly known by her stage name Erika Ender, a Panamanian singer, songwriter and actress. Along with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, she is the co-author of the 2017 worldwide hit ‘Despacito’.

1971
Fuel frontman Brett Scallions is born in Brownsville, Tennessee.

1966
Gabrielle Glaser, US singer, Luscious Jackson, (1997 UK No.25 single ‘Naked Eye’).

1964
Emmett Murphy, Dinosaur Jr, (1993 UK No.20 single ‘Start Choppin’).

1964
Patrick Murphy, from American alternative rock band The Lemonheads. A cover of Simon And Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs. Robinson’, became one of the band’s most successful single in the early 90s.

1956
Lee Roy Parnell is born in Abilene, Texas. The singer/slide guitarist combines country and blues to yield a soulful series of recordings in the 1990s, including “Love Without Mercy,” “On The Road” and “What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am”.

1953
Betty Wright, US singer, (1971 US No. 6 single ‘Clean Up Woman’, 1975 UK No. 27 single ‘Shoorah! Shoorah!).

1951
Nick Gilder, singer, Sweeney Todd, solo, (1978 US No.1 single ‘Hot Child In The City’).

1947
Paco de Lucía, Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer and producer. His collaborations with guitarists John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Larry Coryell in the late 1970s saw him gain wider popularity outside his native Spain and collaborated with jazz pianist Chick Corea on their 1990 album, Zyryab. Lucía died on 25th Feb 2014.

1946
Carl Wilson, American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. He performed lead vocals on several of their hits, including ‘God Only Knows’ (1966) and ‘Good Vibrations’ (1966). Wilson died on 6th February 1998 after a long battle with lung cancer.

1943
Albert Lee, UK country guitarist. Worked with Emmylou Harris Hot Band, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker. One time member of Heads Hands And Feet.

1943
Gwen McCrae, known for the 1975 hit “Rockin’ Chair,” is born in Pensacola, Florida.

1940
Frank Zappa multi instrumentalist, producer and composer. Recorded with The Mothers Of Invention and solo, 1969 album ‘Hot Rats’, 1974 album ‘Apostrophe’, featuring ‘Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow’. First band was The Blackouts, recorded one of the first concept albums ‘Freak Out’. Zappa died of prostate cancer on 4th December 1993.

1940
Ray Hilderbrand, from American pop singing duo Paul and Paula, who had the 1963 US No.1 & UK No.8 single, ‘Hey Paula’.

1937
Drummer Jimmy Van Eaton is born in Memphis, Tennessee. He plays on Sun Records singles by Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, Billy Lee Riley and Jerry Lee Lewis, including “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On”

1929
American rhythm and blues singer Singin’ Sammy Ward who recorded for Motown Records and had a R&B chart hit with ‘Who’s The Fool’, written by Smokey Robinson in 1961. He was rediscovered by British Northern soul fans, and by record producer Ian Levine, who recorded several sessions with him, starting in 1989, for his Motorcity label. He died on November 20, 1996.

1926
Freddie Hart, country musician and songwriter is born in Lochapoka, Alabama. A songwriter who pens hits for Porter Wagoner, Carl Smith and George Jones, he earns his largest acclaim as an artist with “Easy Loving,” the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year in 1971 and ’72.

1918
Drummer Panama Francis is born in Miami. Working in pop, jazz and R&B, he takes part in recordings by The Platters, Neil Sedaka and Dinah Washington, and backs Bobby Darin’s pop/country crossover hit “Splish Splash”

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