March 16

Rock's most powerful female guitarist Nancy Wilson celebrates her 72nd birthday today, the Heart co-founder whose acoustic and electric work alongside sister Ann proved that women could master both delicate folk ballads and arena-shaking hard rock across five decades…

 

Motown lost one of its most promising voices on this day in 1970 when Tammi Terrell died at 24 from a brain tumor, ending the career of the singer whose duets with Marvin Gaye on "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" had defined soul partnership before tragedy struck during her prime…

 

Blues guitar lost its founding electric stylist today in 1975 when T-Bone Walker died at 64 from a stroke, ending the life of the Texas guitarist whose single-string solos and showmanship influenced everyone from B.B. King to Chuck Berry while establishing the template for modern blues guitar…

 

Surf music mourned its undisputed king on this day in 2019 when Dick Dale died at 81, ending the career of the guitarist whose "Misirlou" and reverb-drenched Stratocaster defined instrumental rock while Pulp Fiction introduced his primal sound to new generations…

 

We remember country's most authentic outlaw Jerry Jeff Walker on his birthday today in 1942, the songwriter who wrote "Mr. Bojangles" and embraced Texas honky-tonk culture while rejecting Nashville's polish before his death in 2020 ended five decades of cosmic cowboy authenticity…

 

British rock royalty met the monarchy on this day in 2017 when Ray Davies was knighted by Prince Charles for services to music, the Kinks frontman receiving recognition for six decades of quintessentially English songwriting that chronicled working-class life with unmatched wit.