May 23

We remember electronic music's founding architect Dr. Robert Moog on his birthday today in 1934, the synthesizer inventor whose voltage-controlled instruments revolutionized popular music by making electronic sounds accessible to musicians from the Beatles to Kraftwerk before his death in 2005…

 

Boston rock's most reliable bassist Danny Klein celebrates his 80th birthday today, the J. Geils Band co-founder whose steady playing supported Peter Wolf's frontman antics across four decades while the band's blue-collar work ethic made them one of America's greatest live acts…

 

Art-pop's smoothest guitarist Rick Fenn turns 73 today, the 10cc member whose session work and band contributions proved that British pop could embrace both sophistication and commercial appeal while his later work with Mike + The Mechanics extended his collaborative career…

 

Folk-pop's most confessional voice Jewel celebrates her 52nd birthday today, the Alaska-raised singer whose "Who Will Save Your Soul" and yodeling proved that homeless street performers could become multi-platinum stars while her poetry and acting showed talents beyond singer-songwriter basics…

 

Rock opera was born today in 1969 with the Who's release of 'Tommy,' Pete Townshend's ambitious double album about a deaf, dumb, and blind kid proving that concept albums could tell coherent stories while establishing the template for every theatrical rock project that followed.