February 15

Pop lost its most elegant voice today in 1965 when Nat King Cole died of lung cancer at 45, ending the career of the smoky-voiced crooner whose "Unforgettable" and groundbreaking success as the first African-American to host a network television show made him a pioneering icon…

 

Chicago blues lost its greatest guitarist today in 1981 when Mike Bloomfield was found dead in his car at 37 from an accidental heroin overdose, ending the life of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Electric Flag founder whose playing had influenced an entire generation…

 

Blues harmonica lost its most innovative voice today in 1968 when Little Walter died at 37 from injuries sustained in a street fight outside a Chicago nightclub, ending the career of the musician who had revolutionized amplified harmonica and influenced every harp player who followed…

 

Motown's hit factory got one of its architects when Brian Holland was born on this day in 1941, the songwriter-producer who with brother Eddie and Lamont Dozier created the Holland-Dozier-Holland team that wrote the Supremes' biggest hits and defined the Detroit sound…

 

Prince's most famous protégé Vanity died on this day in 2016 at 57, born Denise Katrina Matthews, the "Nasty Girl" singer whose sexuality and eventual religious conversion made her one of pop's most dramatic transformations before renal failure claimed her…

 

Rock production's purist Glyn Johns was born this day in 1942, the British engineer whose work with the Eagles, Who, and Beatles showcased his belief that capturing honest performances mattered more than studio trickery, influencing decades of producers…

 

Ice cream met counterculture today in 1987 when Ben & Jerry's introduced Cherry Garcia, naming the flavor after Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, proving that hippie capitalism and corporate branding could coexist in the most delicious way possible.