March 15
We remember the Grateful Dead's melodic bassist Phil Lesh on his birthday today in 1940, the classically trained musician whose innovative counterpoint playing revolutionized rock bass while his vocals on "Box of Rain" showcased his tender side before his death in 2024 ended six decades of psychedelic exploration… We honor Texas blues' greatest improviser Lightnin' Hopkins on his birthday today in 1912, the guitarist whose ability to make up songs on the spot and thousands of recordings preserved rural blues traditions while influencing everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan before his death in 1982… Funk's most revolutionary architect Sly Stone was born today in 1943, the visionary whose integrated band and groundbreaking albums like 'There's a Riot Goin' On' changed popular music before drugs and paranoia destroyed his career and left him living in a van decades later… Roots music's greatest explorer Ry Cooder ...
