ZZ Top - Afterburner (30th anniversary)

Tomorrow (October 28th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Afterburner, the ninth studio album from ZZ Top. This 1985 release spent a total of seventy weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 4.

For more from this classic 80's album, click here.

And for even more ZZ Top, click here.

Happy Birthday, Vince Neil

Happy fifty-second birthday today (February 8th) to American rock guitarist and singer Vince Neil Wharton.

The Hollywood born native started with his first band Rock Candy in 1980 and then joined high school friend Tommy Lee in Mötley Crüe in 1981. Neil became the group's lead vocalist.

Happy Birthday, Eddie Van Halen

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

Today (January 26th) we celebrate the fifty-eighth birthday of Dutch-born songwriter, producer and keyboardist Eddie Van Halen. He is also considered one of the world's greatest rock guitarists, ranked at number 8 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Top 100 Guitarists and ranked number 1 in Guitar World magazine's poll of the greatest guitarists of all-time.

Happy Birthday, Neil Diamond

Happy seventy-second birthday today (January 24th) to American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond. Now into his sixth decade of performing, Diamond has been given such honors as induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (in 1984) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in 2011), receipt of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award (in 2000) and a Kennedy Center Honors honoree (in 2011).

Happy Birthday, Madonna

Happy fifty-fourth birthday today (August 16th) to American singer, songwriter, and actress Madonna Louise Ciccone.

The Michigan born woman's road to becoming one the world's top-selling female recording artists of all time (with over 300 million records sold) began with her move to New York City in 1977 to become a modern dance professional. She also began performing with the group Breakfast Club, which led to her getting her own recording contract. The rest has been musical history.

Happy Birthday, Prince

Happy fifty-fourth birthday today (June 7th) to the one and only Prince Rogers Nelson.

Four years ago, I wrote a blog post all about how much I am a fan of Prince's music (click here to read that one...I'll wait). Since that post, his representation in my iTunes library has grown to over 430 songs and over 35 albums. That does seem like quite a lot; it is in fact just a hair under 2% of my whole music library. Still, he is by far the most represented artist in my music collection.

Happy Birthday, Jimmy Destri

Happy fifty-eighth birthday today (April 13th) to keyboardist and songwriter Jimmy Destri.

Destri came from a musical background. His uncle was the drummer in the 1950's band Joey Dee and the Starlighters. Destri's first group was Milk and Cookies. When the band relocated to the UK, he joined Blondie in 1975.

Happy Birthday, Jeff Lynne

Happy sixty-fourth birthday today (December 30th) to English singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Jeff Lynne.

Jeff started out by playing music locally in the early 1960's. In 1970, he formed the Electric Light Orchestra (known by many as ELO) with Roy Wood and Bev Bevan. The group were together for sixteen years and made some amazing, innovative records that were a fusion of rock and classical music.

Happy Birthday, Robin Gibb

Happy sixty-second birthday tomorrow (December 22) to Robin Gibb, a third of the talented super-group the Bee Gees.

Robin and his identical twin brother brother Maurice, who passed away in 2003, were born on the Isle of Man. While the family was living in Australia, they along with older brother Barry began their musical careers in the 1960's.

ZZ Top - Afterburner

Happy sixty-second birthday today to singer and guitarist Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Besides four decades of hard rocking blues, Gibbons also has a recurring role on the FOX TV series Bones, playing a fictionalized version of himself as the highly protective father of Angela Montenegro. He also started a successful line of hot sauces and other products under the BFG Brand in 2011.

Back in the 1980’s, ZZ Top was working hard to follow up their hugely successful eighth studio album Eliminator (click here for that review). Their ninth album, 1985’s Afterburner, was a worthy follow up. It went to number 4 on the US Billboard Album chart, number 3 in Sweden, number 2 in the UK and Switzerland, and number 1 in New Zealand.

Happy Birthday, Sheila E.

Happy fifty-fourth birthday today (December 12th) to percussionist extraordinaire Sheila Escovedo.

Born in California, Sheila grew up in a family of music. Her father is the famous Mexican-American jazz percussionist Pete Escovedo, and her uncle Alejandro Escovedo has worked with groups like the Nuns, and Rank and File. Jazz/salsa musician Tito Puente is her godfather.

Happy Birthday, Clem Burke

Happy fifty-sixth birthday today (November 24th) to drummer Clem Burke.

When Chris Stein and Debbie Harry were forming the band Blondie in 1975, Burke was their choice as a drummer for the group. Though the band has broken up and reunited a few times, Burke has always been there to pick up the sticks again.

He has also played with other bands and artists like the Romantics, Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, the Eurythmics, Dramarama, the Fleshtones, Iggy Pop and Joan Jett.

For my review of Blondie's self-titled 1976 album Blondie, click here

For my review of Blondie's 1978 smash Parallel Lines, click here

The band also appeared on the 1980 soundtrack for American Gigilo which I reviewed here

Happy Birthday, Tina Weymouth

Happy sixty-first birthday today (November 22nd) to musician Tina Weymouth.

The California born Weymouth met up with future bandmates David Byrne and Chris Frantz at the Rhode Island School of Design. Frantz and Weymouth dated and eventually helped found the Talking Heads in 1975. Two years later, she and Frantz married.

To help cope with a long hiatus, the couple formed a side project called the Tom Tom Club in 1980. The bassist still is active in music.

For my review of the Talking Heads 1980 album Remain in Light, click here

For my review of the 1981 Tom Tom Club debut Tom Tom Club, click here

Happy Birthday, Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Today November 15th, sixty six years ago, Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad was born in Norway. She had been singing since age thirteen, mainly in jazz and cabaret styles. At age 22 she won a national talent competition where the prize was a recording contract in Sweden. In 1969, she eventually hooked up with her future bandmates that would form the international singing sensations ABBA, enjoying success for a decade from 1972 to 1982.

In 1982, she returned to solo work with an album in English. Something's Going On was produced by Phil Collins and sold very well. It also produced a hit single "I Know There's Something Going On" which was a number 1 hit in Belgium, Costa Rica, France and Switzerland, and a top five hit in Austria, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway. In the US the single reached number 13 and was the twentieth biggest selling single in the US that year. It features Collins' amazing drums.

Frida continues her music career to this day, showing few signs of slowing down. In September 2010 she released her most recent album Reconnection. She is also involved in charity work and in environmental protection efforts.

For their self-titled 1975 album ABBA, click here

For the group's final album from 1981 the Visitors, click here

Happy Birthday, Joseph "DJ Run" Simmons

Today, November 14th, is the 47th birthday of Joseph Ward Simmons, known to many as DJ Run, a founding member of Run-D.M.C., Reverend Run (as he is a practicing minister). In 2005, he and his family starred in the MTV reality show Run's House.

Here is the links to reviews of Run's albums I have done:

For Run-D.M.C., click here

For Raising Hell, click here

For the Krush Groove soundtrack, click here

Happy Birthday, Mario Cipollina and Bill Gibson

Today, November 10th, is the birthday of San Francisco Bay-area bassist Mario Cipollina. He started out his music career in the mid-70's playing with a variety of bands including Stoneground, Freelight, Rocky Sullivan, and Sound Hole. His most famous gig, though, were the years he was part of Huey Lewis and the News (1979 to 1994). In the past he's also worked with Bruce Hornsby, Bruce Springsteen, Foreigner, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Van Morrison, Nick Lowe, Bonnie Raitt and Dave Edmunds. He continues to record and tour with many acts today.

Sunday, November 13th, is the birthday of drummer Bill Gibson who has been with Huey Lewis and the News since the beginning. He's always felt that the highpoint of his career was when the band was asked to be part of the "We Are the World" project in 1985.


Here are the links to the reviews of a couple of albums Mario and Bill did as part of Huey Lewis and the News:

For the band's self-titled debut album Huey Lewis and the News, click here

For 1982's Picture This, click here

What was #1 the Day You were Born?

Billboard Music - Billboard #1 Hits

What was the #1 song on the day you were born? Do you know? Do you care? Will it haunt you at night now that I mentioned it until you check? Good.

Click on the link above then click the Billboard #1 Hits on the toolbar in blue to find the decade you were born. Click that to bring up the lists for that decade, find your year and then within that the week you were born. Viola. Your #1 song on the day you were born.

Mine is Gary Lewis and the Playboys - "This Diamond Ring".

My wife's is the Association - "Cherish".

My son's is Mariah Carey - "Fantasy".

What's yours?