May 21

We remember jazz piano's greatest entertainer Fats Waller on his birthday today in 1904, the stride pianist whose "Ain't Misbehavin'" and comedic asides proved that technical virtuosity and humor could coexist while his prolific output before his death at 39 in 1943 influenced every jazz pianist who followed…

 

David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust band lost its bassist today in 2013 when Trevor Bolder died at 62 from pancreatic cancer, ending the career of the musician whose thunderous playing on 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust' had been essential to glam rock's greatest album…

 

Soft rock's most theatrical voice Leo Sayer was born today in 1948, the British singer whose clown makeup and "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" proved that earnest balladry could achieve disco-era success while his curly hair became one of the 1970s' most distinctive images…

 

Reggae's greatest prophet received a state funeral today in 1981 when Bob Marley was buried in St. Ann's, Jamaica, ten days after his cancer death, the Jamaican government's honors proving that the Rastafarian rebel had become a national treasure transcending politics…

 

Soul reached its socially conscious peak today in 1971 with Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On,' the album featuring the title track and "Mercy Mercy Me" that proved Motown could address Vietnam, ecology, and inner-city struggles while creating timeless music…

 

Hip-hop's greatest storyteller was born today in 1972 when Christopher Wallace entered the world in Brooklyn, destined to become the Notorious B.I.G. whose "Juicy" and murder at 24 in 1997 made him rap's most influential East Coast voice despite his tragically brief career…

 

Cool jazz found its patron saint today in 1979 when Time Magazine's Rickie Lee Jones profile coined the nickname "the Duchess of Coolsville," the moniker capturing the beatnik singer's distinctive style while her "Chuck E's in Love" made her one of the year's most unlikely stars.