I know I can’t speak for everyone but 2026 has been a very odd and very disappointing year so far. But we’ve survived to July. And that means we have five months left for the year. May the rest of 2026 get better for me — and if you’ve been struggling with things this year, may it get better for you, too. But even in struggle, there’s music, friends and community that can sustain us.
Of course, July is a busy month of music birthdays. So, as always, let’s celebrate our legends and favorites, eh?
- Missy Elliott, celebrates her 55th birthday on July 1
- Evelyn “Champagne” King celebrates her 66th birthday on July 1
- The B-52s Fred Schneider celebrates his 75th birthday on July 1
- The iconic Debbie Harry celebrated her 81st birthday on July 1
- Syl Johnson, who wrote some of the most moving, most lived-in songs full of novelistic attention to details was born 90 years ago on July 1
- Legendary bluesman, James Cotton was born 91 years ago on July 1
- One of the most important figures of the blues, Chicago blues especially, Willie Dixon was born 111 years ago on July 1
- Depeche Mode‘s Yaz’s/Yazoo’s and Erasure‘s Vince Clarke celebrated his 65th birthday on July 1
- The great jazz organist Dr. Lonnie Smith was born 84 years ago on July 3
- Bill Withers was born on 88 years ago on July 4
- Huey Lewis and The News‘ frontman Huey Lewis celebrated his 76th birthday on July 5
- Wu-Tang mastermind and acclaimed producer The RZA celebrated his 57th birthday on July 5
- Wu-Tang‘s and Czarface‘s Inspectah Deck celebrated his 56th birthday on July 6
- 50 Cent celebrated his 51st birthday on July 6
- The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr celebrated his 86th birthday on July 7
- Depeche Mode co-founder Andy “Fletch” Fletcher was born 65 years ago on July 8
- Beck, one of the most forward-thinking, boundary pushing artists of the past generation — if not more — celebrated his 56th birthday on July 8
- AC/DC‘s first frontman, Bon Scott was born 80 years ago on July 9
- Simple Minds‘ founder and frontman Jim Kerr celebrated his 67th birthday on July 9
- Pet Shop Boys‘ frontman Neil Tennant celebrated his 72nd birthday on July 10
- The legendary and incomparable Mavis Staples celebrated her 86th birthday on July 10
- Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy celebrated his 69th birthday on July 11
- Lil’ Kim celebrated her 52nd birthday on July 11
- Fleetwood Mac‘s Christine McVie was born 83 years ago on July 12
- English singer/songwriter, musician and producer Trevor Horn celebrated his 77th birthday on July 15
- Psych rock pioneer Roky Erickson was 79 years ago on July 15
- Joy Division‘s Ian Curtis was born 70 years ago on July 15
- Linda Ronstadt, one of the greatest vocalists — and arguably one of the most commercially successful female artists — celebrated her 80th birthday on July 15
- Live frontman Ed Kowalczyk celebrated his 55th birthday on July 16
- The Police‘s Stewart Copeland celebrated his 74th birthday on July 16
- Gang Starr‘s G.U.R.U, was born 65 years ago on July 17
- The incomparable and legendary Screamin’ Jay Hawkins was born 97 years ago on July 18
- Martha Reeves is the voice of some of the greatest, most indelible and downright most important songs ever written celebrated her 85th birthday on July 18
- Queen‘s Brian May celebrated his 79th birthday on July 19
- Kool G. Rap celebrated his 58th birthday on July 19
- Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard celebrated his 61st birthday on July 20
- Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell was born 62 years ago on July 20
- Carlos Santana, one of the greatest guitarists to ever do it celebrated his 79th birthday on July 20
- Larry Levan, the pioneer of house music, whose Paradise Garage DJ sets were the prototype of the modern dance club was born 72 years ago on July 20
George Clinton‘s influence and impact on modern music have been gargantuan and towering. Clinton’s presence and work has inspired and informed hip-hop, funk, dance music, soul and gospel. Without his work I doubt we might have acts like Fishbone, Living Colour, Red Hot Chili Peppers and many others. And I’m certain that the Black Rock Coalition and the Afropunk movement wouldn’t have existed.
I’ve grown up loving and knowing Clinton’s work with Parliament Funkadelic and as a solo artist, and if you’ve been around since at least the 60s, I bet you have too. I’ve been blessed to photograph him and Parliament Funkadelic a few times — once from the crowd, the other two times with photo passes:
Today, Mr. Clinton celebrates his 85th birthday. That’s right y’all, 85! So let’s celebrate the man and those songs we’ve all loved and danced to today, huh?
Happy birthday, Mr. Clinton! May there be many, many, many more!
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