August 6

 

Timbuk 3's witty frontman Pat McDonald celebrates his 73rd birthday today, the singer-songwriter who captured the 1980s zeitgeist with the prophetic "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades."…

 

Funk lost its super freak on this day in 2004 when Rick James was found dead at his Los Angeles home at 56, ending the life of the flamboyant performer who gave us "Super Freak" and influenced hip-hop's sampling culture…

 

Pop art's most famous practitioner Andy Warhol was born today in 1928, the artist who would later manage The Velvet Underground and blur the lines between high art and popular culture until his death in 1987…

 

The Grateful Dead family mourned today in 1999 when beloved tape archivist Dick Latvala died of a heart attack at 56, taking with him the man whose dedication to preserving concert recordings led to the cherished "Dick's Picks" series…

 

Broadway and Hollywood lost a melodic master today in 2012 when composer Marvin Hamlisch died at 68 from complications following a kidney transplant, silencing the man behind "The Way We Were" and "A Chorus Line."…

 

Theater history was revolutionized today in 2015 when Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop musical 'Hamilton' debuted on Broadway, bringing rap and R&B to the Great White Way and redefining what American musical theater could be…

 

The Beatles delivered another cinematic soundtrack today in 1965 with the release of their 'Help!' album, featuring the title track alongside classics like "Yesterday" and "Ticket to Ride."…

 

Power trio perfection was achieved today in 1968 when Cream released 'Wheels of Fire,' the double album showcasing Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker at their most explosive and improvisational.