Born on this day in music, November 15th

1974
Chad Kroeger, guitarist from Canadian rock band, Nickelback who had the 2002 US No.1 & UK No. 4 single ‘How To Remind You’, and the 2001 album Silver Side Up. Nickelback is one of the most commercially successful Canadian groups, having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.

1968
Ol’ Dirty Bastard (also known as ODB, Dirty, Dirt McGirt, Dirt Dog, Big Baby Jesus, Osirus, Joe Bannanas), born Russell Tyrone Jones. (1997 US & UK No.1 album ‘Wu-Tang Forever’). Collapsed and died at a Manhattan recording studio in New York on 13th November 2004 aged 35.

1966
Christian “Flake” Lorenz, keyboardist, for the German rock band Rammstein who formed in Berlin in 1994. Five of their albums reached No.1 on the German album charts.

1963
Jay Bennett, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, from American alternative rock band Wilco who released the albums Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born, Sky Blue Sky and Wilco (The Album). Bennett died unexpectedly in his sleep on 24 May 2009 age 45.

1960
American record producer and songwriter Dann Huff. As a session guitarist and producer Huff played guitar on albums for Michael Jackson, Amy Grant, Scritti Politti, Whitesnake, Roger Hodgson, and Whitney Houston’s debut album.

1957
Joe Leeway, percussion, Thompson Twins, (1984 UK No.2 single ‘You Take Me Up’, 1984 US No.3 single, ‘Hold Me Now’).

1956
American funk/rock guitarist Michael Hampton. He was recruited as a seventeen-year-old guitar prodigy by the band Funkadelic and made his debut with the band’s album Let’s Take It to the Stage in 1975.

1955
Tony Thompson, Chic, (1978 US No.1 & UK No.7 single ‘Le Freak‘). Thompson died on 12th November 2003.

1953
American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger Alexander O’Neal who scored the 1987 UK No.4 single ‘Criticize’.

1949
Steve Fossen, from American rock band Heart who scored the 1987 US No.1 & UK No.3 single ‘Alone’. Heart has sold over 35 million records worldwide.

1952
Michael Cooper (lead singer, guitarist for Con Funk Shun) is born in Vallejo, California. Known for ’70s R&B hits like “Ffun,” “Shake and Dance with Me,” and “Chase Me,” to name a few.

1945
Swedish singer, songwriter Anni-Frid Lyngstad from ABBA. Their first UK hit was the 1974 No.1 single ‘Waterloo‘, followed by 8 other UK No.1 singles and 9 UK No.1 albums. ABBA are one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In 1967, Frida won the Swedish national talent competition, New Faces winning a recording contract with EMI Sweden.

1941
Rick Kemp, bassist with English folk rock band Steeleye Span who formed in 1969. They had the 1975 UK No.5 single ‘All Around My Hat’ and a hit with ‘Gaudete’.

1937
R&B singer Little Willie John is born William Edward (or Edgar) John in Cullendale, Arkansas, but would be raised in Detroit, Michigan. Known for hits like “Need Your Love So Bad” and “Fever,” famously covered by Fleetwood Mac and Peggy Lee, respectively. Died May 26, 1968.

1932
British singer, actress, and composer Petula Clark, who had the 1961 UK No.1 single ‘Sailor’, and the 1967 UK No.1 single ‘This Is My Song’, plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles. She scored the 1965 US No.1 ‘Downtown‘, becoming the first UK female singer to score a No.1 single in the US. In America, Clark was dubbed “the First Lady of the British Invasion”.

1932
Clyde McPhatter, from American doo-wop and R&B vocal group The Drifters who had the 1960 US No.1 & UK No.2 single ‘Save The Last Dance For Me’ and over 12 other chart hits. He died on 13th June 1972.

1928
American singer, activist and politician Bill Fries, (CW McCall), best known for the 1976 US No.1 and UK No.2 single ‘Convoy’, which came at the peak of the CB fad in the United States. Died April 1, 2022.

1905
Anglo-Italian conductor, composer Mantovani, who had the 1953 UK No.1 single ‘Moulin Rouge’, and the 1957 US No. 12 single ‘Around The World In Eighty Days’). Mantovani was the most successful album act before The Beatles and the first act to sell over one million stereo albums and have six albums simultaneously in the US Top 30 in 1959. He died on 30th March 1980 age 74.

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