July 5

 

Huey Lewis celebrates his 75th birthday today. The charismatic frontman led Huey Lewis and the News to massive success in the 1980s with their blend of rock, pop, and R&B, creating the soundtrack to films like "Back to the Future."…

 

The Band's master storyteller Robbie Robertson was born today in 1943. The guitarist and primary songwriter crafted Americana classics like "The Weight" and "Up on Cripple Creek" before his death in 2023, leaving behind a legacy of rootsy rock perfection…

 

San Francisco's psychedelic scene began taking shape on this day in 1965 when Marty Balin and Paul Kantner joined forces to create a folk-rock group. Their collaboration would soon blossom into Jefferson Airplane, one of the counterculture's most important bands…

 

Rock and roll lost a colorful character on this day in 2000 when Cub Koda died from kidney failure complications. The Brownsville Station founder and music journalist was best known for the novelty hit "Smokin' in the Boys Room" and his encyclopedic knowledge of American music…

 

Hootie & the Blowfish unleashed "Cracked Rear View" on this day in 1994, creating one of the decade's most unexpected success stories. The South Carolina band's blend of rock, folk, and pop would make the album one of the best-selling debuts in music history.