January 9

 

Led Zeppelin's guitar wizard Jimmy Page celebrates his 82nd birthday today, the session musician turned rock god whose innovative production and mystical riffs on albums like 'Led Zeppelin IV' made him one of the most influential guitarists in rock history…

 

Folk music's most unwavering conscience Joan Baez celebrates her 85th birthday today, the soprano whose pure voice and political activism made her the face of 1960s protest music while her relationship with Bob Dylan added romantic intrigue to the folk revival…

 

We remember glam rock's most theatrical showman, David Johansen on his birthday today in 1950, the New York Dolls frontman who influenced punk before reinventing himself as lounge singer Buster Poindexter - the lounge alter ego Johansen created in the 1980s…

 

South African rhythms met American jam bands when Dave Matthews was born today in 1959, the singer-songwriter whose Dave Matthews Band became one of the 1990s' biggest touring acts by blending world music influences with accessible pop-rock songwriting…

 

Country music's most crystalline voice was born on this day in 1951 when Brenda Gail Webb entered the world as Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn's younger sister, who stepped out of that shadow with her floor-length hair and crossover hits like "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue."…

 

The Rolling Stones' final piece fell into place today in 1963 when drummer Charlie Watts left Blues Incorporated to join Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the jazz-loving timekeeper bringing understated elegance to rock's most enduring bad boys until his death in 2021.