Born: April 02, 1938

Died: March 01, 2022

Country music singer-songwriter, penned his first song at age 13 and scored a Country Top 10 hit with it at age 19, "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)" (#61, Country #9, 1957), added sixteen other Country Top 40 hits, including "The Bridge Washed Out" (Country #1, 1965) and two minor crossover singles through 1970, suffered injuries in an early 70s car accident that led to decades of health issues and largely ruined his career, issued a final album in 2020, his first in 49 years, and died in a Nashville hospital on 3/1/2022, age 86.

Born: August 10, 1945

Died: March 01, 2015

Founding member, guitarist and songwriter for garage/surf rock The Chantays, co-wrote their instrumental hit "Pipeline" (#4, 1963), continued to perform with the band until his death from Crohn's disease on 3/1/2015, age 69

Born: June 21, 1947

Died: March 01, 2025

Guitar, vocals and songwriter for Brit power pop Badfinger ("Come And Get It," #7, 1970) from 1969 through 1974 and in various incarnations of the band for the next four decades, in the early 70s moonlighted as a session musician with members of The Beatles on their solo projects, enjoyed a moderately successful solo career with several singles and six albums, the last LP, Be True To Yourself in 2021, was the sole surviving member of the classic 70s lineup of Badfinger on his death from complications of diabetes on 3/1/2025, age 77.

Born: June 05, 1948

Died: March 01, 1991

Keyboards for Aussie light pop-rock Air Supply, "The One That You Love" (#1, 1981), died on 3/1/1991, age 42

Born: December 18, 1961

Died: March 01, 2025

Pioneer hip hop star in the 70s turned R&B/smooth soul singer in the 90s, co-founded The Sequence ("Funk You Up," R&B #15, 1979), the first all-female rap group, in 1978, then joined urban soul-pop Vertical Hold ("Seems You're Much Too Busy," R&B #17, 1993) in the 90s, followed by a successful 25-year solo career singing laid-back, sultry neo-soul on seven R&B Top 20 albums, including The Art Of Love & War (#11, R&B #1, 2007), plus 16 charting singles through 2019, wrote hits for Mary J. Blige and D'Angelo and had a sideline career acting in films, on TV and on stage, including the role of Big Mama Thornton in Chicago in 2002, was returning to her Atlanta home from an Alabama performance when killed in a car accident on 3/1/2025, age 63.

Born: November 30, 1939

Died: March 01, 2019

Journeyman British guitarist and vocalist, in the 60s as a blues-rocker in Zoot Money's Big Roll Band (with future Police guitarist Andy Summers) and the Alexis Korner Band (aka Blues Incorporated), briefly joined John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers (replaced John McVie in 1967), later with progressive rock Juicy Lucy, Tempest and, after relocating to the U.S., I.O.U., performed with various rock bands through to the 10s, died from undisclosed causes on 3/1/2019, age 78.

Born: May 20, 1962

Died: March 01, 2021

Renowned jazz drummer and bandleader, starting as the second drummer for The Jazz Messengers in 1983 and continuing through a long list of collaborations with Stanley Clark, the Marsalis brothers (Wynton and Branford) and David Murray, among many others, issued 22 albums as a leader of various ensembles and taught new generations of musicians at Berklee College of Music in Boston and at Philadelphia's University of the Arts, died from complications of cancer on 3/1/2021, age 58.

Born: August 22, 1952

Died: March 01, 2021

Legendary music entrepreneur and record label executive often called the "father of Australian pop music" for his relentless promotion of Down Under acts around the world, started as a teenage dancehall promoter, then founded Mushroom Records at age 20 in 1972, signed and promoted countless artists including Split Enz, Kylie Minogue and Jimmy Barnes, Mushroom eventually became the largest independent record label in Australia and spawned music publishing, touring and production conglomerate Mushroom Group after the record label sold in 1998, died in his sleep on 3/1/2021, age 68.

Born: June 30, 1952

Died: March 01, 2022

Founding member and bass vocals for 70s smooth Philly soul Blue Magic and their big early disco hit "Sideshow" (#8, R&B #1, 1974) plus six other R&B Top 10 hits, stayed with the group through several break-ups through the 90s, led revival "new" Blue Magic in the late 2000s in competition with two other former bandmates until his death from cancer on 3/1/2022, age 69.

Born: May 06, 1930

Died: March 01, 2023

R&B tenor vocalist and founding member of three 50s R&B/doo wop groups, the Lamplighters (1952-1953), the Hollywood Flames (“Buzz-Buzz-Buzz,” #11, R&B #8, 1956), and the original line-up of The Coasters (“Down In Mexico,” R&B #8, 1956), left before The Coasters’ big hits in the late 50s and collaborated with several R&B vocal groups in the 60s and 70s, later fronted his own version of The Coasters on the oldies circuit and mentored young musicians, last surviving member of the original Coasters at his death at home from natural causes on 3/01/2023, age 92.