1985
Nadine Coyle, from English-Irish pop girl group Girls Aloud, which was created through the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. They scored the 2002 UK No.1 single ‘Sound Of The Underground’ and over 20 UK Top 20 singles. They hold the record for “Most Consecutive Top Ten Entries in the UK by a Female Group.
1981
Billy Martin, guitarist, from American rock band Good Charlotte, who had the 2002 US No.7 album, The Young And The Hopeless, and the 2003 UK No.6 single ‘Girls and Boys’.
1976
Gary Lightbody, guitar, vocals, from Northern Irish rock band Snow Patrol, who scored the 2006 UK No.1 album Eyes Open and the 2006 UK No.6 single ‘Chasing Cars’.
1969
American rapper and actor Ice Cube, rapper, who had the 1992, US No.1 US album The Predator.
1966
Michael Britt, guitarist, with American country group Lonestar who had the 2000 US No.1 & UK No.21 single ‘Amazed’. Lonestar has charted more than 20 singles on the Hot Country Songs chart, including 9 that reached No.1.
1965
British guitarist Mark Thwaite who has worked with The Mission, Gary Numan, Roger Daltrey, P.J. Harvey, Alanis Morissette, Sex Gang Children.
1958
Neil Arthur, from English synth-pop band Blancmange, who had the 1982 UK No.7 single ‘Living On The Ceiling’.
1956
David Hinds from roots reggae group Steel Pulse who had the 1978 UK hit single ‘Prodigal Son’. Steel Pulse were the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.
1956
Bernie Shaw, lead vocalist for Uriah Heep since 1987, is born in Victoria, British Columbia.
1954
Country singer Terri Gibbs is born in Miami, Florida, but raised in Grovetown, Georgia. Known for the hit 1980 single “Somebody’s Knockin’.”
1951
Steve Walsh, from American rock band Kansas, who scored the 1978 US No.3 single ‘Dust In The Wind‘, and the 1978 hit single ‘Carry On Wayward Son’. which was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No.1 in 1997.
1949
Australian musician Russell Hitchcock singer for the soft rock band Air Supply who scored the 1980 UK No.11 single ‘All Out Of Love’ and the 1981 US No.1 single ‘The One That You Love’.
1947
Greek singer Demis Roussos, who had the 1976 UK No.1 EP, featuring ‘Forever And Ever’. In the 1970s he was a member of Aphrodite’s Child, a progressive rock group that also included Vangelis. Roussos died on 25 January 2015 from stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver cancer.
1946
Noddy Holder, guitar, vocals with English rock band Slade who scored 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six No.1’s on the UK Singles Chart becoming the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles. Holder is now a TV actor, (The Grimleys) and radio and TV presenter.
1946
American musician and songwriter Leo Nocentelli best known as a founding member and lead guitarist of the funk band The Meters. Nocentelli has also worked with Dr. John, Robert Palmer and Etta James and did session work for Motown acts including the Supremes, Temptations, and Spinners.
1943
Johnny Hallyday, ‘the French Elvis’, major star in Europe he was credited for having brought rock and roll to France and sold more than 110 million records worldwide. Jimmy Page, Peter Frampton and Foreigner’s Mick Jones have all played on his records. He died of lung cancer on 6 December 2017 age 74.
1943
Muff Winwood, The Spencer Davis Group, who scored 1966 UK No.1 single ‘Keep On Running’ and the 1967 US No.7 single ‘Gimme Some Lovin’. He became a producer and A&R man for Sony Records.
1941
American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson, who had the 1972 UK & US No.1 single with his version of The Badfinger song ‘Without You’, and the 1969 US No.6 single ‘Everybody’s Talkin’ from the film Midnight Cowboy’. The Monkees, Three Dog Night & Ronettes all covered his songs. He died on January 14th 1994 after he suffered a massive heart attack.
1937
American singer, songwriter, and musician Waylon Jennings. He worked as a DJ, played bass with Buddy Holly, (Jennings unintentionally missing flying with Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens on the flight on which they died). In 1976 he released the album Wanted! The Outlaws with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser and Jessi Colter, which became the first platinum country music album, and he was also a member of the country supergroup The Highwaymen with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash. Jennings, who died on 13 February 13, 2002, was also the narrator for the TV show the Dukes of Hazzard.
1934
Ruby Nash, American singer who led the rhythm and blues group Ruby & the Romantics who scored the 1963 US No.1 hit ‘Our Day Will Come’.
1929
Nigel Pickering, from American 1960s sunshine pop band Spanky And Our Gang, who had the 1967 US No.9 single ‘Sunday Will Never Be The Same Again’. Died: May 5, 2011.
1910
Songwriter/orchestra leader David Rose is born in London, England. Under the pseudonym Ray Llewellyn, he’ll write music for many television shows, including Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza. Died August 23, 1990.
