Big Day on the Birthday Calendar for Today: An Underground Genius, The King of Pop,and The Jazz Legend

Today in music history three totally different but unique genius' had a birthday today. 


In 1920, today Charlie"Yardbird"Parker was born today. Widely considered one of the most influential jazz musicians period. People even tried getting addicted to heroin so they could play like Bird. The man of mythic indulgences and was a legend for his highs and his lows.

   Charlie Bird Parker "Groovin' High"

When he died, New York was plastered with stickers and graffiti saying "Bird Lives". He was known to pawn his horn for heroin and have to borrow a horn to play the gig to get the money to get his horn back to pawn it etc... Well one time, legend says he got up with a little toy sax and blew minds. True or not, the man was a legend and changed jazz through his sax, his legend, and his joining of the East and West Coast schools of jazz. From humble beginnings to immortality.

In 1948, Sterling Morrison, lead guitarist of The Velvet Underground was born today. The man who was part of the band that "only sold 1,000 records but everybody that bought one started a band." He was also a member of the Warlocks, a name you might recognize from another band. 

I'm Waitin' for the Man

 "Sometimes, I think his guitar playing is very much like his first name – sterling. It's involved. And yet it has a grace and elegance to it, even in the fast-note runs. You could play me a hundred guitars, and I could spot Sterling."-Lou Reed

And Finally, today in 1950, the King of Pop, MJ, Michael Jackson was born today. Mostly everyone knows his story so I won't go on to much about him other than to say besides all the bullshit, and rumors, and *cough* alleged illicit activities he was known for, the man could sing a song.

"Thriller" video

Thriller may be one of the best albums ever made and the video for "Thriller" was one of the first videos that made MTV a force in youth culture while they still played music.

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