May 11

British Invasion's grittiest voice Eric Burdon celebrates his 85th birthday today, the Animals frontman whose blues shouting on "House of the Rising Sun" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" made him one of rock's most authentic interpreters of African-American music across six decades…

 

Reggae lost its greatest prophet on this day in 1981 when Bob Marley died at 36 from melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain, ending the career of the Jamaican musician whose Rastafarian message and "One Love" made him the third world's most important musical voice…

 

We remember the Allman Brothers' second drummer Butch Trucks on his birthday today in 1947, the timekeeper whose dual percussion work with Jaimoe created the polyrhythmic foundation for Southern rock's most improvisational band before his suicide in 2017 ended five decades of groove…

 

Rod Stewart's superstardom arrived today in 1971 with the release of 'Every Picture Tells a Story,' the album featuring "Maggie May" that transformed the raspy-voiced singer from Faces sideman to solo star while proving that British rockers could master American roots music…

 

The Jimi Hendrix Experience lost its bassist today in 2003 when Noel Redding died at 57 at his Irish home, ending the life of the musician whose melodic playing had been essential to the power trio's sound despite his being overshadowed by Hendrix's genius…

 

Philly soul mourned a senseless loss on this day in 2004 when songwriter John Whitehead was shot dead by a gunman at his Philadelphia home at 55, ending the career of the O'Jays collaborator whose "Back Stabbers" co-write had defined the Sound of Philadelphia…

 

Rock royalty met soft-core legacy today in 2011 when Playboy featured Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall's daughter Elizabeth on its cover, the modeling gig proving that even Rolling Stones' offspring couldn't escape capitalizing on famous parents despite the magazine's declining cultural relevance.