May 15

Ambient music's founding architect Brian Eno was born on this day in 1948, the former Roxy Music synthesizer wizard whose production work with U2, Talking Heads, and David Bowie proved equally influential to his own pioneering electronic soundscapes across five decades of innovation…

 

Country music lost its First Lady today in 2003 when June Carter Cash died at 73 in Nashville, ending the life of Johnny Cash's second wife whose "Ring of Fire" co-write and steadying influence kept the Man in Black grounded before her death hastened his own demise four months later…

 

Progressive rock's one-man orchestra Mike Oldfield celebrates his 73rd birthday today, the British multi-instrumentalist whose 'Tubular Bells' became an unlikely phenomenon after its use in 'The Exorcist' proved that 50-minute instrumental epics could achieve commercial success…

 

We remember the 27 Club's most obscure member Gary Thain on his birthday today in 1948, the Uriah Heep bassist whose drug problems led to his 1975 firing before a heroin overdose killed him at 27 in 1975, making him heavy metal's least-known tragic casualty…

 

Internet culture created a rap star today in 2002 when the Wu-Tang Name Generator went online, the app eventually giving actor Donald Glover the moniker "Childish Gambino" that would become his musical identity for "This Is America" and Atlanta fame…

 

Fleetwood Mac history began today in 1975 when the band played their first concert with new members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks in El Paso, Texas, the lineup addition transforming a British blues band into soft-rock's most successful and dysfunctional soap opera.