Throwback: Happy 105th Birthday, Art Blakey!

October is a busy month in music history. 

• The Police’s legendary frontman Sting celebrated his 73rd birthday on October 2 
• Stevie Ray Vaughan was born 70 years ago on October 3
• The Roots‘ Black Thought, arguably one of the greatest living emcees celebrates his 51st birthday on October 3
• Chubby Checker, one of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll and R&B celebrated his 83rd birthday today on October 3
• AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson celebrates his 77th birthday on October 5
• Steve Miller Band‘s Steve Miller celebrated his 81st on October 5
• John Mellencamp celebrated his 73rd on October 7
• Thom Yorke celebrated his 56th birthday on October 7
• Pete Rock and CL Smooth‘s CL Smooth celebrated his 56th birthday on October 8 
• The legendary John Lennon was born 84 years ago on October 9
• PJ Harvey celebrated her 55th birthday on October 9
• Thelonious Monk was born 107 years ago today
• David Lee Roth, one of the greatest rock/metal frontman to ever live, and a member of the most beloved Van Halen lineup, ever, celebrated his 70th — yes, 70th! — birthday on October 10

The legendary Art Blakey, was born on this day 105 years ago. Blakey initially made a name for himself playing in the big bands of Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine. He then went on to work with bebop legends Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. But he might be best known for co-founding The Jazz Messengers with the equally legendary Horace Silver in the mid 1950s.

Blakey went on to lead the Jazz Messengers for the next 35 years. Originally formed as collective of contemporaries, the band became known incubating young talents, including the likes of Wayne Shorter, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione, Chick Correa, Keith Jarrett, Terrance Blanchard and Wynton Marsalis, among a lengthy list of others.

His influence on jazz and on contemporary music has been towering. So let’s celebrate the man’s life and music. Happy birthday, Mr. Blakey! Happy birthday, wherever you are!