Happy 75th Birthday to The Stylistics leader Airrion Love
Happy Birthday to Airrion Love, co-founder of the Stylistics, born October 8, 1949. Love has been with the Stylistics since the beginning, his rich baritone gracing such songs as “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” and his leadership keeping the group in the public eye for five decades. At their peak, the Stylistics were perhaps the most […]
Happy Birthday to the great Toni Braxton!
Happy birthday to Toni Braxton, born October 7, 1967. Drop dead gorgeous and with an equally attractive deep, rich voice, Toni Braxton seemingly came from nowhere to become one of the top R&B vocalists of the 90s. As the perfect interpreter of some of the great songs written and produced by Babyface and L.A. Reid […]
Happy heavenly birthday to Richard Street of The Temptations
Happy birthday to the late, great Richard Street of The Temptations, born on October 5, 1942. Street was a mainstay in the Temptations during the 1970s and 80s and was the lead vocalist on several major hits. Born in Detroit, he was a child prodigy, talented both as a pianist and as a singer. His […]
On This Day in 1982: Lionel Richie leaves the Commodores to go solo
October 6, 1982 – Lionel Richie goes solo with debut album He was on top of the world as the lead singer and principal songwriter for The Commodores, but on this day in 1982, Lionel Richie completed a much anticipated career move, becoming a solo artist and issuing a massive selling self-titled solo debut album. It […]
Happy Birthday to singer supreme, Heather Headley
Happy birthday to singer supreme Heather Headley, born October 5, 1974. She is a star of stage and radio whose talent seems to know no bounds. Heather Headley, the enchanting songstress, has carved her name into the annals of soul music with a voice that resonates with passion and authenticity. Born on October 5, 1974, in […]
Happy birthday to jazz and R&B great Ronnie Laws
With Ronnie Laws, it has always been a family affair, and he and his siblings have, in their understated way, been among the most influential jazz artists of the past half centurey. Born on October 3, 1950, in Houston, Texas, Laws’ musical journey began when he picked up the saxophone as a child, a path […]
Happy birthday to the late, great Donny Hathaway
Today we wish a Happy Heavenly Birthday to the late, great Donny Hathaway, born October 1, 1945. Though his recording career was quite brief, Donny Hathaway has continued to be one of the most influential soul artists of the last half century. The longevity of and increase in his popularity is due in large part to the […]
Happy Birthday to R&B legend Howard Hewett!
Happy birthday to Howard Hewett, born October 1, 1955. Howard Hewett is one of the most talented soul singers of the past four decades. In group settings, as a guest vocalist and as a solo singer, Hewett’s virtually irresistible voice has wrapped itself around material of various quality – turning good songs into great records and […]
Happy Birthday to singer extraordinaire, Miki Howard
Happy birthday to Miki Howard, born September 30, 1960. R&B and jazz songstress Miki Howard had the whole package for success: the looks, the material, and especially the voice. And she carved a successful career as the singer of a number of fine jazzy soul tracks that kept her near the top of the R&B charts for several years […]
Happy birthday to the legendary Patrice Rushen!
Baseball announcers often talk about a player having “sneaky power,” meaning that the batter has more strength and impact than at first it might seem. And that is analogous to the story of Patrice Rushen, a complete musician who has quietly created a career that has won for her millions of fans and the full […]
