April 7th

Musical Birthday Notes – April 7th

  • Billie Holiday (Eleanora Fagan)multiple award winning jazz singer/songwriter/musician – nickname “Lady Day” – 2000 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – 1987 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award – (4/7/1915 – 7/17/1959)
  • Ravi Shankar – multi-award winning Indian sitar virtuoso/singer/composer – (4/7/1920 – 12/11/2012)
  • Bobby Bare – award winning country singer/songwriter – hits include – 500 Miles Away From Home – Detroit City – Marie Laveau – 1935
  • Charlie Thomas – R&B singer – best known for his work with – The Drifters – lead vocalist on group hits – Sweets For My Sweet – When My Little Girl Is Smiling – 1988 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – 1999 Pioneer Award Rhythm and Blues Foundation – (4/7/1937 – 1/31/2023)
  • Spencer Dryden – drummer – best known with – Jefferson Airplane – group hits include – Somebody To Love – White Rabbit – 1996 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – associated acts include – New Riders of the Purple Sage – (4/7/1938 – 1/11/2005)
  • Charles “Skip” Pitts – blues-funk guitarist – best known for his wah-wah style used on the  title track from the 1971 movie – Shaft – (4/7/1942 – 5/1/2012)
  • Mick Abrahams – English guitarist/vocals – best known as the original lead guitarist for – Jethro Tull – associated acts include – Blodwyn Pig – Mick Abrams Band – This Was Band – 1943
  • Patricia Bennett – pop-rock singer – best known as a member of the all-girl group – The Chiffons – their hits include – He’s So Fine – One Fine Day – Will You Love Me Tomorrow – 1947
  • John Oatesblue-eyed soul singer/songwriter/guitar – Hall & Oates – duo hits include – I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) – Sara Smile – Maneater – She’s Gone – Out Of Touch – 2004 Songwriters Hall of Fame – 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame – 1948
  • Ronnie Wilson – singer/multi-instrumentalist – best known with funk-R&B group – The Gap Band – (4/7/1948 – 11/2/2021)
  • Bruce Gary – drummer/producer – The Knack – group hits include – My Sharona – Good Girls Don’t – (4/7/1951 – 8/22/2006)
  • Janis Iansinger/songwriter/musician/science fiction writer – best known for the 1975 hit – At Seventeen – 1951
  • John Dittrich – drummer/singer – best known with country group – Restless Heart – group hits include – I’ll Still Be Loving You – The Bluest Eyes In Texas – When She Cries – Dancy’s Dream – associated acts include – The Buffalo Club – 1951
  • John Cooper – bassist/lead singer – co-founder of Christian rock group – Skillet – associated acts include – Fight The Fury – 1975
  • Ben McKee – multi-award winning bassist/multi-instrumentalist – Imagine Dragons – group hits include – On Top Of The World – Radioactive – Natural – Whatever It Takes – Thunder – Believer – 1985