February 28

Uriah Heep lost its operatic voice today in 1985 when David Byron died at 38 from an epileptic fit brought on by liver disease, ending the life of the British singer whose powerful vocals on "Easy Livin'" helped define early heavy metal before alcoholism destroyed his health…

 

Proto-punk lost its most chameleonic voice on this day in 2025 when David Johansen died at 75 after a decade battling stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor, ending the life of the New York Dolls frontman who reinvented himself as pompadoured lounge singer Buster Poindexter, proving punk attitude could embrace swing and blues…

 

We remember the Rolling Stones' founding visionary Brian Jones on his birthday today in 1942, the multi-instrumentalist whose slide guitar and exotic instruments shaped the band's early sound before drug addiction and drowning death at 27 made him rock's first major casualty…

 

Train's earnest frontman Pat Monahan celebrates his 57th birthday today, the singer whose "Drops of Jupiter" and "Hey, Soul Sister" made the San Francisco band adult contemporary radio's most reliable hitmakers across two decades of melodic rock-pop…

 

Celtic soul found its mystical voice today in 1970 with the release of Van Morrison's 'Moondance,' the album featuring the title track and "Into the Mystic" that proved the Belfast singer could follow 'Astral Weeks' with equally transcendent but more accessible material…

 

Irish rock found its political voice today in 1983 with the release of U2's 'War,' the album featuring "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" that established Bono's band as more than post-punk stylists, proving their activism matched their musical ambitions.