Happy August! And we’re kinda celebrating this month with a bit of psychedelia because it’s the month that “Woodstock” was held. Also, Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead was born this month as were a couple of characters from “The Wizard of Oz,” which pretty strange, if not totally psychedelic. Enjoy!
August 1: Poet/“Star-Spangled Banner” author Francis Scott Key (1779-1843), Grateful Dead frontman/counterculture icon Jerry Garcia (1942-1995), Blues singer/guitarist Robert Cray (1953), Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott (1959), Rappers Chuck D (1960) and Coolio (1963), Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz (1964), Guitarist Dhani Harrison [son of Beatle George] (1978)
August 2: The Band keyboardist Garth Hudson (1937), Traffic drummer Jim Capaldi (1944-2005), Singer/songwriter Andrew Gold [writer of “Thank You For Being A Friend”] (1951-2011), Singer Charli XCX (1992)
August 3: Bandleader Les Elgart (1917-1995), Singing icon Tony Bennett (1926), Metallica frontman/guitarist James Hetfield (1963), Collective Soul frontman Ed Roland (1963)
August 4: Jazz icon/“Satchmo” Louis Armstrong (1901-1971), Singer/”Boop-A-Doop” girl Helen Kane (1904-1966), Lightning Seeds frontman Ian Broudie (1958), Sepultura/Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera (1969)
August 5: Rock guitarist Rick Derringer (1947), The Germs/Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear (1959), Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch (1964-2012), Canadian Grand Ole Opry member Terri Clark (1968)
August 6: Jazz bassist 
Charlie Haden (1937-2014), Singer/songwriter Elliott Smith (1969-2003), Singer/songwriter Donna Lewis (1973)
August 7: Boogie-woogie pianist/bandleader Freddie Slack (1910-1965), Brazilian singer/activist Caetano Veloso (1942), Country singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell (1950), Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson (1958), Jazz pianist Marcus Roberts (1963), Country singer/Mavericks frontman Raul Malo (1965), Throwing Muses frontwoman Kristin Hersh (1966)
August 8: Jazz composer/bandleader Benny Carter (1907-2003), Country Music Hall Of Fame member/Grand Ole Opry member Mel Tillis [father of Pam] (1932), Soul singer Joe Tex (1933-1982), U2 guitarist David “The Edge” Evans (1961), Rapper Kool Moe Dee (1962), Creed frontman Scott Stapp (1973), Singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes (1998)
August 9: Jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette (1942), Old school rap pioneer Kurtis Blow (1959), Singing icon Whitney Houston (1963-2012), Rapper Mack 10 (1971), Colombian musician Juanes (1972)
August 10: Entertainer/”Tin Man” Jack Haley (1898-1979), Musical inventor Leo Fender (1909-1991), Country singer/entrepreneur Jimmy Dean (1928-2010), Righteous Brother Bobby Hatfield (1940-2003), Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson (1947), Jazz/R&B singer Patti Austin (1950), R&B singer Aaron Hall (1964)
August 11: Entertainer/TV host Mike Douglas (1925-2006), Singer/composers Eric Carmen (1949) and Joe Jackson (1954), Rock guitarist Charlie Sexton (1968), A Tribe Called Quest member Ali Shaheed Muhammad (1970), Death Cab For Cutie frontman, Bremerton’s Benjamin Gibbard (1976), Off The Wall student and blog contributor, Eric Andrews, Rapper Asher Roth (1985)
August 12: Country icon/”Mr. Grand Ole Opry” Porter Wagoner (1927-2007), Country singer/guitarist Buck Owens (1929-2006), Sparks founder Ron Mael (1945), Rock guitarist/Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler (1949), Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny (1954), Seattle’s own Sir Mix-A-Lot (1963), Relient K frontman Matt Thiessen (1980)
August 13: Entertainer/”Cowardly Lion” Bert Lahr (1895-1967), Hawaiian singer Don Ho (1930-2007), Pianist/organist Dave “Baby” Cortez (1938), Opera singer Kathleen Battle (1948), Singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg (1951-2007), British singer/songwriter James Morrison (1984)
August 14: Seals & Crofts founder Dash Crofts (1940), Folk-rock icon David Crosby (1941), Comedian/entertainer Steve Martin (1945), Academy Award-winning film composer James Horner (1953-2015), Scissor Sisters frontwoman Ana Matronic (1974)
August 15: Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson (1925-2007), Singer Bobby Helms (1933-1997), Pop composer Jimmy Webb (1946), Doobie Brothers founder Tom Johnston (1948), Deee-Lite frontwoman Lady Miss Kier (1963), Singer Joe Jonas (1989)
August 16: Jazz pianist Mal Waldron (1925-2002), Entertainer Eydie Gorme (1928-2013), Jazz pianist/composer Bill Evans (1929-1980), Golden Earring frontman Barry Hay (1948), Kool & The Gang frontman J.T. Taylor (1953), Pop icon/”Material Girl” Madonna (1958), Singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton (1980)
Photo by Karen Blue 
August 17: Entertainer Mae West (1893-1980), Dexy’s Midnight Runners frontman Kevin Rowland (1953), Singer/Go-Go’s frontwoman Belinda Carlisle (1958), Jazz/R&B singer Maysa Leak (1966)
August 18: Composer Antonio Salieri (1750-1825), Gospel singer Edwin Hawkins (1943), Entertainer Patrick Swayze (1952-2009), Rapper/singer Everlast (1969), Comedian/The Lonely Island member Andy Samberg (1978)
August 19: Spokane-born jazz pianist Jimmy Rowles (1918-1996), Cream/Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker (1939), Singer Johnny Nash (1940), Queen bassist John Deacon (1951), Country singer Lee Ann Womack (1966), Singer/songwriter Christina Perri (1986)
August 20: Country icon/Grand Ole Opry member Jim Reeves (1923-1964), Soul singer/composer Isaac Hayes (1942-2008), Rock icon/Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant (1948), Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott (1949-1986), Singer/songwriter John Hiatt (1952), Rapper KRS-One (1965), Jazz singer/pianist Jamie Cullum (1979), Singer/actress Demi Lovato (1992)
August 21: Jazz pianist/bandleader Count Basie (1904-1984), Country singer/entertainer Kenny Rogers (1938), Singer/songwriter Jackie DeShannon (1944), The Clash frontman Joe Strummer (1952-2002), System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian (1967), R&B singer Kelis (1979), Country singer/songwriter Kacey Musgraves (1988)
August 22: French composer Claude Debussy (1862-1918), Blues icon John Lee Hooker (1917-2001), Rockabilly singer/guitarist Dale Hawkins [writer of “Susie Q”] (1936-2010), Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid (1958), Tears For Fears founder Roland Orzabal (1961), Singer/songwriter/pianist Tori Amos (1963), Alice In Chains frontman, Kirkland’s Layne Staley (1967-2002)
August 23: Entertainer Gene Kelly (1912-1996), The Who drummer Keith Moon (1946-1978), Singer/actor Rick Springfield (1949), Survivor frontman Jimi Jamison (1951-2014), The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas (1978)
August 24: French composer Jean-Michel Jarre (1948), Armored Saint/Anthrax frontman John Bush (1963)
August 25: Composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), Kiss bassist Gene Simmons (1949), Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford (1951), Eclectic singer/songwriter Elvis Costello (1954), Country singer/entertainer Billy Ray Cyrus [father of Miley] (1961)
August 26: Blues singer/guitarist Leon Redbone (1949), Jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis (1960), Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson (1966), Mexican entertainer Thalia (1971)
August 27: Jazz pianist/composer Alice Coltrane (1937-2007), Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson (1953), Gospel singer Yolanda Adams (1961), Rapper Mase (1974)
August 28: Entertainer Donald O’Connor (1925-2003), Velvet Underground guitarist Sterling Morrison (1942-1995), Canadian country singer Shania Twain (1965), Entertainer/Tenacious D frontman Jack Black (1969), Country singer LeAnn Rimes (1982), Florence + The Machine frontwoman Florence Welch (1986)
August 29: Jazz saxophonist/”Yardbird” Charlie Parker (1920-1955), Jazz/blues vocalist Dinah Washington (1924-1963), “The King Of Pop” Michael Jackson (1958-2009), Cocteau Twins frontwoman Elisabeth Fraser (1963), R&B singer Pebbles (1964), R&B singer/bassist Me’Shell NdegeOcello (1968), Singer/actress Lea Michele (1986)
August 30: Country Music Hall Of Fame member/Grand Ole Opry member Kitty Wells (1919-2012), Jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham [writer of “Blue Bossa”] (1924-1972),
August 31: Irish singer/songwriter/Them! frontman Van Morrison (1945), Classical violinist Itzhak Perlman (1945), Squeeze founder Glenn Tilbrook (1957), Singer/songwriter/teen idol Debbie Gibson (1970), The Vines founder Craig Nicholls (1977)
Check out the other musical birthday months that we’ve put together!
