This Day in Rock Music History: May 14
1943
Scottish musician Jack Bruce, lead vocalist and bassist of Cream, was born in Bishopbriggs, Scotland. He died of liver cancer at the age of 71 on Oct. 25, 2014, in Sudbury, England.
1944
Canadian-American musician Gene Cornish, original member of the Young Rascals, was born in Ottawa, ON. He moved to Rochester, NY as a child, and became a talented guitar and harmonica player. He helped form the Young Rascals in 1965, later leaving in 1971. He rejoined the band in short spurts in 1988, 1997, 2010 and 2012, before rejoining in 2022, for which he’s still an active member. Happy 81st birthday, Gene!
1952
Scottish-American musician David Byrne, founding member of Talking Heads, was born in Dumbarton, Scotland. He helped form Talking Heads in 1975, and was the band’s lead singer and guitarist. The band went on hiatus in 1988, and Byrne launched a solo career. Happy 73rd birthday, David!
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1955
Bo Didley‘s Bo Didley and I’m a Man first appeared on the R&B charts. Bo Didley‘s rhythmic pattern was later used by Buddy Holly, the Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones.
1962
English singer Ian Astbury, frontman and founding member of the Cult, was born in Heswall, England. He co-founded the Cult in 1983, for which he has remained a member throughout the band’s entire history. He joined a spinoff of the Doors, the Doors of the 21st Century, in 2002. Happy 63rd birthday, Ian!
American guitarist C.C. DeVill, lead guitarist of Poison, was born in Brooklyn, NY. He joined Poison in 1985, remaining with the band until 1991 when he was fired. He rejoined in 1996 and has remained a member ever since. Happy 63rd birthday, C.C.
1964
A 1964 Billboard article featured the news that London records was about to launch a major promotion for a new British band called The Rolling Stones, who had released their single Not Fade Away and album The Rolling Stones.
1966
American bassist Mike Inez, bassist of Alice in Chains, was born in Los Angeles, CA. He began playing in Ozzy Osbourne’s band in 1989. In 1993, he replaced Mike Starr in Alice in Chains, remaining with the band until their breakup after the death of lead singer Layne Staley. He’s played with Jerry Cantrell, Slash’s Snakebite, Black Label Society, Heart and rejoined a reformed Alice In Chains in 2005. Happy 59th birthday, Mike!
1979
American singer and guitarist Dan Auerbach, co-founder of the Black Keys, was born in Wooster, Ohio. He founded the Black Keys with drummer Patrick Carney in 2001. Auerbach has gone on to produce for several musicians. Happy 46th birthday, Dan!
1988
Led Zeppelin, with John Bonham’s son Jason Bonham on drums, reunited for Atlantic Records’ 40th anniversary party at Madison Square Garden. Foreigner, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Genisis, Emerson, lake and Palmer, Wilson Pickett and Ben E. King also performed.
