September is a busy month in music history.
- The Bee Gees‘ Barry Gibb celebrated his 77th birthday on September 1
- Gloria Estefan celebrated her 66th birthday on September 1
- Soundgarden‘s Kim Thayil celebrated his 64th birthday on September 4
- Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest vocalists and entertainers in rock history was born 78 years ago on September 5
- Pink Floyd‘s co-founder and creative force Roger Waters celebrated his 81st birthday on September 6
- The legendary, King of Soul, Otis Redding was born 83 years ago on September 9
- Dave Stewart celebrated his 72nd birthday on September 9
- Big Daddy Kane, one of the most entertaining and talented emcees in hip-hop history celebrated his 56th birthday on September 10
- The legendary Roy Ayers celebrated his 84th birthday on September 10
- Aerosmith‘s Joe Perry celebrated his 74th birthday on September 10
The Verve is one of my favorite bands ever. And those who know me, know that I absolutely adored them. The first copy of Urban Hymns I owned, I played so much that it cracked in half in the CD ROM tray of an old desktop computer. That album — and all of their albums I carried with me and played throughout most of my adult life to this point.
When they went on their reunion tour to support 2008’s Forth, I remember saying to an ex that “I’d give my left arm to see them,” and that “I’d pay almost anything to see them.” Seeing them live, and being just a few feet from them was the thrill of my life — and one of the best concerts I had ever attended as a fan or as a journalist.
The Verve’s frontman Richard Ashcroft turns 52 today. Happy birthday, Richard! Thank you for music that’s been such a major part of me and my life. And may there be many, many more!