Dave's Celebrity Birthdays Web Page - Week of May 2-8

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May 2nd

1892 Baron Manfred von Richthofen (aka The Red Baron) (d 4/21/18, age 25)

1902 Brian Aherne (actor) (d 2/10/86, age 83)

1903 Dr. Benjamin Spock (reknowned pediatrician) (d 3/15/98, age 94)

1904 Henry 'Bing' Crosby (d 10/14/77, age 73)

1907 Pinky Lee (Burlesque performer: The Pinky Lee Show) (d 4/3/93, age 85)

1924 Theodore Bikel (folk singer, actor) (d 7/20/15, age 91)

1925 Roscoe Lee Browne (actor) (d 4/11/07, age 81)

1925 John Neville (actor: Terry Gilliam's "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen," the well-manicured man in "The X-Files") (d 11/19/11, age 86)

1929 Frederick 'Link' Wray (songwriter: Rawhide; guitarist/singer father of the power chord that influenced many rock guitarists) (d 11/5/05, age 76)

1930 Bernard Newbound (screenwriter: Partridge Family, Flying Nun) (d 10/30/19, age 89)

1932 Bruce Glover (actor: Diamonds Are Forever) (d 3/12/25, age 92)

1937 Lorenzo Music (voice actor: Garfield, with partner David Davis created "Rhoda," where he also played the voice of Carlton the doorman, who communicated through an intercom but was never seen) (d 8/4/01, age 64)

1943 Mikey Bass III (composer) (d 2/3/22, age 78)

1945 John Goadsby (aka Goldy McJohn, keyboardist/pianist: Steppenwolf) (d 8/1/17, age 72)

1945 Robert Henrit (drummer: Argent - "Hold Your Head Up")

1946 Lesley Gore (singer: It's My Party, Judy's Turn To Cry. You Don't Own Me) (d 2/16/15, age 68)

1946 Bill Cable (actor: Johnny Boz in "Basic Instinct") (d 3/7/98, age 51)

1946 David Suchet (actor)

1947 Jo Ann Pflug (actress)

1948 Larry Gatlin (guitarist/singer: The Gatlin Brothers)

1950 Lou Gramm (singer: Foreigner)

1951 John Glascock (bassist: Jethro Tull) (d 11/17/79, age 28)

1952 Christine Baranski (actress: Cybill, Happy Family)

1954 Prescott Niles (bassist: The Knack)

1962 Elizabeth Berridge (actress)

1972 Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson

1975 David Beckham (soccer player)

1975 Dule Hill

1977 Jenna Von Oy (actress)

1980 Elle Kemper (actress: The Office)


May 3rd

1898 Golda Meir (Israeli Prime Minister 1969-1974) (d 12/8/78, age 80)

1906 Mary Astor (actress: Brigid in "The Maltese Falcon") (d 9/25/87, age 81)

1910 Norman Corwin (radio pioneer) (d 10/18/11, age 101)

1919 Pete Seeger (folk singer/songwriter: If I Had a Hammer, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, We Shall Overcome) (d 1/27/14, age 94)

1919 Betty Comdon (co-wrote "Singin' in the Rain" with Adolf Green) (d 11/23/06, age 87)

1920 John Lewis (pianist: mastermind of the Modern Jazz Quartet) (d 3/29/01, age 80)

1921 Sugar Ray Robinson (d 4/12/89, age 67)

1921 Joe Ames (singer: The Ames Brothers) (d 12/22/07, age 86)

1924 Mary Carver (actress) (d 10/18/13, age 89)

1928 Dave Dudley (singer: Six Days on the Road) (d 12/12/03, age 75)

1933 Alex Cord (actor: Airwolf) (d 8/9/21, age 88)

1933 James Brown (singer (Godfather of Soul): Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, I Got You (I Feel Good)) (d 12/25/06, age 73)

1934 Frankie Valli (singer: The Four Seasons, Grease)

1935 Ron Popeil (ad man - Ronco - Vego Matic, Chopo Matic, Pocket Fisherman, Mr. Microphone, etc) (d 7/28/21, age 86)

1936 Engelbert Humperdinck

1938 Jerold Samuels (aka Napoleon XIV, singer: They're Coming to Take Me Away) (d 3/10/23, age 84)

1938 Rudy Jacobs (jazz bassist) (d 7/18/19, age 81)

1944 Peter Staples (bassist: The Troggs - "Wild Thing")

1945 Davey Lopes (second baseman: Chicago Cubs, L.A. Dodgers, Oakland A's, Houston Astros; manager: Milwaukee Brewers) (d 4/8/26, age 80)

1946 George 'Foghorn' Winslow (child actor) (d 6/13/15, age 69)

1946 Greg Gumbel (sportscaster: CBS) (d 12/27/24, age 78)

1947 Doug Henning (magician) (d 2/7/00, age 52)

1950 Mary Hopkin (singer: Those Were the Days)

1951 Christopher Cross (singer: Arthur's Theme (Best that You can Do), Sailing, Ride like the Wind, Think of Laura)

1952 Caitlin Clarke (actress) (d 9/9/04, age 52)

1953 Bruce Hall (bassist: REO Speedwagon)

1955 Steve Jones (guitarist: The Sex Pistols)

1957 Cactus Moser (singer: Highway 101)

1959 David Ball (keyboardist: Soft Cell - "Tainted Love") (d 10/22/25, age 66)

1959 Ben Elton (actor)

1968 Deborah Caprioglio (actress)

1975 Jeff Garcia (comedian/actor) (d 12/10/25, age 50)

1975 Christina Hendricks

1984 Cheryl Burke


May the 4th be with you

1916 Jane Jacobs (author/activist) (d 4/25/06, age 89)

1923 Ed Cassidy (drummer: Spirit - "I Got a Line on You Babe") (d 12/6/12, age 89)

1925 Olive Osmond (matriarch of the famous musical family, died on Mother's Day) (d 5/9/04, age 79)

1928 Maynard Ferguson (jazz trumpeter) (d 8/23/06, age 78)

1929 Audrey Hepburn (actress) (d 1/20/93, age 63)

1930 Roberta Peters (soprano) (d 1/18/17, age 86)

1932 Bob Johnston (record producer: Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash) (d 8/14/15, age 83)

1932 Susan Brown (actress) (d 8/31/18, age 86)

1937 Dick Dale ("King of the surf" guitarist) (d 3/16/19, age 81)

1938 Tyrone Davis (singer) (d 2/9/05, age 66)

1940 Ronnie Bond (drummer: The Troggs - "Wild Thing") (d 11/13/82, age 42)

1941 Nickolas Ashford (singer: Ashford & Simpson: Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Ain't Nothing like the Real Thing) (d 8/22/11, age 70)

1944 Paul Gleason (actor: Principal in "The Breakfast Club") (d 5/27/06, age 62)

1944 Roger Rees (actor: Cheers, The West Wing) (d 7/10/15, age 71)

1944 Russi Taylor (voice actress: Minnie Mouse since 1986, Martin Prince on "The Simpsons" 1989-2019) (d 7/26/19, age 75)

1948 Mike 'Shakin Stevens' Barrett

1949 Sybil Danning (actress)

1951 Jackie Jackson (singer: The Jackson Five)

1954 Pia Zadora

1955 Danny Brubeck (drummer, Dave Brubeck's son)

1956 Guy Davis (blues guitarist/harpist)

1959 Randy Travis

1960 Paul Bhattacharjee (actor: Casino Royale) (d 7/12/13, age 53)

1961 Mary Elizabeth McDonough (actress: Erin on "The Waltons")

1967 Matthew Crane (actor)

1967 Ana Gasteyer (actress: Saturday Night Live)

1970 Will Arnett (actor)

1972 Mike Dirnt (bassist: Green Day)

1978 Erin Andrews

1979 Ryan Shay (marathon runner) (d 11/3/07, age 28)

1979 Lance Bass (singer: N' Sync)

1985 Anthony Fedorov (singer, fourth place finisher on 2005 American Idol)


Cinco de Mayo

1898 Blind Willie McTell (blues guitarist/singer) (d 8/19/59, age 61)

1912 Alice Faye (actress) (d 5/9/98, age 86)

1914 Tyrone Power (actor: Zorro) (d 11/15/58, age 44)

1919 Tony Canadeo (fullback: Green Bay Packers 1941-1944, 1946-1952, Pro Football Hall of Famer) (d 11/29/03, age 84)

1921 Arthur Schawlow (co-inventor of the laser with Charles Townes) (d 1/27/15, age 77)

1922 Jay D. Miller (record producer, sound engineer & songwriter: Lightnin' Slim, Slim Harpo, Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, Silas Hogan) (d 3/23/96, age 73)

1922 Monica Lewis (actress) (d 6/12/15, age 93)

1922 Phil Gordon (actor) (d 6/15/10, age 88)

1926 Ann B. Davis (actress: Alice on "The Brady Bunch") (d 6/1/14, age 88)

1927 Pat Carroll (actress) (d 7/30/22, age 95)

1928 Marshall Grant (bassist: Johnny Cash & the Tennessee Two / Three) (d 8/7/11, age 83)

1928 Richard Schaal (actor: SCTV, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Phyllis) (d 11/4/14, age 86)

1930 Will Hutchins (actor: Sugarfoot) (d 4/21/25, age 94)

1932 Stan Goldberg (comic book artist: Archie Comics, Marvel Comics) (d 8/31/14, age 82)

1934 John 'Ace' Cannon (saxophonist) (d 12/6/18, age 84)

1937 Sandy Baron (comic) (d 1/21/01, age 63)

1938 Johnnie Taylor (blues singer) (d 5/31/00, age 62)

1940 Lance Henriksen (actor: Millennium)

1942 Tammy Wynette (d 4/6/98, age 55)

1943 Michael Palin (comedian, actor: Monty Python, Ken in "A Fish Called Wanda")

1944 John Rhys-Davies

1945 Kurt Loder (reporter: Rolling Stone Magazine, MTV)

1948 Bill Ward (drummer: Black Sabbath)

1949 Jheryl Busby (former president of Motown Records) (d 11/4/08, age 59)

1949 Anna Bergman (actress)

1949 Michael Murphy (actor)

1951 Rex Goh (guitarist: Air Supply)

1953 Billy Burnette (guitarist/singer: early member of Fleetwood Mac)

1955 Melinda Culea (actress)

1957 Susan Bergman (writer: Anonymity) (d 1/1/06, age 48)

1957 Lisa Eilbacher (actress)

1957 Richard E. Grant

1959 Ian McCullough (guitarist/singer: Echo & the Bunnymen)

1959 Brian Williams (news anchor)

1960 Phil Eason (actor/puppeteer: Star Wars Episode 1, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) (d 4/5/21, age 60)

1962 Kevin Mooney (bassist: Adam & the Ants)

1964 Dan Payne (writer: Thor, The Simpsons) (d 3/26/13, age 48)

1972 Brigitta Boccoli (actress)

1972 Travis Jervey (running back: Green Bay Packers 1995-1998, San Francisco 49ers 1999, Atlanta Falcons)

1973 Tina Yothers (actress: Jennifer on "Family Ties")

1976 Sage Stallone (actor, son of Sylvester Stalllone) (d 7/13/12, age 36)

1981 Danielle Fishel (actress: Topanga on "Boy Meets World")

1988 Adele (Adkins) (singer)

1989 Chris Brown (singer)

1996 Jaclyn Cole 'Jax' Miskanic (singer, third place finisher on 2015 American Idol)


May 6th

1895 Rudolph Valentino (singer) (d 8/23/26, age 31)

1904 Raymond Bailey (actor: Mr. Drysdale on "The Beverly Hillbillies") (d 4/15/80, age 75)

1907 Wilbuer 'Weeb' Ewbank (NFL coach: 130-129-7 record in 20 seasons - Colts 1954-1962 / Jets 1963-1973, including Super Bowl III) (d 11/17/98, age 91)

1913 Stewart Granger (d 8/16/93, age 80)

1915 Orson Welles (director: Citizen Kane) (d 10/10/85, age 70)

1916 Adriana Caselotti (voice actress: Snow White) (d 1/19/97, age 80)

1920 Ross Hunter (producer: Airport (1970), Madame X, Pillow Talk) (d 3/10/96, age 75)

1931 Willia Mays (baseball Hall of Famer, centerfielder: New York Giants, New York Mets, 660 home runs, 1954 National League MVP) (d 6/18/24, age 93)

1936 Joanna Dunham (actress) (d 11/25/14, age 78)

1937 Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter (boxer) (d 4/20/14, age 76)

1939 Eddie C. Campbell (blues guitarist) (d 11/20/18, age 79)

1945 Jimmie Dale Gilmore (singer)

1945 Bob Seger (singer: Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight, Night Moves, Against the Wind, Turn the Page)

1946 Lulu Roman (actress, comedienne, gospel singer, starred on "Hee Haw") (d 4/23/25, age 78)

1947 Ben Masters (actor) (d 1/11/23, age 75)

1948 Richard Cox (actor)

1950 Robbie McIntosh (drummer: Average White Band) (d 9/23/74, age 24)

1951 Davey Johnstone (guitarist: Elton John's Band)

1952 Michael O'Hare (actor: Jeffrey Sinclair in "Babylon 5") (d 9/28/12, age 60)

1953 Tony Blair (British Prime Minister 1997-2007)

1953 Lynn Whitfield (actress)

1955 Tom Bergeron (actor, host: Dancing with the Stars)

1959 Kate Collins (actress)

1960 Julianne Phillips

1960 Larry Steinbachek (synthesizer player: Bronski Beat)

1961 George Clooney

1961 Roma Downey (actress: Monica on "Touched By An Angel")

1964 Dana Hill (actress) (d 6/15/96, age 32)

1964 Tony Scalzo (singer: Fastball)

1965 Leslie Hope

1967 Mark Bryan (guitarist: Hootie & the Blowfish)

1983 Adrianne Palicki

1983 Gabourey Sidibe (actress)

1993 Alex Preston (singer, third place finisher on 2014 American Idol)


May 7th

1901 Gary Cooper (d 5/13/61, age 60)

1908 Leo Sternbach (inventor of Valium) (d 9/28/05, age 97)

1917 David Tomlinson (actor: Mr. Banks in "Mary Poppins") (d 6/24/00, age 83)

1919 Eva Peron (d 7/26/52, age 33)

1920 Elizabeth Post (etiquette expert and author) (d 4/24/10, age 89)

1922 Gale Robbins (actress) (d 2/12/80, age 57)

1922 Darren McGavin (actor: Dad in "A Christmas Story") (d 2/25/06, age 83)

1923 Anne Baxter (actress) (d 12/12/85, age 62)

1923 Jim Lowe (singer: Green Door, also a radio personality) (d 12/12/16, age 93)

1926 Arthur 'Kansas City Red' Stevenson (blues drummer) (d 5/7/91, age 64)

1926 Val Bisoglio (actor: Danny on "Quincy," Lt. Marsh on "Police Woman") (d 10/18/21, age 95)

1927 Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (writer: A Room with a View, Howard's End) (d 4/3/13, age 85)

1928 John Ingle (actor: Edward Quartermaine on "General Hospital") (d 9/16/12, age 84)

1930 Sophie 'Totie' Fields (comedienne) (d 8/2/78, age 48)

1931 Gene Wolfe (author) (d 4/14/19, age 87)

1931 Teresa Brewer (singer) (d 10/17/07, age 76)

1933 Johnny Unitas (quarterback: Baltimore Colts 1956-1972, San Diego Chargers 1973, Hall of Famer who broke nearly every NFL passing record and won three championships with the Colts in an 18-year career) (d 9/11/02, age 69)

1938 Kevin O'Connor (actor: Bogie) (d 6/22/91, age 53)

1939 John Mastrangelo (aka Johnny Maestro, singer: The Crests - "Sixteen Candles") (d 3/24/10, age 70)

1939 Jimmy Ruffin (singer: What Becomes of the Broken Hearted) (d 11/17/14, age 75)

1939 Marco St. John (actor)

1945 Robin Strasser (actress)

1946 'Marvelous' Marv Hubbard (fullback: Oakland Raiders 1969-1975, Detroit Lions 1977) (d 5/4/15, age 68)

1946 Bill Danoff (singer: Starland Vocal Band - "Afternoon Delight")

1946 Bill Kreutzmann (drummer: The Grateful Dead, The Grass Roots)

1948 Susan Atkins (murderer in the Manson gang) (d 9/24/09, age 61)

1948 Caleb Butler (bassist: Blind Boys of Alabama)

1949 Marilyn Burns (Sally (the screaming girl) in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") (d 8/5/14, age 65)

1950 Tim Russert (newsman, hosted Meet the Press on NBC 1991-2008) (d 6/13/08, age 58)

1951 Robert Hegyes (actor: Epstein on "Welcome Back Kotter") (d 1/26/12, age 60)

1951 Bernie Marsden (guitarist: Whitesnake, cowrote "Fool For Your Loving") (d 8/24/23, age 72)

1952 Amy Heckerling (director: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless)

1955 Peter Reckell (actor)

1958 Dwayne 'Bones' Hillman (bassist: Midnight Oil - "Beds are Burning") (d 11/7/20, age 62)

1959 Michael E. Knight (actor)

1961 Phil Campbell (guitarist: Motorhead 1984-2015) (d 3/13/26, age 64)

1962 Robbie Knievel (daredevil, son of Evel) (d 1/13/23, age 60)

1965 Owen Hart (WWF wrestler) (d 5/23/99, age 34)

1968 Traci Lords

1972 Ivan Sergei

1974 Breckin Meyer (actor)


May 8th

1884 Harry Truman (33rd U.S. President: 1945-1952) (d 12/26/72, age 88)

1906 Roberta Rossellini (director) (d 6/3/77, age 71)

1911 Robert Johnson (blues guitarist/singer: Sweet Home Chicago, Cross Road Blues, Me and the Devil Blues; subject of film, Crossroads; inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1986) (d 8/16/38, age 27)

1916 Frank Inn (animal trainer: Benji, and many others) (d 7/27/02, age 86)

1919 Lex Barker (actor) (d 5/11/73, age 54)

1922 Lew Anderson (actor: Howdy Doody's last Clarabell the Clown) (d 5/14/06, age 84)

1926 Don Rickles (comedian/actor) (d 4/6/17, age 90)

1926 David Attenborough

1928 John Bennett (actor) (d 4/11/05, age 76)

1932 Sonny Liston (Heavyweight Champion 1962-1964) (d 1/5/71, age 38)

1935 Jerry Moss (the 'M' in A&M Records) (d 8/16/23, age 88)

1937 Thomas Pynchon (author: V)

1938 Alice Trillin (educator, author and muse of her husband, humorist Calvin Trillin) (d 9/11/01, age 63)

1938 Joe Louis Clark (principal at Eastside High School in Paterson NJ, subject of the movie "Lean on Me") (d 12/29/20, age 82)

1940 Peter Benchley (author: Jaws, The Deep) (d 2/11/06, age 65)

1940 Emilio Delgado (actor: Luis on "Sesame Street") (d 3/10/22, age 81)

1940 Rick Nelson (singer: Garden Party, Hello Mary Lou; son of Ozzie & Harriet, actor: The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet) (d 12/31/85, age 45)

1941 John Fred Gourrier (aka John Fred, singer: "Judy in the Sky (with glasses)") (d 4/15/05, age 63)

1941 James Mitchum (actor) (d 9/20/25, age 84)

1943 Paul Samwell-Smith (bassist: The Yardbirds)

1943 Toni Tennille (singer: Captain & Tennille - "Love Will Keep Us Together")

1944 Paul Gadd (aka Gary Glitter, singer: Rock And Roll Parts I & II)

1949 Michael 'Redglare, Rockets' Morra (comedian, actor and longtime fixture of Manhattan's downtown art and drama scenes, in movies Desperately Seeking Susan and Big) (d 5/28/01, age 52)

1950 Mark Blankfield (actor/comedian: Fridays, many movies)

1951 Phillip Bailey (singer: Earth, Wind and Fire)

1951 Chris Frantz (drummer: The Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club)

1951 Deborah Harmon (actress)

1952 Beth Henley (actress/playwright)

1953 Alex Van Halen (drummer: Van Halen)

1954 Phil Wiggins (blues singer: Cephas & Wiggins) (d 5/7/24, age 69)

1954 Stephen Furst (actor: Dr. Elliot Axelrod on "St. Elsewhere" 1983-1988) (d 6/16/17, age 63)

1954 David Keith (actor: Yonk Allen on "The Class")

1958 Lovie Smith (head coach: Chicago Bears 2006-2012)

1959 Ronnie Lott (former defensive back: San Francisco 49ers)

1961 Janet McTeer

1964 Eric Brittingham (bassist: Cinderella)

1964 Melissa Gilbert (actress: Laura on "Little House on the Prairie")

1964 Cheryl Richardson (actress: Jennie on "General Hospital")

1964 David Rowntree (drummer: Blur)

1971 Chris Wolf

1974 Korey Stringer (offensive tackle: Minnesota Vikings 1995-2000, died of heat stroke after his body temp rose to 108 following a training camp practice) (d 8/1/01, age 27)

1975 Enrique Iglesias (singer)

1978 Matthew Davis (actor)

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