This year has been a brutal, soul-sucking slog. And we have at least 3 more brutal and soul-sucking years left of this administration to go — if they don’t kill us all, first. So let’s get to it.
- MTV was launched 44 years ago on August 1
- Coolio was born 62 years ago on August 1
- Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott celebrated his 66th birthday on August 1
- Public Enemy‘s Chuck D. celebrated his 64th birthday on August 1
- Butch Vig celebrated his 70th — yes, y’all 70th! — birthday on August 2
- Echo and the Bunnymen‘s first dummer Pete de Freitas was born 64 years ago on August 2.
- Collective Soul‘s frontman Ed Roland celebrated his 62nd birthday on August 3
- Metallica‘s James Hetfield celebrated his 62nd birthday on August 3
- The iconic Louis Armstrong was born 124 years ago on August 4
- Beastie Boys‘ Adam Yauch, a.k.a. MCA was born 60 years ago on August 5
- U2′s The Edge celebrated his 64th birthday on August 8
- The incomparable, ebullient and legendary Whitney Houston was born 62 years ago on August 9
- The pioneering Kurtis Blow celebrated his 66th birthday on August 9
- Interpol’s Sam Fogarino celebrated his 57th birthday on August 9
- Ronnie Spector was born 82 years ago on August 10
- Hip-hop was born at a house party at 1520 Sedgewick Avenue DJ’ed by the pioneering Kool Herc 52 years ago on August 11
- Dire Straits frontman and creative mastermind Mark Knopfler celebrated his 76th birthday on August 12
- The complicated but legendary David Crosby was born 84 years ago on August 14
Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest pianists ever was born 100 years ago on August 15. The acclaimed legend won eight Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award from RIAA. Over the course of his 200 recordings, he worked with the likes of Sam Jones, Neils-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Joe Pass, Irving Ashby, Count Basie and Herbie Hancock and countless others — in duos, trios and other configurations.
His hometown, Montréal proudly celebrated his centennial through the dedication of a new square Oscar Peterson Square, located in the Little Burgundy neighborhood he grew up in.
Happy birthday, sir! Happy birthday, wherever you are!
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