Pick a Day

Music History Events: Births

November 26, 1940 Folk guitarist Davey Graham is born in Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.

November 25, 1940 R&B singer Percy Sledge is born in Leighton, Alabama.

November 24, 1940 Country singer-songwriter Johnny Carver is born in Jackson, Mississippi. Known for his 1973 hit cover of Tony Orlando's "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree."

November 23, 1940 Freddie Marsden (drummer for Gerry and the Pacemakers) is born in Toxteth, Liverpool, England.

November 21, 1940 Blues musician Dr. John is born Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana.

November 20, 1940 Tony Butala (lead singer of The Lettermen) is born in Sharon, Pennsylvania.

November 16, 1940 John Ryanes (of The Monotones) is born in Newark, New Jersey.

November 13, 1940 Justine "Baby" Washington is born in Bamberg, South Carolina, but would be raised in Harlem, New York. Known for her biggest hit, "That's How Heartaches Are Made," in 1963.

November 10, 1940 Screaming Lord Sutch is born David Edward Sutch in Hampstead, London, England.

November 4, 1940 Blues rocker Delbert McClinton, known for the 1992 country duet (with Tanya Tucker) "Tell Me About It," is born in Lubbock, Texas.

November 1, 1940 Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler is born in Carlsbad, New Mexico. His stage name refers to his service as a Green Beret combat medic during the Vietnam War.

October 31, 1940 Eric Griffiths (original guitarist for The Quarrymen, a pre-Beatles rock 'n roll group founded by John Lennon) is born in Denbigh, North Wales.

October 28, 1940 Jay Proctor (of Jay & the Techniques) is born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Known for the 1967 hit "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie."

October 21, 1940 Doo-wopper Jimmy Beaumont (of The Skyliners) is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

October 21, 1940 Manfred Mann is born Manfred Sepse Lubowitz in Johannesburg, Transvaal, Union of South Africa.

October 19, 1940 Larry Chance (lead singer of The Earls) is born Larry Figueiredo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

October 18, 1940 Songwriter Cynthia Weil is born in New York. Known for her work with husband Barry Mann, including "On Broadway," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," to name a few.

October 14, 1940 Pop singer Cliff Richard is born Harold Rodger Webb in Imperial India.

October 8, 1940 Soul singer Fred Cash (of The Impressions) is born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

October 3, 1940 Pop rocker Alan O'Day is born in Hollywood, California.

September 30, 1940 Dewey Martin (drummer for Buffalo Springfield) is born Walter Milton Dwayne Midkiff in Chesterville, Ontario, Canada.

September 24, 1940 Barbara Allbut (of The Angels) is born in Orange, New Jersey.

September 19, 1940 Singer/songwriter Paul Williams is born in Omaha, Nebraska. A TV fixture in the '70s and '80s, he also writes many popular songs, including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song," the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun," and David Bowie's "Fill Your Heart."

September 19, 1940 Blue-eyed soul singer Bill Medley (of The Righteous Brothers) is born in Los Angeles, California.

September 18, 1940 Singer/actor Frankie Avalon is born Francis Thomas Avallone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

September 17, 1940 R&B singer LaMonte McLemore (of The 5th Dimension) is born in St. Louis, Missouri.

September 15, 1940 Rock 'n Roller Jimmy Gilmer (of Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs) is born in Chicago, Illinois, but would be raised in Amarillo, Texas. Known for the 1963 hit "Sugar Shack."

September 9, 1940 Joe Negroni (of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers) is born in New York City, New York.

September 4, 1940 Soul singer Sonny Charles (of Sonny Charles & The Checkmates, Ltd.) is born Charles Hemphill in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

September 2, 1940 Teen idol Jimmy Clanton is born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Known for the swamp pop/R&B hits "Just a Dream" (1958) and "Venus in Blue Jeans" (1962).