Prince left behind a vast legacy that transcended genre, race, and convention.
Prince Rogers Nelson, known mononymously as Prince, was born on June 7, 1958, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His parents, John L. Nelson and Mattie Della Shaw, were both musically inclined—his father a jazz pianist and songwriter, his mother a jazz singer. This musical environment deeply influenced Prince from an early age.
Summer of 2025 has taken several individuals that I’ll take a look at here.
These guys were the face of the World Wrestling Federation, and was an actor; won Grammy awards playing the trumpet and flugelhorn; formed the band Golden Earring and wrote hits such as “Radar Love” and “Twilight Zone”; and played Theo on the Cosby Show and appeared in a multitude of TV episodes over the years.
In 1981, during a meeting with CBS Records executives, he bit the heads off two live doves as a publicity stunt.
John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne was born on December 3, 1948, in Aston, Birmingham, England, to a working-class family, and struggled with dyslexia and other learning difficulties in school, eventually dropping out at age 15. He never served in the military and worked a series of odd jobs, including as a construction laborer and slaughterhouse worker, before turning to music.
This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite vocalists. See if you agree with any of these!
Greg Lake (1947–2016) was an English musician, singer, and songwriter best known as the vocalist and bassist for progressive rock bands King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP). Lake’s rich baritone voice was a defining feature of both groups, combining clarity, warmth,
These songs all have cool, strange, and or notable last lines of the lyrics.
“Taxi,” written and performed by Harry Chapin, was released in 1972 as the lead single from his debut album Heads & Tales. The song, a poignant storytelling ballad, recounts a chance encounter between a taxi driver and his former lover, Sue, highlighting how both abandoned their youthful dreams—he aspired to be a pilot, she an actress—and settled into unfulfilled lives.
She was a leading figure in soul and R&B music.
Roberta Cleopatra Flack, born on February 10, 1937, in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was a prodigious talent who began playing the piano at the age of nine. Raised in Arlington, Virginia, she received a full music scholarship to Howard University at just 15 years old, where she honed her skills in classical piano before transitioning to vocal performance.
Both the drummer and singer, a rare combination in rock music.
Singing lead and playing drums simultaneously is one of the great feats in popular music. Here I’ll post about some of the artists that make it work. The drummer is typically relegated to the rear, but here we’ll find some that should be right out front.
Jones was one of few producers to have number one records in three consecutive decades (1960s, 1970s, and 1980s).
Quincy Jones is one of the most influential figures in music and entertainment, celebrated for his innovative production work, his vast contributions across genres, and his collaborations with some of the industry’s biggest names. Born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, Jones’s early life was marked by hardship and a drive to succeed.
Known for blending bossa nova, samba, and jazz with pop.
Sérgio Mendes is a Brazilian musician known for blending bossa nova, samba, and jazz with a distinct pop sound. Over his long career, Mendes has become a globally recognized figure in Brazilian music and has had significant influence on popularizing the genre outside of Brazil. Sérgio Santos Mendes was born on February 11, 1941, in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Country music is crying today.
Joseph Sloan Bonsall Jr., known as Joe Bonsall, was born on May 18, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a close-knit family, with his parents and sister. His father, Joseph Sloan Bonsall Sr., served in the United States Army during World War II, which had a significant impact on Joe’s upbringing, instilling in him values of patriotism and resilience.
