A very interesting mix this month. There’s a Disney connection, a lot of Grammy Winners, Bruce Springsteen connections, a slight Broadway theme, and some really interesting mess of 70s rockers. You can probably find your own theme, too, because it’s just a motley crew of amazing musicians.
July 1: Grammy Award-winning blues artist Willie Dixon (1915-1992), American gospel singer Andrae Crouch (1942-2015), Debbie Harry of Blondie (1945), Fred Schneider of The B-52’s (1951), Rapper Missy Elliott (1971)
July 2: Jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal (1930), Keyboardist Roy Bittan of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band (1949), Ashley Tisdale (1985), Lindsay Lohan (1986)
July 3: American composer George M. Cohan (1878-1942), Country Blues singer/guitarist Mississippi John Hurt (1893-1966), 1980’s pop star Laura Branigan (1957-2004), Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode/Yaz/Erasure (1960), 6-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (1970)
July 4: American songwriter Stephen Foster (1826-1864), Music executive Mitch Miller (1911-2010), Bill Withers (1938), John Waite of The Babys/Bad English (1952)
July 5: Robbie Robertson of The Band (1943), Huey Lewis (1950), Grammy Award winner Marc Cohn (1959), Adam Young of Owl City (1986)
July 6: Bill Haley of Bill Haley and the Comets 🙂 (1925-1981), All around entertainer Della Reese (1931), Grammy Award Hall of Famer Gene Chandler (1937), Rapper 50 Cent (1975)
July 7: Composer Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), Country singer and Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Louvin (1927-2011), Hard bop jazz artist Hank Mobley (1930-1986), Jazz keyboardist Joe Zawinul (1932-2007), Beatles drummer Ringo Starr (1940), Singer Vonda Shepard (1963)
July 8: African American Bandleader Louis Jordan (1908-1975), Bandleaders and Grammy Awards Hall of Famer Billy Eckstine (1914-1993), Entertainer Steve Lawrence (1935), Children’s singer Raffi (1948), Pop artist Joan Osborne (1962), Rocker Beck (1970)
July 9: Italian composer Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936), Bon Scott of AC/DC (1946-1980), Marc Almond of Soft Cell (1957), Jim Kerr of Simple Minds (1959), Courtney Love (1964), Rocker Jack White (1975), Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse (1975)
July 10: Broadway composer Jerry Herman (1931), Hard Bop trumpeter Lee Morgan (1938-1972), Singer and civil 
rights activist Mavis Staples (1939), Hard Rock singer Ronnie James Dio (1942-2010), Folk/protest singer Arlo Guthrie (1947), Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys (1954), Pop singer and reality star Jessica Simpson (1980)
July 11: Composer and London Bell Ringer John Holt (1727-1753), Reggae Singer John Holt (1947-2014), Bonnie Pointer of The Pointer Sisters (1950), Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi (1959), Singer Suzanne Vega (1959), Rapper Li’l Kim (1975), Pianist Peter Cincotti (1983)
July 12: Composer Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960), Pianist Van Cliburn (1934-2013), Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac (1943)
July 13: Jazz saxophonist/composer Albert Ayler (1936-1970), Roger McGuinn of The Byrds (1942)
July 14: Folk singer/activist Woody Guthrie (1912-1967), Grammy Award-winning singer Angelique Kidjo (1960), Country music star Jamey Johnson (1975), Dan Smith of Bastille (1986)
July 15: 11-time Grammy Award pop singer Linda Ronstadt (1946), Trevor Horn of The Buggles/Yes (1949), Johnny Thunders of New York Dolls/The Heartbreakers (1952-1991)
July 16: Jazz vibraphonist Cal Tjader (1925-1982), Stewart Copeland of The Police (1952), Norman Cook [aka Fatboy Slim] (1963)
July 17: Entertainer James Cagney (1899-1986), Jazz vocalistJimmy Scott (1925-2014), Jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi (1928-1976), Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath (1949), Lou Barlow of Dinosaur, Jr./Folk Implosion (1966), Country Music singer Luke Bryan (1976)
July 18: Singer/songwriter Screamin’ Jay Hawkins (1929-2000), Singer Dion (1939), Country & Bluegrass singer Ricky Skaggs (1954), Jack Irons of the Red Hot Chili Peppers/Pearl Jam (1962)
July 19: Bernie Leadon of The Eagles (1947), Brian May of Queen (1947), Keith Godchaux of the Grateful Dead (1948-1980), Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd (1952-1990)
July 20: Two-time Grammy Award-winner Kim Carnes (1945), John Lodge of The Moody Blues (1945), ten-time Grammy Award-winner and iconic guitarist Carlos Santana (1947), Seattle rockers Chris Cornell (1964) and Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard (1966), Country singer Julianne Hough (1988) 
July 21: American violinist and conductor Isaac Stern (1920-2001), Jazz and Blues singer Kay Starr (1922), Jazz vocalist Helen Merrill (1930), Yusuf Islam [formerly Cat Stevens] (1948), Redmond-born singer Blake Lewis (1981)
July 22: Funkadelic music performer and producer George Clinton (1941), Rick Davies of Supertramp (1944), Don Henley of the Eagles (1947), Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken (1949), Selena Gomez (1992)
July 23: American pianist and composer Leon Fleisher (1928), Martin Gore of Depeche Mode (1961), Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash (1965), Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child (1980)
July 24: Jazz pianist Dr. Billy Taylor (1921-2010), Country Music singer Pam Tillis (1957), Entertainer Kristin Chenoweth (1968), Singer Jennifer Lopez (1969)
July 25: Benny Benjamin of Motown’s Funk Brothers (1925-1969), Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire (1951), Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth (1958)
July 26: Composer John Field (1782-1837), Big Band leader Erskine Hawkins (1914-1993), Rolling Stone frontman Mick Jagger (1943), Roger Taylor of Queen (1949)
July 27: Country Music pioneer & singer Bobbie Gentry (1944), Singer Maureen McGovern (1949), Jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson (1963)
July 28: Pop star/teen idol Rudy Vallee (1901-1986), Rick Wright of Pink Floyd (1943-2008), Simon Kirke of Bad Company (1949)
July 29: Swing/Jazz guitarist Charlie Christian (1916-1942), Geddy Lee of Rush (1953), Patti Scialfa of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band (1953), Country Pop singer Martina McBride (1966), Music producer Rodney Jerkins (1977)
July 30: Blues guitarist Buddy Guy (1936), Crooner Paul Anka (1941), Alto saxophonist David Sanborn (1945), Singer Kate Bush (1958)
July 31: Jazz pianist and composer Hank Jones (1918-2010), Singer Lobo (1943), Daniel Ash of Love & Rockets (1957), Bill Berry of R.E.M. (1958), Jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan (1959)
This is gonna be a LOT of partying going on this month! Check out the other musical birthday months that we’ve put together!
