This Day In Rock History: February 20th
Born This Day
1944 Lew Soloff, from jazz-rock American music group Blood Sweat & Tears. They scored the 1969 US No.2 single 'Spinning Wheel', and the 1969 US No.12 single 'You've Made Me So Very Happy'. They had a US No.1 with their second album Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1968.
1950 Walter Becker, bass, guitar, vocals, songwriter with American group Steely Dan. Can't Buy a Thrill, Steely Dan's debut album, was released in 1972. Its hit singles 'Do It Again' and 'Reelin' In the Years' reached No. 6 and No. 11 respectively on the Billboard singles chart and the songs became staples on progressive radio. Steely Dan's Two Against Nature won a Grammy in 2001 for Album of the year. Becker has produced records for Rickie Lee Jones, China Crisis and Michael Franks. Becker died on 3 September 2017 aged 67.
1951 Randy California, guitarist, singer with Spirit, who had the 1969 US No.25 single 'I Got A Line On You', and the 1981 UK No.40 album 'Potato Land'. He died on 2nd January 1997 when rescuing his 12 year-old son after he was sucked into a riptide in surf off Hawaii.
1967
Kurt Cobain guitarist, singer, songwriter with
Nirvana who had the 1991 hit '
Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Their 1991 album '
Nevermind' spent over two years on the UK chart. During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction, illness and depression. Cobain committed suicide on April 5th 1994. Cobain has been remembered as one of the most iconic rock musicians in the history of alternative music.
source: thisdayinmusic