Her uncle Bill Owens recognized her extraordinary talent, gave her a guitar, helped her obtain early performing opportunities.
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, near the Great Smoky Mountains, the fourth of twelve children born to Robert Lee Parton Sr., a sharecropper and laborer, and Avie Lee Owens Parton, who sang and played music for the family. The Partons lived in severe poverty in a small cabin, without many of the comforts that most families took for granted, but Dolly later
He sang in his church choir, learned to play harmonica, piano, and drums without formal instruction, and quickly demonstrated an uncanny ability to master nearly any instrument placed before him.
Stevie Wonder, born Stevland Hardaway Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan, is one of the most extraordinary musical talents in popular music history. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Detroit, where he was raised by his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, after his parents separated. Wonder was born six weeks premature, and the high concentration of oxygen used in
The album Rumours became a phenomenon almost without precedent, eventually spending 31 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Fleetwood Mac began in London in 1967 during the peak of the British blues explosion, growing directly out of the enormously influential circle surrounding John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
Four more losses to reflect on here in 2026…
These individuals were a woodwind musician and a founding member of Chicago; an American economist who served as the 13th chair of the Federal Reserve; a visual effects artist known for his work in films such as Star Trek, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, etc.; and an actress, television writer, best known for being Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.
Four more losses to reflect on here early summer of 2026.
These guys were a jazz tenor saxophonist who was very influential; singer and songwriter known for songs like “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion; a television director known for shows like Taxi, Frasier, Friends, and Cheers; and a journalist, television personality, film and book critic, and author known for his comedic approach.
Reporting on several guys that have recently passed.
These guys were a cartoonist and author of the comic strip Dilbert; musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead; film director, screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and playwright, best known for his Disney work; and the bass guitarist of German rock band Scorpions.
Bands who have had lots of members over the span of their career.
So what counts as the lots of members in this fictitious game I’m making up as I go? Basically I’m counting the most members they used in their group throughout their entire history. I’ll list some here with some of their membership. I will also list some bands that just had a lot, not especially the most.
We have lost four beloved musical artists here at the end of Spring 2025.
These artists recorded hits like “Everyday People”, “Dance to the Music, and “Family Affair”; sang on songs like “Always”, “Circles”, and “Secret Lovers”; composed and conducted music for Alf and The Simpsons; and wrote songs recorded by The Carpenters, The Association, Three Dog Night, and Paul Anka.
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.
His deep, gravelly voice and evocative lyrics earned him respect as one of the key figures in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s.
Kris Kristofferson was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and former military officer whose contributions to music and film have spanned decades. Born on June 22, 1936, in Brownsville, Texas, Kristofferson came from a military family. His father was a U.S. Army Air Corps officer, and the family moved frequently during Kris’s early years. He excelled academically and athletically, earning a Rhodes Scholarship1 to study at Merton College, Oxford.
