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The first couple of weeks of this month are rather auspicious in music history:
- John Paul Jones’ birthday was on the third,
- Michael Stipe‘s birthday was on the fourth
- David Bowie‘s and Elvis were born on the eighth
- Jimmy Page‘s and Robby Krieger‘s birthdays were on the ninth
- Donald Fagen’s birthday was on the tenth
- Zack de la Rocha and Raekwon’s birthdays were on the twelfth
- LL Cool J, Dave Grohl and Allen Toussaint all had birthdays on the fourteenth.
- Sade and Aaliyah were on the sixteenth.
As a kid, I grew up with a deep and abiding affection for Motown Records and classic soul. There was an AM radio station that broadcast out of Monmouth, NJ that used to play all of the Motown and classic soul songs. Today is the 81st anniversary of The Temptations‘ David Ruffin.
Ruffin was the lead vocalist on some act’s biggest — and most beloved — hits, including “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” and others. Our parents loved those songs and we grew up loving those songs — for the same reason. Happy birthday, David! Happy birthday, wherever you are, brother!