Welp, we’ve survived through October. It’s been a bit of a brutal slog of a year. But there’s postseason baseball. Hockey season just started. Basketball season will start in a few weeks.
October is also a busy month in music history.
- The legendary Donny Hathaway was born 81 years ago on October 1
- The Human League‘s Philip Oakey celebrated his 71st birthday on October 2
- Sting celebrated his 75th birthday on October 2
- Motley Crüe co-founder and drummer Tommy Lee celebrated his 64th birthday on October 3
- Chubby Checker, one of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll and R&B celebrated his 85th on October 3
- One of the greatest guitarists and bluesmen ever, Stevie Ray Vaughan was born 72 years ago on October 3
- The Roots‘ Black Thought, arguably one of the greatest living emcees celebrated his 53rd birthday on October 3
- AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson celebrated his 79th birthday on October 5
Singer/songwriter, actor and television personality Toni Braxton celebrates her 59th birthday today. Over the course of her career, she has won seven Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, seven American Music Awards and a Soul Tain Music Awards Legend Award.
Braxton’s 1993 self-titled full-length debut reached #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and sold over 10 million copies globally, thanks to the success of international hit singles “Another Sad Love Song” and “Breathe Again.” The album also earned three Grammy Awards — including for Best New Artist. 1996’s Secrets continued he commercial and critical success, thanks to Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles “You’re Makin’ Me High”/”Let It Flow” and “Unbreak My Heart.”
Her third album, 2000’s The Heat debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and featured the international Top Five single “He Wasn’t Man Enough.”
2014’s duet album with Babyface, Love, Marriage & Divorce won a Best R&B Album Grammy.
So let’s celebrate one of the most commercially successful artists of the 2000s. Happy birthday, Toni!
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