November 10

 

We remember prog-rock's majestic voice Greg Lake on his birthday today in 1948, the King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer bassist-vocalist whose powerful singing on "Lucky Man" and "From the Beginning" brought soul to progressive rock's complexity before his death from cancer in 2016…

 

New Orleans lost its greatest musical architect on this day in 2015 when Allen Toussaint died at 77, ending the life of the songwriter-producer whose work with artists from Lee Dorsey to LaBelle helped define the Crescent City's funky R&B sound while his own "Southern Nights" became a standard…

 

Counterculture lost its most colorful instigator on this date in 2001 when Ken Kesey died at 66, ending the life of the Merry Prankster whose Acid Tests with the Grateful Dead helped launch psychedelic culture and whose novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" made him a literary icon…

 

We honor the memory of Atlanta Rhythm Section's smooth vocalist Ronnie Hammond on his birthday today in 1950, the singer whose Southern soul delivery on hits like "So Into You" and "Imaginary Lover" helped define the band's sophisticated rock sound before his death in 2011…

 

We remember Alice Cooper band's original guitarist Glen Buxton on his birthday today in 1947, the heavy riffmaster whose playing on "School's Out" and "I'm Eighteen" helped establish shock rock's sonic foundation before his death from pneumonia in 1997 at just 49…

 

Studio guitar royalty Tommy Tedesco died of lung cancer today in 1997 at 67, ending the career of the most recorded guitarist in history whose session work graced everything from The Monkees to "Bonanza" while remaining unknown to most music fans…

 

The Grateful Dead's live magic was officially documented today in 1969 with the release of 'Live/Dead,' the double album featuring the 23-minute "Dark Star" that proved the band's improvisational genius could be captured on vinyl and established the template for their legendary concert recordings.