December 23

 

Grunge's most enduring voice Eddie Vedder celebrates his 61st birthday today, the Pearl Jam frontman whose baritone and intense stage presence have made him alternative rock's most principled survivor, maintaining artistic integrity while the band has outlasted all their Seattle contemporaries…

 

Hard rock lost one of its most powerful guitarists on this day in 2020 when Leslie West died of cardiac arrest at 75, ending the life of the Mountain frontman whose massive tone on "Mississippi Queen" influenced generations of heavy players despite never achieving superstar status…

 

Progressive rock's most innovative guitarist Adrian Belew was born today in 1949, the versatile musician whose work with King Crimson, Talking Heads, and David Bowie showcased his ability to coax otherworldly sounds from his instrument using effects and technique…

 

Psychedelic rock's most tasteful guitarist Jorma Kaukonen was born on this day in 1940, the Jefferson Airplane axeman whose blues-based playing and later acoustic work with Hot Tuna proved that virtuosity and hippie ideals could coexist across five decades…

 

Folk music's most fragile voice Tim Hardin was born on this day in 1941, the singer-songwriter whose "If I Were a Carpenter" and "Reason to Believe" became standards despite his heroin addiction preventing him from achieving the success he deserved before his overdose death in 1980…

 

Jazz's most troubled romantic Chet Baker was born on this day in 1929, the trumpeter and vocalist whose cool West Coast sound and James Dean looks made him a star before drug addiction destroyed his embouchure and led to his mysterious death from a hotel window in 1988…

 

Spiritual transformation became official today in 1977 when Cat Stevens formally changed his name to Yusuf Islam, the British singer-songwriter abandoning his pop career for decades after his religious conversion before eventually returning to music in the 2000s.