Born on this day in music: October 9th

9 Oct 1978
Nicholas Byrne from Irish pop vocal group Westlife who scored 14 UK No.1 singles, and have sold over 50 million records worldwide. Despite their success worldwide, Westlife never managed to break into the US market, achieving only one hit single in 2000, ‘Swear It Again’.

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9 Oct 1975
Sean Taro Ono Lennon was born, the only child of John Lennon by Yoko Ono. John Lennon retired from music for five years to become a house-husband. Sean went on to become a singer, songwriter, musician and actor.

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9 Oct 1973
Terry Balsamo, guitarist, with American rock band Evanescence who had the 2003 UK No.1 & US No.5 single ‘Bring Me To Life’, and the 2003 UK No.1 & US No.3 album Fallen.

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9 Oct 1970
English musician, singer-songwriter Polly Harvey, guitar, vocals, who had the 1993 UK hit single ’50ft Queenie’. Rolling Stone awarded her 1992’s Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter and 1995’s Artist of the Year. In June 2013, she was awarded an MBE for services to music.

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9 Oct 1968
Vickie Perks, from English alternative rock group We’ve Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It who had the 1989 UK No.11 single ‘International Rescue’.

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9 Oct 1967
Mat Osman, from English alternative rock band Suede, who had the 1994 UK No.3 single ‘Stay Together’.

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9 Oct 1959
Thomas Wydler, from Australian rock band Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds who have released over 15 studio albums.

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9 Oct 1957
Ini Kamoze, born Cecil Campbell, (1995 US No.1 & UK No.4 single ‘Here Comes The Hotstepper’).

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9 Oct 1954
James Fearnley, accordion, from Irish-British Celtic punk band The Pogues who scored the 1987 UK No.8 single ‘The Irish Rover’..

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9 Oct 1949
English songwriter, record producer, and musician Rod Temperton who initially made his mark as the keyboardist and main songwriter for the R&B funk/disco band Heatwave. Temperton was recruited by Quincy Jones to write songs for Michael Jackson, including ‘Thriller’, ‘Off the Wall’, and ‘Rock with You’. Temperton died from cancer in 2016.

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9 Oct 1948
Jackson Browne, singer, songwriter, (1978 UK No.12 single ‘Stay’, 1978 album ‘Running On Empty’, 1982 US No. 7 single ‘Somebody’s Baby’).

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9 Oct 1944
English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter John Entwistle from The Who, (nicknamed The Ox) is born John Alec Entwistle in London, England.. The Who scored the 1965 UK No.2 single ‘My Generation’ plus over 20 other UK Top 40 hits, as well as 16 US Top 40 singles. In the early days of The Who, once the lineup had stabilized and it was settled that Roger Daltrey was to be the front man, Entwistle started to dye his fair hair black, and continued to so do until the 1980s. Entwistle died in Las Vegas on 27th June 2002, one day before the scheduled first show of The Who’s US tour.

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9 Oct 1944
Nona Hendryx of Labelle is born in Trenton, New Jersey.(1975 US No.1 & UK No.17, single ‘Lady Marmalade’).

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9 Oct 1940
John Lennon, singer, songwriter, guitarist, is born at Oxford Street Maternity Hospital in Liverpool, England. In 1990 Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ was played simultaneously in 130 countries to commemorate what would’ve been Lennon’s 50th birthday. He was shot dead in New York by Mark Chapman on 8th December 1980.

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9 Oct 1939
Blues/soul singer O.V. Wright is born Overton Vertis Wright in Lenow, Tennessee. Among others, known for the 1964 hit ballad “That’s How Strong My Love Is,” covered the following year by Otis Redding. Died on November 16, 1980 (aged 41).

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9 Oct 1937
Pat Burke, from British soul band The Foundations who scored the 1967 UK No.1 single ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’ and the 1969 US No.3 single ‘Build Me Up A Buttercup’. The group was the first multi-racial group to have a No.1 hit in the UK in the 1960s.