August 13

 

Beatlemania reached fever pitch today in 1965 when the Fab Four arrived at Kennedy International Airport for their second North American tour, greeted by thousands of screaming fans as they prepared to conquer the continent once again…

 

Soul music lost one of its greatest session players on this day in 1971 when saxophonist King Curtis Ousley was tragically stabbed to death by a vagrant on the front steps of his New York home at 37, silencing the man behind countless classic recordings…

 

The storytelling voice of soul fell silent today in 1982 when Joe Tex died of a heart attack just five days after his 49th birthday, ending the career of the Texas-born singer whose narrative style influenced generations of performers…

 

Music technology lost its founding father on this day in 2009 when Les Paul died in White Plains, New York at 94, taking with him the inventor of the solid-body electric guitar and multi-track recording who literally shaped the sound of modern music…

 

We remember the poetic voice of Dan Fogelberg on his birthday today in 1951, the singer-songwriter whose introspective folk-rock classics like "Leader of the Band" and "Longer" touched millions before his death from cancer in 2007…

 

Television's redheaded rebel Danny Bonaduce was born today in 1959, the child actor who played bass in TV's The Partridge Family before his real-life struggles became as famous as his fictional musical career…

 

British soul found a new voice when James Morrison was born today in 1984, the singer-songwriter whose retro style and powerful vocals have carried on the tradition of classic soul music for a new generation…

 

Southern rock was officially born today in 1973 when Lynyrd Skynyrd released their debut album (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), introducing the world to "Free Bird" and establishing the template for guitar-driven Southern music.