May 2, 1989 ~ Singer, songwriter Graham Alexander born in Camden, New Jersey, USA ~ As a solo artist recording since the early-2010s, best known for Biggest Fan taken of his eponymous Eric Person debut album. Also known for his roles in the Broadway shows Rain (A Tribute To The Beatles) and Let It Be
May 2, 1987 ~ Indie rock singer, guitarist, pianist Justin Young, full name Justin James Hayward-Young, born in Southampton, UK ~ Co-founding member, lead singer for the Vaccines, active since the early-2010s and known best for songs such as Post Break-Up Sex, If You Wanna, No Hope, and Teenage Icon. Young has previously worked with alt-country group the Eldora Parade and punk band the Fashion Police Brutality. Has also recorded as a solo artist, going by the monniker Jay Jay Pistolet, formed the side project the Halloweens, and served as producer for Alfie Templeman
May 2, 1986 ~ Classical pianist Yeol Eum Son born in Wonju, South Korea ~ First gained serious attention as a soloist at age 18, performing the Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Lorin Maazel on their Asia tour. Would go on to work with renowned orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, and the Hague Philharmonic
May 2, 1977 ~ Singer, songwriter Katie Noonan, full name Katie Anne Noonan, born in Brisbane, Australia ~ Co-founded pop rock outfit George with her brother Tyrone Noonan, the sibling sharing lead vocals. The band is best known for the singles Special Ones, Run, and Breathe In Now, all taken of their 1998 Polyserena debut album. Noonan also founded the jazz trio Elixer, critically acclaimed for their 2011 First Seed Ripening sophomore album. Collaborated with her mother opera singer Maggie Noonan on the 2004 Two Of A Kind album, consisting of jazz and opera duets. Noonan has also recorded as a solo artist, and collaborated with a wide array of artists including Paul Grabowsky, Karin Schaupp, and the Brodsky Quartet
May 2, 1972 ~ Alexander Wilke Steinhof, commonly known as experimental electronic musician, DJ Alec Empire, born in Berlin, West Germany ~ Co-founding member of Atari Teenage Riot, merging left-wing, anarchist and anti-fascist views with punk lyrics and a techno sound. Also known as a solo artist and an in-demand remixer for artists including Rammstein, Chris Vrenna, Primal Scream, Björk, Thurston Moore, Mogwai, and Einstürzende Neubauten
May 2, 1967 ~ Alternative rock, electronica singer, guitarist, keyboardist George Vjestica born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, UK ~ Fronts Bandante. Appears on KT Tunstall's Eye To The Telescope debut album. Worked with Groove Armada, present on the albums Soundboy Rock and Black Light. Regularly backed Nick Cave, including on the albums Push The Sky Away and Skeleton Tree
May 2, 1965 ~ Cellist Matthew Barley born near Sheffield, UK ~ Worked with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Symphony Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and conductors including Marin Alsop, Thomas Dausgaard, Tan Dun, Charles Hazlewood, Markus Stenz, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Ilan Volkov, and others. Non-classical collaborations include Avi Avital, Manu Delago, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Jon Lord, Talvin Singh, Sultan Khan, Nitin Sawhney, Django Bates, Julian Joseph, and Nikki Yeoh
May 2, 1963 ~ Indie rock, alternative rock, pop punk singer, guitarist Bill Priddle born ~ Co-founding member, guitarist, co-lead singer for Treble Charger, with whom he recorded five albums before departing the band in 2003. Recorded as a solo artist, releasing his The Priddle Concern album in 2008 under the group moniker the Priddle Concern. Has also worked with Broken Social Scene and with Don Vail
May 2, 1963 ~ Jazz saxophonist Eric Person born in St Louis, Missouri, USA ~ Over half a dozen albums to his name as a leader. Closely associated with drummer Chico Hamilton during the 1980s and 1990s. Has also worked with Ronald Shannon Jackson, Chris Joris, John Esposito, the World Saxophone Quartet, Vernon Reid, Ofra Haza, Ben Harper, and Bootsy Collins
May 2, 1962 ~ Alain Johannes Mociulski, commonly known as guitarist, bassist, producer Alain Johannes, born in Santiago, Chile ~ Founding member of Eleven. Also worked with the Queens Of The Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures, PJ Harvey, Chris Cornell, Arctic Monkeys, Mark Lanegan, Hillel Slovak, Todd Strassman, Jack Irons, Natasha Shneider, What Is This, Jason Falkner, Addie Brik, Thelonious Monster, Walk The Moon, Sun 60, Melissa Ferick, Gouds Thumb, Live, Janubia, the Eagles Of Death Metal, Spinnerette, Silverchair, Jimmy Eat World, and Gary Pitcairn
May 2, 1958 ~ Folk rock keyboardist, guitarist, singer Alan Reid born in Glasgow, UK ~ Founding member of the Battlefield Band, known for merging traditional Celtic folk with modern rock elements
May 2, 1958 ~ Brenda Shannon Greene, mononymously known as freestyle, dance-pop, post-disco singer Shannon, born in Washington DC, USA ~ Best known for her 1983 Let The Music Play single, an international hit reaching top 20 across the globe including the UK and the Netherlands, top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Subsequent singles including Give Me Tonight, My Heart's Divided and Do You Wanna Get Away would chart well on the American dance charts
May 2, 1956 ~ Rock bassist, singer, songwriter Doug Howard, full name Douglas Joseph Howard, born in Englewood, New Jersey, USA ~ Got his start in music backing girl group the Crystals. Member of Touch, known for the singles Call Me When The Spirit Moves You and Don't You Know What Love Is of their eponymous 1979 Touch. Briefly a member of Todd Rundgren's Utopia. Has also worked with the Edgar Winter Group, replacing the band's original bassist Dan Hartman
May 2, 1955 ~ Punk rock, new wave, post-punk, synth-pop keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter Jo Callis born in Glasgow, UK ~ Member of the Rezillos, for whom he wrote Top Of The Pops. Member of Shake. Member of short-lived Boots For Dancing. Joined Human League in 1981, first appearing on the Dare album released later the same year
May 2, 1955 ~ Rock bassist Ken Sinnaeve, full name Kenneth Sinnaeve, born in Regina, Canada ~ Co-founding member of Streetheart, known best for their 1979 disco-hybrid the Rolling Stones-cover Under My Thumb. Lesser known songs include the Them-cover Here Comes The Night and What Kind Of Love Is This. Following the band's disbandement in the mid-1980s Sinnaeve appeared on Strange Advance's 2WO sophomore album. Member of Loverboy since 2001, replacing the late Scott Smith
May 2, 1954 ~ R&B, soul, jazz, dance-pop singer, songwriter Angela Bofill, full name Angela Tomasa Bofill, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ One of the first Latina singers to achieve success in the R&B and jazz markets. Over the course of her career Bofill released about a dozen albums, starting with Angie in 1978, spawning the modest hit This Time I'll Be Sweeter. Bofill's rendition, the song previously recorded by Martha Reeves, Linda Lewis, Marlena Shaw, and Roberta Flack, would become the definitive version, and a signature song for Bofill. Over the next decade, Bofill scored about half a dozen Billboard R&B top 20 singles. Bofill has also sung backing vocals for the likes of Dave Valentin, David Amram, Stacy Lattisaw, Patti Austin, and Narada Michael Walden. The latter has also produced Bofill's two most mainstream albums, Teaser and Too Tough. Although never a household name in her native America, Bofill amassed a large following in Asia, and remained an in-demand live performer through the 2000s often billed alongside jazz artists untill a series of medical misfortunates forced her to slow down ~ Bofill passed away in 2024
May 2, 1953 ~ Jazz guitarist James Chirillo, full name James Louis Chirillo, born in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA ~ Leader and sideman. Worked with Marilyn Maye, Vic Damone, Joey Heatherton, Lorna Luft, Roger Williams, the Jazz Knights, Tiny Grimes, Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton, Claude Williams, Bob Wilber, Benny Carter, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Wynton Marsalis, Gunther Schuller, the One O'Clock Lab Band, Kenny Davern, Keith Ingham, Houston Person, Doug Lawrence, Barbara Lea, Joe Lovano, Marcus Roberts, Joe Ascione, Dick Sudhalter, Scott Robinson, Bob Mintzer, Joe Wilder, John Cocuzzi, Pablo Villegas, and others
May 2, 1951 ~ Rock, blues rock, progressive rock, progressive folk bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer John Glascock born in Islington, UK ~ Member of Carmen from 1972 through 1975, including on the acclaimed Fandangos In Space album. Member of Jethro Tull from 1976 until his death in 1979. Praised as “the best bass player in rock” by Ritchie Blackmore. Has also worked with the Gods, Head Machine, Toe Fat, Chicken Shack, Maddy Prior, Richard Digance, and others ~ Glascock passed away in 1979
May 2, 1950 ~ Louis Andrew Grammatico, commonly known as rock singer, songwriter Lou Gramm born in Rochester, New York, USA ~ Best known as lead singer of Foreigner from 1977 through 1990, including on hits such as Feels Like The First Time, Cold As Ice and I Want To Know What Love Is. As a solo artist scored Billboard top 10 hits with 1987's Midnight Blue and Just Between You And Me two years later. Has also worked with Black Sheep, Shadow King, and with Liberty & Justice
May 2, 1949 ~ Gerald Thomas Moores, commonly known as singer, guitarist, keyboardist GT Moore, born in Reading, UK ~ Active since the early-1970s as a solo artist, frontman and as a collaborator. Co-founded Heron with Roy Apps and Tony Pook. Has had his compositions covered by Joan Baez and by Airto Moreira. Has collaborated with Jimmy Cliff, Lee Scratch Perry, Malcolm Mortimore, Thin Lizzy, Johnny Nash, and others
May 2, 1948 ~ Drummer Bill Ward, full name William Thomas Ward, born in Birmingham, UK ~ Influenced by Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson, as well as R&B, pop and rock drummers such as Bernard Pretty Purdie, Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, Ringo Starr, and Jim Capaldi. Best known as co-founding member of Black Sabbath. Has also recorded as a solo artist, starting with Ward One (Along The Way) released in 1990
May 2, 1946 ~ Jazz pianist, composer Joel Forrester born ~ Leader and sideman. Perhaps best known for writing and performing Fresh Air Theme with the Microscopic Septet, used as the theme song to the NPR radio show of the same name. In addition to leading the Septet, at times a sextet, Forrester has guested on albums by Michael Callen, Michael Hearst, and Phillip Johnston
May 2, 1946 ~ Lesley Sue Goldstein, commonly known as singer, songwriter Lesley Gore, born in Brooklyn, New York, USA ~ Discovered by Quincy Jones. Broke through with It's My Party at age 16. Also known for songs such as Judy's Turn To Cry, She's A Fool, You Don't Own Me, Maybe I Know, and California Night ~ Goldstein passed away in 2015
May 2, 1945 ~ John Raymond Goadsby, commonly known as keyboardist Goldy McJohn, born in Toronto, Canada ~ Classically trained pianist. Pioneered the use of the electronic organ in rock. Best known as original member of Steppenwolf remaining with the group from its inception in 1967 through 1975 and present on the band's best known including Born To Be Wild. Previously a member of the Mynah Birds which at the time also included Rick James and Bruce Palmer ~ Goadsby passed away in 2017
May 2, 1945 ~ Alexander Minto Hughes, commonly known as reggae, ska singer Judge Dread, born ~ Influenced Ian Dury and Buster Bloodvessel. Known for his sexual innuendo and double entendres, reportedly has more songs banned by the BBC than any other artist. Second only to Bob Marley in terms of reggae sales during the 1970s. Known for songs such as Big Six, Big Seven and Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus ~ Hughes passed away in 1998
May 2, 1945 ~ R&B singer Randy Cain, full name Herbert Randal Cain III, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA ~ Best known as a member of the Delfonics, including on the 1970 Grammy-winning Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit. Cain left the group in 1971 to be succeeded by Major Harris ~ Cain passed away in 2009
May 2, 1944 ~ Rock drummer Bob Henrit, full name Robert John Henrit, born in Broxbourne, UK ~ Co-founding and constant member of Argent, known best for the early-1970s UK top 20 hits Hold Your Head Up and God Gave Rock & Roll To You, the former also reaching top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. In-demand session musician, notably present on Dave Davies's 1980s Glamour and Chosen People albums. Has also worked with Unit 4+2, the Roulettes, Charlie, Ian Matthews, and with latter day incarnations of the Kinks replacing Mick Avory in 1984
May 2, 1944 ~ Drummer, percussionist John Ware born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA ~ In-demand session drummer known for his associations with the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, the Corvettes, Linda Ronstadt, the Stone Poneys, the First National Band, Emmylou Harris, Jesse Ed Davis, Hoyt Axton, Kaleidoscope, Karla Bonoff, Jackie DeShannon, Michael Nesmith, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, George Jones, Larry Groce, Ricky Skaggs, Janie Fricke, and others
May 2, 1941 ~ Jazz pianist Connie Crothers born in Palo Alto, California, USA ~ Leader and sidewoman. Studied under Lennie Tristano and founded the Lennie Jazz Foundation in his honour. Has worked with artists such as Max Roach, Richard Cabris, Cameron Brown, Roger Mancuso, Lenny Popkin, Bob Casanova, Jessica Jones, Pauline Oliveros, and others ~ Crothers passed away in 2016
May 2, 1941 ~ Edouard Louise, commonly known as organist, singer Eddy Louiss, was born in Paris, France ~ Member of Double Six in the early-1960s. Closely associated with Claude Nougaro, with whom he worked for about a dozen years starting in the mid-1960s. Internationally perhaps best known for guesting on Stan Getz's acclaimed 1971 Dynasty album. Other notable associations include Jean-Luc Ponty, Michel Legrand (The Young Girls Of Rochefort), Gong, André Condouant, Stéphane Grappelli, Quincy Jones, Daniel Humair, Albert Mangelsdorff (Room 1220), Toots Thielemans, and Jane Birkin ~ Louiss passed away in 2015
May 2, 1936 ~ Arnold George Dorsey, commonly known as traditional pop, schlager, easy listening singer Engelbert Humperdinck, born in Madras, British India ~ Regarded as one of the finest middle-of-the-road balladeers, selling over 140 million records over the course of his career. Draws from schlagers, traditional pop and easy listening enjoying his biggest successes in the 1960s and 1970s. Best known for songs such as Release Me, The Last Waltz, After The Lovin' and This Moment In Time
May 2, 1934 ~ Singer, songwriter, author Olle Adolphson born in Stockholm, Sweden ~ Alongside Birger Sjöberg, Evert Taube, and Cornelis Vreeswijk considered one of the greatest Swedish songwriter of the 20th century. Known for songs such as Gustaf Lindströms Visa, Okända Djur, Mitt Eget Land, Det Gåtfulla Folker, and Trubbel ~ Adolphson passed away in 2004
May 2, 1933 ~ R&B, doo-wop singer Ernest Warren born ~ Member of the Spaniels, known for 1950s hits such as Baby It's You and Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight, the latter later remaining popular to this day featured in several films including American Graffiti ~ Warren passed away in 2012
May 2, 1933 ~ Pianist, conductor, arranger Valentín Trujillo, full name Valentin Trujillo Sanchez, born in Santiago, Chile ~ Child prodidy. Brother of singer Fernando Trujillo. Well over a dozen albums to his name, starting with Un Piano Con Alma released in 1958. Well known as conductor for the TV show Sabado Gigante for over a decade, starting in 1962.
May 2, 1931 ~ Richard Arnold Holmes, commonly known as jazz, hard bop, soul jazz organist Richard Groove Holmes, born in Camden, New Jersey, USA ~ Praised for his swinging style, supplemented by a harmonic and melodic edge. Recorded prolifically as leader or co-leader since the early-1960s, especially noted for the albums After Hours and Soul Message. To mainstream audiences best known for his 1965 crossover hit Misty, originally penned and first recorded by Erroll Garner. An in-demand sideman and collaborator, Holmes has appeared on albums by Houston Person, Bumble Bee Slim, Les McCann, Gene Ammons (Groovin' With Jug), Gerald Wilson, Lou Rawls (Black And Blue), Earl Bostic, Jimmy Witherspoon, Eric Kloss (Love And All That Jazz), Dakota Staton, Elvin Jones, Jimmy McGriff, Willis Jackson, and Ry Cooder (Crossroads). Holmes passed away at age 60 of a heart attack after a battle with prostate cancer, shortly after performing his last concerts in a wheelchair at the Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, Illinois ~ Holmes passed away in 1991
May 2, 1929 ~ Fred Lincoln Wray Jr, commonly known as guitarist, songwriter Link Wray, born in Dunn, North Carolina, USA ~ Best known for the 1958 instrumental hit Rumble, one of the earliest songs using distorted feedback later commonly used in punk and hard rock ~ Wray passed away in 2005
May 2, 1927 ~ Cellist Anna Shuttleworth born in Bournemouth, UK ~ Acclaimed soloist and chamber cellist. Co-founding member of the Vivien Hind String Quartet. Affectionately referred to as “the Swellest Cellist” by composer Ralph Vaughan Williams ~ Shuttleworth passed away in 2021
May 2, 1924 ~ Actor, folk singer, guitarist Theodore Bikel, full name Theodore Meir Bikel, born in Vienna, Austria ~ Co-founded the Newport Folk Festival. Has recorded over 30 albums as a folk singer, guitarist starting in the mid-1950s. As an actor known for roles in Moulin Rouge, My Fair Lady, The Defiant Ones, earning an Academy Award-nomination for his role in the latter. As a musical actor best known for his role as Captain Von Trapp in the original Broadway production of The Sound Of Music ~ Bikel passed away in 2015
May 2, 1922 ~ Singer, actor Serge Reggiani born in Reggio Emilia, Italy ~ Best known as an actor performing in some 80 films and various stage plays since the mid-1940s. Member of the French Resistance during World War II. Ventured out into music by the mid-1960s aided by singer, actor Yves Montand to become one of the most acclaimed chanson singers known for songs such as Les Loups Sont Entres Dans Paris and Sarah ~ Reggiani passed away in 2004
May 2, 1915 ~ Songwriter, singer Doris Fisher born in New York, New York, USA ~ Daughter of Fred Fisher, sister of Dan Fisher and Marvin Fisher, all respected songwriters. Doris wrote or co-wrote songs recorded by the Ink Spots (Whispering Grass, Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall), Louis Prima (Angelina (The Waitress At The Pizzeria)), Billie Holiday (That Ole Devil Called Love), Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, Pearl Bailey, the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, and Moon Mullican (You Always Hurt The One You Love), Slim Gaillard (Tutti Frutti), Stan Kenton, Ella Mae Morse, and Pearl Bailey ~ Fisher passed away in 2003
May 2, 1915 ~ Alexander Van Vliet Feldman, commonly known as bandleader, arranger, composer Van Alexander, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Best known as arranger, composer for film and TV, notably for several Mickey Rooney films. Has worked with Dean Martin, Gordon Macrae, Doris Day, Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee, Dinah Shore, Kay Starr, Dakota Staton, Paul Whiteman, and others ~ Feldman passed away in 2015
May 2, 1914 ~ Double bassist Frank Fields, full name Frank Nomer Fields, born in Plaquemine, Louisiana, USA ~ Closely associated with Dave Bartholomew and Cosimo Matassa, becoming a first-call session musician for many New Orleans based acts including Fats Domino (The Fat Man), Professor Longhair, Little Richard (Tutti Frutti), Smiley Lewis, Shirley & Lee, Lloyd Price, Huey Piano Smith, Ray Charles, and others ~ Fields passed away in 2005
May 2, 1905 ~ Composer Alan Rawsthorne born in Haslingden, UK ~ Initially steered away from musical ambitions, Rawsthorne eventually defied his parents and became a professional musician after abortive starts at careers in dentistry and architecture. Regarding the former, Rawsthorne would later comment: “I gave that up, thank God, before getting near anyone's mouth”. Following his musical studies, Rawsthorne would get his start in music in the early-1930s, working as a pianist and teacher in Devon, the UK, before breaking through by the end of the decade with a performance of his own composition Theme And Variations For Two Violins. Rawsthorne would go on to become an acknowledged composer, praised for his distinctive style, writing chamber music, choral works, sonatas, concertos for piano, oboe, and violin, symphonies, and from the mid-1940s onwards notably a number of soundtracks ~ Rawsthorne passed away in 1971
May 2, 1897 ~ Songwriter J Fred Coots, full name John Frederick Coots, born ~ Wrote over 700 songs, over a dozen Broadway shows. Best known for co-penning Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town with Haven Gillespie. The song, first recorded by banjoist Harry Reser, would become a Holiday classic recorded by over 200 artists including Bing Crosby, the Crystals, Mariah Carey, Chris Isaak, the Temptations, and Bruce Springsteen ~ Coots passed away in 1985
May 2, 1895 ~ Lyricist Lorenz Hart, full name Lorenz Milton Hart, born in New York, New York, USA ~ Frequent songwriting collaborator of Richard Rodgers, with whom Hart wrote over two dozen Broadway musicals including Babes In Arms, The Boys From Syracuse, Pal Joey and On Your Toes. Songs co-written by Hart include Bewitched Bothered And Bewildered (Vivienne Segal, the Platters, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra) Glad To Be Unhappy (Doris Carson, Lena Horne, Buddy Rich), It Never Entered My Mind (Shirley Ross, Lee Wiley, Julie London), My Funny Valentine (Mitzi Green, Sarah Vaughan, Marvin Gaye), You Are Too Beautiful (Al Jolson, Bobby Troup, Arthur Prysock), Ten Cents A Dance (Ruth Etting, Doris Day, Shirley Horn), Mimi (Maurice Chevalier, the Lane Brothers) ~ Hart passed away in 1943
May 2, 1660 ~ Baroque composer Alessandro Scarlatti, full name Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti, born on Sicily, Italy ~ Father of Domenico Scarlatti and Pietro Filippo Scarlatti, both composers. Considered one of the premier composers of the Neapolitan school of opera. Also known for his chamber cantatas ~ Scarlatti passed away in 1725