May 9

Pop's greatest piano man Billy Joel celebrates his 77th birthday today, the Long Island singer-songwriter whose "Piano Man" and working-class anthems proved that Tin Pan Alley craftsmanship could dominate the 1970s and '80s while his early retirement from pop songwriting left fans wanting more for decades…

 

Rock and roll lost its most flamboyant architect on this day in 2020 when Little Richard died at 87 at his brother's Tennessee home, ending the life of the "Architect of Rock and Roll" whose "Tutti Frutti" and pompadour screams established the template for every wild performer that followed across seven decades…

 

Rock criticism created a legend today in 1974 when Rolling Stone's Jon Landau saw Bruce Springsteen at a Cambridge, Massachusetts concert and wrote "I have seen rock and roll's future and his name is Bruce Springsteen," the quote launching the Boss toward superstardom while Landau became his producer…

 

Country's most unlikely marriage began today in 2005 when Kenny Chesney wed actress Renée Zellweger in the Caribbean, the union between the stadium country star and Oscar winner lasting just four months before annulment citing "fraud" sparked endless speculation about what went wrong…

 

We remember soul's most powerful duo Sam & Dave on Dave Prater's birthday today in 1937, the "Hold On, I'm Comin'" singer whose partnership with Sam Moore defined Memphis soul before their acrimonious split and his death in a 1988 car crash ended one of R&B's greatest partnerships…

 

Country-rock's founding voice Richie Furay celebrates his 82nd birthday today, the Buffalo Springfield and Poco co-founder whose high harmonies helped define the Southern California sound while his Christian conversion took him away from secular music for decades…

 

Synth-pop's most tortured frontman Dave Gahan turns 64 today, the Depeche Mode vocalist whose heroin addiction and 1996 near-death overdose proved that electronic music could be as self-destructive as rock and roll while his survival allowed the band to continue dominating.