I was in the middle of a deadline so JOVM stuff had to take a bit of a backseat. Such is life.
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 celebrated her 59th birthday today
- Radiohead and The Smile frontman Thom Yorke celebrated his 58th birthday on October 7
- One of this country’s finest and somewhat under-appreciated, underrated singer/songwriters, and one of my personal favorites, John Mellencamp celebrated his 75th birthday on October 7
Kool and the Gang founder Robert “Kool” Bell celebrates his 76th birthday today. Since its founding, the band has won two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards. They’ve recorded 25 Top 10 R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits — including 1980’s smash hit “Celebration,” which everyone with a pulse knows — and 31 gold and platinum albums.
The group has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fall.
Let’s celebrate the man’s legendary work today, huh?
Happy birthday, brother!
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