Born On This Day In Music, June 6th

1989
Ross MacDonald, bass, keyboards, with English indie rock band The 1975. They won Best British Group and British Album of the Year for their 2018 third album A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships at the 2019 Brit Awards.

1987
Kyle Falconer, lead vocalist, guitarist from The View who had the 2007 UK No.1 album Hats Off to the Buskers.

1978
Carl Barat, singer, from English rock band The Libertines, who had the 2004 UK No.1 album The Libertines. And with Dirty Pretty Things had the 2006 UK No.3 album Waterloo to Anywhere.

1978
Canadian drummer, Jeremy Gara from the Grammy Award-winning indie rock band Arcade Fire who had the 2005 album Funeral, and 2017 US No.1 album Everything Now.

1974
Singer/songwriter Matthew Shafer is born in Mount Clemens, Michigan. Using the stage name Uncle Kracker, he establishes himself as a pop act with the 2001 hit “Follow Me,” joining Kenny Chesney for the country hit “When The Sun Goes Down”

1970
James Shaffer, guitarist from American nu metal band Korn who scored the 1998 US No.1 album, Follow The Leader. Twelve of the band’s official releases have peaked in the top ten of the Billboard Chart.

1965
David White, from Brother Beyond who scored the 1988 UK No.2 single ‘The Harder I Try’.

1961
British soul, R&B and pop singer Dee C. Lee, who worked with Wham!, Animal Nightlife, the Style Council and had the 1985 UK No.3 single ‘See The Day’. Lee was married to Paul Weller from 1987 until their divorce in 1998.

1961
Tom Araya, vocals, bassist with American thrash metal band Slayer who released the 1986 album ‘Reign in Blood’.

1960
Pelle Alsing drummer for Swedish rock and pop band Roxette. Pelle appeared on their first five albums: Pearls of Passion (1986), Look Sharp! (1988), Joyride (1991), Tourism (1994), and Crash! Boom! Bang! (1994). He died on 20 Dec 2020 aged 60.

1960
Steve Vai, American guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, and producer, Frank Zappa, David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Mary J. Blige, Spinal Tap, and Ozzy Osbourne.

1959
Robert Hodgens, guitar, vocals, from Scottish indie rock band The Bluebells who had the 1993 UK No.1 single with the re-issued ‘Young At Heart’ after it was used in a Volkswagen television advertisement.

1955
Michael Wallace, keyboards, from Jamaican reggae band Third World, who had the 1978 UK No. 10 single ‘Now That We’ve Found Love’. Wallace was shot dead on 6th July 1999.

1951
American record producer and rapper Duke Bootee. His best known single, ‘The Message’, was released in 1982 on Sugar Hill Records. The hit song featured rappers Duke Bootee and Melle Mel. The record label marketed the song under the name Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. He died January 13, 2021.

1946
American musician and bassist Tony Levin. A prolific session musician since the 1970s, Levin has played on over 500 albums, including those by Cher, Asia, Alice Cooper, John Lennon, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, Dire Straits, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Tom Waits, Buddy Rich, Todd Rundgren, Seal, Warren Zevon, Bryan Ferry, Laurie Anderson and Yes.

1944
Edgar Froese, German artist and electronic music pioneer, best known for founding the electronic music group Tangerine Dream who had the 1974 album ‘Phaedra’. Froese died died suddenly in Vienna on 20 January 2015 from a pulmonary embolismon.

1944
Peter Albin, American bassist with Big Brother and the Holding Company who with Janis Joplin had the 1971 US No.1 single ‘Me And Bobby McGee’, and the 1971 US No.1 album Pearl.

1942
Howie Kane, from Jay and the Americans, who had the 1962 hit with ‘She Cried’ and the 1969 US No.6 single ‘This Magic Moment’.

1939
American pianist, songwriter and record producer Richard “Popcorn” Wylie who was influential in the early years of Motown Records and was later known for his work on many records in the Northern soul genre. He was a member of Popcorn and the Mohawks and played piano on The Miracles’ 1961 hit ‘Shop Around’ and The Marvelettes’ ‘Please Mr. Postman’. He died on September 7, 2008 aged 69.

1939
Gary U.S. Bonds, American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, who scored the 1961 US No.1 single ‘Quarter To Three’, and the 1981 hit single ‘This Little Girl’.

1936
Levi Stubbs, American baritone singer, best known as the lead vocalist of The Four Tops, (1965 US No.1 single ‘I Can’t Help Myself’, 1967 UK No.6 single ‘Standing In The Shadows of Love’). He was also a voice artist in film and animated television series, most famously for the voice of the alien plant in the 1986 comedic horror film Little Shop of Horrors. Stubbs died on 17th Oct 2008.

---