March 2

We remember rock's darkest poet Lou Reed on his birthday today in 1943, the Velvet Underground founder whose unflinching explorations of New York's underbelly and willingness to challenge audiences made him one of music's most influential and difficult voices before his death in 2013…

 

Pop lost its most soulful British voice today in 1999 when Dusty Springfield died at 59 after battling breast cancer, ending the career of the blue-eyed soul singer whose "Son of a Preacher Man" and beehive hair made her the 1960s' most distinctive female vocalist…

 

Blues-rock mourned its blind virtuoso on this day in 2008 when Jeff Healey died at 41 from cancer, ending the life of the Canadian guitarist who played his Stratocaster flat on his lap while his technical mastery proved that disability couldn't limit musical expression…

 

Smooth jazz found its most sophisticated guitarist when Larry Carlton was born today in 1948, the session legend whose work with Steely Dan and the Crusaders showcased his ability to blend blues feeling with jazz harmony across five decades…

 

We remember pop's most angelic voice Karen Carpenter on her birthday today in 1950, the drummer-turned-vocalist whose pure tone on "We've Only Just Begun" and tragic death from anorexia at 32 in 1983 brought eating disorders into public consciousness…

 

Irish blues lost its greatest guitarist when we remember Rory Gallagher on his birthday today in 1948, the Stratocaster master whose battered guitar and authentic blues performances influenced everyone from Brian May to The Edge before liver failure killed him at 47 in 1995…

 

New Jersey's arena rock king Jon Bon Jovi celebrates his 64th birthday today, the singer-songwriter whose anthem-writing and photogenic looks made his band stadium headliners while his acting and philanthropy proved his ambitions extended beyond "Livin' on a Prayer."…

 

Coldplay's earnest frontman Chris Martin turns 49 today, the British singer-pianist whose emotional vulnerability and soaring melodies on songs like "Fix You" and "Yellow" made the band one of the 21st century's biggest stadium acts despite critical accusations of blandness…

 

Rock mockumentary perfection arrived on this day in 1984 with the release of 'This Is Spinal Tap,' Rob Reiner's documentary-style satire starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer that proved so authentic that many viewers believed the band was real.