Born on this day in music, November 29th

1979 – The Game
The Game, (Jayceon Terrell Taylor), American rapper, (2005 US No.1 with his debut album, The Documentary).

1974 – Apl.De.Ap
Apl.De.Ap, vocals, Black Eyed Peas, (2003 US & UK No.1 single ‘Where Is The Love’).

1971 – Keith Carlock
American musician Keith Carlock who has played drums with Toto, Steely Dan, James Taylor, John Mayer and Sting. In Modern Drummer’s 2009 Readers Poll, he was voted best Pop, Fusion, and All-Around drummer.

1968 – Jonathan Knight
Jonathan Knight, from American boy band New Kids On The Block, who had the 1989 UK No.1 single ‘You Got It, The Right Stuff’, and the 1990 US No.1 single ‘Step By Step’. They enjoyed success in the late 1980s and early 1990s and have sold more than 80 million records worldwide.

1968 – Martin Carr
Martin Carr, guitarist, singer with English alternative rock band The Boo Radleys who had the 1995 UK No.9 single ‘Wake Up Boo’.

1959 – Wendy Wu
Wendy Wu, Photos, (1980 UK No.56 single ‘Irene’).

1958 – Michael Dempsey
Michael Dempsey, bassist from the English new wave band The Lotus Eaters who had the 1983 UK No.15 single ‘First Picture Of You’ which was a hit in continental Europe, notably France, Italy, Belgium and Spain. Dempsey has also worked with The Cure and Associates.

1957 – Jennifer Batten
Jennifer Batten, American guitarist who has worked as a session musician and solo artist. Batten played in all three of Michael Jackson’s world tours, and from 1999 to 2001 she toured and recorded with Jeff Beck.

1951 – Roger Troutman
Roger Troutman, American composer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and the founder of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the funk movement and heavily influenced west coast hip hop due to the scene’s heavy sampling of his music over the years. Troutman was found shot and critically wounded outside his northwest Dayton recording studio on 25th April 1999.

1951 – Barry Goudreau
Barry Goudreau, guitar, Boston, (1977 UK No.22 single ‘More Than A Feeling’, 1986 US No.1 single ‘Amanda’). Boston have sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including 31 million albums in the United States, of which 17 million were from their self-titled debut album and seven million were for their second album, Don’t Look Back, making them one of the world’s best-selling artists.

1947 – Ronnie Montrose
Ronnie Montrose, guitarist, Montrose, Edgar Winter Group, (1973 US No.1 & UK No.18 single ‘Frankenstein). He died on 3 March 2012 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after taking his own life.

1944 – Twink
English drummer, singer and songwriter Twink who was a central figure in the English psychedelic movement. He was a member of The Pretty Things and The Pink Fairies. He has converted to Islam and changed his name to Mohammed Abdullah.

1944 – Felix Cavaliere
Felix Cavaliere, keyboards, with American rock band, The Rascals (initially known as The Young Rascals) who had the US No.1 hits ‘Good Lovin” (1966), ‘Groovin” (1967), and ‘People Got to Be Free’ (1968).

1943 – Tim Davis
Tim Davis American drummer, singer and songwriter, who co-founded the Steve Miller Band who had the 1974 US No.1 & 1990 UK No.1 single ‘The Joker‘, the 1976 hit ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ and the 1982 US No.1 hit ‘Abracadabra’. He died on 20 September 1988 age 44.

1941 – Denny Doherty
Denny Doherty, from American folk rock vocal group The Mamas & the Papas who had the 1965 hit ‘California Dreamin”, the 1966 US No.1 single ‘Monday Monday’ and the 1967 hit ‘Dedicated to the One I Love’. Doherty died on 19th Jan 2007 at the age of 66 after a short illness. Doherty started his musical career in 1956 with a band called the Hepsters and in 1963, established a friendship with Cass Elliot when she was with a band called The Big 3.

1940 – Chuck Mangione
Chuck Mangione, US composer, arranger who had the 1978 US No.4 single, ‘Feels So Good’.

1939 – Meco Monardo
Meco Monardo, (1977 US No.1 & UK No.7 single ‘Star Wars Theme’).

1933 – John Mayall
John Mayall, ‘father of the UK blues movement’, his Bluesbreakers Band has featured Eric Clapton Mick Taylor, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Jack Bruce, Peter Green and Jimmy McCulloch.

1917 – Merle Travis
country singer, songwriter Merle Travis, who invented the first solid body electric guitar. He wrote ‘Sixteen Tons’ a 1955 US No.1 for Ernie Ford. Travis died 20th October 1983.