April 20

British rock lost one of its most soulful voices today in 1991 when Steve Marriott died at 44 in a fire at his Essex home, ending the career of the Small Faces and Humble Pie frontman whose powerhouse vocals influenced Paul Rodgers and countless others before cigarette-related tragedy claimed him…

 

Reggae royalty continued today in 1972 when Stephen Marley was born, Bob Marley's son whose eight Grammys and production work proved that the family's musical legacy could extend beyond nostalgia while honoring his father's roots and innovation…

 

Indie rock met mainstream pop today in 2019 when Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney married singer Michelle Branch, the union between the blues-rock minimalist and "Everywhere" hitmaker proving that musical opposites could attract across genre boundaries…

 

Soul lost a silky voice on this day in 2017 when Cuba Gooding Sr. died at 72, ending the career of the Main Ingredient lead singer whose "Everybody Plays the Fool" showcased his smooth delivery while fathering the Oscar-winning actor who bore his name…

 

We remember Latin music's greatest ambassador Tito Puente on his birthday today in 1923, the "King of Latin Music" whose timbales and mambo innovations brought Afro-Cuban rhythms to mainstream America across seven decades before his death in 2000…

 

We honor jazz vibraphone's founding virtuoso Lionel Hampton on his birthday today in 1908, the musician who elevated the vibraphone from novelty to essential jazz instrument while his energetic performances influenced everyone from Milt Jackson to Bobby Hutcherson before his death in 2002.