March 15

We remember the Grateful Dead's melodic bassist Phil Lesh on his birthday today in 1940, the classically trained musician whose innovative counterpoint playing revolutionized rock bass while his vocals on "Box of Rain" showcased his tender side before his death in 2024 ended six decades of psychedelic exploration…

 

We honor Texas blues' greatest improviser Lightnin' Hopkins on his birthday today in 1912, the guitarist whose ability to make up songs on the spot and thousands of recordings preserved rural blues traditions while influencing everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan before his death in 1982…

 

Funk's most revolutionary architect Sly Stone was born today in 1943, the visionary whose integrated band and groundbreaking albums like 'There's a Riot Goin' On' changed popular music before drugs and paranoia destroyed his career and left him living in a van decades later…

 

Roots music's greatest explorer Ry Cooder celebrates his 79th birthday today, the slide guitarist and musicologist whose film scores and world music collaborations proved that American music's connections to global traditions could create both art and commercial success…

 

Jazz lost its coolest tenor saxophonist on this day in 1959 when Lester Young died at 49 from alcoholism and depression, ending the career of the musician whose light tone and hipster language influenced everyone from Charlie Parker to the Beat Generation…

 

Hair metal's most defiant frontman Dee Snider celebrates his 71st birthday today, the Twisted Sister vocalist whose Senate testimony against the PMRC and "We're Not Gonna Take It" made him heavy metal's most articulate defender of artistic freedom…

 

Alternative rock's most sunny frontman Mark McGrath turns 58 today, the Sugar Ray vocalist whose transformation from punk roots to pop-rock radio dominance with "Fly" and "Every Morning" proved that selling out could still create undeniable hooks…

 

Live rock reached its sweaty peak today in 1978 with the release of F…E…A…T, Little Feat's 'Waiting for Columbus,' the double album capturing Lowell George's band at their funkiest, proving that studio perfectionists could also deliver explosive concert performances.