THE YEAR IN ROCK - WEEK FIVE

 

January 29

 

Tamas Erdelyi (Tommy Erdelyi) was born on January 29, 1952, in New York. He went on to play drums on the first three Ramones album as Tommy Ramone, and co-produced those albums and several others through their career

 

Happy birthdays also go out to Louie Perez of latino rockers Los Lobos, born in 1953 in Los Angeles

 

Eddie Jackson, Queensryche bassist, born in 1961 in Robstown, Texas

 

And respect to the late Uriah Heep singer David Byron, born David Garrick in 1947, passed away 28 February, 1985

 

Singer, guitarist, songwriter and blues legend Willie Dixon died on this day in 1992 of heart failure and is buried in the Burr Oak Cemetary in Alsip, Illinois. Born July 1st, 1915, he was 76 years old.

 

January 30

 

Happy birthday today to Jefferson Airplane founder and co-lead singer Marty Balin, born Martyn Jere Buchwald in Ohio in 1942

 

And the great, late Steve Marriott (Small Faces/Humble Pie), born 1947 in London. He died on 19 April, 1991when his house suffered an extensive fire, thought to have been started when Marriot fell asleep with a lit cigarette after a drinking binge

 

Phil Collins of Genesis (and responsible for some truly risible solo records) was born on this day in 1951 in Chiswick, London

 

And also on January 30, in 1973, Kiss made their live debut at the Popcorn Club (later renamed the Coventry) in New York, to a massive crowd of… wait for it… THREE people!

 

January 31

 

Born today in 1946 was Terry Kath, original guitarist for the band Chicago. Kath died January 23, 1978 from an apparently accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound

 

Phil Manzanera, lead guitarist with suave-rockers Roxy Music, was born today (as Phillip Geoffrey Targett-Adams) in 1951 in London

 

The surly John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols and PiL was born today in London

 

And in 1961, singer/guitarist Lloyd Cole in Derbyshire, England. Cole is most well known for his band Lloyd Cole & the Commotions

 

And on January 31, 1988, Guns n’ Roses commenced their first US headline tour

 

FEBRUARY 1

 

Birthday wishes go out today to Don Everly, born 1937

 

Ray Sawyer of Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, also born in 1937. Sawyer famously wears an eye patch after a 1967 car accident

 

Funk legend and Superfreak, Rick James, born James Ambrose Johnson Jr in 1948 in Buffalo, New York. He died August 6, 2004 of cardiac arrest with his blood stream full of a cocktail of drugs

 

Guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, born in Florida in 1954

 

Jani Lane, singer with Warrant, was born John Kennedy Oswald in Akron, Ohio in 1964

 

The king’s little girl, Lisa Marie Presley born 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee

 

Jimmy Carl Black was born James Inkanish Jr in El Paso, Texas in 1938, and went on the play drums for Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart. Jimmy passed away from lung cancer on November 1, 2008

 

Rich Williams, guitarist with the band Kansas was born today in 1950 in – you guessed it – Kansas

 

Drummer Fran Christina of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, born 1951

 

And also on February 1, in 1995, Richey Edwards of Manic Street Preachers went missing, never to be found

February 2

 

Is the birthday of Skip Battin of The Byrds and New Riders, born 1934

 

Graham Nash of The Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash – oh, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young too - born 1942

 

Born in 1966, Robert DeLeo of The Stone Temple Pilots

 

Also Ross Valory, born 1950, from Journey and The Steve Miller Band

 

Johnny "Guitar" Watson, born 1935

 

February 3

 

A 1943 vintage birthday greeting to Dennis Edwards of The Temptations

 

Happies also to The Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, born 1947

 

Arthur ‘Killer’ Kane, bassist for The New York Dolls, born 1949

 

And born in 1959, Lol Tolhurst of The Cure

 

February 4

 

Birthdays today include, born 1941, John Steel of The Animals

 

The godfather of shock rock, Vincent Furnier – aka Alice Cooper, born today in 1948

 

Jerry Shirley, esteemed occupier of the drum stool for none less than Humble Pie and Fastway, among others, born in 1952, pictured here far left with Dave King & Fast Eddie Clarke of Fastway

 

And born in 1951 was Phil Ehart of Kansas

 

THE YEAR IN ROCK - WEEK 4

 

THE YEAR IN ROCK - WEEK 6

 

Shane Pinnegar