It’s April 2026. We’re at war with Iran. The Supreme Court is hearing arguments about birthright citizenship. The global economy is on a slow-burn collapse. Everything is awesome. Oh, and he’s still alive.
But we still have music, friends and community, y’all. And hopefully JOVM offers a bit of respite in our mad, mad, mad world.
So while I do focus on new music, there’s always room to celebrate our legends — both living and departed.
- The Isley Brothers‘ co-founder Rudolph Isley was born 87 years ago on April 1
- Gil Scott-Heron was born 77 years ago on April 1
- The legendary Marvin Gaye was born 87 years ago on April 2
- Bella Union Records founder and label head, singer/songwriter, musician and Cocteau Twins‘ Simon Raymonde celebrated his 64th birthday on April 3
- Jill Scott celebrated her 54th birthday on April 4
- David Roback, one-half of acclaimed and beloved dream pop duo Mazzy Star was born 68 years ago on April 4
- The legendary Muddy Waters was born 113 years ago on April 4
- Smash-hit producer, songwriter and artist Pharrell Williams celebrated his 53rd birthday on April 5
- Robert Glasper celebrated his 48th birthday on April 6
- Merle Haggard was born 89 years ago on April 6
- John Oates, best known for his work with the blue-eyed soul duo Hall & Oates one of the most commercially successful duos ever, celebrated his 77th birthday on April 7
- Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider was born 79 years ago on April 7
- The legendary and incomparable Billie Holiday was born 111 years ago on April 7
- The legendary Biz Markie was born 62 years ago on April 8
- Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds celebrated his 67th birthday on April 10
- A Tribe Called Quest‘s Q-Tip celebrated his 56th birthday on April 10
- The legendary and pioneering Herbie Hancock celebrated his 86th birthday on April 12
Echo & The Bunnymen‘s Will Sergeant celebrated his 68th birthday on April 12. Along with lead singer Ian McCullouch, Sergeant is one of the band’s few consistent members throughout the band’s history — and one of the most crucial parts of their gorgeous, brooding sound.
Happy belated birthday, Will!
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The Joy of Violent Movement is a completely independent and completely D.I.Y. media outlet. Over the course of this site’s 15+ year history, I’ve used my fiercely independent stance to cover music with an eclectic and global perspective that a lot of other publications just don’t have — and will likely never have.
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